24th Day of the Camino - Dedicated to all children and youth.

Today is day 24 of the Camino. Our destination was Astorga (15 miles). The weather was much nicer today. The morning started out cold (36 degrees), but by midday it was warm enough to walk without a jacket. I walked the whole day with Sr. Leota (aka: Little Red Riding Hood; Big Bird; Weeble's Wobble). Sr. Leota and I had many nice discussions that included the topics of prayer, faith, family, and ministry.

I was very proud of Sr. Leota for completing the day's walk. It was not an easy task with her jet lag. Of course I was there to coach her, push her and cheer for her, especially when we were walking up hills. She ended up getting three blisters so please pray for her feet to heal quickly. 

Today would have been the 53rd birthday of our dear friend Fr. Ricardo Garcia. During our walk we thanked God for the gift of his life as we shared our favorite stories about him and prayed for healing and strength for his parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. Rest in peace Ricardo!

Fr. Ricardo Garcia

May 24, 1961 - February 21, 2011

As we journied toward Astorga we were amazed at the beautiful snow capped mountains in the distance. We wondered if we were going to have to climb them. We certainly hope not. (You'll have to enlarge the picture to be able to see the mountains with snow).

When we entered the town of Obrigo, Sr. Leota and I decided to prayer morning prayer atop of a medieval bridge in the center of town. It was nice praying the psalms with her in such a beautiful setting. The picture above is of the river that ran under the bridge.

After we finished praying we continued our journey toward the next town where we met up with Fr. Benjamin. He was resting by this cross waiting for David to let us know if we should eat lunch in this particular town or wait until the next one. David drove to the next town to see if the  "bar " there was open. He asked Fr. Benjamin to wait by this cross until he returned. (Sometimes "bars" are closed in a particular town making it difficult for pilgrims to find something to eat. In some cases a pilgrim might have to walk 6-8 miles until he finds a bar that is open). It turned out that the "bar" in the next town was open so we continued to walk. I didn't mind because it was only 11:35am and I wasn't hungry right then.

After lunch Leota and I walked a short distance behind Janice and Peter. I noticed that Janice's backpack was pink like Dora the Explorer's. (You'll need to enlarge the picture). It was then that I nicknamed her "Dora." We do silly things out on the Camino to pass the time. Giving each other nicknames is one of them. Fr. Benjamin is known as "Speedy Gonzalez," because he finishes the walk every day at least 30-40 minutes ahead of everyone in our group. Peter is called "Peter Rabbit" and "Donatello the Ninja Turtle," because his backpack is green. Leota gained a new nickname today, "Webble," because she wobbles back and forth as she walks and that reminded me of the old commercial that "Webbles wobble but they don't fall down".

Throughout the Camino one sees many beautiful gardens. The picture above and below are some of the gardens we saw today. 

About 3 miles from Astorga Sr. Leota and I saw Janice, Peter, and Fr. Benjamin visiting with someone at a rest area for pilgrims.(The Camino has many rest areas along its path that  provide benches, tables, and water for pilgrims).  As we got closer to the rest area I recognized that the person with whom they were visiting was my good friend Claudio, the one responsible for arranging our pilgrimage. When we arrived at the rest area I visited with Claudio for several minutes. He told me he was in town to check on us and to join us for dinner. After the short visit, we left Claudio to finish our walk. However, fifteen minutes later with 2.3 miles to go, Claudio stops all of us and invites us to have a snack and soda at the town just outside of Astorga. Actually only Claudio ate something (menudo) and the rest of us had something to drink. I told Claudio that we needed to go and that we would see him later. On entering the city we came across this statue of a cowboy pilgrim. 

Across the street from the cowboy statue was this church named, Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I thought of my Comadre Socorro and said a little prayer for her.

We finally arrived at the Plaza Mayor in Astorga where we were met by David and Claudio. Our hotel was located in the Plaza Mayor area so we didn't have to walk any further. We were happy to hear that. It had been a long walk and we were all very tired. Everyone showered and rested a bit before joining up again for dinner at 8pm. 

That was the jest of our day. Please note that walking the Camino is not as easy as the movie, "The Way" portrays it. Walking so many miles per day brings with it problems and concerns like people face in everyday life. Our response to these problems and concerns is like that of others, just keep walking.

My prayer and walk this day was dedicated to the children and youth of the world. I prayed that they would experience love, patience and understanding from their parents, teachers, and other influential adults in their lives. I prayed for an end to the many types of abuses that children and youth suffer on a daily base and I asked God to help those who are broken and depressed to find healing and hope amidst the difficulties they face. Please join me in praying for all our children and youth to know the love of God in their lives. May we be the instruments through which God reveals His love. 

Good night and Buen Camino!