DAYTRIP: MONTSERRAT... & tapas & wine

Up on a mountain, long ago, a priest found a carving of a virgin mary. The priest wanted to take this holy piece home to his chapel to increase his power and wealth, but as farther he came from the place where the virgin was found, the heavier the statue became. Eventually, the statue became so heavy he could not carry it one bit further, so the priest realized that God had told him that the statue's rightful home was where he found it. The priest carried it back and instead started to build his church around it.

"And that is the story about Montserrat." our guide Francesco told us as we drove on the winding roads in the shadow of the mountain's ridge, on our way up to the legendary castillo. The mountain itself was impressive enough, towering like the back of a dragon.

"Monserrat mountain was Gaudí's biggest source of inspiration." Francesco continued and my heart purred in the chest. Gaudí had already become the biggest source of inspiration in my imaginary future carrier as a painter, so to see the place that made him create such beautiful pieces was going to be breathtaking.

Also, we were going to get wine. Which might not at all have something to do with the level of pepp we were feeling when the bus finally stopped in the scenic area.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning.

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WHAT 

A half a day tour to see the Virgin of Montserrat sanctuary and Santa Maria de Montserrat abbey. After being a bit religious, there is a wine tasting with tapas in a nearby ecological winery.

This particular trip is called Montserrat, Tapas & Wine and is arranged by Castlexperience. We booked it via Viator (click the link to see all more alternative tours!) but is possible to book though their own website as well.


WHERE

About an hour outside Barcelona, in the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range.


TIME NEEDED

The trip takes about 6 hours. It started at 8.30 outside of Hard Rock Café and is said to go back by 14.30, but we left the winery a bit later.


MONEY NEEDED

65 € for guide, transport, six tapas and tasting three wines.

On Viator there are more alternatives if you want either more of the food and wine experience, or are more interested in the church.


WATCH OUT FOR! 

The higher altitudes makes it colder than in the city, so bring an extra sweater.

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OUR VISIT

We started at 8.30 by being assigned to our group leader Albert outside HRC. We then boarded the bus and had a cool, pleasant hour-long journey up on the mountains narrated by Albert's colluege Francesco. For someone having a hard time plowing through anything non-fiction, Francescos humourous way of giving a breif summary of the last couple of decades for Barcelona was the ideal history lession.

After arriving at the destination, Albert stopped on a bridge with a fantastic view for us to take pictures. He told us how the plans was for today and also suggested a bathroom break.

Then Albert led our group in to the Abbey of the Black Madonna and pointed out artistic details and fun facts along the way. For example, he told us that it is possible to stay right in front of the church in hotels raging from 5 stars to a simple monk room, and that Dalai Lama once stayed in the area... in a five start hotel.

"In his defence, he had to host a lot of meetings with politicians which would have been hard to do from a monk room containing only a bed, a bible and a candle..." Albert said and then told us we were going in the abbey and that we had to be quiet.

"I would not speak while in there because I'm a catalic and I believe there is a certain place in hell 
for people who do that." He said and winked and in we went.

For someone not so catolic, it was still an impressive scene. The elements on the walls and in the ceiling was adorned with golden edges and alongside the walls were lanterns - and of course, straight forward, up on a higher plateu, was the Black Madonna.

"The line could be very long for touching her" Albert had said before we entered, so unfortunately, with our ten minutes visit, we did not touch her, but for us, two extremely unreligious swedes, we didn't really care. The whole chapel was a gift to the eye more than a spiritual journey.

Afterwards, we were out on our own in the sun for half an hour. For us, it ment resisting to take the whole time just drinking coffee, and instead go to find the perfect angle for the oh-so-expensive instax-photo.

Did I nail it? I think I nailed it, 

The grounds the weather, the view...  We couldn't have asked for anything more.
...Maybe except coffee.

This one is quite fun since I saw some guy climbing this on instagram just days before we went here, only his picture most have been taken before they put the fences up.
Albert was apparently aware of this as he said "Yeah, they had to put fences up because people were risking their lives to get a good photo for instagram..."

..'Nuf said.

NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE WINE PART,
 SHALL WE? 

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The Oller DL Mas winery lay on a beautiful field about half an hour from Montserrat abbey.

First, we got a tour of the site and quite an informative lecture in grapes, wine making and how to fight pests. By that time, we were both hungry, tired and totally ready for wine, so I can't tell you in more details than that. I have some pictures though.

The owner's own wine

Mastering photographing in dark places is still a lession I have in front of me....

  

Photo by @juliiiaaxelsson

Photo by @juliiiaxelsson

For a first time wine tasting, we might not have much to compare with, but there was solely happy smiles when we left to go back to the bus.

We got to taste three red wines, first one with "lesser oak-taste", next one that was "usually no ones favorite in the beginning, but grows on you" and the last one with "super rich body". All was good. Julia didn't let me have any of hers, even if she usually isn't so keen on red.



WORTH IT?

A simple yes.
If there is one thing we would have changed, it's the amount of time we had up on the mountain area, maybe more time for going up even higher on the mountain with the "zipper"-line.
But overall, the guides were amazing, both informative and funny, and the day was good planned for the time we had. Also, the visit to the winery really got both of us more into wine and making of it, so another wine tasting sure will be in the future.

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KISSES 

The Swimmingpoolcool 

Axelsson sisters