Things Are Not Always as They Seem
“Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!” — Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit, Riddles in the Dark
Seems like Bilbo knows a lot about our pilgrimage.

The guide’s description of yesterday’s walk was 3.5 miles up and then 12 miles down the other side of the mountain. I was concerned about the up. I don’t do so well on the inclines, but very much looked forward to ending the day with a downhill slope –especially 12 miles!
For the first segment, we climbed to Cruz de Ferro, which is a mountain summit, marked by a 20-foot wooden pole topped by an iron cross. At the base of the pole there is a mound of stones and other artifacts. The tradition is for pilgrims to bring a stone from their homes to symbolize their journey. A few friends and colleagues requested that we bring stones for them and we also carried two of our own — one for our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren, and one for Providence St. Joseph Health. It was a special moment as Chuck and I knelt to place our stones. It was also really beautiful to see the artifacts of others. Cruz de Ferro expressed the hopes, aspirations and prayers of many and definitely the highlight of our day.



Segment two almost immediately started off like a whack on the side of the head. The path was a steep downhill grade and full of shale which made every step precarious. I don’t exactly have the grace of a gazelle, so I needed to walk slowly and carefully to avoid slipping. I was almost 100% successful- only one tumble. I also began to fully appreciate the words of the pilgrim blessing, “Shelter on the road, shade in the heat.” On the last 2.5 miles and with 45 minutes to go, we ran out of water. Only option was to climb back up or keep going so in Bilbo’s words , “Only thing to do! On we go!” We were not in good shape when we finally found the highway and called our Good Samaritan Padre Reynaldo to rescue us. In the end, our day had taken us taken more than 10 hours, and we had walked more than 16 miles in temperatures reaching 100 degrees.

Once again, we received some important lessons from the Camino. Things are not always as they seem . Sometimes pushing a rock up a hill is easier than chasing it down the hill. Never underestimate the situation and appreciate each opportunity for the challenge it represents. Prayers along the way are helpful but won’t compensate for stupidity. Don’t underestimate how much you are capable of doing. And finally, carry enough water.

Today, again, we walked more than 16 miles but the first half was fairly flat and extraordinarily beautiful. We started at the Templar Castle in Ponteferrado. The Templars may be familiar to you from the Da Vinci Code, but they’re also known for protecting pilgrims walking the Camino. Again, it was so amazing to see places so old but still so connected to the present.



The rest of the trail treated us to vineyards and beautiful small medieval towns. There were moments when we once again found ourselves on rocky terrain, but we felt stronger, a little wiser, and we had plenty of water. We finished in eight hours, not nearly as exhausted as yesterday.

The Spanish people continue to be hospitable. We encountered a stand out in the middle of no where with water and fruit — today we meet new pilgrims from Poland, Hamburg, France, England, Spain and Scotland. Every day, brings new gifts. We are so grateful that God pushes us forward!
So far, we have taken 201,568 steps on the Camino. More to come.
Buen Camino!
