May 12--Music

Man, today was a GREAT day.  Like, for real, it was just a great day.  It was a normal 13 mile hike, so it wasn't too terrible or long, and I was just with a good group, and we had some FUN!

Once we got out of the city and back on the Camino, we all started singing.  Well, I guess out of the group of eight of us, five of us started singing.  We as a study abroad group prepared three songs to sing in Mass and at churches, but some of the more musical students have been getting a little bored with those hymns, so we decided to just make a smaller group who wants to sing more, and today was our first little practice session.  Although we made the mistake of practicing singing while walking uphill, we eventually got to more level paths that were more suited to our lung capacities ;-) And honestly, on and off, we kept singing for probably the next 2-3 hours--we sang hymns, some John Denver, some not strictly church but still spiritual music (Come Thou Fount, Homeward Bound, etc.).  Sometimes we had music, sometimes we didn't, but it was just really fun and comfortable and a really relaxing way to pass the time.  Plus, it was really cute when we visited our "church of the day".  The same group that had been practicing while walking got together to do a couple more unprompted numbers after the study abroad group sang our practiced songs.  After we sang, one of our professors asked if we had been singing earlier that day.  He told us about a person they had met earlier who had actually HEARD us while we had been walking through a small town that morning.  In fact, a few people in our group told us to be quiet because people could still be asleep, but since it was 10:30, we kept singing.  It was a girl from Holland who told our teachers she had woken up, gone to her window and heard us singing.  She then told our professors that she was a believer, and asked if we were as well.

I think as a member of a church that uses music, especially music that would be considered more sacred and reverent, and which invites the worshippers to participate in the music, I forget what a spiritual impact sweet, reverent music can have on the soul.  The other day, Isaac (my bestie on the Camino) asked me and the others with whom we were walking if we thought the people who had thanked us for singing actually enjoyed it, or if they were just being polite.  And although I think some people are just polite, I think for most, our singing (though it isn't professional) is a really spiritually uplifting experience for listeners,  I mean, it is an experience that we, as members of the church, take for granted when we feel it every week at the very least.  And today, being able to be musically creative and expressive was really fun and uplifting, and it obviously was for others as well.

 

Along with that, even though it was mostly open road today, we still saw some fun things.  We passed this black smith who had his forge and shop right next to the Camino, and he had a GREAT stamp and some good stuff (though it was all too expensive and heavy for me to buy).  

 

Also, we passed the "fuente de vino" or "fountain of wine".  There is a vineyard that is right on the Camino, and they have a spigot that is specifically for peregrinos (us pilgrims).  Any peregrino can go up and take the shell that they are given at the beginning of the Camino (and which we carry throughout the entire hike) and use it to drink a sip or two of wine from this spigot.  The plaque next to the spigot says "Si quieres llegar a Santiago, con fuerza y vitalidad, de este gran vino echa un trago, y Brinda por la Felicidad," which means "If you want to get to Santiago, with strength and vitality, of this wine, take a drink and receive happiness."  Let me tell you, I didn't take a drink, but IF I was ever going to try alcohol, that would've been the coolest place to do it :D

As we were finishing up the walk, we passed by this place that had a TON of animals--goats, kids, ducks, chickens, AND the guy who owned them kept a bucket of scraps (pea pods, old bread, etc) that we could feed to the animals! It was just so cute and a fun way to finish up the day.

 

One last thing I wanted to mention--FOOD (of course!) As we have traveled more west, we have started trying new local food (like the "curd" *shudder*) and last night at dinner and for lunch, the menu had "ponchas" which are white beans grown around this area in Estella and it's surrounding towns ;-) So of course, I have been partaking, and it is VERY tasty!