Today was one of those
days....you know when you’re just over tired, a bit out of sorts
and....well...almost no energy. When my
children were small we called them “jammie & movie days”. At work, we called them “mental health days”. Never under estimate the need and power of
these days. And....whenever
possible....take advantage of these days. Catch up on your sleep, enjoy a massage, a
walk, some shop, others play golf or fish....these are important days to
removed as much negativity from your energy so you can recharge and put things
back into perspective.
The fact is, sometimes....it’s
not that easy to take full advantage of this need and meet it; such as if one were
on a Camino away from home because....you have to get to the next point. At home, you 99% of everything stressing
you....will be there tomorrow.
Day 2 of Air Week: Making a
commitment to change your life; and the book affirmation is “I honour my
commitments to myself and to others.”
And the intent is to become even more aware of the air around you.
With all this in mind
and....it being “one of those days”....I allowed myself an easy day. It didn’t hurt that I slept in..... I took a book I’m reading...”The Toltec Path
of Recapitulation” and a cappuccino then went out on my deck, sat in a comfy
chair and read for awhile. I enjoyed the
gentle breeze; sometimes pointing my face in its direction allowing it to
caress my face. I listened as it made
the leaves on the walnut tree (Melissa) whisper to the maple trees who
responded in kind. Birds took advantage
of the thermal winds guiding gracefully across the sky. Some birds perched themselves around the yard
as if they too enjoyed watching the flowers dancing. Calm, quietness and...peace. I was honouring my commitment to myself,
committing to change my life which included...getting outside, becoming more
aware of the world around me – especially....nature.
From my, Self Care Cards,
I drew my affirmation....”Progress ~ Charge forward ~ be willing to make
mistakes.”
I did move my altar to a
more secure location. My children and
one of their friends helped me deliver some items to the Goodwill. And we
picked up a few things while we were out.
One daughter had to work, another visited with friends and...my
remaining daughter and I enjoyed some quiet mother/daughter time.
It wasn’t until late at
night, did I realize I didn’t do my blog.
But, no problem...I knew the task would be waiting for me when I woke
up.
Two years ago July 16, I
took my first steps on my Camino (because....I had no choice). The past couple of days, I enjoyed the sites and
flavours of Sarria. I also purchased
some of the traditional “Pilgrim” items, like a shell, the gourd of course....a
walking stick. That wasn’t all I
purchased but, hey....
The other thing every good
pilgrim must have is their passport.
This is stamped at each stop along the way, so when you arrive in
Santiago, you are registered at the Cathedral and you receive your certificate
of completion. After enjoying a
tradition European breakfast buffet.... and my backpack filled with everything
I’ll need....I started out.
I crossed the bridge in
Sarria for the last time and took my first step to Santiago. First stop, at 11km, is Morgade.
Here is the first arrow
I see as I come close to the end of Sarria
The mural honouring
pilgrims as you leave Sarria
Magical
Mist to great the day and send me on my pilgrimage. Notice the hills?
Starting out at Km 111
This mile markers
appeared every .5km along the Camino.
This is the first of
many shells I’ll come to rely on along my Camino. These and yellow arrows are often the only
directions one can rely on as they walk through the country side. But keep your eyes open, sometimes they are
not as easy as other times to spot. You
don’t want to back track.....
This is a typical cemetery
in Spain
When I saw this
tree....I fell in love with it! Its character
is amazing. How many people saw this
tree, took its picture....noticed it? Who sat under it to take advantage of its
shade or protection from the rain?
This mist is rising
and...there are those hills. On the
horizon you can barely see it, but there are wind turbines. It was three days before they were finally out
of sight.
The first of many farm
animals that roam freely; I took this photo with my daughter Chelsea in
mind.
Natures
tunnel...offering shade, a change of scenery, protection and tranquility
When you walk and keep
your eyes open...you might be surprised at what you see like this slug....When
we were on Vancouver Island in BC we went to the Cedar Cathedral. The BC slugs were a favorite of Courtney’s.
Foot ‘bridges’ to save
you from walking through the mud; nature’s treasure.
There’s those shoes
again....the cross is one of the places, you’re invited to leave a stone, but
for me...in this photo, I had to pee so badly.
In the back ground you’ll see two buildings....the first for quite some
time. The building directly behind my
head is the only stop between Sarria and Morgade with a “water closet”
(washroom). Relief you might think
but...here...you pay to pee or whatever!
Notice too, the “waking
path”...it’s really the ‘highway".
CAR!!!!
One of many churches
throughout the country side
My first experience of
none fenced in live stock. This photo
was not photo shopped nor did I zone it in.
The cow was really this close to where I was walking.
Morgade....Km 99.3 and
today’s destination is reached
This picture and the one
below...will come to be a normal site; Pilgrims taking a break at officially recognized
destinations along the way, at local cafes.
These are also stop pilgrims are to get their passport stamps.
Sitting
and waiting for my ride....note the shoes...I’ll share more about this later
This dog was sat close
by as I waited for the cab to pick me up in Morgade and take me back to Sarria.
~Buen
Camino
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