Our day started at the Dutch catechesis where we handed out the second batch of our hats. Another 500 hats were eagerly received by those who didn't get theirs yesterday. From what we heard, a number of our Dutch hats were traded for Italian hats and apparently some German groups even offered money to swop hats!
Again Plaza Jesus was swarming with enthusiastic pilgrims and one of them was Annemarije who will be a student at Tilburg University this year. The interview is in Dutch without subtitels (so sorry!) but her intention is to study psychology or theology.
Another happy pilgrim was Monsignor Everard de Jong, the auxiliary bishop of Roermond, also the 'bishop of youth'. There was no escape, he had to wear the hat!
Despite our supply of 1000 hats, there were still pilgrims left who remained hatless, so next World Youth Day we must bring more! Rumors are that it will be held in Brazil in 2014.
Again, some of the Dutch media were present at Plaza Jesus and our hats grabbed their attention. Diahann was interviewed by KRO radio, Annemarie did a 10-minute promo on Radio Maria. Bring in those students!
After the catechesis, the church above the crypt was opened for the Dutch pilgrims to visit a famous statue of Christ, called Jesús de Medinaceli. The statue has been honored in Madrid since the 17th century and will be carried in the procession of the Way of the Cross tomorrow. Volunteers in the church were busy with the flower arrangements of the statue for tomorrow's program with the Pope.
By the time we came out of the church we were hungry for lunch and teamed up with our colleagues from TiasNimbas. To do this in Spanish style, we sat down in a local bar for tapas and a beer plus a coke for our driver!
Contrary to yesterday's nightmare in the streets of Madrid, we found our way back to the hotel in 10 minutes. You live, you learn! Still, the day wasn't over yet and our job continued in the afternoon with the distribution of the second batch of clogs.
We decided to take up a strategic position in Gran Via where thousands of pilgrims walked on their way to Plaza de Cibeles for the welcoming of the Pope. It's amazing to see that after four days in Madrid you still meet new nationalities every day. Today's new friends came from Australia, Malaysia, Ireland and Nigeria, to name but a few.
Of course all pilgrims were on their way to see the Pope. We wish we could have joined them, but it was time to write our blog! So instead, we saw the welcoming ceremony on screen in the press centre and took a few screen shots to give you an impression.
From a buzzing press centre, we say: goodnight and see you in the morning!
Diahann and Annemarie
