We went up to Montserrat today (from Barcelona) and it was fantastic!  The weather was a little cool but clear, and it got a bit cooler as we went up the mountain but it was pretty nice in the sun.  We didn’t bring Walnut mostly because we didn’t know where he’d be accepted, but I think the next time we go we’ll bring him.

We left from La Sagrera L1 early and picked up the R5 from Pl. Espanya.  It took about two hours total to get to Montserrat Aeri, which is where we picked up the cable car and rode up the mountain.  Aeri was built in 1930 and has a bit of old school charm to it.  It was heartening to see the workers climb up into the works with a grease gun, lubing the works before the first trip into the sky.  They also sent their crew up before opening for passengers.

The ride up was very tranquil.  The car didn’t sway much and climbed at an even pace.  Once at the top we went into Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey.  The basilica is beautiful.  It’s a little dark, with a gothic feel.  In the afternoon, we had a chance to listen to the boy’s choir sing- they were really good!

We rode the Funicular up to Sant Joan and hiked a little bit.  The views from that vantage were astounding!  We looked out over the clouds between the peaks.  We brought a picnic lunch with and sat and had sandwiches.

It was a great little day trip.  We could have spent more time on the mountain hiking if we’d brought Walnut.  We took the rack train back to the FGC and headed back home.