Some “stuff” gets missed in the daily turnover of getting to hostels, booking in, doing laundry, eating and posting. So here is what I don’t want missed.
I will remember forever a delicious bowl of Gazpacho in Lorca, spoiled only by a Canadian from Edmonton who wondered if I might be too hot in my cotton dress and capris because they were both back. I passed it off as an “Edmonton Thing.”
I will be forever gratful for the church in Puerta La Reina that was open sometime in the afternoon for quiet meditation. There is something about the peacefulness of a church that removes you for a moment from the reality of life.
I went to the pilgrim mass in Logrono. I’d forgotten the name of the church and was mis-directed several times until I finally googled it – really!
Mass was at 7:00pm and I arrived at 6:00 after hunting for an hour for the Church of St James on the Calle de Santiago. It was a peaceful wait. The organist was practising until too many tourists interrupted her for information about the pipe organ – sigh! Recitation of the rosary with several litanies began at 6:30 and mass started at 7:00.
After mass all the pilgrims were invited to the front of the church for a blessing. We were asked where we were from – seemingly everywhere. The organist sang a hymn for us – she had a beautiful voice and we left in Peace.
In Logrono, I met up again with lots of people I had met in Orisson. I did though miss apparently a great party in Sansol. I was in one hostel and the other hostel in town had all the Irish, Scottish and Welsh pilgrims. They had a Ceilidh with guitars, fiddles, harmonicas and the whole nine yards. I’m sorry I missed it.
Michaela filled me in while we had a glass of her wine in our Albergue in Logrono. In fact it might have been more than one glass of her wine. She was going through Ceildh withdrawal and I was a bit lonely. So “we closed the place.” Well you might ask how do you close a hostel that closes at 10:00pm anyway. It’s probably a Camino thing.
More tomorrow!!