Highlights & Home Again!

Our Correspondent today is Abigail Witt:

After a rough morning of early wake up calls, rushing and waiting, and sad goodbyes, we were on our way back to the States.  Our first stop back in the US would be Charlotte, North Carolina.  Since I do not have the most exciting day to write about, I thought I would be more reflective about the experience as a whole.

During the nine and a half hour flight, I interviewed our group and asked everyone to look back and share what was their favorite moment on this trip.  For the majority of the students Lourdes was the clear highlight of their time in Europe.  Meghan, Alison, Jeff, Julia, Abby and Courtney liked the Candlelight Rosary Procession.  Alex Concepcion's favorite part was his spiritual bath in the miraculous waters of Lourdes.  Taylor and Maddy's favorite moment was also in Lourdes.  Their highlight was when we went down as a group to the grotto late at night to pray the rosary on the very spot where Mary revealed herself as “The Immaculate Conception” to Bernadette.

Amanda's favorite moment was in Nimes when she went to the top of the Roman amphitheater and saw the view.  Alison and Connor's favorite moments took place in Bilbao.  Alison liked the night walk by the river and Connor liked the day of free time when he went to the beach.  Erica's favorite moment was also at the beach but in San Sebastián. 

Kendall’s favorite moment was all the good vegetarian cuisine she got to try from the different countries.  Nina and Connie's favorite moment was the surprise appearance of the Spanish troubadours at our going away dinner.  Mackenzie's favorite moment was also during the last dinner; she loved how everyone sang and danced together.  She loved how close we all got through our time in Europe.  Similarly, Emma and Mackenzie enjoyed the bus rides when we all would sing together. 

The chaperones also shared their favorite moments of the trip.  Ms. Fraser enjoyed getting to know all of the students better and having a great end to her first year at Walsh Jesuit. She also liked eating squid in its own ink because it took her out of her comfort zone and was actually really good.  Mr. Marquard's favorite moment was in Manresa when the group did group prayer and reflection next to the River Cardoner.   For Mrs. Marquard it was seeing Ignatius' home, the Holy House, and our prayer and reflection outside the Basilica of St. Ignatius.  And last but not least, Mr. Bizga's favorite moment on the trip was waiting on the top floor of the Holy House to go into the Chapel of the Conversion and everyone fell into a spontaneous silence and deep prayer.  It could not have been planned was a surreal moment.

Although we all had our favorite moments, the trip as a whole could never be forgotten.  There is this bittersweet feeling of coming back to the US for all of us.  We all want to be back in our own beds and be with family and friends, but everything we experienced in Spain and France was amazing and we do not want to leave those experiences behind. 

We'd like to thank our amazing tour guide Susanna (Madre) and our bus driver José (Padre) who made the trip truly amazing.  After a long delay in Charlotte, North Carolina, we were finally made our way back to Cleveland to reunite with our parents and officially end our Ignatian Scholars Pilgrimage.  Getting home and seeing our parents was such an amazing feeling; but memories of Spain and France will always be in our hearts. 

Lastly, we would like to Shout out to all of our amazing blog followers from the Cayman Islands, India, Russia, Canada, Italy, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and most of all, our beloved parents and friends in the States.  This blog and trip would not have been successful without you.  Next year we will plan a reunion! Until then...

Toledo & Troubadours

Our correspondent today is Alex Concepcion:

We began our final day in Toledo, and in Europe for that matter, with a visit to the Cathedral of Toledo. The soaring ceiling of this building had all of the qualities of a Gothic cathedral, including a large number of chapels to different saints and Madonna’s, over 25, and a rose-shaped stained glass window. Even if a tour guide didn't point out the different styles of architecture to us, the layman would still notice the difference. One might observe three different styles in the choir area alone: Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance. Another notable part of the cathedral was its three organs. The oldest was a gift from the Holy Roman Emperor, and King of Spain, Charles V and dated back to the 16th century. The other two are from the 17th and 18th centuries, respectively. Despite the abundance of organs in this cathedral, one must be very lucky to hear one of them as they are only played three days out of the year. Closest to the hearts of our peregrinos, pilgrims in Spanish, however, was a bone of St. Ignatius in the cathedral's treasury of relics. Although many of us didn't expect to hear from our good friend Iñigo again after leaving Loyola, he somehow managed to turn up once more.

