Once again we took that walk to the monastery. This time arriving just a bit before the service. One of the monks greeted us and told us that the brother who was to spend time with us was ill and had even been taken to the hospital. Another monk then took over the role of guide and friend. He took us into the kitchen and meeting rooms. He would explain in Spanish and we waited patiently for an English translation. It was quite interesting to learn some things about ordinary life in this Benedictine order. We spent quite a bit of time in the library. It was fun for Leroy and I to see how it was organized. Some books had English titles, but not many.
The service was about half an hour with beautiful singing. Knowing the words seemed not to be important for it to have an impact. After the service the four of us, along with others, were invited to share lunch with them.
We were not to talk during the meal. Much of this time one of the brothers was reading from a book, but I have no clue what it was about. All of the food was things that they had grown. We started with fresh made bread and vegetable soup and freshly squeezed fruit juice. Portions were so generous that we thought it might be the entire meal (We learned our common thoughts after the meal was over.) The bowl and bread plates were whisked away. Then a large dinner plate was placed in front of all. A salad that had a variety of vegetables in it was next followed closely by chicken thighs, and rice with gravy like sauce and a few carrots. It was all quite good. We thanked them for their hospitality and walked on home. What a treat!
Paula
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