Day 16

Friday October 1, 2010

Day 16 on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela

Castrojeriz to Fromista

Dear Blog Readers,

Have to talk a little about the church in Castrojeriz.  Rick remarks it is the most peaceful church he’s ever been in to prayer.  I, of course, cannot pray instead my eyes and camera flick back on forth to the wonderful tapestries upon the walls. They are all works based on Ruben’s cartoons. 

This morning the hotel manager is not on hand to pay the bill, nothing starts moving before 8 a.m. so never leave until 8:15 a.m. without breakfast.  First town is more than 11 kms. away for a bite to eat and a cup of tea!

A morning mist covers the valley as Castrojeriz is left behind.  Walk pass a wonderful Roman road over the marshes, looks like it was once used as part of the Camino, but now they government is getting smart about the treasures they have been left by the invaders of old.  Straight ahead is a steady climb up a mountain to the plateau and meseta.  About 12 curves straight up to the top.  I feel like the lone pilgrim climbing to the top. The meseta is ahead for another 7 kms to the nearest town for breakfast.  Trek pass sunflower fields being harvested and for the first time fields of turnips waiting to be harvested.  After 11 kms. finally get a bite to eat and then it is off again on to another meseta - for some reason my trek turns from being easy to difficult.  The way over the flat areas becomes harder.  My mind begins to wander - Maybe my spirit would let my body go over to the plough hay field for an hour´s rest while my spirit continue without my weary body - ´crunch, crunch, left - right my feet keep moving.  My stick stops digging into the Camino to propel me forward, I now hold on to it like a weapon, pick pointed forward, watch out I may poke anyone ahead of me.  Crunch, crunch, left - right - no rest for the body, spirit wants to get to Santiago.  I ignore the lovely blue butterflies today, my head is down watching my feet - crunch, crunch, left - right-  A mating couple of dragonflies get my weary attention, only to wonder how they accomplish such a feat - crunch, crunch, left - right.

A nasty little pebble hitch a ride in my right boot, on his way to visit cousins up ahead.  I ignore him as there is nowhere to sit to get rid of him.  He complains by poking me on my heel, too bad, crunch, crunch, left - right.  Must wait get to the next town to take a 5 mins. break.  Finally a small hamlet comes into view but everything is shut up tight, nowhere to sit to remove my pesky hiker.  Find a wall and remove my boot only to have the pebble give me a hard time to bringing him too far, I give him the finger, my index, in warning about being a little more appreciative about my help.

Thank God for a Coke.  I think Coke can make one heck of an ad with the pilgrims, who all have a coke between 1 and 2 to get their caffeine -sugar fix to continue.  As I leave the hamlet, Coke kicks in and my spirit and body are once more happily together, so I enjoy the trek pass a birch lined track - with bullrushes filling the drains - up a rise and there is a canal for the next 4 kms to the town, where I can finally take my boots off and have a rest for the night.

A long day, arrive at 3:05 in Fromista - hotel is across the street from a beautiful church.  Trek 25 kms. today - will get a little break tomorrow, only 20.5 kms.  To date the trek has covered 356.1 kms, almost half way to Santiago.

Blessings from the Camino,

Yasmin

My personal thoughts for today - My mind takes an inward journey today and I feel really in tuned with my mind, body and soul.  Everyone should have such a journey to connect with their inner being.