Turned the corner

 Turned the corner

Emily the horse whisperer 

A couple of days ago we entered the province of Galicia and the beginning of that first morning walk was a stroll through an easy pasture land and creek side!  I mistakenly thought we had turned the corner on the difficult stages on that day.  Boy, was I WRONG!! Wrong with a capital everything. 

But today I can safely say we HAVE turned that corner. We took a short day today - and again tomorrow - and it has been wonderful 

Typical Galician hamlet

Motto from a garbage bin

A few observations about the Camino Primitivo. Remember, these are personal observations and opinions, but they are based on personal knowledge as well. 

• it lives up to its name of being the most difficult of the Camino routes. 
• You can get by with no knowledge of the Spanish language here, but not as easily as the other routes I have walked 
• Duolingo (as a language teacher) really works. I have had many interesting conversations in the past 10 days by simply saying “yo estudio español en Duolingo, y me gusta practicar”. 
• The food in Asturias is great - I mean really great (most nights)
• I’m a bit hesitant about saying this one, but in my opinion the private hostels on the Primitivo are a step above the private hostels in the same price range elsewhere. 
• When we went home from our first Camino in 2014, I confidently stated to almost anyone of almost any age and almost any physical condition “you could do this!”  When I go home from this one I’ll be saying “think twice about the Camino Primitivo.”
• It is truly stunning, but you have to really work to see that stunning. 
• If I were to ever do this route again, I would definitely (remember I’m 69) begin shipping my bags from the very beginning. I ran into issues at the beginning and I’m willing to say that at some point in every day until today, I thought to myself “I’m not sure I can walk another stage”. 
• I have two favourite Albergue’s on the Camino Primitivo. If you are ever going to walk this make sure you do a short first day and stay at Villa Palatina in Paladin - a few kilometres before Grado. The owners and their main man (only man - lol) Crazy Pablo have created an atmosphere that gave our Camino a magical start. 

Villa Palatina

• And also - if you are walking here strongly consider making the “stage” from Cadavo to Lugo a two day walk and spend the afternoon and evening at a Pociña Muniz Hostel. They will treat you and feed you well, and send you off on the final stages well rested. 

The evening meal

The beds in the corner 

Approaching 

We still have several days of Primitivo remaining (115 km - so 5 or 6 days) but having walked in Galicia before I know that things have changed, and the corner has been turned.  There are other challenges ahead. (All of the Camino struggles are not physical)

But for today I can say - we are on a new stage. 

Thanks for following so far. And remember - if you have significant prayer requests, I still have a lot of prayer steps left. I met Itay from Israel last night and as he discussed the prayer walk he called it “. Praying with your feet”. Message me on fb messenger or thurland@gmail.com if you want to be included in those steps. 

Looking back can be good for the soul!

 Look back, not ahead

This is true for most (OK, all) long distance hikes I’ve ever done, and I’m thinking it has some value as a life lesson as well!

I was reminded of it again today as Emily and I finished Day 4 of the 4 hardest days in the middle of the Camino Primitivo. 

In the last 4 days we have:

• Walked 87 mountain kilometres
• Ascended 3779 meters (equivalent of 6.8 CN towers)
• Descended 3590 meters (equivalent of 6.5 CN towers)

She has valiantly carried her backpack every step. I have had mine shipped ahead for the last 4 days. 

She waits for me at the bottom of the hills - today for close to an hour! 

What is the life lesson?

You can learn a lot about yourself by looking back at where you have come.  

Because every day is a struggle (don’t feel sorry for me. It’s a struggle I have chosen.)

But because every day is a struggle, it’s easy to just put your head down and plod on!  Or pick your head up, see what’s coming, give a grunt of despair and then plod on. 

Today during one of the longer ascents I had to stop to catch my breath. I looked back over my shoulder and was amazed at how far we had come. Until this point I had only been plodding and thinking of the struggle of the next hill. 

See the mountains in the distance?
They used to be our mountains!

So here’s the life lesson in a nutshell:

- When you look ahead, you only see the struggles you must face. 

- When you look back you see the victories you have gained!

And bonus lesson: 

- the reminder of past victories often give you strength for future struggles!  

That’s it for tonight. Enough philosophizing for today. 

Tomorrow we are planning a short (15 km) day, with less than 1 CN tower of both up and down. 

Assumptions

 Assumptions. 

Today I made a wrong assumption. Easy to do. I looked at the Camino App I use, noted that the ascents and descents were significantly less than yesterday, looked at the mountains behind us, compared to the rolling hills in front of us and naturally (I think) assumed this would be an easy day.

