Day 3

It is difficult to keep track of the days as the one rolls into the other and we don't know what is going on in the rest of the world beyond our little village. The hospitalera team is settling in and we are now beginning to work as a team and to be accepting of our differences. It is hard work. We start our day at 6am getting breakfast ready for the pilgrims at 6.30. We start cleaning and finish by 12 noon. The previous team used to finish by 9.30 but you can imagine the dust in a 15th century building with its nooks and crannies and wood everywhere. We have a huge fly problem which we are trying to deal with. We then have breakfast and get ourselves ready for the next lot and 2 of us go off 2 Santa Domingo to do the shopping. We start preparing supper at 5.30 and get the pilgrims to help chop, peel, etc. Mass is at 7pm with a special Pilgrims Blessing. Dinner at 8. We put bowls of soapy water on the tables and pilgrims have to wash their own plates. Its a lot of fun and all this unites them. We had 2 Israelis yesterday who sang and played the guitar. I had to cook yesterday for 21 pigrilms plus the priest who joined us as well as Mariana from the Hospitaleros Association who was checking up on us. Everyone said I prepared a superb meal and it was even given the stamp of approval by a lovely French lady who is obviously a superb cook. I was terrified as its not easy to cook in this enormous pot with everyone watching your every move. I have survived and next time will be easier. At 9.30 we have a time for reflection in the candle lit church (my turn to lead it tonight) Lights out and silence at 10.30 but everyone is in bed usually by 10pm. We then collapse into bed All the pilgrims express great appreciation and by the time they leave the next day we all give big hugs to them as they give to us. Lots of previous pilgrims who pass through stop off just to recapture memories of their stay here. We had a young Hungarian guy with a sad tale of losing his job, his wife divorcing him and losing his children so he was in physical and emotional pain and struggled to leave us so he stayed for 2 days, mainly sleeping. He is trying to find himself. Every pilgrim has a story to tell. Americans are in the majority and we think that this is because of the influence of the film The Way. Work and pilgrims are calling
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