Rabanal 2

After tea, it was time to find somewhere for dinner before Vespers at 7pm.

I took a stroll around the village and found a bar in another albergue, which was open to non-residents and would serve food from 6.30pm. I enjoyed huevos con chorizo, washed down with a glass of tinto de verano.

I returned as quickly as tired legs and flip flops would allow and made it to the church as vespers began. The service was almost entirely in Latin and Gregorian chant, led by no more than half a dozen Benedictine brothers from the small monastery next to the albergue. Fortunately they had service booklets with the words of the Psalms and other readings in Latin and English (or French or German) in parallel, plus the Gregorian notation for the melodies. When it came to the main reading, from 1 John 2 v3-6, this was read in Spanish, German, English and French. The church was packed and it was a beautiful service.

The reader in English was the American pilgrim who I’d met back in Hornillos and who I’d seen last night and earlier on the road today. We had a further conversation after the service. He was staying in the monastery tonight, but had stayed in the CSJ albergue on his 2 previous caminos.

I returned to the church for Compline at 9.30pm. This was more Gregorian chant from 3 brothers but mostly in Spanish (and a little Latin). Again there were parallel translations.

The service ended with a pilgrim blessing (see photo for the wording). Another special moment.

And now for that top bunk!Weiterlesen