Our Santiagos

Three days ago we walked through cool early morning, mountain mist on stone-wall lined paths, over streams, past abandoned grist mills, from Triacastela to Samos. We wanted to visit the Monasterio de Samos, despite the extra 6.5 km required by this route. The Monastery is one of the oldest continously inhabited monasteries in the ¨western world¨, with one of the largest grounds and enclosed garden cloisters in Spain.
After a 3 hour walk, and revived by cafes con leche and croissants, we toured this centuries old place of contemplation and Benedictine devotion, and attempted to imagine the lives and spiritual pratices of the resident brothers ...
Souls stirred, that afternoon we walked, followed the yellow arrows that mark the length of the Camino, along country paths, across farmers´ fields, through tiny villages. It was very hot and we were out of water, and we wondered in frustration if we had somehow lost the trail or if John Brierly´s guidebook (which had been excellent to this point) had suddenly failed us. Walking up yet another hill, sprayed in red lettering on the pavement was the question, ¨What is Your Santiago?¨
We finally arrived, late, hot and tired in Sarria. After finding a place to stay (all the albergues were full), with tears over our dinners of Ensalada Mixta, Allison told me about the ¨Ah, ha¨ she had had late that afternoon when she was struggling to continue walking.
She had realized that her Santiago, her soul truth, was that she needed to stop walking, to rest, to take care of herself. Later in the hotel room, we both cried, realizing that our walking together needed to come to an end. We brainstormed possibilities (because that´s what we do, including the possibility of us both quitting and going to Majorca to lie on the beach for a week), but in the end, we decided that it is impotçrtant that we both meet our needs for this time.
So ... Allison has stopped walking and I have continued. Together we walked 417 km. For the past two days I have walked without her (49 km), but not alone, as the Camino is filled with pilgrims, many who have just strarted in Sarria. She has taken a bus each day and has gone ahead to find a place for us to stay.
Three more days , 69 km, and we will be in Santiago.
The walking is good for my soul.
The resting is good for Allison.
Together, in our own ways, we will complete our Caminos de Santiago.