Pilgrimage to WYD Madrid: Madrid, August 20, 2011

Today was our earliest day yet. We were to meet at 730 am, then start towards the big military airfield where we were to have our overnight vigil and mass with the Pope the next morning. We left as our large group, then split down the metro line, so that all the "old ladies " (me, Ellen, Susan, Jessica and Debbie) could arrive earlier and stake out our area at Cuatro Vientos . We also were not able to walk the entire route. We arrived at the field about 1030 am. After a reasonably short wait, we were able to go through the large gate. There were already so many people there, that security just waved us through instead of checking bags and backpacks and having us go through the metal detector. We walked for about 20 minutes (I would guess the better part of a mile). We were one of the first groups to arrive in that section (D3). We measured out our spot and waited for the rest of our group to arrive. At about 130 pm, our group did arrive and we continued to set up. The section quickly overfilled, and the temperatures continued to rise. Someone did say later in the afternoon that the temperature rose to 41 C or nearly 106 F with at least 50 % humidity. Unfortunately, about the time we found that out, the potable water that was piped in for the event was no longer available, due to a broken water pipe. The vendors were charging 1 euro for a. 5 liter of water. We were finally able to get water for our group and things were looking better. We decided to stick it out and wait for sundown. After the sun went down, we were cooled down by overcast and stormy looking skies. For those of you following on EWTN, you probably saw when the first storm came up. There was lots of wind, water and lightning. When the first huge gust of wind came up, things were blowing fiercely on the stage where the Pope was. Pope Benedict was totally calm throughout the fierceness of the storm. We hated to leave, but half the group was ready to go and none of us was prepared for foul weather. The first group left and fought the storm most of the way back to the hotel. The the second group arrived shortly after. Most of them would have stayed, but another wave of the storm came up. The second group was not prepared for rain, so they came back. Jeremy and Lorenz stayed all night and a group went back for mass in the morning. I haven't talked with them yet, but it looked wonderful on live tv. Photos from today, some of the sights we saw on the way to the overnight, various before and after of our area and the last photo or two are of the crowds and the firemen hosing down the crowd. I did ask Father Ben later if the regular hosing down of the pilgrims was some sort of sprinkling rite. He did mention something about " life giving water ".