The Enchanted Forest

Today was one of my favorite walks on the Camino.  We left Triacastela at about 8:20 after breakfast in a cafe.  The valley was in a mysterious eerie fog...just before sunrise.  We headed up the mountain pretty much right away and we were instantly in an enchanted forest.  Birds were singing and chirping.  Roosters were crowing.  The forest was coming to life.  We think the trees were talking.  It was like being in Narnia.  Much of the time we were on a narrow path under the canopy of the trees and vines, with old stone walls covered in moss.  Later with the sun shining through the branches, it was quite pretty.

Herds of cows grazed in pastures and for the first time we saw goats, too.  When going through the little towns we often saw groups (2-3) dogs out for a stroll.  They are well trained and well mannered but out by themselves.  There is always at least one large German Shepherd and one or two other dogs trailing behind.

The only downer to the trail was that we had to walk down a steep trail of sheer slate after the long hike up.  The slate was wet in spots and very slippery.  At one point a Mexican woman we had met earlier slipped and fell hard.  She said she was okay, but it must have hurt.  The mountain we climbed was 910 meters at the top.  Again we enjoyed wonderful views and little streams along the way.

There was a nice little cafe called Casa do Franco in the tiny town of Furela, the little town at the bottom of the mountain. He had a great spot...everyone was ready for a snack by the time they arrived in town.  Fact is, the cafe was pretty much the only thing going in the town...before you knew it you were back in farm country.  We stayed for quite a while, enjoying conversation with a Canadian couple...he was in the Canadian Air Force for 33 years and then worked with NATO for 7 years.  They were using the Camino as a transition time as well.  Interesting people.  We have now walked and talked with people from 30 countries!

There were still 8 km to go to get into Sarria.  It was lunch time by the time we got to the outskirts of Sarria when I told Andy I was hungry for a hamburger.  We stopped for some info at the visitors center and then went to the cafe across the street...where I indeed had a hamburger, salty chips (not all chips have salt in Spain) and a coke!  Oh, the joy of those little treats!

From there we walked up the main modern street of Sarria to the Casa Matias, the pension we had booked for the weekend.  It was a nice feeling to unpack our backpacks and know that we would sleep in the same bed two nights in a row!  That's a first for our Camino!  

We got the wash done, took hot showers with a regular shower head, and rested a bit before Barb and Dave stopped by.  We headed out to find the old part of town and a great place to eat...we found an Italian restaurant with a completely Italian Pilgrim's menu!  What a treat!  Had a fun time with two very funny Canadian couples.  By the time we walked home at nearly 9:00 it was quite chilly.

Sitting in an old stone church yesterday in Triacastela with a swollen aching foot, I had a little chat with Jesus.  I reminded Him (and me) that He is the Way, He is the Truth, and He is the Life....and I needed Him to show me the Way to finish The Way this week.  I was reminded of one of the verses I looked up and recorded before we left, Psalm 18:32-33

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.  He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights."

Today he gave me another song from my childhood:

Jesus is the Waymaker, Jesus is the Waymaker, Jesus is the Waymaker 

One day He made a way, oh glory,

When my heart was lost in sin,

Jesus came and took me in.

One day, He made a way for me.

I think He is able to make a way for me this week!