Dave and Leyna and Our Lady

Another good day together. They walked up to ours from the small hotel they're staying in, and had a good coffee (brought from their Texas coffee house), and then up round the castle to the special Eucharist for Mourão's feast day for Our Lady of Lights (though actually her son who is the Light), celebrated by the Archbishop Emeritus, Dom José. The church was packed, we got a seat because we got there half an hour early. 

Then drove to a village further south on the Lake, Estrela, where they treated us to another wonderful meal, everything was delicious, and then we had time for a quick walk beside the Lake, in the cold wind - look at that choppy water!

Back to Mourão for the procession, am sure there were more people than last year, the streets were packed; we were so far behind where the (actual) Archbishop was walking that we heard nothing and basically just socialised with everyone as we walked along for the couple of hours it took to thread our way through the streets and back to the castle, where we finished off in grand style with fireworks to the sound of music. 

Gratefuls:
- gorgeous sunshine for the procession, after days of rain
- hugging Rita and Miguel and seeing her standing again
- the glory of fireworks and music together, and then the glory of stars