findingmywaychapter2

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Seven months after ....

Seven months ago I was in France ready to begin my Camino.

What an adventure it was!

I learned so many things that apply on the Camino and in life.

Prepare

Walk at home in the boots you’re going to walk in - a lot.

Love your boots, discover your hot spots and how to manage them.

Bring and use 2 pair of insoles.

Paper tape rocks!

Bring hiking poles even if you don’t always use them.

Ditch your ego.

Pacing

Take one step/one day at a time.

Know and respect your limits. Those that didn’t paid the price.

Ditch your ego.

But ...

Don’t underestimate yourself

I was stronger than I thought I was - when I started I truly believed I couldn’t do it.

Be flexible

Meet people - or not.

Sleep in albergues or hostels or the occasional parador.

Walk 20 km, 30 km, more or less. It depends on your stamina, the terrain, the weather, the day.

Ditch your ego.

Be aware of the present

Watch your step.

Know where your next step will be if you stumble on the first (great advice I got from a Brit who was crazy for walking).

Appreciate where you’ve been

Look behind so you can marvel at where you’ve been.

Take a ton of photos, especially behind you - and of fog. Always of fog.

Expect the unexpected

Meeting amazing people.

Hearing inspirational stories.

Discovering how much I loved walking alone and how much I loved walking with interesting others - and everyone was interesting.

If you get bed bugs, it’s a pain in the butt, but it’s not the end of the world. I lived through it - so will you.

You will likely take the wrong path at least once. Others will be happy to help you even if you don’t know their language.

Ultimately, this moment is all we have.

I may want to walk again.

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This video brought tears to my eyes. I may have to walk again - if not the entire route, at least SJPP to Moliniseca.

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#memories

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Contrast between the ancient church and the modern wind turbines.

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October 7, 2017 Dumbria - Olveiroa There was NOTHING going on in Dumbria this morning. NOTHING! I couldn’t even get a coffee ☕️. That hasn’t happened often. I had quite an uncomfortable feeling in that town - funny how I’ve often had pretty instant reactions to the feel of places. I had a few confusing moments as I continued to follow signs backwards, but more pilgrims were on the path, making it easier to get back on track and there were also fewer towns to navigate. There were some long, steep ups, and it got very hot, but overall the walk was short. At one point I saw a drone overhead. Really!! A guy from Lithuania is filming his Camino (he walked the Primitivo and is enroute to Muxia). He said photos just aren’t good enough. The whole thing folds up and fits in a pouch he wears on his belt. Now there’s something even Brian didn’t wear on his belt! 😆 The walking part of my Camino is over. I’m settled into a nice place in Olveiroa - it has a good feel about it. I’m into a good Maeve Binchy novel, clothes have been washed in a washer and they dried almost instantly in the hot sun, I have a taxi booked to Santiago tomorrow and I fly to London on Monday. I’ll be home in 6 days! I will have away for 8 weeks. It’s been quite the journey - some physically, mentally and emotionally difficult days, some that I sailed through. Moments of fear and of courage. I’m finished walking, but I’m not done with the Camino. I know I will continue to learn lessons from this experience for quite some time. Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

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October 6, 2017 Muxia - Dumbria Must have walked about 24 km today with a steep up at the end of the day. My left hip is talking to me and I wore out the paper tape on my feet. Interesting day of walking against the direction of the arrows. It worked fine on the paths, but in the towns, there were often multiple options one could take, and I chose the wrong option a few times. Thankfully there were often elderly folk around who quite emphatically helped. One guy almost didn’t let me go to the cafe 150 metres off the path because it was 150 metres off the path. At one point a man turned up as if by magic and pointed me in the right direction - that time I even knew where I was going. Then he followed me into town which started to feel a bit creepy. I came “this close” to turning back to Muxia with the arrows and walking back to Finesterre, but I hung in and all is well. John Brierley says if you’re going to do this, allow extra time for retracing steps. Yep. I’m not the only one walking because they have days to fill before their flight. It seems quite common. I bought a little Galician witch today from a woman selling her wares from her home. She comes complete with handmade lace on her skirt - handmade lace is a Galician specialty. I’ve chose to believe my witch has powers for good. Cafe Cox’s in Senande made my day. They play a little trick on pilgrims and give them a bowl of 3 “hard boiled eggs” and a salt shaker. When one tries to crack the egg , it doesn’t happen - the eggs are made of rubber and bounce. But I did have the best Galician omelette there! And when I ordered OJ, I saw him go out come back with oranges. He also noticed the direction I walked when I left and came after me to make sure I was going where I wanted to go. John Breierly nailed it when he said that cafe is pilgrim friendly. It’s apparently unseasonably hot in Spain right now. I agree. It sure doesn’t feel like fall. I think I’m one of the only people in this Pension tonight - the room is nice, but small, however there is a big, comfy common living room and kitchen. The woman running the place isn’t happy with me though, because I can’t understand anything she says and vice versa. I think she might be speaking some dialect. Oh well - all I plan to do is hang out for a bit and go to bed early.

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1 - I lived for these waymarkings today. If I do this again, I may bring a can of yellow spray paint and add a few more.

