Day 4: Corpus Christi - From Fao to Viana do Castelo

Control is a myth, plan anyway. This is something I keep trying to live while walking the Camino and also in returning home. I’ve been trying this since my first Camino in 2018. Today, I planned a shorter day. I was going to leave later, walk shorter, and rest more. Instead, I couldn’t sleep, so I left at 7am. I was planning to walk 16km (9miles) but the lodging situation made it complicated and the map distances were off, so we (I joined Pat and Mary Beth halfway through the day) ended up walking 29km (18 miles). Again, the camaraderie with Pat and Mary Beth, among others, sustained me for the last unexpected half. 

I left early and walked alone for several miles. I stopped at several cafes and asked if they had eggs and ham. Whether green or not, “I would like them here or there. I would like them anywhere.” At the third stop, I asked, “is there anywhere I can find eggs and ham?” He simply shook his head. So I settled for a croissant with cheap ham and cheese. I am certainly not eating enough each day, and bread is not my favorite calorie booster.

I met several pilgrims today, include Steve from England. HE was walking with Karsten from Germany and also Dmitry (who lives in Latvia but was born in Ukraine when it was the USSR - of course he has nothing of interest to discuss these days!) WIthin minutes, Steve said, after saying several things to me, “I talk too much, and I know it. But I like to say things, and pilgrims don’t seem to mind.” We walked for a few miles together. He is very self-aware…. He asked me about how the USA can elect a president with dementia or how we voted for the guy before that…. He wanted my take on Bill Clinton (“Willy”) and Obama. Then we ended with the Second Amendment. I mostly let him talk and kept my opinions to myself (I know this will surprise some readers!) When I arrived to the church at the top of the hill, Mary Beth and Pat were there, with a new friend named Lena (from Germany). The four of us walked together, and Steve and Karsten continued their way. I am not sure where Dmitry went.

Corpus Christi - Feast Day

Today is Corpus Christi, the feast of the Eucharist. This means banks and offices are closed, but more so it means the country celebrates the body of Christ. This is an amazing feast day, and I heard the blessing of music pouring out of mass in two different towns. The Feast Day of the Eucharist is downplayed by most Protestants, except Lutherans, who uphold Real Presence. I have long held a belief in Real Presence, but walking the Camino extends the belief all the more. 

Late in the day, we were walking by a family celebration. They cheered for us as we walked by , and the mother of the family offered us bread, wine, and sardines. I was convinced we were living somewhere between Luke 24 and John 21. The feast given to us gave us enough energy to complete the day. But just as I was convinced I could make it to the end, I was walking across the bridge in to Castelo, and my trust was ousted as a car came towards me.

The Body of Christ doesn’t Belong a the Hood of a Car

I was almost hit by a car three times today. The first time I was walking down the road and heard a car coming, so I moved to the side of the road. The driver was looking at his phone and came very close to me. I yelled as loud as I could, and he still didn’t notice me. The second time was accidental; it was a blind corner, and we didn’t see one another. Thankfully, we both made the adjustment in time. The third incident was on the bridge. The walkway was adjacent to the road albeit the sidewalk was a few inches above the roadway. A young driver was clearly looking at her phone while driving across the bridge. She scooted over just a bit and almost came onto the curb. I panicked, yet again my yelling panic didn’t redeem her driving. C’est la vie. But I would have hated to lose my body on the feast day of Christ’s body…..

Feast Day, It Was

The highlight of the day was discovering fresh fruit. A couple had an orange tree in their yard, and he noticed me looking at the tree.  Zaccheus (I am sure that is his name) climbed the tree and gave us fresh oranges. A few miles later, after the church, we found a roadside oasis with fresh fruit. These roadside stands are “donativo”, so we left some coins and enjoyed a banana and a slice of watermelon. It was delightful. I cannot help but believe how all of the food today was God’s invitation to us to enjoy the Feast of the Lord. Corpus Christi, indeed.