A sojourn to Madrid, Lourdes & Paris
The 41st annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Madrid was a greatly-much-awaited-and-prepared-for event by the Filipino participants who attended it. It was the gateway to the other beautiful, interesting places on that side of the globe. Going to the world’s most-favored tourist destination by itself was already exciting! For this travel episode, I decided to bring along my two daughters, Nina and Bunny, to bond and explore together… while they are still available and single.
Setting foot in Madrid somehow evoked a special kind of feeling — of attachment. Every Filipino is well aware of our country’s special relationship with Spain that spanned over four centuries! We were touched when we found out that a street was named after our beloved country, Las Islas de Filipinas, where the monument of our great national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, can be found, alongside his world-renowned Mi Ultimo Adios, inscribed in both Spanish and Filipino. Tinged with nostalgia and feeling very proud of our heritage as Filipinos, reading the immortal, timeless legacy of Rizal’s Huling Paalam in our native language in a foreign land, brought tears to my eyes and pain in my heart. It is very ironic that our country’s situation in yesteryears is still almost the same today, though with different players!
To me, Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios is his most eloquent, super-magnificent expression of his genuine, pristine love for our beloved land — made more significant and poignant as it was written on the eve of his execution in Luneta, where he made his supreme sacrifice at the altar of freedom for our Motherland!
Different countries offer distinct characters, sceneries and cultures that help enrich one’s perspective of life, broaden horizon and expand knowledge. Indeed, traveling is a great educational tool, not to mention the unmatched marvelous unique experiences one derives from it.
Attending the ADB annual meeting is a time for great reunion, bonding, renewed friendship and memories-evoking experience that compels me to attend, whenever possible. Also, it is the easiest, most convenient vehicle to gather and meet the most number of ex-ADBians from all parts of the globe at one time, in one place. While I still can, and while most of my colleagues and friends are still around, I want to keep that flame burning…
Touring the best tourist destinations, castles and palaces in Madrid was simply overwhelming. We were fortunate to have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of having dinners in two palaces in the outskirts of Madrid — Castillo de Vinuelas and Palacio del Negralejo, venues of the fabulous dinners hosted by the ADB president and Mrs. Kuroda, and by the Minister of Finance of Spain, respectively — and savored the warmth and graciousness of Spanish hospitality and of Mr. and Mrs. Kuroda.
From Madrid, our group of 22 was fetched by Jean Marie, a Frenchman married to a Filipina, who has effectively honed his skills and ability in dealing with Filipinos, aside from being a very affable, efficient tour guide.
Comfortably and joyfully boarded in a bus, we proceeded to the beautiful and enchanting town of Zaragoza where we spent a few unforgettable days. Typical of Spanish towns, a string of magnificent cathedrals and awesome churches abound. Though small, Zaragoza was a bustling place, breathtaking as it was fascinating. It was a revelation in itself!
We then proceeded to the famous, miraculously renowned Lourdes, which undoubtedly helps strengthen faith in the Almighty God and nourishes one’s soul and spirit. The sight of the thousand patients in wheelchairs helped and moved around by volunteers (many of whom have made it a yearly vow like a friend of mine from the UN), bringing them to the shrine for evening Masses and blessing of the sick, where people converged holding lighted candles, touches one’s spirituality to the core. And feel the undaunting faith of the people, healthy and sick alike. In this fast-paced, dizzying hi-tech world, a spiritual respite is a much-welcome relief — to strengthen us amid this modern world’s swirling materialism and moral decay, and help us get moored to the ground!
The Lourdes experience made me more appreciative than ever before and deeply grateful for God’s blessings. To be healthy and normal, able to work and do things on our own are wondrous blessings to be most grateful for… no matter the storms and even hurricanes of life that every now and then descend upon us!
From Lourdes, we stayed overnight in Tours and headed for Lisieux, a charming little town with a very long history. From its rich past, the town has managed to preserve and enhance its outstanding heritage. It is also the home of the famous patroness for the abandoned, St. Therese of the Child Jesus. St. Therese joined the Carmelite Sisters at the tender age of 15. She lived a wholeheartedly devoted life in the service of God, inspiring the adulation of devotees. Her body, encased in glass, was a sight to behold … so serene, so beautiful, as she joined her Maker.
The cream and highlight of our tour was Paris, the City of Lights, the City of Romance. Of course, a must-see place in Paris was the historically renowned Eiffel Tower, from where one could view the beautiful, exciting city of Paris. Going up this world-famous tower was an indescribable experience — as I have read, heard and seen it only on magazines and television and, voila, there we were touching, gazing, riding and experiencing its magnificence in real!
I watched the movie “Napoleon Bonaparte” four times, as I loved the enviable love story of Napoleon and Josephine, as most women surely do. Gazing at Napoleon Bonaparte’s monument and palaces, rekindled in my mind his epic war exploits, the French Revolution, and my great admiration for him.
The evening cruise in the City of Lights was delightful, entertaining… romantic even. The banks of the river were full of people, picnicking, drinking, relaxing or simply enjoying the lights and sights of Paris at night. In the same vein, it brought to mind our very own Pasig River. What a pity, we could not have it cleaned, much more cruise through it.
Versailles was truly and unspeakably a sight to behold! The palace was incredibly, magnificently and superbly beautiful! Incomparable, even! It was no wonder that at the height of the Industrial Revolution, when Parisians experienced hunger and massive poverty, they stormed the palace for the excessive opulence of Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette.
Touring the Hall of Mirrors, all I could only utter were “ohs” and “ahs.” Honestly, I was dumbfounded, almost speechless not knowing how to describe such incredible works of art. Due to the vastness of the place, with its garden expanding literally to as far as the eyes can see, we failed to visit Marie Antoinette’s estate, which is part of the “Grand Versailles” project that aims most notably to show Versailles’ contrasts: Classical and Baroque, destitution and extravagance, male inspiration from Louis XIV and female inspiration from Marie Antoinette to Madame de Pompadour.
The Louvre Museum is a seemingly endless array of huge portraits of France’s great heroes, important men and women who made great impact on its history. Of course, Mona Lisa, with her famous, captivating mystic smile, had the longest queue and the most-sought-after portrait of them all!
The enchanting, magnificent City of Lights teems with prolific, great history, art, culture, and fashion that one cannot but fall smitten and mesmerized by it — one visit is never enough.
Being with colleagues and friends in a tour was a great experience! Having together spent many memorable years under the aegis of our beloved ADB, tremendously helped create a ripple of positive attitude and genuine care and concern for one another. Truly, like one big ADB family! We had wonderful time and fun all throughout our tour. Traveling with friends we are comfortable with, undoubtedly added much flavor and extensively helped make our Madrid, Lourdes and Paris sojourn a wonderful, lively walk in the footpaths of our memories. Happy, good memories form part of our treasure chest of priceless reminders of the joys and fun of places visited and shared with friends.
Till we meet again in Bali…
