Zamora to Madrid

Hola!

Well after our emotional goodbyes in Zamora, we have safely arrived in Madrid! Throughout our time spent in Zamora, our host families did everything in their power to make our stay the most comfortable, spiritual and enjoyable one. We were able to feel God's grace among the wonderful people we met and were truly blessed to have such dedicated volunteers and families. Although we were sad as we departed we were extremely excited for the pilgrimage ahead of us!
After three hours of traveling through the beautiful countryside of Spain, we arrived in Madrid and got settled in Husa Princesa Hotel (through the sliding glass doors which MANY of our pilgrims struggled with). After being freshly showered we headed to a nearby restaurant for a late dinner (11:00pm!). Today we had a continental breakfast then left to see the beautiful artwork at the Prado Museum. Along the way we stopped at an Opus Dei Church to spend some time in holy adoration. We arrived at the museum to find long lines however it was definitely worth the wait and heat!
Although our lunch was smaller than us Americans are used to, we offered up our hunger to God...and purchased Spanish helado (icecream) :). In addition to the museum and lunch, we were blessed to spend time in confession before heading over to the Plaza de Cibeles for the WYD opening mass! It was the first time in large crowds for many of the pilgrims, but we stuck together and pushed through the frustration. We were then very happy to find our beloved Father Paul and enjoyed each other's company at the same restaurant we ate at the night before.
After a long day we are heading to bed and preparing for the activities that await us! We apologize for any grammatical errors; as our Spanish improves our English gets much worse :)

Adios!

God Bless,
Anna Stauble and Becca Belrose