To Montserrat

---

Yesterday was the last day for Liz to take her antibiotics. It looks good so we decided to test the leg and visit the Montserrat Monastery. Beautiful day again and around 9.30 we set up our friend Tom Tom to guide us on the right path to the place of the Black Madonna. We travelled around 30 kilometres before hitting the autobahn direction Barcelona. You are straight back in the mail stream of heavy traffic that seem to go day in day out. We only had 90 kilometres of this, not to bad. Sometimes you don't know what is better, the small little roads where you need ten pair of eyes, or the Autobahns you just have to watch the cars in front and next to you and even keep an eye on ones behind you. Anyway we reached the foot of the mountain that will take us to the Basilica, a very tiny road that winds and winds around the mountain to the top. Here and there you have to wait to let a bus go by. Arriving at the top we saw rows of cars parked where ever they found a place. We went right to the top, you had to no way to turn around. There Liz went out so she did not had to walk all the way up from whatever park place I could find. Lucky I had park not that far away. Liz had most of the gear so there was not much to carry. We found an info to get the information needed and set out to find the Black Madonna. The views from the mountain are amazing. We had to climb some stairs to the Basilica and landed on a beautiful internal plaza. To see the statue, we have to stand in a long line of people and wait our turn. The Black Madonna, is a wooden statue, with several stories about it's origin. One is, that it was carved by Luke, around 50 A.D. and hidden in a grotto high in the mountain. As the story goes, it was rediscovered by shepherds in 880 A.D. When they tried to move the statue it appeared as if the Black Madonna had other ideas. It could not be moved. So they build the church and monastery around it. It is said that various miracles have happened to people that have visited the statue. The church was destroyed by the invasion of Napoleon, but restored by the people from the area. The Black Madonna is carved from wood. The dark colour is caused by the various varnishes through the ages. The interior of the Basilica is magnificent adorned, with the Madonna high above the altar looking down on the visitors. We had no idea it took so long to do this for so many people are visiting the statue. We walked back to the car and on the long way back. It had been a beautiful day and Liz leg did okay. Another day of rest before we visit Barcelona, but that will be the next adventure. Bye for now Liz & Allan

---