Excerpts from my Camino journal – Sept 2016
It’s mid-afternoon, day 4. I think I’m finding my stride and rhythm.
We’ve climbed the hills overlooking Pamplona. I think we’ve walked 10-11 miles so far. Tears welled up in my eyes as we reached the summit and the Hill of Forgiveness / Alto de Perdon. To see it in person was a relief.
I had my first fall today, sliding down on some river rocks, the weight of my backpack protected me,
My sleeping bag which is strapped to the outside of the back of my pack acted as a cushion for my lower back. THANK GOD!
Currently sitting on the ground, leaning against my backpack, journaling, eating a light lunch of figs, cashews, and manchego cheese, a wonderful nutty Spanish cheese made with goat, cow, and sheep milk, and sipping some water. I’m overlooking a field that seems to meet with a highway. I’m just at the basin of a pretty healthy hillside. On the ridge of this valley are modern windmills, I can hear them as the turbines rotate with the wind. Modern technology on an ancient land. The air seems rich with the lazy inevitable arrival of autumn. A hint of pepper in the air mixed with the smell of soul and dead leaves.
4 days in and 30 more days to go
30 days of a long autumn walk ahead of us
30 more days of meandering with my son
30 more days of inspiration, and good company
30 more days of shared dinners, delicious red wine, warm bread, and amazing cheese
30 more days of meeting new friends, looking into the eyes of wandering strangers.
30 more days of laughter, sore feet, blisters, and the joy of slipping into comfy flip-flops after miles of walking
30 more days of hidden cobblestone alleys and magical discoveries
30 more days with my son, and an oh-so-sleepy and well-deserved yawns
4 days in and 30 more days to go.
Thru soulful eyes 