Beautiful Montserrat

Montserrat
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We took a bus tour to Montserrat.  This day trip had been recommended to us by one of my girlfriends, and I am very grateful to have received this tip.

The bus tour took us to a Torres winery where we were toured around and then did a bit of a tasting.  As per usual, Patrick enjoyed this more than I did, but at least the wine was good.

Although neither of us are really religious people, we felt moved by Montserrat in a way we didn't expect.

Patrick and Shannon at Montserrat
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Following the winery we headed to Montserrat.  We took a funicular from the base of the mountain all the way to the monestary, and the scenery was amazing - lush greenery and steep rocky cliffs threatening to put an end to the serenity.  Once at the top we walked around a little, viewed the church, although not the 'Black Madonna' because the line was so long, and then we took a funicular down the hill a bit and walked to the Cave.  The walk to the Cave was amazing, the view from the walk, combined with the statues lining the way was awe inspiring.  Although neither of us are really religious people, we felt moved by Montserrat in a way we didn't expect.

Sculpture along the walk to the Cave...designed by Gaudi
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The one thing that I was disappointed about was that we didn't get to hear the boys' choir sing.  I don't recommend going on a Sunday to any traveler interested in seeing the choir, because it is their day off.  However, the church was filled with people who attended the Sunday mass in latin, so if you are a religious person, I would expect that attending the mass might be a huge thrill.