Camino de Santiago Portuguese - Day 16

Daily Overview

• Summary of the Day:

We had a lovely dinner late last evening in the old city part of Pontevedra at a restaurant that serves tapas, which are shared dishes, sort of like hors d'oeuvres. We had roast peppers, octopus, roast pork over potatoes and cod croquettes. Today, we stopped at one other church on our way out of the metropolis of Pontevedra. The Camino was well populated on the way out of the city until we got to the point where the paths diverge, with the main central route heading north and the alternative espiritual route heading west. We are taking the Espiritual route because at the end you can take a long boat ride up the river to Padrón. I’m looking forward to that. We’re walking a shorter distance today to Combarro to give ourselves a partial rest day. It’s a smaller town on the coast, so we get to be near the water again, and that is wonderful. I have to confess that the last several days have been harder in some ways than the earlier days. It may just be wear and tear or the cumulative effects of walking day after day. But I’m certainly feeling it  in my joints and feet. The city of Combarro is a resort town, and it is beautiful. We enjoyed having the afternoon to walk around the old town near the waterfront. We needed the break. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day. Three miles up the mountain and three miles down on the other side to Armenia’s. There is also a good chance of rain tomorrow.

• What we planned to do: 

Today we planned a shorter six-mile walk from Pontevedra to the seaside city of Combarro.

The Day's Focus

• Topic: The road less travelled - Taking a different path than the one that seems obvious requires courage and faith. You can’t make that decision on your own because you can’t walk on that path on your own.

• Word for the Day: Adapt

• Scripture: Isaiah 43: 19

  See, I am doing a new thing!

  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

  I am making a way in the wilderness

   and streams in the wasteland.

  
  

• Spiritual Practice:  Consider one area of your life where God is doing something different than what he has done before. How are you resisting this new work? What is one step you can take to cooperate with him?

Moments and Images

• Images from the Way Today: 

• Beautiful Spot of the Day: 

The seaside view with the resort town of Combarro in the distance

• Spiritual Meditative Moment: 

  Sitting in the church in Poio was so peaceful and rejuvenating.

• What Church We Visited: 

The church in Poio is situated right beside a monastery.

• People we experienced: One of the joys and sometimes problems on the Camino is seeing people again and again at different times. We ran into a Spanish woman walking with her mother, whom we last saw around Tui. That was great. And then there are the three South Korean college girls. One of them felt like it would be a good idea to put a bell on her backpack so that it dings pretty much with every other step. We ended up behind them for a little too long. I kept wondering if they had been sent by South Korea to torture us Westerners. It’s another opportunity to take the low road… and walk very slowly so that they can get ahead.

• Unexpected Surprises: Later in the afternoon, we were shocked to encounter that same group of a hundred high school students here in Combarro, all wearing their matching Camino sweat shirts. They are clearly walking to Santiago. It’s amazing that we would end up here at the exact same time.

  

• Animal/Nature or local life:

  Sometimes, pilgrims walking out of town in a large group look like a sure sign of the Zombie apocalypse.

Pilgrims or zombies; you decide.

Reflections and Learnings

• Reflections from Today: 

  You can’t choose your path based on what will be easiest or most efficient. You choose the path that is calling to you, and God teaches you how to walk there.

Camino Portugues Video of the day

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/ed6b9a_5442d3411010455e95770b2b5c7c2a3f/360p/mp4/file.mp4

The view across the bay from south of Combarro

• "Well, that was hard" We’re using different online services to book where we are staying, and usually the owner responds right away to let us know where to go and how to check in. Not today. Today, we were standing on the street corner in a strange neighbourhood with no idea where the room was and no response from the owner. We eventually got it worked out, but not a great feeling.

• "What helped me today":

  Being beside the water always lifts my spirits, and it certainly did today.

• "Something I learned": 

  When you’re staying somewhere unfamiliar, check to see whether they have hot water when you arrive. Just do it.

• "Insight for the day": You’re better off going where God is telling you to go; that way, you’ll both be in the same place if things go sideways.

• "Mystical occurrences": We could not find the apartment we were staying at for anything. Sandy was inspired to suggest going around to the other side of the building, where we promptly met the owner waiting for us.

Daily Conclusion

• A View of Our Compostela from today

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

A beautiful walk through the woods this morning

Time to relax this afternoon

That Jonathan can speak enough Spanish to help us survive