Friday = Day 9
Wendell and I spent some time walking separately, during which time I remembered most of the words to "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." This grew out of a conversation in which we pondered if there is any useful purpose for flies, and what was God thinking when She created them. It must have been an off day for Creation. I do know why they are called "bugs."
The people we have met have been great - fun, considerate, generous, and eager to meet others. My only complaint is the littering along the Camino, especially of TP. Please, if you are planning to walk, BURY IT or TAKE IT WITH YOU. The people are primarily from Europe and the UK, plus a few Australians and Asians. Still just the one other American. During our lunch break, we reuninted with Mariaelani, a Greek woman from Australia. We had not seen her for a few days, so it was nice to run across her again. Sometimes, I am not sure what language is going to come out of my mouth. At the Austrian hostel, I was sitting next to a German woman as I put my feet into the fountain and said, "Wundebar." We shared dinner tonight with three Dutch men, 1 German, a Spanish man and his 13 year-old son. The woman who runs the albergue speaks Spanish and French. Fortunately, one of the Dutch men speaks Frenmch, so he spoke the menu to him in French, and he translated to English, German and Dutch. It was delightful to watch him discuss with his friends the proper translations, or to question his understanding. If I did not understand his English, then I would question the woman in Spanish or try to hear what she said to the two Spaniards, then give my order in Spanish. It was a circus of language - very fun. As we were leaving dinner last night, I said "Au Vois" to the French couple next to us. The waitress spoke about six languages, and said my Spanish was "Muy Bien," but I think she was just being nice. It is great to be able to converse a bit with locals - mostly "travel Spanish" - but also to exchange a few words with people on the trail.
One of the Dutch men started walking in Holland three months ago. He had a few blisters when he first started, but now his feet are in great shape - "soft as a baby," he says. He uses cream to keep the skin supple. This is the exact opposite of my strategy, which was to toughen my feet before I left. But he is right - many of my blisters are in places where I had callouses. I want to spend some time reflecting upon the strategy of meeting a hard, rocky road with soft feet instead of calloused ones.
I feel very grateful today, after walking over three 1100 meter peaks. Thank you, God, for legs that work and for soft ground to walk on; for pine trees and the shade they give; for the beauty of wildflowers; for wind and the ability to harvest its energy; and for people who run albergues for peregrinos like us.
Saturday - Day 10
This was a long day - over 30km. We did not know it would take so long just to get through Burgos. The cathedral was magnificent, and we saw a bit of Flamenco dancing in the street, to celebrate on of the many weddings. It was a good place to stock up on food and supplies, as most stores are closed on Sundays. I spent so much oat the Farmacia - on remedies for insect bites and blisters, that they threw in a bunch of free samples of skin cream - again the Camino gave me what I needed. So tonight, I gave myself a foot massage, and am focusing on softening and appreciating my feet. Thanks, feet, for carrying me so far - 227km (141 mi)!
Sunday - Day 11
We are 1/3 of the way to Santiago, but today was a trudge. My feet really hurt - new blisters! Wendell has a sore ankle. So between the two of us, we were very slow, and stopped after 20K. The albergue here in Hontanos is very nice - clean and new. At least the terrain this week is not too challening, so hopefully my feet will heal and my attitude will improve. I am bored and not having fun right now. We agreed that a requirement was to have fun each day (thanks for that advice, Br Curtis!). And ironically, on this spiritual pilgrimage, I have not been to church in two weeks. Our presence in towns never seems to correspond with the timing of the church services. But I am craving Eucharist (even dreamed about it), as well as communal and ritual worship. Even though I am constantly chatting with God along the way, it is not the same as gathering for worship. Perhaps this has something to do with my attitude.
Monday - Day 12
I got up today and prepared to leave, but once I got my feet bandaged and my boots on, my feet were screaming so loud, I had to listen to them. So, we are staying put for the next 24 hours. I might walk around town in my sandals, just to alleviate boredom, but otherwise it is rest for me. Peace to all!
