ex votive

is the offering given after the fulfillment of a vow. The pilgrims come to Montserrat to press their requests on the 'virgin of Montserrat'. When their prayers have been answered they come back with an offering and they leave their testaments in the room dedicated to 'ex votive'. They write notes of gratitude, maybe for a healing, of anything, any body part whether an eye, a leg, an arm etc. We saw a lot of wedding dresses, maybe a lot of women asked to be married, after they do, they come back with their offerings and they hang their wedding dresses in that room. I don't know. I've been in many churches but this was my first encounter with 'ex votive'. It's kind of hokey and funny.

That's supposed to be the centre of power.

The plaza outside the church.

Here we are leaving Montserrat and descending on the cable car.

There is Montserrat, above those rock cliffs. It's amazing how those monks thought to build a monastery up there, the thought of hauling all the building materials up there at a time when there were no roads leading up to it. It's a pretty amazing place.