Posted
May 15, 2015
Madrid,
Spain, has a “patron saint” who was supposed to create a spring
of water by banging the ground. A spring is a place where underground
water wells up to the surface – or where the water table is higher
than the surface of the ground.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoLQkIwcQRBVdFA3-_53rneyKuBUcKQKQ565Px-gyssKqVZEUgKpBcycAHAEiOeKYgYNtQ6dfPWlIE9Ovjc7ZkpZB-17Ogh0VmCtRgYGWZmXg9KWaVpHOqxznFi-alogcVkwKusO3DrOg/s320/spring.jpg)
San
Isidro is that saint, and today is his feast day. He is also the patron saint of farmers and farm animals.
![]() |
Picnics in the meadow by the spring have been going on for many years! Here, captured by the painter Goya. |
Some Spaniards attend masses, and others picnic by a hermitage built by the spring associated with Isidro - and of course they drink the spring water. There are also processions and fairs and concerts and performances
and fireworks and special ring-shaped pastries.
I
hate to mention it, but there are also bullfights on San Isidro Day.
These seem to me to be a cruel bloodsport that should be banned, but
some Spaniards see bullfighting as a valuable part of their heritage
and even their birthright.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXb5P6OUG8hAZriCZP-536UiFMuOMEj8eVlvYI5J9s8X9_vS8pZW_Af5LvbTSjKZepC3We7ufOJx5CjaBsxOel74rlTv1vzmIpW9_STu4FcdVPAyeFDc9312mCXq_Hlj_QzI2ow7XUXd4/s320/skyline.jpg)
Did
you know...?
- Madrid is the highest capital city in Europe. It is 646 meters (more than 2,000 feet) above sea level.
- One of the grandest palaces I've ever seen is Madrid's Palacio Real.
- Madrid enjoys more cloudless days than almost any other city in Europe (averaging 250 cloudless days out of 365).
- Madrid has a wonderful park called Retiro Park.
- Spain helped save some Ancient Egyptian temples from rising waters, and so Egypt "gave" Spain one of the temples to be rebuilt in Madrid and enjoyed by all. Gorgeous, huh?
- Madrid boasts the Warner Brothers Movie World with five themed parts: Old West Territory, Hollywood, DC Super Heroes, Cartoon Villiage, and Warner Bros. Studios.
- Madrid also has a water park that sounds pretty cool!
Also
on this date:
Check out my Pinterest boards for:
And
here are my Pinterest boards for:
No comments:
Post a Comment