Post Postscript: Random thoughts

   

After doing two Caminos with Don on two consecutive years (2013-2014), I find myself with some random thoughts:

• God is greater than any problem.  St. Anthony is very powerful. The Guardian Angels and the Saints are our best walking companions--Just pray!  (Many a day, we would look at Don's guide book and determine that there just weren't any hostals or pensions at the end village for the night--only albergues and not great ones, at that!  I'd say, "Don't worry, God is Great--and I've already prayed about it!"  Time and again, there WOULD be a lovely hostal, pension, or something even better!)  God is a God of surprises.
• There are wonderful people (angels?) the world over. People were always coming to our aid!  If we started down the wrong country (or city) road, perfect strangers would come running after us telling us to come back!  If we didn't know about a wonderful event coming, people would say, "Don't leave until you have some of the gigantic paella they're going to make shortly!"  If we were afraid of taking the same wrong turn (as last year) out of town early in the morning, God would provide peregrinos up ahead to lead us the right way. If my ankle was inflamed and swollen, a wonderful pilgrim would overhear me looking for Ibuprophen and offer me a whole card of them.  The list goes on...
• An open mind can learn a lot! On one of his videos on travel, Rick Steves says, "My favorite souvenir is a broader perspective."  This is SO true. I can go 60 years thinking that MY way is the best and ONLY way only to discover that another person does it better!
• You can always go further--do more--than you think you can.

Postscript: Muxía, 2014

   

 The next year, August-October 2014, we did the Camino for a second time, Praise God!  This time, we started in the Pyrenees at St. Jean Pied de Port, and finished in Muxía on the coast!!!  That way, we were able to visit both Finisterre and Muxía, two wonderful coastal towns.  Because Don lost his camera at the end of the first Camino, the 2nd one had a lot more photos!  In fact, some of the ones I used in the 2013 Blog were from the 2014 Camino.  How is that for forward thinking?

     Muxía is the town where the movie, The Way, ended.  It was truly marvelous.  

     Don actually walked to Muxía from Santiago;  I chose to bus it!  500 miles con mochila were quite enough for me.  Because I got to Muxía by bus from Santiago three days before Don did,
I was able to find an extraordinary hotel, La Cruz, right on the water and right at the entrance to the town.  One could sit on the bed (on the 2nd floor) and look out at the Atlantic!  The owner made me special foods and offered me a whole bottle of wine at meals! God is good!  Don finally joined me (his adventure had been unique!) and even earned a Muxiana, his certificate for walking from Santiago.  But, that's another whole Blog.
Finis

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

July 11, 2013

This morning, the hotel receptionist allowed us to eat before the normal breakfast time because of our flight!  He had the whole buffet opened up just for us two.  Praise God for such nice people!  We then walked to the airport (a little over a mile) and watched the sky lighten as we walked.  It’ll be sad (I think) using the walking poles and backpacks for the last time during this trip.  We’re already talking (quietly) about returning next year.

                     

 “Yo soy el camino, la verdad y la vida. Nadie viene al padre sino es por mi.”   ALLELUIA!

                                          The Lights of Home

July 10, 2013

Today we ate breakfast at our hotel, finished packing and walked to the marina and bus stop.  We left at 11:45 a.m. for Santiago, and from there, took another bus to Lavacolla, to the Hotel Ruta Jacobea, where we had slept last Friday!  God is good!  We had their Menu de Casa, which today was salad, veal and baked potatoes, local cheese, bread, water, wine and ice cream! God is good!  Better go check e-mails…  

                We later walked to the frutería nearby in the country, came back and ate our fruit (and bread and cheese bought yesterday), and yogurts for our supper.

                    We showered and packed to get ready for tomorrow…God is truly Good!

                                                         The Wonders of the Spanish Sky

   

July 9, 2013

Today we had breakfast downstairs in our hotel again, and visited with a British couple who are leaving for Santiago today.                We walked around Fisterre (dialect for Finisterra), got a police report for Don’s camera, got a sello (last one!) from last night’s sea captain, bought cheese and raisin bread at the marina outdoor market, bought watermelon, and ate at our hotel dining room.  

                At 4:30 p.m., we went to the travel agency for our guided tour with Paloma (Ruta de los peregrinos Final del camino): info@mardegalicil.com  The tour included visiting the Gothic-Romanesque (12^th Century) church, María das Areas (Galician for María de las arenas) and Portela cemetery, The Hermitage of St. William (the pilgrim), “Hermita de San Guillermo,” which might have originally been a pagan site where the light of the Spring Solstice first strikes, in a direct line with a mountain across the peninsula and the door of the Santiago Cathedral).   We then approached El Faro (lighthouse) from above—neat!  We walked around (she took our photos) and had water before returning (her boss picked us up) to town!  PTL!

                We enjoyed a fish dinner at the neat Tira de Cordel again, PTL, and walked home!