Day 8 on the Camino

Friday was Day 8. We had originally planned to make it to one more stop then have a triumphant march in Santiago on Sunday, but we left things open. We had done over 35 km a day for the past 2 days, and we had wanted to stop at Ribidaiso di Baixo (or something like that) enroute. We would make it today if we did 39 km. We’d see.

The train left a little after 0800 and coffee at the Labrador. Oliver, Rob, Sal, and I really felt good and were keeping a good pace. Our usual 5 km per hour pace felt solid. This was all well and good until reality set in and we were overtaken. The guy overtaking us was in his 60s, had a cain, was smoking a cigarette, and had a small shopping cart with small wheels. He blew by us like we were stopsigns. The only thing that allowed us to pass him for good was when he stopped around 1000 for beer and schnapps! Maybe we wouldn’t make Ribidaiso today…Yet, we finally got going and came out of the hills. As we approached Santiago, the altitude slowly became less and less. The mountains and bigger hills were behind us, and we only had some smaller ones to conquer. By 1500 we made it to Melide and checked the local albuerge. It seemed crowded, so we decided to push the next 10 km and actually make it to Ribidaiso that night which would allow us to make it to Santiago a day early. It appeared that Sal’s prediction of arriving a day early would be satisfied. In Melide and again just outside the town Sal had a lengthy discussion with Frenchy. We left him behind as we pushed into the late afternoon. Rob and Oliver had gone on ahead as Sal and I had stopped for some nibbles. Rob had started calling us the Nibblers somewhere along the way, and it was because we weren’t afraid of a good coffee, bread store, or supermercado. By this time I had enough of the boccadillos, but Sal was still enjoying them. Besides Diesel, he also went by the name Boccadillo Sal. I heartily recommend the supermercados along the way as you can usually get sliced meats and cheeses along with bread and a variety of fruits and beverages. We never bought too much because that meant carrying them, but they were great pit stops along the way. Every one of them was kind and helpful, too. A couple of times we didn’t have snacks to pick us up during a long stretch, so we tried to make sure we had something. Water seemed more difficult to obtain at fountains along the way once we were in Galicia, so we tried to get something to drink at our various stops. We finally came down the long hill into Ribidaiso as the sun began to set. This would prove to be a very neat stop as the berthing area and restaurant was made of stone. However, the bathroom was open air, and it was COLD. The only way to keep the hot water on was to keep the button pressed, which I had managed with my shoulder. We changed into our evening clothes and got ready for dinner. I recall Rob having a long conversation with Frenchy prior to dinner in the restaurant next door. We celebrated our last night on the Camino in high fashion (thank you Rob!) and hit the sack. Only one day left!

Day 7 on the Camino

Thursday on the Camino started with the usual coffee stop with Kenny Rogers’s. This was after a lengthy conversation with Frenchy back at the albuerge about places to eat, etc. There was a light rain falling, but we still shoved off around 0800 that morning. Our plan was still to arrive in Santiago on Sunday, so we had what we thought was 4 more days on the Camino. It was a pretty average day as it took awhile for us to get going. Several folks were also leaving Sarria that morning, so there was some pilgrim traffic on the Camino until a little after 1000. There are usually more people on the Camino as you get closer to Santiago which makes sense as not all folks start in France or Pamplona or Leon. Rain started falling as we began the march into Portomarin. Two things never seemed to fail as we approached the larger towns. First, it seemed like we would walk for hours after we had first seen the town. Second, invariably there was either a long downhill (which were more difficult and challenging) or a long uphill that would finally bring us to the town’s edge. It was like the final challenge of the town as if to try to break us prior to our arrival. I remember that we got some food from a local supermercado then ate a little. We washed down lunch with a hot coffee then headed out. Eventually the rain picked up as we headed into a gradual rise for the next few kms. The yellow plants were quite spectacular as we moved uphill. However, this would prove to be the worst day physically for me. Lucky for me, Sal stayed behind while Oliver pushed on and Rob entertained the Tin Man for awhile behind us. My left foot had swelled around the ankle and something behind my left knee was preventing me from completely straightening my leg. As the hill increased, I slowed as the Diesel pushed me ahead. I had to stop several times to finally get over the hill, which we finally did. Again, we arrived a little before the crowd, so heater space and long showers were due. We ate at the Labrador which wasn’t known for its smiling service, but it worked. Amazing how little we cared when we were cold, tired, and hungry! Today was just a day to get through, nothing more, as the albuerge filled up to about 30 people. I was too tired to care and slept hard and fast. I wanted to have a spectacular day each day of the Camino, but sometimes just showing up with your lunch box and finishing the job is all that matters. Today was one of those days.

