Day: July 21, 2014

28

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Something new

Trahamunda Soutullo parked her Seat 128 close to a Seat 124 with a Catalan number plate, very close to the Roman baths. She raised her face to look at the medieval town hanging at the middle of the mountain. It was some years ago when she had visited Saint Bertrand de Comminges and the Cathedral of Notre-Dame for the first time. Five years ago, before starting her studies in Rome she went there with the Mother Superior  of the convent where she was raised, a gift before leaving the nest in Ferreira de Pantón, a reminder of where she came from, an incentive to follow the path she had started watching with devotion the arch of St. Xoán de Panxón.

Trahamunda had to get the shoes off to rise, she did it barefoot on the grass, just on the side of the path that passed beside the ruins of the Roman theatre. She found Jaume Bastida in the hostel in front of the cathedral. She would take a coffee before entering to the temple, and there he was, sitting at a table, alone. His face showed he haf recently awakened from a too long nap. They looked at each other for a few seconds and she sat at another table after asking for a coffee, but on the sight of the young man. When she took her first sip he was looking at her. Jaume greeted her with a movement and she replied with the same.

Salut! Salut! C’est un bel soir. Oui. Tu viens visiter la cathédral? Oui, et toi? Moi aussi. Ça fait combien que tu étais ici? Ça fait cinq ans, tu sais comment que j’y suis déjà étée? C’est evident que tu n’est pas d’ici et tu es toute seule. Tu es seul aussi, ou pas? Oui, mais je pourrais être du pays. No, parles malament francés, sembles català i, a més, em sembla que tens uns Seat 124 aparcat a baix, al cantó de les termes. Que observadora, em dic Francesc Bastida, i tu? Em dic Mireia, Mireia Mainer, anem a la catedral? Som-hi!

Both Trahamunda and Jaume entered the cathedral, in sight of the Epiphany and they kissed in front of the sacred remains of Saint Bertrand. She explained the different stages of the building, the Romanesque phase with two huge pillars that rise in the narthex, the sixty-six chairs carved in the magnificent choir and the most curious votive offering ever seen: a enormous stuffed crocodile, face down, on the surface of a column. And before lying in bed, she showed him another corner of the village: the place where Gunther killed Gundoald.

 

28

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Algo novo

Trahamunda Soutullo aparcou o seu Seat 128 case ao carón dun Seat 124 con matrícula catalá, moi preto das termas romanas. Levantou o queixo para mirar a vila medieval pendurada da montaña. Había anos que a moza visitara por vez primeira Saint Bertrand de Comminges, a catedral de Santa María. Cinco anos atrás, antes de empezar os estudos en Roma foi coa madre superiora do convento onde se criara, unha sorte de agasallo antes de deixar o niño en Ferreira de Pantón, unha lembranza de onde viña, un impulso para seguir o camiño que encetara observando con devoción o arco de San Xoán de Panxón.

Trahamunda tivo que sacar os zapatos de tacón para subir, fíxoo descalza, sobre a herba a rentes do camiño que transcorría ao carón das ruínas do teatro romano. Atopou a Jaume Bastida ao entrar na pousada diante da catedral, tomaría un café antes de acceder ao templo e viuno nunha mesa, solitario e con cara de ter espertado hai pouco dunha sesta longa de máis. Miráronse durante uns intres e ela sentou noutra mesa despois de pedir o café, pero diante da vista do mozo. Cando deu o primeiro grolo el mirábaa. Saudouna cun aceno e ela respondeu co mesmo.

Salut! Salut! C’est un bel soir. Oui. Tu viens visiter la cathédral? Oui, et toi? Moi aussi. Ça fait combien que tu étais ici? Ça fait cinq ans, tu sais comment que j’y suis déjà étée? C’est evident que tu n’est pas d’ici et tu es toute seule. Tu es seul aussi, ou pas? Oui, mais je pourrais être du pays. No, parles malament francès, sembles català i, a més, em sembla que tens un Seat 124 aparcat a baix, al cantó de les termes. Que observadora, em dic Francesc Bastida, i tu? Em diuen Mireia, Mireia Mainer, anem a la catedral? Som-hi.

Entraron na catedral xuntos, á vista da Epifanía e bicáronse diante dos restos sagrados de San Bertrán. Ela faloulle das diferentes fases da construción, a fase románica cos dous inmensos piares que se erguen no nártex, as sesenta e seis cadeiras labradas do fastuoso coro e o exvoto máis curioso visto endexamais: un tremendo crocodilo disecado que descansa, boca abaixo na superficie dunha columna. E antes de entrar na pousada, ela ensinoulle outro recuncho da vila, o lugar onde Guntrán matou a Gundoaldo.