Christmas Miracles

During the Christmas season, anything is possible. The blessed abundance of good cheer and of selfless giving seems to overflow from everyone’s proverbial cup. Furthermore, it seems that miracles—big and small—happen more often at Christmastime. I’ve already got a handful of little Christmas miracles that I'd like to share with you.

Miracle 1: Christmas Party Success!

Last Saturday night, Sarah and I hosted a Christmas party at her apartment, and many miraculous things occurred. First, we had invited almost everyone we knew living in Madrid a few weeks prior to the much anticipated event; but we had no idea who would actually grace us with their presence. By the end of the night, most people we had hoped would come did… and then some! SK’s Brazilian roommate, Priscilla, invited at least a dozen of her friends in her Master’s program, and they were from all over South America, such as Chile, Bolivia, Venezuela, & Colombia. They were a fun gang and I enjoyed connecting with “my fellow Chileans.” A second miracle of the night was that Francisco, one of our Peruvian friends who we met in Porto, actually grew up in the same neighborhood as Elly’s boyfriend, Ricardo, the one who cooked my second Thanksgiving turkey this year. They ended up naming common friends and talking about the local life in Lima. Pretty amazing, huh? Third, the party preparations turned out quite well. SK made a perfect Christmas tortilla, a tasty version of wassil, and a Rice Crispy’s treat wreath (but made with cornflakes due to lack of Rice Crispy’s in Spain). I contributed a color-coordinated tomato, cucumber, cheese salad and some traditional Spanish sweets. And a final miracle from Saturday: I re-learned how to make paper snowflakes. Yes, that was a miracle. You should have seen the first few ones I made…

Miracle 2: Yadira’s visit

Yadira was there for our Christmas party. (Unfortunately, Ida got sick and couldn’t come to Madird last weekend. We missed her!) Yadira flew into Madrid last Friday evening, because she also had a Wednesday flight back to the USA for Christmas holidays. She stayed with me for those five nights, and we had a great time catching up, laughing together, doing a bit of shopping, and enjoying Madrid. I consider Yadira’s friendship a miracle, because I love this woman with all my heart and soul. She totally changed my Madrid experience last year for the better, and I’ve missed not having her around town this year. She’s a gem and her visit was one of the best Christmas gifts ever!

Miracle 3: The Gifts of Being on a Volleyball Team

I played my last volleyball match of 2009 on Sunday morning. With ten out of twelve there, we won our match. I’d say it was a bit miraculous that we pulled out the win in two games, because our opponents were giving us a run for our money. After our victory, we went to a café for refreshments and a game of Amigo Invisible (aka Secret Santa). In my opinion, I gave the best gift (a pretty ceramic piece from Portugal) and—dare I say it?—received the lamest (a kid’s puzzle and a mug with a stuffed frog keychain, which probably came from a dollar store). Gosh, I sound like a bad person... However, I realize that Christmas is much more than gifts, and I’m going to sip tea from my Toadally Cool mug with pleasure.

I’ve enjoyed playing volleyball this fall, but I had hoped that I would hang out with these girls off the courts, too. However, that hasn’t exactly happened… until another Christmas miracle me pasó. As we were finishing our snacks, one of my very favorite girls, Ana, asked me if I’d like to join her and her parents for lunch that afternoon. I accepted her invitation, and we returned to her house before climbing into the car with her parents. We drove to Las Rozas, a Madrid suburb where the nearby mountains form an eye-catching backdrop, because Ana’s family had heard of a new seafood restaurant. We dined on various species of succulent crabs and shrimp, shellfish, and most exciting of all, percebes. Percebes are barnacle-like creatures that grow on the rocks off the northern coast of Spain and Portugal. They are extremely expensive because of their scarcity and because of the fact that men die in their dangerous pursuit of these small animals, dashed upon the rocks or sucked under by the unforgiving Atlantic. To finally taste this rare delicacy was a dream come true. I could simply gush for hours about how great Ana’s family is and how much I really enjoyed their company & appreciated their generosity or about how awesome our meal was that day… but I’ll sum up all that goodness and call it another Christmas miracle.

