With the heat of recent afternoons, we were definitely into 'leaving early' mode. At 6.15am we were walking across the footbridge out of Portomarin. Then we had a beautiful climb up through forest, where it was actually still quite dark, and I used my wee torch to light our footing for a short while. Like every morning since we had descended from O'Cebreiro, it was misty to begin with, and I captured these droplets on a spider web. This was obviously a part of the route well trodden over the centuries, with some historic crosses, and traces of old pilgrim cemeteries. As this day progressed though, the weather started to change, and it wasn't as warm as other days. Actually I was quite pleased it was cooler: it made it easier to enjoy the scenery and buildings we were walking past on these quiet Galician roads. We stopped for the night in a lovely small albergue on the edge of the village of Lestedo, attached to the local bar. Only six of us stayed, and we enjoyed a friendly time together. And for the first time since we had arrived in Galicia, the rain it is famous for arrived!
When I was preparing to walk the route from Le-Puy-en-Velay to SJPP, I found there wasn't much info in English, and I hope this blog might fill the gap a little.... In 2008 I walked from Le Puy to Santiago. In 2012 I walked from Cluny to Conques, then spent three weeks in Spain, re-walking two sections of the Camino Frances. Please feel free to contact me if you wish.
Hunkered In
-
The sky keeps changing colors, the wind roars all night and morning.
Sometime overnight it pulled the chicken-hut door off its hinges and
smashed it to k...
Beachscape
-
I haven't blogged for a while, but here is a new poem.
*Beachscape*
*Surprising that I never knew before*
*the bright curve of this bay,*
*the way the wash...
Taranaki-born, long-time Manawatu resident and primary teacher; inveterate traveler, Camino walker, occasional cyclist, lover of sea and bush walks; getting into genealogy more; collapsed catholic; lapsed musician looking forward to doing more again in retirement
from the poem "The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver.....
" I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
This quote is taken from notion900 on the Pilgrimage to Santiago forum: "Please know that although some people seem to imagine it as some appalling ordeal, the camino is a very health-giving thing - if you do simple things like healthy food, plenty of water, moisturise your feet and get plenty of sleep. Being out in nature for 5 weeks is just so life-giving: I finished the camino absolutely glowing with health and vitality. I hope you have a wonderful time."
'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.' Goethe
"Glowing... this is the thing about pictures of people on the Camino. This light within... As if the Camino washed the soul and cleared the eyes." Claire Bangasser in a comment on Johnnie Walker's blog
Like every morning since we had descended from O'Cebreiro, it was misty to begin with, and I captured these droplets on a spider web.
This was obviously a part of the route well trodden over the centuries, with some historic crosses, and traces of old pilgrim cemeteries. 
As this day progressed though, the weather started to change, and it wasn't as warm as other days. 
Actually I was quite pleased it was cooler: it made it easier to enjoy the scenery and buildings we were walking past on these quiet Galician roads.
We stopped for the night in a lovely small albergue on the edge of the village of Lestedo, attached to the local bar. Only six of us stayed, and we enjoyed a friendly time together. 
And for the first time since we had arrived in Galicia, the rain it is famous for arrived!
No comments:
Post a Comment