 (It didn’t help that I misread the app!  Lol)

When I started feeling tired on this “easy day” I quickly did some calculations. Forgive me the details but:

Yesterday on the hard day we had started an ascent at 3100 ft. We dropped quickly to 2200, making it hard. 

On todays “easy day” we had been steadily (but not usually strenuously) climbing, and suddenly found ourselves at 3600 ft.   Not sure how that happened, but suddenly this easy day has some cardio attached to it and the rolling hills were higher than the mountains! 

Anyway after a long day (it was our first 28 km walk) we arrived safely at our hostel in á Fonsagrada where we sleep tonight. 

Tomorrow is one last difficult day. 25 km with 1039 m descent (2 CN towers) and 850 ascent. (1.5 CN)

Entered a new province today

The province of Galicia

I use the pain of the difficult days to remind me of the pain that some of you carry. It helps me to formulate prayers on your behalf, or at least it helps me breathe your name over and over again into the ears of our loving Father. 

The day after tomorrow, when the trail levels out, I hope to still pray effectively, but tonight is a good time to send me a note of you want to be included in tomorrow’s difficult day prayers.  If you wrote me late last night you had some significant steps with your  name attached today! 

Hasta mañana. 

Don’t make assumptions. 

There’s magic in the mundane!

The truth? That was HARD

The truth? That was HARD!

1461 m descent. (That’s 2.64 CN Towers)

1107 m ascent - (2 CN Towers)

When it was all said and done I have to say that was undoubtedly the hardest day of any hike I have ever done.   Down hills, long down hills are hard on calf muscles. They don’t excruciate, but they loudly rebel

But there is good news:

1 - We saw amazing panoramic views of Asturias mountains. 

Walking above the clouds

Emily wondering if she could swim in the clouds

First glimpse of our home for tonight. Unfortunately
it would take us another 5 hrs to walk there

Looking better than I feel. 

After a 2200 ft descent we finally got to the crossing

2 - I got a lot of prayer steps today.  And some of them were for you.  Most definitely those who write me in the middle of my night (early Sunday evening in North America) with those deep needs and heartaches were included by name in many steps today. 

Tomorrow. 

More beauty. 

More prayer for people with aching hearts. 

Today’s “Prayer Steps” are for you?

Emily and i at the Puerta Palo
 The high spot for the day 

Today’s “Prayer Steps” are for you?

The Camino app tells me in seven days we have 

• walked 111.94 km 
• Ascended 3946 m (that’s 7.13 CN towers)
• Descended 3210 m (5.8 CN towers)

The health app in my iPhone tells me in that same 7 days I have taken 187,327 prayer steps. (To be honest it only says “steps” but my Camino motto is “every step a prayer”.)

And some of those prayer steps may have been for you! If not there’s another 500,000 to come, and they could be yours!

But what is a “prayer step”?

Many years ago I was on a 60 km Prayer walk (my first long one). I had collected significant requests from people and took those needs to God as I walked. For the first 25 or so kilometers I tried to pray out loud. (I thought that was the religious thing to do, create fancy ways to describe situations to God because those prayers are sincere and sincere prayer grabs His attention).  But on that day the more I walked the more my feet blistered, and it became more and more difficult it was to formulate words (especially fancy ones) for prayer. 

So on that day, June24, 2013, I “worked a deal” with God.  The deal was simple:  when I was prayer walking, I would consider every step to be a prayer, and I hoped He would receive it as such!  I wouldn’t have to say the need aloud, nor even think it in my head.  

Since that time, I have refined it a bit so that sometimes I simply breathe the name of the person I’m praying for. Step after step, mile after mile - “be with and bless first name, last name, first name, last name, first name, last name, first name, last name. 

(Some of those steps may have already had your name attached. )

And sometimes if the need seems more significant to me, I write little chants and repeat that for Km after Km. 

I have a friend and colleague who is awaiting a double lung transplant in the coming days. This week he got a half day of intermittent chanted prayer:

   Lord be kind 

   To (first name, last name)

   Help him to find 

   If you don’t mind

   His strength and peace in thee

A couple days ago a younger mother, struggling with addictions and recognizing “that’s not what I want from my life” wrote and asked to be added to the list of prayers. She immediately got a half day. 

These are just a couple of examples to show why I “Prayer Walk.” The needs are real. The needs are significant 

If you have any interest in being included, send me a private message. (Facebook or thurland@gmail.com) There’s a lot of steps left this month. Some of them could be for you. 

And what a beautiful place to be doing a Prayer walk. The Camino De Santiago has been a religious pilgrimage for Catholics for centuries.   Here are just a few of the views I was able to enjoy as I walked today. 

A very welcome sign 16 mountain km into a walk

Share the road 

 

Choices? Prayers? Or a combination?

 Choices? Prayers? Or a combination?

