Finally Bought Tickets Back To Paris
<p>This morning I tried to print out my boarding pass for the flight I just found this morning through Vueling. I'm flying out Vigo-Barcelona-Paris. Make sure to not use the mobile site if u want connecting/indirect flights since it will only allow u to book single segments. Printer wouldn't work in the private albergue.
After purchasing my ticket online, I got ready to meet God and St. James. I put on a clean tunic, combed my hair with my fingers(BC I had lost my wooden comb a dear friend who passed away had given me), braided my hair, wore a pair of earrings and chapsticked up. <p>Went to the cathedral where I first went for reconciliation. The padre, my confessor, was very chatty and even sang the American national anthem for me...I think he knew more words than I do, heh. He also told me that the cathedral used to not charge for the botafumeiro but some travel agencies would be deceptive to their customers and collect a little extra saying it was the price to see the botafumeiro fly. So they decided to charge a donation fee to offset the costs of hiring the men to swing the botafumeiro. If it's not hanging that day, it's not flying. I was sitting waiting for the noon pilgrims mass to start. Sadly the botafumeiro didn't fly, but had swung on Sunday (the original day I wanted to arrive until plans changed). The nun asked for a volunteer lector. I went up after much thought, ducking under the red ropes, but she said she already had volunteers. She thanked me and then told me to sit next to the lector and opened the gate that separates the main altar/sanctuary/presbytyry? from the rest of the cathedral. Errr, what? She told me I could get a better view from that seat. I sat there frozen in nervousness and perhaps a little bit of terror, feeling so close to the glory of God, and stunned at this gift to get the best seats in a house of God.</p>
Mass started and tears welled up in my eyes. After partaking of the Eucharist, the stone floor at my knees were littered with teardrops. I tried to sob quietly, overwhelmed more than usual, glad at this point that most everyone could only see my back. It's that same indescribable feeling I have, but magnified greatly, in proportion to the efforts I had made to get to Santiago.
After mass I saw the Canarian and Alejandro again! So happy to see peregrinos I knew. Didn't know the other peregrinos at the mass and they didn't really talk to me. Went to hug the apostle statue for all of you who can't be here or walk The Way and gave him muchicimos besos like when seeing a good friend after a long while. I embraced him with utter joy. Went to tourism office for fisterra and vigo bus schedules.
Benedictine Convent
Bought magdalenas from the Benedictine convent (u just ring the doorbell and ask what pasteles they sell....no signs about selling, the padre just gave me the info....I'm telling you, where food is concerned, I have so much fortune, or maybe I just ask a lot ;)...Casa manolo was closed for vacation-martin the Galician had recommended it). I talked with the nun a bit and she told me I needed to spend more time in Santiago because I didn't yet feel like I had found all my answers. Then she invited me to vespers and laudes. She seemed gentle and contemplative, a bit of the character of the Cistertians I had visited at Redwoods.
I sat in the cathedral a bit contemplating whether to head towards finisterre or stay in Santiago looking for my answers
decided to stay since I want to make another Camino, the Camino norte and walk to fisterra some other time, anyone interested in the next 2 years? ;). I find it a bit sad the peregrinos don't hang around the Cathedral very long after making the Camino (mass, a little sightseeing and off they go), but I'm told there are peregrinos that stay months afterward. Did most everyone arrive at their answers quickly except me and a few other folks? Perhaps my questions are complicated.
The Carmelites
I met an old lady in the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and she called me a good peregrina, meh. Good for what? She took me to her house for the night for 20 eur (she loves peregrinos and believes always in providence, never coincidence...really something the Camino has taught me) and fed me rice soup and kale, my first meal of the day. I helped put drops in her eyes for some condition she has. She seriously insisted I go visit the Carmelites here and she likes them the most. So she called the convent and they expected me at 7:30 vespers. I struggled to understand what she was telling me were the plans for the evening and at one point she became very frustrated - trying to understand Spanish becomes really tiring when you're exhausted. Dealing with people who aren't peregrinos takes some getting used to. I admit, most of the time I just wanted to be alone, but grit my teeth, smiled and listened to chatter about prophesies about the end of the world and the rampant atheism in Spain.
