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In all that is, there is a place of connection, and balance becomes present.

Life starts fresh in the present moment. The past is only the path that we have walked. The pebbles along the path that we have encountered may allow us to climb the boulders we may encounter ahead. From the top of a boulder we have different view to behold.

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I will post when I get back and get my phone fixed. We have completed the Camino in Santiago, and we took a train to Madrid , we will fly back to the USA tomorrow. 

Our walk together has been wonderful, healing , accepting, compassionate, heartfelt, bonding and transforming. The Camino has. Much to offer if one is open to seeing, feeling, and accepting all the gifts offered. The Camino is a gift.

I am going to try something new in the blog, and only post photos of our walk, with no words. As we near the end of our walk, the journey becomes more and more personal and like a giant drill bit, the Camino bores deeply into our soul, to bring light to the core of our being.

Here are photos of our walk today.

The man with the stick is pointing out all the places he has visited on his Camino, he started  in Paris 2500 km ago

Thought for the day;

Your life is what your thoughts make of it.

 

Today the Camino was a new experience, we walked early in the morning into the  town of Sarria. When a person want to get a certificate of compestela in Santiago, one must complete the last 100 km by foot or 200 Km by bike , in order to receive ones compestela. Sarria is the town that meets the 100 km requirement . So, many people only do the last 100km. The tranquility of the last 700km has turned into a freeway of humanity, rather than being surrounded by seasoned pilgrims , we are now amongst first day travelers and new pilgrims all experiencing their first day on the Camino. So, the camino is providing me with new oppertunities for me to experience my own judgements and thoughts about this part of the Camino. I get to experience deeper compassion, tolerance, patience, understanding , and love for everyone that chooses to walk their Camino for whatever their reason or intention. Bless all those who walk the path.

Some of today’s photos.

A very magical and mystical walk today. We had a fairly steep climb up and out of Triacastela, into chestnut and oak forested pathways, crossing small brooks and streams. Winding along small farm paths. We came upon the first albergue , it was an ecological themed refuge, offering hot tea , fresh orange juice. The albergue also was a yoga retreat, nestled among 800 year old chestnut trees, a very magical area. Jeff was the host of the albergue , he was from Australia, and been hosting for a year or so, his vision was to reside aiding pilgrims for the rest of his life, he had been captured by the Camino, and was now experiencing full sustainability via the Camino. He told us of two other places to visit along the path, one a wayside fruit and food area hosted by a man named Simon , the food and fruit was offered via donation only, so Simon was also trusting the Camino for his sustainability vision, thus far he had been offering free food and drink for over two years. We engaged in heart felt conversation for quite a time, it was a very special connection, to hear his take on life and the Camino. He told us that we should divert off the normal path and visit an alchemist artist that had a Refugio and meditation center, and art studio. A very interesting visit , the artwork was all fashioned out of ground up Crystals , gem stones and minerals. All of the colors were natural, the designs were full of the energy and vision of the artist and the energy of the media. A most profound visit. 

It was a great day of walking and much inspiration. We stayed at a nice albergue offering vegan meals, a fitting end to a mystical, spiritual day

Here are some photos of the day.

We decided to spend another day in this village and the fine albergue, we got to see part of my Wolfpack as they passed thru. Nice to see and spend time with PJ and Lisa, we miss Stewart as he has gone north to walk the less traveled English Camino, perhaps we will see him in Santiago.

Tomorrow we will head out towards Sarria, Sarria marks the last 100 km to Santiago . For a pilgrim to receive a compestella they must complete the last 100 km into Santiago, so pilgrims that wish a compestella flood into Sarria to start their pilgrim walk. We know the energy of the new additions to the Camino will be different from those of us that have walked the entire Camino . No judgement here,  just a new experience, that the Camino has to offer.

I am already feeling the sadness of the Camino physical journey coming to an end, but the Camino will dwell within me forever.

the thought for the day;

The Way is your destination.

Random photos of People and things along the way 

Today we continued our steep climb to the village of  O’Cebreiro, a mountaintop top old village hosting one of the oldest churches on the Camino dating back to the 9th century, we walked the steep path in a cool morning mist, walking in the clouds that capped the tops of the mountain. We are now in the district of Galicia, with the Celtic influence, the food and the language here is different than other parts of Spain. The wine is richer and more bold, the cattle , sheep and pigs are the mainstay here, but later as we near Santiago in Galicia we will see more and more sea food offered. 

We continued our journey down off the mountain to the small city of Triecastela. At one time there were three castles in the city, nine of who’ve survive today. They were destroyed almost as fast as they were built. We stayed in a wonderful albergue, one of the best that we have seen. The hosts kind of adopted us, and shared part of their life with us and made us feel special , it was a real connection with them. We continue to be blessed with rich experiences. 

Thought for the day ;

We might be disappointed when we fail , but we are lost when we don’t even try.

Some photos from the day

A short 15km day today. We climbed and climbed and climbed some more. It was a beautiful day, a nice physical challenge on a narrow rocky trail much of the way. We were rewarded with stunning views and very small villages. We stopped for the night in La Faba with a population of 15 people. We stayed in a very clean albergue run by a German confraternity. We ate dinner in a refuge that cooked vegan meals all grown in their garden. After dinner we attended a mass conducted at the local church. They conducted a pilgrims blessing in all different languages . We all shared our pilgrim stories and how the journey has affected us. We then all said peace be with you to each and every person along with a hug. If only the whole world could act with this love and compassion . We were people from all over the world enjoying each other’s journey.

We can not give peace unless we first create peace in our own hearts and minds.

Thought for the day; 

Face your path with courage, don’t be scared of people’s criticism. And above all, don’t let yourself get paralyzed by your own criticism.

Some photos from the day.

Today we walked about 18km thru farm land and vineyards, walked thru very small villages.  It was a very peaceful walk, lots of quiet time to each ponder our thoughts, and let the last couple of days settle into our souls. The peace and beauty that we were seeing matched the feelings inside of each of us. We stayed in a small albergue and had a room to ourselves .

By the way I am up to 49 different bird calls.

Thought for the day;

A caged bird sings about freedom. A free bird flies. 

Some photos