Miracle 4: Madrid Family Love

Unlike Thanksgiving, we give and receive gifts at Christmas (unless you’ve been naughty). I was honored this past week when almost all of my families showered me with some really nice gifts for Christmas. It really is a miracle that I work for such wonderful people and with some really great kids. I thank the Lord for that blessing, because having these children and their parents in my Madrid-life has been a wonderful thing. I’m positive I will always keep in touch with the twins and their parents, Marisa & Javier, and I might just sneak Belén back to the USA when I return for good next summer.

Miracle 5 & 6: Madrid’s Light Show and Snow!

Madrid has been decked out for Christmas since the end of November. All of the colorful and gorgeous lights hanging across the major streets or flashing on the sides of Corte Inglés, the largest department store on the Iberian Peninsula, have created an illuminating display of Christmas cheer.
Yadira, Sarah, and I took a Christmas lights walk on Sunday night, singing carols as we went along. Nothing like looking at Christmas lights and singing your favorites to get you in the holiday spirit. I feel so lucky to live in Madrid that has the ability to spread the miracle of Christmas joy throughout the city in such a fantastic way.

What really added to the city’s seasonal decoration came in natural form: snow! When I walked out my front door to go to school on Monday, I stopped short and made a shout of surprise when I looked out onto the street and saw that all the cars were covered in a thin layer of white snow. It continued to snow flurries that morning, but when the sun came out later, practically everything melted by mid-afternoon. No matter. It snowed in Madrid, which is a rarity, especially considering the fact that Yadira & I were sitting outside a café on Saturday afternoon and she was wearing short sleeves because it was so warm.

Miracle 7: Home for Christmas

The miraculous atmospheric phenomenon returned on Wednesday morning, which I noticed from my seat in the Madrid Barajas airport. Unfortunately, the freezing and wet conditions caused my Delta flight to be delayed, since we had to wait for them to de-ice the plane. My 9+ hour flight went by rather quickly thanks to three movies and the chatty guy who sat next to me. Yet, because of the setback in Madrid, I missed my connecting flight to Dothan and had to wait another 5+ hours before catching the next plane to my hometown. I passed the hours by writing a bit, getting pampered with a manicure while sitting in a massage chair, strolling around, and snacking on that American deliciousness we call Moe’s... so it wasn't too bad of a wait.

My family met me at the Dothan airport just before 10 PM Central Standard Time and it was a beautiful Christmas miracle indeed! Almost unbelievably, my luggage did not make it to Dothan… and I expect it to be delivered Christmas-package style to my front door this afternoon. I'm expecting another arrival this afternoon, too: Justin. I’m excited to see him and my Dothan girls, Erin, Gillian & Anna. They say home is where the heart is and my friends and my family have my heart. It’s good to be home.

Precious Portugal

The rich scent of damp wood and water-laden air filled our nostrils as we followed the path of moss-covered steps further up the mountainside. It was certainly no ordinary staircase but rather the way of a spiritual pilgrimage. Peaceful silence engulfed the tranquil sanctuary, creating a sacred bubble of serenity that is not enjoyed often enough by those used to the clamor of the city. As my mind moved away from To-Do lists and into the realm of calm contemplation, my feet continued to carry me upwards towards the pinnacle: Santuário do Bom Jesus do Monte.

Outside the city of Braga, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus crowns the hilltop in extravagant Baroque glory. The zig-zagged staircase at the base of the church is impressive and mesmerizing. Statues proclaim the Truth from their stony perches and the spiritual waters flow forth from fountains steeped in symbolism. The altar piece inside the church portrays the scene at Calvary with life-like statues that leave you speechless and humble. Behind the magnificent building, a small pond with colorful rowboats serves as place for reflecting on the eternal in a more light-hearted manner.

A week ago, I had no idea I would have such a transcendental experience during my 4 day trip to Portugal. And perhaps that is why it was extra special.

Taking advantage of the holiday weekend in Spain, Sarah and I set off for the Country Next Door early on Saturday morning. A few hours later, we emerged from the São Bento metro in the heart of Porto. The tiled façade of a church that greeted us was such a beautiful surprise that we couldn’t stop sounds of appreciation escaping from our lips… “Oh, wow,” we both gasped. When something like that happens, you know you are somewhere special.

Porto, Portugal, is an incredible gem, rising up from the banks of the Douro River like an antique puzzle, with colored edges faded yet nonetheless striking. Dozens of church belfries peek above the reddish-orange shingled-roofs of buildings stacked one on top of the other. The clanging bells compete with the shrill cries of seagulls, resonating with the harmony between man and nature. Porto is a city of charming contrast where dominating neoclassical palaces border medieval churches and where cheery tiled walls touch the charred remains of a former neighbor.

