It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody that Spain is a dominantly Catholic country, or that Tenerife follows suit. Towns sport saint names like Santa Ursula, cathedral spires scrape the sky, and I swear some of the roadsigns show you how to genuflect (not that I blame them - driving here can be a religious experience). With that in mind, I shouldn’t have been surprised when I visited the shrine of one Santo Hermano Pedro.
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| A wood statue of Hermano Pedro |
Dear old Brother Pedro was a South Tenerife shepherd who turned to the ecclesiastical life of contemplation, living simply and helping those poorer than him, though having seen the cave he lived in, I wonder who might fit that bill. He eventually packed up and gave his all to the Guatemalans, but the locals here regard him as the patron saint of learners permits. New drivers have a large green sign they have to post in the back windshield for a year. Once their probation is up, some devout leave the sign as an offering of thanks to the saint who helped and protected them. And apparently, Brother Pedro is good at what he does, because there are boxes of green L’s all over the cave.
The reflective green things that say "Velox" are the learners permits.
Perhaps if I had a saint’s protection, I wouldn't be so fearful of getting behind the wheel.
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