HA, bet we fooled you!   Still in Barcelona!

It was highly recommend we must see Montserrat while here.  So we donned our walking shoes and headed to the metro station, then to the train station, then to the cable car

and then to the tram that took us to the 4000 foot top of the mountain that is the namesake for the Caribbean island.  As impressive as this mountain is, it is the Benedictine Abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat that has made it famous.  The history of this abbey is steep (the basilica was reconstructed in the 1850’s after being destroyed), but it’s religious significance and healing aspects are widespread and have lasted for centuries.It is difficult to capture the feeling of the mountain and the abbeybut the spectacular beauty of the inside is undeniable,especially during a wedding.And the magical sound of church bells that seem to ring from the mountains that surround you, is truly ethereal.

We followed a couple of the walking trails, but you could loose yourself in this mountain, so headed back to the city, which was an adventure in itself.  Twice we were told to “Get off the train.” When we politely inquired, they simply said “Take a bus.”  Turns out there was a problem with the track, that they neglected to mention, but we did make it safely back to the city, albeit a bit tired.  Not too tired, of course, to take a couple pics

along our walk back.Tomorrow, no surprises, we will be on our bikes.