Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Camino de Levante, Gerard Manley Hopkins, pilgrimage, prayer, Slowing Down, snakes
I am sorry, but I can´t resist this title. Of course, I have been walking with Jesus all the way, in the times of deep prayer and in the times when it is almost impossible to put one foot in front of another. But yesterday morning we physically walked with Jesus, a university librarian from Leon who, like many Spanish people, is walking the Camino in chunks as he has holiday. He had to go much further than us, so we ended up following Jesus – which of course is the right place to be.
I am in Laza, still deep in the mountains of Galacia. Frost in the mornings, then heat. Incredibly beautiful, except when we asked a woman shepherding goats, she said it wasn´t – it must be an incredibly hard life for some people here.
As I walk I am reflecting on the parts of Gerard Manley Hopkins ´God´s Grandeur´that I have by heart. ¨Generations have trod, have trod, have trod¨has a very different meaning on the Camino. Sometimes on what are obviously very ancient sections of track I have a very strong feeling of connection with the pilgrims who have gone before.
Yesterday we stayed in the bar in Campobercerros. We ate with the family, caldo, the wonderful Galician bean and cabbage soup, the ubiquitous fried pork and chips, fruit. Today in a restaurant here, señora cooked especially for us, paella, chicken, salad, ice cream.
Jose Carlos and I tookj an excursion to Cerdedelo to visit the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Pana Tellada. His tourist authority leaflet showed an enormous baroque Church. When we had passed it, we realized that the small gothic ermita and tiny cave with flowers was the shrine.
I realized as I walked today that I am not worried about anything. I am relaxed. I can trust God about today and tomorrow, and that is all I need. This is a wonderful gift that I pray I take home with me.
The calendar in the bar this morning reminded me that today is the Feast of Saint Teresa of Avila. Visiting her convent in Avila was a highlight for me. Roy, please eat some of her cakes for me.
Also, if Sam and Ben read this, I took a photo of a snake for you today.
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Pilgrimpace's Blog 
Sorry, only saw this after St Teresa’s day had gone! Near miss there (I’ll explain this to anyone who asks, although I suspect Andy will take great delight in telling the story of the meal in Avila)
Comment by Roy Haselden October 17, 2009 @ 9:09 pmAlso, was the snake dead or alive – to date I believe the count is 2 dead. And was it a rattlesnake? Again, a tale to be told here I suspect
I´ll leave the details of the snake until I get home and can upload the picture.
In Avila Roy, Karen and I enjoyed a good lunch. At the end of the meal, we were given the local delicacy: St Teresa´s cakes, small sweets made of egg yolk and sugar. They were extremely good, although Roy was still feeling ill from it the next day. Can anyone suggest what he has done to offend the Patron of Spain?
Comment by pilgrimpace October 26, 2009 @ 5:15 pm