April 22, 2013 (My 50th Birthday), Day 23, Ledigos to Sahagun (21 km)

Outer Journey

It was very cold when I started walking this morning, 35 degrees and my face was raw and chapped.  The Albergue in Ledigos where I spent the night had no heat. A little voice inside me urged me to walk to the next town but by walking companion didn’t want to continue and I gave in.  I wish I had because it was a cold, cold night.

We walked through the Knights Templar stronghold of Terriadillos de los Templarios, Moratinos and San Nicolas del Real Camino and then on to Sahagun.  Before entering Sahagun, we came across the most beautiful little church called Virgin del Puente or Virgin of the Bridge.  Another major significant event is I crossed the half way there mark, today…on my birthday.

Inner Journey

I mean no offense by my subject line.  I am a story teller…a teller of the untold stories.  The world is full of stories and history is a story.  And, for so long, humanity has regarded what is written as Truth with a capital T and hasn’t looked at it as a story told by someone…usually a majority or the collective power.

Today is my birthday and I walk into the most delightful Cafe along The Way in the town of San Nicolas (it may have been Moratinos).  It was owned and run by a warm and friendly Italian man.  Many of my Camino friends were there and I had an freshly squeezed orange juice and brandy for my birthday breakfast.  There was a special little shop in the Cafe and I bought some gifts for people.  I then saw a book that caught my eye, called, “The Moorish Whore”.  So of course I wanted to see it…but not buy it because who wants to carry books! But I couldn’t help myself!  I love books and I love the stories of those that have been desecrated because their light was too bright!  I I put the bag in my pack and walked on.  Right outside of Sahagun, I came to “one of those places” that says, “take notice”.  It was a small church by a bridge called Our Lady of the Bridge.  The place had a peace and tranquility so far unmatched on The Camino.  There was very little information about the church; however, the church happened to mark the halfway mark to Santiago.

Later that evening, I began to read my new book.  It is about a medieval princess named Zaida that was a war trophy to King Alfonso VI.  King Alfonso crusaded Christianity to Leon and other parts of Spain. He conquered many of the Moors.  He resented the amount of control the church had over his life and decisions as King.  The church claimed he had to sacrifice his own will for the will of God (but it appeared to be the will of the priests!…just saying).  Often the priests choose the wife for the King because a pure bloodline is important. However, Alfonso fell in love with the daughter of a Moorish King and demanded her hand in return for a promise not to conquer the city of Sevilla. For their marraige, Zaida was christened, Isabel.  I won’t go into the details of the book, but she was hated for being an infidel even though she was the wife of the king.  She was even more despised because she was different, dark skinned, passionate, beautiful and lively.  She enjoyed, life, nature, singing and dancing.  Behaviors the church at the time frowned upon. She lived a Monastery in what is now Sahagun so the priests could keep an I on her while Alfonso was out crusading.

I began to realize that Spain’s roots are very diverse.  It was populated by Romans, Celts, Basque, Jews, Moors, etc.

The church at the time hated everyone because of their “beliefs” or “understanding” at the time.  This idea came up during a coaching call I led yesterday when the topic of “limiting beliefs” came up.  All beliefs by nature are limiting.  Our bodies are requried to contract down as we form them…just like judgements and conclusions.  I am not suggesting not to have them…maybe at the same time be in the questions of what else is possible and what am I not allowing with this belief.

Anyway, the church ended up destroying her and her marraige to Alfonso, HOWEVER, to the churches dismay, she befriended some Basque christian converts who worshiped very simply at a small and rough church near where the Pilgrims on the way to Santiago came through.  She sold her jewelry and built them a solid and lovey church named Our Lady of the Bridge…hummmm…

Buen Camino!