Spain

So I am finally getting around to posting some pictures of our trip to Spain last month. I took over a thousand pictures, but luckily for you, I will not be posting them all here today. :-)

The Monday after we got to Spain, after a whirlwind arrival where we reunited with old friends, hung out at a youth retreat and attended services at two different churches, we took a little break and traveled to the Monasterio de Piedra, nestled into the little mountains about an hour from the city we stayed in. I've been to the monastery multiple times, and love it a little more each time. The monastery was mostly destroyed in a war about two hundred years ago, but the nature reserve around, lovingly cared for by the monks, is still intact. It's a beautiful, tranquil place, probably one of my favorites of all the places I've been in Spain.







If you climb a million stairs, you will end up on the top part of one of the mountains, where you can overlook the monastery below.



There is tons of water at this reserve (unusual for the area we lived in) which has all been directed into various waterfalls - all beautiful!



You can go behind this waterfall



into this cave, with its glowing moss.





Most of our time there, we used the one highway that goes through La Muela, which sits at the top of a hill. It's got a ton of wind, so the hill is covered in windmills. They are really neat looking.



Coffee in Spain has got to be the best in the world. No, really. It is just that awesome.



And everywhere you look, there is sky, and more sky. I swear the sky is ten times bigger there. :-)



Our city has a Roman Theater that has been excavated for tourists to see. It's really pretty at night.



This cathedral is famous all throughout the country and in Latin and South America as well. It's called El Pilar and it is huge. During the day we were able to go up into one of the towers and take pictures of the city, then we went back at night to take some more pics of the cathedral all lit up.







I think that's it for now. I've got a million more to sort through, of which I'll share some with you. :-) Isn't Spain just beautiful?