Although we didn’t leave Portomarín by the same staircase we entered by, our first step on the road out of the city was a wooded trail and steep incline that took nearly 25 minutes to clear. Stretch as we may before we departed, this hill pushed our legs to warm up as we set out on our nearly 17 mile journey today.
After clearing the first hill, we settled into the routine of rolling hills similar to yesterday’s walk. Today, however, the towns were more spaced out (reminiscent of the layout of days 1-5 of walking, but much greener) and water was more sparse with fewer fountains along the way. Luckily, we packed water in preparation and temperatures in the 70s kept us cool as we journeyed.
Traveling past a number of dairy farms and through patches of trees, we eventually came to Castromayor about 2 hours into our walk. Here about 100 meters off the trail are partially excavated ruins of an Iron Age village. Our walk soon turned into a lesson in Western Civ and our students got to explore the village that from above looked like a corn maze of stone walls- all of which have endured millennia.
This idea of what endures and what changes in our lives emerged in my conversations on the trail today. Traveling with rising high school seniors means there’s lots of discussion about college and majors; it also makes space for bigger questions of life, like how the things we think we have figured out often change (just like we do) and how the decisions we make mature and transform over time. For young women trying to find their way as “founders” formed in our SSJ charism and mission, this flexibility is key as is the ability to face life with grace (be it steep hills or vocational calls).
By the time we arrived at Palas de Rei late this afternoon, everyone agreed that our feet were a little more sore than when we set out this morning. Yet, in good company, we traversed the finals mile across town to reach our accommodations for the night. A hearty meal featuring the ubiquitously present potato filled us up and gave us a firm foundation as we head to bed after ten straight days of walking. Stretches are in order before bed, and hopefully we won’t have to hit a hill right away tomorrow to warm up! Stay tuned!
