Day three of Spain, we got up early and raced to the subway to catch a train to catch a hanging cable car to Montserrat.
On the train, there were many open seats, but this old man chose to sit next to me. He was silent most of the time, but suddenly he started cackling and snorting Catalan over some video on his junky phone. Uh-oh. He leaned over to show me, and I winced, so worried by the way that he reacted that it was going to be some sort of porn. Instead, I found one of those T-mobile-screensaver-looking videos of a strawberry suspended in gel with bubbles floating around it. Why on earth that was so funny to him, I have absolutely no idea. I'm just glad it was that.
Legend has it that the famed image of Madonna and Child was found in the mountains many centuries ago, and when shepherds tried to move it, it wouldn't budge. So instead they built Montserrat around it.
It was a cold sprinkling Sunday, a perfect day to stand reverently in the back of the monastery as the boy choir {started in the 1300's} sang hymns. I would've liked to stay and hear more of the sermon, but after a few minutes my mom whispered that we should leave, since she learned French and not Spanish in high school. We walked around to admire the beautiful artwork, the flickering Catholic candles, and the museum.
I truly respect these people who dedicate their lives to religious service. This feeling of peace and piety could definitely be felt high up in the mountains of the ancient church.
We gave tickets and took the cable car back down {Rachel and I assured Mom that no, we were going to fall} then waited ten minutes for the train to pick us back up. But when it arrived, the platform descended but the doors did not open up like they always did. We stood there for a full minute in total confusion, waiting, but then the platform lifted back up and the train chugged back on its way. What?! It wasn't till after we were all alone again that Mom remarked, "You know, I think there was a button we were supposed to push." It was another hour till the next train, and the only thing in the whole area was a cute little outdoor cafe`. With nothing to do, we ordered lunch. We also befriended a cat who jumped up on our laps and begged for food. The woman running the cafe` yelled at the cat and chased it off, but while she thought she was still running after it, the sly little beast ducked into a bush and took a U-turn back to our table.
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