Come Follow Me: The Way

Today was a shorter day for us on the Camino. We walked just 15 km from Anha to Carreco. Knowing that our accommodations tonight were going to be nice, we thought it would be a good idea to enjoy a lighter day and relax a little.

I walked most of today’s journey alone. Charlotte was ready a bit before me this morning (okay, I was maybe being a little too social at the communal breakfast table, and she was ready to hit the road!). Anyway, spending the first 10 km or so on my own gave me a little time for reflection.

The literal translation of “Camino” in Spanish is “the way” or figuratively it refers to a “course of action” or “life’s path.” Along the Camino, I had a lot of markers to show me “the way”. Some are obvious, and some are not. You must be alert and observant to be sure that you stay on the route!

And there are even some signs to warn me of “the wrong way.”

As I walked, my mind wandered from the literal “Camino” to the figurative journey, and I began contemplating the different signs that show me “the way”. Am I alert enough to see them, do I follow them, do I see the signs that tell me when I’m going astray?

My journey is a work in progress - literally AND figuratively!

Well, now on to lighter topics. 😊

There were again some amazing views along the way. We crossed a bridge into Viana do Castelo.

This beautiful Statue of Viana includes four busts that symbolize the European, Asian, African and American continents, as an allusion to the "four corners of the world" and the dizzying and merchant tradition of the Vianenses.