Portugal 2017: Day 7

Today was one of the most anticipated days of the trip, one where we boarded the bus and headed off to Tomar and Fátima! On the way Fr. Jim helped us prepare for our spiritual journey.

First-up was the Convent of Christ Church in Tomar. This 12th-century site served as a fortress for the Knights of Templar and features eight cloisters, which were built between the 15th and 16th centuries. There are many types of architecture throughout the grounds, since every time new areas were added the design changed.

Next, our journey took us to Fátima to tour the famed Catholic site where the Virgin Mary appeared six times to three shepherd children. 2017 is the 100^th anniversary of the Marion apparitions and the site was abuzz with pilgrims from all areas of the globe. We had the opportunity to explore the Sancturary of Our Lady of Fátima and present our intentions as we well as learn about the Three Secrets of Fátima.

The first secret was a vision of Hell disclosed to the children on July 13, 1917. The second secret was a statement that World War I would end, along with a prediction of another war during the reign of Pope Pius XI, should men continue offending God and should Russia not convert. The second half of this secret requests that Russia be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The third and final secret was not revealed until the year 2000 since at the time the children received the secret they were asked by Mary not to reveal it so it was written down for later revelation. This secret dealt with the prediction of the attempted assassination of John Paul II. He credits Our Lady will saving his life and the bullet pulled from his chest is in the crown of the Virgin Mary Statue at Fatima.

We also drove by the Houses of Jacinto after leaving Fátima. The bus ride home was quiet while travelers contemplated what they had seen today and dinner was on our own in Lisbon.

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Barcelona - Dos

Day two in Barcelona has been fantastic! Jose gave us lots of information on the artist Gaudi - not born here but arrived in 1852 to attend the university. His artistic style and influence can be seen across the city. We stopped at Park Guell which was an amazing outdoor area Gaudi designed near the home he lived in. Inspired by nature, fairy tales and classical legends the park is beautiful. With its kissing benches, 'candy house', salamander and plaza with the longest bench in the world it is a work of art in itself. Some of us made the walk up to the top where the three crosses are - and found even more breathtaking views of the city. From there we headed back downtown for a short walk to La Sagrada Familia cathedral. Design by Gaudi and still not yet finished, it is very unique and ornate. Just walking around the outside, Jose had enough informatiion to share about its intricacies that it took some time. The line for entrance was nearly wrapped around the ch

Cordoba

First our morning started with an alarm - or a lack of one; as Mary Jane and Pat's room never received a wakeup call. So everyone else was on the bus ready to go when they finally got a knock on the door. What troopers they were, though! In 15 minutes they were on the bus with everyone and not long after they were able to laugh at the 'chaos' of it all. Our local guide Isabel was just delightful - and clearly has a love for her city. She tells us that filmmaker Pedro Almodovar is from here as we begin our walk. First we go through the old Jewish center. Nearly all of the city's buildings are white-washed (originally by the women we hear). We stop at an old Jewish synagogue and learn some history of the area. Then we stop at the statue of a famous rabbi ( can you name him ?) which legend is that by rubbing his foot and then touching your own head you will get taller and wiser. most of us did that - some hoping for extra height, others for a bit of wisdom!

2011: Day 4 - Vienna

Another great day! We had a 6am wake up call - but it paid off! Our tour director, Robert, secured the first reservations of the day at Shronbrunn Palace - which meant we were the only guests in the Palace for the most part. We went room to room with our own local guide, Gabi, for a nearly private tour! A one-of-a-kind experience for sure. The Palace and Gardens were beautiful. 1,441 rooms and acres and acres of grounds. We learned about Mary Theresa (and all of her 16 children). This was the summer palace for the Hapsburg dynasty. We then switched gears and went to see modern art at KunstHausWien - what a creative artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser was. And a man who epitomized eco-friendly living and work. A very different experience after our tour of the Palace. Next was a driving tour of some of the city's monuments, etc. with a stop for lunch along the way. We ended with a walking tour to additional historic spots and a tour of the downtown palace - the winter residence of the

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