Saturday, August 29, 2015

DAY SIXTEEN ON THE CAMINO

The wifi is really good so thought I'd try adding a couple of photos.  I left Granon before daylight and the sky was specular as the sun rose behind our backs.


Link to Picasa web album:    https://picasaweb.google.com/117895434014273629374/DaySixteenOnTheCamino829?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Last night was one for the memory books at the albergue in the church.  It is run by volunteer staff from around the world.  They come work for a few weeks at a time.  They are all past pilgrims and still walk it over and over.  After km 7 pm mass we all pitched in to help with the dinner and then we all did the dishes together. 

Then we were led to their secret room.  It is very unusual but they do not have a stamp for our books (we can do that at the bar across the street).  They feel that the sharing time is the stamp on our hearts of what the camino is truly about.

The secret room was through a small door next to my bed/pad and led into the choir loft in the church which was totally dark except for some candles.

There was one large candle that was passed from person to person.  We were told to share something, a poem or something from the heart or just to hold it quietly without talking before passing it on to the next person.  It was extremely emotional for everyone in the room.  We all slept soundly afterwards on our pads. I had a Korean family, adult daughter and the parents next to me.

Everyone was up very early...some left at 5 am...I was out the door before 6:30.  Soon the sun was nearly up and I watched the fields of sunflowers.  The small ones were awake and excited while the mature ones still hung their heads waiting for the sunshine to wake them up.

It was a day of long stretches of gravel roads alongside a large highway.  I was a solo walker but always within sight of other pilgrims.   Enjoyed the pilgrim walking the opposite way...yes...they do walk both ways....with his donkey.

Just before I reached my destination I found a delightful women that I met two days ago and we walked into Belorado together.  We had orange

at the bar and then she was off to the next town where her backpack was being delivered. Maybe I'll see her again, l hope so.

It's been a restful day ... nice mass this evening followed by a special blessing for the 25 pilgrims at the mass.  They are having a mini festival in the plaza...I can hear the music as I type.  It looks like rain...hopefully just during the night.

Today was 10 miles in 5 hours.  Tomorrow I only go to Villa franca which is about 8 miles.
 Buen camino
  



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