Departing from the cathedral, we traveled to the church of Santo Tomé to see a highly acclaimed work of art by El Greco.   El Greco means “The Greek,” and refers to his true identity.   He was born Doménikos Theotokópoulos in Crete; which was at that time part of the Republic of Venice.  He made his way from Crete to Venice to Rome and eventually settled in Toledo in 1577.  From 1577 until his death in 1617, he lived and worked in Toledo and created some of the most famous works of art of the Spanish Renaissance. In the Church of Santo Tomé is "El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz (The Burial of the Count of Orgaz), one of the most highly acclaimed painting by El Greco.  This painting depicts St. Stephen and Saint Augustine removing the soul of the aforementioned gentleman from his body and carrying it to heaven. Containing all of the characteristics of El Greco's style, including metallic colors, elongated bodies, and a religious theme to name a few, this work is truly enrapturing (for those of you who didn't think that was funny, I completely understand).

After several students and I ran behind and nearly lost our group, we arrived at the oldest synagogue in Toledo. Here, one could see a blend of all three of the city's cultures: Muslim, Jewish, and Christian. Built as a synagogue by a Muslim architect, it was converted into a church after the Jews and Muslims were thrown out of Spain in 1493.

Shortly thereafter, we traveled to the highest point of Toledo where we got a fantastic view of the city and the surrounding countryside. The view from the top of the mountain was spectacular, and the perfect opportunity for pictures. The women of the trip, however, weren't nearly as interested in pictures with each other, the chaperones, or your humble correspondent as they were with our driver, Jose. To say that they crowded around him would be a major understatement.

Later, we went to a metal working shop where we witnessed the forging of swords and the creation of jewelry. Because of the easier and less dangerous nature of jewelry making, our group was taught to make patterns and quickly discovered the difficulty of this task. In the gift shop, some of the women bought jewelry and knives, but all of the male pilgrims bought swords. Mothers, be warned!

With the scheduled portion of the day concluded, we were given free time and allowed to break off into smaller groups. After lunch, some went shopping while others returned to the hotel to play cards. When the free time expired, all returned to their rooms to get ready for dinner.


As we loaded onto the bus, dressed up for our final European meal, all were excited. In fact, most of the female pilgrims, as well as your humble correspondent on occasions, sang popular songs, such as "Breakaway," in unison on the way to the restaurant.  The restaurant was situated on a hill overlooking Toledo that gave up a beautiful panoramic view of the city. 

The kind waiters served us such delectable dishes as tapas, tomato gazpacho, quail (tasted nothing like chicken), and a Spanish pastry with coconut ice cream. As we began eating desert, our tour guide, Susana, casually joked that perhaps a band of troubadours in tights would come in to entertain us.  Several minutes after we dismissed this joke, as Susana has tricked us before, a band of Spanish troubadours (yes, in tights) played a set of songs for us. They were amazing at including the crowd and even allowed us to sing the song "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra. On several occasions, they had our entire group dancing. The final song ended with thunderous applause. As we rode the bus back to our hotel, our driver Jose said that he considers us a family and that it was pleasure spending time with us. As he concluded this speech, the female pilgrims sang a somber song to bid him farewell. Thus concludes our final night in Europe.

       

Sinners & Saints

Our correspondent this morning is Erica Steinel:

We woke up at 7:15 am so that we had an hour and a half to pack, get ready, and eat breakfast. The breakfast at this hotel in San Sebastián is by far the best! After we were all ready and packed, we made our way downstairs and loaded the bus. We ended up departing from San Sebastián at 8:57, and Susana explained the day a little bit. On the bus people slept, talked, listened to music, wrote in their journals and slept. (Today is history of Spain day.) About a half of an hour before we arrived in Burgos, Susana gave us some background information on Burgos and told us a few stories. Here is my attempt to summarize what I learned about Burgos and Spanish history:

Burgos mean castle on a hill and was built as fortress and a castle to protect against the Arabs invaders in the 9th century. It was a very important medieval settlement, and it separated Arab kingdoms from the Christian ones.   Today Burgos is an important stop on the Way of St. James or the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella (St. John in the field of stars).  The pilgrimage route traces itself back to Saint James of Zebedee who was an apostle of Jesus who brought the gospel Spain. After a successful missing in Spain he returned to Jerusalem and was beheaded by King Herrod.  His headless body was brought back to Spain because he fell in love with the country. But, knowledge of where he is buried is lost for over 700 years.

