Montserrat

When I first planned my day trip to Montserrat, I did it because I figured it was so close to Barcelona, and something I could just cross off my checklist.  I did not know anything about the city, and I was not expecting to get much more out of it than a few pictures and a small paragraph to include in my blog.  Instead, my trip to Montserrat offered me piece of mind and an opportunity to connect with nature, my religion, and the bigger picture of life.  The weather was cold, but the crisp mountain air was refreshing and clean.  My eyes were fixed on the icy trail as I carefully trekked up the mountain.  It was not until I reached the edge of the cliff that I lifted my gaze to the mesmerizing view that laid before me.  Mountains covered in green etched their way down from the clear blue skies to the low valleys where clear streams flowed through the contours of the mountains’ bases.  The landscape stretched far into the distance and was absent of any trace of man.  The lack of roads, houses, and construction reminded me of how vast the natural world is.  There is so much of this Earth that is untouched by the hands of man, and in that way perfect unique and ungoverned by unnecessary reason or law.  The landscape followed no calculated rules of math or notions of what is right or wrong.  Instead the imperfections in color, shape, form, and size made the land that much more beautiful.  Without the rules of man, nature is able to take on an air of simplicity despite its innumerable complexities.  Every inch of the landscape appeared just as it was designed by God to be.  The marriage of nature and religion that was directing my thoughts was further enhanced by the statues, monuments, and the monastery that were all placed throughout the town.  The way in which the religious elements were worked into the natural setting allowed for a harmonious feeling within the city.  Although people were spectating all around, there was a certain quietness and serenity that could be breathed in the air.