Montserrat

       I went to Montserrat, or serrated mountain, on a day trip with my program. It lies about an hour away from Barcelona and is a popular place to go for some peace and quiet, as well to enjoy nature. An old monastery is there where about 20 or so boys go to school and study to be monks.
The ride up the mountain was breathtaking.
       I am finding that even though art, architecture, and man-made structures fascinate me, natural beauty is still what brings me a quietness to my core. A lot of the other people in my group were complaining about the "hike" we did for about 20 minutes up a cobblestone path, but I spent the whole time planning how I would get back there and climb the whole thing.

Sidenote: One of the most impressive things about Spanish women is that they go everywhere in heels. Our guide did this walk in a pair of cute sandals with a wedge. As for me, I rocked the ASICS and a backpack.

Unfortunately, I did not find as much solitude and serenity at Montserrat as I would have liked. A meditation that took place earlier that morning had recently ended and the mountain was filled with flocks of people dressed in white and catching up with friends. Along with that (and this will forever boggle my mind) people were smoking everywhere. Who goes to nature to smoke? I guess the anti-tobacco campaign is really an American thing.
       But Montserrat was beautiful; definitely one of my favorite places I have been so far. It's a very interesting piece of land because certain parts of the mountain have different climates. In some areas, it was dry rock with sparse vegetation. Others were lush with green trees.
        The story goes that a small statue of the Virgin Mary was found in a cave there, and now it is stored in the chapel and is a great symbol for the people. The entire atmosphere of Montserrat was very spiritual and, although Catholicism is clearly an important practice, there was also a definite attention paid to being one with the earth. It was a bit chaotic, with bikers, hikers, tourists, and oh, an enormous group of American study abroad students. Lesson learned: If you ever want to make a place peaceful, don't tell Americans about it.