Yowzers, I’m clearly no good at sticking with this blogging challenge thing! So much for 100 blogs in a year….Ha!
In the spirit of continuing to challenge myself, I will keep at the 100 blogs. But without the timeframe. Because, well, that will likely go right out the window again! I last left this off at a few posts about the last overseas trip I did, reflecting on the good old days when we could travel freely and go places. Well, more than a year on, that’s still the best thing I can do while in lockdown. So, please, allow me to resume my reminiscing….
My partner and I like to throw in a day trip or two when we’re travelling, to give ourselves a chance to explore outside of the busier city centres of where we’re staying. Usually we’re searching for places to visit that may offer a more authentic and/or unique experience of the local culture. Other times, these day trips come about because we’ve come this far out of our own part of the world - why not?
If you’re into hiking, religious tourism or just taking many modes of transport, then maybe a day out to Montserrat is your kind of thing.
The Benedictine Abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat, in the mountains is quite a sight to behold when you catch your first glimpse of it while slowly ascending the mountain. We took the rack railway, but there is also a cable car which I’m sure would be equally spectacular. If you’re feeling particularly energetic you can forego all these options and just hike up the mountain to get there.
There is a museum on-site showcasing various archaeological objects, artefacts and artworks. I also seem to recall a section close to the museum’s exit that featured a multi-screen, floor-to-ceiling audio-visual experience of the Montserrat Boys Choir in some sort of collaboration promo / film clip with two (I presume Spanish and well-known) performers. That vividly sticks in my mind for some reason.
We spent most of the day taking the funicular railways up the mountain to do some short hikes. You don’t have to go too far to get some amazing views out to the towns and landscapes below, as well as coming across quaint little buildings, seemingly random but beautiful brick or stone doorways constructed along slightly precarious paths and stairways leading in all sorts of directions. To really get a good hike in, you would definitely need a whole day or several days I reckon.
We were running short on time, but got a chance to quickly explore the basilica, the outside atrium and square, and surrounding spaces before heading back into town via the last rackrail to leave Montserrat. In all, this was a great day trip out - it had a little bit of everything, which allowed us to appreciate some of the historic, cultural, spiritual and natural aspects of Spain.
