WYD 2011 Madrid - Viva La Espana

In August 2011, I was fortunate enough to travel to Spain for World Youth Day (WYD) 2011, a Catholic youth gathering with more than 2 million youth from around the world. The trip was fantastic, both in terms of the spiritual and photographic opportunities which i was exposed too. Here's a selection of photos which will hopefully convey some of what i experienced.

I travelled to Spain with a group from the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese. Our first stop was Bejar, where we would spend the first 5 days of our trip. Bejar is a beautiful small town of 15 000 people, located around 3 hours west of Madrid. In the winter months, the town boasts some nice ski fields (at least that's what we were told). However, we were there towards the latter part of the Spanish summer...and boy did we feel the heat. Never-the-less, Bejar, was a still a beautiful sight to behold. Below is a shot of the river that cuts through the town. Once upon a time, Bejar boasted several textile factories (the white building below). The factories are not in working order anymore, but they still allow you to picture the Bejar of old.

Bejar - the river and abandoned textile factory

During our time in Bejar, we learnt a lot about the Spanish way of life. In particular, we noticed that the people of Bejar loved to frequent their local parks (which incidentally also had free wi-fi). From morning till night (and i mean 11pm) families, young and old, would wander through the park, sitting and chatting, or exercising on the park's gym equipment. There certainly seemed to be a culture around spending time in the park. Below is a photo which captures some Spanish Senors taking a stroll in the park.

Spanish Senors strolling in the park, Bejar

The Spanish have a strong Catholic tradition and their churches certainly show it. Decorated with gold and beautiful statues. Here's a few photos to give you an idea.

Crucifix

Sanctuary behind the altar

Statue of Mary

Lectionary for morning prayer in Spanish

 After our few days in Bejar, we moved on to Madrid for the main festivities of WYD. As i mentioned earlier, there were approximately 2 million people gathered for the event. Yes it was crowded and very hot, but the experience was worth it. Captured below is one of the more peculiar moments of WYD. The heat was crippling during the mid-day sun. To the rescue came Madrids finest fire fighters, spraying the crowds with their hoses. As you can see, everyone was enjoying the free shower.

Fireman (Sam) to the rescue!

So yes, it was hot...and we were thirsty. And for a hard earned thirst, you need a big cold Sangria. And the best cold sangria came from the Art and Wine Bar in Madrid. Sangria became a daily ritual. 

Sangria!

So that's my short teaser of Spain. Would i go back in hurry? Absolutely, there is so much more to see. Viva La Espana