To the Monasterio de Leyre

Great day, except for the livestock blocking the narrow path I was walking on my way to the Paso Del Oso, which I never got to. But oh well.

I left Javier at around seven in the morning and by 10 I was up at the monastery. It was a very pretty off-road walk, turning a 8 km drive into a 12 km walk. But I was very happy to be off the roads and in the forest. When I arrived at the monastery, I decided I still had plenty of energy and could follow the tracks to the Paso Del Oso, a high point about 4 km straight up from the monastery. It was rocky and steep, but I was feeling fine. Unfortunately, about halfway up, a bunch of livestock appeared in front of me. There were a lot of of them, and I just couldn’t figure out how to get around them. Not only that, if I got around them on the way up, I would have to get around them again on the way down. So I turned around, a bit disappointed, but I had enjoyed great views of the aquamarine reservoir below.

When I was about a kilometer away from the monastery, there was a short intense rain. Just enough to soak my shoes. When I got back down, at around 1 o’clock, I decided to visit the crypt and the church. I had been there before, but not since 1995. I still had a very clear memory of both places. I especially remember hearing Vespers chanted in the 11th century Romanesque Church, and noticing how the barrel vault arches were uneven and not symmetrical. But as imperfect as they were, I thought they were beautiful — not over the top or gaudily decorated, just simple barrel vaults, hanging high up there in tact after all these centuries. And today they look just as they did all those years ago.

I had lunch in the cafetería, and then took another shorter walk up to the site of the miraculous fountain of San Virila. He was the abbott of the monastery in the 900s and was having a crisis of faith. One hot summer afternoon, he fell asleep by the fountain. When he woke and went back to the monastery, no one knew who he was. 300 years had passed. A dove appeared with the Abbott’s ring and put it on Virila’s finger. Records of the monastery confirmed that he had been the Abbott in the 900s. Crisis of faith averted, and he was canonized.

At 4:00, I went to the reception desk of the monastery (Benedictine). Padre Ramón was expecting me, and took me around to a non-cloistered room. Bunkbed, bathroom, showers, table, outlet for charging phone, no more necessary. The padre will leave me dinner and breakfast. All for a donativo.

Vespers tonight. I remember going with my kids in 1995. They were gobsmacked and my 11 yo son wanted to go back for compline. I don’t think he’s ever asked to go to the church before or since.Weiterlesen