The Monastery of Santa Cruz lies in a valley between Villafranca and Tarragona.

Serious wine country. The monks always enjoyed their wine, clearly. Marti remembers as a boy being astonished by the size of the great wooden casks they used. Thousands and thousands of litres.

He says the local legend of the 'Scala Dei' - visions of monks ascending a great ladder to heaven was thought by irreverent locals to be linked to rather a lot of good wine.

We arrive bang on time as the first warm rays of sun hit the old stones. Just us in the monastery vineyards. Birdsong and buzzing insects apart, it's silent. Is that the sound of distant chant? A bell calling?

From those worn and battered grey walls in the cypress trees.

We do a rather irreverent picnic breakfast in the great courtyard and then head for home.

Great trip. It's very, very tough in Spain, these days. But at least their wine is better than it’s ever been. Not at all pricey, and getting ever more popular. Adios.