October 11, 2013
For the past two days, walking from Triacastela to the monastery town of Samos, and then through the city of Sarria, to the little town of Barbadelo. As we left Sarria, we completed the second of the two sections we had skipped on 2010. So in a sense, we have finally completed the Camino.
From the time we left the mountain-top town of O'Cebreiro, we have been in the region of Galicia, which is quite different in character from the rest of the Camino, and for that matter, from our past pre-conceptions of what Spain must be like.
It is green and lush, and the land itself seems to have the same Celtic soul as its inhabitants.
From an 800-year old chestnut tree, to forested paths that turn into little towns that seem to live despite the Camino rather than because of it, Galicia enchants.
We catch our first glimpse of the Benedictine monastery in Samos, which has welcomed travelers and pilgrims for 1400 years.
The monastery has been built and rebuilt over the centuries, but the 9th century chapel and its companion 1000 year old cypress tree, still stand.
The monastery and its albergue, after a walk which was deliberately short to allow us to stop overnight there, were a physical and spiritual respite, a chance to linger and reflect on our recent days.
As we resumed this morning, we noticed not only the sights but the sounds - the birds, the breeze in our ears, the coursing of the Rio Sarria - that accompanied us for much of our walk, through a misty valley-fog which lasted into the early afternoon.
At the same time, the sound in our heads was a song, "Seek Ye First (the Kingdom of God)," which we heard in German back in O'Cebreiro. Coincidentally, the Gospel at Mass the next day had Jesus saying "seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened for you." So what do we seek? Is it perhaps already present, surrounding us as we walk along?
Stone angels and impossibly tall cypress trees appeared as we rounded the turns and crested the hills.
We half-expected the Elven city from The Lord of the Rings to materialize before us!