Day 6 on the Camino

Snow. That’s what greeted us in Fonfria that morning. Snow…and lot’s of it. Lucky for us the Angela kept bringing the toast, and the coffee was hot and strong. Sal and I shoved off in the snow at 1283 m, and we knew we’d have snow for the next couple of hours until we got out of the hills. Enroute to Triacastela (same place we watched the soccer) we came across Rob Shuter from South Africa. Was had started in Pamplona, and his trek would eventually total over 700 kms. We walked with him into town then stopped at a supermercado for lunch supplies then at a coffee house. Ondres and Oliver took a right out of Triacastela while Sal and I (and eventually Rob we found) took a left. Most folks had a guidebook for the Camino, but Sal and I just had some info off the internet that listed the next town, how many klicks, total kms, altitude, and what that place had as far as berthing. It was rudimentary, but it worked. Unfortunately, it didn’t mention anything about a shortcut to Sarria! Sal and I marched on the road to avoid the mud and cow paddies that were on the Camino. Eventually Rob joined us. Unfortunately the Camino turned right while we stayed on the road. We did, however, see the neat town of Samos and the huge stone monastery there. Someone had stayed there and said it was COLD, but at least it was cool to see. Sal and I ate lunch after buying more supplies, and then we marched at good 20 feet around the corner and had some coffee with Rob. The trek into Sarria took lots out of us as the asphalt (or tarmac as Rob called it) was unforgiving. As we finally overtook Sarria, it began to rain and then hail. Lovely.

We stopped at the municipal albuerge and paid the 3 Euros each while we waited for Rob. Neither Sal or I were too excited about the place, and Rob’s vote caused us to seek other shelter. I recall us blowing past the guy at the front desk as Sal was the last guy out of the door! We ended up at a much cleaner place up the hill by the church, and Sal and I ended up having our own room. Much nicer! Before dinner we rolled up to a bar just down the street and had a few drinks before dinner. The bar owner looked like a cross between Kenny Rogers and Dudley Moore, and he humored us as we sand several songs on Rob’s blueberry. Rob had brought his phone which gave him access to the web while most folks had a phone to use in emergency situations or for texting only. By this time I had been without a phone for almost 3 weeks, and I remember looking at it like a caveman looking at fire. Actually, NOT having my phone has been a wonderful thing as it’s allowed a certain freedom. My phone is a good thing, I just need to have a healthier balance with my availabilty to it. Anyways, we ended up eating at the albuerge with Rob, Oliver, a German couple, and Frenchy.

Day 6 was in the books, and we had done 198 kms.

Day 5 on the Camino

With my meltdown behind us, Sal and I headed into the mountains again. Our first stop was breakfast with Ellie and Santiago which was Belgian pancakes and coffee. Excllent! Usually we’d stop around the 10 km mark each morning for coffee and a bathroom stop. Since we’d knock out about 5 km an hour, this first stop was around 1030 each morning. Bathrooms along the way were quite clean and had ample soap and toilet paper, so they were key stops along the way. We rolled into the hills then began some long climbs upwards. The village O Ceibreros was a neat town that used stones for everything. Another important part of this town was that it marked the end of the Leon area and the start of Galicia. Galicia, as we were to find soon enough, was more like Ireland in many ways, espcially the weather. Green pastures, rolling hills, small villages, and fragrant dairies marked the landscape. We had wonderful weather that soon turned chilly then cold as we marched into Linares which was the midway point on your trek. The coffee stop was much needed as it began to drizzle, but the stop was not one of our favorites. The coffee wasn’t from the machine, so that was the first clue that it wasn’t going to be good. Most bars have an espresso machine with a light on showing it was ready to go. If you like coffee, keep walking unless they have a machine with the light on. We pressed on to Fonfria which was a small country village which we later found had only 27 people in it. There was an albuerge, and Sal and I sat for a bit trying to decide to stay or push on. We had spoken with Ondres about meeting after Linares, and this was the first place to do so. While we sat and relaxed, Oliver rolled in, so all of us decided to stay. Moments later, Ondres walked in. The place was spacious with 40 plus beds for the 4 of us. It was super cold inside and finally warmed a little with the heaters. Heaters were interesting because they were also a source for drying clothes, so they became important territory for us pilgrims. The early bird gets the heater. Etiquette dictated that you had rights to the heater closest to your bed, but communal heaters were fair game. Since there were only 4 of us, it didn’t matter. Usually, Sal and I would wash or rinse clothes in the shower then hang dry them at night. The dry fit shirts and pants dried quickly while only the socks needed a day or so.

