Montserrat  is a multi-peaked rocky mountain range located near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. The largest most beautiful peaks are Sant Jeroni, Montgrós, and Miranda de les Agulles. The largest peak is where this beautiful abbey called Santa Maria de Montserrat that has the most well known boy's choir & the well known statue of the Black Virgin Mary. 

Look at these lovely pics of the gorgeous Rhea who attends Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and is studying through the liberal arts program in Spain! 

Seeing the boy's choir of Montserrat- el coro de ninos de Montserrat was a really special treat. If you go, try to go during the weekdays and they perform at 1 PM Monday through Friday. It truly felt like listening to the voices of angels. 

Fun fact, the most famous architect in all of Barcelona, Antoni Gaudi, modeled his famous Sagrada Familia based off this mountainous range with the unique curved shapes. I wonder if anyone has had a wedding up here? The mountain range is so beautiful it would photograph perfectly. However, since it is quite the hassle to get up so high, I would assume that this would be a better place for a more intimate ceremony or elopement. 

Honestly one of my favorite parts about the entire experience was getting to sample all the fresh cheeses (goat, sheep too so I could it them), honey & tourrons from the local vendors! And we got to try fresh honeycomb- SO delicious. That along with candied pecans made a wonderful snack on the mountain. :) 

There are a couple of gorgeous hiking paths & if you take the "easier" one you can walk over to this beautiful view of the mountains and viewpoint of Catalonia, you can even walk up until the cross to get the best advantage point. 

“Adventure is worthwhile”

— Aesop

If you are in Barcelona for at least 3 days, I would highly recommend making this easy day trip to Montserrat from the city! The view is 1000% worth it. Thank you, CIEE for this experience. 

I love this city! If you are a history buff- you would too! Filled with gorgeous little streets, ancient Roman ruins along the Golden coast, Tarragona is one for the books. 

We took a day trip excursion from Barcelona to Tarragona - perfect place to visit if you are spending a week or so in Barcelona as it was only an hour drive away. 

A cat in the midst of the ancient Roman ruins - that was interesting! 

The Catedral de Tarragona is one of the most lovely and intricately designed cathedrals in all of Catalonia. It was actually built upon the foundations of a Roman temple dedicated to Zeus under the reign of Julius Caesar. 

Tarragona was the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian Peninsula and became CAPITAL of the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis during the Roman Empire. We walked on the ancient ruins of the old Roman circ- where they held chariot races of fire on the tracks. 

If you can imagine, these streets used to be the very foundation of the Roman circ which held the greatest chariot races in all of Spain - couldn't feel any further away from Nashville right now - Roman ruins in Spain ha! 

“Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

— Gustave Flaubert