Arzua/ Amenal

Dear Family and Friends
note: I tried to make a post in Amenal - twice- and lost them both due to Skitterish wifi.
It was a cold and sunny day when I left Arzua though I left in the dark with a waxing half moon.
It was a beautiful sunrise, always behind us since we are steadily heading west.
The birds were singing, and there were plentiful babbling brooks. The first part of the morning was in the woods withUg considerable up and downs. Interestingly enough, there were many eucalyptus trees thin and towering above the oaks and pines. They were introduced several years ago and apparently many groves of oak were replaced with eucalyptus. They have not worked out as hoped, but many remain. I love the woods and was very happy to see that the crowds had thinned out considerably. I stopped a couple of times to reflect and to do some writing. After stopping for a hot chocolate the terrain changed to a very pastoral valley of farms and fields. Many cows and a few horses.
As this was the day my father died many years ago,
he was in the foreground of my thoughts. I noticed two people walking in front of me- an older man and a young woman. As I passed them I stopped to talk. They were from Germany - from Cologne- father and daughter. She was going into banking and had 2 weeks off. As I moved
ahead, I shed a few tears, feeling the loss but also feeling the amaZing workings of the
universe. And if that wasn't enough, I bumped into them at least 5 times in town as we all
waited for dinner time. I was trying to discern what the universe was trying to tell me. I
thought perhaps I might get a dream to fill in some blanks.
But no, I did not.
While in Arzua, I met up with my friend Sheila from Ireland. She had walked over 30km from
Palas de Rei and got her first blister on the Camino! We had dinner together, along with Chris
from Victoria. It was good to get caught up.
The next morning I left Arzua early again since it was a longer day than I had had for the
past two. I had some hotchocolate before I left, then stopped at the bakery and picked up a
delicious chocolate croissant to eat on the way. ( I'm going to be in trouble
when I stop walking- no more chocolate croissants! :)! It was quite cool and dark, but I
could see that the pathway was lined with white hydrangeas that shone like beacons in the
night. I was continuing to reflect on the father and daughter I had met the day before. A
little bird with a sweet little song seemed to follow me as I walked. The terrain was once
again rolling hills, wooded paths, babbling Brooks, and farming country. The sunrise was
spectacular accentuated by the elevation we had just climbed
and mist hung in the valleys as a huge fireball began to rise from the horizon. Several of
stopped to take a photo.

I began to realize as I walked that what I was trying to understand and capture from the
German father and daughter was right under my nose. In a similar way that in meditating when
focusing on two trees, they join into one, so did I realize that the gift of this father and
daughter was that they were in fact my father and I, walking side byside as I walked across
Spain, and I felt his presence in my heart as I had not before. My heart felt much lighter and
my senses were heightened. I became more and more aware of the little bird who seemed to be
following me for the past two days.

This poem, "Redbird Explains Himself," from Mary Oliver kept coming to me as I walked. Marian
(I think) read it in our Chicago BSR conference working group and I wrote it down.
Part of it reads:
"If I was the song that entered your heart
Then I was the music of your heart that you wanted and needed,
and this wilderness bloomed there,
with all it's followers: gardeners, lovers, people who weep for the death of rivers.
And this is my true task, to be the music of the body.
Do you understand? For truly the body needs
a song, a spirit, a soul
And no less to make this work,
the soul has need of a body,
and I am both of the earth
and I am of the inexplicable beauty of heaven
where I fly so easily
so welcome, yes
And this is why I have been sent
To teach this to your heart. "

This poem really seems to speak to what much of my Camino has been about.
This day I came behind an older German woman whom I had met in passing and a tall younger man whom I assumed was also German. Inspite of his height he had a slow smooth stride which seemed to match hers. As I came up to them and spoke, I was surprised to learn that he was Spanish, though he had very polished English. He had walked the Northern route which met up with the Frances route, having taken 10 days. He was a young father, and when I mentioned my granddaughters birthday, he was upset to realize he had forgotten tophonr hiswife and daughter since this was their saint's birthday. He explained that when they are born each person is given a saint and they also celebrate their saints birthday. His saint is Santiago, which was why he was walking to Santiago.
The German woman was a very spirited 75 year old, who has walked all over the world. She hurt her toe at the castle in Ponferrada and thought she might have broken it, but refused to go to the doctor beause she thought he would tell her to stop walking. They were delightful walking partners, and we walked together till noon when Crystal and I neededto stop for lunch. Jaime continued walking to Santiago that day which would be about40+ km.
The day went by quickly and I reached Amenal around 3pm. I had my main meal soon after my shower and laundry. There were 3 families there with 2 and 3 year olds. They were a delight to watch and I realized how much I missed my grandchildren.
When I returned to my room, I connected with my email and learned that my/our dear Chocolate Lab Kobie had died. My heart was torn to pieces. He gas been sick, but I had hoped he would still be there when I returned. It was not to be.
I did focus enough to write a blog, but after twice losing all I had written, I gave up and went to bed early. Tomorrow I would be in Santiago.
Heather