Adventures in Spain: Day 3
We got up super early in the morning to take the first train from Barcelona to Monistrol de Montserrat. Since we had to leave so early we decided to have breakfast at the hotel's continental breakfast and it was so good! On our way to the train We got to walk by an old bull fighting ring that has been turned into a shopping mall.
After our first long train ride we arrived at the Cremallera de Montserrat. This is a mountain railway line that runs from Monistrol de Montserrat to the mountain-top monastery it has a maximum gradient of 15.6%. This type of train is distinguished by its teeth that help it up the mountain. It was a lovely and smooth ride and we joined others who were making there way to visit the monastery.
The Montserrat Abbey is an abbey of the Order of Saint Benedict, located on the mountain of Montserrat in Monistrol de Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain. It is most notable for enshrining the image of the Virgin of Montserrat. The monastery was founded in 1025 and rebuilt between the 19th and 20th centuries. With a community of around 70 monks, the abbey is still in use to this day.
"Why was it rebuilt?" was my first question. We found out that in 1811 and in 1812, during Napoleon's invasion of Spain, the abbey was twice burned down and sacked by Napoleon's troops, and many of its treasures were lost. In 1835, the abbey was closed until restoration in 1844.
Magical Moments If you turn your sound on you will hear the bells of Montserrat as J and I got to experience them before we went into mass. Standing in the court yard listening to them was truly a high point of the trip to me and one that I will cherish for quite some time.
Next up we got to ride the Funicular de Sant Joan! This is a type of cable railway system characterized by two counterbalanced carriages permanently attached to opposite ends of a cable, which is looped over a pulley at the upper end of the track. The result is that the two carriages move synchronously. Meaning that as one goes up the mountain, the other descends at the same speed speed. The line connects the monastery to with sacred sites, walking trails and viewpoints higher up the mountain. The Funicular de Sant Joan has a maximum gradient of 65%, making it is the steepest funicular in Spain! This experience was super cool for my mechanical engineering brain!
Last stop in our mountain adventure was The Museum of Montserrat. The Museum showcases a selection of the most outstanding artistic and archaeological heritage at the thousand-year-old Abbey of Montserrat. The museum contains six very different collections and more than 1300 pieces are exhibited in the museum! Two of the paintings we saw 100% spoke to me. The first painting was Esperant (or Waiting) by Julio Romero De Torres the exasperated are you ready yet face of the subject was so well recognized! The second was Jove Decadent Despres del ball (decadent young woman after the ball) by Ramon Casas which features a woman on a green velvet couch, a book... is this me in a different time!?
We then took the two train rides back home. Leaving the monastery at 1500 local time was not the move and required us to stand in close quarters for most of the hour ride home. Definitely would have chosen a different time to make our way back to Barcelona is we had known how busy the train would be. As a reward for our day of adventuring we went to Ostaia Cucina Italiana and had a hearty dinner. Warning it is definitely slow service byt the food was so good
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