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On Saturday, the Crown Prince Felipe will be married to Doña Letizia Ortiz. The whole city has been anticipating this event since their engagement was announced on October 31, 2003.

They will be married at the Catedral Almudena which is a adjacent to the Royal Palace. It is a relatively small cathedral as cathedrals go – which has limited their guest list to 1400. But that is not to mention the tens of thousands of Spaniards who will fill the streets and plazas around the Cathedral with hopes of catching a glimpse of the Royal couple.

The center of the city has been undergoing elaborate decorations all week. It started Monday with colored spotlights illuminating several key buildings and statues near our home. Samuel got some really nice pictures – and once he gets them “developed”, we’ll get some on the sites.

The city is dressed in pink and yellow – over one hundred thousand pink flowers have been planted, along with trees. Pink and white banners hang from the street lamps and large, round wire globes are filled with pink roses. All the scaffoldings have been covered with huge images of famous paintings of Madrid.

On the rotunda outside of Atocha train station is planted 192 olive and cyprus trees – in memory of the 192 people who were killed on March 11 in the train attacks.

I went out this evening to walk down the main street near us to see all the flowers, and was amazed at the number of people out there! The sidewalks were packed and pedestrians were taking over the street. Some people just sat or stood in one place to watch the lights change colors on the statue of Cibeles. There must have been tens of thousands of people out to see the decorations! It was crazy!

The television and newspapers have been full of programs and articles about the couple, the royal family, and the protocols of a royal wedding. Souvenir shops are selling everything imaginable with an image of the couple: magnets, plates, t-shirts, photos, books, etc. Train tickets and lottery tickets have also been adorned with the image of the Royal couple. As a gift to the many “guests” who line the streets, the city will be handing out commemorative fans (though, it looks like umbrellas will be more necessary).

It’s fun to be here during this time, to experience a true “fairy tale wedding,” complete with a handsome prince and a beautiful “princess bride!”

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