Day 11: A Good Camino Day
Today started out gray, drizzly and very still. I like leaving earlier than many others and seeing the towns at this quiet time. This morning was especially silent. I think many were dealing with preparing for the rain or just hiding inside for one additional coffee before setting off. While it looked quite bad out it really wasn’t. It was wet but not overly so and it was surprisingly warm.
Towards the town square at about 0730.
This was what the streets were like for quite a while when I took off
A majority of the days here I’ve spent alone. I think that’s due to a combination of things. This route isn’t as popular as the French Way (it gets about 31% of the amount of pilgrims), especially in the first few days. Also, I think I’m kind of off pace with many walkers, I tend to eat right when breakfast opens and then immediately take off on my route. This isn’t a complaint and I’ve been comfortable with the solitude. As this morning went on I found myself thinking more and more about my recently passed friend Steven. He was an introvert but also understood the need to connect with people (his words not mine). We would have lunch often and the conversation was always insightful and funny as hell. Fairly regularly, but even more so when I would travel, I would take notes on things I wanted to make sure and tell him about or get his opinion on. I’ve found myself taking notes on my phone for this purpose before realizing I wouldn’t get the chance to hear his opinion. He would have loved a walk like this. The ability to connect with interesting people while still having ample time for solitude and self reflection would’ve been a perfect combination for him. It’s definitely a bitter pill for me to swallow that he will never get the chance.
So my mood was kind of somber when I then bumped into a mother/son duo from Australia that I had chatted with previously. Their positivity and energy brought me back to a good place and I learned a ton about Australian Rules Football, something I’ve actually been interested in since watching a docuseries about the AFL on Prime a few years ago (you should check it out, I don’t remember the name but I’m pretty sure it’s the only AFL docuseries on Prime so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find) and it turns out her father played professionally and her son is playing in school matches now. His passion about his sport and curiosity about the NFL made for an effortless afternoon of walking. Oddly he, like Steven, is a New York Giants fan. I decided not to let him in on the years of torment that await him. Some lessons are best learned over time.
And we saw horses
The rain stopped around the time I arrived at my lodging and the afternoon weather turned GORGEOUS! Mild temps, slight breeze and sunny. I took out a book that Steven gifted me on my birthday, got an iced tea and read on an outdoor patio. I then went to a really fun, and somewhat raucous, dinner with some other people I’ve met the last couple of days. This was a good Camino day. One Steven would have enjoyed. I then took some notes on what I would share with him. It made him feel a little closer and that made me feel a little better.
Hug your friends.
