Goodbye pilgrim, hello tourist

It took me several days to process the termination of the camino. It left me feeling purposeless, empty, confused. Now decisions beyond how long to walk in a day had to be made. As my very dear new friends dispersed for home or Finesterre (3 more days of walking to the very edge of Spain), it became very clear that the new pilgrims who arrived each day were pilgrims and I was past my "best before" date. So it was time to move on. And I took the bus to Porto, Portugal.

the pilgrim departs

Happy halloween

After...

I am emotionally exhausted. There is quite an adjustment to be made after finishing the camino. I've been very busy reconnecting with people I saw weeks ago and saying goodbye to my Superfour family who have been dispersing since we walked into Santiago together a few days ago. Now I am ready to move on and will be departing for Porto, Portugal in the morning. I will continue to blog so you are invited to travel with me for the next month.

giant incense burner

shadow of pillar makes "secret pilgrim"

and I'm here!

the day before Santiago

Thoughts on a rainy day

It rained all day today. The condensation inside my rain jacket and pants made my body as wet as my squeltchy feet. Now I am warm and clean, sitting in a cafe drinking frothy coffee and waiting for our two slow-walking male friends to catch up and go to supper. All along the camino I've met wonderful people and some seem more special than others. Our paths cross at random intervals and each remeeting is

a big surprise. When many days pass without seeing someone you think they've moved ahead or you've left them behind and your paths won't cross anymore. My little friend group lately has consisted of Susanna (New Zealand), Alice (Holland), Pau (Spain), and Anjel (Australia). Toady, a friend from day 1 appeared! Upon long reflection through the meditation of left-right, left-right... I think the magic of the camino is in the relationships between the pilgrims. Nowhere else do people set out on a common cooperative goal like this one. Rabbi Kushner says "God is seen not in people but between people" and this place provides a great opportunity to witness and experience this holy feeling. Oh, if only I could bottle this! Tonight I am in

Castaneda, about 50 km away from Santiago!

the Beat of the Feet

The plodding of thousands of feet for one thousand years propels me forward. The black funk has left me. A circle of camino friends is firming up. We might reach Santiago together on Saturday evening and go to pilgrim mass on Sunday. Excitement of reaching the end and sadness that it will be over and confusion about what to do after completion all mix to make a special feeling. I am in Portomarin tonight and have less than 100 km to walk. Because a compostela can be earned by walking the last 100km only and because it is school holidays in several neighbouring countries, many new pilgrims started around here today. So we blend the old with the new. The weather is stormy but the serious rain has dwindled during the day. I still walk in tshirt at times. The leaves are turning yellow. We walk through farmyards and over emerald green hills. The evenings are crowded with socializing; we know time is limited. Thanks for comments and support. It really helps!♡

...and then I cried.

There's no point in telling the good things only. My hippie vegetarian supper was wonderful and the conversation around the table was fascinating. Pau, from Barcelona, was able to answer my questions about Protestants in Spain and talk about the expulsion of the Moors and Jews. He has also written a children's book about Gaudi, someone who interests me. My walk the next day was lovely, rural, sunny with summer temperatures. I planned to walk as far as the next known vegetarian albergue, even tho it was a bit of a push, distancewise. I was exhausted when I got to the tiny hamlet that contained the vegie albergue. The hostess thought no one would show up this day because everyone arrived late in the day. She announced that she would not be cooking. There was no store in the hamlet, the albergue was far less than "basic", and the other pilgrims that arrived when I did had the night before stayed in a bedbug-infested place. So I experienced "failure to cope", cried inconspicuously, and went down the hill to the tiny hotel. The hotel was immaculate, my room had a double bed, my bathroom was furnished in marble and was equipped with shampoo and potpourri. A little piece of heaven, might I say? The walk the next day was described as greuling (there's no spell check on my phone!) but it was very enjoyable in spite of being steep. But that day, yesterday, I couldn't get out of my mopey mood. I thought about quitting the camino and aborting my November travel plans. I was in my "dark night of the soul". Nothing sat right with me. And what was the point of the camino? My accomodation last night was in a large space crammed with bunkbeds... 4 bunkbeds were pushed together so my bed touched another along one side and head-to-toe. The man above me got out of bed approx 10 times (no lie) and heaved around while he was in the bed. This pilgrim was not smiling in the morning. I bolted out and onto the trail in the pitch black and rain. But the day improved. Daylight finally broke. The sun came out eventually. The path led throught amazing scenery. I am at an albergue now with a small capacity. Maybe my darkness is over.

