#004 Adventures in Spain (part 2)

The next day, we boarded our bus, and drove to Zaragosa,

where we visited the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. One of the most memorable thing for me about this visit was the pillar. Protected inside this marvelous cathedral, rests a pillar, I believe of stone, on

which the Virgin Mary once appeared. Being there, it was impossible for us not to wait in line with the many other pilgrims who regularly visit the cathedral in order to be able to have a turn kissing the pillar. It was also interesting to note that the pillar had been rotated once already because people's kisses, since they were done on the same spot, had begun to wear a hole into the pillar. The spot on the pillar where we kissed it looked to be a second hole being worn away, but it was nothing compared to the first hole! Who would've thought that kisses could be destructive?

After our visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, we boarded our bus and began our trip east, to Rome. However, we would be stopping various times along the way to visit other imprtant religious sites and cities.

The next city we visited was Lourdes in the south of France,

where the Virgin Mary first appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous, a poor young girl while she, her sister, and a friend were gathering dead wood. St. Bernadette Soubirous's own words were, "I

saw a lady dressed in white, she wore a white dress, an equally white veil, a blue belt and a yellow rose on each foot."

Having seen the movie The Song of Bernadette, I was familiar with the story, as well as with the legendary healing abilities of the water from the spring in Lourdes. However, although the other people who were with me were quite interested in collecting some of the water to bring back home, I remember that I was too busy crying my eyes out after having realized just moments before just how full of meaningless activities I had been living my life.

We only stayed in Lourdes that one night, as our goal was to reach Italy by the next day.