A lot has happened today that solidifies Faith in the process!

One should plan ahead especially if venturing into unknown territory. On today’s path there was an opportunity to take 2 different paths; one along the highway and one through farmland. I chose farmland!

It was very peaceful and gave me a true sense of what being a pilgrim in the Middle Ages was like. At times I saw no other human and heard no modern noise. It truly felt like I was the only person alive. While this might have seemed scary it provided me an opportunity to think about our relationship to ourselves, to others and to the world, especially when you are carrying all you need.

It does make you stop and think about all the items we have gathered throughout our lives and we have to ask ourselves, “do we need all of this?” For 8 weeks all I need is on my back!

Back to planning. As I said there were 2 paths I could have chosen today. When I got to the end of my chosen path I arrived in Calzadilla de los Hermanillos and stopped at an albergue and they had no beds available!! When I looked at the map closer the next stop was 25km away!!!!!!!! But I just walked 23. Read the final print – the recommended route is along the highway. This did not bode well. Lucky there was a municipal albergue in the village. As I waited for it to open, I walked around the village to see, if need be, is there a place I can camp out at. I have my sleeping bag, it’s warm and dry here so I was prepared to sleep outside – found 4 potential spots. But I didn’t need to worry, there was room at the inn!

I got signed in, got my stamp and the cost was by donation. This albergue is supported by the village and is not a business, as other places are. It is a service that they provide to pilgrims. Where else in the world does this happen?

As I am fortunate enough, I wanted to give a donation to offset those who can’t afford much. They refused. I kept insisting but no! Fine! I gave money that they accepted, but when I leave in the morning I will leave some money for them to find.

The Camino constantly surprises me.

Since Calzadilla is off the beaten path they don’t get many pilgrims and hence the villagers welcome us and if I had travelled the highway I would have missed this gem. Here I found a piece of Spain I would come back to and saw things that others have missed, such as these Roman ruins and some beautiful roses, and the cutest restaurant I have seen since arriving in Spain.

As Robert Frost so eloquently stated:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both and be one traveller, long I stood and looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, and having perhaps the better claim, because it was grassy and wanted wear; though as far that the passing there had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence: two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.

So the next time you have to decide which path to take, choose the one less taken for you never know what magic awaits you!