Day 21 – Coming to Calzadillo

We had a simple, flat, straight walk today.

Covered 11 miles with no villages at all.

The good news is, we ate before we left.

(Thanks, Dave.)

Breakfast.

Dave was thinking about opening a supermarket

franchise in Spain, but it was already taken.

Leaving Carrion, we passed the Monetario San Zoilo,

where half our traveling friends stayed (4-star hotel).

One pilgrim's "flat tire" on the Camino.

Long road to Calzadilla de la Cueza.

We ran into a hiker from Calgary today 

on the trail. A fellow blister sufferer.

(more later)

Another flat tire. (Look closely, it's camoflauged.)

Came across Heather sketching the clouds. 

They looked a bit threatening today.

Her travel pal, Tom, is helping her 

make it all the way to Santiago.

We all help each other along.

To-die-for panoramic view video. Love these!

Yet another abandoned boot. 

But it seems to have sprouted wheat.

Made some new friends: two guys from 

Germany and a girl from DC.

Trees across the golden wheat field.

We arrive at the hotel. Dave gets the

best room again. Loving the very special colors. 

We all celebrate making the halfway point

from St. Jean to Santiago. Hurrah!

"For us, this walk was a pilgrimage, and our goal was simply to be in a space larger than our egos, and to allow that compassion to guide us with unscripted acts of service along the way." 

–Nipun Mehta

May we continue in that spirit.

Mike and Dave

A video story from Mike:

A story from Dave:
This hiker from Calgary (below) with the sprained ankle is Tanys. She got sixteen blisters on the first day of walking over the Pyrenees. She switched to sandals, then seven days ago, twisted her ankle. She hobbled along as best she could for a few more days, then stayed three days at Carrion, visited a physiotherapist, and emailed her cousin (a chiropractor). Both experts advised rest for more than three days and up to ten days, but the drive to continue on pushed her out the door this morning to give it a try after the short break. Tanys walks at about half our pace, with a pretty painful-looking limp. We stopped to see if we could be of assistance, but she said she would see us later today at our destination. She is a distance runner back home, accustomed to discomfort, so she is pushing herself. Sure enough, later in the day, she came hobbling into town. 

The Camino does something to you. It pushes you along, step after step, with a tremendous and nearly overpowering desire to accomplish your daily goal. I got caught up in that desire going into Burgos, didn't do the right things, and got my painful blister. Sometimes, we get fixated on a short-term goal and push too hard, forgetting about having the vision and patience to see the best, longer-term path. Let's hope that Tanys can manage her short and long-term Camino journey without any permanent damage to her ankle. She certainly is a trier, and we wish her well.

More wise words from Nipun Mehta:

"Walking, in our high-speed world, has unfortunately fallen out of favor. The word 'pedestrian' itself is used to describe something ordinary and commonplace. Yet, walking with intention has deep roots. Australia's aboriginal youth go on walkabouts as a rite of passage; Native American youth conduct vision quests in the wilderness; in Europe, for centuries, people have walked the Camino de Santiago, which spans the breadth of Spain. Such pilgrims place one foot firmly in front of the other, to fall in step with the rhythms of the universe and the cadence of their own hearts."

Sue's thoughts: 

There is so much inspiration to be found in the world and so much need for it. If we fail to see the sun and stars, that doesn't mean they don't or can't exist for us. It simply means we aren't looking in the right places. No matter our situation or struggle, there is always a place within ourselves (however deeply it may be hidden in any given moment) where beauty can be seen and felt. It is humanly and spiritually impossible to snuff out that spark that exists in every living being. Believing in that spark enough to find and fan it (however elusive)––needing it enough to defy whatever darkness seeks to own us––is where hope comes from.

Health issues make it impossible for me to be on this walk with Dave and Mike, but I am taking every step with them in my heart. I do believe we can learn and grow from the experiences of others, but only if we let those experiences in––no, that's too passive––only if we take them in. Are you walking along with us vicariously? If so, I hope you are feeling some of what I feel, because it is good.
. 

Buen Camino, friends.

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