Month: September 2014

SPAIN – DAY 2 (BARCELONA)

On By franciscoagrazIn TripsLeave a comment

Day 2 in Barcelona – Sunday – was a walking day.   And I mean, walking.  The morning was spent walking around, getting lost, and enlisting the help of the wonderful Sunday-morning crowd one meets in most large cities.  I was trying to get to Mass and finally ended there.  Details in my video.  The rest of the time was spent waiting, waiting, waiting, and walking, walking, walking, in my role as tourist.  In Barcelona and the Western Hemisphere, Summer is officially over on September 21.  But, in Barcelona, a week long celebration begins, in honor of the city’s Patroness – Nuestra Señora de la Merced (in Spanish) – and they say it in Catalan, but I ran across various versions and I do not want to offend anyone so I won’t write it here.  But is sounds sort of like the Spanish.  Here is a link to a PDF file I created with some information – and weblinks so you can know the source – about Our Lady of Mercy, generally, and as Patroness of Barcelona.  But first, try out my video, which again, does not pretend to be “professional.”  But I hope you will get an idea of what I saw and heard Sunday, September 21, 2014 while in Barcelona.

Click to read a one page description of:  Our Lady of Mercy – Patroness of Barcelona

SPAIN – DAY ONE (BARCELONA)

On By franciscoagrazIn TripsLeave a comment

With the help, and most important, blessings of Ruth, family and friends, I began a month-long trip to Spain the Fall of 2014.  There are several reasons, for making the trip – the first 9 days are to accompany fellow pilgrims for a visit to the sites where Opus Dei founder and Saint, Josemaria de Balaguer, lived, worked, and prayed.  The pilgrimage culminates with a Mass in Madrid celebrating the naming of Bishop Alvaro del Portillo as “Blessed” in the Roman Catholic Church’s list of those who will one day be canonized as Saints.  Following this most worthy of activities and fellowship with many from around the world who will attend this event, I will remain in Spain on my own.  This second stage of my trip, probably lasting 20 to 25 days, will entail visits to several cities in the southern part of Spain, mostly around Sevilla plus a trip to Galicia and other parts in the northwest of Spain, such as Oviedo, Betanzos, Santiago de Compostela, and Finisterre / Noia.  This latter part will have the goal of researching some gaps in the already well-researched and Googled story – perhaps I should say “legend” –  of the source of our family name – AGRAZ.  So, here, is my video report of my first day in Spain, having arrived in Barcelona September 20, 2014.