How appropriate. Laundry done, shower (the oh so sweet shower) is finished and after a long day on our hooves it's finally time to sit and write for a bit. Gordon is singing me Don Quixote...does it get better? A bit...I'm perched on a nice big bed all my own in a Casa Rurale called Casa Blanco close to the small village of Sabriexo just about 3 kms south of the Camino. The only thing missing is a big glass of vino tinto, but I haven't had time to track that down quite yet.
I was up pretty early enjoying the full moon and feeling pretty good that I could actually see it after the heavy late rains.
A couple of hours later I woke Annemarie and as usual it was time to get ready for the day, find a bar for breakfast and climb out of Portomarin. The climbing didn't really finish for about three hours and we put considerable energy into it for the first couple of hours as we endeavoured to separate ourselves from the one of the largest masses of humanity we have so far seen on the Camino. We questioned the sensibility of this once we had found the open road again as it did take a toll on our energy. I think we agreed that it was worth it once we finally found space.
Both pretty drained at Palas de Rei some 25 kms later, we stopped in a bar for a decent lunch break and took stock of things. Turned out to be an excellent meal with Annemarie having chicken with a brandy sauce and I had soup and a plate of octopus and potatoes...the octopus is a Galician specialty called pulpo. I've eaten several times so far and it's pretty darn amazing!
Feeling well watered and fed we decided to walk on...a good hour break having made all the difference. It might have been me, but the scenery seemed to be pretty flat until we had walked 25kms then it really picked up nicely. I'm glad that we decided to walk on a further 6 kms today before calling the owner of this Casa to pick us up. Otherwise we would have missed it in the dark tomorrow morning.
There is little doubt that the Camino experience changes during the last 100 kms. Many new faces arrive, almost all Spanish folks trying to find their own way to Santiago...in their own way. Annemarie's poem below captures some of this and explains how we are trying to stay in the moment and cope with the changes. Certainly there is a different attitude amongst the local population, and who can blame them. About 50% of the people who arrive in Santiago only walk this last 100 kms, and they must be pretty tired of people walking by their front doors and littering on the road side for months on end...I would be too! As a result, there are very few of the encouraging horn honks, waves and greetings that we had gratefully experienced earlier. Be that as it may be, we still easily spot the long distance peregrinos and there is always a friendly exchange...we all stand out like a sore toe if you know what to look for. Dinner last night was an example of this. We had all walked from St. Jean and the stories and experiences were so enjoyable to listen to...we put our heads together to try and remember the various places...with varying success...might have been something to do with the wine!
Directing us to Santiago...
Time to find a cold beer and then some dinner...hope the cook here knows their stuff! Exactly 60 kms left to walk...a stroll in the park!
Buen Camino!
Staying "Here"
The closer we get to the end of our walk, the harder it is to stay present
We think ahead to achieving our goal, beginning to be proud of our accomplishment
We have also started to think about home, and all that waits for us there
But we need to focus on enjoying these last few days as much as we dare
While we feel the Camino has given us both what we need
We know it's not done with us yet, their is still more to come, indeed!
These last few days are characterized by more traffic on the paths
And as we weave our way through, some draw our wrath
Then we remind ourselves of the Camino spirit, and breathe deeply, just let it go
(Hopefully not while passing a farm - we are regularly assaulted by manure smells you know)
We forget to be grateful for the simple pleasures of the day
It was supposed to rain today, but the rain stayed away!
This all has the effect of limiting our opportunities for meditative walking
Our minds go to the usual worries, and we begin talking
About the end of the trip, and what we will do when we return
So we made a pact with ourselves with the intent to turn
The train of our thoughts, to focus on the here and now
Enjoy what this day brings, not the manure, but the beauty of the cow...
Anther day on the Camino, another experience with the changing attitude of the people along the way - the locals and the recent arrivals - and of course the old timers - all of them there for their own purposes each on their own mission. I guess thats part of the wonders of the Camino pilgrimage - a person gets out of it what he or she puts in to it - no more , no less. The two of you have surely put a lot into it and have experienced the challenges that confront you every day in your trek, both the wins and the losses, and have adjusted to all these many situations. I can only say " well done". The next 2 or 3 days will probably go by all too quickly and then you will have a little catch up time to reflect before you head home. All is well at this end. Caitlin and Bryan are doing fine - Bryan will finish his mid-terms on the 23rd and will be glad to have that behind him.
ReplyDeleteI was going to mention that Karen Simmons was over for a visit the other afternoon and was very excited about your experience on the Camino as she and her walking group from Prince George have booked a travel tour to do a Camino trek next summer. I gather the tour involves the whole length of the Camino (like yours) but their packs will be transported to the next stop each day and they will only carry day packs. Also, I gather there will be some areas along the way which they will by-pass as the tour is for 16 days only. I am sure you will hear more from Karen when you arrive home - she is very excited at the prospect
So keep trekking - enjoy these last few days despite the larger number of hikers you encounter and most importantly, look after each other along the way.
Have fun. Dad