I
woke up at 6:15 am and after the morning rush of trying to get ready among 20 odd people and 3 tiny bathrooms
and wash basins, I finally left the albergue at 7 am
without breakfast since they had little to offer. I was irritated to find
three bug bites on my face (my first on the Camino) and I think it could be due to the dirty mat and floor or the open window as I slept next to it. Again, it's part of life on the Camino and I just had to deal with it. Even though I felt like one of the hospitaleros seemed burnt out and could be a little warmer, I’m grateful to them for putting a roof over my head and for serving me a warm meal
last night.
I
left foggy Granon and bid farewell to the region of La Rioja as I crossed over
to the Burgos provincial region and walked through five towns (Redecilla del
Camino, Castildelgado, Viloria de Rioja, Villamayor del Rio, and Belorado) before arriving in
Tosantos at 12:30 pm (I clocked in 21.5 km or 13.3 miles today). I stayed at another Hospital de Peregrinos, this
one dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, my patron saint. It's the only albergue in Tosantos and after my rather disappointing experience in Granon with the Hospital de Peregrinos San Juan Bautista, I
hate to spend another night in a dirty environment. I gave the place a chance anyway and was glad I did. When I knocked on the door and met the gentle and soft-spoken Jose-Louis who invited me into the house (even though it wasn't 1 pm yet), I knew this place (and he) was different. I was welcomed like a guest in his house and it made all the difference.
The (donativo) parroquial albergue served a delicious and nutritious 3-course dinner which we ate together. After dinner, Jose-Louis and Leslie invited all of us to a night prayer service, which was really special and moving. We walked up the stairs in the old house to a little chapel room at what seemed like the attic and sang a couple of Taize songs and prayed in different languages.
Prior to dinner at 5:30 pm, some of us at the albergue went on a little excursion to see the Virgen de la Pena, a Marian shrine that was built into a natural cavity of a rock up on a hill. It was formerly a monk's residence and a school, in addition to being a place of worship. Nowadays, it is still actively used for special Masses and weddings. The walk up to Our Lady of the Rock was an easy 5-minutes stroll from the albergue.
En-route from Granon to Tosantos, Belorado
felt like a God-send to me because by 10 am, I was dying for a break ~ i.e. food and
nature calls. I treated myself to my usual tortilla con patata with hot tea and added a
Santiago cake as I was famished. Belorado had a vibrant vibe; the town was neat and clean with bricked roads and colorful and creative murals.
Well, it’s time to say buenas noches. Much love to you all from your grateful pilgrim.
Above left: Hanging some of my clothes to dry on my pack as I walked in the morning ~ these were still damped from yesterday's wash (due to the wet weather)
Above right: Goodbye La Rioja, Hello Burgos (provincial)
Above: Arriving in Redecilla del Camino
Above: Arriving in Castildelgado
Above: Arriving in Viloria de Rioja
Above: Arriving in Villamayor del Rio
Above: Arriving in Belorado
Above: 16th-C St. Mary's Church in Belorado
Above left: The Baroque altarpiece in St. Mary's Church, Belorado
Above right: San Pedro Square in Belorado
Above right: Arriving in Tosantos ~ Hospital de Peregrinos San Francisco de Asis
Above right: (message on the left) "Do not walk ahead of me, I cannot follow you. Do not walk behind, I cannot be your guide. Walk beside me and I'll be your friend."; (message on the right) "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
Above: At Our Lady of the Rock in Tosantos
Above left: Carolina and Sean at the parroquial albergue communal dinner
Above right: Jose-Louis setting up the chapel for our night prayer service
Above: Reunion with Garin, Jill, Kelsey, and Becca at the albergue
Previous post: Day 13 - Azofra to Granon (June 26, 2014)
No comments:
Post a Comment