Not the best ever photo.
Near La Seu there is a teny little religious shop. The front is all windows, with light colored wood frames. The doors are the same. Handmade candles hang from hooks in the wood over the front door.
I stepped inside by myself, and the women behind the counter smiled and said hello. The shelves were filled with gorgeous religious figurines.
The women working there were so content. It was odd, but stepping in from the street to the shop, there was a difference in everything — the air, the noise, the light, the energy. It felt peaceful. Like the idolized version of a nun’s life, I suppose. In a glass-topped case (also made of that same wood) was a bracelet
made from bitty images of hundreds of years old Virgin Mary paintings,
all in sepia.
I bought the bracelet, and the woman asked if I wanted to wear it or have a package. I wore it, and she put it on for me, first asking if I wanted the images to face me or the rest of the world. I had them face out, and wore the bracelet for the rest of my (way too short) stay in Spain.
Now that I’m home, whenever I wear my bracelet I turn it so that the images face me. Like they are for me only. I realize that I sound like a huge dork, but I totally fell in love with Barcelona. When I have that bracelet on, it’s like I’m a 1950’s high school girl wearing her guy’s letterman’s jacket. I look at it and sigh.
Really.
And think about being there. And going back.
Hope you don’t feel TOO crappy mama…. I have a very similar bracelet, but the squares are littles scenes from each province? in France. My grandfather bought it for my grandma on his way back from WWII, and she gave it to me when I turned 16. I had completely forgotten about it till I found it at the bottom of a giant rubber maid full of stuff from high school, but now it has a special spot in my jewelry box….
Hope you don’t feel TOO crappy mama…. I have a very similar bracelet, but the squares are littles scenes from each province? in France. My grandfather bought it for my grandma on his way back from WWII, and she gave it to me when I turned 16. I had completely forgotten about it till I found it at the bottom of a giant rubber maid full of stuff from high school, but now it has a special spot in my jewelry box….