Harvests and High Places

    Yesterday I was thinking about harvests.  It was a lovely walking day - about 16 miles, mostly flat.  That was great as there was a long tedious, rocky descent the day before.  All during the day I saw signs of harvest.  The grapes that I have been seeing in the vineyard all along are now being picked.  Tractor after tractor pulling trailers full of grapes went by yesterday.  I walked by a couple of bodegas where they are taking the grapes to start the process of making wine.

  As I walked I saw a man with a wheelbarrow picking apples, then a woman picking beans.  There were gardens with ripe peppers, tomatoes and many fields of melons.  It is that time of year and it made me think of Trinity UMC and our theme for this year, the scripture verse: "I am the vine and you are the branches."  We started with Vacation Bible Camp focusing on the fruits of the spirit and next year´s mission trip through the Society of St Andrew will have the harvest as it´s theme.  As I walked I was thinking about what I will harvest from my time on the Camino.  It is getting to that point - right now it looks like I will reach Santiago de Compostela next Sunday or Monday.   Time to reflect on what this journey has meant for me.  I´ll share some of my reflections later this week.

    One thing I´ve noticed is that we go back and forth from good days of walking to difficult days.  I mentioned the steep descent into Molinesca that was so difficult.  There was also a day when I was walking the Via Romana over large rocks, in full sun, no shade on the path.  The flies and gnats were so bad that for a mile or so I tucked my white handkerchief into my hat and had it fall over my face.  I was able to make out the road pretty well, but pulled it up every so often just to make sure I hadn´t wandered.

   Yesterday was a lovely, easy walk.  Today I went up a mountain.  I thought it was a small mountain, but this thing just kept going and going.  And going and going... and going.  I have to admit, the vistas were beautiful.  I even enjoyed some of the walking across the more level areas at the top.  But then the descent started.  It wasn´t as rocky as going into Molinesca, but it was much steeper at times - and it went on and on.  I was heading into the town of Trabadelo, but as I went down, down, down, I still couldn´t see the town.  There were very few of us on this option (many apparently took the route that followed the road).  I saw 4 other people.  I was by myself for the entire descent.  And I finally decided that I must be descending right into hell.  This was confirmed as I continued downward and the banks of ground on one side soared up into the air about a story and a half.  It really felt like I was about to go completely underground when I finally turned a corner and there was the fountain in Trabadelo.  I finally found a shady bench in town, collapsed and ate my cheese and apple, changed my socks, and headed out of town. 

    The reward at this point was a lovely (fairly flat) walk back and forth over the Rio Valcarce.  It was lovely, shady, and truly renewed my soul.  Today was a good preparation for O´Cebreiro tomorrow.  The guide book says allow 3 hours for the climb, but the hostess at the alberque assures me that while 1/3 is pretty steep the rest is more gentle -- and the descent is much better than todays!  I sure hope she is right.

   As I reach the peak of O´Cebriero I will enter into Galicia, the last of the regions covered by the Camino.  Tomorrow...  a new mountain, a new region, a new day.  Bueno Camino!