Out in the dark ... onto the road ... hard shoulder adequate ... white line visible ... torch to alert oncoming vehicles .... in Santillana by 8, still dark, nothing open, no pictures ... just Google it for plenty of images of the tourist jewel ... nearby Altamira too ... maybe the first pilgrims wandered west from there ... visited both last year ... onward onto the quieter lane, picking up the signs again ... an unlikely bar for coffee ... through winding lanes ... views of the sea, then inland to a place of great presence ... fall into meditation, soon disturbed by nearby killers of local fauna ... churches locked, fear of theft, loss of faith. .. mostly sitting on power points from previous versions of that which may not be described ... dear Claire, friend, mystic, teacher, asks about naming the mystery ... your blogger chooses not ... recalls conversation with German pilgrim, Reiner, who insisted that if God was not given His name, he could not know you, nor you Him ... already a name and a gender and so it all begins ... his cross response further evidence that his view was not shared here ... and so to two churches at Cobreces ... one very fancy, with two spires ... the other imposing, but with only one ... is there a theological debate going on here? Usually the single spire points to the singularity ... next door, duality already ... next, Christ consciousness ... which has brought trouble to Engish footballers Glen Hoddle and David Icke ... Glen lost his job over it ... David has persevered and wandered into many interesting parallel worlds ... the Buddhists, especially Zen, are clear enough that Buddha being is for all of us ... takes us to the unity ... the singularity ...
Back in the mundane world, a baker appears ... decent strong bread, next a friendly woman with a fine vegetable garden ... offering to buy a tomato, she responds by choosing and washing three, but declines payment ... a simple lunch by the beach ... the pain au chocolate and coffee complementing with a little luxury ...
Relaxing into the quiet cliffside walk, albergue in Comillas in mind, with San Vicente a little far for an easy day ... at the very beautiful Comillas a temporarily closed albergue persuades me onwards, via a brief stop to check what a 3 star pilgrim hotel looks like ... 30 euros ... on again staying with the road now ... until a surfer hostel tempts me uphill ... like the Marie-Celeste ... a cat investigating me, a large German Shepherd more interested in keeping me in than out ... surfer dudes at the beach no doubt ... so, after a rest and an airing for the feet, back on the road and glad to see the bridge into town ... the albergue on the hill ... three generations of hospitaleras, Sophie, Lola and Claudia, fondly remembered from last time ... and pilgrims ... more than usual because of Comillas' closure ... bed bugs apparently ...
A rest day tomorrow, a possible few days volunteering ... a three day route into the Picos, much promoted by the Cantabrian tourist authorities, encouraged by friend and aficionado of these parts, James of Scotland and another dear friend who prefers anonymity and enjoyed her holiday hereabouts a while ago ....
And so for food after a long day's walk ... supper with Lisa, from California, then back for pilgrim tales with folks from Holland, France, Germany, Italy ... Max from Scotland, departing volunteer hospitalero ... Nadia arrives, having hitched the last leg from closed Comillas ...no wifi, hence the delay in reporting on a wonderful, sometimes exhausting, day ... thank you for your patience ...
c.f.Cologne Catherdral...
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