On the second day of my Spain Adventure, I planned a day trip to Montserrat.  Montserrat is a Benedictine Abbey located on the mountain of Montserrat in Catalonia approximately one and a half hours from Barcelona.  I took a taxi from my hotel to the Placa de Espayna train station.  The ticket I purchased online was validated at the train counter.  As I sat on the platform waiting for the train, I met a woman and her two friends from Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  Eileen visited Montserrat eight years earlier with her family and wanted her friends to experience the trip.  We spent the hour-long train ride talking with each other about our adventures and what we had experienced so far in Spain. 

After the hour-long train ride, we transferred to the rack railway that took us slowly up the mountain with amazing views.  Once at the top, the monastery stood within the rock formation and the views were breathtaking. 

I had purchased a timed ticket to see the Black Madonna in the basilica.  I said goodbye to my new friends and headed toward the basilica.  It was also Ash Wednesday and I arrived at the basilica just in time for Mass.  It was a beautiful Mass with the boys’ choir on the altar leading the hymns.  The boys’ choir at Montserrat is the oldest boys’ choir in Europe. 

Ashes were distributed during the Mass, but not as I expected.  In the United States, we receive ashes on the forehead.  At this Mass, the ashes were sprinkled on the top of my head.  I read about this years ago, but never experienced it.

After Mass, I headed toward the line to see the Black Madonna.  This Madonna has a very interesting history.  It is believed by many Christians that the statue was carved by Saint Luke in Jerusalem.  In 1844, Pope Leo XIII declared the Black Madonna to be the patron saint of Catalonia. 

After the viewing, I headed to the market area for lunch and then back to the basilica for a closer look and the opportunity to take pictures which were not allowed during the Mass.

Shortly after arriving at the basilica for Mass, I heard a helicopter close by.  Throughout my visit, this helicopter was working above the monastery. 

The long train ride back to Barcelona was quite interesting.  The train was crowded with tourists and locals coming home from work.  On the train, I met a woman and her two young daughters traveling locally from their home in Barcelona.  I also met a woman and her teenage daughter traveling from Switzerland and learned that they were originally from Canada. 

It was a GREAT day in Montserrat.  I highly recommend this day trip adventure whenever you come to Barcelona. 

Let me know in the comments below if you have ever been to Barcelona or Montserrat. 

Stay tuned, there is so much more to come… 

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