What happens when you reach the end of the earth? Do you fall off? Back in the day when people thought the world was flat, they must have wondered. Us? We stood on the rocks and felt the wind whip our hair. The day after arriving on foot in Santiago de Compostela (after walking 80 … Continue reading The End of the Earth?
Less than 10 miles left on our inaugural El Camino walk, and every day brings something new. That's how it should be. Today, it was wind during our 9.5-mile walk. And getting (sorta) lost. And our first Portugese pilgrims. Our penultimate walking day, in photos and captions below. Before leaving last night's sumptuous lodgings (compared … Continue reading El Camino – Day 7 (Outiero to Siguero)
And today, we got rain. I suppose you can't call yourself a true pilgrim of El Camino until you do. In spite of this, the nearly 10 miles felt like less ... probably because it was mostly flat. And because the rain didn't last all day. Pilgrims from Belgium and the U.K. joined us briefly. … Continue reading El Camino – Day 6 (Bruma to Outeiro)
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, … Continue reading El Camino – Day 5 (Presedo to Bruma)
More than 40 miles so far on Camino Ingles, counting about nine today, and feeling good. We're definitely ready to stop when we stop, but worries about knees and hips have abated and we are thoroughly enjoying the views. This morning in Galicia Province was gorgeous. The afternoon got a bit tedious in the midday sun … Continue reading El Camino – Day 4 (Betanzos to Presedo)
And on Day 3, tears. Not from pain, but release from it. Not the physical kind, but the emotional kind. And it was good. El Camino doing its work, as they say. Some physical discomfort, too, on this longest daily walk so far, but that was expected; 13 miles on Camino Ingles today, with lots of … Continue reading El Camino – Day 3 (Pontedeume to Betanzos)
"Is this the way?" asked my sister when we briefly lost track of the yellow arrows. Wherever you are, that is the way -- to enlightenment or joy or whatever the goal. It isn't usually a straight line...at least not for me...and losing the path sometimes is part of the process. We left in the dark. … Continue reading El Camino – Day 2 (Neda to Pontedeume)
All American students know what happened in 1492. "Columbus sailed the ocean blue!" (Do they still teach that song to kids?) Something else historically-significant happened that year. Spain's Catholic monarchs expelled the Moors/Muslims/Arabs (not interchangeable terms but often used that way) after living in peaceful coexistence for hundreds of years. The two groups believed in the … Continue reading Spain – Day 2 (Alhambra)
My oldest sister and I are here to hike El Camino in northern Spain. So what are we doing in Granada in southern Spain? It was my idea to meet here. I've been to Spain only once, briefly, to the U.S. Navy base at Gibraltar. You can't exactly call that a "visit." If you're going … Continue reading Arrival in Spain (Granada)
For Many Moons 