Chronicle of Saturday 2 August

Dear parents, grandparents, friends and all the other pilgrims,

It all began at 6:00, ready at the airport to take the flight to Milan. For some of our pilgrims it was the first time they had been on a plane, which made the moment even more exciting. Raúl could hardly believe it: the only plane he had ever been on until then was red and hung from a sort of crane going round and round at Tibidabo. This one was real.

Two and a half hours later, the young people of the parish set foot on Italian soil: we had arrived in Milan. From the airport we took a bus that dropped us in the city centre and, from there, we walked to the most iconic places of the fashion capital: the Brera district, the Castello Sforzesco, the Basilica of St Ambrose, La Scala and the Duomo, where at 17:30 we were able to celebrate the Eucharist.

Before going into the cathedral they searched you, and Beto had to give up a pizza carbonara he had only just got; on the bright side, he made friends with the guard at the door. After Mass we were able to enjoy a delicious “gelato”. We love pilgrimages with Fr Ferran.

We reached the hostel, “which wasn’t far at all”, at around 20:00, and were able to rest in some lovely soft beds, knowing that it will probably be the last night like this for a long, long, very long time.