Today we left Pamplona and walked for 7 hours before settling on a pension in Óbanos, not far from Puenta la Reina. The lady let us borrow 2 brushes to get the caked on mud off our shoes. God is good…NO RAIN today, but still overcast and cool. (The café owner in Pamplona said all the outdoor cafés were losing money this spring for all the rain!)
We met many pilgrims today, including a father-son duo from Ireland. The other sons had walked from S. Jean Pied de Port as far as Pamplona with them, to celebrate the dad’s 70th birthday (he looked much older than 70). We also met bicyclists from Holland, Canada and France, as well as walkers from Canada, Belgium, the US, Denmark, etc. Everyone trudges right along, wondering when the next town will surface. Will we ever get used to our backpacks?
There was a terribly muddy uphill stretch that bikers and walkers were trying to negotiate—Thank God, all of us made it (except one young lady who was hurrying) without slipping in the mud. The views from the various summits were gorgeous: bright green fields with splashes of bright yellow and some gold flowers—and bursts of red poppies everywhere!
We bought lettuce, tomatoes and bread to make a salad supper before Mass. I found 3 live snails eating the lettuce leaves: very fresh, I must say!
This evening, we attended the Vigil Mass at S. Juan Bautiste Church, and it turned out to be the Confirmation Mass. The bishop told the Confirmandi to remember that the Spirit is our defender, our Advocate—and is always with us…Praise God!
No comments:
Post a Comment