to Poblet

Visited a Monastery,

Slept in a Castle.

:: April 1-2 ::

======================================

We drove south today, stopping in Barbastro for the 3 course menu-of-the-day before arriving just before closing at the Poblet Monastery, a World Heritage sight. Only our voices echoed through this massive, peaceful structure. This Cistercian monastery, founded in 1129, has 30 monks in residence, many fewer than its capacity yet more than it held at its lowest ebb. Several Catalan kings are buried here in the Abbey Church of Santa Maria.

We drove to the opposite side of town to the Castle of Riudabella, our lodging for the night. It was, in the 15th century, a retirement house for the monks of the monastery--the reason the castle includes a chapel. The wind was howling outside as we entered through the large portal and climbed up 3 levels to a cozy little apartment with a fire blazing in the fireplace and found a bottle of wine waiting. Except for the wind preventing the delivery of hot water, the setting was perfect.

The gracious owner, Pedro, is 5th generation from Pedro Gil Babot, who purchased the castle at auction in 1841 and began the renovation. The renovation continues as he adds more apartments to the few they have. Pedro provided a tour of the castle and its winery in the morning. One room of the castle is a museum beautifully arranged with old family photos and paintings by family artists among hundreds of historic items.