Get thee to a Monastery

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Today was the driving day. Normally we only do a couple of hours actual driving a day but as we were heading for the Pyrenees it was a necessity. To be totally honest the first part of the trip we could have been in Australia, it is easy to see it is the end of summer with dry paddocks and bales of hay stacked high in barns and under cover - perhaps a sign of a long winter ahead. We stopped at a tiny town called Monzon known for absolutely nothing but a warm welcome to a bunch of Aussies who stumbled their way through ordering coffee and using the loo. The men who were having their morning coffee/something more substantial took it all in their stride including the man who is obviously used to having the bathroom to himself so doesn't bother to close the door - or at least until today he didn't!!!

After a very good coffee we headed to our lunch destination, Jaca, pronounced Haka as in the NZ war dance!! What a pretty town known for its Citadel which now has deer rather than water in it's moat and a church and as a base for cyclists and skiers. We are all a bit "churched out" so headed straight for lunch to a local place for the "real" tapas of this region which are the bread based ones that we had heard about. Justin, our guide, also suggested we should try Migas which is a traditional breakfast/lunch dish that began as food that the shepherds could cook in one pan. It is made with stale breadcrumbs, olive oil, garlic and paprika cooked until crispy then absolutely anything can be added. Ours came with fried eggs on top - simple but delicious.

After a wander around looking for pilgrims, because Jaca is an important way point for the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, we boarded the bus to meander through the Pyrenees to arrive at the Monasterio de Leyre, or rather the accommodation that has been converted from part of the 9th century Monasterio. What a delightful surprise - high on a hill with magnificent views is this little gem. We had a tasting, rather large at that, of the 33% liqueur one of the local monks makes from 35 different herbs accompanied by a yummy almond cake then a tour of the church which, again, was really quite simple. Another of "those" moments was when we realised we were in time to hear an organ recital (the organ has 1250 pipes) and the monks do Vespers where they sing/chant the whole service.

Amazing to think last night we were listening to 8 young people sing modern songs in a church from the 11century and tonight we were listening to 30 monks chant in a church from the 14th century.

We are so grateful and feeling blessed. Trusting each of you in your own way is enjoying this beautiful world.

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Photos

Part of the sea shell sign on the footpath in Jaca
The pattern indicates that all roads lead to Santiago and are representative of the "ribs" of a shell

Sign for the ladies bathroom - I feel honoured
The men's was ... no not Miguel ... Jose Luis!!

A whole town that has been abandoned (reason unknown)
Evidently we will see much more of this over the coming days

Comments

[Wendy]

Vicarious travel
We are enjoying travelling with so much I doubt we could see more if we went ourselves!

[Di]

Monastery delights
That sounds absolutely divine!! I do like a chant (especially the Gregorian variety). And what a perfect way to round off your liqueur tasting sojourn too.