Grand Africa Cruise Day 4/96 - Montserrat Monastery
We were up and at 'em this morning. We set a 6:00 alarm so we could hit breakfast right at 7:00 and leave immediately after to head to our pick-up point for our tour. Uber worked much better today than yesterday with a driver actually showing up and delivering us right to our destination.
Where were we headed today? Montserrat. Montserrat, literally the serrated mountain, is a small range of mountains, part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range, about an hour northwest of Barcelona. It is also home to a famous Benedictine Monastery bearing the same name.
The ride was uneventful and we arrived in just about an hour to the base of Montserrat.
Our ascent was to be in a cog-wheel train.
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| This example was on display - it looked like it would be an interesting ride |
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| This was the actual train - an electric passenger train - nothing special |
We arrived at the top and took a look around.
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| The monastery building |
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| A statue of the founder of the monastery, Abbot Oliva |
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| The entrance |
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| The Montserrat coat of arms over the entrance |
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A duplicate of a sculpture on the Passion facade of Sagrada Familia
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| Arches overlook the mountainside |
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| A funicular train is available for rides to the top - we didn't take it |
Our first stop inside was to see the Black Madonna or The Virgin of Montserrat. The wooden statue is said to date back to the late 12th century.
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| Starting the walk |
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| We passed through multiple chambers and climbed several flights of stairs |
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| One chamber offered a spectacular view of the organ pipes in the cathedral |
We finally reached the Black Madonna. Christ is sitting on her lap. She holds a sphere that is available to touch and make a prayer on. It is said that if the Madonna grants your prayer, you are obligated to return to Montserrat and express your thanks.
We made our way back down, taking in the sights.
When we reached the courtyard, I heard my name. It was the friends we made last year on our Alaska, Asia, Australia, and Arabia trip, Kitty and Harvey. After speaking last night, we knew there was a good chance we would run into each other today. It really makes the world feel like a smaller place when you meet friends in foreign places.
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| Garry, Arlona, Kitty, Harvey |
We continued into the main cathedral for a look.
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| Hmm...what's that in the front? |
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| It's hard to see - we'll go for a better look |
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| There is an older set of pipes a bit farther back than the newer ones |
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| Here's a better look at the front of the altar - it's the Black Madonna |
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| I hadn't noticed when we were there that she sat right at the front of the altar area |
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| This guy showed everyone the way out |
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| Is that a coffin or a bathtub? |
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| Back outside |
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| The pillars reminded us a little of the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon |
Our tour included a small liquor tasting and an audio/visual exhibit that provided information about the monastery and the boy's choir that also studies here.
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| We walked up a hill for a better look around |
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| Mountain climbing is a big sport on Montserrat |
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| Several of the rocks have names - this is Elephant's Trunk |
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| The sun, about to breach the mountain |
We walked to the bus terminal to meet our tour bus for the ride back to Barcelona.
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| Interesting sculpture |
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| Another scenic archway |
With that, our time at Montserrat was over. We made the drive back to Barcelona. Montserrat left us a little underwhelmed. It was lovely, and nothing was wrong, but with the number of monasteries and cathedrals we've seen along with the multiple mountain ranges, for us, Montserrat wasn't that special. It all depends on the visitor's previous experiences, and for us, it was just OK. Your mileage may vary.
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| We did see this sculpture from the 1992 Olympics |
We decided to make the 2.0-kilometer walk back to the hotel and find someplace for lunch along the way. We peeked into a few tapas places but nothing looked good. We wound up at La Real Hamburguesería, just two blocks from our hotel. We enjoyed burgers for lunch - they really hit the spot.
Back at the hotel, we rested a bit and then got ready for tonight's gala dinner and welcome.
We went down to the lobby as requested at 5:35 for a 5:45 bus departure. Things were a bit disorganized. A couple of buses left with folks, but we didn't depart until well after 6:00. We wound up getting stuck by an accident, slowing our travel even more. Traffic in Barcelona is crazy essentially all the time. Watching cars, trucks, buses, scooters, and motorcycles weave through traffic, I'm amazed that there aren't more accidents. Eventually, we arrived at our dinner destination,
Castillo de Sant Marçal.
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| The castle has been in the hands of the same family for 799 years |
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| The castle was quite picturesque at night |
The castle has multiple spaces and is used to host events and weddings.
Seabourn had appetizers and drinks available along with entertainment. A guitar trio and two dancers performed as guests arrived. Eventually, the doors opened and we were seated. Seabourn managed the seating, ensuring that couples were at the same table but not seated next to each other. This forced the ice to break and cruisers to begin meeting each other.
There was a fixed menu with a seafood appetizer, a lamb main course, and two dessert options including Sacher torte. Of course, wine flowed freely. The Seabourn host introduced various Seabourn folks who were positioned at each table - some direct employees plus enrichment folks like resident artists, lecturers, and instructors.
We also had entertainment that started after the appetizer and lasted through dinner. The Barcelona Guitar Orchestra, a six-member guitar ensemble, played throughout the meal, accompanied by a pair of female Flamenco dancers. It was a nice touch.
After dessert, we were free to head to the waiting coaches for the ride back to the hotel. We got back a little before 11:00. We needed to repack our bags as they will pick up bags from the rooms tomorrow morning around 8:00. Breakfast will be served until 10:00. We received a letter giving us an 11:45 departure time tomorrow morning.
Our time here in Barcelona is coming to an end. Tomorrow evening, we sail and the real adventure will begin.
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