Took the #1 bus to the convent and listened to the vespers. The Carmelites invited me to their parlor afterwards to get to know me. I chatted first with one mother who speaks perfect English. She is hilarious. Then I think most everyone joined to talk with me in a semicircle around the window. There are 11 sisters here and no novitiates. What joy and vivaciousness these sisters have! Seriously they are really funny and dynamic. At one point I asked if they were discalced carmelites. they all showed me their feet and we all burst into laughter. One sister wrapped her clothes around herself and said "christina, we're so cold!!!" Pretending like she was a pobrecita, shivering from the freezing cold, knees shaking. I'm surprised there aren't more monjas here because they are awesome. I told them about my knife i had bought for protection against potential evildoers and one sister that had walked the camino before entering the convent 2 years later said she had done the same thing! Hah, now I don't feel so guilty having a potential weapon for self defense on my pilgrimage. When they are at ease and happy, they like to sing. So they sang for me and I joined in on the melodies I knew or could follow. 2 sisters whipped out guitars and it was like I had angels singing for me, so beautiful were their voices. I felt like the grill didn't separate us. We were all one and united. I didn't want the audience to end, but it was 10pm. Walked home and exhaustion hit me like a brick wall. I'm starting to feel everything I haven't been able to feel while walking.
I forgot to mention I had to fiddle with keys the size of my arm and weight of substantial barbells to attend vespers. At first I couldn't unlock the massive wood door no matter which way I turned the key and threw my body against the door to see if it would budge. The mother said she could call someone to help me but I told her I'd try for one more minute. Voila! The door unlocked like a well-oiled baby as soon as I inserted the key one more time. I walked in darkness to find the handles of the doors into the chapel. Going out I also had to step through darkness. I walked slowly through these parts as there were steps and I have no depth perception in darkness.
Gifts Galore
I received so many gifts of reading material from the Carmelites and Pastora, the old lady. Also received a glow in the dark rosary from Pastora. All in Spanish.
<p>This morning I tried to print out my boarding pass for the flight I just found this morning through Vueling. I'm flying out Vigo-Barcelona-Paris. Make sure to not use the mobile site if u want connecting/indirect flights since it will only allow u to book single segments. Printer wouldn't work in the private albergue.
After purchasing my ticket online, I got ready to meet God and St. James. I put on a clean tunic, combed my hair with my fingers(BC I had lost my wooden comb a dear friend who passed away had given me), braided my hair, wore a pair of earrings and chapsticked up. <p>Went to the cathedral where I first went for reconciliation. The padre, my confessor, was very chatty and even sang the American national anthem for me...I think he knew more words than I do, heh. He also told me that the cathedral used to not charge for the botafumeiro but some travel agencies would be deceptive to their customers and collect a little extra saying it was the price to see the botafumeiro fly. So they decided to charge a donation fee to offset the costs of hiring the men to swing the botafumeiro. If it's not hanging that day, it's not flying. I was sitting waiting for the noon pilgrims mass to start. Sadly the botafumeiro didn't fly, but had swung on Sunday (the original day I wanted to arrive until plans changed). The nun asked for a volunteer lector. I went up after much thought, ducking under the red ropes, but she said she already had volunteers. She thanked me and then told me to sit next to the lector and opened the gate that separates the main altar/sanctuary/presbytyry? from the rest of the cathedral. Errr, what? She told me I could get a better view from that seat. I sat there frozen in nervousness and perhaps a little bit of terror, feeling so close to the glory of God, and stunned at this gift to get the best seats in a house of God.</p>
Mass started and tears welled up in my eyes. After partaking of the Eucharist, the stone floor at my knees were littered with teardrops. I tried to sob quietly, overwhelmed more than usual, glad at this point that most everyone could only see my back. It's that same indescribable feeling I have, but magnified greatly, in proportion to the efforts I had made to get to Santiago.
