Completo

Week three

28 miles

That's the distance I have left. I've had the most wonderful walk the last week with some tough times.  I've experienced real pain. The kind that makes you sweat. I had two massages in different cities with wonderful success. The most recent one was in Rabanal where I was so debilitated that I was beginning to doubt my ability to continue. Masseuse told me that in reflexology, the knee is the place where one hold fear.  She asked me what I feared. Told her "not finishing my walk into Santiago." She then told me that Santiago would always be there whether I made it this time or not. Directly following that massage I went to Vespers. Mass was in Latin, and while kneeling on my one good knee a thought occurred to me. Perhaps the pain I've been feeling since day three is the pain I've caused others. Hmm.. next day I walked to Cruz de Fierro without a hint of pain. I left my rock and asked God to release me of all my burdens and pain. I have been walking for a week since then, relatively pain free.

When I start to get sore I reflect on how my actions thru act and thought have hurt the people I love most, and again I ask God to forgive me. Two days ago I woke up feeling nauseous and dizzy but I had 11 miles to walk so got up and made my way to San Xulian.  I think that day may have been the hardest day emotionally. I realized as I was walking that truly no one was going to save me, no one was going to make me better and that no matter whst I HAD to get to San Xulian.  It took me 7 hours to walk 11 miles cause I had to stop and get sick a few times. But guess what? I got there.  My hospitalero was super kind. She sent me to bed without even checking me in. Sometime later brought me soup and meds and she found me a phone charger to replace the one someone accidentally pinched.
Two days later here I am 26 miles away.  I am feeling so grateful for my health and safe passage to Santiago I  am walking slowly to savor these precious last few days.

Santo Domingo

Alto del Perdon

Week two

Grañon

Week 2

Second week completed, with a few setbacks. Knee started pounding last Thursday. I went to the pharmacy, in Spain the pharmacist is similar to what we in America call a PA.  She suggested icing at every opportunity, elevation, and the use of an anti-inflammatory gel called Voltaren, and rest. Rest is not really option but I did take it slower for a few days. 

Along the way I spent the night in an albuerge run by nuns in Santo Domingo de La Calzada, known for having chickens inside the cathedral. Legend has it that a family of peregrinos came thru  Santo Domingo and the son rejected the advances on a girl. Scorned she accused him of theft. Theft was punishable by hanging.  The day after his death his parents went to find him only to be told that he was alive. To which the priest stated: He is as dead as my chicken dinner and just then the chicken began clucking.  So for centuries now there are always two chickens in the nave. The eggs are donated to the elderly.  That night I slept 14 hours. The next morning I was urged by a fellow peregrino to get going and walk to the next village  called Grañon which happens to be the coolest albuerge I've slept in thus far. It's a "donativo " albuerge which means you pay what you can afford.  Most  payed the usual rate of 8-10€.. the sleeping area is in the belfry of the church.  We shared a communal meal that we cooked together and cleaned up together. After dinner, we had a candlelight reflection in the nave. It was very moving.  Amongst us there were Germans, Dutch, and Korean, and everyone was encouraged to share their experiences while on the Camino in their own language if they preferred.  All spoke English, then our hospitalero sang Ode to Joy and of course the tears came. My favorite night on the Camino, thus far. I've met some wonderful kind people from all over.

The day after Grañon I walked to Belorado in blazing heat in the early morning.  I had the most wonderful walk with three Spanish dads walking with their three sons. They kept me company for several miles because I was really struggling knee wise and they were worried about me. They eventually passed me but kept me within eye sight and every now and then would pause until I caught up. We were within two or three miles of the village with temps approaching 100 when a car appeared handing out ice cold water bottles.  That's the amazing experiences that occur everyday. Just when you think you can't take another step someone shows up to encourage you. I've seen complete strangers tending to blisters of fellow peregrinos.  Sharing fruit, water, nuts. I've even had offers of carrying my pack to ease my knee pain. Spain really cares about us, in small villages we are their economy.  I asked an elderly lady in church if she ever tired of peregrinos and she said "no, you keep us fed."
This week I've walked 88 miles. I had three amazing days off in three of the biggest cities on the Camino and every day I'm a little closer.