The dinner that night was perhaps one of the best on the entire Camino. Angela, the owner and cook, made a beef and potatoe stew for the first course. The beef was from the local village and the potatoes were from her garden. We had 4 bowls each with bread. The second course was similar meat and potatoes but made somewhat differently and not in a stew. We finished the plate. Dessert varied to include flan, tarta de Santiago, fruit, etc. We also had table wine to wash it all down. The Pilgrim’s menu usually consisted of a first course, second course, then dessert along with bread and wine. It cost around 9 or 10 Euros, so it was affordable and usually delicious. After dinner, Angela and her 2 friends cranked up the music and all of us ended up dancing for a bit despite the sore feet! Shots of something akin to lighter fluid followed to complete the feast!

An interesting bloke from England, Dean, had ventured into Fonfria on a horse in the last year. He showed up a couple of times and announced that he was going to the next town, Triacastela, to watch the Champions League soccer. Next thing we knew, all 4 of us piled into 2 cars to go to town to watch soccer! I can still see Oliver and Ondres inside this small car going to the game!

FC Barcelona hammered Bayern Munich at home, so Bayern needed to bring their A game. Unfortunately for Oliver, who is German, they didn’t. We returned to the albuerge to a great night’s sleep after a fun and long day.

Day 5 was done, and we were over half way there!

Day 4 on the Camino

This was, by far, my worst day on the Camino. Sal and I started out strong from Ponferrada. We were lucky to have 2 good bunkmates, but the albuerge had over 200 people in in, and we favored more of the smaller towns as the trip went on. We had our usual coffee and started west. A quick stop for lunch from a local tienda in Camponaraya was a good one. We scored some jamon serrano, bread, cheese, and a big Coke then found a spot in the town center to eat. Maybe it was the fountain or maybe it was the lack of sun, we don’t know..but it was cold. That was about 10 km into the day. We didn’t have many elevation changes that day as we stayed around 500 to 600 meters. We finally made it to the stone and walled town of Villafranca del Bierzo. Normally the stone towns are quite impressive, but on this day the stones were also underfeet. Both of us wondered if there was a local bus station or railstation…me more so than Sal. I was tired and sore, and I was DONE with the Camino. Why was I here? Where was I going? I asked myself these questions and more. Then we ran into Ondres who we had met earlier in our trip. He encouraged us to press on and so we did towards the small village of Trabadelo. Ondres went ahead of Sal and I as we walked along the river. By the time we arrived, I was ready to really toss in the towel. The town was too small, it was beginning to rain, we were in the middle of nowhere, I was tired and sore, and I was at the end of my rope after another 30 im plus day walking with my bookbag. What made it worse was that there was a small truckstop just across the small river, and that stop meant cars, busses, etc…civilization!

Then a few things happened. First, I took a hot shower. Amazing what a hot shower can do on a cold day. Second, even though I didn’t want to, I joined Ondres for Mass in the tiny village. Mass was in one of the many churches we had passed that looked empty and old from the outside, but on the inside it was clean and ornate. I guess you really can’t judge a book by the cover. The Mass almost brought me to tears. I’m not sure what the readings were, but I was humbled by the Sacrifice of the Mass and was reminded that this Mass was being said all over the world. Third, I had a wonderful dinner with Sal and Ondres, and I was reminded of the power of being with family and friends. The meal was excellent as Ellie and Santiago (more her) put on quite a spread. The highlight was the fried calamari, deelish! Visit Ellie and Santiago in Trabadelo if you can, they ahve great food and even have rooms. Lastly, I had a great night’s sleep. I was constantly reminded through the Camino that from the poem DESIDERATA that “fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Great point.

Day 4 was in the books and to that point we had covered 133.6 kms and had averaged a bit over 30 kms per day.

In Santiago

Sal and I finished yesterday.

Finished is an understatement. Sal (aka The Diesel) pulled us through the past few days, as we did the 312 km in 9 days. The last few hours as we came into Santiago were in a cold downpour. I was shivering, and my hands wouldn´t work. It wasn´t the dramatic end that we expected, but it was how it played out. I scrawled my name in the log at the pilgrim´s office, and we found a hotel not far away. It took an hour for us to warm up!

