Viator tour...

Yes...the one day in Barcelona...kim and i did a viator (group tour)...however the one we chose specifically stated small groups, max 12 people, hence we chose it...labelled traditional food and wine....at 9am we had to be at Palau de la Musica near the Rambla...and we were in luck...we had a small mini van and only one other couple, a couple from New Jersey....punctually at 9 we left and drove towards Montserrat where we would have breakfast...huh? Breakfast? That was unexpected, cause kim and i had had breakfast...but what the hell...sounded good to us....we drove about 1hr..already seeing the beautiful sights of Montserrat which was breath-taking, it looks so different, very unusual...

View of Montserrat

Our breakfast consisted of pan de tomate, different cold cuts and difeerent cheeses...and the dessert a type of cheese, very similar to ricotta drizzled with honey...for me that did not have too much taste...and then guess what we had to drink....wine...red wine from the region served the typical catalonian way...in a porron....the nice thing about the pan de tomate....we were allowed to make it ourselfes..take the crispy bread...rub fresh garlic...half tomato and rub it over, then add some olive oil and salt and pepper...and now it is ready for the cheese and cold meat, delicious

Porron, cold meats and cheese
To drink from a porron, a beginner starts by bringing the spout very close to his mouth and tilts it forward slowly so the beak points towards the teeth. Once the liquid starts coming out, the porró is pulled away from the face while the drinker looks up. To finish drinking, a beginner lowers the porró and brings it back down and closer to the mouth again before stopping, quickly tilting the spout up at the last moment so there is no spillage.

A regular user can start and stop drinking from the porró with the spout held at a distance without spilling a drop...our guide even showed us how it is done...but done of us dared trying and having red wine stains all over our tops for the rest of the trip....then we continued our trip...we would go to the monastry on Montserrat where we would get some free time to explore...exciting...

Monastry

Wow...the views are breath-taking, the guide explained to us that all the peaks had names from elephant, witches, monks, the most famous being cavall bernat...

Cavall Bernat
Cavall Bernat

We went up to the church, of course first taking in the views from the top...there are quite a few waliking trails and cable cars leading to more sights. There is even a hotel and kim and i said it would a tually be nice ro there for a night and do the various other sights at montserrat cause it is really beautiful....but for now we enjoyed a sneak preview....

View from monatsry

And of course we wanted to go inside and see the inside as well as the black madonna....A Black Madonna or Black Virgin is a statue or painting of Mary in which she is depicted with dark skin, especially those created in Europe in the medieval period or earlier. The Black Madonnas are generally found in Catholic countries. There are about 450–500 Black Madonnas in Europe, depending on how they are classified.

Monastry
Inside the church
Black madonna

After that, believe or not...it was time for lunch....on the other side on the montserrat mountain, on the south side....we drove about 30min and arrived at this rural restaurant in a beautiful setting, the outside terrace was covered in trees and the menu which we couldchoose starter, main and dessert from was all in spanish...guide did his best to translate...and of course..not to forget....red wine from the region...the place was called la vinya nova...kim had Trinxat Timbalet of Cerdanya amb cruixents of cansalada i Anglesos bastons to start with (some seafood pasta) and me the typical salad from the region called Amanida Vinyanova verda the raf i amb tomàquets germinats. For mains i had some stuffed red peppers and kim had a fillet de bou....all was delicious...dessert...we shared a sacher torte...not very spanish we know...

View from lunch place
Lunch spot
Kim's seafood pasta starter
The last stop...a winery where they would show a short video, then a tour around the vineyard and at the end some tasting....a red, a white and a cava....exciting....i must admit...the wines were nice...but i did prefer the wines in the restaurant at breakfast and lunch...but still yummie....
Wine tasting

Next blog is about the difference between prosecco, cava , method cap classique and champagne...but for now good night..l.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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