Walking on God's Very Palms

So I picked a good semester to be abroad. Word on the street is that at some point the other day the “feels like” temperature was actually lower than the South Pole…right…that’s not supposed to happen. However, here in Toledo the weather isn’t so bitter. I mean we could see our breath today during our walking tour, but by the afternoon the sun finally apareció (appeared) and I actually walked around comfortably without my coat. Once the tour ended we took an early comida (at a more American hour unfortunately) and then split up. Some noble persons took on the task of planning our next few weekends, while a few of us carpe-diem spirits went decided to walk the path that runs between la muralla (the city walls) and el Río Tajo. To get there we got to see more of the city…and El Entierro del Conde Orgaz (The Exhuming of the Count of Orgaz)…which is considered to be El Greco’s most famous painting. It’s housed in la Iglesia de Santo Tomé and only costs € 2,30 (note: Europeans use periods and commas to separate monetary divisions inversely so that mean 2 Euros and 30 céntimos, whereas €200.000 means two hundred thousand Euro…I think our system actually makes more sense from an objective point of view, but hey it works). Anyway, the painting is fantastic. It depicts, as its name implies, the burial of the Count of Orgaz, who was a member of this particular parish during the 14th century and by all accounts was one heck of a guy. He gave a ton of money to the poor and to his Church, and more importantly he did it with such charity that when he died St. Stephen and St. Augustine appeared to shepherd his soul to Heaven. The painting depicts this story, which is the treasure of the parish’s history. The Church itself was also very pretty, and like all good Churches, had some Eucharist in the Tabernacle, so we stopped and prayed and admired before continuing towards our pending adventure.

Vale (VAH-lay, that's a Spanish expression for ok, and a whole slew of other things, expect to see it here a lot). So we walk and walk and walk, eventually finding a little swingset atop the hill, overlooking the river—not a bad place to be a child—and then San Juan de los Reyes, which has an aesthetically unflattering exterior decor, but when you know their true meaning, they’re beauty is revealed. They’re a bunch of chains, which as I said, are quite ugly. However, they were all collected from prisons in Southern Spain where Muslims held Christians prisoner. So when Spain conquered the Muslims (ok, maybe not their proudest moment) they freed their prisoners and brought the chains back to be put on display as a testament to those who would suffer for Spain. The important lesson I took out of it was that Spain was not always the bad guy. They get a bad rap a lot, and rightly so, but they were persecuted at times, too. Also, just a little aside courtesy of my roommate Santiago A. Rosado, during the Inquistion people would commit heresy just to be tried by the Church because they were considerably nicer than the state. But I don’t wanna get into such controversies, because story telling is much more fun.

Let’s just skip to the river trip. After failing to scale the city walls from the bottom, we found the river path (the end we were on marked some point in Don Quijote’s journey around the city!). Its beginning was right under el Puente de San Martín (St. Martin’s Bridge) and we got some awesome pictures.

Here’s where the real fun begins. In our descent on the path, we gave the Spanish a bit of their own medicine, discovering what we called St. Joseph’s Island, named after its sister island at Notre Dame, and claimed it for the same Lady, as shown by Andrea aquí.

I claim this land for Notre Dame!

Climbing back up to el sendero (the path), we found a locked door with a tiny park behind its gates. Seeing as no one was around, it was time to get adventurous and figure out a way in. Emily’s dastardliness found this way…a dangerous way, but a way nonetheless. We had to hop a little gap in the rocks surrounding its walls—failure may have caused a bit of injury, or at least serious abrasions. It was pretty nice inside, but our real joy came from the fact that we probably shouldn’t have been there ;-)

Emily making her dastardly escape!

The rest of the walk was, for me at least, a glimpse into surreality. European terrain is just so mystical. I’m gonna quote my long lost buddy Adam Joines, whose account of his Irish experience gives life to my encuentra (encounter) with the Spanish tierra. He wrote, “Ghosts occupy this land. The wind speaks and the grass listens; water whispers and rocks pay heed. It is a moment of complete and total harmony, except that moment is every moment of my time here. Of what little I know of love, with all my heart I love this land.” Thanks Adam. Do I need to footnote your blog or give a parenthetical reference to comply with blogger etiquette? I dunno, I’m new to this stuff.

Looking at this wouldn’t you agree with what my good friends says though?

Praise the LORD from the earth...you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars; Let them all praise the LORD'S name, for his name alone is exalted
Psalm 148: 9, 13


Alabado seas Señor por la hermana tierra que es toda bendición hermana madre tierra que da en toda ocasión las hierbas y los furtos y flores de color.
El cántico del hermano sol – San Francisco de Asís


Since men…have lost the consideration of the works of God, by which they should daily praise Him as the Creator, God [strikes] them with wonder, that He might rouse men as from sleep to worship Him
Tractate 8 on the Gospel of John p.1 – St. Augustine

And here's the best part of immersing yourself in nature: all of us human beings, in spite of our pettiness and whatever nasty traits we might have, are worth infinitely more. We are God’s image. We are “very good.” We are worth dying for. God, the One the philosophers tell us is eternal (outside of time), unknowable, and impassible (can’t be affected in anyway), entered our world, made Himself known as Jesus, and loved us unto death for our benefit alone. Who else would willingly defy their very nature to redeem another? I know I wouldn’t.

So yea, I love nature. Every sight is another glimpse not only into God’s glory but into our own human dignity, a further revelation of why being human is itself a reason to wake up and smile. Professor Amar’s words come to mind. He told our class once, and here excuse my paraphrasing, “Do you want to feel alive? Go out into the grass, take your shoes and socks off, close your eyes and focus on every sensation in your feet: Every blade that gets caught between your toes and every bug crawling on your feet.” A baby knows its mothers touch; the next time you're outside, close your eyes and feel God embrace you with His very Earth.

A pleasant sleep to you and your loved ones :n)