Oh, Galicia! 

Galicia has been uncharacteristically cool and sunny, enabling us to do some fairly decent long-distance days.

Oh, the forests of Galicia! So beautiful, and so otherworldly. As we came down from crossing our third mountain range, the clouds poured into the valleys below us like the sea lapping on the shore.  

  
Stories and poems have tumbled through my head these past few days.

In addition to my own musings, two particular incidents stand out.

Yesterday – the feast of the Holy Abbots of Cluny – I prayed a chaplet for their guidance. Shortly thereafter, in the church in Palas de Rei – which I found particularly prayerful – I picked a random scripture out of a basket of such set out for pilgrims:

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

(Matthew 5:16)

Question answered. Thank you.

Today, just before Melide, we stopped into the little church of San Juan Bautista in Fuerelos. 

It has the most amazing crucifix. Christ’s right arm hangs down off of the Cross. 

  
At first, I thought it was meant to depict Him in the process of being lowered from the Cross, but then I realized that He was reaching down to pull me up to the Cross with Him.

It was incredibly moving. All of us were affected. Several of us reached their hands up to grasp His hand, extended to us.

In other news, the sheer number of pilgrims here, particularly after Sarria, has been incredible. We have even heard that in some places all of the albergues are already full quite early in the day, and we are nowhere near the high season yet.