Still brings tears, still brings fears to the surface. The whys are not understood yet. Loss. Pain. Suffering. May God bless us all.
So we started the day on the wrong path but we marched onward. We were getting to Padron no matter what...and we did. But there of course is a story. So.... we walked a lot, meeting several other pilgrims this day including one from Slovenia, one from the Ukraine, an Aussie couple and a few who we just exchanged hellos with as we passed. It was a good day and ending time with others made the day pass more quickly. I was slow but managing. as we approached Padron. Eddie was ahead of me and I would have liked to stop for a drink at a cafe but Eddie was marching onward. We passed the river and were going to be entering Padron, I figured then I could eat, drink, get a room and nap (after the mouse in the albergue in Briallo) and this is when we should have marched on just a bit more... but I was desperate for a nap, shower and toilet. We stopped at the first place we saw at my insistence, the Flavia. DO NOT STAY THERE... lets just say that my desperation caused me to lose my mind. I did shower wothout touching anything... I laid down and slept two hours, finding the husband perched at the edge of a chair, in exactly the same position as when I fell asleep. He, upon my awakening, said we had to get out of there... so we did. And we walked on to Areal... to A Milagrosa pension, clean and comfy and beautifully quiet. We arrived there at 10:30 p.m. and were welcomed kindly. Eddie went out to get us a snack to eat and even brought me back a beer! Well deserved after walking twice in one day... Only one more day to reach Santiago!
After leaving the awful hotel, we had a great walk with lots of giggles, some tears for my friend Tom. At the 18 km marker I left the second seashell I had carried from Florida. I miss him dearly, he lived life well and enthusiastically. while walkong along this stretch, I felt a strong connection to those no longer on the physical plane. Love never dies. Well, back to work at my job where I work with children who are 3- 5 years old, with and without special needs. I began a new class with new kiddies 4 days upon return from my trip. They are delicious and having a new class in July is not as daunting as I expected. Especially since my journey has refreshed me. Do I feel changed? Hmmmmm... I learned that I live my life almost every day as if I am on a grand journey. I have always tried to talk to strangers and reach out and live with an open heart. Being on the Camino was an extension of my usual way of being in this world. Take for example two people I had the pleasure of speaking with just this past Sunday. Both live in my neighborhood. One gentleman I see from time to time when he walks his dog; the other lady was taking a walk and we met for the first time. Both told me some unusual things... she is a scrabble tournament player and she travels all over the world to play. He has lived in the neighborhood since 1937 and has witnessed so many changes. He told me how his dad traveled back to Italy with his Cadillac, which was brand new, back in 1965. The car was so fabulous that the people in Italy crowded around the car when he was driving because they thought the President had to be in it! Sadly, while being driven around on a mountain the car went over the side!!! Everyone was ok but the car was ruined. He actually brought the car back home with him anyway! The gentleman was a young guy and salvaged the a.c. unit, putting it I to his own convertible to have the only a.c. convertible back in the day! Listening to this story, you could just see how rich that memory was for him. I love people-it is wonderful to listen and be present and share!I appreciate the clothes washer more. The little hill by my apt that I have to walk up every day just isn't so torturous anymore. Some days, I used to feel like it was a mountain... now it's just a slight incline that is easy to get up. it doesn't have loose rocks to make me slip, you can see the crest of it, I know where it terminates... on the Camino you walk not knowing when the steep ascents and descents will end. You have to be mindful of foot placement on certain paths... traveling the familiar becomes so much easier and much more appreciated. I love my little hill.Flip flops and sandals rock. I love having air on my feet. I love being barefoot. My holes on my feet from the blisters are still present, better, but still there. I appreciate my feet and legs that carried me. I deeply appreciate my husband for joining me on this journey even though it wasn't his thing, so to speak. He supported me, emotionally and physically. It was a good bonding experience. Ah... my son. While away, I missed him so. It was so nice to return to him and feel the love! He is growing into manhood. I have been nostalgic about his earlier years, the time just goes so quickly. I want him to do the Camino, think it would be an awesome experience of growth and self discovery. Plus, there are other perks like learning about other's ways of life and developing independence. I am going to work on him.I am also touched deeply by others' interest in my journey. There is a sweet reward in having shared it with others through my blog, carrying people's intentions to Fatima and talking about it. This is hard to put into words. Let's just say I know I am blessed to have wonderful people in my life.So, am I changed? I think I would say I am enriched... Peace, inner and outer, is my wish for all. Enjoy your journey, every day. The videos are taken in santiago - bagpipes and butofumeiro in side cathedral as well as Braga during the festival of St. John the Baptist.
We left Briallos and hoped to get to Padron on this day however my feet were still in bad shape. We walked into Caldas de Reis, a beautiful town with a great cafe on the river and we sat and sat until our friend, Anne happened by. As we enjoyed our food and wine, she said something prophetic- this is a town you could never leave... As we prepared to find the albergue, we came across a hotel which offered a pool of therapeutic mineral hot springs water. We opted to stay here. Ahhhhhh.... Leaving Caldas we got lost for awhile and our early start was for nought. Here is a hard to spot arrow and then a pic of a chapel that some kind folk redirected us to, thank God for the kindness of strangers.
On this day, I was in the most pain with my blistered heels. I started off okay but as the day progressed, the pain worsened. I was walking like Tim Conway's old man character on the Carol Burnett Show. Awful. Eddie kindly offered to carry my backpack but I refused; then he pretended to adjust it and took it from me. I was pissed. It took me a whole day to express gratitude for that action. I likened my pain with or without backpack as being similar to getting hit by a train at 30 mph or 90 mph. Either way you are screwed! It was kind of him... yes it was. Still, this day was lovely in its own way. I kept thinking that enduring the pain I was in did not compare to the pain of Christ or of others who have endured physical trials like one of my former students who underwent tendon release surgery and was in rehab for months. Or my friend who has cardiac and other health issues. I could do this. And Eddie cheered me on. But by the end of the day, I felt like if I had to go through one more gosh darn vineyard, I would strangle someone. Portela was a welcome sight. We had lunch here and met some wonderful people and a dog. After a beer, some octopus and some conversation my feet and I followed behind Eddie until I couldn't take another step and we ended up at the albergue in Briallos. It was a slow and steady walking day with some moments of "What the heck was I thinking? " But this was the night we befriended another peregrina, Anne from Germany and a hospitalero bombero. It was a night to remember. In the morning, we locked up and said goodbye to Anne, heading off although my feet were still in bad shape. Miguel the hospitalero told Anne and I to use the aloe he had growing in a pot in the albergue. No quick fix for sore feet.
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AuthorSome names I go by... mom, honey, sister, friend. Sadly, I am no longer anyone's daughter. I am a Special Ed preschool teacher by profession... lover of life by choice! Archives
March 2014
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