Today I decided to join a trip my school was offering to Monasterio de Piedra. This is a monastery located just about two hours outside of Madrid, and it can be pretty hard to get to. The monastery itself is very old, built in 1194, and only parts of it are very well preserved. Still, the art and architecture of the building were stunning and it was clearly steeped in history.

There was a tour guide to show us around the monastery and give us information about each room within it. We learned about how the monks used to make wine here by stepping on the grapes (shoutout to Zoey 101) and how wine is still made there using this technique.

After the tour of the monastery, we were allowed to roam the gardens surrounding it freely. This was undoubtedly the best part of the trip. The gardens were filled with cascading waterfalls and adorable streams. It felt like there was something even more stunning than the last around every corner.

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The best part of the gardens by far was what the tour guide had referred to only as “the cave.” He warned us not to miss it, so we spent most of our walk through the gardens wondering where and what this elusive cave was. When we did find it though, it surpassed all of the anticipation and mystery. Walking in felt like entering another universe, like I had actually physically exited my current existence. That or I had suddenly become a main character of Journey to the Center of the Earth. Believe me, I know this sounds ridiculous. I would roll my eyes at me, too. There really is no other way to describe this though. There was just a feeling when you entered this cave, and everyone that was there with me would certainly confirm that I am not crazy. It will certainly be a tough one to top.

In the end, what I thought would be just a simple day trip turned into an incredible experience. I am still in shock from the beauty of the cave. I honestly think I always will be.