the Water of Grace: The World is a Book

"The world is a book and those who don't travel read only one page." ~St Augustine

Hmm... where to start?? How do I sum up traveling to 4 different countries, over 15 days, taking ~~200~~ 2000 pictures (no typo here... I've said before I love pictures), with so many special memories with special people in amazing places?!? I've been thinking about it, and I think I'm going to give a little synapse of where we all traveled... and then break it up in separate posts to share the pictures and places and moments. And you don't have to be afraid, I will not share all 2000 photos! I'm not that crazy! :)

So I traveled with a group through my church. This is my 5th time traveling overseas with them. The easiest would be to say that I am hooked! :) It started about six years ago, back in 2010. I was making rosaries with a group of ladies from church, and they were telling me about a trip that was being planned to Italy/Rome. And I have always wanted to go to Rome, to see the Pope! Be in St Peter's Basilica. To just take it all in. So I decided to look into that trip, and after some thinking, was able to make it happen and go! I didn't really know anyone going at that time, minus our priest and a couple others. And traveling overseas was completely new for me. But I decided to go, and it was the most wonderful experience, and ever since then I've been hooked!! :) I love traveling and seeing new places. Our world is really oh so beautiful. I've been so blessed to see and be in so many incredible places. Many in which I never dreamed I would get to be. But I always tell others, it's the incredible and special people that make these trips so wonderful!! You could take me to see a hog farm (no offending here, I grew up on one)... and it would be the best still if our group came along! We would have the greatest time! :) Each trip, many of the same people go, but there are always new individuals who join, and it's so great to meet these new friends! They become true friends. Genuine. Ones that are sad for you when you are sad, and happy with you when you are happy! We watch out for each other, help each other, pray for each other, and laugh with each other! It's truly a beautiful gift from God! These friendships that I've made.

So back to the trip. :) We left on a Sunday and headed to Madrid, Spain. Spain is 7 hours ahead of us, so when we arrived, it was around 8am there, but 1am here... but we keep going and stay up all day, as that is the only way one can really switch time zones. What's that saying on Finding Nemo, "Just keep swimming! Just keep swimming!" Well... here we say, "just keep going! just keep awake!" :) We then flew to Lisbon, Portugal. From there we got on a bus and drove to Fatima. That was a very special place. I will go in detail later. We stayed there for two nights, then headed to Santiago, Spain. We got to stay a night there, and had some delays leaving the next day, as we lost one from our group... but with the help of Our Blessed Mother... we found her! It truly was a miracle (more to come). We then drove along the Atlantic Ocean coast to Santander, in which we got to stay in a hotel less than a block from the ocean. I could see it from my window. It was gorgeous. and the perfect place to wake up on my Birthday morning!! :) So on my birthday, the next day, we headed to France... going to Lourdes. A town in which the Blessed Mother appeared to a little girl named Bernadette in 1858. And just to give a little overview... this place "wowed" all of us! It was amazing, beautiful, and I'm pretty sure touched us all spiritually in a special way. So many graces all around. We were blessed to stay there two nights (and it's always a gift to not have to pack up our suitcase each morning). Leaving France, was the most beautiful drive... into the Pyrenees Mountains, back into Spain. It's a beautiful country. We drove up, up, up to Montserrat! Gorgeous!! Stayed in the mountains, at least 3000 feet elevation! And Jesus painted the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen there! It pays to get up each morning, in the dark, to go for a run, when the sunrises appear!! It was breathtaking!!
Next we headed to Barcelona, and got to tour that city! Along with seeing the amazing church called Sagrada Familia! It's a place that every architect needs to go! It's incredible! From there we boarded a "bullet" train, aka very high speed. We were going up to 300km/hr, which is about 185mph. It was awesome! Traveling nearly 800 miles to Malaga and Torremolinos, which happens to be right on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea! I'll just say I thought I went to heaven... I was wondering if it was for real. Falling to sleep each night to the sound of the waves hitting the coast! It was wonderful! And can I just say we got to stay here THREE nights!!! Alleluia! :)
While staying there, we ventured out to new places each day, one being Seville, Spain. And the other, the group split. Half went to Granada. And half went to AFRICA!!! :) Yes.. our 4th country. I wasn't planning on going to either, as I wanted to stay on the beach... but things changed, and I was so grateful to be able to get a ticket for the ferry to head over to Morocco! And what an experience that was, being in a completely Muslim city. (more to come on that fun day).
We then had to leave our beautiful seaside, and head back Northwest to Madrid, where we were able to enjoy that city, and also head to the beautiful town of Avila. So quaint and peaceful! With city walls still up and in perfect condition, protecting the old city.

And then of course, all good and great things must come to an end. So on day 15, we headed back to the great country of ours, the United States of America! No more rows and hills of olive trees, but back to corn and bean fields. That's okay though, as I'm partial to those crops. :) It was hard to say good-bye to everyone, and get back to the real life of demands and to-dos. BUT the memories made will be forever treasured in my heart!! God is so good!