Beautiful! Gorgeous! Wish you were here...Valencia, Spain...

Just as there are some moments in our lifetime that are so powerful, we are left with nothing but raw emotion. There are also certain places in our lifetime, that will affect us like no other leaving us momentarily speechless. For me, one of these places has been Valencia, Spain.  Valencia differs greatly from Barcelona. Where Barcelona is sophisticated and city-fast, Valencia is charming and full of a character that makes me feel completely welcomed and as though I've found a new home. The same "Barcelona" attitude exists - living in the moment - but in Valencia it seems, that moment is somehow exaggerated in color. The city center is....alive...there are people and colors and smells and tastes. And, you simply can't drink it all in quickly enough. It is like quenching a thirst from a hose. Everywhere I turned, there was something that I wanted to photograph, to capture, to remember. However, I had a quest to accomplish in Valencia. I was in search of the Holy Grail.  And I found it.

At the Cathedral of Valencia, there is a chalice that is supported by many Christian historians to be the Holy Grail - the actual chalice that Christ drank from at the Last Supper. It is said that, even in ancient times, at such a dinner where Jesus would have been guest, he would have been given the finest glass in the house. The original chalice was carved from polished agate and now forms the top of the chalice to which a gem-laden stem has been added. There is a long history of those  who have cared for this chalice and how it finally came to reside in the Valencia Cathedral. The Cathedral is located in the center of the historical city, surrounded by a plaza filled with coffee shops and boutiques. You approach the front doors on a cobblestone walk. For only 5 Euro, you can purchase a ticket that will allow you access to the Chalice room, as well as an audio tour of the Cathedral itself. Of course the chalice is the highlight and you are brought there first. It resides in a small side chapel and I was able to stand only feet away from the actual Grail. Is it the actual chalice? I don't know. There is no question that it is old - historians have verified its authenticity to that of the time of Jesus. But, as I stood there looking at it, I couldn't help but think...what if it is the actual chalice? How amazing that for a walk down a cobblestone plaza and 5 euro, you can stand within feet of a cup that was once held by Christ. I spent longer in this chapel than you might imagine, taking it all in. As you leave the Chalice room, the rest of the cathedral is there before you. Originally built in the 1200's, it has been continually constructed since, and the artwork and history in each of the side chapels is worthy of many moments pause. I absorbed the entire audio tour, I captured what I could in photographs to take home with me, I lit a candle in remembrance, and I was left speechless with its beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“When supper was ended he took this glorious chalice into his holy and venerable hands, giving thanks, blessed you and gave it to his disciples saying: “Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me."

(Eucharistic prayer I, Roman Canon. Cf. Matthew 26-29; Mark 14, 22-25, Luke 22, 1520 and I Corinthian 11, 23-25)

As we approach Thanksgiving and the holiday season, we are celebrating our moments and remembering moments with those who are no longer with us to celebrate. We each likely find traditions or other ways in which to remember them. Ornaments that are placed on the tree. Our grandmother's china set on the Christmas table. A Christmas carol that we sing each year because we know how much someone else loved it. This is what we do. We remember. And we honor the memories.

I wish you and your family a Thanksgiving filled with moments worth remembering... as well as moments in which you remember and honor.  Happy Thanksgiving...

 

 

 

Beautiful! Gorgeous! Wish you were here...Barcelona, Spain

 

“There is graffiti everywhere,” is the first thing that I think upon leaving Spain’s Barcelona airport. On building walls, on roadside barricades, on cars, on buses…graffiti is everywhere.  I am determined not to let this first impression color my attitude towards the city too early.  I don’t want to judge this place based on only the area surrounding the airport. However, as the road leads me further into the city, the graffiti remains. And, now after a couple days in Barcelona, I think the graffiti is representative of this place in a very fitting way. It is not ugly, or meant to offend, but rather it is art form…from and for the masses. And, like the city, it is colorful, vibrant and full of energy. Barcelona leaves you with a surprising sense of constant motion mirrored by an opposing leisurely pace and patience.

