The walk into Los Arcos was long, dusty and hot. Wheat fields, vine yards and the occassional asparagus field were pretty for 1 K, but boring after 12k. Mads and Gabe were pretty hot and grumpy by the time we arrived. it was not so much fun to find that the municipal refugios had only 2 showers for our dorm and these were in with the toilets. As I commented to Rick, I could have re-organised the hostel in no time to provide better service to tired pilgrims, but the Belgium owners seem oblivious (hte husband was too busy chatting up the foreign young things, I suspect!). Lunch was a rip off too but at least the lady baker was very sweet and chatty and promised and delivered us a bocadillos (baguette sandwich) to remember for our 4.90E each!
This morning we went past the wine fountain at Irache (just out of Estella) It was a great photo opportunity and we all stopped to have our picture taken drinking free wine from the fountain which a local vineyard has set up specifically to quench the thirst of pilgrims. We think the wine was only average, but still it was far superiour to Rick´s 1E bottle.
Lovely to hear from you Mark and thanks for the encouragement (the Kia Kaha and mention of the spiritual journey). Great to hear that there are lots of readers from work - I will remember to keep it clean then! There are moments when it seems to be exactly that (chatted with a young lady from Notre Dame Uni Indiana today who graduated in theology and is taking the holidays to spiritually refresh) and at other times it plain, ordinary life at it´s worst (i.e. where the foot hits the dusty red earth!)
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I keep being amazed at how much hotter your journey has been to date! I remember the walk into Los Arcos well. Lovely landscape, but somehow I felt 'lost' in it, as there was no indication 'where' the path was heading and no signs of any villages etc. I was so relieved to arrive in the village itself finally!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the spiritual.... both Granon and Tosantos have evening prayers usually, for pilgrims who want to go. (I didn't- surprise!- which never caused any fuss at Granon, but though they told me several times at Tosantos that they were 'optional', it seemed like I was not too popular for 'opting out'.) Tosantos was Taize-based prayer I gather.
Thanks Margaret, I´ll look out for the prayers at Granon, which is coming up in the next day or two. We´ve been in time for Mass at several places, but to be honest we´ve been too stuffed to manage to make it! Although we did get to Mass last Sunday (where were we then?...)
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