“A change in behavior begins with a change in the heart.” – Internet Meme
I made a difficult (difficult for me) decision today. Normally, I would push on and be “mentally tough,” but I woke up this morning and my foot is still too painful to walk a long distance…so I took a rest day…and then a taxi.
I said goodbye and Buen Camino to Roberto at 6:30 am when he left to carry on down the road and I stayed at the hostel until 11 am to rest my leg. I had a nice view out the window. Very artsy and relaxing. I absolutely love the clay tile roofs. 🧡
This probably sounds like a trivial decision, but for me, this is a change in behavior. It goes much deeper then a day off on the Camino. I am finally honoring myself and my need for rest – without feeling guilty about it or beating myself up for “not being strong enough to do it.” I’m actually proud of my decision.
I’ve always been (too) competitive with myself. Always pushing harder, doing more, and I rarely stop to evaluate what’s best for me in the moment. Today, that changed. And I surprisingly had a lovely day.
I left the hostel around 11 am to head to the pharmacy for an anti-inflammatory. The kind woman (who spoke perfect English-bonus for me!) behind the counter loaded me up with pills, cream, and some antiseptic spray and then pointed me in the direction of a café. Which was closed unfortunately but then I stumbled upon, this tiny restaurant/café that was bustling with locals. I walked in and everyone stopped what they were doing to have a look at the limping foreigner. I smiled a big smile and waved “hello.” I received even bigger smiles in return. Whew, I passed the test. The young woman, Daniela, behind the bar, was smiling and wide-eyed as if to say, “Finally, someone new and different has walked into our little establishment.”
We exchanged pleasantries while the others curiously watched. Since my Portuguese is limited (okay basically nonexistent) we both used our phones for Google Translate. I ordered a ham and cheese sandwich – because that’s what she suggested. I watched as she made this sandwich with so much love like I was a queen coming over for dinner. She placed the napkin and sandwich on the plate in a plain but nice presentation. The. brought it over to my table, along with the WiFi password (unprompted) to my table and said “Bon Appetit.”
As I was eating, the patrons continued to stare and Daniela checked on me from time to time. A couple of guys at the counter started “telling stories” (I assume) and I watched as Daniela rolled her eyes as if she’d heard these glory day tales one too many times.
We heard a bunch of yelling coming from outside and a huge argument had broken out in the parking lot. Everyone, including me, stood up to see what all the ruckus was about. Daniela came over with her phone and was spilling the tea about the situation and the history between the two. “Husband and wife?” I asked? “No, neighbors. Gypsies and druggies. Typical for this place,” she said and rolled her eyes again. Daniela had quickly become my favorite person on this Camino so far.
After I ate, I asked her if she would call a taxi for me, which she did. I paid for my meal and gave her a little tip. She held up a jug from behind the counter and said she donates all of her tips to a young local disabled boy. Then she showed me photos of him on her phone. I’m not sure if they were related or not, but she definitely cares about him. I gave her a few more Euros to toss in the jug.
The taxi arrived about 15 minutes later. Daniela and I snapped a photo together and she walked me out to the taxi and spoke to the driver for me. I hopped in the cab and everyone sitting outside waved to me as we drove away. I was only there about an hour but it’s so funny how, despite a language barrier, we all seemed to lift each others spirits.
Alvaro, the taxi driver, was a chatty, pudgy middle-aged man. He spoke so much my Google Translate app couldn’t keep up. He told me all about the town, the Camino, the people who are here for the Fatima celebration, the farmland, etc. He said the fields are for tomatoes and corn. Right now is tomato season and all the fields are timed perfectly so they have tomatoes to harvest from now until Sept. The photo I snapped was of a field that had just been planted but some of the other fields had been growing for awhile.
Alvaro was so distracted with his impromptu tour that he missed the turn to my drop-off point – a park by the river. It was only 1 pm and I couldn’t check into my hostel until 4 pm so I found this spot on Google Maps (thank you technology) and there was a café I knew I could hang out at until it was time to check in. I sat there for a few hours, drank some sparkling water, talked with a few locals and read my book. It was a perfect rest day. I even made a new furry friend.
Thankfully, the park was just a short walk to where I’m staying tonight. Again, it’s definitely more than I want to spend (65€) on the Camino but it’s nice to have a little luxury every now and again…especially when healing an injury. My room is perfect and has a view of the pool.
I’m not sure what tomorrow will bring but for now, I’m going to be in the moment, finish my book and get a good night’s rest. I’m hoping I can walk tomorrow, but if not, I’ll figure something out.
This injury is reminding me of my favorite story about a Chinese farmer. “It is impossible to tell if anything that happens is good or bad. Because you will never know what will be the consequences of the misfortune or the consequences of the good fortune.” – Alan Watts
Only time will tell.
Goodnight and much love from Portugal! 🇵🇹