Up to this day everything has been new and interesting. We may have been jaded by seeing yet another classic village but, everything had an element of wonder. Today doesn’t seem to be inspiring. The Camino is mostly a farm access road next to a busy highway.
Compare yourself to this random pilgrim picked at random. We met a Dutch gal who was walking the Camino after recently losing her husband of some 40+ years. She started her pilgrimage in the Netherlands. She is a chef at a restaurant, she has two grown children, she has a catering business, and she is a foster parent to two children with disabilities . She also volunteers for various organizations. I can’t imagine her day to day life. The previous night she stayed at a monastery where she cooked the evening meal for 51 other pilgrims. One of the other pilgrims took her towel (they are not supplied at the common shower facility in the monastery, you also sleep on a mattress on the floor). Her comment regarding the loss of her only towel was “I hope they need it more than I do”
Encountered a lot of these small snails on grasses beside the road. I believe they are Vineyard Snails. They are a problem for farmers when the farmers are harvesting, the snails get into whatever it is being harvested. They are also gathered and find their way into tapas.
Jeremy, our friend from Calgary, joined us for dinner. He is now traveling solo his three traveling companions have gone to other places. Had a great dinner that lasted a lot longer than anticipated. butt, what a joyful evening.
Looking forward, it happens that we will be getting to Burgos during another festival. This will be another unplanned highlight to our Camino. This one is called “El Cid Week”.
Tina’s Thoughts
Hello y’all. Thank you for sending love and prayers to us on this journey. We feel it all. We have almost come to an end to week 2 and we are still here. Ha ha. There are so many people walking this Camino that apparently at this stage it is difficult to find lodging, We are thankful we booked ahead.
One of the most striking things I am finding as we walk is how steep the terrains are, Not as steep as the Pyrenees but there are daily uphills nonetheless. They say walking the Camino is a metaphor for life and I believe it’s true. We all face daily challenges, some more difficult than others. When we get to the top often there is a gentle resting flat piece before we go downhill, however there are times that we face a sharp and dangerous decline. These are more challenging and.difficult than the uphills and we have to take them slowly and carefully; One step at a time, otherwise we will have a big crash!
The resting spots (of which there are many beautiful ones) are a gift for me, as I am not by nature a person who loves to walk these long distances. 😊. Psalm 23 keeps me going during the toughest of days,
Until the next time, Buen Camino!
