Spain, as you all know, is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. On the west, Spain borders Portugal; on the south, it borders Gibraltar (a British overseas territory) and Morocco. On the northeast, along the Pyrenees mountain range, it borders France and the tiny principality of Andorra. With an area of 504,030 square kilometres, it is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France.
Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament. Because of its location, the territory of Spain was subject to many external influences since prehistoric times and through to its dawn as a country. Spain emerged as a unified country in the 15th century, following the marriage of Catholic Monarchs and the completion of the reconquest (or Reconquista) of the Iberian Peninsula in 1492. Conversely, it has been an important source of influence to other regions when it became a global empire that has left a legacy of over 500 million Spanish speakers today, making it the world's second most spoken first language.
Spain is more than just bullfights, flamenco dancers and crowded beaches. It's a spectacular and diverse country, the north resembling the rolling, green hills of Ireland and the south giving you a taste of Moroccan landscapes and architecture. Its tremendous history is reflected in its prehistoric cave paintings, Moorish palaces, crumbling castles, Roman ruins, Gothic and Renaissance cathedrals as well as some very distinctive modern architecture. Its uniqueness lies in the separate kingdoms which made up the original Spanish nation. These regions remain diverse in their language, culture, cuisine and art. Knowing all these, I simply couldn’t wait to explore this beautiful country.
Anyhow, on the way from Lourdes, we passed by the province of Cantabria where we stopped at the Village of Limpias, famous for the Sanctuary of the Holy Christ of Agony. The name Limpias comes from the thermal waters known as the Waters of Limpias. The village is small, about 1,200 residents, and it is here where the Church of St. Peter was built.
As soon as you enter the 16th century Church of St. Peter, your attention will immediately be captured by the beautiful life-size figure of the crucified Christ located above the main altar. It is a prodigious image of Christ in agony. The crucifix is a meditation of the sufferings of Our Lord in the final moments of His agony. Measuring 6 ft tall, the corpus is clothed with a loin cloth that is held in place with a rope. The feet are one atop the other and are pierced with a single nail. The arms appear to be soft and relaxed as of a man that stretched them without effort. His index and angular fingers in both hands are extended as if giving the final blessing. His face has an indescribable expression, a particular beauty whereby He is looking towards heaven so that for the most part, only the whites of His eyes are visible. And depending on where you look from, the expression of Jesus is different, not only of pain, but also of prayer and contemplation to the Father. On both sides of Christ stand two images: the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Sorrowful Mother, and Saint John, the evangelist.
Stolen shot of the Church (ooops)
Since March 30, 1919, word has spread that in Limpias extraordinary events happen. It was said that the beautiful image of the Holy Christ of Agony moves its eyes, giving the sensation that his body is moving, that he would bleed and sweat. Limpias became famous and many pilgrims came to visit from all over the world. Our Lord manifested so many miracles before the eyes of believers and non-believers. In Limpias He demonstrated the agony of His death and the magnitude of His love for us, not only to evoke sentiments of compassion and repentance, but also to ask and supplicate that we love Him in return.
After our mass officiated by Fr. Jerry, we had a very yummy lunch at Piedra Restaurant, just across from the church. We had fish soup, fish & chips and ice cream. Indeed, ice cream was a welcome treat especially when you’re sweating at temps teetering at 30 degrees (C). After that yummy lunch, I decided I love Spain already (haha). Come to think of it, Filipino cuisine has a lot of Spanish influence in it considering that the Philippines had been colonized by Spain for more than 300 years. I shouldn’t wonder, should I?
After a short but wonderful time at Limpias, we proceeded to Santander to check in into our hotel, Hotel Santemar, which is a very elegant hotel.
By way of introduction, Santander, the capital city of Cantabria, is located on the northern coast of Spain, and is the only coastal city facing the south. “The ideal city", Santander is a modern cosmopolitan city with a spectacular setting in the pure beauty of nature. Made fashionable as a summer resort by the Spanish royalty, the city extends around the north shore of a large bay with many sandy stretches. These beaches conserve a great natural reservation and the Bay is considered one of the most beautiful in the world.
From the Bay next to the Palacete (small palace) of the Pier, the visitor can enjoy a spectacular city view and in Puertochico, where the Marina is situated, one will observe how the fishing tradition still remains a living part of Santander’s everyday life. In Paseo Pereda, the most emblematic street of Santander, the visitor finds buildings of great architectural beauty, among which is the architecture of Sacred Christ’s Church with the remains of the Sacred Martyrs, the Cathedral of Santander and the City Hall, situated in the City Centre.
Anyhow, after checking in into our hotel, we couldn’t wait to go to the beach.
After some snapshots here and there, Grace and I decided to go downtown for some retail therapy. Besides, Grace has to shop for more clothes to compensate for her lack of luggage, remember? And I was more than willing to accompany her to the stores. haha!
I thought speaking and understanding Spanish for me would be a breeze (having some Spanish blood running in my veins and having taken courses at the university). But boy, was I in for a BIG surprise. I could understand the written word perfectly, like the signs posted on buses and sign posts, but the spoken word sounded foreign to me. I didn’t realize their accent is totally different from the one that I am used to. It’s a good thing that Grace is adept at speaking the language having a lot of Mexican patients in her job as a nurse. But I was simply at a complete loss, barely speaking a simple word here and there.
Anyhow, armed with a map and lots of confidence, Grace and I set out to take the city by storm. We took the bus bound for downtown and browsed through all the shops that my tiny feet could take us. However, I was so disappointed that no clothes or shoes would fit me. They were all too big! I didn’t realize Spanish women are huge; I thought they are all skinny like me. haha!
With Grace having made her purchases and me leaving empty handed, we made our way back to the hotel for dinner. Thereafter, I went to the hotel’s business center to check my emails – which cost me an arm and a leg – and thereafter settled down for the night.
To Be Continued....
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