Miracles and Ice Cream

"I hope that you fall in love, and it hurts so bad, the only way you can know you gave it all you had. And I hope that don't suffer, but take the pain. I hope that when the moment comes you'll say, I did it all. I owned every moment that this world could give. I saw so many places, the things I did. And with every broken bone, I swear I lived." 

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That's right. I quoted OneRepublic as an introduction. Boom. 

Also, I am purposely keeping this post short in order to make the update at the end a bit longer! 

So, in the mornings I listen to playlists of the Internet, a site called 8tracks. Rocks. Anyway, it's always different. Today, the first song I heard, laying in bed trying to wake up, was "I Lived" by OneRepublic. Which really for any traveler it's an awesome song.... No, really for anyone it's an awesome song to listen to in the morning. Because that as a soundtrack for your day rocks. Hence the introduction. 

When we arrived home yesterday, Arturo and Elisa pretty much took off immediately to go to a family lunch. I decided to skip this one. I was a bit worn out and also desperately needed to work on some scholarships after skipping a few days. So that's what I did. Music cranked up, coffee and snacks readily available, comfy clothes on. I cranked out scholarships. I stopped for dinner, bed, and then continued this morning.

This morning was supposed to be a solar eclipse here. Well I guess there WAS a solar eclipse. However, we could not see it because it was cloudy and raining. But Arturo's friends were telling him they were watching it in different parts of Spain. I was a bit bummed I missed it. But c'est la vie. 

After lunch, we drove to Zaragoza. Elisa had a hairdressing appointment. Arturo and I hit the streets. Our first stop was Basílica de Pilar. Okay. So there is chapels, churches, cathedrals, then what? Because that's this place. One step up from a cathedral. It's massive. 

There is a pillar- hence the name- that the Virgin Mary is supposedly present at. So people come and kiss the wall. The wall is indented because since the early 1600's, or earlier, people have come to kiss the wall. That information sounds scattered and uncertain because all the signs were in Spanish and this is my rough translation. Also, I wasn't supposed to take pictures. So these are all sneaky pictures. Not great. But! This is the spot. 

As aforementioned, this was a massive building. Three halls made up the building. Each with a main alter at one end, and smaller chapels for different saints on the sides. Everywhere, the walls, the floors, the ceilings, the alters, even the pews were gorgeous detailed designs. There was not an inch of "Ya know? This place is huge. Who cares if this corner isn't gorgeous?" I guess I should design buildings... 

What really amazed me was how many people were in the chapels. But not tourists. They were truly there for worshiping and praying. Small groups of tourists wove through the pews of people praying. It was the most "used" church I've seen. Hopefully you get what I mean there. 

The one sign in English told of a miracle at the pillar. A man, who had had his leg amputated years ago, always sat at this pillar begging. They gave names and dates to back this story. I don't remember them. Sorry. Anyway, I guess the story goes he kept kissing the pillar and begging for mercy. Then one night he dreamt the Virgin blessed him with his leg back. The Pope later came, looked at all the facts ect, and declared it a miracle. Take that story as you like. But, there's no denying this building is miraculous in beauty. It's spectacular. 

Afterwards, Arturo and I walked around Zaragoza. Neither of us had been there so we wandered together. We peeked in shops and such. I realized I hadn't had a solid block of time alone with Arturo to talk. It was very nice. All my suspicions of him being inspiringly independent and strong, yet nice, funny, and gracious were completey confirmed. Case closed. 

We stopped for ice cream. Because that's crucial. I used my new cards, which came today! Exciting! Then we headed to the Ebro River. Bridges overwhelm this river making crossing it in any place very easy. It also makes pictures quite nice. We walked around for a bit before heading back to the main plaza for a couple minutes. Arturo stopped back into the church. He emerged with a ribbon. In the gold and red colors of the Spanish flag is a blessing for travelers. He said it was for me, for good luck. I honest to goodness teared up. I loved it. I tucked it safely away to keep wth me for a long time. I love it and love the thought. 

We finally went and got Elisa. Tonight, we head to Pamplona. We'll spend the weekend with friends here. The adventure continues! 

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NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!! 

Part one of the news! My blog reached 4,000 views yesterday. As always, I cannot thank you enough. It amazes me how diligent you are in reading this. Everyday I get love and support. Love and support that means more than you will ever understand. So thank you! 

Secondly, I was planning on printing and binding this blog for myself. I thought it would be a nice keepsake for my personal library. I told a friend this and she said she wanted one! Can you believe it!? So I wanted to throw the offer out for any of you. I'd only ask you cover the cost of making it. I plan on having them professionally done. Don't worry. This won't be a thrown together project. I don't have an exact quote on costs because ... Well I'm not in America to find out. But my guess is making and shipping to you will be about $20-$25 maximum. I may be totally wrong, but that's the ball park. If you are at all remotely interested in a copy of "The Great Perhaps," let me know! Thank you! 

Much love to all of you, 

Rebecca