Let me give 21 random observations that are worthless information.
1. There are a lot of cats here.
2. There are too many cats here! (Smile)
3. Dogs are very respectful of pilgrims — they don’t bite us nor bark at us.
4. It no longer bothers me to sleep in a room with 18 men and/or women.
My room — my family tonight includes people from Australia, Colorado, Spain, Denmark, and Jerusalem.
5. It doesn’t bother me to share two toilets and two showers with those same roomies (that is, to share them when I am not using them!😆)
6. My home has more bathrooms for my family than the hostel has for 18 people.
7. I’m considering going home and disabling every bathroom in my house except for one. If 18 people can share 2 toilets and 2 showers, 4 people can share one!
8. Loud snoring is still a distraction to me, but I no longer stay awake all night trying to identify the different types of snorers in the room.
9. I’m good with wearing the same pants I wore yesterday, that I also wore the day before, that I wore the day before that!
10. I lose no sleep over wearing mismatched clothes.
11. One pair of shoes is plenty. (Unless they blow out!)
12. I don’t hold a grudge against anybody who becomes jealous of my hat.
13. I really like café con leche!
14. This is not as easy as it looks!
15. It’s funny how most conversations here end up on the topic of blisters.
16. My clothes are so wrinkled that sometimes I look like an unmade bed. That doesn’t bother me!
17. I am craving chips and salsa!
18. If you want to save money, doing laundry by hand and hanging it on a line to dry is an option.
19. I am getting better about recognizing which is the ladies’ restroom!
20. I miss my church family.
21. I really, really, really miss my family.
Early-morning departure from my hostel
Last evening, when I researched the trail for today, it said, “This is one of the toughest stages of the entire Camino.” And it was! It didn’t help that nine out of the last ten stages have been between 15-17 miles — my body feels a bit weary from all the miles. But despite the difficulty of the stage today, I think I can say that it was also by far my favorite stage!
The beauty left me without adequate words to describe it. The first 2/3 of the camino today followed a picturesque river that wound through a canyon between mountains that towered above me. The sound of the river made me just want to lie down on its banks and not move! The mountains on all sides were like strutting peacocks; they were proud to show off their beauty! The scenery reminded me of the drive west of Denver that takes you between the mountains — it helps you to realize how small you are in comparison to the big world God created!
After a long climb, my village is finally in sight!
But then the last 1/3 of today’s stage of the Camino took me up a very steep trail that wound itself up those beautiful mountains. I see why it is described as one of the toughest stages on the Camino! My hostel currently is almost in the clouds at 4,000 feet above sea level.
Hostel nearly in the clouds
Even though this 17-mile day depleted me, it was an incredible day. I spent much time continuing to tone my soul. We talk about asking God to show us anything in our lives that would displease Him, but I have been trying to go beyond that. I have been asking Him not only to show me, but then to cleanse and purify those areas.
This is the tough climb today. Still more to go tomorrow.
Barring injury or other issues, I have 7 more stages that should see me completing the Camino and hopefully taking me safely into the city of Santiago de Compostela. Then if I venture to Finisterre (the “end of the earth”), I am anticipating 4 additional stages to arrive at that very significant city!
So, let’s all keep working on toning our souls — I want us to end this journey spiritually fit! Thanks for walking with me today!
Buen Camino!
Approximate total miles: 560
Approximate miles walked today: 17
Approximate miles remaining: 172