Dear families, today we begin this chronicle with a little tourist promotion. If you’ve never been to the Orellana reservoir, you can start packing your bags. Today, when the darkness lifted, two hours after we had started walking, we found ourselves in this paradise almost without knowing how. We couldn’t believe it: after so many days of dry landscape, with at most the odd stream, it was wonderful to come across this vast body of water, shining and clean. We stopped for breakfast in front of the reservoir: some delicious waffles that Luis made for us (long live Sundays and their special breakfasts!), plus some biscuits that the parishioners of Talarrubias gave us last night.
By the water, some took the chance to practise the oldest sport in the world: stone throwing. It must be said that Antonio manages to make his stones bounce 7 times on the water; he is an unbeatable master.
Although the route was beautiful, we had a little run-in with a mini-flock of sheep that got in front of us. While Jose tried to steer them, Fr Toni made us stop in a line and keep absolutely silent, so as not to frighten them. Nacho Campmany thinks it’s outrageous that now, as well as obeying the priest, we have to do what the sheep say too…
At a quarter to twelve we made our usual Sunday link-up with the parish of Sant Rafael, so that they could see we were safe and sound, and to sing the entrance hymn of the 12 o’clock Mass with them.
Our destination today was Orellana la Vieja, where a deeply moved Don Alejandro welcomed us with some bags of crisps that vanished the moment we arrived. From the welcome you could already tell that something good was coming: the immense hospitality of the whole village of Orellana la Vieja. Don Eugenio, the parish priest, joined us for adoration and Mass with a group of lovely parishioners. He urged us to fight the tares in our heart. Of course, we can’t avoid having thoughts or desires that draw us away from the Lord, but we can fight so that they don’t nest in us. To do so, we have three infallible means: the Eucharist, confession and devotion to Our Lady. At the end of Mass we sang the Virolai (Don Eugenio knew the words perfectly!) and then the hymn to Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is also a Black Madonna like ours.
Dinner was a gift from this parish priest and his people, and it was unbeatable: croquettes, squid, stew, homemade gazpacho… One parishioner gave us 4 jugs of homemade lemonade, 6 litres each!
Don Eugenio spent a little while with us while we had dinner and we felt his affection for us and for our project. He says that as soon as he passes through Barcelona, he’ll come and lay stones at Sant Rafael; in fact, we found out that he has organised a collection among the faithful here for the rebuilding… We can’t stop thanking God for the good and dedicated priests he has given our Church; in every village we pass through we find true Fathers who offer us the home we need and help us draw the greatest spiritual fruit from this way.
Now we’re off to bed with full stomachs and happy souls; we hope you’re all as well as we are.
Good night, parents!