This is quite possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Walking the Camino is like running a marathon each day. Sure, less mileage than a marathon (each day) but remember you are carrying a backpack, which seems to get heavier with every step.
I’ve had open heart surgery. The recovery for that is painful. More than I thought it would be. But you heal and get stronger. I’ve given birth. That was easy in comparison. I'm not complaining. I promised I wouldn’t complain too much about the sore legs and feet. In all actuality, I’m very happy to be doing this. During my trek today, I reminded myself of what my cross country coach used to say to me – “Just a walk in the park.” Of course, he was referring to running, but the saying applies to this adventure as well. It is just a walk in the park, so-to-speak. I’ve traveled through farm country where you see fields of corn and potatoes and breathe in the fresh country smell of cows grazing in the field. I’ve walked through cities, but the best part is leaving the city in the early morning before it has woken up. It’s peaceful. Today’s journey was through vineyards. I so wanted to pick some grapes since it is almost harvest time. Spain is a lovely country with a rich history that shines through as you are walking in and out of cities and villages. You see evidence of the Roman Empire along with buildings built centuries before, some of which look like if you lean on them, they’ll fall down. I walked past a rather worn down building in a small town outside of Ponferrada that was for sale. It looked like no one has lived there in a 100 years and was in need of some serious tuck pointing and glass windows since all it had were wooden shutters. Talk about a fixer upper. I tend to notice weird things along the way. For instance, I’ve seen a cat every day. Maybe my own 2 cats let their Spanish family members know that I’m on the trail. Thanks, Sylvester and Dexter! Tomorrow, I will wake up. Eat breakfast. Walk. Shower. Sleep. Buen Camino!
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About Marcy I wear many hats. First, I'm a wife to an amazing husband, Joe. Second, I'm a mom to 2 incredible kids, Caitlynn and Miles. Professionally speaking, I am a chef, dietitian, and writer working as an instructor in Hospitality Management at Montana State University in Bozeman. Photos: See InstagramMarcy's other Site |