San Pancracio: Take Two

This weekend was the romería de San Pancracio in Valverde del Camino, Huelva. If you remember, we are sister brotherhoods. They came to our romería at the beginning of May and so about 18 of us left La Roda at 6am Saturday to make it in time for San Pancracio's salida from the church and the start of the camino to his hermitage outside Valverde.

The church in Valverde is beautiful. Much bigger than here in La Roda. I think the population of Valverde is about double ours so that's to be expected. The camino was all along the highway, unfortunately, but the countryside was still beautiful and luckily it wasn't too hot. After about 6km we stopped to eat and rest in a picnic area that's in the middle of a pine forest--shade was quite welcome after such a long walk in the sun!

The forest is beautiful and made me think of home a little bit. In this picture, on the way to the hermitage after stopping to eat, you can get an idea of the forest. Not quite like Portola...but much more similar than the olive groves that surround me in La Roda!

We had a wonderful time, even though we had to leave earlier than we would have liked. Our bus driver couldn't stay longer so we had to pack up by 11pm.

Other big news, and not entirely unrelated--I have a job interview today! Yesterday I got a call from an academy in Antequera (the town where I worked last year) asking if I was interested in a job with them for next term. I had sent my resume about two weeks ago just to see what would come of it... :) A total shot in the dark, since they weren't advertising a position at all.

Perhaps all the walking with San Pancracio (Saint of work and health, remember?) is paying off! Because as of yesterday, my work in Casariche is over and I only have private classes for another three weeks.

This much is true, if things work out today and I have a job, I'm taking flowers and a candle to San Pan.!