This morning, the dawn of midsummer, I woke up thinking I´d take the bus to Finisterre. My tummy felt a tiny bit wobbly, so I figured breakfast was in order. I wandered down to the dining hall, where the Seminario has a fantastic breakfast buffet. I ate. I drank coffee con leche. I sipped juice. I still felt just the tiniest bit off. So I wandered off to the cathedral.
The cathedral at roughly a few minutes after 8am is delightful. Quiet. Truly peaceful. I could really enjoy the silence, the polychrome pillars, the infinite variety of the chapels, the old and the new all living side by side. I watched quietly from a pew as some priests did their divine office, and then mass. I knew I wasn´t going to make Finisterre today and that was fine. I walked around the Portico del Gloria, admiring the work and looking a the restoration in progress over the next few years.
Needing more fresh air I went out the main steps and stood looking out over the Praza. A pilgrim sitting with his bag at the bottom smiled back as I mouthed "Hola". Then I saw why I´d had a wobbly stomach. Renate! Renate Gunther! I think the world of this young woman, and haven´t seen her since Leon. We spent the morning catching eachother up on all the happenings, and various folk from our Camino Families. I´d forgotten that she and Hunter were also good friends.
So I´ve been given once again the gift of friendship and time with good people. Tonight Hunter and I have reservations to look at the roof of the Cathedral. Not a bad spot to toast midsummer ! Wonder who else I might run into in the process! So here´s to those small quiet voices gently pulling you back from a plan that looked so promising at first light.
The cathedral at roughly a few minutes after 8am is delightful. Quiet. Truly peaceful. I could really enjoy the silence, the polychrome pillars, the infinite variety of the chapels, the old and the new all living side by side. I watched quietly from a pew as some priests did their divine office, and then mass. I knew I wasn´t going to make Finisterre today and that was fine. I walked around the Portico del Gloria, admiring the work and looking a the restoration in progress over the next few years.
Needing more fresh air I went out the main steps and stood looking out over the Praza. A pilgrim sitting with his bag at the bottom smiled back as I mouthed "Hola". Then I saw why I´d had a wobbly stomach. Renate! Renate Gunther! I think the world of this young woman, and haven´t seen her since Leon. We spent the morning catching eachother up on all the happenings, and various folk from our Camino Families. I´d forgotten that she and Hunter were also good friends.
So I´ve been given once again the gift of friendship and time with good people. Tonight Hunter and I have reservations to look at the roof of the Cathedral. Not a bad spot to toast midsummer ! Wonder who else I might run into in the process! So here´s to those small quiet voices gently pulling you back from a plan that looked so promising at first light.
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