Another trip to Montserrat

Last weekend on Sunday and Monday we made another trip to Montserrat. This time we didn't have to worry about Bo's parents enjoying it or not and we decided to stay overnight in the Abat Cisneros hotel next to the Basilica. The bells were no problem and the view was fantastic especially first thing in the morning when the sun was coming up. We had a good time and I was struck by how photogenic the place was. We took 100 or so photos in 24 hours and we could have taken many more if the camera battery hadn't run flat.

The hotel room was good value for a 3 star hotel at 75 euros for a good-sized triple room including a buffet breakfast. I can recommend a trip to Montserrat for anyone who hasn't been and would suggest staying overnight as you get the place to yourself after everyone else has gone back to Barcelona. On Monday morning there was no queue to see the black madonna and child which you have to queue for ages to see in the afternoon at the weekend. Thomas had to miss a day of school but that didn't really matter as he's still only 5 and school is not yet compulsory and they don't do all that much at school here anyway. He still can't read and he's nearly 6. I'm a bit worried about Thomas's future in Barcelona as the education system is not up to much but I don't know if his prospects would be any better in England as the situation seems to be pretty bad there too.