Better days, and even better evenings

Portomarin to Palas de Rei

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
approximately 25 kilometers (15 1/2 miles)
(click on the slideshow to be taken to the Picasa website where you can see larger photos and more comments).

"The Camino is a place where many, perhaps most, walk with limp that manages to be humble and proud at the same time. Humble because the world can see your weakness, but proud too, that you soldier on in the face of pain and hardship. I have a limp - mine has several causes... In the end, I keep going because I have no other option." I wrote this at the end of my second day of walking. I had recovered enough to complete the walk. It was still difficult, but it went much better than that first difficult day.

The first 5 hours or so felt quite good (or as good as can be on the Camino), but the last hour or two was difficult again. At this point I faced loneliness again as I saw no other pilgrims for more than two kilometers towards the end of my day. The biggest disappointment was arriving at my targeted destination to find all the albergue beds full (albergues are the housing specifically for pilgrims). Rather than walk 3 kilometers ahead (0r 1 backwards), I chose instead to get a room at a pension - a private room. Certainly a disappointment considering my goal was to meet other pilgrims and experience as much of the pilgrim life as possible. Not even considering that the 20 euro cost was nearly 7 times the 3 euro charge for the government run albergues.

I arrived in Palas de Rei tired and a bit put-out by a number of things, but it turned out to be a stop that I think was divinely appointed. I connected with Psalm 24 and the idea that "the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, The world, and all who live in it." So many evangelical and protestant people give little thought to this place, and this event because it is 'Catholic', but in the end, all of these people, and all of these places are still God's. I often visit Catholic churches and cathedrals and walk away having really noticed and felt the differences from my own faith experience. However, today, I instead noticed and felt the familiar things of this small catholic church in town. In many ways it reminded me of a church from my youth. Sure, the artwork is different, but much else could have been in an evangelical or protestant church from any small town in the states.

Pilgrims of the Day: I wish I had a picture to share, but I saw the same father and teenage son several times over the course of the day. I suspect they were Japonese, but I'm no expert in these things. But there were clearly happy and content. Happy with the day's walk, happy with the weather, and content to be experiencing this together.

Pilgrim of the Day II: I had hoped to have a favorite for each day - but turns out I had 2 today, and one more on another day (stay tuned). Due to my late arrival, and discovery of a reasonably priced private room, I was able to assist another late arrival to town when I overheard her trying to work out in english where she'd be staying. Several hours later, she arrived at the restaurant I had chosen to eat dinner at. We shared a table and some conversation. Turns out she was on her 2nd full-length camino (for lack of a cooler term, I've been calling them 'long-hikers.') Up until this point, I had not yet met a long-hiker. We had a fascinating conversation as I was able to pepper her with questions about her experiences - why, what she's learned, etc, etc. And she was also very interested in our vision, and was very encouraging. I did not see her again after that meal (somewhat rare with 3 stages more), but I am convinced that our meeting had been another that was divinely appointed. I walked away with a sense that there are pilgrims out there that would really love to stay at a place like we have in mind.