Holy Week in Spain: Part 6 {Easter Wednesday - Montserrat}

the last day of our Spain trip was an ambitious one: our flight back to Rome didn't depart until 9 PM, leaving us plenty of time to catch a charter bus to spend the day at the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat, approximately 30 miles northwest of Barcelona. we were especially looking forward to hearing the renowned boys' choir sing their daily recital; the choir school dates back to 1223. in addition, the monastery is home to an especially revered sculpture of Mary, Our Lady of Montserrat (also known as the Black Madonna or La Maroneta). 

however, things were off to a hairy start as actually finding said charter bus proved nearly impossible. i had come up with a flawless scheme to check out of our Airbnb, drop our suitcases off at a luggage storage place, and board the bus with plenty of time to spare before departure at 8:30 AM. since the bus departed from outside the main train station, it didn't occur to me that we would have trouble finding it -- but as the minutes ticked away and we circled the station to no avail, my anxiety level skyrocketed. i'm usually quite levelheaded, but this was the sole outbound trip that the charter bus made and if we missed it, we'd have to backtrack to an entirely different train station to transfer to the metro and cut our time even shorter. in the end, we did find the bus, but Nick had to sprint to drop off our luggage while i boarded the bus with the girls, purposely taking a long time to stow our stroller under the bus and engaging the driver in a lengthy conversation as i paid for our fares and asked him to please wait for my husband before departing. the driver spoke some English but i was terrified that he hadn't fully understood and that we would be separated without a reliable way to contact each other (since Nick's phone didn't have a data plan or a working SIM card). 

finally, i spotted him hustling back down the sidewalk and he leapt on board. we were off! 

this face pretty much sums it up! 

the bus trip lasted about 90 minutes, and almost as soon as we had left the city limits, we could spot the jagged mountains in the distance from which Montserrat takes its name. the approach up the mountain itself was exciting enough in a bus, and perhaps more so than in a car as the driver navigated the sharp switchbacks, but even more impressive were the cyclists we passed on the ascent! 

once we finally arrived in the parking lot below the monastery, we had to take half an hour or so to admire the incredible views and stretch our legs. the earliest place of worship on this mountain is said to have been a Roman temple to the goddess Venus, sometime before the birth of Christ. in 880 A.D., the first Christian monastery community was founded here by hermit monks who lived in caves and small dwellings dotted along the rock face. looking out over the valley below and up to the rocky peaks above, i marveled at the time and dedication it would require to sustain a community in such a remote place. meanwhile, the girls danced and spun on their open-air stage. 

first glimpse of the mountain

photo credit: Greta

looking back the way we came!

by now, Nick can predict with eerie accuracy
exactly when i'm going to suggest a selfie

finally we walked up to the monastery proper. the monastery was officially founded in 1025, and in the twelfth century a church was constructed to house La Maroneta. in 1409, the monastery became an independent abbey. one of the monks actually traveled with Christopher Columbus in 1493 and brought the devotion of La Maroneta to the Antilles. 

we attended mass in the basilica, an incredible experience to hear the Catalan language interspersed with Gregorian chant. it was at this point that we made the disappointing discovery that the boys' choir was on their own Easter break (of course!) so there would be no concert. however, the monks' own singing was beautiful. 

we walked around the Gothic basilica after mass. Greta was getting a bit antsy so i handed her my phone to take pictures -- she captured a few good ones of the interior and more than a few silly selfies! i'm sure both girls will be discussing how their crazy parents dragged them all over the globe in future therapy sessions. but in all seriousness, i'm so grateful we've had these opportunities to expose them to so many different cultures as well as the richness of our faith! 