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October 5 - Muxia I saw the sights of Muxia twice today - once in the grey, overcast (just before tour buses began arriving), and once in brilliant sunshine and a bracing wind (after the tour buses were gone). Quite a contrast. The seascape reminds me a lot of our Pacific Northwest. I don’t find Muxia an inspiring place - not sure why not as I love the crashing of the sea - and will be happy to walk on tomorrow, although I did have some amazing shrimp for lunch. Looks like I will be walking through some interesting places tomorrow including a community made up mostly of pilgrims who decided to stay. I wonder if some of them came in late 2013 after the interior of the church had to be gutted and rebuilt after being struck by lightning on Christmas Day. All repairs were complete in time for the annual pilgrimage the following September. At lunch time, a woman from Australia asked if she could join me - of course! She had recently finished the Norte route (yikes - that sounds tough!) and had just come from a small retreat centre 17 kms from Muxia - the same one I tried to book a couple of weeks ago, but they didn’t respond to my request. My gut said, “let it go” and I listened for a change. Turns out it wasn’t a great place for a number of reasons - including 8 cats!! I’m quite fine with having missed that “opportunity”. It apparently wasn’t exactly as advertised. I don’t do R&R very well. The day has felt very long.

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Grey and overcast at Muxia this morning Sunny this afternoon

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October 4 - Lires - Muxia Another beautiful day including a sleep in until 8 am!! I had breakfast with an interesting couple from the San Francisco Bay area who I met yesterday and who have done a number of Caminos. He said his wife is Camino addicted, but he might want to do something else on their next trip. When I asked him what that might be, it was all about long distance walking somewhere. I think he might be addicted too. 👣👣👣. I can see how that happens. Lots of up today and some rocky down. The down made me wonder what I would think of the down into Zubiri now. Maybe it wouldn’t be quite as difficult as it was in late August. I’m not going back to check it out - at least not on this trip. 😊 Again, I encountered few people - and absolutely no amenities- no cafes, bars, albergues, benches - except one concrete bench with a water fountain where I put my pack down for a few minutes. I’m so glad to be doing this before the route becomes more developed, which I’m sure will happen. Dave - get your knee tidied up so you and Mo can get to this area soon. I’ve been wondering what to do with my last few days in Spain. I asked at the tourist office if there were any tours I could take here in addition to the stuff in my guidebook and got a one word response - no. I thought about going to A Coruna as Tony from London suggested a few weeks ago, but it’s a long bus ride that takes me back to Santiago enroute - no. Decision made. I’m staying in Muxia for 2 nights for some R&R and to explore the historical sights. On Friday I’m going to start walking toward Santiago and see how far I get before I need to find transportation to the airport for my Monday flight to London. This will be interesting for my logistically challenged self, because the waymarkings are for those walking the other way - from Santiago to Muxia - so I’ll have to look over my shoulder a lot. Muxia and Finesterre have an interesting history. In 1105 monks came to Muxia to suppress the pagan rituals that were being practiced. St James went to Finesterre to convert the people from their worship of the sun, and when he believed he had failed, came to Muxia for R&R. It is said that the Virgin Mary turned up in a boat and told St James he had not failed and that he should return to Jerusalem. Tomorrow I will check out the historic sites connected with this story including the petrified remains of the Virgin Marys boat. It’s been another good day.

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October 3 - Finesterre - Lires Not much new. A great walk to Lires. It was a bit of a process to find my way out of Finesterre, but after that, no worries. Hardly any people, great weather and periodic stunning views of the sea. This is what I imagine the Frances route felt like back in the day. Muxia tomorrow and after that - not sure. This has been and continues to be an amazing journey, and I'm so glad I've done it, but I gotta say, I've missed Brian terribly. He would not likely have walked with me, because he would have been riding twisties somewhere, but he would have been my biggest cheerleader! Initially I felt his presence a lot, but that's hardly happened at all since I left the meseta. I don't know what his message is - maybe - "you can handle it on your own, babe!" And I have and I will, but it's not the same as having the love of your life in your corner You guys have all been great, but - it's not quite the same. Just sayin'

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Monday, October 2, 2017 Finesterre This morning I saw Anik who I've talked to many times in past weeks. She walked from Muxia - Finnesterre over 2 days and said it's beautiful and marked well enough. I'd pretty much decided to start walking the other direction - from Finesterre to Muxia tomorrow, but she made my decision easy. Going to have to work at repacking though, cuz I bought a few things in Santiago. And, to me it looks like "active weather " might be moving in, but the weather forecasters say it should be fine. Today was pretty quiet overall. I walked along the beach and up into the forest for a few kms - back toward Santiago - and got some sense of what it would be like to emerge from the trees into that long expanse of mostly empty beach. The rest of the day consisted of siesta and wandering about town. I'm ready to come home, but also ready to walk again tomorrow.

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Sunday, October 1, 2017 Santiago - Fisterre (by bus) I arrived in Santiago in the rain and today I left in the rain. Happy to report the bus station was easy to find - although one guy at the hotel told me to take one route because it was flat, and the guy this morning told me to take the other route because it was flat. I trusted guy #2 more than guy #1, so I took his recommendation. It was pretty flat - although after the past few weeks, flat isn't a huge consideration. I smile at the conflicting information I and others receive. A pilgrim told me I could buy a bus ticket to Fisterre on the bus. Wrong. Had to buy a ticket ahead of time. Where the bus turns up is a bit of a mystery - they give you a range of potential lanes to watch. A bus turned up. After we boarded, the driver kicked off all pilgrims because they had oversold tickets, and we had to board another bus. Fun way to spend a Sunday morning. Glad I found cafe con leche before that event. I got to Fisterre and am staying in a great, quiet Casa about a 10 minute walk from the frenzy of the main drag. I walked to the Cape (the most westerly point in Europe) this afternoon when it was slightly overcast, but after I'd been in that magical place a while the sun came out and it was spectacular! (Pics on FB) There is a spirit and a power there I don't understand, but it's palpable and beautiful! On the way up I met Josh, Tim and Dolf from earlier days and exchanged news and hugs. Bill is already in Paris. Cool. I'm staying here tomorrow. Not sure what happens after that. I have a week before I fly to London. Maybe I will settle in at the coast. Maybe I'll walk to Muxia. Maybe I'll look at other options.