After giving Tom a huge pep talk that maybe he needed a rest day, or just go a few kilometers and park yourself I found I needed just that. Yesterday's walk was tiring, I ended up in a little slice of paradise and while I make several typos pecking from an iPhone or an iPad with little time to attempt to fix them I did notice a huge typo in yesterdays blog, I omitted the word "not" in describing Santillana del Mar, I meant to say it is not a reproduction...this is a very genuine medieval village. I woke to everyone in the very small, modest but appropriate auberge scurrying to get up and ready. I sat from my top watching everyone bump into each other updated my blog and waited till all were gone.
It started to sprinkle and I ran for my clothes on the laundry line. Huge snorer beneath me last night ( I always grab a to bunk if available, though most do not) but my gel ear plugs and eye mask are seeming to do the trick as I watch the faces of others when " the snorers" walk by.
Every vacation there is a picture that gets away from me....an image I wanted to capture and could not some reason....with all of this gorgeous scenery the image picture that has gotten away from me was right here in the courtyard of this auberge. Where the clothesline is hung is a small building with two windows behind the clothesline....in the window are huge masks that must be used for some festive presentation in the town...I did get a picture of one of the windows clearly and if I have not posted it I will, but the other window I could tell had a devil mask in it BUT it was turned around. My missed opportunity was not asking the museum employee ( who manages the check in for this auberge) to let me have a peak in that building....I so wish I could see those masks!
This reminds me in Santander there was a huge tent up with one gentleman kind of managing the access in to it. In there were floats, or large scenes of the Stages of Christ. I attempted to get in but these were clearly being assembled for the upcoming Easter festivities as Catholic Spain centers more around Christ at this time than a Easter bunny.
So I would head out very slowly leaving this beautiful town...I'd stop at a corner hotel, restaurant where I saw for Chocolate con Churros...a hot thick chocolate with a sugary battery fried thingy. normally really good....in would walk a female beggar who honestly would not leave me alone....minutes later when out on the street the cops pulled up quickly and once out of the car did the typical cop move,ent of adjusting their pants up around their waist and seemed ina hurry heading towards the quaint part of town. i wondered what could happen in this small town to get cops so up in arm? A few seconds later I see them both around the little lady who was begging....
I wouldn't go far today....my rain jacket stayed on me but I just didn't have the required strength today I would stop in Cobreces where the auberge is " in the Cistercian Abbey". I would get to town trying to upload pictures to clear space on my phone. I was devastated to find I had no space left on my phone for photos and certain it was due to all of my videoing....the nice bar owners let me plug my phone in behind their bar while my photos uploaded ( a procedure I still do not understand)....
The abbey would not open till 4:00 I was told by a Spanish pilgrim who decided to catch a bus and move on....at 4:00 I would ring the bell and a man not resembling what I think would be a monk opened the door, checked me in and kept saying I was by myself....the place was big....over and over. It was raining, I was freezing....and not really certain what he was telling me. he opened the door to the Abbey structure and I think He assumed I knew where to go and then I wondered , " does he know I want a room? Or did I jst give this abbey a donation?" . I think he finally understood and walked me to a boring rectangular building lined with beds. This place was very dirty!!!!!! The sheets on the bed were blue and clearly were dirty, even the tables had not been cleaned off....and while I know this is a new season I was pretty convinced this filth was left over from before Winter. Surprisingly the bathroom was clean though.
I bring my own punk satin sheets....so I was OK , just not thrilled!
I was by myself....it was drizzling outside and thunder was overhead....it seemed slightly creepy to be in this " abbey" ( large garage like structure) by myself with such weather conditions and imagined a scene from Scooby Doo!
Right then the door opens up and in walks Sebastian, the 30-ish year old German who I briefly met the night before but noticed his huge smile as he instantly recognized me. he would have a new kid on the block with him...Benjamin from Belgium...similiar age to Sebastian. I was happy to see these guys!
I would walk back up to the bar with my phone...and in the three hours that it was to upload to clear space on my phone it uploaded a whole 14 pictures. Wish I understood this but it is very frustrating.
the boys would come join me for dinner here and we all agreed that we would attend Vespers, the nightly abbey service as we were invited and thought it best. We had about nine minutes to make it and ran in the rain thru town giggling at the thought of this. Sabastian is Catholic and helped me with where we were in the hymn....Benjamin who thought we should go as we were invited made it clear he was not all into it....
We walked into a quiet chapel...it was neat to experience....I prayed for anyone , everyone and anything I could think of in those minutes and then in walks a formal two lines of monks....most barely able to walk a straight line, clearly all older...and my mind wondered in ten years will this exist? I have passed many vacant monasteries....what would keep this monastery alive with a population of monks this age?
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