Barcelona Day 2

7/8/2010
This morning we woke up to the downpour of our first rainfall. We assembled all of our gear and headed off to our breakfast of toast and coffee. Next, we hopped on the bus for a morning of rainy sightseeing. We visited the 1992 Olympic Stadium, Parque Geulle, and Sagrada Familia. The Olympic Stadium was quite large and the Olympic Torch was fascinating. Parque Geulle, created by Antonio Gaudi, was artistic and packed with tourists. Our favorite had to be the Sagrada Familia, also designed by Gaudi, who died before the completion. Although still under construction, the outside of the church was amazingly detailed, depicting different stories from the Bible and history. Even though a majority of the pilgrims were not able to visit inside the church, the museum provided us with enough information and intrigue to keep us satisfied.
Lunch consisted of Burger King for most people (Yummy Spanish food, right?!). After this nutritious meal, we went on a 3 leveled boat ride on the Mediterranean Sea, which was bumpy but fun. The boat ride was followed by a bit of free time, when we finally got to shop. We both bought soccer jerseys! We met for dinner at our regular spot and ate paella, a traditional rice with seafood and chicken. Then we went to the supermarket to prepare for our long train ride tomorrow. The market was followed by the Compline in our BCP (pg 127).
The question of the day, which we wrote about in our journals in the Sagrada Familia, was “why are we here?” We believe we are here to build our relationship with God, both spiritually and emotionally. We are also here to build relationships with our sunday school class and leaders. This question is a difficult task in the journey to figure out. By visiting the city, we were hoping to grow in our relationship with the Lord through self-discovery. As we sat in the Sagrada Familia museum, we pondered this question. We both think that journaling is a way to express our interest in Him. We look forward to developing our connection with God during the pilgrimage. We had a blast today are excited for our train trip to Sarria tomorrow!

Love, Elizabeth & Hayden

Barcelona

After a very long wait in the Newark Airport, we boarded our flight to Spain unsure of what lay ahead of us. Upon arriving in Barcelona we loaded onto a bus with our guide and went to our hotel, Hotel Aneto. Our hotel is pretty good, although some of the rooms are small, a lot of the rooms have a great view of the streets. After getting ourselves situated we explored Barcelona, exchanged our money and had lunch. We then took a tour of the “old” section of Barcelona. This section of Barcelona was interesting because there were multiple types of architecture in the same building or complex of buildings.

I as well as the others found it incredibly hard to stay awake during the tour. I think this has been one of the largest challenges to us so far. Today we had a lot to accomplish and had to fight through the lack of sleep and jet lag. After having dinner, we experienced the first of our group discussions. In this discussion we were presented the question of what we wanted to accomplish spiritually and personally on this pilgrimage. We were also presented with the idea of sculpting a statue and how artists have to figure out what they are going to make by what is in their heart. To advance ourselves spiritually and personally we have to allow ourselves to become what we truly are and not try and become something else. Hopefully with this in mind we will be able to receive the full benefits of this pilgrimage.

-Clarke

Less than a month before our departure....

In less than a month, All Saints' will send forth into the world 23 pilgrims. This is a journey that will inform all of our pilgrims for their entire lives in many ways. It is a journey which will benefit those in their faith communities as well.

It is important to note that we will not be travelling as ordinary tourists, going from place to place, snapping a few photos and moving on. Rather, each pilgrim is encouraged to soak in all of his or her own surroundings, reflect, write, pray. We will take time each day to reflect and pray individually and as a community.

What will our pilgrims find in Spain? What will move them emotionally? Spiritually? How will this expereince change the trajectory of their spiritual lives? Right now, only God knows. Please join us on Sunday June 6, when we will stand before our All Saints' community seeking God's blessings and your support for our pilgrimage to Spain.

itinerary

Hello all, this link is our itinerary. Please keep us in prayer each day as we walk along the path on the way to Santiago.

http://www.worldwidepilgrimage.com/itineraries/KB10021.html