 |
| This beautiful monastery is located in Sobrado des Monxes and is an Albergue for Peregrinos operated by nuns. |
Day 35 takes me from A Roxica to Boimorto. The stage is 27 km (17 mi) and begins with a relatively flat 15 km (9.3 mi) until Sobrado des Monxesm, where the trail starts to climb about 200 m (656 ft).
I slept great, and I tell everyone in the room that I would gladly sleep with this bunch again. Petra looks at Sergio and me and says, "You guys didn't snore, but one of you was moaning last night." She mimics the soft moaning sounds. I laugh and give Sergio a high five. I tell Sergio, it doesn't matter who it was. The fact that one of us had a great night is good enough for me. Then the three of us laugh. Breakfast is included this morning, and Phillipe asks me again where I am going. I say, Boimorto. I'm skipping the monastery. Walking 15 km (9.3 mi) just isn't enough for me today. It is just as bad as doing 30+ km, in my opinion. "Great, we'll see you there," says Phillipe as I gather my things. Oh, and I'll be in Santiago on Sunday. I tell Phillipe my heart and body are feeling it today as I head out the door around 8 am. "Ok," he says.
We sit at a cafe and eat. I have the tortilla de patatas and chocolaté (hot chocolate). Soon, other Peregrinos we know join our table. From the left, Nieves (Madrid), Sergio (Madrid), Luca (Swiss), and Luanna (Swiss). I gather my things, hug Sergio, wish the others a Buen Camino, and head out of town. I still have another 10 km (6.2 mi) to cover this afternoon.
A while later, I pass another extraordinary crypt. I really love this way of burying people.
It is humid and foggy this morning. Fortunately, this makes the morning warmer than when the sky is clear.
I head out alone this morning, but I see Sergio behind me when I stop to check the route. I wait for him. I enjoyed his company yesterday afternoon and wouldn't mind walking a few more kilometers with him. We start walking together around 830 am. At 1030 am, the sun is still trying to poke through the thick, suffocating clouds.
Sergio and I have great conversations this morning. We discuss many things, struggles, pasts, the importance of love, compassion, and how we arrived to find the Camino. I tell him I got divorced in 2020 and frequently tell people that the pandemic was not difficult enough that I needed to add in a divorce. He laughs. I continue. My ex and I worked at things for a long time before then. There were some parallels to my relationship with my father. She felt threatened when I tried to change that dynamic to make things better for us. She, we, could not navigate through it, even with help. She was really good at listening to the stories that her Mind created and got trapped. We eventually got to a place where it only made sense for us to part ways.
"So your Camino started like two years ago. When you started making changes," says Sergio. I tap my fist on my heart and say, what you say resonates with me. That is why I tell people the Camino is like dessert for me. I put many things in order before coming here.
"I'm going to stop in Sobrado today. Angeles cannot walk very well, and she needs a short day," says Sergio. I am surprised she was able to walk nearly 60 km (37 mi) over the last two days. "She is very stubborn. You have to listen to your body," says Sergio. We talk about how The Mind has little control over what the body can do. "I've had long days where my body feels great, and I think, how am I doing this," Sergio says. Yes, I don't believe in Mind over matter. I believe that the Heart and Body don't need The Mind. When things work well, your Mind is clear, then the body does things automatically. It can do amazing things, I say. "Yes, Angeles is the opposite. She believes she can force the body to succumb to the will of The Mind," as he shakes his head. We both know that Angeles is making this Camino more difficult on herself by taking this approach. However, we also agree that this is the experience she wants to have, so we will support her. The morning is flying by. At 1045 am, we are on the outskirts of Sobrado and pass a rare site. I have seen very few lakes on the Camino, and certainly none as big as this one.
When I was in Ireland hiking, lakes like these were a common site, I tell Sergio. We talk about how strenuous hiking was in Ireland. One of the most challenging terrains I have navigated with a rucksack, but it was so rewarding.
A little past 11 am, Sergio and I can see the monastery, a beautiful building. As we make a steep descent, I start zig-zagging my way down the hill. I can see Sergio struggling ahead of me. As he nears the bottom, he looks back and says, "That's genius!" I laugh. You didn't know that trick? You can also use it going up hills too. It will make it much better for you. "Why didn't anyone fucking tell me?" he says. I laugh. Two minutes later, we arrive at the monastery.
Shortly after leaving Sobrado, I encounter a road grader. Suddenly, there are no more signs of the Peregrinos that have walked the trail before me. It is as if I am the first person to ever walk the Camino. I am leaving fresh footprints in the newly graded soft gravel. In some ways, I am physically disconnected from the Peregrinos that came before me, as there is no sign of them. Yet, in other ways, I have never felt more connected with the hundreds of thousands walking before me. I can feel their presence.
It's a beautiful day, and the Galician countryside amazes me with its beauty.
I check into the Albergue and only a few Peregrinos here. One is ill and sleeping in a private room. A while later, Phillipe and Françoise arrive, then Petra, and eventually José (Ecuador). José and I are the only two in our wing. Woot! I'm bound to get some sleep as José doesn't look like a snorer.
After getting cleaned up, I am surprised to find Céline sitting in the courtyard. She tells me that she is the one that is ill and was sleeping. She had to stop here after seeing a doctor. Her right shin became inflamed, and she couldn't walk any further, so she let the others she was walking with go and decided to rest in this Albergue. She was pleased when she saw my bag waiting for me at the front desk. We take time to get caught up. Lap and Ivo are now two days ahead and will finish today. Cami and Timo are one day ahead of me.
I can tell that emotionally, Céline has been through a lot since we parted ways. I find it interesting that her body chooses this moment to hurt. We often suffer injuries when carrying an enormous emotional burden. She tells me she finally learned to rely on friends, has been crying a lot, and has worked on things since I last saw her. Céline needed female companionship and has made several new friends that have helped her. I nod, smile, and tell her I got tired of people asking me where Céline was. So when people asked, I told them Céline didn't want to walk with me anymore. We laugh. It's good to see her again.
Later, I find Petra fixing tea and José cutting up a mango. "Why don't you just eat the mango like a peach?" says Petra. "Because I don't want the fiber to get stuck in my teeth," says José. "Well, your mango is not ripe and comes from a region that is not native. When I had mango, it was like butter," she says. "All the mangos I've ever eaten are like this, and they grow in Ecuador," replies José. The two continue back and forth for a bit. Both are right, and both are wrong. There are two types of mangos, Petra has not experienced mangos from Central America, and José has not experienced mangos from Asia. Watching this exchange reminds me of how often I have failed to see that someone else's experience was just as valid as mine. Nowadays, I try to get curious and learn more about their experience. We are not trained to understand that there could be two rights. The dualistic Mind only believes in right and wrong. Two rights cannot exist within The Mind.
A bit later, I try again with Petra and ask her about the Czech Republic. I see her face light up. She is proud of her home country and thrilled to be talking about it. If I wasn't going to Prague, where should I visit? I have habitually asked people in other countries where I should travel outside popular big cities. "You should really visit Prague. It is so beautiful and old," she says. "You also should visit the West Bohemian Spa Triangle. It is so beautiful. I love spas and soaking in hot springs," she says. After learning a bit more about the region, I tell her, thank you. You have inspired me for future travels to the Czech Republic and given me an idea for after the Camino.
When I was in southern France, I considered going to Andora, the smallest European country. It is between France and Spain and is famous for its hot springs. It also has world-class spas. So, I spend a little time on the computer researching before bed. I can spend 4-5 days there, and the rooms are reasonable. I am excited about the possibility of doing nothing while I am there except BEING.
Comments
Post a Comment