Black Virgin of Montserrat

after the 3 hours hike, we needed FOOD
so just simple quickie ones like grilled sausages with grilled herbed eggplants
*they served it with a sliced of lemon and mind u at a cafeteria*

with a bag of yummy chips  

:))))))))))))

our next stop was Santa de Maria Monastery to visit the Black Madonna
one of the very few black Madonna in Europe
ooooooOOoooo that's interesting, coz I've never visited one before

the climb to its altar was quite mesmerizing with beautiful paintings on the dome,
sculptures on all sorts of marbles
how intricate!!!!!

ohhhh there she is!!!!!!
said to be carved in Jerusalem *but no confirmation on this*
visitors took turns to touch that lil globe she's holding on her right hand

 

 *pic stolen fr the Web*

the Child Jesus sat on her lap
both the statues were protected with a bullet proof glass except her sphere
which I touched with care
:)))))))))))))))))

Later JS & Monkey sat inside the church for ages
well we tend to do that in every churches/cathedrals/chapels that we visit, 

in silence......finding solitude? maybe.....
perhaps this is how it feels like to near to God?
God....are u there???

if u are here...there's nothing more that I could ask for 

I am grateful to be in this World 

and it is my duty to take good care of myself and loved ones
and to make full use of myself because u have already given me the most important elements which was......
LIFE
to be able to live....to laugh....to eat....to love and be loved

beautiful carvings and artwork on the ceiling of the monastery
it makes u wonder the skills and creativity involved in those days to build all these

moreover to build buildings all around this serrated mountain
to haul up materials, manpower, water etc up here....
it's amazing huh?

the more I look at it, the more astonished I was
hmmmm...........
so when there's a will there's a way
never ever give up in Life as u sail towards ur destination
do not let obstacles hinder u from your goals in life
there is no failure.....ppl fail coz they give up

a tiny cross sat at the edge of the jagged mountain
it was a really great day
very very good to be here
and this trip was one of the highlight in our itinerary

time to turn jelly again to descend down the mountain
this time no more mist nor fog to cover the valleys
the low sun was shining strongly casting shadows of Montserrat over its neighboring highlands

another cable car on its way up passed us by
I was standing next to the window this time
trying to surpass my fear for heights
having conquered my fear for errrrr 5 mins.....I felt proud
teeeee heeeee eheeeeeeee

then we looked back at Montserrat
if there's opportunity, we will definitely return
yes returning to hike up its PEAK!!!!!
:)))))))))))))
we'll come back prepared yea...with my lunch box and hiking gear :D

then we waited a couple of minutes for our city train back to Barcelona
:))))))))))))))

What a beautiful day!!!
we sat quietly next to each other inside the train

mesmerizing over the wonderful experience we had in Montserrat
and my very first hike in my life *hiak hiak hiak*

for more information on visiting Montserrat:
www.montserrat-tourist-guide.com

Ermita de St. Joan, Montserrat

View of the Monastery

I thought we were at the top of this serrated mountain while at the monastery
until......JS said we are gonna head up some more

O.O
then my legs turned jelly again for we are goin higher
GAH!!!!!

later I found out the highest summit of this serrated mountain is Saint Jeroni
standing tall at 4,055 feet
I gave him this look O.O over and over O.O

JS: "What??? Mount Kinabalu is 13,455 feet high u know!!! this is nothing!!!!"
:(((((((((((((((((((((((

Furnicular de Sant Joan

the last bit we have to take a funicular to go up
coz there's no way u can go up on your own
it was so steep I almost fell off my chair about 65 degrees
also the steepest funicular in the whole of Spain

built in 1918, it has been modernised these days with glass roofs and windows for a panoramic view as u ascend up
it was a short journey of 6 minutes and I couldn't bear to look down at all

Once at the top, not the summit coz there's still another 1.5 hours hike
we were looking around n choosing the simplest route
there's 3 trails/hike which u can do

however we wanted to explore the caves and dwellings of the Hermitage of Montserrat
this whole rock mountain is a National Park

 

JS: "Monkey u coming??? hurry up!!!!?"
Monkey grumbled grumbled grumbled

ok that was a fake :P
JS was just posing for a pic but he had to climbed up this rock a few feet high
he was so agile like a errmmm monkey?

