Najera

Today I was strong.

Later today when I was tired, but holaing and buenas diasing the entire countryside, a local gave me two figs (off his neighbor's tree I think) and walked with me for a bit until we got to his street and then said adios.

I now understand why people do the camino over and over again.

And then there is tapas e cafe con leche!

(From my Treo)

200 km, about 120 miles

Navarette. Was given my first fresh fig ever! Newtons move over! Special people of the day...Baltazar and Stephen. Tomorrow Najéra.

(From my Treo)

Again

Another "camino'. I was walking down a side street, not the right one, but knowing that I was heading in the right direction. There is Harold.

In church praying this afternoon, and priest comes over and greets me. Pats both shhoulders and blesses me.
I should have raised my feet perhaps?

(From my Treo)

Lorgorño

In a church again! Navarette tomorrow I think.

(From my Treo)

Dominique

I met Dominique today. He is from Provence, France. Today was a lot of uphill walking and I was going very slow. He walked with me much of the day and introduced me to olive trees (and how olives are processed) and grapes! His son works in the wine business in California and his daughter is in Pennsylvania (if I remember correctly).

Later on The Camino I met up with him again....over a display of raspberries and again the morning we were nearing Santiago. We walked into Santiago together. Later, again, we ran into each other at the fountain. We had some wonderful conversations. I enjoyed walking with him very much!

Viana

Viana was having a fiesta for Mary yesterday. I stayed at the church on the hardwood floor. No room at the alburque. Awesome. Helped fix dinner for 12. One of the bars gave me one of the "local" red scarves. I was too late for the bullfight. I did get to see the bulls run through the village street from the balcony of the church.

New day, new blister. We all have noticed what hurts today won't tomorrow, but something will. At least today I could use both feet normally and not walk like an ape. I still don't have speed because of today's blister, but that's OK to.

I found Joop finally. Walked past a bar and saw him. I went up behind him "what's a girl gotta do to get a drink around here?" He and I both burst into tears. He'd been leaving me notes at the side of the road under rocks. Had missed him by 10 minutes and probably 20 meters in Los Arcos the day before.

The footprint pins have become the craze of the Camino! People see the pins and meet and pass messages back and forth about and to me. "You know Theresa"?. I heard Teri for the first time in days last night. The hospitalario of the refuge gave me a place to sleep when the spaces were all gone. He said "Teri" was used by close friends and family. For him to use it said a lot.

I will need to leave before I can finish. I can't hopscotch.....too much to experience every place, every day. Will pick a stopping point, come home and come back again.

My view of life and the world and myself is forever changed. Every hurt and doubt and fear has been neutralized. I know who and what is important. The rest is finito. And when I lose sight of that again, you'll find me back on the camino....where there is always a place to sleep and someone who knows EXACTLY why you're crying.

(From my Treo)

Los Arcos

The the two can you say "hamburger" blisters that I have about made me give up today. I walked 9-11 km today, bought nuavo botas, taxied here and met up with almost everyone. That andd Louise called, IMed with Wendy. Will press on manana.

Still searching for Joop tonight.

This is still all so still surreal. Speaking more Espanol than English.

The footprint pins have become a cult!. People are greeting each other because they have seen the pins and know ME! Dwight, what a facinating phenomena you have started! Mucho gracias me amigo!

(From my Treo)

Lorca

I´m in Lorca tonight. I am not making the speed I had hoped to, but I don´t care. I will bus some distance if I need to. I need to catch up with my friends at some point so they don´t worry and I hit my end date.

The alburgue last night only allowed seven total. Tonight my room has four. The 120 has been interesting. I´m listening to opera Pavarotti as I type as Jose is an Opera fan. He was tending to the alburgue for his father Jose, Sr. (During the trip Pavarotti passed away.)

Tonight I´m helping cook dinner. Nothing is a problem, every thing just works out. I mean, heck, I´m helping cook in Spain! Jose sent me limping up to the "store"...the last house on the left up the hill. I knew what I had to buy, but didn't know exactly how to ask for it....but I did. The alburgue wasn't certified or whatever to serve food, but Pilgrims were allowed to cook. Hence our plan. And at one point I asked Jose if he had the same meal served EVERYNIGHT and he said, yes. (The crowd turned over every day, who would know?) And as you can see below, the outcome of the cooking left them smiling. Or maybe that was the wine...whatever!

Oh and every village is on a hill...that being able to see your enemy coming thing.

Here are the coolest things I´m encountering: I´m totally FREE! Chocolate is energy! The food is fabulous! The world is kind and wonderful-I have witnessed it every hour of every day. Blackberries off the vine are divine! God is ever present...with the people, the alberques, the signs, rocks made into arrows, the food, the wine, the new friends.

This is the geatest thing I´ve ever experienced. I will NEVER be the same.

Obanos

Obanos, after seeing it for myself, is the final destination of two people in my lineage. While the story is said, the outcome is the sainthood of St. Felicia and San Guillén. Did I mention saints in my lineage?

I particularly loved the archway leading out of the town. Notice the color of the sky. So very beautiful.

You can read about the Mystery of Obanos here: http://www.misteriodeobanos.org/presing.html

Eunate

I had original heard this was the church built by St. Felicia- from my family line. I'm staying at the refigio here. Gourmet dinner cooked by he caretaker and a private candelight prayer service including a reading that I did about...foosteps, followed by Ave Maria - more signifigance. I was asked to say grace at dinner. This place was too moving for words. The Mother and Child at this church is very unique to me, but much like others in the area (almost Egyptian-like) in their representation.

Update....So the church of St. Felicia is actually in Obanos....but...here Jean....made a gourmet dinner, so wonderful. The prayer service was by candlelight. We each read a portion of the service in our own language. My portion was the prayer about footprints ... a favorite of mine and especially important because of the footprint pins that Dwight sent me to give out on the Camino.

Ave Maria was sung at my mother´s funeral and at Robert's. It means the world to me.

Desert was a custard with a little kiwi slice and the ever familiar (and much needed) yellow arrow. With our breakfast setting, Jean had a little polished rock with "Eunate" scripted on one side, the famous yellow arrow on the other. The detail to which he went to was amazing. The arrow pointed the direction of the Camino based on where the place setting was located in relationship to the trail.

I passed six nuns on the side road to get there (2 km out of the way). The first three tried to talk to me in Spanish. We did not do well, however they wished me buen camino. The 2nd set of two were patient and we got a lot shared. They told me there were several chicas at the church refuge. They looked at my necklace.....St. James, my Paris angel and my Miraculous Medal and then began hugging and kissing me and wishing me well. The 6th nun saw me crying (overwhelmed at the love of the two previous) asked me about my condition and also, wished me well. I love nuns, always have. Mother Anne´s warm hands are universal and very comforting to me. Then I get to Eunate and Jean is French. I lost my French over El Perdon. Spanish is all I speak now. Rudamentary, but it is what it is. This is a picture of Jean and me in front of the church.

Wikipedia sobre Eunate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint_Mary_of_Eunate

I am very happy to NOT see El Perdon´s windmills any more. I thought I´d never lose that damn mountain range.