By the 800s Arabs from North Africa had made a strong foothold in Spain.   Southern Spain became a major center of Islam in this period; it was second only in importance to Arabia in the Muslim world.  An important relic of the Prophet Muhammad was moved to Spain to show its importance.

During this time of religious war, a Christian king in the northwest of Spain had a dream the night before an important battle with the Muslim forces that were coming up from the south. In this dream, a man on a white horse and says he has come to fight against the Arabs and defend Christianity. The man says his name is Saint James, and the next day he showed up on the battlefield.   Shortly after this apparition, a shepherd was tending sheep in his fields at night and saw a shooting star. The shooting star landed in the field.  He found the place and  began to dig, taking this event as a sign.  He finds 3 bodies – including 1 body without a head. The body without a head is none other than St. James!  From that point onward Christians make pilgrimage to see the final resting place of St James: El Camino de Santiago is born.   Arabs get wind of this and they aren't happy. They send Muslim soldiers up to the pilgrimage site to destroy it.   The level the shrine, but when they go to destroy the grave of St James a monk throws himself on the tomb of St. James.  The Muslim forces are so touched by his devotion they do not disturb the tomb of St. James.  After this event, a new shrine is built and it becomes one of the most important sites of Christian pilgrimage. 

In the Middle Ages there were three major pilgrimage routes: Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostella.   Today the ancient pilgrimage is growing in popularity once again and Burgos is on the route of St. James. It is on “The Way,” and many of the pilgrims to come and pray at.  The Way is a 600 mile walk for pilgrims, which used to be used as penance, but now people do it for many different reasons. Burgos is a very important stop on the route.

The Cathedral at Burgos is newer and a little larger than Norte Dame. On top of the cathedral, between the two towers, is a Latin inscription that says, "You are most beautiful.” This inscription is for the cathedral and for Mary. Burgos has 20 chapels all together, and lots of black walnut wood has been used in the cathedral, along with stone. The life of Christ is depicted towards the back of the cathedral carved out in black walnut. The city of Burgos has over 1,000 churches and 50 monasteries.  Ms. Frasier read a book about The Way of James and told us to be careful in Burgos. It warns about pickpockets who prey on pilgrims in this part of town.

We arrived in Burgos at about 11:45 and began to see many pilgrims on El Camino de Santiago.   Burgos Cathedral is very large and beautiful. Bells were ringing  out from the cathedral when we got off the bus, which is the most gothic looking cathedral in all of Spain, and the third largest.

At noon we met Luis, who told us a few facts about the cathedral at Burgos. He is very short and has a thick accent. He then lead us into a side entrance of the cathedral, where we prayed for a moment in a small room, and got a little glimpse at the beauty of the cathedral. He tells us that 3 years ago it rained so hard that part of the cathedral was under water. He then led us to the main entrance of the cathedral. Once inside, the cathedral is stunning. The ceilings are so high up, and the stained glass windows are magnificent. The altar is beautiful as well. It is massive and covered in gold. There are many statues that depict Jesus, the saints, and Mary.

Luis tells us more about the cathedral and the symbol of El Camino de Santiago. The symbol is a shell, which used to be used by the pilgrims for eating, drinking, and begging. Now, it is just the symbol of the pilgrim. He shows us a few more parts of the cathedral, and has great enthusiasm when explaining it. We then visited the chapel of Santa Ana, the chapel of prayer, the chapel of Ferdinand and Isabel, the sacristy, and an art exhibit. We exited the cathedral at about 1:05, and we walked down a few of the streets. We ended up in a large beautiful square, which Luis explained to us was the main square. As we walk around, I notice the town is so beautiful. The streets are lined with beautiful trees, stone walk ways, and perfectly trimmed hedges.

After we found a meeting spot, we received free time to eat and shop for about an hour and a half. The group I was with went to a little cafe and we all got pasta! It was pretty good, but the service was very slow. The service is different here in Spain; no one ever seems in a hurry. After we finished eating, we still had time to get some frozen yogurt, which was also fantastic! We were back at the meeting place right on time, 3:50 pm. When everyone was at the meeting place, we boarded the bus and set off for Toledo at about 4:00 pm. Susana said it was to be about a 3 or 4 hour drive more.  

