The Lithuanians . . .

I first met Augustus and Alphonso at Puenta La Reina. The Aragon Way joins the Camino Frances here. Well to be precise, at the village before, but it was here that Pep, Sergio and I joined the main route to Santiago.

I offered them food, they shared theirs. They spoke little English, less Spanish and Lithuanian was totally new to me. Cousin to Russian. We shared a dormitory. They snored in harmony, which was fine once you got used to it.

Next day they went on, I took a rest day.

I caught up with them in Astorga. Again we shared food, wine and more conversation.

Augustus was 64, older than me by 6 months. Alphonso was 74, the oldest pilgrim I met. He had spent 10 years in Florida, working for a relative, living in a tight Lithuanian community, finding no need to speak English. His son lives in Chicago, doubtless fluent in English, or the American version. His grandchild, due any moment, mother a Japanese American, will speak English and be encouraged to learn a little Lithuanian and Japanese. That's assimilation, it takes a while.

Alphonso was carrying the cross to Santiago, metaphorically. Big pack, travelling decent distances daily. He said his life had not been a good one. Drink, women. He still liked a few glasses of red. He said the camino was to expiate his sins. Not the general expiation of original sin, just his personal ones.

We spent more time together in Rabanal, made food together, became friends. I felt privileged to have penetrated their bubble. In Ponferrada we met up, shared food and wine again. I lost them the next day, as I pushed on to the Pequeno Potala.

Gordon, the Englishman I met briefly in Leon, emailed to say they had travelled into Santiago together Sunday for midday mass. I was almost in Granada by then. I hope Alphonso's sins are gone, such a nice bloke.

As for the Cathedral, I gave it a miss. Not my thing. Jesus is reported as saying, "Where two or more of you are gathered together, there am I in the midst of you". Still they kept building bigger, more ornate churches.

According to Reiner, he also said priests should have one wife (no reference to female priests and husbands in the version I heard).

And love one another. What happened to that?

Anyway, two Catholic Lithuanians and an Englishman of no fixed abode or religion, loved one another for a few days on the camino . . . which is nice.