Hiking and the Montserrat Monastery

If you go to Barcelona, you have to take a day trip to Montserrat!  This was a last minute decision for me because some plans I made for the day fell through and I'm so glad they did!

Montserrat is a monastery situated in the mountains and has the most beautiful view of the entire area surrounding it.  You can see the Pyrenees Mountains to the north, and downtown Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.

To get there, you can take a train for about 1.5 hours or drive for about 1 hour.  After going, I personally don't recommend doing a guided tour if you want to hike.  I think you would be too limited on time with all there is to see (I hiked around for about 4 hours).  But, if that doesn't interest you and you just want to see the monastery and initial view, go for a tour.

The Parc National de le Muntanya Montserrat, where the monastery is located, has numerous hiking trails that lead you to special sites in the area and all the way to the top of the mountain.  A cross on a cliff, statues, and small chapels are along the paths.  The entire areas is so peaceful and there were quite a few people around to talk to and share the experience with. 

If you take the train, you can also take a cable car to the monastery and hike from there.  It's a thrill and gives nice views of the valley below.  There is also a tram that will take you to a chapel, eliminating the hike for you. 

I hope the pictures speak for themselves when it comes to the view.  The monastery and basilica there are so amazing, too.  Montserrat is known for the Black Virgin shrine and statue in the Basilicia, so I was able to see that!  The whole experience was incredible and was one of the best days I have had in a while.  Hiking for hours to get such a jaw dropping view is always worth it. 

The Monastery:

Barcelona, Spain

I woke up in Barcelona and felt like going on a boat.  So, that's what I did.  First I walked through the city center to see a few historical buildings and walked towards Barceloneta beach where the boats are at Port Olimpic.  Here, hundreds of sailboats fill the marina.  There are tons of restaurants here along the promenade, reminding me of a smaller Gold Coast in Australia.

From the boat, I was able to see

The beautiful coastline of Barcelona and the mountains behind the city.  Halfway through the trip, the seas became pretty rough and we were required to put on our life jackets.  It was beautiful and sunny outside, but the winds were almost 40 knots.  

While we were cruising along, a distress call came over the radio - mayday.   There was boat near by in danger and we had to go towards it to help.  It was pretty scary, hearing the conversations on the radio, while we were in rough seas as well.  We ended up being too slow and too far away and a couple other power boats arrived to help the distressed boat and we were able to head back to port.

This all made for an interesting trip along the coast.  It was relaxing for only a moment, but definitely and adventure!

Port Olimpic Promenade.

Views from the sailboat:

View from my hotel rooftop.

Casa Batlló, known for its colorful and unique architecture.

I had one of the best meals this day too! A Spanish appetizer, Italian entree, and a French dessert :)