1 July 2013 Barcelona

Monday morning and we arrived in Barcelona.  The weather again was beautiful with not a cloud in the sky.  Our tour was to Montsarrat, about an hour and a quarter drive from Barcelona.  This is a small town around a Benedictine monastery complex hidden high in the craggy Montserrat mountains about 2,300 feet above sea level with fabulous views of the valleys below.  This monastery has been here since the Middle Ages however the Montsarrat Basilica was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and has been completely rebuilt.  It contains a sculpture of Catalonia’s patron saint La Moraneta, also known as the Black Madonna. There was a extensive range of stalls along the street selling local produce such as cheeses, dried fruits etc, which all looked very tempting.

When we got back to Barcelona we hopped out of the bus and explored the city, starting off with a walk along the famed Las Ramblas with its flower stalls, cafes, buskers etc, and wandered into the market with its fruit and vegies, meat and fish, all beautifully presented and very fresh.  The buildings on either side are very beautiful. We then walked through the Gothic Quarter and went to the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, a 600 year old building with magnificent spires and stained glass windows.  We did not have time to visit the famous La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s masterpiece, as it is some distance from the city centre.  We then returned through the narrow streets back to Las Ramblas and headed back towards the Columbus monument near where we boarded a shuttle bus back to the ship.