Day 34 – Pausing a Day Feels A-Ok!

Another look at the Castillo Templario

as we make our way to the LDS church.

It's not too fancy on the outside...

....but we are happy to be on the inside.

Always good to hang with the Elders.

Great young men, making a difference.

On to the Basilica Nuestra Señora de la Encina.

Years ago this region was covered in holm oak.

In one such tree, a vision of the Virgin appeared,

which elevated the church to Basilica status.

A statue in front honors the Virgin, the Encina

tree, and the story that made this a Basilica.

Metal sculpture of Mary at the main entrance,

touched by parishioners as a blessing for centuries.

The Virgin is the patroness of the Bierzo region.

(Note the Encina trees behind her and the white

marble altar at the bottom of this photo.)

Another altar, behind the main altar and the choir

room. We went through a small door on the right.

In this back room, notice the trees on the side

arches, relating to the miracle of that Virgin

sighting that marked the Basilica's beginnings.

Awesome sculpture of a man carrying his mighty

sword, ready and willing to defend the faith.

Mike and Dave, owning the streets of old town.

La Torre del Reloj...

...otherwise known as the clock tower. 

Some lucky person gets to live here.

Pretty cute place! 

Even cuter with Dave standing in front of it.

Wisteria plants, held up by rods of iron.

With this added support, the vines pass as trees.

Woody stems, reminiscent of struts on a roller 

coaster, call to mind life's ups and downs, but 

the verdant vines denote beauty and strength.

So lovely: green leaves, vintage walls, 

a marriage of old and new.

{with blooms to come}

Dave's story is about this picture (below).

Ah, that first bloom of purple wisteria!

Tomorrow we head for Villafranca del Bierzo,

a 14.3 mile walk, the official 3/4 mark for us.

A story from Dave:

Ponferrada got its name from the original bridge across the Rio Sil (river). The bridge is called Pons Ferrata and was reinforced with iron from nearby mines as early as the 11th century. The bridge allowed the city to expand and support a strong industrial base, built around coal and iron reserves that were mined as far back as medieval times. We noticed a number of uses for iron as we walked the city, but the most interesting one we saw was the ironwork supporting a wisteria vine. The vine has grown up and spread across an ancient wall, and it couldn't have become this large and beautiful without that iron support around the lower base and branches.

Mike and I feel a bit like this wisteria as we wander along the ancient path from St. Jean to Santiago. We couldn't have done it without the support of our wonderful wives and families. We are grateful as well for all of you who are following our adventure and the many words of encouragement you offer, as well as for the donations to our Camino cause of suicide prevention and mental health.  Thank you all very much for making our pilgrimage more than it would ever be without you. Your love, interest, and support are greatly appreciated.  

A story from Mike:

       Dave and I are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often called the Mormon church. Some of you may not be aware of our faith, but we belong to a worldwide religion of 15 million members. Large or small, individual congregations from all over the world meet every Sunday, partake of the sacrament together, and renew commitments made to the Savior, Jesus Christ. 

        This morning, in a tiny Ponferrada branch of our church, we attended services. I loved the little group of 20 active members. I was especially drawn to the branch president (similar to a pastor, but a layperson) and his wife, who arrived via taxi at 9:45 AM, ready to conduct our meeting. He and his wife were a little older, somewhat small in physical stature, and looked as if they knew the meaning of a hard day's work. They were so cute together as they discharged their sacred responsibilities. His suit was a bit wrinkled, especially the pants and bottom half of his coat, but what captured my interest was the loving way he greeted people and prepared the sacrament with reverence and dignity. He filled an empty pitcher with water, then carefully poured out each small cup. His wife placed the hymn books around, which were covered with a green cloth, most likely from a Relief Society activity.

       Everyone was friendly to us, but we understood very little until Elder Moreno from Utah and Elder Tarver from Wyoming entered the chapel. They've been serving as missionaries in Spain for nearly two years and seem entirely at home with its language and people. The pair were incredibly helpful,  explaining who the people in the branch were and what was happening around us. Both are wonderful young men, whose parents can be incredibly proud of all they do and have done serving God's children in Spain. In the meeting, Elder Tarver was asked to get up and share his testimony, then he joined us as our translator. A lady in the ward spoke on self-reliance, followed by Elder Moreno talking about the apostle, Peter, and his relationship with Jesus. Very touching. All was sweetly familiar, as if we were home in our own wards, hearing similar messages from the members. I always look forward to Sunday. It gives me peace and reminds me I am loved and cared for by my Savior, as we all are.

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and mental health, the causes Mike and Davei

are championing with their walk.