Our 12 night Mediterranean cruise ended in Barcelona, Spain. We stayed in Barcelona for 2 nights to give us time to see Montserrat, the serrated mountain, with the "Black Madona" and some of Barcelona including Gaudi's famous cathedral, La Sagrada Familia, and the Picasso museum.
Monday, September 8 - We arrive in Barcelona, Spain at 7 a.m. We are off the ship early and board a bus to visit Montserrat (the serrated mountain).
It's a long bus ride up a winding mountain road to reach the top of Montserrat. We arrived before noon and the fog was just beginning to dissipate.
A view looking down on a path that commemorates the stations of the cross. There is another that commemorates the decades of the Rosary.
The basilica at Montserrat. Behind the altar is the shrine of the "Black Madona."
A view of the "serrated mountain" through an arch as we come out of the courtyard of the basilica.
Another view of the apse. The buildings blend with the rocks to create an atmosphere of peace and seclusion.
The facade of the basilica with beautiful sculptures
An outer corridor.
The baptismal font.
The Benedictine Monestery was built on a shelf in the mountain in the middle of the 10th century. The church was almost completely destroyed by Napoleon's army in 1812. It was reconstructed in stages from 1835 to 1892. The railway was built in 1892. In April 0f 2003 the new train was inaugurated. It uses the same route but modern technology. You can just make out the train station at the top of the ridge above the gorge.
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