Spain: When the Iberia aircraft carrying Pope Benedict XVI back to Rome took off from Valencia's Manises airport at lunchtime yesterday, it brought to an end a 26-hour papal visit celebrating the fifth World Meeting of Families.
On arrival, the pope had been greeted at the airport by King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia - who were also there to to say goodbye yesterday - prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and other national and regional dignitaries. He later had a private audience with the royal family including the king and queen's seven grandchildren.
As he drove into the city in his "Popemobile" he cannot have failed to notice that many of the red and yellow Spanish and the yellow and white Vatican flags decorating the streets carried black mourning ribbons in memory of the 42 people who died last Monday in the underground rail crash at Jesús Station.
At his own request, his route had been altered to give him time to visit the crash scene - where he was met by Crown Prince Felipe and his wife, Princess Leticia - to lay a wreath and offer a brief prayer before he continued on to the cathedral and the basilica of Valencia's patron saint, where he had the opportunity to express his condolences to many of the bereaved.
Some 10,000 volunteers were on hand working around the clock, and every hotel room and many private apartments anywhere near the scene of the Mass had been sold out weeks ago. At least one Valenciano had rented out his apartment for €3,000 a night while he slept on a mattress in his office.
But not everyone welcomed the papal visit. There was a demonstration outside the town hall when some 300 protesters complained at the high cost of the visit when money was sorely needed for municipal improvements. On Sunday morning another group, naked protesters mainly from gay and lesbian groups, cycled through the centre of the city.
As is traditional in the Valencian region, thousands of flowers had been used to decorate the streets A huge 11x9½ metre flower tapestry - made from 15,000 wallflowers and 50,00 carnations - adorned the facade of the basilica. It depicted the pope blessing a young couple, with a child surrounded by families wearing the typical Valencian costume.
Time and time again, Benedict XVI stressed his support for the family, Christian education, and the indissolubility of marriage "between man and woman" which he said was "the centre of our society". He described the family tradition as "irreplaceable".
He repeated the same message in the cathedral, in the basilica and during the two public Masses attended by an estimated 1.5 million pilgrims.