A funny thing happened on the way to the forum

Karmela was telling me this morning on the way to the Forum - Isn´t it nice how the Sikhs clean your shoes while you eat lunch? I looked at her horrified. I was thinking of my $70 brand new Nayot sandals being dunked in water while I was eating curry barefoot in the giant tent? Karmela continued - and look how nice and clean my shoes are. Luckily today, God cleaned my (other,older) shoes as it poured rain today. I hadn´t seen any rain since April so it actually was a pleasure walking around getting soaked, while the natives looked at me in sheer wonder as I was the only one without an umbrella and closed shoes.

Yesterday my day of rest consisted of a trip to Girona and Figueres. Girona is a beautiful ancient city, built during Roman times, with wonderfully preserved medieval buildings and a Jewish quarter. I hooked up with the 3 people sitting near me. I can´t get away from interfaith. I´m doomed to do this work for the rest of my life. My tour buddies were a Moslem woman from South Africa and a Jewish woman who was born to Jewish parents, and raised as an Evangelical Christian. We wandered around the city and explored the Jewish museum. That quarter looked exactly like the Old City of Jerusalem. Now I know why the Jews in medieval Spain felt so comfortable there as the climate (minus the summer rains) plus the terrain and the buildings must have reminded them of their ancient home in Israel. I imagined the Jews of that city walking around the city on the Sabbath, walking alongside the river with their families. Today there are no Jews left in Girona. We had to eat lunch and we were pressed for time, so we did some speed-tapas. The quickest food you can order in Spain. We visited the Dali Museum in Figueres. I don´t really like museums. I feel so confined. But I really enjoyed this one. The man was a real talent and painted like he was on some great acid trip - but he said he never took drugs - he was the drug. Yes, I´ll take 2 Dali´s in my cuppa tea please. I slept on the way back which gave me the energy to take in the World Music concert at the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. This cathedral, built by Gaudi, looks like a giant elaborate sand castle. In fact most of his stuff looks like expert sand-castleing. I got a seat near the stage. The place was set up for I don´t know how many thousands. I felt so much love emanating from all these people it was unbelievable. Like the elderly lady in her wheelchair across from me. Her head was down the whole time, she was perhaps oblivious to her surroundings, but the people in front of her and on the side, were tending to her so tenderly, smiling and stroking her back and arms. I heard nuns singing opera, Buddhist monks chanting, Japanese drummers (who got the loudest applause), Flamenco singing, Sufi singing and dancing, native American folk songs and they saved the Israeli group Sheva for last. When they did their finale singing- Salaam, Shalom - Everyone stood up and danced. Just amazing. If all that positive energy and all that spiritually healing music could be carried across the seas to every country from the performers and the audience in Barcelona.....it could mean the messianic era is here. Because that´s how it felt last night.