Today is about 22 kilometer stretch between Puente la Reina and Estella. It’s a good day for walking, not too hot overcast and a light breeze. As always, I’m meeting some interesting people along the way, and always seeing faces that I recognize from earlier stages of the Camino.
Today was a day for thinking, and just putting my head down and walking. It was a short day with only 17 kilometers and so I was looking forward to getting to Nájera early in the day to get my washing done and have a chance to relax.
As I was leaving Granon heading for the next village which I think is Redecilla del Camino, the path opened out with a classic Camino view with the gravel track passing through green pastures. I remembered that I had the soundtrack from The Way on my phone, it seemed like a perfect moment.
I’m probably not far from Hornillos now, steadily climbing over the hill that I know comes before the village. It’s one of those hills that gently rises and you think you’ll come to the top, only to find another gentle rise before you as you come around the bend.
As I’m walking through this beautiful countryside today, I’m just reflecting on whether my decision was right to make this a solo journey. I think for me at this particular time, it was the right decision. Of course everyone walks the Camino at different stages of their life, and for many different reasons.
I was pondering on this this morning. It’s an overcast day, which always seems to affect my mood. But it wasn’t just that. I feel like I’ve gone through an enormous transformation already on this Camino. There was the physical stage, initially just getting used to the walk. Then I guess you would call it the stage of relaxation as I started to get into the rhythm of the walk.
Today was not easy. For many reasons. Some of those internal struggles have resurfaced, and took up much of my thinking time today. But also of concern, was the physical. About 5 kilometers from Leon I started getting pains in the front of my shins. Oh no, I thought, not shin splints!
I wanted to make sure that I got to the Cross before big crowds of pilgrims got there. So as breakfast started at 6:30 at the hostel, I was on my way by 6:50. The walk up to the cross from Foncebadon was only about two and a half kilometers and it was a glorious walk in the early morning, with the crisp air, and great views looking back across the way we had come.
For those of you who’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that about three weeks into the Camino, I went through a bit of a low period, feeling that I was rather being selfish taking six weeks out. Why would I think that? I think for many reasons, not least of which was that I had left a lot of people back home covering for me at work, and also had left my wife behind to deal with some family matters.
After the Camino is Finished? I rather suspect that this is where the hard work starts. Putting those life lessons into practice. These thoughts were recorded about 10 days after reaching Santiago de Compostela, having walked the Camino Frances for 40 days. ...
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