Since then we met up with Rob and Oliver for dinner and a walkabout the now dry and bustling Santiago. This morning we went to the Pilgrim´s Mass that just happened to have the President of Ireland in attendance (she only did 100km). Rob is from South Africa and Oliver is from Germany (more on them later). We also met up with Ondres from Slovakia who we had met throughout the first few days. Sal, Oliver, Ondres, and I will eat a fine dinner tonight to celebrate our Compostella (completion certificate), walk the calles, then call it a night as we depart tomorrow.

I plan on going back later this week to update each day of the Camino. We met so many great people and saw some impressive sights. Right now I´m quite sore. My left ankle swelled up to twice the normal size, so that´s been interesting. My feet are sore in general, too. Overall, I´m a little tired and in good spirits. Today was the first day we didn´t get up and walk 30 km!

One quick thought is on the packs we took. Basically, I had a L. L. Bean bookbag, and Sal had an “executive suitcase” (according to Rob). We´ve had some good laughs on the packs throughout the trip. While it worked for us, I´d recommend a more efficient one.

I’d like to give a shout out to those on the Camino we ran across…Carl and the Montreal kids, Naomi, Kate, Jen and Jan, Hans, Ondres, Markus yes, Rob, Oliverum, the Italian ladies from Trieste, Frenchy, the Spanish Guy, the old man with the cane and smokes and cart, the Tin Man, Verbal, Virgil, Dean, Angela and the Fonfria gang, the attractive girl with her brother and the sticks, Lee Harvey, Peter Pan….and I’m sure there are more…just thank you!

Like I said, I´ll go back and update the days of the Camino since day 3.

Buen Camino!

Dominic

Day 3 on the Camino

Sore and tired in Ponferada. Sal and I had a good run on Day 2. We stayed in Hospital de Orbigo then walked to Rabanal in the hills last night. We were both so sore last night, and I had a couple of blisters. Luckily we ran into another angel, Andre, who helped with some blister repair. I also was able to go to Easter Vigil Mass at 2300 in the local church. This was a very small town that was in a town made of stone houses and small buildings. They don´t look like much from the outside, but the marble and tile inside make them sing. I guess it really doesn´t matter so much about the outside as much as it does on the inside.

We had a long walk today that included the highest point on our trip. It also included snow. First we saw it in patches, and then we saw it first hand. That was on the up and downhill portions (the highest point was 1500 m) until we came down to about 1200 m. We ended up in Ponferada which is where we are now.

We don´t have much time until lights out as this place has room for 204 people, and it´s probably full. We´ll wak at 0700 and roll by about 0800. We are both in need of a good night´s sleep.

The hostels or alburges are public, private, or church, so it varies on the size. Some include meals, some have kitchens, some have internet, etc. We have a room with two Italian cyclists, so it should be pretty quiet than the 32 person berthing area we had last night.

Sal and I have had some good laughs along the way. Here are a few quotes from the trip:

–The early bird gets the toilet paper

–I think these are book bags instead of backpacks, next time lets get the ones with the waist supports

–Over the next ridge, I´m sure

–This wine will act as liquid earplugs

–My body will seize up when we stop moving

–We´ve been looking at that town (insert name) for 3 hours…when is it going to get here?

–Hmm, good question…(our answer to others when they ask, so why are you doing the Camino?

–I’m going to sleep so hard tonight

Buonas noches!

Day 1 on the Camino

I´m quite tired. My feet are sore and my shouders ache. Sal is zonked out for a nap in the room to my right. Day 1 and 32 kms are behind us!

First, I had to say good bye to Sevilla. I really felt part of Joe and Pacqui´s family. I played with their kids, we ate together, and the last day we rested and watched movies. It was a good reminder that it´s okay to take a day off here and there and really TAKE A DAY OFF! I needed a day to be part of the couch, and I enjoyed it. This Semana Santa business is not for the weak at heart, so I had to bring my A game. It was great to see Joe and catch up. Some friends are like that as time can pass, and it won´t matter as we were able to pick up where we had left off years ago.

