At first light, I was on my way. It poured rain but, in spite of the rain, it was a nice walk through small villages and hamlets. I know it sounds odd to describe it as 'nice' but its just a matter of getting used to the rain and carrying on. There was absolutely nothing open but it was a lovely amble through the countryside. Rain, muck on the trail and fresh cow shit make an interesting gumbo to walk through! The bull tied in the middle of the pathway was an interesting obstacle too!
Eventually, I reached Portomarin. You enter the town on a long, high bridge over the Rio Mino. If you look down, you can see the ancient Roman bridge that has stood there for centuries. And, if you look carefully, you can make out the shadowy forms of houses and streets that were completely submerged in the 1950's when Franco decided to build a reservoir, completely submerging the town. The ancient fortress/church of St. John was saved and it stands as a massive monument to the Order of St. John of Jerusalen, the Knights of Malta.
It took a bit of doing, but I finally found a small pension. After I got settled in, I went in search of a supermercado (supermarket) to replenish my supplies. And, as they say, an interesting thing happened on the way. As I entered the store, I saw a young girl, maybe 20 or 21, trying to buy groceries. Her kit and her lack of Spanish marked her as a pilgrim. I offered to help. She spoke French and a little English. Turned out that she had no money and she was trying a 'cash-back' transaction. I should have twigged to that but I didn't - thought she was French. I talked with the owner but he said that such a transaction was impossible for him to do. I offered to buy some groceries for her but she said she didn't want anything if she couldn't get some cash. All along, a crowd was gathering and she was getting more and more agitated. Eventually, I tumbled to the fact that she was a Canadian too - from Quebec. Finally, she just burst into tears and hurried out into the rain. I followed her into the street and gave her some money so she could get a meal and a place to stay. As I returned to the store to shop, I noticed that the owner had been watching me. He turned and went out into the street and called her back. I watched from a ways back. I don't know what happened but she ended up with both food and 50 or 60 Euros. Before she left, she came over to me to say 'thank you'. She was crying, I am certain with relief. Tomorrow is Sunday and the banks won't open til Monday but she will have enough to tide her over til then, esp. if she calls home to arrange for a cash transfer from the DAD National Bank.
I thought about that later and reflected on what various roles we play, what being in the Order means, etc. Went to mass at the Church of St. John. This church really is build like a fortress. It was constructed around 1250 AD by the Order of St. John and is in the shape of a rectangle. High, bare walls are surmounted with battlements. The 'church' had all of the necessary facilities for a troop of mounted fighting men - armoury, refectory or dining hall, barracks and .... a simple but beautiful church in the building. Outside, above a beautiful carved doorway, is a magnificent rose window. Mass was quite moving.
Afterwards, went back to my room. Spoke with Alex Moseanu, not only my friend but also the Grand Prior of the Order of St. John in Canada. As we talked, he found an image of the church on the internet. It was interesteing to chat with him, what with me looking out my window at the church and him looking at the same image in his home in Toronto. Spoke as well with my friend Fred. He made an interesting observation. He said that, if I feel my ruck is heavier sometimes, its because I am carrying many other people with me on my pilgrimage. Hmmmmm. Thought about that for a while as I lay in bed waiting for sleep to come.
Ultreya
