Walk

Today we crossed the half way point mileage wise! We have walked just over 245 miles. We just finished day 17.

It some regards, it feels like we just arrived yesterday. In other cases it feels like we have been in Spain for months.

The weather has warmed significantly. Gone are the chilly morning and windy cool days. Cloud filled skies have been renewed with crystal blue brilliance.

The first day on the Meseta was amazing. See my post on Visual Jazz, if you haven’t already. The last 3 days have been rather boring. The scenery is bland. Wide open expanses have been replaced with man-made rows of trees. Traffic, the frequency of villages and frequent road crossings, remove much of the mystique described in texts. I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed, it is simply different from what I had envisioned.

Today was a challenge. Molli is suffering from a lower leg injury that is really impeding her ability to walk. Our walk was slow and deliberate. You know Molli is suffering when she requests to take breaks frequently.

At one point, the option of taking a cab looked unavoidable. We stopped for a long lunch break and rest. After which she was able to continue.

Tony has worked with her a lot this evening to address the injuries and get her on the path of recovery. I feel if tomorrow is also a struggle, a zero day is just what the doctor ordered.

As we walked along today we saw a large number of people we have met over the two weeks we’ve been on the Camino. Ryan and Eric from Houston and New Orleans. Tyler and Will from Tennessee. Lawrence from North Carolina. Michael the Irishman. And any others. It’s fun to roll into a new town to get a room and already have people who know you in that town. As if you had been there before and they’ve known you for years.

The flip side is the people you meet may often only be around for a day or two. The lessons each person brings become quickly learned as you may never have the chance to speak with them again. A single serve friend. (A special prize to the first person who leaves a comment as to where that phrase is from).

In the last few days, the pilgrim population has increased. In the beginning you may go an hour or so without seeing a pilgrim ahead or behind you. Now it is a steady stream of them all day long. In talking with one woman, the pilgrim population explodes. She said it is thousands of people on the trail every day. Should be an interesting sight to see.

It’s hard to believe we have completed half our journey. I’ve overcome my homesickness for the most part. I still can’t wait to be home to my friends and loved ones, but I have gotten into the groove of this experience.

I have learned a lot, and I know there is much still to be discovered.

Buen Camino.