We ventured out to Montserrat today on a tour that also included a lunch and a wine tasting.
Montserrat is beautiful and the views from up there are stunning. We did not have enough time do some of the hikes further up, but the panoramas are still spectacular.
This was followed by a three course lunch at a winery that has been operational since the 10th century.
The land of the farm was originally awarded by the king to a potter as a reward. You know what else clay soil is good for besides pottery? Wine!
Today they only do fully organic wines and it was a really interesting tasting.
Of course we were going out to dinner after all of that. We are professionals by now.
At LOKAL we had a selection of tapas that included some really good steak, and interesting oxtail wheels.
Montserrat Monastery is a stunning 11th-century Benedictine abbey perched on a jagged mountain range 59 km northwest of Barcelona, Spain, known as a major pilgrimage site and home to the revered 12th-century Black Madonna statue.
They told us repeatedly that the first bishop of Monserrat was NOT an extraterrestrial. Sure.
They have a little produce market with products from the surrounding area. We got a ‘cone of cheese.’
There range of artwork was quite impressive with Picasso, Dali, Monet, Sargent, Miro and a lot of other famous artists represented.
This Caravaggio from 1605, Penitent Saint Jerome, is their most famous.
Oller del Mas was established in 946. We are having a (late) lunch with wine, followed by a wine tasting.
The first of the three courses was a really interesting winter vegetable soup.
To paraphrase Montserrat Caballè and Freddy Mercury’s duet:
I had this perfect dream
This dream was me and you
I want all the world to see
A miracle sensation
My guide and inspiration
Now my dream is slowly coming true
The wind is a gentle breeze
The bells are ringing out
They’re calling us together
Guiding us forever
Wish my dream would never go away
It was the first time that we met
Barcelona how can I forget
The moment that I stepped into the city
You took my breath away
And if God willing
We will meet again someday