Montserrat was our first group excursion and it was an incredible way to start off the program. The drive up to the mountain started at around 9 a.m. and took about an hour, so there was justifiable cause to sleep through it, but I would advise to brave the early morning and enjoy the journey. It was our sixth day in Spain, and my personal first time leaving the city of Barcelona. I decided to record a time-lapse of the drive up to Montserrat, and it turned out to be a beautiful transition between the traffic-heavy city to the country-side, to the industrial suburbs, and up a gorgeous serrated mountain.
Aside from the incredible views, it was interesting to truly note for the first time our role as visitors in the monetization of cultural sites. Montserrat features one of the oldest monasteries in Spain, and we as visitors are allowed to enter their temples to watch their mass. To witness behavior that what would surely be considered disrespect in my hometown’s church, in a monastery, was eye-opening to say the least. This moment has made me feel the most like a foreigner since I have been here. This excursion is essential to this program, and to visiting Barcelona in general, however I don’t think I fully support visiting a church while the service is in session.