World Cruise 2017 Day 98 Barcelona, Spain

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Tonight the ship spent the night in Barcelona, Spain.  At 8:40 AM I went on a cruise Specialist tour called "Beautiful Montserrat".  We drove 30 miles to the Montserrat Mountain located 4,000 feet high.  We drove on a mountain road and arrived at Montserrat.  We walked for a visit to the Royal Basilica of Montserrat, which holds the famous 12^th century Romanesque carving of Verge Moreneta called the Black Madonna.  The Benedictine sanctuary of Montserrat was founded in 1025 and provides a mystical backdrop for the Virgin of Montserrat, the patron saint of Catalonia who is enshrined in the monastery's Royal Basilica.  We left the area and drove down a newer road and arrived back at the ship at 1:20 PM.   Tonight a movie called "Hacksaw Ridge" was shown in the Queen's Lounge after dinner.  It was a very good movie.  

Barcelona (/bɑːrsəˈloʊnə/, Catalan: [bəɾsəˈlonə], Spanish: [barθeˈlona]) is the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia in the Kingdom of Spain, as well as the country's second most populous municipality, with a population of 1.6 million within city limits.^[2] Its urban area extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 4.7 million people,^[5] being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr area and Milan.^[3] It is the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range, the tallest peak of which is 512 metros (1,680 feet) high.

Montserrat is a multi-peaked rocky range located near the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The main peaks are Sant Jeroni (1,236 m), Montgrós (1,120 m) and Miranda de les Agulles (903 m).  It is well known as the site of the Benedictine abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat, which hosts the Virgin of Montserrat sanctuary and which is identified by some with the location of the Holy Grail in Arthurian myth.

"Montserrat" literally means "saw (serrated, like the common handsaw) mountain" in Catalan. It describes its peculiar aspect with multitude of rock formations which are visible from a great distance. The mountain is composed of strikingly pink conglomerate, a form of sedimentary rock. Montserrat is Spain's first National Park.

Santa Maria de Montserrat is a Benedictine abbey located on the mountain of Montserrat, in Monistrol de Montserrat, in Catalonia, Spain. It is notable for enshrining the image of the Virgin of Montserrat. The monastery was founded in the 10th century and still functions to this day, with over 150 monks. Virgin of Montserrat (the black virgin), is Catalonia's favourite saint, and is located in the sanctuary of the Mare de Déu de Montserrat, next to the Benedictine monastery nestling in the towers and crags of the mountain. The Escolania, Montserrat's Boys' Choir, is one of the oldest in Europe, and performs during religious ceremonies and communal prayers in the basilica.

This picture was taken from the bus of Barcelona, Spain near the sea port.

This picture was taken from the bus in Barcelona, Spain.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to Montserrat.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to Montserrat.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to Montserrat.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to Montserrat.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.  This is a picture of the Black Madonna.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.  This shows the road up to Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.  This shows the cable car which is an optional way to get to Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken at the stop at Montserrat.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way down from Montserrat.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way down from Montserrat.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way down from Montserrat.  It shows a grave site near Barcelona.

This picture was taken from the ship of Barcelona, Spain.

This picture was taken from the ship of Barcelona, Spain.

This picture was taken from the ship of Barcelona, Spain.

This picture was taken from the ship of Barcelona, Spain.