One of the Picasso works on display at Montserrat Museum, the Old Fisherman
When we arrived at our hotel in Madrid we thought we had a 3 night reservation. However, upon check-in we learned that I had made only a two night request and to extend another day would be very expensive. So instead of booking another night in Madrid we were able to start our Barcelona excursion a day early and very happy we did.
Our first course of salads at OrganiQ, Sant Cugat Spain
The trip from Madrid to Barcelona was about 300 miles and it was going into afternoon. In Spain lunch begins around 1400 so before we left Madrid we visited a shopping complex adjacent to the hotel and bought some food for lunch. There is a nationwide chain of stores called El Corte Ingles that are like the Herald Square Macy's in New York City with a supermarket and one was in the same complex as our hotel. The store was amazing with great meats, cheeses, wines and liquors. They also have gourmet dining shops where we got our food to go.
The street scene of OrganiQ in Sant Cugat,
The trip to Barcelona was fascinating. The Autovia (highway) ran through some very high mountains as the elevation of Madrid is over 3,000 feet. However, unlike many mountains we are familiar with the ones around Madrid are barren and dry that made for interesting and wide open expanses vistas. The mountains also brought with them large swings in the speed limit with their grades and curves requiring constant attention because they love to put speed traps in the lower speed zones. The speed
The sheer cliff at the parking lot on Montserrat. Already high up the mountain.
traps were stationery mounted cameras along the side of the road with warning signs about a kilometer before. Hard to say which were working because vandals reported break them frequently to prevent getting caught. But, I think I saw them all in time to brake. The typical speed limit was 120 kilometers/hour or just under 80 miles/hour although I usually drove about 140 k/h or just over 90 m/h. We'll see if I get any citations.
View looking from the Abbey at Montserrat
There are also rest areas along the Autovia. Some are simply gas stations but some have hotels and restaurants. We stopped at one about midway to Barcelona and filled up with gas and ate our lunches. The trip through the countryside was interesting and uneventful.
Our hotel in Barcelona was in the suburb of Sant Cugat. Originally it's own town it is now a very upscale suburb and our hotel was in what was considered the financial district with many corporate headquarters and insurance companies. Sant Cugat is also the home of the famous band leader Xavier Cugat who was married to Charo who was from Murcia, Spain not far from Cartagena, Spain.
View looking through the Courtyard to the peak
We got into the hotel after dark and had a late dinner and planned our next day's activities. We didn't have an itinerary when we came to Spain although we had a list of objectives we wanted to achieve. We got to Sant Cugat Saturday night and Sunday much of what we wanted to see in Barcelona was closed so we looked for "Plan B."
The Black Madonna of Montserrat
Sunday we got up late because we were still jet-lagged and tired from our running in Madrid and the drive over. But, we got up and found our way into the old part of Sant Cugat to an organic veggie restaurant for a wonderful brunch. The restaurant had many great options but I didn't feel like wine for breakfast. Turned out the food was some of the best we had on the trip.
Chapels outside the main sanctuary
The main sanctuary of the Basilica
Stained glass window in the sanctuary
Our big trip for the day was to Montserrat. Montserrat in Spain, not the Caribbean volcano island. Montserrat is home to an abbey and monastery that date back over 1000 years. Situated high up on a mountain edifice it has spectacular views and a treasure trove of artifacts. The drive from Sant Cugat was about 35 minutes to the base and then we had to drive the long winding, climbing and narrow road to the top. As we drove it each view became more spectacular foreshadowing what we might see at the top.
The promontory above the Monastery
Being Sunday the parking lots were crowded and even the bus parking was full with locals and tourists visiting this shrine. But, we were able to get into one lot that was not too far from the top and walked up to see the breathtaking views of the valleys and the still expanding mountain above. Then there was the abbey and monastery.
The Courtyard
Before we went into the Basilica we went through the Museum. While it is not del Prado, it has works by Picasso, Dali, Pissaro and other great Spanish painters. But more than that it has relics back to ancient Egypt including mummies and artifacts dating back more than 2000 years. The artifacts include pieces before the birth of Christ, relics of early Christianity and ancient Judaism.
Old Torah's on display in he Montserrat Museum
Ancient Egyptian Artifacts
Egyptian mummy and sarcophagus
After visiting the museum we went through the Basilica that included the so-called "Black Madonna" which is an ancient sculpture of Mary allegedly dating back to the time of Christ is black due to the passage of time. Pilgrims come from all over Spain and beyond to witness the Virgin. It was quite moving to see the artwork in the Cathedral and especially this statue being worshiped by the faithful.
Link to the Black Madonna of Montserrat
Entrance to the Basilica
It was getting late and tourists were leaving as things began to close so we headed back to the car.
On the drive back we looked for a place for dinner. Many of the restaurants were closed because it was Sunday or they weren't open late. We found a nice little place called the Somewhere Cafe in the old center of Sant Cugat for a nice meal, nice time and good wine. We were still jet-lagged and fading fast.
Over dinner we planned our next day where we would take the train into Barcelona to see all we could.
Montserrat is really a site to behold for its scenery, its beauty, its treasures and its significance in world culture.
