Santa Irene to Lavacolla
The walk today was a gentle 12 km through the countryside. We stopped at a couple of cafe's for coffee and refreshment and of course the Servicio moment. We passed a number of pilgrim signs in various places. I took a group photo for an excited bunch of Italian pilgrims which they appreciated. We passed Santiago Airport (CDQ) which Nikki arrived at last Saturday. At the end of the shorter stage today we stopped at Lavacolla.
This village of Lavacolla is where the pilgrims in earlier years stopped to ritually cleanse themselves before heading on to Santiago. We revisited that particular ritual with a thorough shower in nice hot water. The guidebook says that the original water source is "putrid" now, so we have adapted it a little.
The pension we are staying at today had a fab menu peregrino. We had fish soup and a grilled fish Plato segundo. As ever I had vino tinto but today Nikki was on Agua because of the antibiotics. C'est la vie.
We reflect that each of us, especially me have been upheld in this pilgrimage by the prayers of others, some of whom we know, others of whom we are unaware yet thankful for. So this is a good moment to acknowledge that and offer our prayerful thanks to you all.
I heard today that someone who began the pilgrimage with me has made it to Finisterre, the end of the world, an extra few km from Santiago. Please remember her, and her family in your prayers as she will soon return to Tasmania.
We shall journey on to Santiago in the morning, probably in the rain, but it is only around 10 km. Hopefully there will be copious coffee bars open along the way.
This village of Lavacolla is where the pilgrims in earlier years stopped to ritually cleanse themselves before heading on to Santiago. We revisited that particular ritual with a thorough shower in nice hot water. The guidebook says that the original water source is "putrid" now, so we have adapted it a little.
The pension we are staying at today had a fab menu peregrino. We had fish soup and a grilled fish Plato segundo. As ever I had vino tinto but today Nikki was on Agua because of the antibiotics. C'est la vie.
We reflect that each of us, especially me have been upheld in this pilgrimage by the prayers of others, some of whom we know, others of whom we are unaware yet thankful for. So this is a good moment to acknowledge that and offer our prayerful thanks to you all.
I heard today that someone who began the pilgrimage with me has made it to Finisterre, the end of the world, an extra few km from Santiago. Please remember her, and her family in your prayers as she will soon return to Tasmania.
We shall journey on to Santiago in the morning, probably in the rain, but it is only around 10 km. Hopefully there will be copious coffee bars open along the way.
