Going With The Flow

There is no right or wrong way to walk the Camino - although many will be more than happy to tell you why you should or should not have done what you decided was best for you.  As in all things - there are always the critics. As we were preparing ourselves - one thing we promised both our sons - was that we would listen to our bodies and not push ourselves so hard that we would get into serious trouble.  That was an easy promise as we do not like the idea of any issue that could cause us concern.

This morning we tried to do the early pilgrim routine - wake up early - use your headlamp so you don't wake others still sleeping - try to be quiet while you re-pack your stuff - and leave undetected. It almost worked - but we learned a few things - this is not a race so why are we up so early - trying to see things in the dark with your red light is not fun - trying to be quiet translates into taking more time to complete the task at hand. All in all - a 6:30 wakeup still meant a 7:45 departure. We will not do that again.  

Our night at La Bodgen del Camino albergue was very pleasant. It was not our first choice but that first albergue only had 12 beds and had filled up by the time we got there. La Bodgen has about 40 beds - cost a bit more - but very nice and clean. The ladies were very helpful - showing Arlene the different rooms so she could be comfortable in mixed sleeping arrangements. As it was - only 3 of us shared a room designed for 10 and none of us had to take an upper bunk.

          

Our morning started out on a flat section but then turned into more hills.  Somehow the movie "The Way" never showed any of these hilly sections. The Camino is definitely not flat and when the guide book says you get to walk on natural path ways versus city sidewalks - they forgot to mention that a lot of the paths are uneven and lined with large stones. So walking slowly so you don't twist an ankle is important.  Needless to say - walking with a foot trying to produce a blister does not make for an enjoyable walk. After another hilly section - did we mention how slow you have to walk down hill - we hit another flat stretch that took us through a tunnel.

          

Not the light at the end of the tunnel - but it is flat. Following other pilgrims we made our way into Villatuerta Puente. Going through this village we found a place with a toilet and food. Here we had our second breakfast then moved on.

          

This next section was a  mixture of hills and flat stretches. We finally arrived at Estella. By this time Dale' foot was really starting to hurt so we took a break along the river and looked at our options. We did not want to stop for the day since it was only about noon so we looked at the guide book and decided we needed to go further without hurting Dale's foot - so we made the decision to hop a bus and head to Logorno. This is about 2 days of walking so we will spend tonight here - take a full day to rest the foot tomorrow - then get back on the trail. We are praying that staying off the foot for a full day will be the best answer.  We have plenty of time so that is not a concern. Time for sleep and foot rest. Goodnight and - guys - we are keeping our promise to you to walk smart.

Buen Camino

Dale and Arlene