Camino de Santiago Portuguese - Day 12

Daily Overview

• Summary of the Day: We got up on the later side this morning, and we were happy to have a little more rest as we geared up for Jon’s arrival this afternoon and the start of another time of walking full days for the rest of the week. We’ve been averaging around twenty kilometers a day (12 miles). To date, we’ve walked 135 km or about 84 miles. This morning, we walked around the fortress, took in the views, and visited two other churches and multiple shops. It was very fun and relaxing. Jon’s bus from Porto arrived around three, and we walked a short distance to the bus station to meet him. His flight from San Francisco landed on time, but another plane stole their gate, so everyone sat on the plane for an hour before they could find another gate to unload the people. By that time, the countdown had started for his flight to Porto. He got to his gate two minutes before they closed the door! We are looking forward to having him walk with us. Maybe he can keep us going at a faster pace. Probably not.

  I loved the opportunity to rest and explore the city today, but at the same time, I can feel antsy hanging out. As we were walking around this morning, seeing other pilgrims walking through the city on their way to Tui or farther up the way, I was missing my backpack, which weighs 18lbs….I must be losing my mind. It reminds me of that bumper sticker that says “Jesus is coming, try to look busy”.

  One of the reasons we are so thankful for Jon’s arrival is that he is resupplying us. New trekking pole feet (the rubber caps at the end of the poles), we lost one. More electrolyte packets, we’ve been going through those, and a new charging adapter. Very happy to have that. Tomorrow we’ll be heading out early on our way to O Porriño, so this is our last day in Portugal. We’ll be crossing the river into Spain.  I’m looking forward to being able to communicate a little better. I have no Portuguese, so I can’t converse at all, but at least I have enough Spanish to ask where the bathroom is.

  
  

• What we planned to do: Today, we planned a rest day in Valenca, waiting for Jonathan to arrive.

The Day's Focus -The weight of History

• Topic: walking in the footsteps of the saints - It’s impossible to walk around this city, sitting in the churches and walking back and forth on and across the Camino without thinking about the enormous imprint that has been left behind by those who have loved and followed God in this place in the past. It is humbling to think that we have some small access to their spiritual legacy, and at the same time, I am stirred with a desire to follow God more closely along the paths they have created, often at great personal cost.

• Word for the Day: Remember

• Scripture: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." - Hebrews 12:1

• Spiritual Practice:  Pause to consider the saints that have gone before me and how the weight of their testimony has left an imprint on my life. Ask God today for the wisdom and endurance they demonstrated

  
  

Moments and Images

• Images from the Way Today: 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
  
  

• Beautiful Spot of the Day: 

  

  Above the ramparts of the fortress, looking towards the Minho river

• Spiritual Meditative Moment: 

  Sitting in the Capela Militar do Bom Jesus Church (the name feels super awkward, but just my opinion)

  Built and consecrated in the 17th century

  
  

• What Church We Visited:

Capela Militar do Bom Jesus Church

• People we experienced: 

  Having Jonathan join us today was the highlight, but the close second would be the little man in the antique store sitting at his desk with a fully mounted lion on the shelf above him. It was something.

• Unexpected Surprises: 

  

  Inside ONE room of this antique shop in the old city.

• Animal/Nature or local life: 

  

  These birds at the cafe are living the panhandler's dream

Reflections and Learnings

• Reflections from Today: 

  

  A glimpse inside this one old house in the old city, waiting to be restored

  It’s easy to look around this city and see beautiful places carefully preserved or restored, standing right beside other buildings that are pretty much in ruins. There is a tension in my heart with this because I am an expression of both of these. Some things in my life have been transformed and restored by God in amazing ways and there are other areas of my life that really need some help. God isn’t bothered by this reality because he has the resources to accomplish the task. If only I would allow him to do it.

• "Well, that was hard.": 

  Trying to get Sandy’s phone to airdrop photos today was driving me crazy. Trying to keep all the technology working to generate our blog post today

• "What helped me today": 

  Getting new tip caps for my walking poles is pretty much life-altering

• "Something I learned": 

  After navigating our way all over the very maze-like old city, we discovered they had free maps at the tourism office. Um…that would have been good to know.

• "Insight for the day": 

  I’m sitting in these churches embellished in ways that seem supernatural, and I’m wondering did the men who did this work just looked into the realm of heaven and built what they saw there.

• "Mystical occurrences": 

  Maybe this doesn’t qualify as mystical, but the time on our phones jumped an hour ahead this morning, and we couldn’t figure out why. Turns out Spain has decided to be an hour ahead of Portugal, even though they are in the same time zone, and the time resets on your phone if it’s collecting that information from one of their cell towers. Wait a minute, so if you cross the river into Spain, you lose an hour? Yep.

Camino Portugues Video of the day

Panoramic view from the fortress ramparts looking across the Minho river

Daily Conclusion

• Gratitudes (1–3 things I'm thankful for):

  Jonathan is making it to his flight and getting here safely

  A beautiful day and wonderful weather for this week

  The incredible good fortune we’ve had in finding places to stay