Before I leave Spain behind I want to put up some pictures of the fascinating and highly charged images they used to decorate their churches.

This writhing martyr in Cadiz Cathedral was not Sebastian but (I think ) Damian.
An image like this would be far too dramatic (and erotic?) to be shown in an Irish church.

This Ecce Homo image of Christ in Sanlucar was the way he was most frequently shown, halfway through his torment , being displayed to the mob.

This time it is St Sebastian being martyred , also in Cadiz with a far bloodier Ecce Homo in front of him

In Sanlucar they also provided a huge picture of my patron; St Roch. Apologies for the quality but it was my best shot.

This was the most shocking of all the images, a statue of the crucified Baby Jesus, the stuff of nightmares.

No saints or martyrs in this shot, just the sun rising over Manilva taken from the front of Michael’s house the morning we left.
A great holiday.