so the actual hike was like this!!!!!
I was so EPPY EPPY!!!!!
big wide trail for me to stomp, hop, skip about

lalalalalalalalalalalalalala~~~~~~~~~

beautiful rocks for me to cam-whore with

and we had a good Geography Lesson on the way up as we climbed
both Monkey & JS were competing on who has got the best knowledge on Rocks/Stones
Volcanic vs Conglomerate stones
types of sealives and shells stucked onto those rocks aka fossils

only thing we can't decipher was which dinosaur age were these stones from

see I told ya both of us are very competitive
but JS was very sweet and walked slowly to accommodate my tiny feet *I walked too slow*
heeeeeeeeeeeeee thank u for bringing me here yea....

there was another old trail with steps circulating these huge rocks
with no handles at all
we didn't wanna risk our lives and use that route...it was a shortcut
in the end we took our own sweet time to hike and enjoy the beautiful view :)))))

JS screamed he's at the TOP
-_-"
nope we were definitely not at the top yet
but from here u can see the whole of Catalonia

Monkey: "Hey come back!!! dun stand too near the edge!!!!"
and my legs got jelly-fied again
*again, is there such word :P*

I tip toe-ed and walk closer to enjoy wat JS saw fr his perspective
WUUUUUAAAHHHH nice but I'm too scared!!!
how did we climb up here?
GAH!!!
and my body was frozen unable to move...
JS had to pull me down to continue our hike

Monkey: "Where are we heading to now?"
JS pointed out to those huge rounded stones
"see those lil caves in that rock? we gonna climb up there."

pffftttt huffed puffed!!!!!
>.<

ok...ok...almost....and I saw this lil chapel
but then it was still quite some long way to go

we didn't wanna miss every bit of it and snapped so many pics of this place
hope u guys will enjoy it as much as we did :))))))))))))))))

WOW I think I can see my hotel from here KEKEKEKKEKEKEKE
JS frowned.........."u silly, we are facing inland....Barcelona is on the other side!!!!"
-_-
hey dun be so serious lar....kekekekkekeekke

taking a short break while enjoying a panoramic bird eye view
at this juncture JS took our his half-eaten foot long sandwich and began chomping
me = :"(( I didn't pack lunch :"((
well the view is enuff to feed me hahahahahahaha

Our hike continued....and we were inside those hermitage caves
homes to the hermit monks almost a thousand years ago

they've must been so tiny!!!

and how did they climbed all the way up here, built a chapel, home and reside here a thousand years ago???
there wasn't any funicular nor cable car!!!!

Later we descended that huge piece of rock and tried the 2nd trail to another huge rock
Can u see those tiny holes that cluster of rocks there???
well WE WERE THERE!!!!

I seriously KENOT believe it that we've climbed there!!!!!!!!
OH MY GAWD!!!!
it has to be the achievement of 2011!!!! kekekekekkekekeke

Berr was here too!!!!
:)))))))))))))))))))

Looking at those rounded rocks...I am still pondering how did we got up there???
it was quite scary though
on our journey up, we saw many Rock Climbers too, for this place is famous for this type of sports

Berr, Monkey, Rabbit and JS were here!!!!

The view from the other Rock Mountain

the lil house down there is the station for the funicular
I think it's totally worth all the trouble of getting up here
wat a spectacular view and experience
*jelly-fied experience kekekekeke*

for every beginning there is an end....
after 3 hours up here, basting in UV rays we think it's time to go down
hehehehehehehehe

we still need to get down to the Monastery to see the Black Virgin of Montserrat
I am so glad we did this :)))))))))))
What an adventure :)))))

so to be continued tomorrow.........
yes there's more to show....heheheheheheh
enjoy all the pics!!!!

Montserrat, Spain

*pic stolen fr Wikipedia hehehehehe*

such jagged mountain can put FEAR to so many ppl
it looked so odd on this rather flat terrain of Catalonia
hence it is called MontSerrat = Serrated Mountain

and JS promised Monkey we will go climbing on this very beautiful sunny day
O_O
Climbing??
C.L.I.M.B.I.N.G????
O.O followed by >.< then :'((

it was rather early and I was shivering from the cold coz I was under-dressed
this mountain range was so misty and shrouded with clouds!!!

there are a few ways to get to Montserrat
tour bus, trains, funicular, cable car

we decided to be more adventurous, took the city fast train = 45 mins fr Barcelona
it stops directly at the cable car station and was really convenient
the ticket is a combo ticket so u basically need to show them ur single ticket for all your rides

we reached there about 9.40am and had to wait for a bit *in the cold*
coz the cable car only starts operation at 10am

yeah I know....my dress code and shoe-code and bag-code definitely not for climbing
:P

the cable car service was constructed on 1930 by the Germans
wow it's 80 years old!!!
is it safe???

