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We spent just one night in Almazan. In the morning, the dream to see this mysterious town of Agreda was beginning to take place.

Agreda is known as the land of three cultures. It is said that to be an "Agredano" means to be "of Agreda." At least, that's is what I was told. But I always wondered, where was this place? What was it like? Would we still have family there? Thanks to the Internet, I found out that Agreda was still a thriving community. A few years ago I was able to begin my genealogy research by learning more about most famous, or rather, the only "Agredano" I'd ever heard about, Sor Maria de Agreda (in the U.S. she is simply callled "Sister Mary of Agreda")..

Sor Maria was a talented, literary nun, who travelled with Columbus to America. She blazed many trails in America, and spent years communicating with Native Americans, spreading the word of Christianity. She wrote many volumes of scripture-related material, and corresponded about New World affairs with King Phillip. In addition, she is known to have been a "bi-locator" meaning, she could physically be in two places at once, specifically in Spain and New Mexico. Her devotees everwhere agree that she was able to accomplish this feat. In addition, it is said Sor Maria was the inventor of Chili! Many people, including a congregation of Nuns in Agreda, have devoted their lives to promoting the beautification of Sor Maria in the Catholic Church. Today she has still not attained sainthood.

While I found lots of info about Sor Maria, there was little in guidebooks or on the web about Agreda. I didn't know what to expect as the bikes wound through the green, rolling hills of Castilla y Leon, the region it lies within. After a short ride from Almazan, we passed Fuenta de Agreda, Cueva de Agreda, and finally, nestled in the foothills os a small mountain range, it appeared on the horizon. Agreda!


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