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CHORAL MUSIC
ESCOLANÍA DE MONTSERRAT
(
www.escolania.cat
; performances 1pm Mon-Fri, noon Sun, 6.45pm Sun-Thu)
This famous boys' choir sings in the basilica daily (except school holidays), their clear
voices echoing inside the stone walls the way they have done since the 13th century. It is a
brief treat; they sing
Virolai,
written by Catalonia's national poet Jacint Verdaguer, and
Salve Regina
. The 40 to 50
escolanets,
aged between nine and 14, go to boarding school at
Montserrat and must endure a two-year selection process to join the choir. See the website
for other performances.
SLEEPING
HOTEL
HOTEL ABAT CISNEROS
( 938 77 77 01;
www.montserratvisita.com
; s/d €63/108; )
The only hotel in the monastery complex has a super location next to the basilica, and taste-
ful, spacious rooms, some of which look over Plaça de Santa Maria. There are also inex-
pensive basic apartments and family packages available. Its restaurant serves imaginative
Catalonian dishes (mains €17-20).
Sitges
Explore
Sitges is perfect for seafront promenading and sun worshipping, so in warmer weather
you'll find the most central beaches quite crowded. Luckily, there are quite a few to choose
from, so pick your spot for a morning of sunbathing (or skinny dipping off the nudist beach)
before choosing a seafood restaurant nearby.
But it's not all about the sea here; if you have an interest in contemporary art and in the
Modernisme movement, the classy old centre's array of elegant buildings, many housing
museums, is well worth some of your time. The gay scene in Sitges - and its vibrant party
atmosphere in general - is legendary, so many a day trip ends up the morning after…
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