Mariachis and feet help in the Camino.

[Rosina Lila]

Hi Jim, and you all,
Simply stated, a band with a xylophone is NO Mexican mariachi band, period.
(I've lived in Mexico City, and taught in its autonomous University, for
enough summers to entitle me to make such a peremptory assertion; surely anyone who
knows Mexico and its music will agree). In Yucatan, Veracruz, Chiapas, and
other South-East Coastal Mexican regions, however, the local bands play, and
have played for centuries,  the wooden originator, precursor and inspirer of the
xylophone, called a "marimba", and their music is uniquely beautiful, popular,
contagious and memorable..  But "mariachi" music comes from the Mexican
"Altiplano" atop the cordillera mountains,  and it is distinguished by its
different rhythm, melody and instruments which are trumpets, violins and a variety of
different-sized guitars.   (By theway, the piece well-known in the United
States as the  "Bamba", is not a "mariachi" but a  "marimba"  tropical piece.)
 As to sore and ailing feet: the albergues in O Cebreiro, Sarria, Palais del
Rei, Arzua and Monte del Gozo will have Podiatry students, and teachers, from
the Pablo CEU University in Madrid, assisting  pilgrims that may need help
with their feet this summer. The effort is sponsored by the Galician Xunta and
the Santiago Archdiocese. The University's podiatrists will be on site, at the
above named albergues, to help those needing their assistance from 10:00 a.m.
to 10:00p.m. during the second and third weeks of August and the last two weeks
in September. (This is an addition to the  availability of the Santiago de
Compostela University Podiatry students and teachers that was posted here some
weeks earlier
and that is available throughout the French Way).
Also of general interest:  the Ministry of Development and Culture of
Castille has approved the expenditure of 3.2 million Euros (about 4 million Dollars)
to expand the heretofore bulging albergue in Burgos.  The directors of the
overseeing commission, Pilar del Castillo and Francisco Cascos, have trumpeted
their resolve to have all needed improvements and additions finished before the
next Holy Xacobean commemorations of  next year.
A PERSONAL NOTE: I myself shall be leaving next Monday for my fourth Camino
pilgrimage and will remain in its environs until the middle of September
.(Hurrah!)   Although I intend to traverse the enticing Silver Way, owing to
commanding health conditions, that will not be ignored,  I shall only walk, for about
a week, from O Cebreiro to Santiago.
Because I have been invited to several functions and celebrations in Santiago
itself, and because I just love the place,  I expect to remain in Santiago
for at least a week.
If there is something that any one of you in these lists would like me to
look up for you, or inquire about, or get, while I am there, I should REALLY be
very happy to do so.  Let me know.
Warm regards,
Rosina
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