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

I started this journey not knowing what to expect…

Here I am, three days into this amazing trip, finishing a lovely dinner with old friends and new friends.  So many beautiful sights, thousands of steps where so many have walked before, incredible stories from people all over the world who are joined by this experience…the Camino.

Sitting in this chilly night under a sliver of the moon, I look forward to the next 5 days and thankful for what this has brought so far.

Buen Camino

Alida

I came to Europe alone to cross something off of my bucket list and learn more about myself and the world around me by walking 500 miles like that one song by the Proclaimers. It’s only been 4 days walking and I already find myself astounded by the show of human kindness I’ve seen between strangers. I came alone but soon realized that you are never alone on the Camino. As I sit here at this albergue I am content in knowing that I can meet amazing people and life long friends even on the other side of the world.

Buen Camino!

Emily (eogibbons.wordpress.com)

Right now Kelly and I are sitting out in front of the hostel under a porch roof.  Actually he just ran off with Todd and Jess to film around town.  It is 1800 and the sun is still pretty intense.  There is an ever changing scene of pilgrims talking, drying their clothing or drying their hair.  The wind is gusty.  An occasional car goes by.

Somehow, we wound up with two bottles of wine to drink up tonight as no one wants to carry another extra thing tomorrow.  Met a most interesting lady from Ireland today, Mairead.y.  We were going to met her to check out the ” spectacular” church but we can’t find a ride.  We  will catch up with her tomorrow or the next day is the way to think about it.  Discovered gazpacho today.  Every day I tell someone about Sister Joyce.  Another day on the Camino.  Time to say my rosary.

Taking a short day today since are all in various shades of battered.   We off on a side trip to see “spectacular” church in Eunate, just west of Pamplona.  All good, Phil.

Everyone starts the Camino for a reason. In my case I started by myself with the intention to clear my thoughts to make sure I am following the path in life that is right for me.  What I didn’t know was that along the Camino I would meet some of the most amazing and inspiring people that each have their story to tell. I feel very lucky to continue my journey along with some of these angels, including Phil and Kelly, and I would recommend anyone to take the chance to do the same. Buen Camino! /Milo

The Camino opened  my eyes. So many wonderful people, beautiful nature and places to stay. This is a start of my life lesson. I intend  to enjoy life more and be inspirated by the small things in life.

Phil  and Kelly are amazing guys, full of humor, good spirit, and positive thinking.

I am great full of meeting them, I am stop complaining so much and be thankful for the things i have

Enjoy the Camino.   Love Linda

Todd: hard to put into words the uniqueness and power of this experience. The simplicity and rhythm of the trail has already become addicting. This morning I awoke to Phil shaking me awake, which I was grateful since supposedly I had slept through my alarm. I was surprised to look around and find that we were beating all the other pilgrims to the trail since they were sound asleep

around me. Glancing over at Phil’s bed i realized he was already halfway packed for the day. I had the choice to either meet him in his urgency or take a look at my phone to see if I had time to catch another 5 minutes of sleep. I choose the later. When I read my phone it said 2:05. Check my camera to confirm. Yep, 2:05. Apparently Phil’s phone was stuck on the time that he had intentionally set his alarm for. One could be upset at the disruption of sleep, but I was just grateful that I had 4 more hours of shut eye.

On the camino it’s easy to meet nice people and that’s why I am having dinner with Phil, Kelly and the group!  Love, Helen.

h