Afternoon

Around noon the path finally rose above the tree line into a mountain wonderland.  

I spent the afternoon finishing the 22km to A Mesa where I checked into the albergue.  The views spanned for miles.  

During the rain showers, I had to look down and watch my footing.  But once they passed I could take out the phone and capture some of the splendor.  

It has been a good day as a pilgrim!

Morning

Today was one simply delightful day of walking.  One of the most beautiful in all my Caminos.  The morning was spent walking up hill by the side of a stream through some woods.  

I love the sound of a mountain stream as it rolls over the rocks and sings downhill.  It is so easy to pray when that is the background chorus.  

Many times I just stopped, soaked in the beauty, took a picture, and thanked God for all the wonder.  Progress was slow on foot, but glorious for the soul.  

Under the clouds

Another lovely day's walk is done.... 16km to Pola de Allande.  Dawn had the mountain town of Campiello swallowed in fog.  The forecast had improved overnight so the rain didn't arrive until this afternoon.  But there were no vistas to enjoy by staying on the mountain ridge of the Hospitales route.

So I walked down into the valley to Pola de Allande.  The valley turned out to be gorgeous once I got under the clouds.  Many of the fields have either cows or sheep grazing on them. With all the rain, the area has plenty of little creeks and streams as well.  

I was happiest that I made it into town for the noon Mass at Iglesia de San Andres.  What a treat on this feast of Corpus Christi to celebrate with the local parish!  I am thankful to hear a native Spanish speaker pray at Mass.... my pronunciation only improves.  :)

Spot

I have been to some small places.  Maybe the town only has one traffic light.... like Warm Springs.  Or just a couple of stop signs... like downtown Tyrone.  But I had a new milestone in small today.  The town of Las Tiendas (Spanish for The Shops) might be 20 yards long.  You can see the exit sign for the town from the welcome sign!  And while the name implies plural.... only one building was in sight.  And it was all closed up!  This is one tiny Spot!  :))

Only getting better

The weather cooperated much more today.  The temperatures are in the 50s, and the morning fog slowly burned off to reveal the lovely mountains of Asturias.  Today was a short walk of 14km from Tineo to Campiello.  If the weather permits, I will walk 27km tomorrow along the Hospitales route over the mountains.  That is acclaimed as the most beautiful section of the Camino.  But the rain may return, and I will have to take the valley route instead.

I stopped by the abandoned monastery Santa Maria La Real de Obona.  In the 12th and 13th century it was a powerful Benedictine monastery.  The king even mandated pilgrims to stop for a visit as part of their pilgrimage.  The church is closed now and the cloister in ruins.  

Tis a sobering reminder that the Faith has to be lived.  No amount of facilities, no matter how big or beautiful, make it the Church.  

The walk just seems to get better.  The gorgeous countryside helps.  The locals are friendly.  The food is delicious. And the prayer time is good.

Mudpie

Today's walk from Salas to Tineo was 19km uphill, in the rain, through mud.  It made for a long slow slog.  

At Morning Prayer the reading was from 2 Corinthians.... God comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble, with the same consolation we have received from him.  

That verse came to mind many times on the walk today.  I chose to walk this Camino.  But how many find their lives having to go uphill, in the rain and through mud simply because life has dealt them such.  As I walked along, I was praying for those battling cancer.... for those with loved ones in hospice... for single moms raising kids.... for parents trying to pay the bills by working two or three jobs.... for those grieving the loss of a loved one... so many ways that life asks us to walk up hill, in the rain and through mud.  

And the sweet miracle that God is with us keeps happening.  He keeps blessing us all the way through.  How blessed to have the Lord walk with us!  How blessed to walk with those in any trouble or affliction so we might share the presence of God with them.  

The proverb is when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  Today I was smiling about a variation of that.... when the Camino gives you mud, make mudpies. It makes for a buen Camino!

Old and new

A good walk today of 22km from Grado to Salas under overcast skies.  The Camino wound through several little hamlets and down two tracks mired with mud.  

In the town of Cornellana I received two treats, one old, the other new.

Monasterio San Salvador was founded in 1024.  While it is no longer an active monastery, the old cloister is used as an albergue for pilgrims.  I was delighted to see a sign stating  in the run up to their 1000th birthday they are renovating the place to keep it up.  

Just around the corner from the old monastery, the hillside was planted in vines.  At first I thought they were grapes.  But instead they are kiwis!  It's the first time I have seen them growing.

One of the lovely blessings of walking along the Camino is discovering riches old and new.