We woke up this morning expecting to see the forecasted grey clouds, but instead we woke to find the wind howling on a beautiful sunny morning! Wasn't expecting that. So quickly through breakfast and out the door.
We changed plans and headed to the waterfront. On a sunny morning, is there really anywhere else quite a nice?
Today in our daily cycle of alternating short and long walks, this was the long walking day. Never over 21 kms (stuff to do at home), but long enough to feel a sense of accomplishment that keeps us outside for up to 3.5 hours. The shorter days we walk 10-12kms which puts us in a happy space for about 2 hours. Besides the gardening, it's about the only real time that I'm spending outside in our Covid world. So we try to make the most of it.
It rained heavily in the night resulting in some rather soggy trails, but we had fun any way. We both have good trail shoes which kept slipping to a minimum on the hillier parts.
Meanwhile, over on the virtual camino progress continues. Damn, but those hay stacks have grown!! I think this was the biggest stack I've ever seen. Each of those bales is the size of a small car!
In 2018 we had dinner with this fellow and his dog in Los Arcos.
Finally!
These are Ken's memories about being in Belorado;
2013. The iconic plaza with the famous stork nest shrouded bell tower. We stayed back up the trail at an ok albergue, though I have few memories of it.
2018. One of the nests has gone walk about.
Ken had other memories from Belorado that certainly have changed the direction of his life. Funny where and when this can happen on the Way.
I think Ken made a good decision, and based on our many emails I doubt that he has ever seriously looked back since then. Ha! And I'm pretty sure that a few tears are shed on the camino by many peregrinos during those moving moments of self discovery, not to mention during times of injuries and blisters.
I'm afraid that in 2013 I didn't experience the same awakening in Belorado that Ken did. As it turns out my own life changing moment would arrive about 7 days later.
Sarah's foot continued to bother her, but as I recall, things were soon on the mend after this. It was a warm evening in Belorado as can be seen from the way we were all dressed.
2018 in the same square. A cold wind was blowing and there were very few pilgrims to be found.
Folks were bundled up as the temperature dropped. As I was to discover the very next day an unseasonably cold weather pattern arrived over night that would settle in over northern Spain until I arrived in Santiago 17 days later.
I wasn't really a fan of this town in 2013, and strangely in 2018 I stopped here again, perhaps looking for a few memories from our earlier walk. Unfortunately I found this stop to be one of the low points of my camino. I swore then that if I ever came this way again that I'd continue onwards. Sitting writing this today I'm wondering why after just 23 kms that I didn't push onwards another 12 kms to Villafranca Montes de Oca which we'd really enjoyed in 2013? I could have easily done so, but I think I'd mistaken this town with another place when I'd booked a non-refundable room the day before. I should have just said screw this, and walked on.
These things can happen, and in fairness I probably wasn't thinking completely clearly as I was well on the way to developing a significant sinusitis infection that would trouble me for several months until I finally saw a doctor at home. Sometimes camino memories aren't always pleasant, but thankfully almost all are: )
Comparing the photo above with Neil, Sarah and Annemarie to this photo, I just realized that the mural on the right side building wasn't there in 2013. Huh!
In fairness to Belorado, I did see more of it in 2018 and it has some interesting spots, but my head just wasn't there.
Oh well. All that's now in the past. In a couple of hours we virtual camino peregrino amigos will meet for our third Zoom gathering and I'm very much looking forward to that. As if that wasn't enough excitement, dinner tonight consists of the left over excellent pizza from Saturday night! Yummm!
In 2013, Annemarie wrote this poem at around this point of our camino.
Buen Camino!
We changed plans and headed to the waterfront. On a sunny morning, is there really anywhere else quite a nice?
Today in our daily cycle of alternating short and long walks, this was the long walking day. Never over 21 kms (stuff to do at home), but long enough to feel a sense of accomplishment that keeps us outside for up to 3.5 hours. The shorter days we walk 10-12kms which puts us in a happy space for about 2 hours. Besides the gardening, it's about the only real time that I'm spending outside in our Covid world. So we try to make the most of it.
It rained heavily in the night resulting in some rather soggy trails, but we had fun any way. We both have good trail shoes which kept slipping to a minimum on the hillier parts.
Meanwhile, over on the virtual camino progress continues. Damn, but those hay stacks have grown!! I think this was the biggest stack I've ever seen. Each of those bales is the size of a small car!
In 2018 we had dinner with this fellow and his dog in Los Arcos.
Finally!
