In Mérida, I watched a man emerge in a hurry from a supermarket. Accosted by a beggar, without a glance, word, or losing a stride, the man reached deftly into his grocery bag, extracted a loaf of bread, and gave it to the poor man. This happened so quickly as to go seemingly unnoticed by other passersby. I very much admired this selfless gesture of a generous man. I hope to treasure it as a model, an inspiration for right living.
Also in Mérida, a handsome, eavesdropping older couple broke in on our sidewalk café Pilgrim table talk to tell me they were from Stavanger. They had heard me telling my table mates about my 2009 “Way of St. Olav” Pilgrim walk across Norway. They told me two Norwegian Royal couples had taken pre-nuptial pilgrim walks on the “Olavsleden”.
You can get a small glass of red wine in a taberna here for as little as a half Euro. It can make for a pleasant afternoon. I’ve been walking and talking with a mid life couple, Maria and Alfredo, from Valencia for the past few days. The Portuguese philosopher Manuel, himself 52, told me that Maria has given Alfredo the highest expression of her confidence that can be imagined—crossing kilometers of near desert, she entrusts Alfredo with carrying all of her spare water. They do seem to be an at-ease, well balanced couple. Walking through Cáceres this morning I saw a beautiful statute of the Virgin Mary in the Iglesia Santiago. So blessed, I walked on in mid day heat refreshed.
Entering Casar de Cáceres (KM 310) at day’s end, a neon sign flashed “44C degrees”.
