Montserrat: Santa Maria de Montserrat
Zaragoza: Lunch at Bar Cervino, Aljaferia Palace, Iglesia Parroquial de San Pablo, Plaza and Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar, Mercado Central de Zaragoza
Tolosa: Dinner at Casa Julian
Bilbao: Night at Hotel Seminario
Drive: Approximately 660 km (410 miles) - 7 hours 10 minutes
Montserrat
Located about an hour drive from Barcelona.
Steps of Knowledge, Montserrat, Spain.
View of the Montserrat-Aeri cable car from Montserrat. If you take the train from Barcelona, it drops you off at the bottom of the mountain. You can either take the cable car or funicular to get to Montserrat.
Entrance to Santa Maria de Montserrat. Montserrat, Spain.
Inside Santa Maria de Montserrat, a Benedictine abbey, a holy pilgrimage site, located on the mountain of Montserrat. Montserrat, Spain.
Virgin of Montserrat, the Black Madonna, the patron Saint of Catalonia. Statue of the Virgin Mary and an infant Christ. Montserrat, Spain.
Walking out of the statue's sanctuary is a place for prayer candles. Montserrat, Spain.
Plaça de Santa Maria. Looking up from the plaza coming out of the chapel. Montserrat, Spain.
You can see the Funicular de Sant Joan that takes you further up the mountain to to more hiking trails and beautiful views. Montserrat, Spain.
Zaragoza
About 2 hours and 45 minutes away from Montserrat.
First thing we did in Zaragoza was look for lunch. This was our first actual meal in Spain. Tapas and bocadillos at Bar Cervino. Small little local spot and it did not disappoint. They don't speak much English. Bar Cervino, Zaragoza, Spain.
Inside at the bar. Bar Cervino, Zaragoza, Spain.
Constant flow of people coming in and out. Never super crowded, but never empty. Bar Cervino, Zaragoza, Spain.
The back of Aljaferia Palace. This is a fortified 11th-century Arab castle-palace built during the Moorish taifa of Zaragoza of Al-Andalus. It has a quadrangular floorplan with circular towers except for the Troubadour Tower, which is also rectangular. Aljaferia Palace, Zaragoza, Spain.
The front of Aljaferia Palace. This place is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage and is currently the site of the Aragon Regional Government. We actually opted not to go inside. Aljaferia Palace, Zaragoza, Spain.
The streets of Zaragoza as we were walking from the Aljaferia Palace to Iglesia Parroquial de San Pablo. Zaragoza, Spain.
Iglesia Parroquial de San Pablo, Zaragoza, Spain.
Mercado Central de Zaragoza. We arrived just as it was opening in the late afternoon. Not all the shops were open. Zaragoza, Spain.
Plaza de Nuestra Senora del Pilar, Zaragoza, Spain.
Plaza de Nuestra Senora del Pilar, Zaragoza, Spain.
Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar, Zaragoza, Spain.
Inside the Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar, Zaragoza, Spain.
A shopping street near Plaza de Nuestra Senora del Pilar as we were walking back to our car near the Aljaferia Palace. Zaragoza, Spain.
Tolosa
We specifically drove to Tolosa only to eat dinner at Casa Julian, about a 2 hour and 30 minute drive from Zaragoza. This place is known for it's salt-cooked chuleton, or T-bone steak. Their menu is simple, with just a few items, and their steaks are grilled to order. They don't ask you how you want your meat (well-done, medium-rare, rare, etc.) so that the meat is grilled to perfection each time. They trim the fat and cut the meat after it's cooked and right before they serve it to you.
The front entrance of Casa Julian. Looks like the back. A small and unassuming place. Casa Julian, Tolosa, Spain.
We ordered Iberico ham and loin (1/2 jamon Iberico and 1/2 lomo Iberico), white asparagus (Esparragos especiales de Navarra), red piquillo peppers (Pimientos del piquillo confitados), and T-bone for 2 split into 3 (Chuleton).
Where they grill all the steaks. Casa Julian, Tolosa, Spain.
Inside Casa Julian. Only a few small tables. The place is not very big at all. Tolosa, Spain.
After dinner we drove to Bilbao where we had booked our hotel for the night at Hotel Seminario, about an hour drive away.
