Madrid, Spain 2008

After a 7 hour flight from Newark, New Jersey to Madrid, Spain I was exhausted. For whatever reason the plane was too hot for the majority of the trip. Everyone on board was uncomfortable and feeling quite dehydrated when we landed. So our team made quick time in reaching our hotel. The Hotel Charmatin is located directly across from the train station and metro. So I didn't want to waist one minute in Spain. Tired or not I opted to go out with a few members of our team. I thought it would be a shame not to look around and just stay in the hotel to rest!
Having been to New York City only two months before this trip, I can say that the metro in Madrid is significantly cleaner. And I loved the waterfall of blue lights in the metro station closest to our hotel. It was quite a sight to see and about three floors high! And even the escalators were pretty with bright yellow lights just under the hand rails.




I joked with a few members on the team about how clean and shiny the floors in the metro station were. They reminded me of a bowling alley! Another thing that was really nice about traveling on the metro was that there was a good deal for groups of six or more. We were allowed to pass ten people through with just one ticket! Nice.





One thing you do have to be wary about is keeping your purses, bags, etc. directly in your line of sight. And on the metro this is especially true. Folks can tell if your a visitor or not. But since we were in a group everyone looked out for each other and we had no incidents even during the height of the evening commute. Spain's metro cars fill up quickly around the hours of 7 to 8pm when most folks are returning home from work. That was a bit uncomfortable for us because people were really packed in. Definitely not a good thing for anyone who might suffer from claustrophobia.

When we got off the metro we found ourselves emerging from the underground tunnels, up a steep and wide staircase into the very center of Spain... the Plaza de Sol. And what a sight it was! While I was there I couldn't help making some comparisons between New York City and Madrid. Times Square is a caleidascope of colors, lights, and sounds and it is fun to be sure! But Spain's Plaza de Sol has more artistry and old-world charm in one block than any city I've visited here at home. Madrid holds a dignity all its own. You simply can't find its type of architecture and quality to detail in the US.










The Plaza de Sol is in what the Spaniards call the " old Madrid." Basically Madrid today can be seen as both old and new. The old Madrid is where you will find buildings, streets, cathedrals, etc. as they have been for centuries past. Very little has changed. But in the new Madrid there is much more industrialization and that part of Madrid looks very much like any modern city complete with tall shiny buildings, apartments, and graffiti.






If you took a flight into Madrid, as we did, you will find yourself in the " new Madrid." You have to take a taxi, bus, train, or metro to reach the " old Madrid." But it is definitely worth the effort!







Come back again when I post a new batch of photos on Plaza de Sol, its streets, Plaza de Mayor, and Spain's royal cathedral!

" He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle's!"
Psalms 103:5

The Return

Well I'm back! Ten days on a whirl-wind performance tour in Spain! Some days were really fun while others were a bit trying, mainly because of exhaustion. The group was one of the very best behaved I have ever had the joy of participating in. Everyone was respectful, even when dog tired, and funny! And the Spaniards were very impressed that our group, comprised mainly of college students, were knowledgeable of the Spanish culture. A few could even speak Spanish well!

We performed four concerts; one in Galithia, one in Leon, one in Ponferrada, and the final one in Salamanca. They fell on May 15, 16, 17, and 18. We had to endure 3-hour long rehearsals plus very long bus rides. Some days were very cold, windy, and rainy. Some of the Cathedrals where we performed were so infused with contrasting aromas, incense and fresh flowers, that it made some of us nauseous. Other times, because of the change in time, we would be hungry when we shouldn't be and experienced sudden drops in our blood sugar. So what we went to do in Spain wasn't all fun and games it was hard work. We would try to rest on the buses when traveling from city to city but that wasn't always possible.

The amazing thing is that no one got really sick and no one even had a bad cold during the days we had to perform! There were some pretty amazing things that happened while we there performing our hearts out for God and I'll be sharing these things in the next few posts. But one of the greatest miracles God did while we were there was open the door to the Cathedrals. Two of them didn't want us inside at all. Why did we perform in cathedrals? In Spain cathedrals are considered public places for performances and community events. We had experienced resistance at first because we were Evangelicals and not Catholics. But at the end we were allowed inside. Then the next miracle was getting people to actually stay after mass and listen to us. And that happened too! In fact, there were so many people present at our performances that some had to be turned away! They were standing in the isles and even just beyond the front doors! We had standing ovations and calls for encores at every performance!! In Spain! Where they are strict and critical about any musical performance, especially classical.

But the happiest thing for all of us was to see the joy on the faces of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ over there. The Evangelical churches in Spain are babies right now and the Christians need all the encouragement they can get. Some of them were shouting as loud as they could, " God bless the Americans! God bless the Americans!" It was really moving. And when we had to say goodbye to the Spaniard musicians who joined us in Spain for performances, they ran after our buses for several blocks waving and shouting and crying for joy! I tell you all of us had tears in our eyes. I have pictures and will post those up at a later time.

God was so good to keep us safe and healthy. He put our group together so that everyone got along and when someone was down there was always somebody who could lift them up again. We had prayer meetings and read the Bible to each other and took time to get better acquainted. All of us made new friends and memories that will be with us all our lives.

The country of Spain is very beautiful and there is so much I have to share with all of you. So... the next several posts are dedicated to everything I saw and experienced. I hope it brings a smile to your face. :)

Praise the Lord for every mistake for they bring Him glory! Praise the Lord for every success! For they bring Him praise!

"He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." Psalm 40:3