Today’s pictures can be viewed here. Today’s prayer intentions: for all missionaries of the Word, especially our “Breaking open the Word” group serving our local rehab center in Clermont. 

Sunday October 23rd

Today we prepared for rain and wind. As we started out from León, we passed by a large 5 Star hotel called the Paradores, which was featured in the movie “The Way”. We also said our morning prayer outside of a church that looked like it was a huge fortress! This reminded me of the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God“.

Today is mission Sunday and we decided to pray for all those who are missionaries of the Word in the world. At our parish we have a group of people who go every week to a local rehab facility and share a service of the word with anyone who wants to attend.  We prayed for them and we prayed for missionaries and for the Pontifical Mission Society of the church (thinking especially of Fr Ponce in Uganda).

As we passed through one of the towns we found an entire section of Bodegas, some of which looked to be still lived in.  Yes these do look like hobbits houses!!

As the weather turned just after lunch time to high winds and rain we also found many challenges with the path today. Some areas which were washed out by heavy rains overnight.

We eventually got to an area where the path was completely washed out and it didn’t seem like there was any way around it. I was fully expecting to just have to get our feet wet and walk through this flowing river… Until Lisa decided to adapt to the path!

And since she showed me that this was possible, it was my turn next!

That extra 20 or 25 lb in your backpack makes a big difference when you try to jump!

For the next couple of miles the wind really picked up, probably around 30 miles an hour at certain moments. The rain and the wind brought the temperature down into the low 40s. But thanks be to God we made it to our hostel and have a warm bed and a warm meal to end our day.

One highlight of the day was when we stopped for lunch and a little restaurant called Mesón El Yantar del Peregrino.

When we finished lunch, the woman who owned the bar invited me to write our names and where we were from on the wall. So now we have a little memory forever in Spain!!

Overall it was a good day. Some days the road is challenging and difficult. But the joy of the journey remains. Just as it does for our lives on this journey to our heavenly home!

And we are nearing the end of this journey! Only 180 miles to go to reach Santiago de Compostela.

Buen Camino 🙏❤️

Today’s pictures can be viewed here. Today’s prayer intentions: for all missionaries of the Word, especially our “Breaking open the Word” group serving our local rehab center in Clermont.