August 17th
Today was a very long day. We woke up at 7:30 after finally getting to sleep around 2, went to breakfast, then took the Metro to the very first day of Catechesis(which I can't spell!)! Catechises was held in a huge indoor stadium, for the english speaking pilgrims. Shortly after they started letting people in, it was so full, with over 12 thousand people, that they were turning others away. Everything was crazy, in the best possible way. The Sisters of Life and Knights of Columbus ran it, and the sisters gave 2 talks, followed by another talk from a Cardinal from Sydney, Australia, on reason and God and science, which was awesome. After that, we ran out, got lunch at a place caled telepizza, which incidentally, was always out of pizza and gave us sandwiches and water. Then we ran back to the hotel for a bus/walking tour of Avilla!
Our amazing tour guide was named Jerry. We learned the history, landmarks, saints, and art styles in and around Avilla.We toured the Cathedral, the city inside the walls, and the church built on top of St. Teresa's house, where we attended mass. Everything was absolutely breathtaking and I took a lot of pictures. A nap and a bus ride later, We made it back to Madrid just in time for a youth rally, where there was a lot of music and dancing and different flags and talks and people.
P.S Apparently McDonalds closes at 11:30 in Spain. Vips for dinner again. Also, can I mention again how gorgeous the Cathedral was?
August 18th
As I write this(in my journal, not the typed up version people are reading), we're siting on the side of the road, waiting for the pope, whose coming in 3 or 4 hours. Everyone is so excited, you can practically feel it in the very air around us. Also, a group of french boys climbed up in our marvelous shade tree about 8 feet up, and they're now dropping bark on us.
This morning after about 5 1/2 hours of sleep, we had breakfast and went to Catechises late. There was an amazing talk on Chastity and relationships, then a talk by the Bishop of Ontario. Then I almost passed out during Mass, which wasn't too fun. After a terrible lunch, and an overcrowded breakout session, we went to see the pope enter Madrid.
(later on in the evening)
Two crowded Metro stops and changes, 3 backpack chains, one quick turnaround and a patch of ground later, we were at a spot i the fence where we could sort of see the street the pope was to drive down, 5 hours later. Luckily, Spain knows how to party. So we danced, chanted, screamed, took pictures, laughed, yelled for aqua to be sprayed on us, and saw our Papa in the pope mobile, about 10 feet away from us. It was awe-inspiring.
We left shortly after, walked 4 metro stops, packed onto one, met south Koreans whose names are unpronounceable, but who were very cool. Fianlly, a little shopping, and a delicious dinner at an Italian place. Tonight we get to go to bed before 1! WHEEEE!
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