I bounced down …in the elevator!! Well you have to preserve your energy don’t you?
“Oh Donde es Mango?” I say….the receptionist looks at me like I’ve fallen off a log and explains that it’s sunday and everywhere is shut!
“What! No shoes, no dress….”
”But you can go to mass in the cathedral she explains. My face must have said it all. The worst thing was now that I had got this far, I didn’t know what to do with myself. There was no usual morning routine and I didn’t want to stop in case I forgot how to walk,and wouldn’t go on the next day. What possessed me to stop for a day?
There was nothing for it so I meandered down to the cathedral. Sure enough at 15 mins before mass the huge wooden doors opened and we all filtered in.
Here endothelial my bright lesson. The next 45 minutes were the most unexpected of my whole trip. Out in the square they were erecting a stage for a festival of bicycles??? Go figure! And pop music was blaring out and being tested. Not exactly conducive to going to mass.
Inside, an attendant in a black suit seemed to be officiating. We all take our seats and at the given hour, a procession of no less that 4 priests in emerald vestments followed by another clergyman in white enter and start a sung mass.
Firstly, it sounded so beautiful, I was transfixed. I felt privileged to be there. I though it must be taped music but found out after mass that most of it was led by the organist, a large man with a voice from heaven. I could almost follow it and go through all the motions waiting for the communion. We all turn and wish each other ‘Peace’ and shake hands.
I can’t explain why but at that moment when people turned back to continue the mass, the tears tripped from my eyes. I tried to hold my face in my hands. I felt stupid, emotional, old or something but the tears wouldn’t stop. The mass continued in the stateliest of fashions. I have never been so moved in a service before. It was like watching a meticulous pageant of great peace and dignity. I wanted to hold my sobs in. I took communion and went back to my seat. I can’t even tell you if I prayed..if I did, it was just for everyone I knew, especially my babies.
I left and walked quietly down a pretty street. Without any prompting I just wanted to tell my mum…but she wasn’t there and right there in the middle of the street I had to stop and cover my face again. There is no rhyme or reason for anything I suppose and if I could have done so I would have let go completely. Would that be coming out of my envelope I wondered?
Thank God I was getting a message from Fiona saying, “we are here? Where are you?”
It didn’t take me long!!!…..we were off to meet Simon and Juliana from Brisbane. So the conversation flowed…you know….’I have a son in Brisbane…blah blah…’ Juliana is a psychologist and Simon seemed to know his way around a map and its faults with the scales and elevations. A glass of much appreciated wine restored the bonhomie. We set off from the Four Lions cafe?????…to meet up with Jean Pierre and Marianne. It was great. I was walking and talking and going to eat with six others and no one seemed to bother that I was on my own. We were kindred spirits. I laughed over the wine choice with the men and of course paid my way, and chatted about Panama hats with the girls. It was just what I needed.
We chose an Italian because I had to get up and move on the last leg of my journey…and it was open early. It was just outside the cathedral and El Niño was blowing a hoolie. It was warm but the poor waiter who was trying to serve at least 70 people at once and struggled to get the paper mats to stay on the table.
Tagliatelle with Putanesca sauce…first spicy food that I have had. It wasn’t enough because I am greedy but everyone seemed satisfied apart from the wine so we moved on to have a night cap. mmm Lovely.
The only difficult thing was that Simon started showing me the routes ahead. I was flabbergasted.
There was 22.2 K followed by a 31K day, then 20K followed by 34k and a massive , massive climb after that to 1550 meters to the Iron Cross. Was I stupid to have missed that? I would be on my own again as they were staying over. I went to bed with my head full of how can I do this?….I had another few hotel sweets and switched the light off.