I like to funicular

Montserrat is the behemoth of the skyline looking south from Barcelona. This 1200+ meter monolith is an hour train ride outside of the city limits and legend has it that the Virgin Mary herself appeared on this very mountain. When you arrive at the base of the mountain, a cable car takes you to the famed monastery about halfway up the slope. The basilica, currently under renovation, is a functioning building that still holds mass on a regular basis as some unsuspecting peers found out. Montserrat is also home to a small museum with an impressive repertoire of artists, such as Degas and Carvaggio, though the works housed on the mountain are not any of their famed pieces.

Our group of intrepid, ambitious hikers chose to scale Montserrat to the peak or Sant Jeroni, the total height peaking at 1236 meters. The trek up the mountain took a little over two hours as we wound up dirt paths, inclines, and stairs upon stairs. Despite the chilly temperatures, the two hour Stairmaster session quickly warmed us up and only a sweater was necessary to combat the cold. Once at the top, the sight was impressive; more impressive, however, were the individuals climbing up over the railing with coils of rope. They had scaled the side of the mountain in two and a half hours to reach the top. And then they ran back down the mountain path. Champion status, indeed.

On a clear day you can see the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately for us, we were amongst the clouds (that high) and could only make out the surrounding towns and landscape. Darn.