We stayed at the Montserrat Benedictine abbey in the Fall of 2010, on a side-trip from Barcelona. This unique massif in the Catalan Pre-Coastal mountain range is easily accessible from the city by train and cable-car. After the day-trippers have left for the day, the quiet mountain made for a peaceful retreat, with early morning and evening choir services at the Basilica (if you wish) and daily hikes to the summit of St Jeroni (1236M) and to the many well-marked routes for pilgrims. The lodgings were simple and modest meals were taken at the cafeteria.
St Ignatius of Loyola made a pilgrimage to Montserrat in 1522, and stripped off “all his garment and gave them to a beggar.” Here he laid his armor and sword before a statue of the Virgin Mary, relinquishing the soldier’s life and devoted himself entirely to God.
