Today I went to church at the Barcelona Cathedral or Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia; this cathedral is the main cathedral of the city, hence its name. The church is also the second largest in all of the city, only second to Sagrada Familia; there is a constant struggle between the locals to see which church should get the most support and funding. Both of the cathedrals are under construction, for different reasons however, Sagrada Familia is not complete while the Barcelona Cathedral is so old and large that it constantly needs restoration (built in the 11th century).
The mass was in Spanish again, I am finding myself starting to understand more and more of the language. I was able to pick up on the first lesson and the Gospel; the gentleman that presented the second lesson spoke way to low and fast for me to understand anything! I was also able to follow along very attentively during the communion…the music always helps me to find my place during the service. Today also marked the end of the Festival of Saint Eulalia (that’s the events I attended last night). It was a complete coincidence that we attended the “Cathedral of the Holy Cross and SAINT EULALIA” today, but I quickly realized that this was the very church where this saint was buried! After the service they opened the crypt so everyone could give their blessings/receive blessing inside. I kissed a relic of a saint for the first time in my life…that was a “holy” feeling! Her relic was some sort of “rose” shaped cross, it was very intricate!
On our way walking back from mass we happened upon some of the last festivities for the Festival of Saint Eulalia. I’m still not sure what it is called when people form human “towers” but I always see it on TV back home. It was really exciting to see it in person for once…and fortunately there were no accidents like the ones they show on TV!
I spent the rest of the afternoon “slaving” over my Exacto knife and modeling materials, but I think I produced a pretty good model for Jordi to “re-review” tomorrow in studio. Mallory made some very clear and organized diagrams as well, so between those and the model we should be back on track for a positive critique tomorrow! I can’t believe midterms are already here for me…I am halfway finished with my semester abroad, wow this is going by way too fast.
I would like to note that the powerful and angelic voice of Whitney Houston guided me through a portion of my model making today, I can’t believe that she passed away. It was such a sad way to end her life…all of the great singers seem to be passing away (Etta James passed away a few weeks ago)
Wish me luck on my critique tomorrow, Buenos Noches!
The red team obviously won!!
Hearing how inspired you are with what you see and experience is truly an inspiration to us. We are so happy that you are having such a rich cultural experience!
ReplyDeleteWe love you,
Uncle Steve and Aunt Jane
Good luch with the critique!