Advice to future peregrinos: never plan to arrive in Astorga on Monday. This delightful town houses all kinds of interesting stuff from the most beautiful and well-preserved cathedral to a "Bishop's Palace", shown in the photo, that looks like a fairy-tale palace and houses a camino museum with tons of historical information on the history of the camino. And all of it is closed on Monday! I am on a strict timetable now and must be in Rabinal, a 21km walk tomorrow, or I would stay and see the sights. Oh, well, next time I'll plan better.
The day after Rabinal I will reach the Cruz de Ferro, the iron cross that marks the highest point on the Camino Frances, even higher than the peak of the Pyrenees. A few days after that we will enter the provinces of Galicia. I will be about a hundred miles from my goal. I can now believe that I will actually do this impossible thing, and like The Man of La Mancha, reach the unreachable star.
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Beverly, please consider staying and seeing the sights! What difference does a day make? You are starting to act like Hauptman Sizemore with everything but your M-16A1 at port-arms and 9mm in your shoulder holster! What happened to “time for a little coffee and chat” and “take time to smell the roses”? Anyway, the last I checked, the iron cross will not move and will be there waiting for you. BTW – You are now officially THE WOMAN OF LA MANCHA!
ReplyDeleteWow mom! I am definitely seeing the GI JANE side this of this peregrina! You WILL finish your camino--I know this with all my heart. Love you!
ReplyDeleteIt's either see the sights now or start planning a return with a list of special "must do".
ReplyDeleteWith so many cultures sitting at the dinner tables and walking side by side, I imagine that you have learned much about people of the world. Much more for your book. I am eager to know so much more. Seems like the end is around the corner...of course, I'm not the one putting one foot in front of the other. You have daunting daily goals, but you are doing it! Love, Leslie
Bev Has the weather got any better? I assume it has. I do encourage you to smell the roses along the way. I cherish the times that I took the time to explore just a little and have regretted the times that I have not, to only be ask by someone later “Did you see_____?” I know you have a plan and a mission. But also remember your first lesson (To be flexible) But as Leslie said you are the one putting one foot in front of the other.
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Ya know what Bev, we never doubted that you would make your goal. And even if you had decided to shorten your time or change things in some way to come home to us sooner-it would have been as big an accomplishment. Man this is a really big deal right now where you stand, each step it gets a little bigger!! God be with you, Linda
ReplyDeleteYou could walk the camino for twenty years and not see it all. No, it is off to Rabanal this morning. The rain has stopped but it is still cool. And we start climbing into the mountains now, so I think the weather will begin to be like Ireland soon as we move into Galicia.
ReplyDeleteYou'll see the sites "next time"???? Does this mean you're already planning on doing this again? Maybe Roger will go with you next time!
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