Four Days of Solitude and Magic at Montserrat Monastery

For the past four days, I have disappeared from the world. No media, no people, no news, just me. Alone with myself. For three nights and four blissful days, I retreated to the Montserrat Monastery, high in the mountains of Spain. Montserrat is a Spanish name derived from the Latin terms “mons” (mountain) and “serratus” (serrated or saw-toothed). The name is deeply intertwined with the famous Monastery, a historic site of great religious and cultural importance. It was established in the 11th century and, for over 1,000 years, has been a center for learning, culture, and pilgrimage.

According to legend, the Virgin of Montserrat, a Romanesque statue of the Virgin Mary, was found in a cave in these mountains, and the name has since become synonymous with spiritual devotion and natural beauty. I touched this very statue yesterday. People come worldwide to see her, La Moreneta (“the little dark-skinned one”). A defining pilgrimage for many Spanish youths (in fact, many youths from all over the world) is to journey to Montserrat to see the sunrise at least once in their life. I saw that sunrise Sunday morning.

The time was very spiritual and healing for me. I do not shy away from the word spiritual, even though I am no longer religious. I believe spirit is one of the four aspects of my being and comprises the essence of my morality, righteousness, and empathy. You can read more in my book The Quest.

There is so much to say, so I’m organizing this post into topics: Montserrat Basilica, Hiking Paths, VideoMapping, Montserrat Museum, Montserrat Sunrise, Montserrat Village, and my 457-Year-Old Room at Hostal Abat Cisneros.

Montserrat Basilica

Over 1,000 years old. It is hard for this guy who has been brought up in America, a country that is only 248 years old, to comprehend a place drawing pilgrims in need of retreat like me for over 1,000 years. The Monastery was first established in the 800s—over 1200 years ago. Those were the Medieval times of Charlemagne, the Crusades, the invention of the printing press, and the Black Death. It was not until six hundred years later that Shakespeare was alive and the King James Bible was written.

I still cannot understand how it was built on this isolated, steep mountain. As you look at the photos and videos, think about the monumental labor and vision people had to build this extraordinary place over the centuries. You can feel the layers of history and sacrifice.

As I walked the mountain, I sensed I was in a thin place where the veil between this world and another was thin. It was an experience, unlike the world I usually inhabit. Being there was both eerie and uplifting at the same time. I have been to a few places I would characterize as thin, but this is the thinnest.

Perhaps it’s the serrated peaks towering, surrounding, overlooking you, and walking the ground where millions of pilgrims seeking peace have trod over the millennia. It was undoubtedly more evident for me when the hordes of tourists left each evening around 6:30, not to return until 9:30 the following day. It was then that I felt the eeriness, the peacefulness, the uplifting presence of something far more powerful than me.

The Basilica is a work of monumental art. Art permeates this mountain, and it speaks deeply to me. It has to be experienced. Words are not enough to describe the enchantment of this place.

Hiking Paths

From a young boy, I have hiked the world. The Appalachians, Mt. Whitney, Columbia, and Princeton, Three Sisters in Australia, the wilds of Alaska, the tropical forests of the Caribbean, the picturesque Cotswolds of England, the massive mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the Mayan ruins of Mexico, the veldts of Africa, the Silk Road, and more. But somehow, these trails feel more ancient, more heavy with the needs of the millions who have walked them. But the views, the valley, the mountain, the trees, and the sky seem to transfer your cares onto the nurturing breast of Mother Nature. The paths are varied and beautiful and filled with the magnificence of nature and art.

VideoMapping

I was first introduced to this groundbreaking new technology at the ISE conference in Barcelona this past January as a guest of my dear friend Jonathan Ford, who was here representing the Institute of Peace (Washington, DC). A team of innovators videomapped Barcelona’s iconic masterpiece by Gaudi, Casa Batlló, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Paseo de Gracia.

On my second day here, I happened to stumble upon a random mention that a video mapping of the Montserrat Basilica was to happen that night at 8:15 and was open to residents of Spain only. I immediately found a link and was able to get a reservation. And oh my, it was incredible. To see this new technology illuminate the centuries-old Basilica was unlike any experience of my life. Watch the video below to see only a fraction of what it was like.

Montserrat Museum

The museum was closed when Gina and I were tourists here this spring. So, to my delight, it was open, and I visited on Saturday. I must say it exceeded my wildest expectations. Dali, Picasso, Degas, Caravaggio, Singer Sargent, Renoir, Monet, Pissarro, and many more master artworks. It was much larger than I expected. Its marvelous gallery mixed the latest technology amid the 14th-century walls excavated a few decades ago. I spent several unhurried hours of enjoyment—this is my kind of cathedral. See the photo link below for my favorites and my comments.

Montserrat Sunrise

I previously mentioned the significance of a Montserrat sunrise, so each morning at 6:30, I stepped outside into the eerie quiet—the only human being stirring, to see if the clouds would lift. Finally, they did it for a magical few seconds, and I could capture it. You can see the video and photo links below.

Conclusion

I could write for hours and filled six journal pages with tiny writing. The only plans I had made were to hike some of the paths, to journal, to read, and to rest and fast from the news. But my golden horseshoe kicked in. I got up at 6:30 am hoping for photos of sunrise, but alas, the cloud cover prohibited it. I returned to my room and noticed the Basilica doors were illuminated, so I thought, what the heck? I went to try the door. It opened! And for thirty minutes, I had the Basilica entirely to myself—not one other human being (a precious and rarest of gifts). I took the time to do my mantra and meditate. Bliss.

After a time, I heard a rustle of cloth, and I looked up and a monk in black robes entered the choir loft. And another slowly, another, until the loft was filled with black-robed monks. And then the light of the pipe organ went on. A plaintive note sounded, and as if by magic, there was a morning service in the Basilica with monks, singing, and the pipe organ, just for me. And then they disappeared, one at a time, just like they entered. As I roused myself, I stood up (in my pajamas, no less!) and turned to see a few other people (surprise) behind me. Locals. They had come for the service. I had no idea. I thought it was one of my inception-like dreams, but it was not. It was real.

Later that evening, I stumbled into a Vespers service with the iconic Boy Choir and Monk Choir with priests in full regalia. What a weekend. The video mapping was a surprise, and an impromptu (and surprisingly good) Catalan trio performed a concert on the square on Sunday. There was so much more.

When I made the reservation, I did not realize it was All Saints weekend, which was the reason for so many extra events and services. Wow. I stayed in a 457-year-old room at the Hostal Abat Cisneros (yes, it has been modernized and renovated–it was cozy and perfect), with full dinner each night in an extraordinary vibey dining room, full breakfast, roundtrip on the rack railway, and full access to the Basilica, for only 100 euros per night. Insane. Yes, I’m coming back. Enjoy the photos and videos. They are just for you.

Videos