Day 21 – Carrion de los Condos to Terradillos de los Templarios
27k – 402k to date
Before I talk about today, I need to mention the about the nuns and mass last night in Carrion. About 6pm four nuns set up in the lobby of the hostel and invited all to join sharing music as a common language. They sang two songs, then had all there talk a little about themselves and why they were there walking the Camino, it was moving to here some people open up about themselves. The nuns introduced themselves and talked very eloquently about why they were there serving the pilgrims so they could spread the name of Jesus. One commented that this might be the only time a person might be exposed to who Jesus is and what power he brings. I was amazed at how well these nuns interacted with the pilgrims there. It was fun to watch as the foyer got fuller and fuller as people kept coming to see what was happening. Oh, the music was good, maybe not Sister Maria, but it really was special.
At 8pm last night, I went to the mass to observe, since I was told it was special, and special it was. There was a normal Catholic mass, then several of the nuns and the priest gave a special blessing to all pilgrims, then had each pilgrim come down and prayed over them. Finally, the nuns gave each pilgrim a star to represent Jesus and the Church. The star, was special because it was just a handmade cutout that was hand colored, nothing fancy, but made by hand. Last night was fun and special.
The big question on the trail today was have we gone half way? My calculation says yes, but many say we still have to go another 12k to be exactly half way, where that comes from is a town that is on tomorrow’s route promotes being half way and actually will issue a certificate that you are “at the halfway point”. Oh well, that is just one more advertising gimmick. Not everyone starts at the same point either, you can start anywhere, just as long as it is at least 100k from Santiago. The traditional route is the one I am taking from St. Jean-Pied de Port in France. I have talked to several who started in different major cities, such as Pamplona, Logrona and Burgos. There will be a lot of people who start at the 100k point in Sarria just to walk the minimum to obtain a compostella of completing the Camino.
Today was a beautiful day to walk, I was afraid it would be too cold as the temp was 42f when I started, but with the fog laid in and the lack of wind, it was absolutely great. The fog burned off about 10:30 and it started warming up, but stayed pleasant all day. The views of today were limited and only in one spot did I have a good view, that was of the mountains in the far distance. I do not think my cell phone camera could properly pick up that view. We just went through three towns today, so there were not a lot of break areas. I am currently in a town with a population of 78. This area is known for having been protected by the Knights Templar and the Church is said to have their influence, but the hostel owner said the Church is locked. The balance of today, is just going to be a rest day.
Today was a good day to meet few new people and to rejoin several that had been lost for a day or two. When towns are so close, you never know when someone that is traveling your speed will cut a day short or stretch it out a bit. It is fun to meet new people and to hear their stories. I walked with a British couple for about 30 minutes this morning and during that time learned a lot about how Britain’s feel about Scotland (did I previously mention how Scots feel about Britain…..).some feelings run deep. I also walked with an interesting ex-investment bank for several hours. He left Lehman Bros two months before the collapse and considers himself extremely lucky. These are just some of the people I run across daily, it is amazing how easy it is to start those conversations and how much fun it is to visit. I am traveling “alone”, but I am never really alone. This is a very different kind of social network, some conversations, some introductions and some just smiles or waves.
One more day on the path to the future…..
Psalm 119:63