There were moments on this walk which never made it into the blog and which I fear will be lost. You don't want to overload readers any given day.
My favorite chuckle came in Asturias, walking with Fran and Nuria, after leaving Luarca, on Day 22. We were walking past cornfields taller than we were that came right up to the Camino.
Needless to say, it wasn't easy. I didn't even try to explain "If you build it, they will come."
Another sunny, beautiful morning, I was admiring the plants growing along the roadside: arugula, mint, fennel, lavender, all edible. I heard a rumble behind me. It was a huge tractor like Jeremy Clarkson's on "Clarkson's Farm". I moved to the left edge of the road, but then noticed a Mercedes coming the other way. I stepped off the road.
What I hadn't noticed was that the culvert where these plants were growing was full of water as deep as my ankles! It wasn't even raining! Boy was I pissed. And wet.
So here are some lessons from this Camino.
1. It's possible to be too competitive. You don't have to walk the fastest, get there first, carry the most on your back. Being that way can actually be destructive. This leads to number 2.
2. Enjoy the moment. Make time to enjoy the moment. Don't miss a chance to go to the beach even if it's just to sit and enjoy the sights. The Northern Route is reputed to be the most beautiful, for good reason. The young people on the Camino stopped and enjoyed the beaches. In hindsight...
3. Making it to the top of a hill feels really, really good. Savor that moment and that feeling. And the view.
4. A mobile phone is a terrible replacement for a laptop or larger form factor device. The Android versions of apps lack features that the laptop versions have--useful features. I spent a whole month on my phone, and this old man was very unhappy with the experience!
5. Organize your stuff. For the first time, on this trip, I lost nothing. I put a lot of time into thinking into which bag each item would go and why. After the last Camino, we bought a set of nylon bags to subdivide what went into our packs. No more rummaging around! It was simple but very effective.
6. Don't presume that albergues all suck. After I was prepared not to stay in one again, yet I had some of the best experiences of my life in the ones that followed. I met cool people, got a great night's sleep, and was glad I'd made that decision.
7. Like the Boy Scouts, be prepared. If breakfast isn't likely for three or four hours, buy stuff the night before to provide your own. Tina discovered refrigerated coffee drinks, like Starbucks Canned Lattes at home. We bought those whenever we could, and they made the mornings tolerable. The moral: don't complain--plan ahead.
8. Bringing extra shoes was a good idea. Each of us brought a second set of shoes, actually sneakers. I thought that mine would just be for walking around afterwards, but they were a good alternative for hiking, especially when there was rain. Sneakers dry faster than boots.
9. Drinking and exercise don't mix. Having lunch with wine one day made the afternoon's walk tougher. Dave from England had the same story about how nice cold beers made the following walk more tedious. Digesting the alcohol saps your strength. Save it until you're done.
10. I lost ten pounds that needed to go. Don't wait four years and go through a month long marathon event. Eating right, eating and drinking less, and exercising more should be a regular part of your life.
11. Finally, eat your fruit and vegetables. Your mother was right: you need your roughage. Walking like this, you sweat a lot and lose a lot of water. Combine dehydration with Spanish restaurant menus that are chronically short on vegetables... and you know what's going to result.
* * *
I must confess, by the end of the walk, I was ready for a break.... but now, I'm excited that I get to go back when Tina resumes her Camino, starting in Gijon! Stay tuned!
News Flash! Tina had announced that we're going to Gijon in July 2024! She's going to finish the Camino in 2024!
ReplyDelete