Our correspondent this evening is Meghan Thorne:

After we stopped off at Burgos to visit the Cathedral and the other memorial parts of the city we got back on the bus and headed to Toledo. Since the second half of the bus ride was about 4 hours in total Suzanna explained by historically and geographically  Spain is so different than France. Spain is seen as the gateway to Europe; a blend of Arab and European culture.  Suzanna taught us about how in 711 AD the Arabs came to Spain. The main reason why they came over was well, because they could.  At the nearest point between Spain and Africa there is only 8 miles and the other side is visible. They saw the land on the other side so essentially nothing was in their way to stop them.  The spread of Islam was also a factor; it has rapidly spread after the death of Muhammad. The Arabs saw Spain as the "Gardens of Paradise" because of the abundance of water.  Muslims need to wash for their daily prayers and in some desert area of North Africa needed to use sand do to a lack of water. The Arabs remained a presence in Spain for about 800 years.  After Suzanna told us the story we had about a three hour bus ride until our rest stop.  The three hours on the bus really let us have time to reflect on the journey so far and some time to catch up on our sleep.  We only stopped once to use the aseos (bathrooms). 


On the bus, Suzanna then told us a legend from Toledo that explained by the Arabs came. At this time the land of Toledo was ruled by the Visagothic kings.   They were Christian, but Arian Christians not orthodox believers.   The story begins with a king and secret.  There was a secret that was guarded by the kings of Toledo is the tallest tower of the castle.  The door was secured and no kings ever entered the tower and knowledge of what secret was guarded was lost.  The last king, Rodrego,  let his curiosity get the best of him and he had his guards break the locks on the door to the tower.  At the top of the tower was a room was a single table and on top of that single table was a single open book.   When he approached the book the open page showed a scene of a parched land with crows taking everything off the land; it came of life when he looked at it. This king had no idea what it meant.

There was a count from North Africa that sent his daughter to visit Toledo and trusted that the king would make sure she was kept from harm.  The king always had a thing for the daughter of the count which he would secretly watch as she bathed in the lake.  Again, the king's curiously got the best of him and he violated the count's daughter and swore her to secrecy that she couldn't tell anyone that he touched her.  Of course the daughter did not listen so she immediately told her father,  the count, when he came to collect her. The count then pretended like he had no idea and asked the king if he wanted him to bring anything back for him from Africa. The king asks the count for black African crows; not realizing the prophecy was about him. The king soon found out that the daughter told her father and knew it would only be a short amount of time before count would return to conquer  the land and kill the king. When the counts forces were close, the king fled.  Feeling  guilty about his actions he confessed them to a hermit to get repentance before he died. After hearing the king's sins the hermit offered to build him and coffin and told the king for his penance he must be buried alive with a live serpent. The serpent killed him and he paid for his sins.   This was a legend why the Arabs came.

After a long ride filled with history and legends, we finally arrived in Toledo.  We were staying in the heart of the ancient walled city.  The entire city itself has been declared a UN World heritage site.  It is amazing to see and is like stepping back in time.  After arrival, we had about an hour to get ready for dinner.  We then had a short walk to dinner where we enjoyed a delicious meal.  After dinner, we made our way singing through the streets back to our hotel.  The day had ended and we all returned to our rooms for a much needed sleep.

Adventure & Leisure Day

Our correspondent today is Amanda Adornato:

Our day in San Sebastian was filled with adventure and leisure; it was our day at the beach!   After so many early mornings we had a late start today - 11:00 am.  We had to get breakfast on our own at the amazing buffet that went from 7:00 - 11:00 am.  There was a huge selection of gourmet foods at the buffet; there was even chocolate cake! I know chocolate cake in the morning may seem strange, but it was a good way to start the day. After breakfast we all met in the lobby dressed for a day the beach.   We gathered our yellow beach towels from the reception desk and began our trek to the beach.  All of us were excited to experience this famous European beach town.  The walk from our hotel to the beach took about twenty minutes. After all of the walking from this trip has made our legs toned and lean!

After walking and stopping periodically at crosswalks, we arrived at the beach. The beach was already very crowded by 11:20 am.  The first thing we did was get a picture by a balcony with the ocean in the background. All of us got into the typical formation and smiled for the camera. After the picture was taken, all of us gathered around and listened for where and what time we had to meet. We had to meet at 4:45 p.m. at our typical meeting spot, which is at the town hall; conveniently located next to beach.  When our meeting ended all of us ran like animals down the stairs to the warm sandy beach. 
 

