Monestir de Poblet
The Cistercian monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet has a glorious past (the tombs of Catalan and Aragon 12th century kings are housed there) and an important present (it is the largest inhabited monastery in Europe and has been declared part of the heritage of humanity by UNESCO).
This masterpieces of Spanish monastic architecture lies south-west of Barcelona at the foot of the Prades Mountains and is easy to reach by car. One suggested route is via the scenic roads from Sitges to Vilafranca del Penedes to Santes Creus, finally taking the N240/T700 from the medieval city of Montblanc. We decided, however, to take the train, which meant changing at St. Vicenc de Calders and then travelling in the direction of Lleida, disembarking at L'Espluga de Francoli.
An aside: I have always disliked places where each property is protected by angry dogs who rage at passers by in a manner suggesting that were it not for the fence that separates them, they would rip the strangers to pieces. L'Espluga de Francoli deserves a prize for the viciousness of its canine protectors, which is surprising as there seems to be little worth protecting in this dreary place.
Away from the town, the walk to the monastery takes one through groves of olives and almonds, and vineyards bearing the sign of Torres, the dominant local wine producer. As "pilgrims", we felt entitled to sample nature's bounty and the mixture of almonds and grapes was nourishing and refreshing. Tip: take a knife if you'd like to repeat this exercise as it is more efficient than a stone for opening the shells containing the almonds and it is cleaner to cut grapes from the vine by the bunch than to attempt to pull them off. The latter method ensures that your hands will be covered by sticky ooze guaranteed to attract clouds of annoying flies.
In the early morning sunshine, our first glimpse of the monastery was an unforgettable sight. The shadows falling across the yellow sandstone emphasised its enormous size and the austerity of the buildings was an important reminder that it is "ora et labora" that has made this place so influential since its founding in 1141.
If you enjoy walking and find monasteries interesting, the Ruta del Cister (the Cistercian Route) might be a trip worth considering. Monestir de Poblet lies in the middle of the journey, which you can start in either Santes Creus or Vallbona de les Monges.
