Day 10 — Leaving Tui

A day of rest certainly helped! So, now we move on. I don’t think any of us got the rest we needed last night. Our steps seem a little slower, our conversation a little less. We are focused on completion of this part of the journey—into Porrino. The Camino took us through the woods and […]

Gratitude

At home, gratitude generally comes after the big things — milestones, celebrations, life finally going “right.” But on the Camino, gratitude shows up in simple ways.I think “Camino gratitude” may be closer to what God, Spirit — whatever name we give our Creator — wants us to notice. On the Camino, gratitude looks like this: […]

Letting Go & Trust

The Camino has a way of teaching you things you didn’t even know you needed to learn.One of the biggest, maybe? Letting go. Letting go of plans when the trail changes or looks different than what you had in your mind. Letting go of being comfortable, when your muscles ache and your backpack feels like […]

Pain

Anyone who writes about their experience on the Camino must include pain.  Pain becomes a natural part of the story whether anyone intends it or not.  I admit, some pain was expected — tired feet, sore calves, sciatica, stiff hips, tired shoulders.  A deeper fatigue showed up on Day 5 when my body realizes this […]

Day 9 on the Camino

Vila Nova do Cerveira to Tui Spain (9.3 mi) My goodness, it seems so fast and yet it seems so long. Total miles today 12.6. Our day started at 9:00am. We are all very tired. Tomorrow is a free day to relax and recover. It was a quiet, peaceful nature-filled walk. Beautiful. We had a […]

Day 8

A rainy walk. Neither Rick nor myself felt much inclined to take photos. We pretty much put our heads down and walked. We stayed in a very cool apartment.

Wisdom of the Camino

It’s a lot harder than you think. Start slow Different walking surfaces are hard on your feet Research weather trends Distances are merely a suggestion Condition for endurance and changes in terrain are in Portuguese When you think you can’t go another step, count on 2 more miles People are very kind, unless you speak […]

Judgment on the Camino

Day #7 on the Camino was an especially hard day…and I’m not entirely sure why. There was unexpected elevation change. Rain provided nourishment to the earth for most of the day -and it was an easy rain, no down pours. 10.6 miles turned into 14+. So we walked and our bodies struggled (feet mostly) Rick […]