Hidden Treasures

One of our experiences this week in Spain made me think about the Iceberg Theory-- you know, the one that shows the picture of what you think is a massive iceberg rising up out of the water, only to discover that the real size and magnificence of the structure lies below the water's surface...

Take a look at this piece of land. Nice, right? But all in all, really nothing too spectacular. 

However in 1959 four boys from a neighboring town found out that it really is what is BELOW the surface that shows the magnificence of this plot of land. Doing what all young boys do, they were passing their time exploring, finding something to amuse themselves, but what they discovered surpassed all fantasies they must have had for that day. Because these 4 boys stumbled upon what is now known as the "Caves of Nerja".......

......5 kilometers of caves just below the earth's surface in the seaside town of Nerja, Spain.

Mads and I have seen some awesome things on all our journeys around the world. We have stood in the Cathedral of Cologne, Germany amazed at how it survived WWII. We have looked out at New York City from the top of the Empire State Building. And we have marveled at each and every tile used to create the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, but we both agree that there is no man-made structure that can come close to the MAGNIFICENCE of the experiences we have had in nature.... from the Grand Canyon to the giant trees of the Sequoia Forest and now to the Caves of Nerja....

As we walked through the caves, marveling at how a simple process like dripping water could have created these galleries, it was almost a spiritual experience. We, like the other tourists, found ourselves whispering as we walked through the caves as if we were in a holy place deserving our respect. It was truly amazing. I wish our photos did the Caves justice....but the camera just could not capture how truly awesome they were.