When I decided to book my trip to Spain and Portugal, it was one of the scariest, but most exciting things I'd ever done. Although I met Sarah in Barcelona, the plan was always for her to leave 2 days later and for me to be in Europe on my own for 8 days. A solo trip was not something I would have considered a few years ago; I guess you can say I was still evolving into the fearless being I am now. My mother was less than thrilled, and my friends kept echoing "be careful". I couldn't blame them, especially since Spain had just suffered a terrorist attack one month before, but I chose not to succumb to fear. If you follow my Instagram page, you'll know that I've crossed some milestones this year and made some life changes. The decision to travel alone was, in part, a way of pushing my limits and getting out of my comfort zone. I've always been an introvert and spending time alone has never been an issue for me, but, being in a foreign country, where you don't speak the native language, and you can only depend on yourself if anything happens? Well that was new territory for me.
My day trip to Montserrat Monastery was the first major accomplishment I had as a solo traveller. I decided against doing a group tour and chose to figure out how to get to the mountains on my own. Google is seriously the best resource in the world, I sometimes try to imagine life before it, but I honestly can't. I left my airbnb at 7am and made my way to the bus station for the 2 hour journey. It wasn't very difficult, however, thanks to the kindness of a stranger, I learned that if you're at a bus stop where more than one buses stop, you need to flag down the bus you're waiting on otherwise it won't stop. I got to the train station and had an espresso while I waited. The trains to Montserrat only run once an hour and I missed the train I initially wanted, so I had to wait about 40 minutes for another. When you purchase your ticket, you also have to decide if you want to take the tram up the mountain, or the cable car. I decided on the cable car since it was the option that scared me more (I hope you're seeing a theme here; do the thing that scares you the most). It was definitely the better decision because the view was breathtaking.
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| Waiting for the cable car to take me up the mountain |
The monastery itself is huge and has lots to do. There are hiking trails, a museum featuring works from Salvatore Dali and Monet as well as archaeological exhibits and restaurants, but perhaps the most famous is the religious significance of the Black Madonna that is situated here. The line to see the statue was about an hour but I was happy I did it. I won't get into my religious beliefs with you, but I will say that being in the monastery was a very spiritual experience for me.
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It was an overcast day but nothing could take away that smile on my face
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| Proud Trini |
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| Black Madonna |
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| Montserrat Monastery |
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Incredible architecture
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I spent roughly three hours surveying the grounds, taking pictures, and just sitting in silence taking it all in before I ventured back. It was an experience I will remember forever, and it was the first of many more adventures I plan to have. Stay tuned for my adventures in Portugal.