La Maroneta visible in the window overlooking the crucifix

show us how you really feel!

chapel of St. Scholastica

these ornate candelabras are fashioned in the Catalan style of jewelry-making

in order to visit La Maroneta, we had to leave the basilica and join the queue in the courtyard. once again, the girls took the opportunity to let some wiggles out! 

this plaque commemorates the visit of St. Ignatius of Loyola
to the monastery in March 1522

tomb of Juan of Aragon

this very friendly woman in line wanted to show Cecilia
pictures of her own granddaughters, despite the fact that 
neither of us could speak the other's language. it was both cute
and also somewhat hilarious that Cece immediately assumed
they were new best friends. 

Nick was excited to pose under the name of Dom André Mocquereau (1849-1930), 
a French priest and musicologist who had significant influence in restoring 
Gregorian chant to the liturgy. also memorialized is Dom Gueranger (1805-1875), who wrote a comprehensive overview of the liturgical year.  

finally we re-entered the basilica through the roped-off area designated for access to La Maroneta. as we climbed the narrow steps, the mood of the crowd changed from excited tourists snapping pictures to a more solemn appreciation of what we were about to see (despite the fact that i'm sure many of these visitors had all different faith backgrounds). as with so many of these religious objects, there are a few different theories of the historical origin. traditionally, the sculpture was said to have been created in Jerusalem in the first few centuries after Christ; scholars say that its style is consistent with 12th century design and materials. however, there is documentation that the statue has been part of the Montserrat community since the eighth century.

climbing up the narrow steps -- not for the faint of heart (or knee!)

Cecilia was very excited to see her namesake 

the banner of Montserrat

practicing piety!

looking out over the basilica

she is protected by a clear case, except for one side of the globe
she holds so that pilgrims can touch it and say a prayer

we then took a few moments to pray in the quiet chapel behind the icon, before walking down the path to light a candle and say more prayers. 

St. George and La Maroneta are both co-patrons of Catalonia

making the ever-difficult choice of which color candle to light!

Holy Mary of Montserrat, pray for us!

by this time, the girls were clamoring for lunch. we walked back out through the atrium of the basilica to admire the views and find a spot to eat. i had read that during Easter week, many of the restaurants on site would be closed, so we brought our own sandwiches and snacks. but fortunately, one of the cafeteria-style restaurants was very much open and Nick and i availed ourselves of cappuccinos and treated the girls to pastries! 

statue of Abbot Oliba, who founded the monastery in 1025

finally came the moment Greta had been waiting for -- exploring the mountain itself! she was by turns excited and nervous about the difficulty of the ascent. of course, we weren't planning an attempt on the summit, and just said we would see how far we got (with two children and a stroller in tow). 

the funicular ride was exciting for all as we zoomed up the mountain and watched the monastery shrink below us. as we exited the station, the wind was noticeably stronger. while Greta pranced around, Cecilia decided she was ready for a nap and curled up in the stroller. 

much to Greta's delight, there were signs posted along the path indicating that rock climbing was allowed. she and Nick spent several minutes testing out their climbing chops while Cecilia snoozed. 

we continued walking up the path until we reached the tiny chapel of St. John (Sant Joan). the door was locked, but we were able to peer in through the window to see the simple but beautiful interior. 

as we continued our climb, the trail grew even more rocky and it was impossible to push the stroller. we abandoned it by the side of the path after swift deliberation (we would truly be stuck if someone took it, but theft seemed unlikely in such a place, and also, our somewhat bedraggled Chicco wasn't likely to bring much on the resale market!). Cecilia woke up in the process of transferring to the Ergo and was excited to follow in Greta's rock climbing footsteps. 

we also spotted some of the hermitages inhabited by monks centuries ago. in this uniquely beautiful landscape, with the wind and sun and flowers pushing up through the rocky soil, it is easy to see why the monks felt especially attuned to the presence of God. 

finally, it was time to catch the funicular back down to the monastery and begin the long journey back to Rome: charter bus to train station, train to airport, plane to Fiumicino, taxi back to our apartment. after ten days traveling around Spain, our bellies were full of good food and our hearts full of memories!

*note: as i am slowly (sloooooowly) catching up on these recap posts, i'm publishing to the blog in chronological order but joining in with Rosie's linkup here!*