"The world is charged with the grandeur of God."

Today we had a short 8km walk going up 500m from Salas to Bodenaya. The early morning light pouring through the forest triggered memories of my A Level literature class from years ago and the words of Gerard Manley Hopkins. 
"The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
    It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
    It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
    And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
    And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
    There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
    Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
    World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings." Hopkins

I had to stop on the path and read the poem with Rob and refresh my memory. Walking on this path, especially today, one is constantly reminded of the glory of nature.
The incline  felt much easier today, and we arrived at the church in the village which was open, with several pilgrims inside praying. 
The children spent the morning walking ahead of us and making up stories of magical lands. Christopher said last night that he thinks the Camino "makes their imagination work better..."
They spent the afternoon identifying flowers and plants in the hedgerows in the village...on a quest to discover edible and medicinal plants. 
We are staying at the lovely albergue de Bodenaya with hospitaleros, David and Celia who have made us so welcome.

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