Catherine Watson
Summary
Or, Answer the following questions (3. a-g)
This story describes the writer’s visit to Portomarin church near Camino de Santiago (a). She (writer) found the modern-day pilgrim stopped along the path. There was fortress (lsNnf) in the church and the town. She was walking down the green country hillside in the afternoon; she stopped for the Spanish sun but her friends went on. It was the most exciting moment of this journey (b).
It was a perfect hill and sacred (kljq) way for the bikers, trekkers. A young boy was on his bike, some bikers were mending punctures, and others were helping them. The tyres would rupture because of rocks (c). It would be more exciting to be on foot due to rupturing tyres hitting on the rocks (e). She went ahead across the bridge and up the bank where she saw many red-roofed houses.
In the night, she stayed with her friends in the modern posada (hotel) in full comfort. Although they were not religious, they were going to visit the great shrine (lty{:yn) of Saint James, which located near the Camino. Beneath the water of dammed up river, she saw ruined bridge and the skeleton of the original village was lying. The government had tried to manage to move high walled chapel for the protection of the pilgrims. After the construction, the church now stood in the central plaza of the village.
In the morning, she found her friends went down to a tiny restaurant for bread; she remained alone and entered the chapel (church room). She saw the young boy who was on his bike, who was about twenty-two. He had pleasant face, sandy hair, wide mouth, and he was fascinating (cfsif{s) for her (d,f). She sat on the left and he sat on the right. She closed her eyes and started praying. She felt peace, inexplicable (difficult to express) tenderness (sf]dntf). She felt as if she had known him all her life. When she stood to move, the boy was still sitting, looking at the window. The light was purifying and transforming their soul, which he probably needed (g). Then the boy stood up, moved to the aisle (passage between the rows), his eyes met hers. He had a whole-hearted, wonderful, and open smile which was as pure as light. He had got what he needed in the church, she thought. The boy went away but she never saw him again. When she returned and joined her friends, they asked her, “How was the church?” She replied without hesitation, “It was nice, very nice.” It was the case of women sentiments and feelings.
