Facing another early morning on 15 August 2011, we prepared to leave Lourdes. After attending Mass at 6:30 am Mass in the Basilica, we ate a quick breakfast and hit the road. Being an eight hour bus ride if we were to drive straight from Lourdes to Madrid, it was important that we leave as early as possible. However, the laws in Spain require that bus drivers take a break after two hours of driving which, while being understandable and safe, added more to our time. On the bright side, the drive was actually really nice as we were able to see the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain and the French and Spanish countrysides. The most interesting part was the drastic change between France and Spain. While the French Pyrenees are lush and very green, the Spanish Pyrenees, only three minutes or so through a tunnel away, are desolate and yellow. Though I found the Spanish side to be much more beautiful, most of the other pilgrims said otherwise.
About halfway to Madrid, we stopped in Zaragoza, Spain to eat lunch and see the basilica there. The basilica was constructed over a small church built by St. James in dedication to Mary, the first Marian church to be built. It is said that James saw Mary there in a vision while she was still alive thousands of miles away. The pillar where he saw her is located in the church and is venerated by pilgrims to the site. Upon leaving Zaragoza, we proceeded onto Madrid.
Arriving in Madrid, we took care of getting into our hotel and distributing the backpacks given to us for World Youth Day. Then, as a diocese, we went out to dinner together to celebrate our long awaited entrance to Madrid. As it was late by this point, we took a quick walk around the city, drank hot chocolate and ate churros and went to bed. While the day seemed strenuously long, it was still a wonderful experience and one filled with beautiful images of Spain and France.
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