Day 6 Happy New Year 2012

Along the way to Los Arcos, the Camino really took care of us pilgrims. Wonderful breakfast at the parochial albergue. My camelbak full of water exploded in my backpack and I had to dry and clean up, delaying today's start quite a bit. On the way, encountered the fountain of wine and water (real wine for free coming out of the fountain but no wine today) to drink for happiness , and the monastery of irache had bells pealing. That can mean mass time. So I went to see and just when I reached the entrance they swung the doors open. There was our lady and i know she was watching out for me (i worried i might miss the Solemn mass today) Lovely small mass in the chapel where we met, of all people, Pablito who is very famous on the Camino. He invited us to his home and I finally got my shell (concha- a symbol of the Camino, and I had been trying to find an open store ever since starting the Camino, to buy that and a sim card but to no avail because of all the holiday closures). I chose my shell (or the shell chose me, depending on how u look at it) and Pablito measured me for the necklace. Measured pati for stick and gave us walnuts to take. He wouldnt take any food saying he had his garden. When we said goodbye I think I received way too many besos. I remember at least 5-7, and made sure to avoid any on the lips.
Carried 2+ kilo extra food in case I encountered someone hungry along the way today (since it is NY day and no one should start off the year hungry if others can help). Found no one until the evening arriving in Los arcos, where one of the 3 Koreans I met in puente Reina had got separated from the others early morning and had no food on hand. Us that had food made sure he was well fed.