I took the AVE train to Madrid which was about 2.5 hours. From there I took the metro through Madrid to the airport to meet Sal. It was great to see him! We left a bag in the left luggage lockers in T1, and then we headed to Chamartin train station which is on the north side of Madrid to catch the 1130 to Leon. It was full, so we had lunch, watched people, and then took the 1430 train. The trip was uneventful except for the mountains and panoramas. Also, it was fun to watch Sal bob like a cork as we both dozed on and off. We arrived in Leon around 1900 (7 pm), and we ran into an angel named Carl from Quebec. Carl was a teacher leading 16 students on the Camino, and he added Sal and I to his group. We walked through Leon to the alburge which was a Benedictine Sisters house. There is little chance we would have found this place on our own. From there wandered into town and watched one of the Semana Santa processions while eating chorizo and squid along with bread and wine. We headed back around 2100 (9 pm) to get ready for bed in the dorm setup as there were about 20 of us in the bunkarea. I was able to go to Night Prayer and receive the Pilgrim´s Blessing from the Abbess, so that was great. She asked “why are you here, why are you making this Camino?” Good question. My first thoughts were to detach from some of the material things of this world like a cell phone and limited computer access. So far I haven´t died…

Sleep barely came as the Semana Santa crowd was quite rowdy well into the morning. 0600 came early. I started the day with a good laugh as Sal was having troubles packing in the dark. He also broke his snap on his pants, and then he lost his sunglasses (he later found them). We then hooked up with Carl´s group and left from the Cathedral around 0800 headed to Santiago!

Ok, so the lack of prep work was obvious from the start. Plus, Sal had packed extra stuff that he probably wouldn´t need like a heavier jacket and several tee shirts. We laughed on and off throughout the day! The gloves came in handy as the temp was in the 40s for most of the day. Also, a hat was a must as it got sunnier later. We didn´t have a map, but most folks were like Carl and were very helpful. The standard phrase is “trust the Camino”. We had second thoughts several times as we got more sore and tired.  However, we did enjoy seeing the snowcapped mountains in the distance along with the rolling farmlands. Highlights of the day were meeting and walking part of the day with 2 Australian ladies who had already been on the Camino for 2 weeks, a good coffee stop early, learning exactly how long a kilometer is, a stop at a local bakery for lunch and snacks, a bad coffee stop initiated by Sal, and finally, a stop at our alburge that´s connected to a church. For the small fee of 4 Euros, we have a warm bed and shower in the small town of Hospital de Orbigo which is west of Leon. We´ll eat in town a little later, call it an early night, and head our tomorrow morning around 0730 depending on how sore we are.

Notes to self from today:

1.  take water with you, never know when you´ll need it…or find it  SEMPER PARATUS, ALWAYS READY

2.  yes, there may be another stop for coffee around the corner…then again, maybe not SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY

3.  having a map can a be a good thing…then again SOMETIMES IT´S BETTER NOT TO KNOW

3.

Buen Camino!

The Processions in Sevilla

Wow, time is flying by in Sevilla. Okay, so they aren´t always having festas and celebrating something here as this week is Holy Week. It´s a huge week, the biggest of the year. I´m including a few videos to better capture the processions:

These will give an idea, but they don´t capture the entire story. When asked earlier this evening if we have processions like these in America, I thought about the local parades. Our parades are an hour long at best with a float pulled by a pick-up truck. Nothing wrong with that, but when you compare these processions that take 7 to 8 hours to complete with floats that are intricately designed and CARRIED, I thoughtfully said “no, we don´t.”

Alex, Joe and Pacqi´s son is 8 and has been in the procession for the 6th year! It´s an honor for people to be part of it, so this was a huge day for him, perhaps the biggest day of the year. His procession left his church around 8 pm and wouldn´t return until around 4 this morning! He did a great job making it until well after midnight!

We ate lots during the meal before the procession. Tapas of all kinds! I´ll write more tomorrow. I´m bushed.

Sal and I will meet up this Thursday in Madrid then take a train to Leon. We plan to start our Camino on Friday morning. Appropriately it will be Good Friday. We´re both looking forward to the adventure. Here´s some info on the Camino:

http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk/

Buonas noches from Sevilla!

Dominic

Semana Santa in Sevilla

Yesterday started late, we´ll leave it at that. Joe and I went into Sevilla (they live just west in Espartinas) then headed home after a cafe con leche which are delicious. Apparently, Pacqui had signed up for a bbq at their house for the afternoon, so we had to hustle. By the time we returned home, friends and family were waiting. Joe fired up the charcoal, and everyone started eating and drinking. It wasn´t much different than a good ole American bbq, except for the food. We had chorizos, lamb, ribs, etc., and they tasted delicious. We also had shrimp and a type of grilled sardines were were very tasty (some at the heads…I didn´t). Bascially, we ate and drank the afternoon away. Most drank bear, I had some red wine, then we moved the table out of the sun and brough out the desert and other drinks. The desert was a bread soaked in milk and honey, and I was all over that. The folks here don´t usually drink cokes with their meals, but they do so afterwards, sometimes with an added beverage like whiskey.

