Day Four
By Rev. Peter Hill
This was undoubtedly the most demanding day of the pilgrimage physically. We strode uphill out of the ancient town of Betanzos with zest and energy, exchanging ‘Buen Caminos’ as we passed several other perigrinos (pilgrims) along the Way. But before too long the fact of too many long ‘uppies’ as we had christened them began to take their toll. We said our prayers on the go in order to preserve a rhythm and Hebrews12:1-3 encouraged us to keep going and finish the day’s race.
On a rare flat section we exchanged football banter with two Spanish guys from Valencia. They wisely recognised the insignificance of the Churchwarden’s favoured Tottenham Hotspur but failed to acknowledge the superiority of Manchester City. Some pilgrims remain uninformed about the finer points of life!
Eight km out we stopped for much need fresh orange juice at a café near a beautiful RC Chapel were Mass was just ending. We were sorry to miss it. The next 12km through a dense Eucalyptus Forest had few ‘downies’ and was seriously steep. Conversation between Churchwardens and Bishop was minimised due to the need to focus on putting one foot in front of the other.
Deep in the forest, as we neared the 15km mark, we came alongside a lone American woman whose pilgrim partner had had to seek medical treatment due to an ankle injury. We were glad to walk with her as pilgrims together on the Way and hear about each others’ life experiences. Pilgrimage is a liminal time when much social and emotional status is laid aside as stories are shared. People open up to God and one another along the Way.
Soon we came to Café Aveline, a famous stop on the Camino Ingles, where Carmen, an enthusiastic host, welcomes all peregrinos into her café/bar and lavishes comfort, free food and encouragement on them. We bought three beers but received much more. She was an extraordinary experience. In the same bar we recognised two female Irish pilgrims who are surely the fittest and fastest pilgrims we have met on the Way so far. They had completed our first two stages in one day! Carmen was plying them with white wine.
Our day ended at a ‘Casa Rural’ out in the sticks in a most beautiful setting. As we arrived and settled in, the house was full of local families enjoying the food and drink alongside incredibly loud conversation at lunches which had extended well into the early evening, a Spanish cultural pattern we had begun to recognise. Later in a quieter ambience, we received by far the most delicious meal of the pilgrimage so far, including generous wine and other beverages.
A demanding but fantastic day! Two more to go.
