Today was one of the most beautiful days of the Camino thus far. The mountain views were spectacular and it snowed all day! The snow made the walk very different, which is always welcome on the Camino. Sometimes the days start to blend together, so a day as unique as this one is great.
I wake up at 6:30, with my plan being to write my blog post for yesterday before getting ready for the day. I had planned on writing it last night, but was so tired in bed that I couldn't keep my eyes open. Sam and Eva were going to take a rest day today, but had decided instead that they'd join Margaret, Dan, and I as long as we left late. So I figured I'd have time in the morning to finish it, since the plan is to leave late. Well, that didn't quite work out, as my blog posts always take way longer than I expect. By 7:45, everyone is awake and getting ready, so I decide to just finish my post later and get ready as well.
At 8:45, Eva, Dan, Sam, and I head to the cafe in town for breakfast. Margaret heads out on her own, planning to stop for breakfast at the first town with an open cafe. When we step outside, we realize that it's snowing! It's a beautiful start to the day. The town is covered in fresh snow, and it crunches as we walk. We quickly get inside the cafe and set our bags down before ordering. I get a cafe con leche and a slice of some Spanish cake.
I enjoy my breakfast as we talk about the day ahead. It looks like it'll be snowing all day, so there's no point in trying to wait it out. Besides, I'm excited to get out and walk in the snow! My gear has already been tested in the snow, so I have no reason to worry. I've rarely ever walked in the snow, so it'll be a welcome experience.
Before heading out, I see a young man with an older lady walking into the cafe. The young man looks like he wants to interact, so I introduce myself. His name is Mateo, and he's French. He doesn't speak English but is eager to converse anyways. We determine that we're heading to the same city today, so I'll likely see him later. Then, Sam, Eva, and I head out at 9:30 while Dan leaves a few minutes later to have a quiet morning alone.
Sam and I walk together. The snow falls lightly as we discuss Christianity for quite some time. He asks me about my faith story and I tell him the whole thing. I answer his questions and then we discuss God, whether or not we think God exists, what that would mean, and whether or not God would be the Christian God.
As we walk, we pass through multiple tiny villages that are completely closed. The snow envelops everything. At times, we walk on the road with the mountainside dropping off to our left, but I can't see further than 100 feet due to the falling snow. In one village we pass, two friendly dogs come running up to us while playing with each other. They're insistent on being pet, so we pet them a bit and move on, cautious. Guard dogs are extremely common along the Camino, and you can never be too careful.
Dan catches up to us soon, and Sam and I continue our conversation. Sam wasn't raised with a religion but he is curious about multiple different religions. The thing is, most religions say you can only choose theirs, but he doesn't know which one to go with. We continue talking about it for a while until the conversation comes to a natural end, in part due to the wind picking up and making it hard to hear anything. It was a good conversation though, and he expressed mild interest in Christianity. I pray that he finds his way!
After some ascent, the traditional nature path becomes too hard to traverse due to the snow build up, so we move to the road. Snow plows come by periodically. The road has more cliffside views, though, which is especially beautiful in the snow. We walk in relative silence for a while, and I take the time to pray.
Around noon, we finally find the first cafe open on the path. As Dan, Sam, and I walk in, we find Eva and Margaret already inside eating. We take our seats at the same table and order. I get a cafe con leche and an omelette. We update each other on how we're doing. The strong wind and snow is a little extreme, and most of us are at least a little wet. Thankfully my gear is holding up though! We eat together while talking, and discuss the plan moving forward. It looks like Margaret, Eva, and Dan are going to attempt to wait out the weather, so Sam and I move on together.
As Sam and I head back out, I realize that the weather has cleared up a bit. The thick clouds are no longer right on top of us, so we can see the mountain views more clearly. The road leads us along a mountainside, and snow still pelts us in the heavy wind coming from the valley in the south. Eventually, the snow slows to a stop. It still feels like it's snowing though, because all the snow light enough to be carried by the wind is picked up. So the snow comes directly up and at an angle from the valley, creating a slightly odd spectacle of snow blowing upwards diagonally along the mountainside.
Soon enough, the snow stops being carried by the wind, and for a short time there is no snow. We now begin descending the mountain, and as we round a mountainside, we can start to see the valley we're heading towards unfolding in front of us. Sam and I talk about what places we'd like to live if we had to leave the place we're currently living. We compare our countries' situations based on a number of different factors. It's fun and also informative, and I learn plenty about Australia.
As we walk, we get far enough down the mountain that the snow no longer sticks. It has started snowing again, but much lighter this time. The wind gets much stronger as we continue around the side of the mountain, though. But the wind excites me and creates an atmosphere of high excitement as we continue our mountain descent.
Sam and I start to drift as we walk, and I spend some time alone in prayer. For the most part, I simply walk with God, spending time in His presence. It's peaceful and yet the atmosphere is still of high intensity due to the increasingly strong gusts of wind.
Finally, we pass fully out of the snow area and the falling snow turns into a light rain. We descend into village areas, and the wind dies down. The path is beautifully green and full of vibrant plant life. Huge ancient trees covered in vines are everywhere. It almost feels like a journey out of a fairy tale!
I walk alone through multiple tiny towns full of abandoned stone buildings, some fallen into disrepair. This is a common sight along the Camino. There can be a lively cafe right next to a building whose roof has fallen in. I suppose this is the centuries of the Camino's declining popularity meeting with the last few decades of the Camino's dramatic revival. It is quite a sight to see!
Finally, around 4:15, we come upon our destination for the day, Triacastela! Triacastela seems to be a small riverside village surrounded by greenery and mountains. Sam and I first dutifully check the church, which is closed. We then find our albergue for the night. It's a nice little place with a full kitchen, which is great since cooking is far cheaper than eating out. We both check in and shower. By the time we're done, Margaret and Eva have arrived.
Sam and I head to the only open supermarket in town and grab supplies for dinner, then head back to the albergue. The French guy from earlier, Mateo, is also at our albergue. We communicate for a little while on Google translate, learning about each other. He's 17 and is walking 1600 kilometers over 3 months: St Jean to Santiago de Compostela to the bottom of Portugal!
Dan soon arrives, and we catch up and talk about our walk for the day. I'm hungry, so I eat half a loaf of bread while reading a chapter of my book. Then I head to the common area to procrastinate on writing my blog. I play some cards with Eva, Margaret, and Sam for a little bit before dinner. Sam is cooking curry rice, and as soon as he's done, we all gather together and eat after a quick prayer. The food is delicious and the company is great.
After dinner, we invite Mateo to play cards and we do our best to teach him how to play BS using Google translate and our limited collective knowledge of French. It takes him a while to get it, but we all have fun anyways. The game goes on forever and eventually we end because it's late. But it was a great night of comraderie and fun!
At 9:30, we discuss the plan for tomorrow, then everyone heads to bed. I call Mikayla for a little while, and we talk excitedly about our few months ahead before the wedding. Then, I write my blog post before heading to bed at 11:30. It was a very memorable and exciting day today! The week ahead should be much of the same. Thank you, God, for such a great pilgrimage so far!