Montserrat

On Friday we went to Montserrat to see the church there and to learn about the monastery. Although the trip seemed less relevant to what the students are studying right now, it was really fun and relaxing. Montserrat is located on this mountain that has a serrated look, thus the name - Mont (catalan for mountain) and serrat (again in Catalan, meaning serrated). To get there you take a winding train ride from Barcelona and then you must take a cable car from the base of the mountain to the top, or almost the top, where the monastery and church are located. In addition to the church, and a monastery that houses about 80 benedictine monks, there is also a school for boys. To be more precise, it is a music school where the students also learn the usual subjects. The Montserrat Boys Choir is well-known and travels throughout the world performing. In the afternoons, the boys sing in the church for all the tourists. According to our guide, it is one of the most prestigious music schools in Spain.

The history of Montserrat dates back to the 9th century A.D., but the buildings that are there now only date back to the late 19th century since the whole place was destroyed during the War of Independence in 1811 when the French attacked Barcelona. So you can blame Napoleon for the fact that almost none of the original, probably romanesque, buildings remain. Montserrat is a very important holy site in Catalonia and was a keeper of Catalan culture during the Franco dictatorship when all things Catalan were officially prohibited. Montserrat seems to have a sort of mystical quality as it is nestled among amazing scenery, beautiful walking paths and incredible views of the surrounding valley. Since we got there early, I spent the morning soaking up the brilliant sun and meditating. It was a wonderful way to start the day. Although the church is fine and you can visit the Black Madonna (made of wood that was darkened over the years by all the incense and smoke from the candles), which is one of the well-known shrines of Montserrat, the best reason to go to Montserrat is for the hiking and the views. And the museum is nice too. If you go, I recommend that you bring provisions for a picnic or buy a sandwich at the cafeteria to eat on your hike because the restaurant leaves a lot to be desired, even if the setting is pretty.