Rewind: Holy Week in Torreciudad

The evening we arrived with Torreciudad in the backround

I know...I let it happen again: two months have gone by and no post! But by popular demand, we're back and I will do my best to update ya'll on everything that has happened since that time. Aside from being busy (which we always are), we had the most magnificent Holy Week trip of all time, and the prospect of blogging about it was so big that I wanted to do it justice and I kept waiting until I would have the time to do it. Well, that "time" never came, so in the words of GK Chesterton, "If something is worth doing, it's worth doing badly."

Back in April, I contacted one of my dearest friends, Mercedes, who invited us to come celebrate Holy Week in Torreciudad with her family. Torreciudad is a very famous pilgrimage site in Northeastern Spain, where her family has a place. We jumped at the opportunity and on Holy Thursday we hopped on a bus that took us to Zaragoza, from there on another bus to Huelga and still another bus to Barbastro. All said, it took about 7 hours to get there and then Mercedes' husband, Sergi, picked us up and we made the 20 minute ride to Torreciudad. The sight of the Pyrenees Mountains in the distance, the cool mountain air, rolling hills, and the magnificent tones of green, did us a world of good, as we were getting a little sick of city life. 

At Torreciudad Shrine the day we arrived

When we arrived it was already time for the Mass of the Last Supper, where we met up with Mercedes. It is impossible to describe the joy at seeing her and her family, so let's just say that our happiness was overflowing. The kids were delighted to be in outdoors and Mercedes and Sergi have three kids too, so between us there was a lot of fun and play at all times! That night, after we put all 6 kids to bed and left them under the watch of Mercedes' parents, we went out for dinner with them and just caught up on life -it was a great time.

St. Josemaria's home and the plaque outside which documents the dates when he lived there.

On Good Friday, we took a trip to Barbastro, which is the hometown of St. Josemaria Escriva. In the picture to the left we are standing in front of his home and his birthplace (back in 1909). The building has been totally renovated, save for the back row base columns, which are barely visible. It now functions as a Center for the Women of Opus Dei. It is a charming building, as is the town of Barbastro. Mercedes' parents, Merce and Diego, accompanied us too and were great tour guides!

Being Good Friday, we found the town in the middle of a religious procession. These are very common in Spain during Holy Week, especially in the south of Spain, where they are a BIG deal. It is the "Co-fraternities" that orchestrate these processions, and men, women, young and old alike form a part of the spectacle, complete with music and images of Our Lady and Christ on the Cross. In case you're wondering why they cover their heads, it is supposed to be symbolic of the penitent sinner. The experience was magnificent and breathtaking as we waited in the Cathedral for the procession to enter in a mix of solemnity and thunderous drums. As soon as it was over, a black thunderstorm moved in and it began to rain and hail --it was rather appropriate for a Good Friday and we headed to Mercedes' grandparents' home for lunch.

Ok. I know what you're thinking: Aren't we supposed to fast on Good Friday? Well, yes, but Mercdes' grandmother made this spectacular dish and it was really our only meal of the day :) hee hee...it was so good! And the company, wonderful as well. Above to the right is Sergi, Mercedes and her grandparents followed by other relatives.

In the evening we went back to Torreciudad for the Veneration of the Cross and Way of the Cross, which was outdoors and it was chilly! The view though is unparalleled. The kids played the whole time, picking up rocks and splashing in the puddles.

Mercedes and Sergi's kiddos: Santiago (4), Helena (3), Dani (6 months) -not pictured. Bottom pictures: Diego and Merce (Mercedes' parents); Mercedes and Sergi.

I think this collage captures the spirit of that day: kids playing, friendship and good times. It was really a little slice of heaven being there :)

On Holy Saturday, we took a day trip to the nearby villages of Arasanz and Ainsa. These two beautiful and ancient villages are just 40-50 miles from the French border. Above we are in Arasanz and in the background you can see the rectangular lookout tower, which we were able to climb, that served as part of a chain of lookout towers to defend the border from enemies. This tower is 1000 years old -a drop in the bucket! haha

In Arasanz we found our home ("Casa Martinez" in the background), well it's not much, but if Fede doesn't get a job after his MBA, we know where we'll go!

From Arasanz, we drove a little further to Ainsa- which is a little bigger and absolutely lovely. Everything is made of old, rustic cobblestone, with a tall "aqueduct" looking fortress around the village. Just being somewhere that is so old and historic is inspiring to us 'New World' folk. Above the kids played on a see-saw; Mercedes and I --eleven years later we first became friends in Pamplona-- a bit older but just a lovely!

Pictured above is that fort-wall in Ainsa and below-right is the tower of Arasanz. In between are the kids making faces for the camera! That night, Mercedes' parents did us a huge favor and watched all 6 kids so that we could go to the Easter Vigil Mass just as couples! (imagine, no kids!!). It was absolutely the cherry on top: one of the most beautiful Masses I have ever experienced.

On final morning in Torreciudad, we went to see the dam up close that surrounds Torreciudad.  This man-made dam contains much of the ice that melts from the Pyrenees and it is always a fierce aqua-blue color. From there we were off on the bus to Zaragoza, to see the Church of Our Lady of the Pillar. This is one of the most ancient pilgrimage sites in Spain and the only one that can claim to be founded by an apparition of the Virgin Mary, while she was still alive. The belief is that the Apostle St. James was having difficulty proselytizing the people of the Iberian Peninsula and so Our Lady appeared to him and gave him a pillar on which to found a church for her. This pillar still exists inside the church and can be kissed. We found Zaragoza to be a terrific city in the little time we were there.

On our day outing in Zaragoza.

We just want to end by thanking Mercedes and Sergi, as well as Mercedes' parents and grandparents, for their incredible hospitality during Holy Week. We really felt right at home in their company it was one of the most memorable trips by far. So, next post (which I promise will be in a few days) I will tell ya'll about our little trip to the town of Avila, the city of the great St. Teresa of Avila.

Goodbye for now!