Day 5 – Col du Grand Saint Bernard / Echevenouz (20km)
Inside the crypt of the monastery at the Saint Bernard there is a spring permanently running from the oldest wall into the floor and from there on a perfect parallel line that crosses the whole space.
I heard yesterday that during the winter time and despite the ice, the water continues to run underneath, peacefully, consistently, no matter what. Like almost everything in this place, you need to pay attention and train your listening skills to be able to capture its essence.
Time is implacable and like every other day, there is an exercise, kilometers and the new things to be discovered. Just before a last look back into the Pass, I promised myself to keep this powerful thought all the way down the valley while starting our descent.
Sometimes I wished I could be more like this water.
Now that we have imagined our future, each of us started building a bridge from the vision (yesterday’s exercise) back to the present. Today’s journey was about choices, while keeping an eye on the big picture, we focused our energy toward a few key objectives. This exercise urged each one to put some stakes into the ground – a first step forward to make our desired changes more tangible.
The route after leaving the Hospice and the adjacent kennel where the St Bernard champions are bred, moved us to the border. Already in Italy we took a mule track with a incredible panoramic view that kept us silent for kilometers and kilometers. There is so much beauty around us that the best thing we can do is to welcome it into our heart, stop few times to breath, take billions of mental pictures and continue, step after step. Few more bends on the valley and we will stop for the day.
After spending hours and hours walking and talking with each one of my companions I feel that my role on this route as a mentor is coming to an end. They already draw the way to their future and I can only be grateful for the opportunity to be somehow part of their story and at the same time fulfill my life purpose.
Aosta will be in front of us tomorrow, and as the distance to the final destination approaches, the actions needed to move forward also need to come into play, but that’s only tomorrow, because today we still have an amazing day to live.
What is the purpose that guides you in your future actions and decisions?
What is the source of Love in your life ?
Have you feel that “spring” that despite the ice, continues to run underneath, peacefully, consistently, no matter what?
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