#33-Walking the Camino-May 24, 2016

31st day of walking

de Castaneda a A Peroxa

Book 6 mi

Map My Walk-7.8 mi, 3 3/4 hours

Fitbit-29,968 steps, 8.5 miles

Today I am thankful that I live in the USA and in Oregon. 

Good deed - I tried and got a partial good deed. It was raining and most people on the trail had rain capes on. We'd stopped at a bar; as Dad went inside to get our passports stamped another guy came out and in a flowing sweeping motion, tried to flip his cape over his head and get his head under the hood. It didn't work and he was tangled up. With my hands I gestured how he needed to rotate the cape. Right at that moment another peregrino stole my thunder and physically helped the man get the hood on his head. So I was working on the good but the other guy really earned the deed. 

These two pictures are for Beverly who really loves succulents. What an interesting way to plant/display them

Some kind of palm tree with fruit

No caption needed

Here is an horreo with a purpose other than storing grain. It's a cat santuary

We got to Arzua which is famous for the cheese. (The sandwiches we had for lunch yesterday were made with Arzua cheese)

We saw these recycling containers.  Dad looked inside one and saw that the pit below was really deep. You can see the hinges on the sidewalk and we figure the whole portion of the sidewalk tips back. We couldn't wait around for the disposal truck to come. 

Here's Dad walking down through Aruza wearing his cape. 

Our albergue was off the trail and we had to actually use our map and make a detour. Our first clue

Then a suggestive sign that led up a driveway. 

To this. Does it it look like a movie set

Really nice inside with a jacuzzi bathtub

Here is more history/legend about James the Greater. It comes from our guidebook. The  association with James as the patron saint of Spain has no basis in the Bible, but exists in the realm of tradition, oral history, legend, and myth. 

The story goes that James preached in Iberia in the years preceding his death and was not terribly successful, amassing only seven disciples. In 40CE, the Virgin Mary appeared to James bearing the pillar to which Jesus was tied to be whipped. She instructed him to build a church in Zaragoza, in northern Spain.  The church was called the Iglesia de Pilar and can still be visited today 

Shortly after his encounter with Mary, James returned to Jerusalem and was martered The legend says that James body was..........more tomorrow.