Holy Thursday – Caldas de Reis to Padron

Today’s walk has certainly been different from others. The woods we walked through were full of life and echoing with birds and other animals. Though it was difficult to begin the walk in the morning, after putting ourselves in the mindset of “we could do it” it seemed easy and achievable. The walk seemed bearable even after a poor student was stung by a bee and we resorted to ice cream as pain relief. Arriving into the town, we were eager to just rest but after being told we’d get the chance to see the Easter procession, we became intrigued by the concept. The procession began with men in purple robes and masks parading the streets and banging their drums. The band left us in a state of amazement as to how precise everyone was and the beautiful cross they carried. The drums echoed through the streets and after the cross passed, the music transitioned to a soft and welcoming beat. Though at first it was rather intimidating to be in their midst, I felt as if we got lost in the crowd of people and just became part of the community. To end an exciting day, the group participated in a well prepared liturgy from Mrs Nolan which capped off an amazing spiritual day.