Another night in a dormitory meant another earlier start. Today we really did leave in the dark and headed straight into a stretch of path through the misty woods without even the moon to light the way - definitely one of those occasions when the multi-functionality of a mobile phone comes in very handy!An early stop for breakfast gave us time to wait for the sun to rise, although not for the mist to clear, and we were on our way again. After a relatively quiet day yesterday, having shaken off the crowds by avoiding the standard stopping places at each end of the day, the next set of crowds caught up with us as we started out and has led to a busy path at times. Walking as a pair has been a joy - someone to chat with when so inclined, but also stretches when the silence falls and we can each walk with our own thoughts. It’s noticeable that many of the larger groups walking together can be heard coming from some distance away … and it still seems very odd that some are stopping to pose for photo opportunities quite so frequently. Learning the tolerance to accept that what may be a spiritual pilgrimage for me can also be a backpacking holiday for others has been salutary. My version of this walk is just that - MY version - and others have as much right to do this their way as I have.And today has felt more like a holiday: the sun has shone, my feet and legs are continuing to hold up well and we’ve walked through very varied terrain - town, country and all the graduations in between. Another relatively short day of 16km or 10 miles has allowed for another early stop. So a welcome shower, change of clothes and a cold drink on a sunny terrace is just what I need! After all, this isn’t about punishing myself by walking further than is sensible or sticking to someone else’s idea of what the itinerary should look like. On His journey to Jerusalem, Jesus too stopped to refresh Himself and others along the way - time to pray (today in the church of S Juan de Furelos on the way into Melide), time to sit and talk with others over a meal or a drink, time to just be …
Today, after an earlier start (the cafe opposite our accommodation didn’t open up as advertised!), we took it slowly, making the most of our shortest stage of the week. The way has been gently up and down, a mixture of roadside paths and tracks through farmland and woods. I’m fascinated by the frequency with which it seems that we are wandering through someone’s farmyard or sharing something isn’t quite a road and isn’t quite a path with cars, bicycles and dogs.Many of the most rural stretches consist of sunken lanes with sides so high that I feel like a hobbit … a comparison that seems even more apt when we stop for second breakfast!Some of the albergues that we have stopped at must be thriving, as there is clearly a lot of investment in them - most are sparklingly clean with recent refurbishment in evidence. But, more importantly, there has been a genuine sense of being welcome and valued and not just for the money we will spend. Whether they are busy or not, with the odd exception, we have been greeted with a smile and genuine interest in our journey … and then sent on our way with a wish for a ‘Buen Camino’.For the first time today, we have come across an open church - it has been one of my only disappointments so far that so many churches have been locked closed. I had hoped to sit for a few moments in each church as I went to remember a few of those on my prayer list - instead, I have been praying as I walk. But at midday today, I was afforded a few minutes in front of the altar of the church of S Xulian de Camino to take out my notebook and remember each person by name and to light a candle for those whose memory I have been asked to keep.Occasionally, we have come across folk selling stamps for our ‘credencials’ alongside the path or encountered small shops with stern instructions that stamps are only available if you buy something. It has reminded me that in Jesus’ time too, the business of pilgrimage was a mixture of the holy and the commercial! Perhaps another component of a true pilgrimage is the ability to disentangle the one from the other and focus only on the external elements that feed the inner journey.
Today I have been tired - after my first night in a dormitory, albeit a small and comfortable one, I am suffering the effects of very little sleep. I’m JUST managing to stay charitable about the snorers - I suspect I snore too sometimes and no-one really knows whether they are offenders or not! But the bright main lights being turned on before 7am and the loud conversations regardless of whether others were sleeping still were enough to try anyone’s patience!But, enough sleep or not, the Way is still there to be walked; after a sketchy breakfast we were on our journey before 9 and straight up a very steep ascent from the valley of the River Mina. Yesterday, our late start meant that we could still imagine that we were among just a few intrepid souls - today, it was a little more like a human motorway! Large groups, including a one huge gaggle of about 50 teenage boys, were walking at a broadly similar pace, so it took until nearly lunchtime, the appearance of the first cafe and the onset of persistent heavy drizzle to start thinning crowds. Gradually, our lack of hurry has paid off and, by the afternoon, we were once again strung out enough to feel like we had stretches of path to ourselves.And then in mid-afternoon we arrived ‘off-stage’ at our Pension for the night. The crowds are walking further on to the bigger stop of Palas de Rei, but we have stopped in the tiny hamlet of Eirexe, where the sun is out, the shower is hot and a cold drink is beckoning.Prayers have been offered along the way today for all those whose names have been placed on my list.
O Lord God, when Thou givest to Thy servants to endeavour any great matter, grant us also to know that it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same, unto the end, until it be thoroughly finished which yieldeth the true glory; through Him who, for the finishing of Thy work, laid down His life, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.One day and 22km down. My feet have held up so far; my legs are still feeling strong; my heart and brain are feeling optimistic. It’s been a good day! Today I have felt joy at the sunshine and the beauty of the countryside. I have felt relief at managing the pace and the ability of my body to carry me along the road. I have felt gratitude for those who have provided hospitality and for the wisdom of those I am walking with.But I am very aware that this is only about a fifth of the journey and that my friend has already walked more than 400 miles. Francis Drake’s payer was also my school prayer - I often wonder why it was chosen. Whatever the reason, it’s part of what has shaped me as a Christian, both positively and negatively. I pray it today in the hope that my body, mind and soul will sustain me through the journey. But I know now what I did not understand 38 years ago: that sometimes what we finish is not what we thought it was when we started. And that having the humility to accept that God’s plan does not conform to our own plans is an essential part of our pilgrimage through life.
