Yesterday I spur of the moment made plans for us to join a half day excursion through Spain Day Tours to go to Monserrat. The NJ folks mentioned this trip yesterday, and the GA folks had done it previously and loved it, so thought we’d give it a go.
After breakfast at the hotel we walked 15 minutes to meet up with our group. At 8:30 we were met by our guide, Marta, and there were only 6 total in our group.
It was an hour drive to Monserrat, eventually heading up the mountain on twisty roads. Monserrat is considered a holy spot, and the famous statue of the Black Madonna is located there.
Stunning location, with the basilica and monastery built right into the hillside. We had a chance for a quick visit inside the basilica, then an hour and a half to explore on our own. John and I opted to take the funicular to the top of the mountain. A super steep train ride, pretty much straight vertical ascent to the top.
Once on top we decided to walk a short trek to Saint Joan Chapel. Monserrat is a National Park, and there are loads of trails crisscrossing the terrain.
Back down to grape a sandwich, coffee and honey almonds, then back in the van. Marta was a nonstop wealth of info, and she swung by MontJuic on the way back.
At 1:45 we were dropped off by our hotel and decided to stop at the coffee shop next door to share a pastry, coffee and iced chai. We wanted to visit the Maritime Museum, so that was our next goal.
What an amazing museum and well worth the visit. This was very different than the Lisbon Maritime Museum, working chronologically through the history of maritime travel. Great interactive exhibits and well presented, including a visit to a ship owned by the museum.
By this time it was 5 and we decide to tour Casa Mila, one of the Gaudi houses. It was a 45 minute walk to the house, so just about 6 by the time we arrived.
The tour was fantastic, with a free audio guide included with admission. The man was a true visionary with nature-inspired designs and touches. We decided that we’d hit three perfect spots on our final day.
From there it was time for dinner and we found Restaurant Balula that looked good. I had a Hugo Spritz (delicious) and John had a beer, followed by bread, patates bravas, a pork cannelloni dish and a cod dish. All so good.
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