Change of Plans

Last night was similar to most of the nights I've had here in Europe thus far.  I got to bed and I fall asleep fairly quickly.  Then I wake up 2 or three hours later and I have trouble going back to sleep.  I'm not sure I understand why this continues.  I hope over the next few days that this stops.  I seem to function well enough during the day - but I'm sure it will catch up to me.  I dozed off here and there so I probably got about 4 or 5 hours sleep in total.

The sun was shining as I opened the roll shutter on our room.  The sky was blue and there were only whisks of clouds on the horizon.  Today looks like a great day to be on the Camino.  We got dressed and Jim tested out his knee.  He could still feel it but figured he could give it a go and see what might happen.  This next leg had a number of villages along the way, so in the event he didn't think he could continue, we could find a place to rest another day.  Brenda noticed that her foot was sore and she had not felt it the night before.  I felt ok, with the usual sore Ness in my legs and a little in my left ankle - but nothing that seemed like it would stop me from walking today.

Brenda and Jim left the room and went downstairs for breakfast with all their gear.  I got my last minute stuff put back together and left my travel case (empty of course) in the hotel.  It is an odd shape to be stuck in my round/oval backpack as it's rectangle and ridgid.  It's a hard thing to do - but I just have to do it.  All the toiletries went into a 5 L stuff sack that was freed up earlier in the trip.  Now things and be moved around and because the stuff sacks are plyable, I can make them fit in the various spaces in the bag.  I also needed to make sure that my fitbit was charged as it had reported being low on battery this morning.  Since I now have the chance to actually be ahead of my kids in steps for the day/week - I'm going to take full advantage!

After throwing the last bit together, I draped a shirt I had washed (along with a few pairs of socks) the night before which had not completely dried, on the top of my pack, underneath the removable top sack.  This way it could dry in the sun while I walked.  I did one more look around the room to make sure we had not forgotten anything and then left. The elevator is only big enough for about 3 adults, so when it came, me and my pack basically filled to whole thing up!  The ground floor had a small coffee shop like place open and Brenda and Jim had just finished their breakfast.  They were getting ready to leave and noted to me that; "You are going to catch up to us in no time, so we'll get a head start now".

I ordered breakfast - which I am quickly finding out here in Spain consists almost every time of Toast, butter and some kind of jam or marmalade.  The toast is always pretty hard, so you are lucky if it comes out to you warm so that you can put some butter on it to soften it up.  I ate my two pieces of toasted bread and used as much jam as I could.  I knew we would plan to stop mid-morning for a snack and a short rest if the day was like the others so far.  I also drank my wine glass of orange juice and went up to the counter to settle up.  3 Eoro.  I am starting to miss those little frozen egg, cheese, ham and English muffin things we have in our freezer at home.

I returned the card to the front desk and then mounted my pack on my back and headed down the street, looking for the familiar yellow arrows painted to help you find the way.  I'll have to take a few pictures of the different kinds of way marks that they have out there and post them in another blog. The air was crisp, as it always seems to be in the print mornings, but the promise of sunshine and blue sky foretells that the day will get warm.  Layering is important so that you can add or remove layers as the temperature changes.  Our first day (when there was a lot of rain) I must have adjusted things at least 5 or 6 times.  First, grabbing my raincoat and throwing it on before the rain got came down too hard; then 40 minutes later pulling it off and reasoning it in an exposed pocket on the back of my pack which is specific for damp items like my coat.  Then another 50 minutes later I'm undoing my top shirt buttons and rolling up my sleeves because the sun has now come out and I'm starting to get too warm.  Then another rain club comes by and you start the whole process over again.

As I made my way down the narrow cobblestone streets, an lady offered me the customary "Buen Camino" getting when they can see that you are a pilgrim.  It's next to be recognized that way.  My usual reply is "Gracias. Buenos Dias" (which means Thank-you, Have a Good Day).  I rounded the corner of where we went to the Gaudi designed Church in the city, and there at one of the benches was Jim and Brenda.  Jim was sitting with his pack off and Brenda was standing near by.  As I approached, I felt that sick feeling in my stomach that you get when you know something is coming and you just don't want it to be true.

"I just can't do it today", said Jim with his hand rubbing his right knee.  This was, of course, the same knee that was hurting him last night, and which he iced after we got home from dinner.

"I think we are going to stay here one more day and rest." Jim noted quietly.

Then there was that awkward silence; that silence you get when both of you are thinking the same thing and neither of you wants to say it.  Brenda finally broke the silence,

"There will be no hard feelings if you want to go on your own."

I knew in my heart that this day might come, but I didn't expect it this soon.  Maybe my presence with Brenda and Jim is pushing them harder than they should go.  This is in no way a slight to them - they of course are Camino veterans and I'm just a rookie.  Anything can happen out here.  You can get sick, stub your toe, trip and fall or any other number of issues.  But pushing too hard, harder than your body can take can lead to disastrous effects.  On Spanish gentleman that I walked with far a while a day or two ago kept telling me "Poco. Poco", which means slowly, slowly.  The Camino is not a race, it's an experience.  You shouldn't be rushing through it and not noting the life lessons that you can pick up along the way.  However, for me there is a slight sense of urgency given that I have a couple of hard dates I need to hit.  May 13, is my scheduled train from Santiago to Barcelona; and May 15 is my scheduled flight from Barcelona to Edmonton (Through TO and Calgary).  These are very firm dates for me.  And although I have built into my schedule two flex days, I was not expecting to use one this early in the trip.

So now what?  Do I go out on my own only after two days on the trail, of do I stay in Astorga with Brenda an Jim another day?  My mind raced.  I really don't like this.  I don't like this at all!  I was silent for quite a while.  We looked at the guide book again and if you followed the stages as it presented them, we would be done in 12 days.  My schedule had 14 days with two to spare as flex days (so 16 in total, if required).  It's such a nice day.  I'm already dressed in my dirty clothes and my camelback is full of water (remind me to thank you again for that thing honey when I get home, it's perfect for this trip), my boots are tied and ready to go.  AHHHHHH.  I am struggling to decide.  Finally Jim breaks the silence,

"You can always go a little further in the later stages of the walk should you need to."

He's right.  I can always speed up and go a little farther in the end.  Jim and Brenda and I are going to go our separate ways after Santiago anway.  I just can't see myself going ahead already.  So, I decide to stay with them today in Astorga and rest.  We find another hotel, this one with a spa and split a room between the three of us.  This is by far the nice one we've been in so far.  When the spa opens (I have no idea what it has), my guess is that we will hit the hotub or something to ease some of the aches.

It's hard to look outside and see the stunning perfect weather for walking and not be out on the Camino.  I know that the time will come for me to just go ahead of Brenda and Jim, but I don't hint the time is now.  I'll have to take another hard look at the schedule I made up and see what my options are for later on in the trip.  I've already run across a number of people that are out there on their own.  The Camino, as noted in the guide book(s), is a personal experience.  Being on the path alone gives you time to think, reflect and seek God.  When the time is right, it will happen.  It's a matter of when, not if.

I would appreciate your prayers on this.

Buen Camino

Curt