Will There Be Room at the Inn?

Due to many more joining late on the Way, finding a bed can be difficult should one arrive late in town so we keep a strong pace with short breaks. Our discussion was about Mary and Joseph on the way to Bethlehem and having to sleep in the stable. But once again God provided for us just as He did for us them. Once again we have been blessed with beautiful weather, but our greatest blessing today was seeing Christian and Doris at our albergue tonight. We haven't seen them in two days and look forward to arriving in Santiago tomorrow!

Keep on Truckin'

After a rejuvenating dinner of lentil portage and a couple of other soups and baked chicken falling off the bone with an amazingly beautiful and tasty salad and pasta with large meatballs in a wonderful tomato sauce, and a decent nights sleep, we were our way this morning. The air was cool as we crossed through several small river valleys and we were rewarded with an unattended serve yourself fruit and refreshment stand. We purchased homemade berry jam and a piece of pound cake-like bread to eat with it. After 25km we arrived in Arzua and found a place to rest our heads. We are finding that God provides more than we need and always meets our current needs right on time. Last night we needed a hearty meal after a long day and a couple of days ago we came upon two angry dogs just as we came to a man carry a large stick. The large dogs were barking and close enough to bite my calf off, but we were able to pass safely. Whether it's been food, water, cloud cover, shelter......physical or spiritual, we have been well taken care of. The journey continues.

Long Haul, Worth It

After having several days where we felt we still had something left in our tanks, we decided we would put some miles behind us. The forecast was for fog and the temps were to be cool so we hit the road and quickened our pace. The amount of people on the camino seems to have risen exponentially. This is due to many tourists who just want to do the last 100 km and get their compostela. We also see many people taking taxis to bypass the tough sections. So we decided to forego the city where most peregrinos are staying tonight (Palas de Rei) and head for the countryside again. We have found Casa Domingo, an old restored farmhouse that is operating as an albergue. It is really neat and serene. We were the first pilgrims to check in. We covered 30 km (around 19 miles) in six hours with only a couple of short stops. We probably didn't have to go so quickly except the new pilgrims on the camino are snapping up the beds. If our European bunk mates would shower (whoa!) this could be quite a nice stay. Just enjoyed a "Peregrinos Communidad" supper. May have been the best meal we've had in Spain. Home cooking' Spanish style.

We have been on the road for 12 days now and not only has the scenery changed but the people have as well. Although we still encounter many friendly people we encounter many who are not so much and seem to be solely focused on the destination and not the journey.
We truly enjoy interacting with the people, especially the ones we have come to know and keep running into at various spots along the way . I think if people would slow down and enjoy their life's journey and treasure their many relationships I believe they would find quite a bit more fulfillment.

My Shirt Stinks

Yes, my purple shirt stinks even though I have had the luxury of bathing everyday and wash my shirt the day I have worn it. It makes me wonder where I stink...Where I have been rude or unkind or fallen short in other areas of my life. I would like to discard the shirt as I would like to discard the bad ways in my life. For now I will keep my shirt as a reminder and also because I only have one other.
We woke in our lovely county room and were soon on our way. We walked over an hour before coming to a cafe and I was quite hungry and ready for coffee. The Way was beautiful this morning and we walked mainly under a canopy of oak trees and gentle rolling hills. Many of hour paths were lined with old mossy stone walls. Quite picturesque. We made it somewhat of a short day as the forecast had a slight chance of rain AND it is quite a distance to the next possible evening shelter (which could be full). A couple of the albergues here were full early this afternoon. This can be attributed to the fact that some peregrinos only walk the final 100 kms. We are resting now, gearing ourselves for a good walk tomorrow.

Joan enjoying the best yogurt and honey ever

Another Day in a Pilgrim's Life

Our day started earlier than normal due to the monastery requiring us to leave by 7:30 (normally 8:00 at most albergues). The camino took us through some beautiful rolling hills and lush farmland with plenty of corn and cattle (Joan has dubbed the cow pies "vaca tartes"). We met with several of the folks we have gotten to know here. We are now in the part of the country that is known as Galicia which is known for it's lush land and Celtic background. But we find it looks a lot like the Blue Ridge Mountains. We concluded our trek today in a town called Barbadelo at a place called Casa de Carmen. It's high on a hill with great views and is very quiet here. Catching up on our rest and will hit the trail again in the morning.

A Nice Trek

This morning we left the busy albergue in the village of Fonfria. We had to watch our footing as the previous night's storm had moistened the many cow pies we have to dodge in this part of the country. Messy. When we leave small villages in the morning, walking on the camino is so cool, peaceful and serene. All the "crack of dawn" pilgrims are long on their way so it's just us. We stopped for cafe con leche in tiny Biduede and watched the sunrise. After a few more kilos we stopped in Triacastela and went to a supermeracado where we bought some fruit and nuts (our standard nutrition), some yogurt and these crazy treats of mini croissants dipped in chocolate. The small tray of ten cost only one euro! We then came to a fork in the road. We had to choose a more direct route (which a majority usually pick) or a longer, more scenic route. We chose the latter and were well pleased. Quite rustic and quaint and very quiet with few perigrinos. Although we had to dodge the vaca (cows) that were being herded down the trail by a very small man. This landed us in the small town of Samos where we will stay in one of the oldest monasteries in the western world. Had a picnic dinner by a calm river at 6 p.m. (yay!) We have learned a lot and have come to many conclusions, many of which are far too long to share here but suffice to say this is quite an introspective adventure. More to come.

Day 8

It is hard to believe we have been eight days walking, looking, and keeping it simple. We carry some basic personal hygiene items, two pairs of pants, a pair of shorts, three shirts, and about 2 pounds of water and a few snacks. My pack weighs about 14 pounds and Ed' s 18 pounds. Thinking about all the stuff we keep in our home, this is very little and surprising that it is all we really need.
Today we left a sweet little hamlet of Herrerias and made a climb of about 500 meters to O'Cebreiro. Today they are having a celebration of Mary . They were having music and a huge market with people selling their wares and food. We partook in some good food before moving on. Our walk landed us in Fonfria at a fairly large albergue. We saw our first rain this evening with lightning and hail. We are posting this on another day as Internet is very scarce on our path.

Distance traveled so far: approx. 175 km (105 miles)