Thanks to British exportation, Porto has received world renown for its fortified wines named after the city itself. Porto became the natural city for the manufacturing and aging of the wine, because it is the gateway between the terraced vineyards situated up the Douro River and its mouth that opens to the Atlantic and to the world. Barcos rabelos served as the original transportation method between the vineyards and the wine cellars, but now they are used mostly for nostalgic purposes. Most of the traditional boats are anchored on the bank opposite the city’s center along the Cais de Gaia, a street lined with wine cellars mostly sporting British names like Taylors, Cockburn, and Sandeman. Of course, our stay would not be complete without a tour of an authentic Port wine maker. A ticket deal granted Sarah and me a tour of the Sandeman wine lodge and a tour of the Palácio da Bolsa, the opulent Stock Exchange Palace of Porto whose magnificence makes you want to sing “Masquerade” from Phantom of the Opera. We did just that.

But there is so much more to Porto than its sickly sweet alcoholic beverage. The city is a living breathing museum where almost every building is a work of art, brightly decorated in various patterns of tile, framed by whitewashed wooden windows, and accented by wrought iron balconies. Porto is home to many interesting churches, too. São Francisco Church has one of the most impressive church interiors I've ever seen. The walls and ceilings are covered in gilded wood in a Rocco-Baroque style that carries your eyes from twisted vines below to glorious figures above. The Igreja dos Clérigos has the tallest tower in Portugal, and SK & I got a bird’s eye view of the marvelous city one non-rainy morning. Actually, it rained most of the time we were in Porto, but try as it might, the ugly weather couldn’t prevent us from being enchanted by the city.

Unlike many of our past mini-trips, we met a lot of people through our hostel and then actually hung out with them. For example, on night we went out to the Cais de Ribeira (a UNESCO World Heritage site and the location of Porto’s nightlife) with some fellow Americans who also work in small towns in Extremadura (a south-western Spanish province). The six of us represented our country from coast to coast, and we enjoyed comparing teaching stories and travel experiences. On another night, SK & I hung out with some Peruvians who work in Madrid. They’re coming to our Christmas party this weekend. Lastly, I had a lot of great conversations with Vicky, a girl from Mexico who’s studying Brazilian guitar and works at the hostel. Actually, there were several times when I preferred to stay in our cozy Christmasy hostel and chat with her rather than walk about the city in the drizzling rain. Marta also worked at the hostel and her 8 year old daughter, Marina, gave SK & me a Portuguese lesson one morning, Portuguese is a beautiful mix of Spanish, French, and Italian sounds (those Romance Languages), and I find it quite fascinating. After Marina’s lesson, I’d consider myself quite conversational, since we did carry on together for about 20 minutes or so. ;-)

We loved Porto, but we might have loved our experience in Braga even more. On Monday morning, SK & I took a train from the São Bento Station to Braga. Without too much effort, we located the pedestrian-friendly city center and realized that we had discovered Disney’s European version of a Christmastown. The heart of Braga was decked to the halls with lights, music, and window displays, all contributing to an atmosphere of complete Christmas cheer. The Praça da República was transformed into a luminous tribute to the Nativity Scene and exuded holiday joy. SK & I were simply beside ourselves with merriment and delight.

Other than skipping around like school children, sitting at charming cafes for a coffee or a tasty pastry (have I mentioned that Portugal is famous for its various pastries?), and doing a bit window shopping, the only thing Sarah and I “saw” was the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus, which I described at the beginning of my tale. That grand staircase was one of many staircases that we climbed over the weekend. Portugal is quite hilly; Braga and Porto are no exceptions. I don’t think my knees appreciated our trip as much as the rest of me did, because they are still protesting their past sufferings days later. My taste buds, on the other hand, are wondering where the party went now that I’m back in Madrid. The truth is that they got a good taste of Portugal, all too literally.

Speaking of parties, it’s my last weekend in Europe before I fly home on Wednesday for Christmas vacation. Sarah & I caught the Christmas spirit in Portugal and now we have brought it back to Madrid. We’ve invited almost everyone we know in Madrid to come to our Christmas party on Saturday. I’ll let you know how it goes. ¡Feliz Navidad!