Europe Trip - Camino 2017

Tuesday April 18, Today started off well with a 9:00 am sleep in that we all needed after a long day before. It was the first time we had a choice of bacon and eggs, for breakfast in a while, which was great.  After breakfast we headed out so we could catch the subway to the Miro Foundation, exhibiting mainly abstract and surrealist work from Joan Miro, and Alexander Calder, which was enlightening and enjoyable. After about an hour and a half of exploring the art museum we sat down at the cafe and had some lunch.  A good coffee later we left to catch the subway again and headed for the Sagrada Familia. En route we stopped off to admire Gaudi's other magnificent building the "Casa Battlo", a very decorative Art Deco themed building with a colourfully tiled roof.  As we got closer to the Sagrada Familia we weren't sure what to expect. We crossed a small park and suddenly the trees parted and we could see the grandeur and beauty of Gaudis greatest work.  We had a look a...

Today we journeyed to the last destination on our trip, Barcelona. We were up and ready to go to the airport by 6:30am, we were all very excited about heading to Barcelona. Things went smoothly at the airport and our short one and a half hour plane flight seemed to go by in no time.  Upon arrival in Barcelona we were all amazed by the architecture and atmosphere that we experienced. We went to get lunch at a small sandwich shop and then checked into our hotel rooms. We made our way to Barcelona Cathedral and had a look at the stunning structure of the building and went inside a small area for some quiet reflection, after this we headed to explore the gothic quarter in the town. Later we took a visit to Palau Guell,  an amazing metal building designed by Spanish architect and artist Gaudí, the structure incorporating his modern and individually distinctive style. This building was quite different to any of his other designs before. Tomorrow we will be seeing some more of Gaudí...

Today is Easter Sunday. This day marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is a religious celebration widely celebrated around the world. We started our morning by receiving letters from our families - this was organised by the wonderful Mrs Wilson. We also received some chocolates. We attended Mass at the Cathedral with many traditions different to those in Australia such as the swinging of the bonufumeiro, the huge incense burner, The Mass was such a wonderful experience as we celebrated with the overflowing gathering of people; including fellow pilgrims of the Camino de Santiago. After the Mass the students and staff were given the afternoon  to explore Santiago de Compostela and to do some shopping. In the late afternoon everyone gathered together and the students were surprised with an Easter egg hunt which was held in the garden at the hotel; Ms Connor was the overall champion. Following the Easter egg hunt everyone - including guests, Mr and Mrs Collins - shared a joint mea...

We had an enjoyable late start to our second day in Santiago de Compostela. Our first stop was to to the Cathedral opposite our hotel. The Hotel Hospederia was originally a part of the Benedictine Monastery where Rosendo Salvado trained and became a Monk. This was before he travelled to Australia to start his work with the Aboriginal people in New Norcia. As we walked through the beautiful cathedral, we visited the crypt where St. James was buried as well as  many other sections of the church in remembrance of Saints along with a memorial to Pope John Paul 11 and Pope Benedict XVl. After visiting the Cathedral, we then moved on to the old church of the Monastery. We viewed the collection of holy art along with old printing equipment and stamps. Whilst exploring the interior of the Monastery, we were able to understand just how old the features were and that it dated back to the twelfth century. It was interesting to appreciate that Salvado, one of our schools house patrons, walked ...

Today was our last day of walking.  On our first day of our pilgrimage we left Tui and today we walked into Santiago De Compestella. It's been a long and rewarding journey. We ventured from Padroń in the morning, beginning Good Friday with the start of the stations of the cross. As we walked along the Camino we also followed Jesus's journey to his crucifixion. Each step of the way we reflected on Jesus's life, teachings and what we can learn from his crucifixion. The walk was 26 kilometres and was the hardest part of the Camino, as our feet were sore and we were all exhausted from the previous 5 days. However, each of us was able to push through as we thought about arriving at Santiago De Compestella and how accomplished we would feel after. Along the walk we stopped at numerous holy places and continued the stations of the cross. When  we arrived in Santiago and we saw the cathedral we all cheered and each of us felt overjoyed and moved, as we finished this long journey to...

Buen Camino Peregrinos de HCC! Enjoy your arrival at the end of your Camino. Have a good and deserved rest in the beautiful Santiago de Compostela.