Cirauqui: a small village with a smiling heart…
When you stay in small villages during El Camino, you know that you will have a better flavor of the peoples’ hearts. Yesterday I stayed at a small village, and today I passed Puente de la Reina to stay in Cirauqui. Wow! It is a cute village. As you approach it, you know that it is a very special village. When Miriam, Pedro, and me arrived in company of another pelegrino, we said from the distance, in one voice: it is a beautiful place!
But this morning was different. It was raining all night at Cizur Maior. When I opened the door of my room, it looked like a tornado was passing through. The temperature dropped 20 degrees. It was cold. I put on my warm sport jacket, and the rain top. The sky was cloudy, and strong winds were coming from all directions. I just put myself in God’s hands. When I arrived to the village of Zariquiegui, three women were leaving their shelters 50 meters in front of me. From there on, was the beginning of Altos del Perdon. According to locals the hardest ascending point. It was very easy for me, after surely training 26 days in France. Reaching the highest point was the famous monument of the pelegrinos. The winds were so strong that I thought that I would fly to Santiago without walking. I ascended running it to Uterga. It was time for breakfast. Ana was putting her business signs out. I asked her: is the coffee ready? She said: coffee and more. She has a great personality. Her daughter Ana S. was behind the counter on the phone. I asked for a cup of coffee, and bread with tomato spread and ham. It was so yum! Ana S. had great music going on. We talked about their trip to the USA west coast coming on.
It was amazing to see how many snails were on the path after this village. They were everywhere! A new smell was in the air. Something that woke up my childhood memories. It was like Christmas. I started touching all the plants. When I discovered that some one has been taken all the flowers of a particular plant. I had to reach one out of the path, because all have been taken. It was Anise. What great stories came to my memory for over 10kms. It grows everywhere in this area. I continued to Muruzábal, but I did a 2.4 km turn toward Eunate, out of El Camino, to see the Templars Church of Santa Maria. It is a place to go and see. It is a magical site. A octagonal Church with a sacred history. It was closed, but the tradition says that you must walk around it three times, and ask for the impossible. I did!
From there, I walk 2.5 km to go back to El Camino in the town of Obanos were St. Felicity suffered her martyrdom, and St. William was converted. By now I was in Puente de la Reina. There I found Pedro drinking a beer outside a bar. We bought some tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, and bread for lunch. I visited the church, where I found a great statue of St. Sebastián.
Now, I must be honest. After this town there was a very hard hill to hike. Pedro and me hiked it at high speed.
We finished it thirsty, and stopped at Mañeru, another cute village. The town workers were outside the bar having some beers. We had a great joyful conversation there. A city worker without know me brought me a drink. A young women passed walking her dog and join us. The dog was a Portugal water dog. It was chocolate color. Smartest could not be! Until he discover the sausages in my backpack. He did all kind of tricks to win a pice it.
Miriam and another Pelegrino joined us there to walk to Cirauqui. When we arrived to town, the town was desolated. When we did the turn by the church, there was a child playing soccer by himself. We arrived to the shelter and Serena, an Italian woman, received us with a big smile. It is a lovely place.
I went for groceries at Teofilo’s market. It was so charm. They told me that the mass was in 10 minutes. I was without shoes. Pedro took his sandals off,and let me wear them to church. I arrived and they were praying the rosary. Oh, my… it was like to be in my home town. They were reciting the litanies of the Blessed Virgin Mary as we do. It was a special time. I concelebrate in mass with Father Rafael. A lovely community. After mass I returned to the shelter but every one was gone. I walked down to the base of the village and all the action was there. When I arrived, they all new that I was the priest at the church. We all had a god time with the locals. We ate pizza, and we cut it with scissors. It is a village to come back!