These are Ken's memories about being in Belorado;
23 km from Santo Domingo de la Calzada, finishing at a parish albergue where we were served cool camomile tea, a small gesture that moved me deeply. After all, I’m looking for a favour--a bed--I should be the one offering tea. Grateful for opportunities to give, selflessly (more or less), for food when I’m hungry, for hungry cats and dogs that need to be fed, for medieval stone walls patched with whatever was available and cheap, for cold beer (we don’t have any), for this cooling breeze and the quiet of this courtyard. I am grateful for all of these.The dull clank of the bell, loudly resonant. So many here like that. Is it true of other places where church bells mark the time of day?
You can see I was deep in a Camino mindset. I wasn’t able to bring much of that back home, but I do remember what it was like. On the other hand, I wish my journal had more crunchy detail about what things looked/sounded/smelled like and what I did and what places were like. I suppose I’ll have to walk it again!
2018. One of the nests has gone walk about.
Ken had other memories from Belorado that certainly have changed the direction of his life. Funny where and when this can happen on the Way.
Here’s a memory from Belorado. This event was one of the reasons I decided to go back to school, so it was either a wonderful experience or a disaster:
Went to pilgrim’s blessing last night. Interesting re. the different reasons people do the Camino, but [one of the things the priest said was] that God showed people an empty field and told them to create almost made me cry. I was holding back tears because I didn’t want to cry in front of strangers . . . .
Only time will tell, as the journalists say at the end of a standup.
I think Ken made a good decision, and based on our many emails I doubt that he has ever seriously looked back since then. Ha! And I'm pretty sure that a few tears are shed on the camino by many peregrinos during those moving moments of self discovery, not to mention during times of injuries and blisters.
I'm afraid that in 2013 I didn't experience the same awakening in Belorado that Ken did. As it turns out my own life changing moment would arrive about 7 days later.
Sarah's foot continued to bother her, but as I recall, things were soon on the mend after this. It was a warm evening in Belorado as can be seen from the way we were all dressed.
2018 in the same square. A cold wind was blowing and there were very few pilgrims to be found.
Folks were bundled up as the temperature dropped. As I was to discover the very next day an unseasonably cold weather pattern arrived over night that would settle in over northern Spain until I arrived in Santiago 17 days later.
I wasn't really a fan of this town in 2013, and strangely in 2018 I stopped here again, perhaps looking for a few memories from our earlier walk. Unfortunately I found this stop to be one of the low points of my camino. I swore then that if I ever came this way again that I'd continue onwards. Sitting writing this today I'm wondering why after just 23 kms that I didn't push onwards another 12 kms to Villafranca Montes de Oca which we'd really enjoyed in 2013? I could have easily done so, but I think I'd mistaken this town with another place when I'd booked a non-refundable room the day before. I should have just said screw this, and walked on.
These things can happen, and in fairness I probably wasn't thinking completely clearly as I was well on the way to developing a significant sinusitis infection that would trouble me for several months until I finally saw a doctor at home. Sometimes camino memories aren't always pleasant, but thankfully almost all are: )
Comparing the photo above with Neil, Sarah and Annemarie to this photo, I just realized that the mural on the right side building wasn't there in 2013. Huh!
In fairness to Belorado, I did see more of it in 2018 and it has some interesting spots, but my head just wasn't there.
Oh well. All that's now in the past. In a couple of hours we virtual camino peregrino amigos will meet for our third Zoom gathering and I'm very much looking forward to that. As if that wasn't enough excitement, dinner tonight consists of the left over excellent pizza from Saturday night! Yummm!
In 2013, Annemarie wrote this poem at around this point of our camino.
The Emotions of the Camino
The excitement and exhilaration as we begin our journey in St. Jean
Tears of joy as we reach Valcarlos and it all becomes real
The comfort of knowing we have prepared ourselves well
Pleasure from a simple Buen Camino greeting from a stranger
Anxiety as our first physical challenge faces us
Exhilaration as we pass the first test with grace
Curiosity about the people we meet each day
Delight when we exchange a greeting the next day
The serenity of the rhythm of our stride
Relief when we find our place of rest
Despair when an unexpected illness provides a setback
Tears again as I wonder if I can go on
A return of exhilaration (dare I say power) as I return to myself
Calm, peace and wonder as we walk under the moon
Shear joy as the shower washes away the sweat and dust of the road
A sense of play when we share drinks and tapas with newly met friends
Tears again as we pass the crosses and place our own
An undefinable moment as we pass the special poem on the wall
Frustration as new blisters and minor pains emerge, a little anger, too
Exhaustion at each full day's end
And a return of anticipation, curiosity and a refreshed sense of adventure as each new morning dawn
Buen Camino!
No comments:
Post a Comment