With the bbq behind us, Joe, Alex (Joe´s 8 year old son), his father-in-law, and I headed into Sevilla to go to the Real Betis v. Numancia futbol game. This is bigtime soccer in Spain, and this game was important to help prevent Betis from being relegated. I´m not a huge soccer fan, but I know enough to say that this was an odd game. The score ended 3-3 with a flurry of yellow cards that quickly turnd to red. Bottom line, folks were getting tossed from the game includng the Betis goalkeeper with less than a minute to play! Numancia scored to equalize. The fans were quite humerous as they chanted, jeered, and cheered their way through the game. I didn´t see any tailgates during the walk to the game, but the local bars were packed. About 30,000 people went to the game, so it was well-attended. We ended up eating dinner around midnight. Nice!

Today started with Mass at the local church in Espartinas. The church looked dead from the outside but was packed inside. The churches here aren´t usually built separately but part of the downtown. They usually just blend in with their surroundings. Palm Sunday was the same except everyone had olive tree branches from the local orchards instead of palm branches. Some caffe con leche on the walk home just lubed me up for a big day.

I went with Joe´s family, met Pedro´s family (brother-in-law), and his father-in-law, and we ate tapas in one of many plazas in Sevilla from Bar Rodriguez. We had fish, friend mini-fish, calamari, bread, garbanzo and spinach, wine, and beer. I found myself actually drinking and enjoying the local beer, Cruzcampos. Amazing! We relaxed under the trees and ate for a few hours. Today marks the beginning of Semana Santa in Sevilla, so the men were all dressed in coats and ties, and the women had the latest fashions. Some women blended old and new fashions, so that was interesting. The highlight of the week is the processions each day. Today there was 9 processions from 9 different churches. Each church prepares their church´s statues on a very ornate and expensive float. There´s two floats per church. The first one depicts Christ either from the Gospels or from the Stations of the Cross. The detail is amazing. That float goes first. The second float is one of Mary, and again, she´s depicted in a variety of ways like hope, love, sorrow, etc. These floats aren´t floats as we know them. These are heavy construction made from the finest wood, metals, etc. The clothes on the statues are particular, ornate, and expensive. The designs and colors on the floats tell a specific story, too. The most interesting is that people actually carry the float! Since there´s a skirt around the bottom, you can´t see the people. Also, there´s candles and a procession associated with the floats, but I´ll get to that in a minute. Calling them floats really doesn´t do them justice, and if my battery hadn´t died, I´d have some excellent footage. I´ll get some later this week. These floats are about 10 feet wide, about 20 feet tall, and about 20 feet long. The floats leave the church, parade through the town, keep going to the Cathedral, and then return to their church. That takes about 6-7 hours! This is a major operation! For one procession to pass one point takes about an hour! Now the procession is filled with people in a costume that looks exactly like the KKK (I´m not kidding). I´m not sure of the history on that, but I´ll get back to you. Each church´s procession can have hundreds of these folks dressed like this. Tradition has them leaving their house in costume and returning in costume, so it was quite interesting to see folks going home later that night dressed like that!

So after the tapas, we headed to the first procession. We worked our way through the crowd until we were close, about 20 feet from the passing floats. Bottom line, we got separated, and I headed INTO an oncoming procession (remember I said 9 went out today). At least an hour later, I made it through about 50 yards of people and could take one of three turns. I turned right, popped out of the crowd, and started walking back to Bar Rodriguez. A few turns later I happened upon our group! They fell over when they saw me as there were thousands of people milling about! Mas suerte.

We went to the second floor Betis futbol club house (thanks to Joe´s father-in-law) and watched 3 processions go by a certain area. This area has chairs that are reserved and passed down through the generations much like Green Bay Packer tickets. When the floats would pass, everyone would stand to show their respects while the floats worked their way along the crowded streets. A band would play with the floats to keep morale high and keep the beat as they moved in unison. Incense filled the air so just about every sense was engaged. It reminded me of one of the Gospels that encouraged us to “hold onto your traditions both written and oral.”

Around midnight we had more tapas and beverage to close out the day. This was nothing I was told, apparently the week builds as Easter draws near. Alex, Joe´s son, will be in one of the processions on Tuesday, so we´ll need to rest up for that event as it will take most of the day and night. I´m looking forward to it.

Buona noches!