Santiago de Compostela

I have been spending my days resting. It is a good occupation. I went to see the ocean. And there I did some writing. I love big bodies of water. It was fairly calm while I was there. They call it the costa del morte. At one point I thought I saw wild horses come down to graze a hillside, then lasted some kind of mountain goat. But the distances are deceiving there. The ocean is so vast that everything becomes far away and creatures on the shore are small and insignificant. Returning to Santiago is like joining a festival. The part of the city in the medieval section is for tourists, principally geared to the concept of pilgrimage though not necessarily welcoming warmly the thousands of pilgrims dropping on their doorstep every week. The big hotel on the square, the Parador, a former pilgrims hospital won't willingly rent a room to anyone with a backpack. They turn away perhaps dozens of weary pilgrims seeking a rest and a place to celebrate their accomplishments every day. Yet the lifeblood of this community is what the pilgrims bring to it. Musicians play in the streets both day and night. Hundreds attend daily mass at the cathedral. Many more tour and search for the history of this monumental endeavor of people willing to give up time from their lives to suffer walking across country to the grave of Saint James. It is a beautiful community that emphasizes the love and sharing of good will despite hardship all around. I, for one, continue to suffer with the pain in my feet even after resting a week. I attribute my pain to the healing process. there is more than one healing going on as well. Not only are my feet struggling to right themselves but my mind as well. One of the remarkable changes that takes place in a pilgrims mind is the inward contemplation inherent in walking. A pilgrimage is a difficult thing to do with other people. Even in a group walking the distances to Santiago that one must do creates a level of mindfulness not common to human society. It is not something easily turned off and yet the exertion is very tiring. More than physical exhaustion the mental state necessary to walk the pilgrims road leaves one empty. It is one reason, perhaps that often those who have reached the end of their road return quickly to their other lives, often feeling a loss of something special, that is the camino-the way. They leave little time to return their minds to the real world and contemplate the lessons of the long distance walker. It is good to decompress your inner self after a journey such as this. All of the body needs time to heal. I'm heading off to the next stage of my journey today. Travel always gives me anxiety. I've learned to take taxis instead of walking now. And I've learned the Spanish transportation system enough to know I want to be one of the first in the bus to get a seat where I won't be trapped for 10 hours uncomfortably stuck on the inside of a row with a reclined seat in front of me. I hope it works and this long ride isn't a nightmare.

Touring the old town

Happy 4th of July America! I went to walk through Leon this morning and stumbled upon a museum exhibit of Alexander the Great. It was very interesting. They had a collection of ancient Mesopotamian artifacts through the early Christian era. Most impressive were the Torah scrolls in Hebrew. They were very old. I have heard of these scrolls before but have never seen one up close. Even more exciting were three Bible pages from the book of Exodus written in Hebrew from the first century. They were so delicate the case they were displayed in was partially covered with heavy fabric to cut out any light that might be reflected from other exhibits. I wished I could take photographs but it wasn't allowed. Toured the cathdral as well. The audio guide was very well done at this cathedral. The one in Burgos was so overwhelming it became tough to listen to. The Burgos cathedral was more dramatically beautiful but the narrative here and the historical development of this cathedral is more impressive. It is a huge church built at a time when this town only boasted a population of 5000 inhabitants. And, it was constructed in about 50 years. It was very much worth the cost to see. Later I went shopping for some new clothes. Pilgrim garb is not remotely appropriate for a tourist that I have become. I feel so much better now that I have decent clothes. I won't have to try to keep my pants from falling down anymore! No safety pins (Molly)!

A new turn in the road

Happy independence day! I am resting in Leon as I write today. Two days ago in Mansilla de las Mullas I went to see a doctor. While it was difficult to explain all my pains to him since he spoke little English an me little Spanish, he found I have a fractured metatarsal in my right foot. Well this has been a problem then since before Santo Domingo de la Calzada and I've been walking on it for over100km. I have extensive plantar fascia pain in both feet. Of course I made the effort, against doctors orders, to walk into Leon. It was only another 20 km after all. Well my feet hurt even worse yesterday so I've decided to end my walking here in Leon. I will go on to Santiago tomorrow by bus or train then visit Finisterre before returning to the states. I'm not as disappointed as I should be perhaps. I have walked almost 700 miles after all. And at some point the walking and the pilgrimage becomes rather redundant. I feel as though I have accomplished what I set out to do.