While the graffiti stands as evidence of the fast pace and passion of the young, there is probably no truer example of a patient and loyal passion than the Sagrada Familia. The Church of the Holly Family is a Catholic church designed by Spain’s revered architect Antoni Gaudi. He had a vision and a passion that led him to design this church and the building of his dream began in 1882. It still is not done. The work has continued through and past his lifetime to the current day. It is expected to be completed in 2026. It is more than a building and, in fact, it is more than art. It is a tangible expression of the passion of the people of Barcelona. And evidence of the patience that sometimes is required for passion and for love.

This is city that values the moment they are in. Whether it is a fine meal, a nice wine, a good conversation, or a beautiful sight…the people here seem to move at a pace that allows them to enjoy. Barcelona is chaotic and quiet. It is youth and old age. It is black and white, and it is every shade of color. Take a moment today to live the Barcelona way…enjoy the moment.

 

 

 Some logistics:

·         A variety of hotels to fit every budget are plentiful in Barcelona. I have been staying at the Melia Barcelona Sarria which is a very nice hotel, focused more towards the business traveler and located centrally to shopping, restaurants, etc.

·         If you don’t speak Spanish, you can still travel to Barcelona. Though I’ve been brushing up on my Spanish from high school, I only know enough to be dangerous. When I realized yesterday that my curling iron wouldn’t work with my travel converters, I decided to find a nearby store to buy a European hair iron. However, when asking the concierge where I might find this, I may have said something like “My hair is like a horse” or “The horse is on my head”. I’m not really certain. However, I then decided that if I couldn’t tell them in Spanish what I was looking for, clearly the best option was to go with pantomime. As I stood in the lobby pretending to curl my hair with my hands, and pretending to plug in an electric cord, I really wished that I had started my language “brushing up” much earlier. That being said, many of the Barcelonians do speak some English.

·         The food has been amazing – seafood, rice, paella and lots of wine and chocolate. Really…no more needs to be said.

 

Preparing For The Journey

There are many things that I love about travel. Seeing new and unique places, meeting people from other cultures, tasting local foods and seeing a bigger picture of our world all rank high on the list. But the element that probably defines me as a true travel geek is the fact that I love preparing for the journey...almost as much as the journey itself. 

Soon, I will be traveling to Spain and I've been enjoying the preparation for this journey. I've been brushing up on my  non-existent Spanish skills.  While I certainly am not conversational, I can ask for directions and order a beer....which, let's be honest, can amount to survival skills. I've also been reviewing my itinerary and creating a detailed packing list (another geeky thing I love...lists) and am enjoying planning what clothes to bring and envisioning the places I will wear them. I will pack too much as I always do and swear that "next time, I will not pack so much!"  I'm thinking about my responsibilities at work and planning what I need to take care of prior to leaving, what will need to be addressed during my journey, and what I'll need to take care of once the trip is done. It's said that the trick in life is to "not look for joy in the destination, but rather in the journey". I believe that to be true, and for me, some of the joy is in preparing for the journey itself. However, not all journeys are eagerly anticipated and preparing for those journeys not so joyful.

On Friday of last week, my older brother, Mike, received some very difficult news. He has been battling health issues for many years. He's a fighter and has overcome numerous health obstacles. But it seems that his body is tiring of the fight and now his doctor has told him that it is time for him to prepare for what will come next for him. As he begins to take this all in, he is suddenly faced with what must seem like endless preparations: appointments with hospice, medications to be administered, paperwork to be managed, people to be informed, wishes to be communicated, material decisions to be made, family to be held and prayers to be spoken. With a difficult journey ahead and preparations to be made, Mike is doing what he must and he is continuing to fight. 

It's a journey that each of us will make. Some of us will be given the opportunity to prepare and others of us may not be allowed that time. And even though we know this in our heads and know that we probably should be taking a moment each day to make these same preparations, we feel a false sense of luxury in the time we have ahead of us. 

But if I might, I will ask you to do two things today. First, if you have a moment, please send up a prayer for Mike - a prayer for his health, his strength, and his comfort as he continues to face life's challenges. And second, take just a moment to consider the words that he shared yesterday...."Be good. Love everybody."  I think that about sums it up...what else could there be?