Our free time had started. We did not all have to stay together, but we had to at least be in groups of three or more. So in an instant our yellow towels were laying in the sand and our beach attire appeared. The sun was gleaming and the wind was swaying. At moments that was a perfect combination. But at other moments we felt that our skin was being baked. Most of us spent our free time at the beach  and read, swam, tanned, slept, and buried our legs in the sand. The beaches in San Sebastian are breathtaking! There are mountains with homes surrounding them. The water is clear blue with boats, people surfing, and kayaking. Also in the deeper part of the ocean there is a platform. On the platform there is a diving board and a slide. In order to get there you would have to be comfortable swimming in the deep water there and back. Speaking to some of my classmates, some said that it was fun yet tiring. They did not realize how far and long the swim was.

After spending about hours at the beach it was time for some lunch. We rinsed off our sandy feet with water, put on our cover ups, and walked up the stairs. Erica took a group to where she had eaten yesterday. I had a slice of pizza with bacon and a coke. It was amazing! Others had pizza with four cheeses and ham. While looking out in the open, we saw a dance group performing. The group had their own black and white checkered dance floor and loud speakers playing hip hop music. The dancers did more isolations and hip hop dance moves. After a delicious lunch, we headed next door to a gelato place. Almost everyday someone gets gelato and is amazing. I got one scoop of chocolate in a sugar cone. Others in my group got brownie, strachitella, mango, and toffee gelato. You probably are wondering what strachitella is?  It is a creamy gelato that tastes like cannoli filling.

Our free time quickly passed and after our group gather at our meeting spot our guide, Susana, led the way back to our hotel.  When we got back we had a meeting and discussed our travel schedule tomorrow.   We would be traveling to Toledo via Burgos, so would need to get an early start.  We decided to attend the Sunday Vigil mass before dinner tonight to give us a little more time tomorrow morning.  When the meeting ended it was 5:20 p.m., and we all had to be ready in the lobby at 6:45 p.m. dressed and ready to go for the night.

Once all of us were there, we headed outside in the brisk yet humid weather for 7:30 p.m. mass. The church was close by the beach, so it was another twenty minute walk. The mass was spoken in a mixture of both Spanish and Basque. The ritual was very easy to follow, but there were some differences.   Before reading the Gospel, the priest and altar servers kissed the bible. After this ritual they raised it for all to see and many people made the sign of the cross. After forty-five minutes the mass had ended and it was time to eat dinner.

The restaurant was right around the corner from the church in the old quarter of the town that was buzzing with activity.  Once we entered the restaurant, we walked down the stairs where a long table with bread was waiting for us. All of us were starving. Appetizers were first.  We had no idea that a feat lay before us with course after course. 

Our dinner consisted of many courses of pinxtos; small plates of a wide variety of food.  We started with a bite size calamari on a stick, bread with peppers, bread with tuna and onions, and mushrooms with an egg on a crostini.  Second, we had a bunch of salted Padron peppers. They are small peppers fried in olive oil and sprinkled with flaky sea salt.  The peppers melt in your mouth and every so often one is really hot. Padron peppers are like potato chips, you cannot just eat one.  Third, we had cooked mushrooms.  I really thought those were delicious! Fourth, we had anchovies cooked in garlic and olive oil. Fifth, we had white rice and squid prepared in its own ink. That dish was surprisingly good and took many students out of their culinary comfort zone. The final course was also a surprise; Ox steak and fries. All of us thought the meat was beef steak, but when Susana came around and asked us if we liked the meat she spilled the secret.  The Ox steak was delicious and all you could eat.  People at the other end of the tabled got a second round.  It tasted like filet mignon, but looked like a New York strip steak. Then the desserts came:  chocolate mousse, strawberry fruit dish, and caramel flan. Once the dishes hit the table, everyone dove into the chocolate mousse. After finishing our desert, we noticed the waitress comes around to bring the teachers their dessert - but they did not want them! They even had one different dessert: chocolate lave cake!  Since the teachers did not want them the waitress set the plates down on our table, and we dove into the chocolate lava cake. The dinner was three hours long. We started eating at 8:45 p.m. and ended at 11:45 p.m. Lastly, we all walked back through the bustling side streets to our hotel and were sent to bed to get a good night’s rest tomorrow for an early and long journey to Toledo via Burgos.

