Early this morning we repeated yesterday’s plan: a police escort for the stretch of main road, which in fact made up 90% of the stage. But with a pleasant new twist: today we were allowed to walk in pairs instead of in single file. So we were able to talk and keep ourselves entertained with at least one person. Mind you, you had to choose your partner in adventure carefully, because they would be that for a total of four hours…
Along the way today more drivers waved at us than ever. We suspect they must have seen us on the RTP news and know about our feat, because they greet us as if we were real “celebrities”.
As for the music section, these last few days we’ve taken to singing in rounds. The legendary “Dins la fosca tot d’una” and “Eo, yo remando voy” were there, of course, joined by a hit that Xavi Campmany brought us from the seminary choir. The lyrics go like this:
“Corre atabalada i la nit travessa, com si tingués pressa, la ratapinyada”
The lyrics are rather gloomy, and the music even more so. It has to be said that it fits the context very well, when we sing it half asleep in the darkness of the early hours.
Today’s stage was 35 km, normal to long according to the pilgrim classification. After the odd setback, we arrived safe and sound at our finish, Biscainho, where another spectacular welcome was waiting for us. The most touching thing was the sign they had hung on the door of the sports centre, with a colourful “Benvinguts” (“Welcome”, written in Catalan!) and the Sant Rafael logo.
A group of women and men from the village had been working since 9 in the morning to have lunch and dinner ready for us, both of unbeatable quality. To be honest, we looked a bit like vultures at lunchtime, all glued to the table and armed with forks in hand, waiting for grace to be said so we could attack.
Some of us were lucky enough to go and shower at families’ homes. An adorable lady called Liu offered to take a few of the girls to her house by car; on the way she saw a friend of hers and shouted euphorically through the window: “The Pope’s pilgrims are coming to my house, alleluia!!!”.
In the evening, at the get-together, a new band formed by a few of the girls was unveiled, and they came out with a smash hit. We also danced “Shaba balua” thinking of our dear Pawel, who in the end won’t be able to join the group but sent us a very moving message from Poland. And, to finish, we sang “El 13 de mayo” with our angels from Biscainho, in honour of Our Lady of Fátima. We said goodbye with great affection, promising to pray for one another. It’s incredible that we can feel so very loved by people who don’t know us at all, but to whom we are bound by the ties of faith. What beautiful gifts we receive day after day!
Good night, family!