Brothers’ Reunion

For my first three caminos, the thought of actually “cheating” by taking a taxi or bus was quite unacceptable to me. I wanted to walk the whole distance to “get it right.” This camino is quite ditterent. It’s not about “walking ’till you drop” but more about fellowship and enjoying the journey. So two days ago, I took a taxi from Carcaboso to the city of Plasencia. The trip, which would have taken a long day’s walk to get there, took about half an hour. Yesterday, I caught the bus to Salamanca, which covered what would have taken three days to walk.

Last night at midnight, I waited in the hotel lobby and saw MY BROTHER walk through the door. We will walk the remaining 500 kilometres to Santiago together over the next month. I am so pleased to be able to share this experience with him! His rich spiritual life and devout Catholic faith will make the journey so much more meaningful. This morning, we visited the incredible cathedral in Salamanca, parts of which date from the 1100s. The beautiful building and magnificent stone and wood carving testify to a devotion to God that is impossible for us to imagine.

Tomorrow starts “Semana Santa” (Holy Week), and, was we travel through the towns of Spain, we will see the faith of the Spanish people on display in ceremony and celebration in a way that hasn’t changed in a thousand years. It may seem strange and “over the top” to us, but the rich faithit reveals cannot be denied.