CORCOS OF THE VALLEY, WHAT A WONDERFUL VILLAGE!

The festivity of all the Saints, two weeks ago, we decided to have a community day, so we were visiting Corcos of the Valley, a wonderful village in the middle of Castilla.

Our tour started early in the morning, although the previous night Íñigo was cooking for so long to prepare our lunch. We drove to San Isidoro de Dueñas, one of the most important Trapa abbeys all around Spain. It´s also famous because of  Ruiz Mateos´ chocolate factory-. The monks were celebrating the mass and we joined. I was really impressed by their silence. It was not an empty silence but a total silence full of sense. Sometimes our silence means we have nothing to say or nothing to do. However, their silence showed they have all the time to praise God quietly. After the mass we went to the abbey´s shop to buy something to the community and to talk a monk we had previously arranged with.

It was one o´clock in the afternoon and our stomachs started to feel hungry, so we went out to Corcos. There is a new little bar and it´s typical to go there after the mass. That day we wanted to become a typical “corqueño” and we met there with people from Corcos.

The most expected moment in the day was about to arrive. My mother and Íñigo had prepared a lot of meal and we started to eat.  It was all delicious! My brother, my cousin, his girlfriend and a seminarian friend of mine joined us. Around the fire, we were talking a long time and then we decided to go for a walk. There are two important monuments in the village to be visited: the church and my grandfather. A dominican neighbour showed us the little church where people usually met to celebrate Sunday mass in. And my grandfather doesn’t need explanation.

The sun is setting and we must leave the Land of eternal values... but not for a long time. If possible, we will go back in December to see the pig “killing” and to fill our stomachs with fat! You are all invited. It will be thrilling!

Alberto Cano.