I’m getting the hang of this heaven thing.  Kelly and I were filmed saying our rosary in the shade along the trail today.  I’m glad that I remembered the right words under pressure; just act natural.

I’m learning to live with my blister, my first.  I’ve been lucky.  Dillon named one of his blisters after Kelly today.  Another case of giddy.

We lost Aleda today as she had to get back to civilization and eventually Miami.  Now I’m down to two Angels.  Times are tough.

Have to go, love you all, St James is Afoot, Phil.

Here I am sitting having a beer in Navarrete.  There are seven pilgrims sitting here with me and want to introduce them to you:  Grace from Australia, Raymond from Netherlands, Cristina from Barcelona, Abel from Madrid, Kelly from USA, Matthew from Netherlands and Cherry from Australia and me.  Yup, pretty much an international forum I’d say.

Today we went through the city of Logrono and Grace and I set off to find a phone charger and a stylus.  We had a wild time trying to find those simple items.  We gave money to all the beggars.  I said my first Spanish complete sentence, “Donde esta el Camino”.   Ok, we have to  go find the angels, Phil.

Well, I don’t really know how to describe my evening.  Our group now called the  Hotel California had a picnic on the grounds of a church in beautiful disrepair.  Yes, the church was the one in beautiful disrepair.  It was for sure a vision of heaven.  In the Spanish sunset with a spread of Spanish food with Camino friends.  Ah, I’m going to cry just thinking about it.  Then we got lost in the rain trying to get back to the hostel before they locked us out at 1000.  We made it and here I sit blogging with a damp shirt and fighting off sleep for a few more minutes

Tomorrow will come with a walk of 22.5 k through Logrono to the town of Navarrete.    We still have enough food left from the picnic for breakfast and lunch.  We will be up at 0600 and on the road by 0700.  We are supposed to be ready for surprises so that will be our mission.

One of the little known facts that I have discovered is that in Spanish or Italian there is no equivalent to our word giddy.  Have discovered that in our walking days  there are  three stages: first few hours of pain as we warm up, then a giddy time when it all seems  so wonderful and then finally when we get really tired and there is a sort of automatic pilot situation.  But it is all really wonderful.

The idea that we are sharing the experience is very important.  It leads to a certain understanding between people that we are in this together no matter where we start from.  We are learning how to put up with each other in all things.  We are learning to help each other through our hard spots which we have everyday.

There has developed a small group of  wonderful ladies who are going by “Phil’s Angels” or ” Phil’s Phillies”.   Laura, Anna Maria and Aleda are going to leave me instructions on how to operate after they leave.  It’s going to be tough carrying on as they only have a few more days.

I will get some more help later today and get some pix on here.  Here is help right now!

Yes it’s true, Todd and I ran with bulls last evening.  He was in there with his video camera so there will be some footage of that.  It was mostly chaos with hundreds of well lubed Spanards.  And the bulls turned out to be pretty puny but we didn’t really know that till the dust cleared.  Anyway, if I had a bucket list it would for sure be on it.

Today the walk was really the best yet.  We have a group that is coalescing.  We are working on getting all the continents represented.  We might be short a few penguins but it is fun trying.  Will get a group shot from Todd on here somehow.

Todd is taking some great shots.  Captured a double rainbow over the church here in Los Archos.  He is having ball.

OK! I am going to post this before the hostel turns off the Wifi, if they do.  They try their best to get everyone in bed at a decent hour.  Buen Camino, Phil.

I must apologize to you because I just lost some valuable entries that people put on last evening.  My fat fingers are to blame.  But ever onward and are at the town of Los Archos after a good walk of 21 k.  The morning was overcast and delicious and then the sun broke through and we did our best.  We had a pretty good gang of walkers but we got strung out and some of us had to drink a lot of beer in the shade waiting for everyone to catch up.

It is possible that with the help of a good eleven year old I my be able to get my lost material back.  So I will continue to think positively.  Ok, so Grace just showed up to help, who is not eleven but maybe can pull me through.

Big celebration here in Estella, feast day for St Fermin, I think.  Lots of food and singing and music.  Running of the bulls tonight at 2030 and I got the red scarf so I am ready.  Going for the gusto, right?

Kelly feeling better today.  He walked with me after sending his pack forward for a few euros.  We  had agreed that we could do this occasionally if needed.  So he is back with a vengeance.

