Barcelona 2019: Side Trip to Montserrat

When you're in Barcelona, a day trip to the the mountains in Montserrat is a very fine idea. It's just a 40-minute train ride away. You can also take bus or private transportation or taxi. So, on day 2 of the trip we decided to go to the mountains and pay a visit to the Virgin of Montserrat or the Black Virgin. I was dead set on fulfilling my friend's dream of seeing/visiting as many churches as she can during this 17-day trip that included a cruise to the Canary Islands.

When we got off the train, we took the cable car to to climb up to the monastery. Each cable car can carry up to 30 people. Thankfully, there were few people going up that day so we were able to have unobstructed view of the mountains and the valley below. I was actually anxious about taking the cable car ride, because usually it can get scary. However, this experience was not scary at all. The ascent was smooth and not too fast, and yet we climbed up pretty quickly.

Once we were up there, we took many photos of the splendid scenery and the picturesque mountains and indulged in many selfies and groufies. There was a service going on so we stayed until it was over. Then, we went outside to see if we can go see the Virgin. A long line had already formed outside for the Virgin but we were there so we stayed in line. Long as the line was, the wait to see the Virgin was not as long. Pretty incredible, I thought.

Seeing my friend's satisfied face afterwards was a great reward for putting Montserrat on our itinerary.

It was a crispy 33F sunny day. To warm up, we lingered in the gift shop. There's plenty to tempt you there. We got tempted naturally.

Afterwards, we stopped at the pop-up farmer's market in the grounds to sample what the local growers brought for sale. There were local vegetables, honey, nuts, homemade baked goods, homemade soaps, etc.

There are trails all around the monastery and I've seen people take them. It was not advisable for us since our time was limited, but it would be fun. There's also a funicular that goes higher in the mountains. I'm curious about that. I probably would not be able to see what's up there, or take any of the trails. If this would be my last visit here, I'm happy that I have paid a visit twice.





































My first visit was documented here and here.