Start: Vilela
End: Lourenzá
Distance: 13.19 miles (21.23 kilometers) and 1,976 feet (602.3 meters) of ascent.
Quote: “I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.” ~ Søren Kierkegaard
Musings: Although we walked our little four-mile jaunt to test Carol’s new trail shoes in Galicia yesterday, today felt like our first, true, fully Galician walk. There were no beautiful shorelines awaiting us today. We have truly headed inland. Countryside and small towns were our vistas today. But some of those vistas were not bad! And of course there were some animals too!
I haven’t met many clergy on the Camino. I met, Ayya, a wandering Buddhist nun recently, but other than her I don’t think I’d met any clergy before today. But today I walked for a short while with Peter, a minister from the Dutch Reformed Church. When he told me his name, I said — “Oh, like Pete the Rock, right?” And with a bit of a devilish grin, he replied, “That’s right! And I have the key to heaven too!” I made him promise to make me a copy of that key in the next village!
He used to walk professionally as a minister and conduct a radio program while he walked, but he’s retired now. He mentioned that the Dutch Reformed Church provided a nice pension for him. I told him I’d let my clergy friends in the States know; they might want to transfer their ordinations! We talked quite a bit about the state of the Christian church in both Europe and the States, and it was interesting to hear his thoughts. In short, he thinks we’ve lost the thread. (I think many in the church today have entirely forgotten there ever was a thread.)
Anyway, Peter the Rock told me he’s walking the Camino because he’s retired and can walk just to walk—with no job, no radio program, and no responsibilities to go with it. He says he thinks better while walking—whether it’s about his next sermon (he still does interim pastor gigs) or a problem he’s working out. But he does not think that pilgrims should be walking the Camino in search of answers because he doesn’t think we will get any on this side of the great divide—and he’s not sure we will get them on the other side either. He thinks pilgrims should be walking the Camino to find better questions. I think he’s right on that. We spend too much time worried or concerned about the wrong questions. We won’t necessarily find any answers but we will lead more satisfying lives, I think, if we’re asking and thinking about better questions. He also told me that all of the sermons he’s ever given can be summed up in one axiom—that “the essence of your life is that you are accepted.” Beautiful. We certainly need more of that in a lot of churches right now. I’d love to see him along the way again but he’s walking much longer days than Carol and I are, and he’s planning on walking past Santiago and onto Finisterre. So I’m doubtful that I will. But if I do, I’m counting on getting that copy of his key!
Until tomorrow, here are the photos from today:
My last sighting of Carol until I got to the Albergue this evening. She’s very fast!!
A traditional Galician hórreo. A bit of a different style than in Asturias. I have no idea why there are pointy spikes on top. I wish I knew if they were decorative or functional but nearly all the Galician hórreos have them.
I’ve seen a lot of farm animals but this was first Caminí bunny!
I love the fragrance when walking through a eucalyptus grove.
The cathedral in Lourenzá.
The interior of the cathedral.
I sure hope you find out more about the roof spikes! I’m sure you have us all curious!
Tami, you are a great writer. I loved the conversation with Peter. ..."the essence of your life is that you are accepted."