Chronicle of Tuesday 5 August

Dear parents, grandparents, friends and all the rest of the pilgrims,

Today we arrived in Fratta Polesine, a little town in the Veneto region. Today’s route began, as is our good custom, with the morning meditation, in which Father spoke to us about the importance of not anchoring ourselves in our own wishes and hopes, since the ways of the Lord are inscrutable. He told us about St Anthony of Padua, who could not go to Morocco because the Lord had other plans for him.

Just as we were reaching the breakfast stop, Edurne’s trainers decided they couldn’t walk another step and abdicated their duties. A new pair of walking trainers would make a good present to celebrate her name day, don’t you think?

When we finally arrived at the parish of Saints Peter and Paul, where kind Don Mario was welcoming us tonight, a cool, refreshing lemonade was waiting for us to celebrate Our Lady of the Snows. By the way, happy name day to all the Blancas, Neus and Edurnes we know are reading us.

Once camp was set up, it was time for showers. While the girls in the group preferred to walk 1 km further to the municipal football ground, where we were offered the showers in the changing rooms, the boys reckoned a good blast from a hose in the yard behind the parish was more worthwhile than having to walk a bit further for something as basic as a shower tray under their feet. By the way, toilets in Italy are like the UN: apparently they’re not Italian, but Turkish.

There was more than one surprise at lunch. To start with, since Gerard Gel had no cap, he was given a new one printed with a few Disney princesses on a candyfloss-pink background. We’ve also got hold of a small megaphone that can change your voice. Now Father really is scary: when he speaks he sounds like Darth Vader!

In the afternoon we had the meditation, in which we were told about the need to trust blindly in God, and Holy Mass in the town’s parish church, which, like the last ones we have seen in Italy, was beautiful.

Dinner today was delicious. There was salad with tomato and everything, and some chicken fajitas with seasonings that, to be honest, really cheered the stomach. At the get-together, Anna Gel told us about her adventures in Kenya with some other girls from her class this past June. How lovely it is to share experiences among ourselves and see how good the people around us are. Anna’s testimony left us speechless.

Well, it’s time for bed. Until tomorrow, families: we’re sure we’ll have lots of stories and things to tell you. We pray a lot for you. Please keep praying for the fruits of our pilgrimage.