Tuesday May 21, 2019

Ponte de Lima, Portugal—Day 6; 8000 steps

Proverbs 6

v. 16-19  There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.  I would say other people hate these things too.  Fortunately they’re rarely seen along the Camino.  Pilgrims we have met are polite, helpful and willing to share their cookies or their scoop on albergues.  They speak kindly of one another. They hope to be not troublemakers but peacemakers, not just along the Camino but in the wider world of their everyday lives.  Thank you, Lord, for the good intentions of pilgrims we meet.  May we also be a blessing to them.

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It’s our day off and we slept late—until 7:20 anyway.  Our included buffet breakfast (oh, what a luxury this is for pilgrims!) was a typical European spread with the addition of sauteed eggplant, a big bowl of fresh cherries, a loaf of quince jelly and—oh look!—a tray of pastels de nata.  As we ate, dreadful jazz versions of two Christmas songs played over and over through the sound system.  We went back to our room and opened the balcony door.  The marching music outside started at 8:40.

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