After mass I saw the Canarian and Alejandro again! So happy to see peregrinos I knew. Didn't know the other peregrinos at the mass and they didn't really talk to me. Went to hug the apostle statue for all of you who can't be here or walk The Way and gave him muchicimos besos like when seeing a good friend after a long while. I embraced him with utter joy. Went to tourism office for fisterra and vigo bus schedules.
Benedictine Convent
Bought magdalenas from the Benedictine convent (u just ring the doorbell and ask what pasteles they sell....no signs about selling, the padre just gave me the info....I'm telling you, where food is concerned, I have so much fortune, or maybe I just ask a lot ;)...Casa manolo was closed for vacation-martin the Galician had recommended it). I talked with the nun a bit and she told me I needed to spend more time in Santiago because I didn't yet feel like I had found all my answers. Then she invited me to vespers and laudes. She seemed gentle and contemplative, a bit of the character of the Cistertians I had visited at Redwoods.
I sat in the cathedral a bit contemplating whether to head towards finisterre or stay in Santiago looking for my answers
decided to stay since I want to make another Camino, the Camino norte and walk to fisterra some other time, anyone interested in the next 2 years? ;). I find it a bit sad the peregrinos don't hang around the Cathedral very long after making the Camino (mass, a little sightseeing and off they go), but I'm told there are peregrinos that stay months afterward. Did most everyone arrive at their answers quickly except me and a few other folks? Perhaps my questions are complicated.
The Carmelites
I met an old lady in the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and she called me a good peregrina, meh. Good for what? She took me to her house for the night for 20 eur (she loves peregrinos and believes always in providence, never coincidence...really something the Camino has taught me) and fed me rice soup and kale, my first meal of the day. I helped put drops in her eyes for some condition she has. She seriously insisted I go visit the Carmelites here and she likes them the most. So she called the convent and they expected me at 7:30 vespers. I struggled to understand what she was telling me were the plans for the evening and at one point she became very frustrated - trying to understand Spanish becomes really tiring when you're exhausted. Dealing with people who aren't peregrinos takes some getting used to. I admit, most of the time I just wanted to be alone, but grit my teeth, smiled and listened to chatter about prophesies about the end of the world and the rampant atheism in Spain.
Took the #1 bus to the convent and listened to the vespers. The Carmelites invited me to their parlor afterwards to get to know me. I chatted first with one mother who speaks perfect English. She is hilarious. Then I think most everyone joined to talk with me in a semicircle around the window. There are 11 sisters here and no novitiates. What joy and vivaciousness these sisters have! Seriously they are really funny and dynamic. At one point I asked if they were discalced carmelites. they all showed me their feet and we all burst into laughter. One sister wrapped her clothes around herself and said "christina, we're so cold!!!" Pretending like she was a pobrecita, shivering from the freezing cold, knees shaking. I'm surprised there aren't more monjas here because they are awesome. I told them about my knife i had bought for protection against potential evildoers and one sister that had walked the camino before entering the convent 2 years later said she had done the same thing! Hah, now I don't feel so guilty having a potential weapon for self defense on my pilgrimage. When they are at ease and happy, they like to sing. So they sang for me and I joined in on the melodies I knew or could follow. 2 sisters whipped out guitars and it was like I had angels singing for me, so beautiful were their voices. I felt like the grill didn't separate us. We were all one and united. I didn't want the audience to end, but it was 10pm. Walked home and exhaustion hit me like a brick wall. I'm starting to feel everything I haven't been able to feel while walking.
I forgot to mention I had to fiddle with keys the size of my arm and weight of substantial barbells to attend vespers. At first I couldn't unlock the massive wood door no matter which way I turned the key and threw my body against the door to see if it would budge. The mother said she could call someone to help me but I told her I'd try for one more minute. Voila! The door unlocked like a well-oiled baby as soon as I inserted the key one more time. I walked in darkness to find the handles of the doors into the chapel. Going out I also had to step through darkness. I walked slowly through these parts as there were steps and I have no depth perception in darkness.
Gifts Galore
I received so many gifts of reading material from the Carmelites and Pastora, the old lady. Also received a glow in the dark rosary from Pastora. All in Spanish.
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