Galicia, Spain- the best place to heal

I never imagined I would be in Spain several times in a year. It started in 2012 when we decided to hold our multi-year course for our African and Asian collaborators in Zaragosa, Spain.  Before visiting Spain, I disliked it because of what it did to our  country which I learned from our historical classes in school.  But unexpectedly,  I found Spain a very pretty country - a country anyone will love to visit, a country that most people will want to live and retire in Europe.  Maybe that was the reason God chose that country for me to heal from the greatest pain of my life... that of losing my mother.

It was 2013. I rarely planned my visit to other place in Spain ahead of time.  I usually scheduled it  when I would be there already.   But in that year, I booked a hotel in Santiago de Campostela before my official trip to have my post-birthday celebration.  I didn't realize that maybe reason I needed to be there was to start my healing process from the passing of my mother.  Why should it be Santiago de Compostela?  Where else but in place where many people do pilgrimage (Camino de Santiago) to contemplate about life and its meaning, whether one is a believer of St. James or not.  Incidentally, my favorite verse is also from the Book of James ... "Every good and perfect gift comes from above"   

But how can something good come out of my Nanay's death?  Until now, I am still trying to figure that out.  But it was good to be in Campostela when one was in pain.  I didn't intend to pray soulfully ...but every moment I had my chance,  I prayed that I would be okay ... that God would provide someone to replace the vacuum that my  mother left in my heart.  But I realized .. she can never be replaced at all. 

Anyhow, Campostela was both peaceful and vibrant. Peaceful in the sense that the towering cathedral reminds everyone to pose and reflect. Vibrant because in July, it was full of tourists and visitors. I guess most tourists who were agnostic about religion would always ended up being renewed in Campostela. Pilgrimage always does that to anyone.  We did't do a pilgrimage. We managed to just walk around to see the  place.

We also visited other places in Galicia.  I was surprised  to find out that Galicia was different from Barcelona and Madrid in terms of aura and culture.  It has its own language, Galego. It had aura of a Medieval time.  Galicians have Celtic origin.
 

When one was depressed,  food was always the best way to handle it.  And we feasted on mariscos. Of course, we didn't miss the empanada and the polbo de fiero. The best white wine I ever tasted was also in Galicia, Albarino.

I was in pain but being in Galicia somehow helped to ease the pain.