Montserrat, Spain…today I embarked on a quick day trip out of Barcelona! After a late night hitting the local clubs and bars in Eixample district of Barcelona, I thought a different view of Catalonia was in order.

Perched high in the cavernous mountain side, the Monastery housing the scuplture of the black Madonna behind its altar seems detached from the rest of the world, set in an absolutely rugged yet breathtaking spot!

Getting here isn’t as simple as it seems…again I had to navigate the train system, this time in the pickpocket heaven of Espanya station! Clutching my man-purse like an old lady, I set out! No one was messing with me…after the hourlong train ride, it’s time for the 5 minute cable car ride to the top…Geez, adventures never cease on this trip, I guess I am determined to ignore all my comfort zones…

Standing the whole ride in what is essentially a yellow basket, the view is fantastic but the ride is not for the faint of heart! Again I seem to have landed in another ancient world…how did this place get here in the middle of stalactite looking terrain?

One more ride up, this time on the funicular to Sant Joan in order to view it all from an even higher vantage point…what other means of transport shall I employ today?

Anyway, this isn’t a religious outing…it’s a marvel of both nature and the will of man to build amongst it! Who even knew this existed, obscure places like this reaffirm my love of travel. Remember, much of any journey lies in discovery of places you never knew you wanted to visit!