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Day 31. To Vega de Valcarce
Long walk (26 1/2 km) over 6 1/4 hours with every step in the rain. One more day of rain and the sun returns for a few days anyway. Lynn still prefers rain and I would agree except we are in the mountains and the clouds obstruct much of the beauty.
Lynn here: Rich wanted me to talk about the scallop shell & why all pilgrims on the Camino carry one. There are several stories, but the more popular is that the body of St James was covered in shells when it was brought by boat from Jerusalem to Santiago. Apparently pilgrims started carrying a shell about 700 AD. The picture attached is my shell against my pilgrim passport (Credencial del Peregrino). The passport is given when one registers for the walk - in our case, in St Jean Pied De Port. Each night at ones place of lodging, you get a stamp. When you get to Santiago, those stamps prove you have walked at least 100 km and can therefore be issued a Compostela, or certificate.
Most pilgrims buy a large white shell and carry it on their backpack; our shells, however, have much more meaning to us. Our darlin' friend, Alana, gave us silver covered scallop shells before we left home. They are made by a Haida artist from Haida Gwai (the Queen Charlotte Islands) British Columbia. I think it's really lovely that we have this shell from BC accompanying us on this wonderful journey in northern Spain. Thank you, Alana!:)
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