San Ignacio & San Sebastian

Ignatian Scholars at the Basilica of St. Ignatius

Our correspondent this morning is Jeff Grdina:

Today the Walsh Jesuit Ignatian Scholars traveled to Azpeitia, Spain.  Azpeitia means “down the rock” in Basque and was the hometown of St.  Ignatius. We went to Sanctuary of Loyola to visit his home and to learn more about his life. Upon arrival we stopped in the Basilica of Saint Ignatius; students had the opportunity to pray and look around. When you enter, you see the altar, which is gilded in gold. Statues of different prominent Jesuit saints, such as Saint Francis Xavier, stand in niches in the walls.  One that caught my interest was St. Ignatius himself who looks heavenward from his place above the altar. The letters IHS, the first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek, can be seen all around the basilica. When you look up you see a glass chandelier and different insignias surrounding the inner roof.  After looking we all took a few minutes for silent prayer.

We then headed toward the Holy House; this is the family home of Iñigo Lopez de Oñaz y Loyola who we know today as St. Ignatius.  In class we learned that when Iñigo was a student in Paris he started to call himself Ignatius.   The Holy House is really a fortress that housed the family of Ignatius.  It is evident looking at that home that St. Ignatius did not come from a poor background.  Because we have been studying about Ignatius since our freshman year I felt honored and excited to be entering his house.  Until this moment it only seemed like a story, until I was actually living it.   It was in this very house that he was born and where he recovered after be injured at the battle of Pamplona.  It was here that he experienced his conversion.  It was here and I am here.

We began the tour by visiting the ground floor, which at the time was used as a granary. We then headed up to the first floor where the kitchen was. This was where stories of the family were told and where meals were prepared by the servants. As we walked toward the second floor, we passed by decorations, such as a replica of a ship.  Now heading to the servants room we saw a model of Pamplona. The audio tour guide told us about how it only took four days to capture the city, and how Ignatius was wounded in battle. The French soldiers inspired by Ignatius' courage and bravery carried him all the way to his childhood home.  After driving through these mountains traveling from Pamplona to Bilbao, this story is so much more impressive. The mountains would have been very difficult to travel on foot; it would have been treacherous.  We even learned that one of the French soldiers who carried him was St. Francis Xavier’s cousin. 

Finally we headed to the top floor of the Holy House that is now known as the Chapel of Conversion.  Most of this floor has been converted into a chapel.   When I ascended to the top floor, I grasped that this isn't just a story our teachers have told, it really happened.  I was now in the place where St. Ignatius changed his life. I was looking at the roof beams he looked at.   It was here he read books on the life and Christ and the saints and imagined a different and nobler life.  I know that I can speak for the group, when I say being here changes you.  

There was a Spanish group of pilgrims in the Chapel celebrating mass; so we were going to have to wait about 15 minutes before we could enter.  While we were waiting to enter the chapel we all fell silent.    No one prompted us, we just all feel into deep meditative prayer.  For about 10 minutes nothing broke the silence except the beautiful singing of the Spanish pilgrims.  After a period of time we spontaneously began to pray as a group.   Mr. Bizga led us through an Examen based on these questions:   What I have done for Christ? What I am doing for Christ? What I ought to do for Christ? It was a very impactful and memorable moment, because it was not planned.   It was also amazing to think we were contemplating these big questions where Ignatius had contemplated them.  The Holy House truly has a holy presence.

As I walked into the chapel, it felt like I was living history. There was a vibe inside that felt different and peaceful.   Words cannot describe how it felt to realize that I was standing in the room where Ignatius experienced his conversion to Christ made a promise to God to change his ways - a promise he kept. I know we will never forget those moments. We all experienced something that not that many people get to; even students at Jesuit schools. I can also say with 100% certainty that it was a beautiful moment and life changing. Being here is helping my faith in God grow stronger.  

After the Holy House we all gathered for a reflection in the park in front of the Basilica of St. Ignatius.  We all reflected on what impacted us from this visit.  We reflected on how Iñigo Lopez de Oñaz y Loyola from Azpeitia not only changed his life, but all of ours as well.  It he had not done more for Christ we would not be here today.  It is amazing to think how his conversion has changed the lives of countless people, including ours.   We are all here today because of who he was and the decision he made in the Holy House.

Our Correspondent this afternoon is Taylor Sedlak:

Our day in Loyola was amazing! Saint Ignatius's basilica was beautiful, along with his house. It was an honor being able to hear all about the different types of music playing, while sitting in the chapel on the fourth floor of Ignatius's house. It was nice being able to reflect on our day as a group at the end of our tour. We all sat around in a circle under the shade. Mr. Bizga wanted each of us to share our favorite parts of the day. I really enjoyed the Basilica, because of how beautiful it was. It surprised me on how great the art was done. Also, the organ was playing in the background as each of us prayed or walked around. After our reflection we were walking back to the bus, but we all needed to take one last look at the astonishing view of the mountains. The mountains were very close and high up. It was picture perfect.