even the cable car itself looked so 30s
there's even a name for this - Aeri de Montserrat

with a span of 1350m it takes only 5 minutes to get up to the mountain
the steepest climb is about 45 degrees
and Monkey is a person who's very very very afraid of heights.....GAH!!!!
*frankly I had the most cable car rides in Barcelona, from city centre to parks, crossed ocean etc*

when the 1st batch of "kiasu" visitors got into the cable car, everyone wanted a view while I was clinging onto the middle :P
yep the kiasu visitors are all asians, mostly Japanese

then as the cable car swayed its way slowly up
u can hear bones rattling.....well that's mine
not fr the cold but FEAR

Montserrat was covered with clouds and mist
and our cable car gonna penetrate through all of that!!!!

Montserrat is a very holy site...

one of the holiest in Spain
it was identified as the location of the HOLY GRAIL by Arthurian myth

well I don't really know if it's a myth or not but each year thousands of pilgrims thronged this holy mountain

then we emerged from all the clouds and mist and saw the serrated rocks
WAHHHH it's so sunny up here!!!!!!
My body began to warm up and I feel so much better :)))))))))))

before I know it, we are soon approaching the station
it's not the top yet but the holy Monastery is there with Abbey Monks
we gonna pay them a visit hehehehehehehe

Montserrat is also very popular with Escolania Boys Choir
it is the OLDEST boys' school choir in Europe

then JS tapped my shoulder to turn my head back
and this was wat I saw.....
worth all the bones-rattle-rattling

BEHOLD!!!!!!!!!


WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

:)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
*I don't need to write anything to describe the pic above*

with more serrated rocks everywhere!!!!
I didn't know where to feast my eyes upon!!!!

by then FEAR was gone and I was walking freely inside the 1930s Hitler-opps-I-mean-German-made cable car
trying to absorb all the beautiful scenery

the ride proved to be too short...
only 5 minutes -_-
but the amazing panaromic view...I can immerse innit for 5 hours
:)))))))))))))))))))))))

OKIE time to gather ourselves...I mean myself...
need the blood to drain back to my jellied legs
I felt so much better when my tiny feet touched the solid ground

yep when u are afraid of height that much....u really need something solid to stand on
but it didn't last long, coz for the entire day we were on this serrated mountain overlooking the plains thousands of feet down there....I felt so jelly-fied again
*is there such word?*

so I gotta feed myself first
JS had a foot long baguette with cheese and ham
*his favourite*
which he ate half, packed it into his bag to be continued when we were doin our hike
so u see he got a "packed" lunch for his hike....
and silly me being a virgin hiker didn't bring anything....only a small bottle of water
but trust me I was feeding on the sights and view...didn't need food at all!!!!!

after breakfast I was still WAH WAH-ING outside at the view
before JS pulled me to continue our visit
how can one be bored at this view????

as we continued the walk, I kept on looking back
hehehehehheheheehhehee

*pic stolen fr the Web*
First stop - the Abbey of Montserrat

the story has it...back in 880 a group of small children saw bright lights descending on this mountain
at the same time they heard angels singing with beautiful music which moved them so much and filled their hearts with so much joy
they ran home to tell their parents
the adults then went to the same site and experienced the same for about a month
so this was the sign from God they said.....

I'm not a Christian nor a religious person but standing there then
listening to the monastery church bells - which can be heard throughout the mountain
and the beautiful sights already moved me to tears

Santa Maria de Montserrat Monastery
they were having a church service then, so we decided to come back later to visit the Black Virgin Mary
*more about this on my next posting*

When I looked up, there's a lil sneak peek of the serrated mountain
with beautiful clear blue cloudless sky

JS then proceeded with lighting candles for his sister and late father

Dear Saint Veeny.....may u get well soon and all of us are with you......all the time
:)))))))))))))))))

Ignatius of Loyola in spanish it's Ignacio de Loyola
he was the founder of Society of Jesus

there are a few hotels up here.....
they are quite decent :))))))

my eyes kept on staring at those pinkish rock formation
so weird and yet so beautiful

before I have more time to admire its beauty ....
JS said: "Ok let's continue our journey and hike up."
O.O
I thought this was the highest point.....but looks like we gonna go up further!!!!

okie I will blog about it tomorrow....Montserrat part 2
hehehehehehehehehe