The trip was nice, Colonia Güell was a pleasant surprise. Bus was clean and reasonably new, so comfortable. In Montserrat, however, I was unpleasantly surprised that visit of the Black Madonna was not included. The guide informed us that group visits are paid and they do not order group visits in advance as they are not sure how many people will attend, he actually suggested we should pretend we came on our own by car and left the ticket in the car, so that they let us in for free. We just bought the ticket in the info center instead and went inside to see Black Madonna without lying.

What a fantastic day. Left Salou and headed to Colonia Guell where we saw the church built by gaudi and the rest of the town before a brief stop for a drink at a little local bar. On then to montseratt monastery, a steep climb up winding roads to breathtaking views. The monastery, basilica and other buildings are simply beautiful, the small room contains the black Madonna is intricate and stunning, the work is incredible. Whilst this is a great place to visit, it was made even better by our guide ‘Bruno.’ He has been taking tours since 1994 and his knowledge and commentary is first class. He also slips seamlessly from Spanish to English, French and German keeping everyone involved. I went with my wife, 18 year old daughter and 14 year old son and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day, would highly recommend to anyone visiting the area.