Palau D’Angelsola to Verdu

 The group got an early start today, leaving before sunrise at 7am and starting out on our longest hike to date. Beautiful, cool and aromatic(?) as we walked past pig farms and chicken processing plants. And walk we did, due east into the rising sun stopping for some coffee, pastries, small pizza slices, etc at a lovely place in BellPuig. But our brief stop was just enough to get us to slightly stiffen up to face the 2nd half of the walk, finally arriving in Verdu at the ancestral home of St Peter Claver around 2:30 and after covering 16 miles. The end was somewhat reminiscent of yesterday’s hike in the desert with the hot sun, clouds that refused to provide relief and rising temperatures. The big difference was the green farmlands aided by irrigation as rain is still sparse in this region with crops of corn, onions, olives, almonds, etc.

Once in Verdu at our spot for the night, the Pilgram’s Hotel Saint Peter Claver, we had 1 more surprise. hot, sweaty and dusty, there was only cold water to shower in. Tonight’s sleeping arrangements are on bunks, the good news is that there were just enough bottom bunks to accommodate this group.

We then ate a late lunch and headed out to learn about Peter Claver, a true missionary, who devoted his life to making the lives of slaves arriving in Cartegenga Columbia. known as the “slave to the slaves” he administered emotional and physical support to the slaves for decades before passing away at age 74. 

Finally, we visited the church where Peter Claver was baptized which had undergone many renovations since being built in the 13th century and surviving the Civil War Communist purge in the early 1940’s with key relics including Christ on the cross from the 1300’s brought back to their rightful places after being hidden by villagers as the church was burned down.

Tomorrow we head out at 8:15 before stopping to get breakfast as we’ll head to Cervera on an easier walk then today before hopping on a bus to take us to Montserrat.