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Pascua

April 11th, 2004 | Category: Old Posts (2001-2005)

I seem to have strayed from my previous habit of keeping up with my website. IÂ’ll try to do better. . .

ItÂ’s been a good week +. Last week (April 1- 5), we spent in Barcelona on the Northeast coast of Spain. It is a beautiful city with much to see! Too much, in fact, for just one, short trip! We especially enjoyed visiting Park Guell Â– a large park uniquely designed by artist architect Antoni GaudÃ. Despite the crowds that we encountered there at the beginning of a holiday week, Samuel was able to get some beautiful pictures (IÂ’m waiting for him to Â“developÂ” them on his computer before I can post them here). We also gazed in wonder at the magnificent Â“Sagrada FamiliaÂ” Cathedral, which is a hallmark of Barcelona. Again designed by GaudÃ, the building was begun in 1883. GaudÃ died in 1926, and although there continues to be construction, it is not scheduled to be completed until 2021.

On Tuesday we were back in Madrid and enjoyed attending a concert by the Â“American Spiritual Ensemble.Â” It is a group of mainly African-American vocalists who travel all over the world performing in very prestigious concert halls and opera houses. Thankfully, this was a free concert, which we saw in a standing-room-only Catholic Church in the center of Madrid.

On Wednesday our friend Alex offered to cook for us and a few other friends in our home (since we have the big kitchen!) He made a wonderful Thai meal Â– VERY spicy (we were all perspiring from the spices). His mother is from Thailand and taught him to cook very well!

On Friday we braved the cold, windy weather to watch a couple of processions pass by outside the Plaza Mayor. This is an annual part of Holy Week activities. The two that we saw included groups of people dressed in robes and cone-shaped hats that covered their faces with nothing but eye holes. Each procession also included a group of people carrying a very large, heavy (one to two ton) statue on their shoulders, winding through the streets of central Madrid. At times, they will even stop and lower then raise the statues Â– all on their shoulders! In one procession, the statue was followed by a group of older women all dressed in black and wearing matching black veils that came up from behind their heads and draped down their backs.

Today we had a wonderful Easter service! Our little theater/church was packed with people there to enjoy a brunch, message, drama and singing. After the service several of our friends and we went to the CadyÂ’s for another wonderful, holiday meal!