More rain in the forecast...we had been so spoiled. There is so much excitement in the air...Santiago is about forty four kilometers away and I have thought we should push through it and go there directly from here. Galacia is so beautiful and all of the farm animals and shepherds tending to them and stone homes shouldn't be rushed. I come and go with thinking we should press on. The famous pilgrims mass is at noon so there is no huge advantage into getting into Santiago tonight. We have pushed ourselves to guarantee a walk to the coast for J and M and I think we are all thrilled we did, I love their company. Today I would be accused of being a "taxigrina" ( vs a pegrina/female pilgrim), one of the young kids W from Wales is questioning how I could possibly be ahead of him, anyone who knows me knows I'm not a taxigrina but i do find the word hilarious.
We had no idea where we would end up today, we wanted to make sure we were only about twenty kilometers out of Santiago so that we could arrive intime for the pilgrims mass at noon. This is an amazing celebration known for its HUGE flying incense that is controlled by about five men as it swings thru the air. Evidently this grande event is not the norm anymore...I don't have my hopes up to witness it but sure would do anything to witness it, i'm wondering if we pull off two masses if our chances would be slightly higher of getting to see this. in my opinion they should always offer this to the pilgrims, if you youtube pilgrims mass you will see what I am talking about, it is spectacular.
We would pull into Arca and see many people we have bonded with, i personally am rejoicing as these are the people that I will be surrounded by as I approach the cathedral. I can't explain the emotions i am feeling and how these dear people mean so much to me. We arrive with a lot of time to kill, a wonderful opportunity to just sit around and catch up or even sit around and meet some people who you recognize but have never really gotten to know.
I'm thrilled when I see Mary approaching, she shares that Father and Tom have gone on to Santiago, they should arrive about eight at night.
Almost everyone is here all in one place. I am super glad to see my young crew back from my Tossntos days...Ben who started in Paris, Paul and others.
The youngters share they are having s party tomorrow "on the hill" five kilometers before Santiago, they will not arrive tomorrow to Santiago, thry will walk less than four hours to thus huge auberge that sleeps five hundred, party and come on into Santiago the next day. They invite us, and a few others chime in they too are going to join them and we decide we can still make the coast and do this. I honestly think it sounds like a lot of fun and we decide to do it.
EVERYONE is excited, the anticipation is huge, I am surrounded by people most of who started where i did but some who started in Paris and one who actually started in Rome at the Vatican...his first stamp in his pilgrims passport is from the Vatican.
I'm getting ready to go to bed when i hear bagpipes...J knows what I am thinking and also thinks John or Johnny is here and i go running out the front door to see where they are... Outside of the auberge is another building where the noise is coming from and in peek inside and it clearly is not them, I suspect this was a local but many of us thought he was never going to stop playing...
The auberge was partying pretty hard this evening, drink was flowing and Paul from France offered mecsome brandy, I've never been a Brandy drinker but enjoyed the time with these pilgrims tgat I have gotten to know over the five plus weeks and tried to enjoy my cup of Brandy. We were all damp, our claustrophobic municipal auberge put on the heat so we could dry our socks and as I was getting into bed I felt a huge desire to go onto Santiago tomorrow and miss the "huge" party, mostly because tonight's atmosphere felt like a party to me and while I loved every second of it I was not convinced I needed two nights of that, J and M agreed.
We needed to wake up and be out the door by seven to make it to mass, almost everyone was sleeping in so we would be in a different situation than normal as we would be the early risers packing in the dark.
I would sadly realize today that i had lost my precious wine glass, tempted to ask Steve to get me another many are telling me to hold off that almost everyone would know it was mine and the chances are high someone just might approach me with it. I actually think I lost it two nights ago in Ligonde.
Our auberge is extremely claustrophobic feeling...and as of tonight I have seen more men in just their underwear than I will ever want to..........
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