Walking the Camino de Santiago

Sept 11-

‘I am proud
Of how far I’ve come
I’m nothing loud
But I’m equally as fun
And they can choose to like me or not
But with or without them
I’m stronger than I thought
Is being fierce the only way to be strong
Do I have to roar
To get any attention
Is being quiet even an option
Is there room in this world
For a tender hearted lion’ - Addison Agen

Once again Christian and I headed out in the dark with our headlamps. We knew there was a pretty steep hike at the beginning of todays journey so we both wanted to get ahead of any sun that may slow us down.

I love these early mornings as I get the chance to enter its stillness and watch as the world slowly wakes up with the sunrise.

Todays hike will lead through the forest as we climb up a fairly steep ascent and over a large hillside. This will meander through some old small towns until the destination of Padron.

The path today was a climb but not too crazy. There are now many pilgrims on the trail. Camino Pilgrims are part of a unique community that transcends age, race, gender, and country of origin. The kindness we bestow on each other is simply something that we don’t see often outside of the Camino. It’s something I will miss.

A little bout todays destination. Padron dates back to Roman times when it was known as Iria Flavia (which is still the name of a parish to the north of the city center). Today, it’s known for producing peppers of the same name, for being a major stop along the Camino de Santiago, and for being home to two significant poets in the Galician language.

Padrón plays an important role in the tradición Xacobea, or collection of stories surrounding the life and death of the Santiago (James the Apostle). James came to Roman Hispania to evangelize after the death and resurrection of Jesus, stopping first in what was then Iria Flavia (modern-day Padrón). James returned to Jerusalem where he was martyred and executed. His disciples brought his body back to Spain and docked in Padrón at a large mooring stone called the pedrón, where today’s city takes its name from.

My thoughts: Tomorrow will be the day I arrive in Santiago de Compostela. Most days it seems to have flown by. I will have walked 709 KM in total. I’ve definitely seen some of the most beautiful areas of Portugal/Spain. I’ve made some great connections with pilgrims: Solange, Briggs, and of course Christian and Luca. I am truly blessed and so grateful.