Vigo, Spain

We went to Vigo, Spain but it was an unexpected stop. Sometimes things happen that way! Here are some pictures of this beautiful city! 

The largest Botafumeiro in the world is in Santiago de Compostela

The Botafumeiro is the metal container that the priest puts incense in and swings around during mass. This one is attached to the ceiling and they swing it all the way up to the ceiling! The one here is as big, or bigger than a person! 

I have video of it but I'll have to post it later! 

Christmas time in Santiago de Compostela

I am in Santiago de Compostela. This city is so beautiful. I could definitely live here. 

It's decorated for Christmas as well!

Christmas has started in Madrid!!

The Christmas season has started in Madrid. :) my Spanish friend told me that pretty soon, you won't be able to even walk here because of all of the people shopping. This is Sol, the center of Madrid. It's a very popular place to hang out.  I'm excited to see the lights! 

St. Martin's Day

My school celebrates St. Martin's Day yesterday.  

St. Martin's Day, also known as the Feast of St. Martin, Martinstag or Martinmas, the Feast of St Martin of Tours or Martin le Miséricordieux, is a time for feasting celebrations. This is the time when autumn wheat seeding was completed, and the annual slaughter of fattened cattle produced "Martinmas beef".^[1] Historically, hiring fairs were held where farm laborers would seek new posts.

November 11 is the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, who started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized as an adult and became a monk. It is understood that he was a kind man who led a quiet and simple life. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying from the cold. That night he dreamed that Jesus was wearing the half-cloak. Martin heard Jesus say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised; he has clothed me." ^[2]

There was singing and music and they had a big party. The cafeteria workers were dressed up in German clothing. 

Ávila, Spain

Yesterday I went to Ávila, Spain.  It's north west of Madrid. It took about 2 hours to get there by train. 

Ávila is a Spanish town located in the autonomous community of Castile and León, and is the capital of the Province of Ávila.

It is sometimes called the Town of Stones and Saints, and it claims that it is one of the towns with the highest number of Romanesque and Gothic churches (and bars and restaurants) per capita in Spain. (Zamora, a town of similar size, claims the greatest number of Romanesque churches in Europe.) It is notable for having complete and prominent medieval town walls, built in the Romanesque style. 

This was on the floor of a Basilica.

These are the city walls

I watched a herd of sheep go through the middle of Madrid today

 Shepherds guide a flock of 2,000 sheep through Madrid's streets in defense of ancient grazing, droving and migration rights increasingly threatened by urban sprawl and modern agricultural practices.