Tomorrow it loos like we will wind up in Los Archos which is 21 k down the road.  We are on the verge switching over to kilometers from miles.  Along the way is a winery that has a free wine fountain.  We will have to try and pace ourselves once again.

Well, maybe I will go for a nap while I can.  Need to maintain my strength to keep one step ahead of the bulls tonight.  Buen Camino, Phil.

I had 35132 steps today.  Half day yesterday had 17970.  Tuesday had 39348.  Hot here and we may do half day tomorrow and get done by 1300.  Kelly had heat exhaustion here after we got to the hostel but he is sleeping now.  Everyone’s is looking after him.  We left Uterga this morning and are in Lorca now.  I. Think that it was about 22 k with a detour that we took.

The detour was  to the Knights Templar church constructed in the 12th century.  It was supposed to be open but was locked up.  We investigated the exterior.  I placed my hand on a small carved cross that is on the right side of the entrance gate.  I am finding touching history to be very powerful.

I want to get back to the idea that the pain gets silly that I was working on earlier.  Taking this out of context sort of makes for some strange reading but it is what it is.  Two nights ago some our party was staying with Maribel in Cizur Menor .  She is a Camino Angel who has been working here of close to thirty years.  She works on foot problems and can tell the problem before you take your boots off.  One of her secrets is to put Maxi Pads as insoles to collect sweat and blister gunk.  Yea, works.

Yesterday at lunch Jess and Todd set up this game of rock toss trying to get gravel into my empty boots.  They had all of us playing.  Then this morning I had both my boots laced up and tied and ready to go and something just didn’t feel quite right but since my feet feel so bad on the bottoms I am not quite sure.  Sure as heck had a almond sized one in there.  But the key idea is that I wasn’t sure.

And this after the really hilarious move of putting my glasses in one of my Crocs before bed and then getting up at 0600 and walking to the communal toilet and back with them in there.  Again something didn’t quite feel right.  Hmm.  I have managed to fix them sort of.

We caught up to Mariead.  Tomorrow we my lose her again as we will go light with Kelly.  But people walk in fits and starts so that finding them again is easier than one would think.  I had a great conversation with Todd this afternoon and of course mentioned Sister Joyce, Rebecca, Danger Zone, Nugget and Dr. Barnes.  Todd is getting the Camino experience even though he has all this work to do.  Jess is still nursing knee and has been taxiing ahead.

Well, I have go and find some sleep.  Day six tomorrow.  Have to say one more rosary for a Camino Angel that brought us out cold cans of Coke as we stumbled by her home.  She had beautiful roses and I stopped to smell them I might report.  We had nothing to give her so I gestured that I would pray for her and she seemed happy.  Buen Camino.

There is a point were the pain all becomes silly.  I’m too tired and goofy right now to tell you about this amazing day.  I am going to hand this off to someone else who is more qualified than me.

Today was the most trying day so far. I found myself on a roller coaster of emotions. Mostly between the joy of realizing that my body is starting to hurt much less, and the complete dismay of turning around a bend and realizing just how much more there is to go. I know that the Camino isn’t supposed to be about the end but rather getting there and how you spend that time, the things you learn, and the people that you meet.. But since I’m a very goal oriented person, I find myself getting mad at my body for not going faster and mad at the road for not being shorter. I’ve really been struggling with that lately, not just on the Camino but in life. I find myself constantly nostalgic or planning out the future but never stopping to enjoy the moment. To stop and stare at the beautiful wide open fields of Northern Spain, to take a deep breath and relax instead of constantly worrying about getting there alright. After all, the worrying is so pointless. Tomorrow I plan on taking it easy since I’ve been pushing my body far past it’s normal limits these past few days and I really need to start appreciating my body, this beautiful vehicle that allows me to walk dozens of miles, rather than wishing it could be faster and better.

-Emily

“The way, in the beginning was a torture because you just wanted to get to the end, now it becomes to turn into a pleasure, the pleasure of search and adventure. With this, you are nourishing something very important : your dreams.”

– The Peregrine of Compestela

“Vella chiruca

Tantes hores passades

quanta alegria

fa reviure el meu cor

quantes cançons al teu bon pas foren cantades

no em resta cap record…”

Before forgiveness chapter

laurinha