Gotta be fast

Short note only.... staying at hippie, vegetarian hostel. Supper soon. I'm at a bar to email. Didn't enjoy much of today's walk... very urban, commercial surroundings. But since everything balances, I'm convinced, the hippie vegetarian supper will be mind-blowing. I enjoyed the Templar castle (just google.. don't have time to educate). Thanks for comments. Ian, the castle is for you.♡.

Coolness

One of my kids posted on facebook "my super-cool mom is walking the camino....". I was very honoured to be seen this way. But I can tell you that my dad is super-cool. He is 90 years old and not afraid of change! He teaches me how to be brave and to embrace new experiences. Yesterday he moved to a new apartment, away from the familiar,

boldly trying something different. Today was his first full day in the new digs. He has left his past behind. Today on the camino, I got to the highest point on the trail. It is a place where someone at some time erected a tall pole holding a small cross. As pilgrims pass this place, they leave a stone that they have brought from home symbolizing the unburdening of the past. My dad sent a rock with me and asked me to leave it on the pile for him. How strange that I got to that place today! I didn't even know where it was located. Today, the day he started his new life at age 90, I left his stone! And BTW (Dad, that means by the way), today's walk was my favorite ever! It was described as challenging with significant climbing and massive steep downhill, but boy was it beautiful. So (note to self) don't stress about potential trouble when something could turn out to be your best event ever!
.

Thanksgiving

God's paintbrush

Such a beautiful morning

Edwina (UK), Susanna (NZ), and Alice (Holland) are my family this week

Thanksgiving breakfast 

What an adventure! I love my life. I have a wonderful family and great friends, old and new. 

Calling in sick

Not me, but many people are being blindsided by surprise attacks of cough, diarrhea and vomiting, shin splints, head colds. No wonder.... We are sleeping as close as lab rats and lavatory soap is never seen. One night the woman in the next bunk was up pucking all night and had to stay behind in the morning and sleep. Others are still walking but covering less ground. Blisters and their care still challenge many pilgrims. All these problems are hurtles that pilgrims must deal with and some times that means abandoning the quest and ending the camino. Like life, decisions must be made looking at the cards you are dealt. Nobody walks the camino without encountering obstacles.

The celts originated in northern Spain. Did you know that? This one bought me my morning cafe con leche.

Leon

I'm eating my lunch and then blasting out of Leon. It is a beautiful city with lots to see . I stayed here overnight but today is a holiday celebrating the landfall of Chris Columbus so shops are closed, all hotels are full and the streets will be in party mode tonight. I heard an amazing organ concert in the great and beautiful cathedral last night. The sound was monsterously huge and the space equalled the volume of sound. Many pieces of music suggested struggle and adversity and my mind easily saw the efforts of the pilgrims and the final triumph when the music moved out of minor keys. I don't have much time or battery so I'll try to add some photos....

in cathedral

u

columbus celebrations

Outsmarting the smart phone

I have to be quick. The phone is discharging at a crazy rate. A new battery did not change anything. My new strategy is to remove the battery when I'm not using the phone. This does not allow me to take many photos because of the hassle but it's a solution for now. Tomorrow I will be in Leon and maybe someone can help me, but I'm not holding my breath.. so about the camino....the last several days, the temperature has been around 5* when we start but it soon gets sunny and 18 -20*. The landscape reminds me of Saskatchewan. Today I walked for 6 hours without a cafe, toilet, car, cloud. I am more than halfway to Santiago now and have had some magic moments. I'll tell you about two of them. A few days ago I stayed in an albergue attached to Santa Clara convent. In the evening we were allowed to attend a vesper service where these cloistered nuns in black habits sing their prayers. As if in one voice singing one note, their beautiful voices sent chills and sounded otherworldly. The second magic moment was being present when two New Zealand women realized that they have sung in the same world choir in Wellington. As the three of us walked along the camino, they ran through their repertoir of African music  in rich smokey harmony and I felt like the luckiest person ever. As my battery is depleting like a rock, I will try to include two photos. Be sure I am having a great time!!!!

today's albergue garden

Pebbley road and flat landscape