Day Six

Today was the day we left Valladolid and headed down to Madrid. So after breakfast we all brought all our luggage down and took it to the coaches. Our group was then charged with leading everyone to the English College. I was put in charge of getting us there because I thought I knew the way, forgetting we weren't going to the Cathedral but to the English College. With the help of Laura and Marie I managed to get us all there.

At the College we celebrated Mass with Leeds, Middlesborough and Birmingham. It was the feast of the Assumption today and we heard yet again a little bit about the Vulnerata. We also sang the CJM Magnificat at communion, which made me happy. I love singing that hymn.

After Mass, the coaches came to pick us up and we were whinging our way down to Madrid. Fr Phil had gone on ahead of us so Darren and Trish were left in charge. Darren did the announcements and with his dry sense of humour, he made them very funny. We then put on the Sound of Music and after some trouble with the subtitles we managed to watch some of it. It was brilliant, Michael signed the beginning, and then Daniel and John were singing at the tops of their voices, Daniel as Julie Andrews and also dancing away. It was epic.

We stopped at some services along the way and there were some Aussie and South African pilgrims there. A group of the girls were talking to a girl from South Africa so I joined in chatting with them. She was called Cinthea, and we were the first pilgrims she had spoken to. They'd been staying in Palencia and that diocese had given them hats!

We got back on the coach and we managed to watch just up to the wedding scene in the Sound of Music before we rocked up at our hotel in Madrid. We had to wait on the coach until Trish and Darren had sorted out our rooms. They came back bearing the news that we were going to have to wait 2 hours to get into our rooms. We were able to put our bags in one of the rooms and then we walked to McDonalds where everyone got food, I just had a drink.

When we got back our rooms still weren't ready, and finally at 6pm we got the keycards, with a lot of persuasion from Fr Aidan, Fr Bob and Trish and Darren. It was beyond belief really. I did some travel washing for me and Marie, before we went back out to the pool. Not being able to swim I just dangled my feet in the pool, and wrote in my travel diary. I was lovely and cool sat there.

After a while we had to get ready because we had catechesis with Fr Augustine and Br Benedict, in the bar area. It was lovely, Sister Catherine and Sister Veronica did the music. Fr Augustine I discovered has a wonderful sense of humour, and Br Benedict's testimony was really inspiring, just to know how much God has worked in his life, it's incredible.

After catchesis we had a bit of a wait before Lancaster and Middlesborough could have food so we sat and did diaries, though mine was up to date so I was just listening to Rachel take us through the pilgrimage so far. She was really funny doing it, commenting on people's rooms that had balconies.

We had our food and then we had free time until midnight. We had the opportunity to go to confession, so I went to Fr Phil. He was wonderful and he reminded me to just keep trusting in God. I think I really needed the reminder, and as time went on throughout the pilgrimage this message was really hammered home.

After confession I went and chatted to Amelia, John, Daniel, Bridget, Gina, and Sophie. I discovered that John had once been offered a modelling contract! From that to the seminary. He is very comical, I can really see him having his future parish in stitches. After a while I took myself off to bed and prepared myself for what was to come the following day.