Monday, June 11, 2007

25th day, and the first blisters!

I thought that, as I hadn't had blisters all this time, I was just lucky and could basically throw away my compeeds!
Wasn't I inspired to keep some...
I got my first two blisters yesterday, both together at the heel of the right foot, quite small but pretty deep and painful... And somehow my first reaction was to think "first blisters, woohoo!". Make a wish kinda state of mind...
Weird, huh!
Anyway. Yesterday I passed through León. I can't really use other words, as I literally arrived there around 10:30am, and left again around 12:15pm.
I loved it though, don't get me wrong!
As I arrived, and discovered the old part of the city, I got near the cathedral and saw a procession that was just leaving the cathedral. Little girls in white throwing flower petals, many men carrying heavy statues of the Virgin or other saints, and lots of golden religious objects that I only saw in museums or Spanish cathedrals so far and don't even have proper words to describe...
I managed to then get into the cathedral that was still full of the smell of incense, and was absolutely blown away by its power and beauty. Somehow the feeling there was much stronger for me than in the cathedral in Burgos.
Then I visited the other couple of things that one can't miss in León, and tried to find something to eat, but there was the problem: it was Sunday, before 12pm, and nothing was open. The few bars that were open would, if really pushed, serve croissants but that was about it.
With my breakfast far behind me and the 3 hours walk, I was starving...
I managed to find a nice cafeteria that made a sandwich with tortilla de patatas for me, which was the nicest thing I had ever eaten, considering the state of hunger and almost desperation I was in, and a coffee.
I then confirmed with the barman that nothing would open that day, and thought OK, I might as well go further so I don't have to get out of León in the early morning (I have noticed that it kinda depresses me to have to go through the not so nice part of a town first thing in the morning, before 7am).
So I did, and managed to get to Virgén del Camino by 2pm.
Today I did only 14km, because the only place to stop next was 12km further and my blistered feet absolutely disagreed when I tried to push further...
But I think it makes sense to let my feet and my body dictate how much I walk each day, rather than my eager head who is already planning ahead which day I might enter in Santiago...
And, by the way, I am starting to seriously consider going until Finisterra, which means not stopping in Santiago, but continuing about 90 km until the "end of the earth", i.e. the sea. I was told many times it was really worth it...
We'll see what my feet say when I get there...

3 comments:

marble said...

Hey Armelle! I LOVE tortilla de potatas. . . . learned about it from some friends of mine that used to live in Zaragoza - now in Madrid. BUT. . . . I think they might be on the St. James Way working at a pilgrims house for a couple of weeks somewhere along the route just now! I've emailed them and given them your blog address - and hope they have email access. . . . They do this every summer - helping to feed and shelter whatever pilgrims show up any given day. Here's hoping you spend a restful night there - Twinky is a great cook (not to mention a great friend of mine) and her husband Rick is simply stellar. . . .

Keep the faith, girlfriend!

xoxoxoS

Jane Marla VerDow said...

Armelle,

Your feet will lead the way...
and when to rest, as need be.
Your head will tell you where and when...
and create images of what you will see.
Ah, but your Soul will tell you how far to travel...
and your heart will win in the end.

Journey on, pilgrim to a place or to the end of the earth, the sea.

Trust, you will know...

Jane VerDow

Unknown said...

Hi Susan!
Just wondering where your friends are hospitaleros... Would love to pass there!!

And Jane, thanks for this beautiful piece of your poetic soul, and encouragement.

It is sometimes tough to follow my heart or soul, but I realised today that my feet speak loud enough for both of them...