Camino de Santiago, Day 25: Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagún

Camino Marker, right off the freeway.

The walking today did not start until after 9 am.  The wind was so freezing, I couldn’t bear to leave the warm confines of the local bar and my cafe con leche.  But, eventually, I got going.  Another breathtakingly beautiful day.  A flat road again with villages every hour or so which makes it easier because I feel that progress is being made.

I got a lot of comments yesterday on Facebook and here on the blog and I appreciate them very much!  When I get a comment or question, it feels like getting a care package at camp – very exciting!  And an affirmation that someone is out there.  Thank you!  You can comment on any post by using the comment box at the very bottom of the post.

Jamie sent a message that he is about 20 kilometers behind me in Carrion.

I think that all of the secrets of the universe are hidden in birdsong.  If only we could crack the code.  What a symphony I get to listen to every day!

The Catholic woman from Norway is becoming a nuisance.  She’s everywhere I go.  During a coffee break she was telling me all about how the Catholic church really is, now that she knows it.  I know it too, not from being Catholic, but from having had the unusual position of caring for Jesuit priests exclusively for five years as a nurse.  The stories I could tell – good and bad.  I had to bite my tongue many times to prevent offending her, which would not be my intention.   I just think she is blind.  But it works for her.  And keeps her striving to be a better person.  And I suppose that’s what matters.  Maybe she thinks I am blind.

In one tiny village, Moratinos, I saw many doors built into a hill.  I walked around the hill and took pictures of just a few of the hobbit-like entrances to the houses and the Bodega that were there.  None seemed occupied.  Behind one door, I could see a deep cave.  And on top of the “roof” were chimneys and even a TV antenna!  I would have loved to have gotten a peek inside.  A man approached me talking loudly and looking me up and down.  As I got closer to the town bar, other pilgrims informed me that the man was looking for someone to sacrifice (for religious purposes) and believed that one of the five of us was to be the one.  He held a rope in his hand to do the deed.  I went inside and ordered a beer.  I made it out of town alive.

I officially passed the halfway point on the way into Sahagún.  Statues on the side of the trail and a compass and map on the ground marked the occasion.  I can’t believe it.  I don’t want it to end.

My mind has been in overdrive contemplating some life decisions.  I continuously must remind myself to be in the moment.  And even while I’m reminding myself, off it goes again.  I think this is where meditation would be helpful.  It’s not something I’ve ever been able to stick with for long, because of my frustration with my mind wandering off.  There it goes…

Today I walked 21.8 kilometers (13.5 miles).  I never thought walking 13.5 miles would feel like a “weak” effort for the day, but it does!

Photos of the Day: