Buen Camino no more! (Bear with me on this lengthy post). I cant believe the walking has come to an end. I wont know what to do with myself over the next few days. No route planning, no frantic morning rucksack packing, no pilgrim camaraderie! What I do have now, is time to reflect on whats been an amazing experience. There have been many highlights, some of which I tried to do justice to in my occasional updates, but of course it hasnt all been plain sailing. I recall one particular low point about two and a half weeks in, when I was really struggling from an ill-judged change of footwear. The resultant blisters were verging on the unbearable, and I was seriously wondering whether Id be able to finish what Id started or not. I hobbled into a cafe and ordered a coffee and sat there despondently for over two hours, watching the other pilgrims come and go as the coffee went cold in front of me. The endless parade that passed in front of me included pilgrims in a much worse state than me, some with physical disabilities. Also waddling by were ancient local women bent double under the weight of the pile of sticks or whatever it was they were carrying from and to God knows where. All of them were stoically - and for the most part cheerfully - going about the onerous task in front of them. I watched impassively. However, it wasnt until a track by Aberdeens very own Annie Lennox came on in the café that the blindingly obvious hit me. While the song had no relevance to the Camino or my specific situation, it did include the line ....so many mouths to feed, but I have everything I need, Im breathing....., and thats when I realised that, compared with what others had to deal with, a few minor blisters were pretty small beer in the grand scheme of things - especially when I had the means and the ability to do something about it. It was then that I resolved to pull myself together, and I hatched a plan to somehow hobble to León (still two days away) and address the blister/footwear issue. I set off with renewed vigour, and even may (or may not) have been singing the chorus at the top of my voice as I headed off - that is strictly between me and whoever was unfortunate enough to have (or have not) witnessed it. I of course subsequently made it to Santiago, and then some! As I steel myself for a radical change of pace as I explore the beautiful cities of Porto and Lisbon over the next week or so, Id like to thank Annie Lennox for getting me back on my feet at my lowest ebb on the Camino. However, the main point of his long ramble is that Id like to dedicate the reviving song to all the new Facebook friends (tagged in this post) I picked up along the way, and the countless others that I walked, talked, wined & dined with - all of whom (whether they realise it or not) played their part in getting me to the cathedral in Santiago. Id also like to wish all of them, and anyone else still reading, the very best of luck with all future caminos that life throws at you, whatever form they take. Gus x
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 22:28:14 +0000
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