la monsarrat

ok i am going to apologize in advance because i have a feeling that this post is going to be very long, but if you have time please read it all. i want to describe it as best as possible because if i don´t i would be doing a disservice to you and the place i visited.

so i will just describe my whole day starting from the beginning, a very good place to start (sound of music...) anyway. this morning the girls and i woke up around 7 and got ready, and then went to the same breakfast place that we went to yesterday morning because it is close and we liked it so much. i got another croissant, and a cafe con leche. i thought i would just sieze the day and forget about my allergies for a whole meal...bad choice i felt sick on the train. bad combo. so our plan for the day was to go to a monastary called La Monsarrat, which was built in 1025 and is now open to the public. first, we had to catch the metro and then get off at a stop to catch the train. all that went well and we were on time for the train. while we were waiting, i decided to get a water and the girls and i were laughing at me because i was seriously struggling with the vending machine. all of the sudden, an announcment comes over the speaker at the train station. because it was in spanish none of us gave the announcement a second thought and we continued to mindlessly talk. i bent down to put my money and water away and when i looked up the 200 people waiting with us for the train all started leaving the station. we had a moment of panic because we had no idea where they were going or what the announcement had said, so we just started following the crowd. luckily this time it led us to where the train had changed locations and we got onto it fine, but cracking up. we took the hour long train ride across the countryside of spain and enjoyed the views.

we arrived at la monsarrat and saw the monastary high up in the mountains, and had to take a cute yellow cable car to get up there. the view was incredible. we were sailing the green mountains up to a rock mountain with an old monastary built into the side of it.

we got up there and immediately started exploring and taking pictures. unfortunately, my camera died about 10 minutes into it so i only got a few pictures, and then 1 or 2 after that which was really really unfortunate because i would have taken so many of this trip. so we walked up to the main church, and we caught the last 10 minutes of mass. the monks were singing and their voices were so beautiful. the church had gorgeous cielings. then we walked out side and down a cobblestone path that led to an old cave. it was hot and gorgeous, so kelly and i walked the path barefoot. at first we did this because it was fun, but then it became somewhat symbolic to me, because ever 200 yards on the path was a life size sculputure of a scene from Jesus´last week on earth. at the end of the path was the cave, with a carving of the virgin mary, that legend says was made by luke. we walked into the next room and inside was hundreds of trinkets, hats, pictures and random things. it looked like a garage sale. but then, we realized that they were things that people left there to dedicate to the virgin mary. in the room were canes, that people had to climb back up the steep hill without, 4 full length wedding gowns, and dozens of other personal items. it was very surreal and oddly moving to be in there. as we walked back up the path we noticed that we were as high up as the clouds, and could see where they were laying their shadows. we headed back into the church and walked around to the places that we hadn´t been yet and then went back down the mountain and into barcelona.

it was old and beautiful and surreal and gorgeous and breath taking and unique. and this is rushed because a rude spanish guy keeps asking me for the computer. but this is the most amazing trip.

reddling. happy birthday you are so beautiful.

mom and dad you guys are amazing.

favorite quote of the day:

me: ew i smell (i forgot deoderant)
kelly: ok. on rate your armpits on a scale from 1-10. 1 being vinegar and 10 being onions.
me: what?! thats disgusting.