Today, we climbed. At least 800 feet of elevation over nine miles. Rain threatened, and spit. My right foot complained. And yet, a good day.
Psychologist and Buddhist meditation teacher Tara Brach uses a mindfulness technique called RAIN — recognize, acknowledge, investigate, nurture. I learned years ago that just recognizing a discomfort, whether emotional or physical, lessens its power. (I get a lot of practice. Notice the aspirational name of my website – “mindfulmary.” 😄) Today, we all walked alone. El Camino is an ebb and flow like that. I listened for awhile to Paulo Coelho’s book “The Pilgrimage,” and thought about others who’ve traveled El Camino … Charlemagne, Saint Francis of Assissi, Queen Isabella I … and all who have passed through these phases of awareness. More than half through our journey now, the story continues below. (For those following our track: We continued past Bruma to our lodging in Meson O Vento. That’s how we reached nine miles today.)
We left our pension, which was more like a rooming house, in the thin early- morning light and headed for…… the morning necessity, cafe con leche. Coffee with steamed milk. In Italy, we called it cappuccino.We climbed into the sun, which felt good after a chilly wake-up (50ish), and reunited with Canadian Dorothy. She’s 76 and carries all her belongings on her back (most of ours are transferred for us) and her pack weighs just 18 pounds!This looks like a field of telephone poles but is actually a means to suspend hops plants. For beer production, we assume.We were in an agricultural region all day.Pictures never show the angle of the climb. It was steady but never severe.Climbing brings the benefit of gorgeous views, even on cloudyish days. See the single horse in the meadow?A female threesome played hopscotch with us throughout the day. The one on the right is stopping to shed her jacket, as we all did when climbing, only to don it again when it gets chilly.I took the rear most of the day, as usual. As mentioned, we all split up in the course of the day and walked alone.More evidence of eucalyptus farming.The oddest fire hydrant i’ve ever seen.Trees serving as billboards. More horreos (grain storage)…… and hay bailed for the winter…… to feed these guys. Colorful chickens!And a playful pup. (Most of the dogs bark a warning as we pass, so this one was refreshing.)Love this brick wall. I haven’t seen this kind of brick in the U.S. (Zoom in to see them better.)A strangely-shaped stone house. There was one just like it next door. Both were vacant. We made up stories. Brothers? Spouses who can’t live together?As I was alone most of the day, I interacted more with locals. This guy had a lot to say. Unfortunately, I didn’t understand a thing from his mouth. But I did understand his friendly expression.I caught up with Ginny in time to enjoy a mutual rest. It was sunny then……but not for long. By late morning, we all pulled rain covers over our packs. (We have ponchos, too, but didn’t need them today.)Lunch at Casa Avelina was a memorable affair…… as the proprietors fussed over us like mothers……even bringing out a small stool to rest our feet. They obviously cater to pilgrims here.After lunch, we were escorted to a small church next door that they maintain……The building of this church began in 1773 and was completed almost 100 years later. (Cathedrals often took hundreds of years to finish.)Hallowe’en approaches! I’m sure some of the locals tire of pilgrims passing by every day, but most seem to get into it.This little roadside cupboard held self-service stamps.Drizzle lifted just in time for this gorgeous shot shortly before our destination. Like most of the walkers we’ve encountered, this guy was a Spaniard. We guess that Spanish walkers wait until the tourist season ends – just like us.Just as we arrived at our lodgings, a cold windy rain whipped up.Couldn’t resist taking a silly selfie upon arrival. Ginny in her rain hat!After warming with hot showers, we sought out a nearby restaurant that caters to pilgrims. Maria has taught us that the ” pilgrims menu” must be experienced.. Even though we weren’t hungry, we went. For the experience. So much food for a great price! This was Ginny’s “2nd plate.” I got the fish.Maria took this shot of me photographing Ginny displaying her uncharacteristic paraphernalia – El Camino pins and the like. Neither of us is the type to buy the touristy stuff, but this is somehow different.Many trekkers also bring along rosaries, and this is the one I brought. I’m not Catholic, but rolling these beads between my fingers helps me reach a reflective state. A Catholic friend gave it to me years ago. He has cancer now, so it is extra-symbolic. I’ve been using it to offer prayers as I walk.Ending today’s post with a few of the Spanish newspapers. They reminded me the day during Franco’s dictatorship when censorship was so common that locals didn’t know what was going on in their own country. (I learned this from Michener’s “Iberia.”) I pray that won’t happen in ours; as a former journalist, I’ve lost sleep over this possibility. But it’s out my hands. So I walk on…
For Many Moons 