| 25-Aug-2009 | No concrete jungle today, we took the train inland to Montserrat. Make that a train, and two, yes two, funiculars. Montserrat includes a basilica, museum and park perched above the Llobregat River. This site is home to the Virgin of Monserrat (The Black Virgin), Catalonia’s favorite saint. No, we did not visit her, but saw the line as proof that hundreds do each day.

Discovered today that there’s a Starbucks two blocks from the B&B. Where was that two days ago?!

Tomorrow morning we bid “hasta la vista” to Barcelona and fly back to Amsterdam. I can’t believe the trip is half over already. Barcelona is truly a unique city – Jeff described it as Lisbon meets London and I’d have to agree. “Spanish time” is a lot like “Hawaiian time” and for a cosmopolitan city that’s pretty cool.

Jeff’s Note – while it is true that there was rain and distant thunder at Montserrat, reports of lightning strikes near Holly and I are highly exaggerated … though we were at an abbey, so such a thing certainly could happen.

Montserrat. We have survived yet another holy site.

The Montserrat monastery complex as seen from the path to Santa Cove.

The funicular from the monastery to a pathway to Santa Cove, a small church perched on the hillside below and away from the main complex.

Santa Cove