Living La Vida Loca

These were two physically tough days.  By the end of day coming into Portomartin Roo took her shoes off and walked in socks. We both have shoulder pain intermittently that requires iboprofen and muscle salve…and beer or wine with dinner!

The unexpected uphills that are longer than our maps indicate are most trying.  We have adopted the slow and steady approach to these.  But what goes up comes down and that is our reward.

Some Random Reflections

Don’t judge a book by its cover…The most plain, even ragged places on the outside have lovely and warm accommodations inside.  Care has been taken in every place we have stayed to make the environment comforting after a long walking day.  Curious – where is the money coming from to renovate these dilapidated buildings for business ventures?

The Camino is supporting survival of pueblos on the route… The crisis would have killed them by now.  The villages without albergues, pensions or watering holes for pilgrims appear to be crumbling.  Sad.

Galicia is enchantingly beautiful…It is everything I expected and more – lush forests lead to open field of grazing cows and horses…lead to stream beds with rushing snow runoff…and on and on. Breathtaking indeed.

There really are so many kind people in the world…Youth at the Fuente del Camino are paying it forward.  Local folks are happy to give direction, correct grammar, etc.  so many well-wishers ali g the Way. You get back what you put out.

Looking inward…

Time heals.   Many trying emotions colored my experience early in this trip and they have had time to run their course, be mulled over, and I am finding a path to peaceful reconciliation.

The simple act of walking is therapeutic.  Setting a pace, absorbing scenery, breathing deeply,  singing if you want to, resting when you need to, calms.

Slowing down and knowing you will still get there has been liberating.  Longer days with less pain.

What were the chances?  We ran into friends from Barcelona in a tiny pueblo.   We are staying near each other in next town.  Had dinner together and great camaraderie among us women.  A fluke or ?