{"id":4843,"date":"2014-07-03T18:08:57","date_gmt":"2014-07-03T16:08:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/?p=4843"},"modified":"2014-07-03T18:23:30","modified_gmt":"2014-07-03T16:23:30","slug":"air-breathe-portuguese-way-santiago-coast-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/air-breathe-portuguese-way-santiago-coast-7\/","title":{"rendered":"The air we breathe. The Portuguese Way to Santiago by the Coast.(7)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The air we breathe. The Portuguese Way to Santiago by the Coast.(7)<\/h1>\n
\"Lighthouse,<\/a>

Lighthouse, Cabo Silleiro<\/p><\/div>\n

This Camino from Portugal to Santiago, following the coast, is swept by Atlantic winds. The air seems to nourish every cell of the body, enlightening and energising mind and muscle and spirit. I felt considerable relief setting of from my damp overnight refuge. \u00a0I even glimpsed the sun for a minute or two and soon found myself leaving the main road, cutting inland by a rising path giving clear views of the Silleiro lighthouse and the in-coming black storms. \u00a0I noticed I was inhaling deeply. \u00a0Most meditation techniques emphasise the importance of being aware of our breathing, taking in air mindfully. \u00a0Even St. Ignatius dwells on the importance of breathing combined with prayer, using each breath in and out to focus the mind. \u00a0Sometimes I find my lungs filling slowly and deeply as I look at a breath-giving view or am swept up with wonder at a memory or a moment of joyous surprise, as if my body is filled with breath-filled prayer even before I am aware of what is happening.<\/p>\n

\"Cartwheels,<\/a>

Cartwheels, over the centuries, have carved ruts in the granite.<\/p><\/div>\n

The path is clearly a very ancient road with the stone worn away by usage. \u00a0I loved this path which the Camino encounters every now and then in Portugal and here in Galicia. \u00a0I found myself breathing in the sea air, so fresh after the damp room in the hotel. \u00a0For a moment, I almost believed the weather would be kind but in an instant the skies darkened and water fell cold: it splashed on my quickly donned “waterproofs” which always help me feel that I am cosily inside a tent until the liquid chill seeps through to my shirt and skin. \u00a0I recapture the thrill of that air inhaled a few minutes earlier and welcome the storm, for the path has become a river and my ankle will lose its stiffness.<\/p>\n

\"8<\/a>

8 minutes after theprevious picture (of the ruts in the stone), this is the path.<\/p><\/div>\n

A bit of\u00a0Gerard Manley Hopkins<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The Blessed Virgin Compared To The Air We Breathe <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

Gerard Manley Hopkins<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

Wild air, world-mothering air,<\/span>
\n Nestling me everywhere,<\/span>
\n That each eyelash or hair<\/span>
\n Girdles; goes home betwixt<\/span>
\n The fleeciest, frailest-flixed<\/span>
\n Snowflake; that \u2019s fairly mixed<\/span>
\n With, riddles, and is rife<\/span>
\n In every least thing\u2019s life;<\/span>
\n This needful, never spent,<\/span>
\n And nursing element;<\/span>
\n My more than meat and drink,<\/span>
\n My meal at every wink;<\/span>
\n This air, which, by life\u2019s law,<\/span>
\n My lung must draw and draw<\/span>
\n Now but to breathe its praise………..<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Islas<\/a>

Islas Cies, Baiona Ponevedra<\/p><\/div>\n

A descent in another flash of sun-light and the great bay of the Playa America opens up with the Peninsular which hosts, in a fort, the Parador de Baiona. \u00a0Guarding the bay, and indeed the whole estuary with its important port of Vigo are the Islas Cies. \u00a0Large boats were sheltered by the Isles from the open Atlantic as I made my way down to Baiona, inhaling and exhaling slowly. \u00a0Yes, I thought, it does help to dull pain. \u00a0Women in labour are taught to do it so why not arthritic pilgrims too?<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Parador in the Fort, Baiona in a ray of sunlight.<\/p><\/div>\n

Air. The Incredible String Band.<\/h1>\n

So from Hopkins to the Incredible Sting Band here is a song I loved from the sixties written by the Scottish musicians in this interesting band.<\/p>\n

Air<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/www.the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/1-08-Air.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Breathing, all creatures are Brighter then than brightest star You are by far<\/p>\n

You come right inside of me Close as you can be You kiss my blood and the blood kiss me<\/p>\n

Breathing, all creatures are Brighter then than brightest star You are by far<\/p>\n

You come right inside of me Close as you can be You kiss my blood and the blood kiss me<\/p>\n

Written by Mike Heron<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The air we breathe. The Portuguese Way to Santiago by the Coast.(7) This Camino from Portugal to Santiago, following the coast, is swept by Atlantic winds. The air seems to nourish every cell of the body, enlightening and energising mind … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1518,3,8,4],"tags":[1625,1527,1624,1626],"class_list":["post-4843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-camino-portuguese-costa","category-pilgrimage-and-prayer","category-the-camino-de-santiago","category-the-raft-of-corks","tag-baiona-ponevedra","tag-cabo-silleiro","tag-gerard-manley-hopkins","tag-islas-cies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4843\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-raft-of-corks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}