Today our itinerary included a guided tour of Madrid and Toledo as Catholics and Spain celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. Our Holy Mother continues to protect and guide us.
We began with a later morning...yeah some rest! We met at 10 AM and had drove through a bit of the city as our tour guide explained various sites. We disembarked at the Royal Palace. The students really enjoyed the guided tour of the palace. What an experience!
After the tour we headed to a very quick 40 minute lunch near the Opera House. We then made our way to Toledo, about an hour drive from Madrid. Thank God for the air-conditioned bus rides, very relaxing.
Toledo was a hit for all of us. Although it was extremely hot, we made it through our two hour tour. The tour included the Cathedral, the burial place of a Spanish lord (a Catholic Church), and the site of a former Jewish synagogue. We all enjoyed walking through Toledo with our wondeful and funny tour guide Carlos.
Following our time in Toledo we headed back to Madrid for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. This was set up by our Tour Company, and we all enjoyed a taste of home very much. We also had an opportunity to celebrate both Clemente and Brandon's birthdays at the Hard Rock cafe.
As we drove through the city, you can continue to see the great impact WYD is making. The set up is impressive. As they test the various speakers the loudness is quite amazing. You can't walk too far before running into the TV screens that have been set up for people to see the opening mass and the pope's arrival. The banners and stands throughout give you a great sense of how special the event is. Finally, the pilgrims have arrived! The crowds and lines are getting larger and larger!
WYD events begin tomorrow with the Opening Mass. We are preparing ourselves for the crowds and a lot of sittting/standing around as we try to get some good "seats."
The next post will contain the link to day 4 pictures.
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