The six best doctors: sunshine, water, rest, air, exercise, and diet. – Wayne Fields
This morning after breakfast, Luz, the hostel owner and I were talking. She said that right after the next town there is a road off of the Camino that will take me to a lookout of the ocean. She said it was a beautiful spot and not to be missed. When we got to the fork I told Stephen about it. He didn’t want to see it so he kept on but I went for a look. Luz was right, it definitely did not disappoint. I’m so grateful for the tip. Luz’s name means light. She definitely was a bright light on my Camino.
Today was a really beautiful walk. One of the best. We were weaving in and out of the forest in the mountains down to the coast and back again. The weather was cool and overcast. Perfect for walking. The path was pretty hilly and muddy but at this point, it doesn’t seem to bother me much anymore. I walked most of the day by myself but the group always met at the cafés. I set my own pace. I did a lot of thinking. Had a couple of breakthroughs. I took my time, stopping to look at different plants and views of the ocean. There were several cafés along the route which was a nice treat. I even found a veggie sandwich! All in all it was a perfect day for me.
I feel like I’m still grasping a little though. I noticed yesterday that I’m a little out of the flow again (in my head). Trying to hang on to people who might just be a mirage. How do we ever really know? Maybe that’s the leap of faith people are always talking about.
There were many streams to cross today. One required quite a bit of focus to walk across a log. I haven’t walked on a balance beam since I was a kid in gymnastics but here we are. I’m happy to report, I did not fall in. Ta-dah!🤸♀️
Cute pilgrim stole my move. We all ended up at a café together and when he went to pay his bill he realized he forgot his wallet at the train depot hostel. Since it’s Sunday and we are in the middle of nowhere he had to hitchhike back. This is a current account…update to come as to whether or not he catches back up to us.
Update: I never saw him but someone did spot him. Apparently, he got his wallet and is back on track.
Hitchhiking is not uncommon on the Camino. It’s pretty safe because most of the people who pick you up are former pilgrims themselves. Luca and I had to hitchhike a couple of times last year.
People are losing stuff all the time. We ran into Andrew from Australia and he was carrying Michael’s (from Canada) neck covering (to protect from the sun). Apparently it fell off his backpack as he was walking and Andrew saw it on the road. Since we’re all together so frequently we can identify who’s stuff belongs to whom. So he’s carrying it and will find him at some point to give it back to him. One of the Spanish women who was in our hostel last night forgot her lipstick, so Dora is carrying it forward with her and going to give it to her when we cross paths again. It may be a couple of days but you always see each other eventually. The Camino is really made up of the best of the best. Nobody’s here to take advantage of anyone else. Everyone is here to help each other reach the goal. It’s one of the many reasons I love this place.
For the last few days we’ve been hiking with a couple of Korean girls. Heyekyung and Goeun
Stephen calls them Hazel (even though her English name is Vanessa) and Gong.
I’ve decided Stephen has his own language. He calls Santiago, San Diego and Guacamole, Guatemala and has know idea what the difference is. We cannot stop laughing and teasing him about this.
I just remembered, Jose Manuel also told me that Spain brought in the eucalyptus trees so they could make more affordable paper and process it quicker.
Stephen called Dora, Doris today.
The purple bell-looking flower is beautiful but very poisonous. On my first Camino, I was walking with Carina, a German pharmacist. I was taking a picture of this plant and she said not to touch it. It’s a heart stopper. Ironically, it is used in heart medicine. I think I got that correct…Carina, I know you’re following along. Let me know if I’m wrong on this one.
We met ANOTHER Australian. Peter from Perth.
I love all the marketing on the trail…Albergues, cafés, sports massages. QR codes included. Hilarious and apparently what the modern day pilgrim needs.
We are in a nice little Albergue tonight. It has a restaurant and a hotel. Not too many pilgrims but we’ve met some new people. Graham from the UK. Former police officer and 2x Camino walker. Michael from Germany. He was at the other end of the dinner table so I don’t know much about him but he seems nice.
Laundry has been an issue. It’s been so damp and a little rainy that our clothes are always either wet or damp since we can’t seem to find a dryer. Tonight there was a washing machine but no dryer (again). The clothes are outside on the line under a covered area but my guess is they will be wet in the morning.
Funny moment of the day: quite a bit of distance had gotten between Stephen and I while we were walking in the woods. I probably stopped to hug a tree or watch the water flow down the stream or something. Anyhoo, the path eventually came to a clearing where the road went straight and the path turned. I stopped to double check the map and when I did I happened to sneeze. And from deep in the woods I heard “bless you”. Serial killer? No, it was only Stephen. He had stopped to wait for me. I came around the corner into the the woods and said, “Thank you. Now do you see why don’t pee in the woods? There’s always someone around the corner, waiting and watching. Just when you think you’re alone, you’re not.” My paranoia is not for nothing, people. I rest my case.
Novellana – Canero – 22.2km
Goodnight and much love from Spain.