Finally, the group was ready to embark on a short journey to San Sebastián, Spain! Our bus ride was short today.  Azpeitia to San Sebastián is roughly 16 miles, but the journey took 45 mintues. I was expecting it to be at least two hours, so this was a nice surprise  Many of us dosed off into the sleep, others listened to music, and some peered out the large windows. We arrived in San Sebastián around 1:30 PM. It startled me as we pulled into the city of San Sebastián. This city is one of the wealthiest in Spain and is beautiful.  It is known for its gastronomy ; foodies consider it to have some of  the best restaurants in Europe. In the past, it was a sleepy town and people did not appreciate the beach.  About 100 years ago the Spanish royal family started to visit to beach and the masses followed.

San Sebastián is located in Basque country and the people there speak Basque and Spanish; but Basque is everywhere.  There is a Basque separatist movement and some Basque people want independence from Spain.  They have their own language, culture, and traditions.  It is interesting that St. Ignatius was a Basque and he is their patron saint.

We arrived at our hotel and it was nice and modern.  Many of us were scrambling to get our bathing suits out of our luggage (and check for wifi) . We did not know if we were going to be able to visit the beach right away. Then, we all received our rooms and headed up to them quickly to drop off our bags and change. We all managed to get that done fast.


Our first journey through San Sebastián began at 2:00 pm. Susana, our guide,  took us on a long walk to the heart of the city. It was a nice walk, but we were all very hungry and sweaty, which made it hard to appreciate. We passed cafes, bakeries,  restaurants, and....gelato shops! I know I was ready to eat everything in sight. Eventually, the group arrived at downtown San Sebastián. It had many shops, people, dogs, but its main attraction was the beach.  Mr. Bizga spoke to us about what the rest of the day would bring and we had free time to get lunch and explore the old town.  In three hours we would meet back at the town hall and walk back to the hotel together.   Every person bolted towards the restaurants after the meeting. A group of us ate at a little, caramel colored cafe called Maiaiza. The food was to die for! I had a cheeseburger, while other people had subs. This did not fill us up enough, so we decided on more food, gelato.

After this, some people were going to enjoy the fresh breeze from the beach, while others explored the town square. I chose to explore the town square and decided on going to the beach another day. I felt successful with that decision, because it began to get cloudy outside and the wind was getting chilly. I walked along the shops and noticed they had similar stores to other cities. There was also H&M, which we have in the US. It was obvious that all of the expensive stores were located at the beginning of the square and not the middle. I walked by the middle of downtown to be welcomed by a group of break dancers! There was a crowd of people surrounding them standing in "awe," just as I  was. I began to make my way back to the meeting spot with a couple of friends. The clouds began to overflow the ocean and the breeze was becoming thicker. We thought it was going to storm, but it did not! Finally, the whole group was back together. Now it was time to make our way back to the hotel.

It was about 6:20 when we arrived back at the hotel. Everyone needed to be ready for dinner by 8:00. I was about to rip my shoes off and pass out on the bed! It is always nice to take advantage of the down time we get. I sat in bed, until it was time to look all pretty for dinner.

Everyone met in the lobby of the hotel around 8:00 to leave for dinner. We all usually dress to impress, but Mr. Bizga stopped some of us straight in our footsteps with letting us know we needed to bring a pair of walking shoes instead of high heels. We were getting dropped off at dinner, but would walk back. I thought it sounded fun, but it looked like a long walk. On our way to the restaurant our bus ride was like no other. Our group burst out in song. We went through a hand full of songs, Burnin Up, Break Away, Since You've Been Gone, etc. I am pretty sure that was THE best bus ride down here. We hit all of the notes perfectly! Once we arrived at the restaurant it was the usual set up with chaperons on one end of the table and students on the other. The food was lovely, but we all know that our favorite part was the bread. Our group has a special place in our hearts for bread.

The walk seemed like it was going to be long and cold, but it ended up being the perfect distance and was a little chilly. Some girls were trying to stick it out the whole way back to our hotel walking in heels. I could never imagine attempting that. The night walk came to a success when we arrived back at the hotel. My first day in San Sebastián was a check on my bucket list!