My Last Weekend

I arrived back in Catalonia by train early Saturday morning. The ride left much to be desired in terms of comfort and quiet, but I must have slept well enough not to realize that nine hours had passed. Núria and Davíd picked me up from the train station, I went for a run, and then, we met Núria’s parents for lunch in the village of Cabra del Camp, northeast of Reus. Her family owns a house in the small, mountain village of less than 500 people, where everyone knows everyone else’s name. Though it was much colder in Cabra than in Reus, the weather there in the summer is quite pleasant they told me – much more so than in Barcelona, so her family passes much of their summer in the tranquil village. After what was a typically late and long lunch, Núria, Davíd, and I toured two more small Catalonian villages, in that, my last weekend. First, we visited the monastery of Santa Cruz, which was built in the 12th century. Today, no one lives at the monastery, but there is a museum and tours. Later we strolled through the village of Valls before returning to Reus.

Sunday was another excellent day. We woke early, made an hour drive to the mountains of Montserrat, and hiked the trails leading to the monastery at the top. Though it was a chilly morning, we warmed up easily during our assent, despite the fact that the clouds thickened with the altitude. The monastery, unlike the one in Santa Cruz, does have inhabitants, and in fact, many people from Barcelona visit on Sundays for mass and to hear the alter boys’ choir. (The majority, however, drive rather than hike as we did.) The church was beautiful, as was the mass, as were the voices of the alter boys in harmony, resonating in the high ceilings.

The patron saint of the monastery is the Virgin of Montserrat – a black virgin because that is how she appeared when sighted in those mountains. A small statue of her is placed behind the sanctuary, and people line up to walk behind and touch her. There is also another small chapel built into the side of the mountain dedicated to her. People leave behind items in hope that they will receive luck or help with that which the item represents. The trail between the monastery and the chapel has statues positioned in stations to represent events from the Nativity to the Resurrection to the Coronation of the Virgin. The statues were beautiful and large and thus could be seen from distant cliffs. Though made of stone against the stone of the mountains, the stations were powerful and passionate depictions.

We hiked back down the mountains in about half the time that it took to climb. Since it was still just mid-afternoon, we decided to pass some time in the coastal town of Sitges. Sitges is quite the tourist destination, especially in the summer, but even on a Sunday afternoon in winter. We strolled the path along the beach, beholding the crashing waves against the rocks that protect the church. Palm trees line the path, and though it was cloudy for us, I can imagine that they provide desired shade in the summer. At one end of the path is the tourist district, but in the other direction, it is residential. Núria joked that one day she would buy one of the massive though attractive houses, and I told her I’d certainly come back and visit if she did.

To view pictures, click on the My Last Weekend folder at my Shutterfly website.