What a difference a day makes.  Today I walked in at least 75% more comfort than yesterday.   At the end of a gruelling walk, I had energy to join Emily for a “stroll”.  Today was truly “hermosisimo”

I only made two changes today.  

1. I decided to send my back pack ahead by taxi. 
2. Several of you wrote last night that you were praying for me. Thanks for that. I also prayed for my feet this morning.  I prayed for “enough” (that has been my prayer in most circumstances). Enough to get me to the next town. Enough so that every step wasn’t laced with pain. Enough that I could continue walking this Camino with this precious granddaughter! 

As we were going down the first gentle hill this morning, not yet 100 meters from the hostel, I wasn’t sure I could do it.  My left foot “excruciated” with each step.  (it’s my story, I can make words up if I want to.) The calf muscle also was beginning to rebel because of yesterday’s strange gait. I was definitely in trouble and was “this close” to calling it quits and saying I was defeated by the Primitivo!  

Instead, I joined my prayers with yours and called on God, asking for “enough”.  Today I received a bonus, because I got more than enough. 

Was it the prayers or the choice to walk without back pack?  

Many years ago I had a garden in the backyard. It was a mess. The next year I replanted, and there was an amazing improvement!  Bob Carkner asked me what was the difference. I said “I prayed”.  He looked at me a little sceptically so I added “oh yes, I also put on a couple loads of manure”. 

This I know:

• Prayer and manure grows good gardens 
• Prayer and dropping back packs heal troubled feet and legs 

Today 15 mountainous kilometres. 1200 ft descent in the last 2 km. (In case that doesn’t compute for you, insert the word steep.)

Today 9C to start the day. 23 C and sent to finish it. 

Today, we saw zero other pilgrims on the road.  (But the albergue is full tonight. )

Today, a great taste  of Asturian food. 

Today a day filled with one “wow” after another as we walked through the mountains and valleys. 

Tomorrow - another 12 km hill to climb. An increase of 600 meters. (How do you spell “cardio”?)

But that’s tomorrow. Tonight it’s time for bed. And time to be thankful for todays “more than enough” 

I’m enjoying the struggle

I haven’t checked in for three days - sorry about that. Each night I have started to write something, and fallen asleep while writing. 

I think the best way to describe the last three days is to simply say, “I’m enjoying the struggle”. 

The struggle is real!

The enjoyment is too!

The struggle:

• the hills are plenteous - we are in the mountainous province of Asturias and I’m convinced that no one has ever introduced them to the concept of “plateau”!

• The hills are steep - one day was 12% grade - both up and down, for an hour or more at a time 

• The hills are long - yesterday was an 18 km day that began with a 12 km ascent. 

This video was actually Thursday, Sept 29

• the rain - yesterday was my rainiest day ever in four Caminos. Much of the day was in forest paths, with a lot of mud to wade through. There aren’t as many cafes/resting places on the Primitivo as in other years, and on a day like yesterday you really notice that. 

• The blisters - the word itself is almost enough without any explanation. I won’t be too graphic but just say I have a large blister on my right foot, and THAT is not the problem. My left foot is causing some issues - particularly on the descents. Today even small descents were not easy.   

• On the bright side Emily is doing much better than me. (Much much). Every walker has occasional smaller blisters, and she is no exception. But tonight we have finished 5 full days of wandering strenuously in the mountains, and hers are not an issue. On the descents I actually feel sorry for her that she has to walk so slowly to stay with me. 

The enjoyment:

It is no secret to anyone that I love being on the Camino. This is my fourth time and I have logged nearly 3000 km of Camino walks!

I love the fact that at 69 years old I am able to attempt it. 

I love the interaction with people from all over the world. (We have met people from Holland, Germany, Israel, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, France, United States Canada)

I love being able to carry on small conversations with people in Spanish.  I start many conversations by saying, “Yo estudio español en Duolingo, y me gusta practicar”, and off we go from there!

I love that I love the Camino so much that I can choose to find enjoyment even in the bad days. The young lady from Israel was struggling yesterday, and it bothered her that every time she asked me about my day, I would give a positive answer.  We ate dinner together last night and I was able to explain that it’s not that I love rainy, strenuous hills any more than any one else. I just have chosen to find whatever Joy can be squeezed from those times

This video was actually Thursday, Sept 29

The changes tomorrow brings

Because of the ongoing issue with my left foot, tonight I called Taxi Camino and made arrangements with them to pick up my bag and take it to the next stop.  I will do that now every day until we leave the mountains, and I hope that that, combined with some shorter stages of walking will be enough  to get me through. 

That’s it for this Friday Sept 30!!  Enjoy whatever is left of your day, and remember that “Life doesn’t have to be PREFECT to be beautiful “