Getting off the main road

While most of yesterday's rather dreary walk was beside highway N-120, most of today's walk while near the road, was far enough away that the traffic could barely be seen or heard.  I also opted for a more scenic route that took me through fields and glades, punctuated by small rivers and irrigation canals.

As I was approaching the village of Hospital de Orbigo, the bells began chiming to announce Mass at a small Romanesque parish church.  It was the Sunday parish mass, and was not unlike parish Eucharists around the world - a mix of generations (skewed to the older end to be sure), a keyboard player leading a few women in a choir, a priest who smiled a lot, and people sitting near me who seemed quite fascinated by this non-Spanish-speaking Canadian who just dropped in. It was lovely.  The moment that made me smile, though, was the offertory song...the tune was unmistakably "Blowin' in the Wind," although the words were, I think, sacred.

This same town also has one of the longest Roman bridges in the world, spanning a river and what are now playing fields and a park. 

The afternoon was spent in worship of a different sort...with the luxury of a washer AND dryer, a couple of other pilgrims and I cooperated on a couple of loads of laundry, patiently holding one another's place in the line for the appliances. 

Today's Music:  We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land (my church readers will be thinking of the hymn associated with Thanksgiving or, in the English tradition 'Harvest Home;' my theatre readers will be thinking of the Stephen Schwartz musical Godspell.)

Today's Paces:  23,773

Tomorrow's Prayer Intentions:  Gratitude - it is the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday