Montserrat

     Today we took a trip to Montserrat right outside of Barcelona.  Montserrat means the "serrated mountain"and is named because of it's unique shape.  We took a bus to the mountain and then hiked up to different spots.  It was beautiful and there were amazing views! The wind was really strong and cold though.  We walked out to this point, and all of a sudden, the wind picked up so hard that we were almost blown off our feet.  I couldn't breathe, and my friend was clinging to the railing for dear life.  Our guide then took us through the museum where we learned about the life of the monks who live in the monastery on Montserrat.  They live, eat, pray, and study on top of the mountain and they have the second largest library in Cataluyna.  We were also shown a video of the choir boys who go to school at the monastery and tour around the world.  After the museum, we had a few hours of free time so my friends and I ate the bocadillos and apples IES had provided for us, and then visited the church.  It was incredible!!  The decorations were made of ivory, gold, and wood and everything was extremely intricate.  I felt like I could have sat there for hours and still not have seen every single detail.  In one room at the back of the church there is the "dark virgin".  It is a famous carving of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus.  The carving is in the Romanesque style, and it is made of wood that has been oxidized so that now, the skin of the Virgin and Jesus is almost black.  Her nickname is "Little Moreneta" which means "The Little Dark One".  She is holding a round orb which represents the earth, and Baby Jesus is holding a fruit from a pine tree which represents eternity.  People come from all over to pray and kiss the orb in the Virgin's hand for good luck. They them leave a present as a thank-you gift in another room.  These gifts are very strange and include wedding dresses, figurines, and pictures.