Reflection After 21 Days

21 days on the Camino. I know I've said this before, but each journey is different. Remember Hornillos? Apparently at least 3 people I personally knew wanted to sleep there, but were told it was closed, so they had to go on to Hontanas. For me, it was open. One pilgrim passed by the bar where I saw Beti the puppy, and apparently she barked at him while she was all cute with wagging tail and playful bites with me. Heh, funny the Camino. You see how others make their Caminos, but I am happiest with mine. Some people go too fast, ignore what their body is telling them, then get sick. If my body is going to take me to Santiago and Finisterre, I need to take good care of it for at least 14 more days.

The excitement of the Camino has died a bit, and this is in keeping with my normal personal vacation limit of 3 weeks at which time I usually really want to go back home and work again. I prefer rest to seeing all the sites. Selectively pick what I want to see since being on one's feet too long is painful. I will wake up in the middle of the night because of the great pain in my feet, which I don't feel as intensely when walking or during the day. However, the throbbing  pain is just a normal part of the Camino, something you live with. Making the journey right now is more a challenge of the mind, since now I am at a point where I just want to sleep and rest for days. I feel like I have come so far, yet still have much ahead of me. All the terrain in Leon looks the same. At times I will sing to myself for energy and motivation. I don't like being alone all the time, but don't want to be with people who have vibes I don't prefer.

My knees would buckle with bends and slippery rocks were it not for my bastones.

At times, something that looks like a big hill is actually flat when I get closer or have climbed it much more effortlessly than previously thought.

I have adjusted to Spanish time. The important thing is to eat constantly. :)

More Leon

6pm mass and saw Pati with others there in the cathedral chapel. Father Eduardo gave the peregrinos a blessing after she asked, then he treated all 5 of us to drinks at cafe Europa right on the square! We all got chocolate.

The 3 others just jetted off and Pati and I found a place to eat...bar rua ii? People were nice and the food looked good. I had 2 fantas because I had way too much food to finish. 300 grams of jamon bellota and Serrano.

Day 21 Leon

Staying here 2 nights because I think I need rest. I felt the oncoming of a cold. I also want to explore the city a bit. Cathedral is gorgeous with its stained glass windows and plataresque staircase, where stone is worked like silver, in minute detail.

Food shopping like crazy. Decided to do a taste test between store brand cuajada and more expensive one in the traditional clay pot. Store brand actually won me. However homemade is probably the best, with its perfect consistency and taste. Mandarins are amazingly sweet here. More jamon.

Just finished my siesta. Maybe nap and back to Santa Iglesia Cathedral to gawk at the stained glass some more.

Day 20 Leon

Pasta of estrellas from yesterday for breakfast. Foggy again. Made it to Mansillas de Las Mulas, but couldn't find any mass for Sunday along the Camino. I was in the church of Santa Maria, resting my feet, when people started piling in. Perhaps there was a mass in the afternoon after all! I asked a random person and he said it was for interring of a religious brother, named Eleador or something like that. No mass, but the casket was rolled in and I heard some sniffles. Stayed for the entire thing and prayed for him.
Decided I needed to get to Leon- perhaps i could catch a mass there. I had wanted to be a purist and walk the entire Camino, but keeping the Lord's day was more important. I got onto a bus to Leon center  for 1.40 eur and was driven to the outskirts of the center. Wept as i saw how fast we passed the camino. I tried to folliw the yellow arrows with my eyes wherever i could. Within 20 minutes, we had covered a distance that would take 6 hours. It was raining and dark. I had no idea where to go except a vague direction. I was crossing a bridge when 2 Italians asked me if i knew where i was going. I had no idea. They were super kind leading me to the convent albergue. It was closed until February 6. The albergue municipal was too far for my taste. Thankfully the Italian knew of 2 good cheap hostels near the cathedral. I went with the cheaper one called San Martin. It looked super cozy, just like a house. I love my room! Yellow walls, bathtub.
Blessed sacrament at San Isador basilica rotates by remote control for exposition and mass. Heh, technology. I was just so happy to see the Blessed Sacrament and to have caught mass, had tears in my eyes. Asked priest father Pascual for blessing after 7:30pm mass.

Day 19 El Burgo Raneros

Icicles formed on my hair today. Bonafide icicles. Last few days have really been about thinking, especially in the fog. Not rushing to Leon tomorrow like some others, but rather breaking up into 2 days.

Camino for healing

Personal and secondhand - I've heard of people walking the Camino after anything life changing from a divorce to a desire to knock down med dosages to miracle cures after the Camino.

Although I dont think i originally come for personal healing, I think about what might need healing or fixing in my life. Ah, the Camino, school of life.

Day 18 Moratinos

Late start. I decided to clean the microwave in the albergue for the sisters of charity that run the albergue in carrion. The sister that greeted me gave pati and I miraculous medals. There are 2 convents in carrion, a Claretian and Carmelite one. Carmelite convent is right next to San zilo. It wasn't in the guide so I had to ask a local. Ended up missing 8:30 mass.

Fog all day, like fog of the mind. Many things can fog our minds. It is only when the sun heats up that the fog burns away and we can truly see. What fogs your mind? What makes you blind to the true world?

Another gem from today's meditation: sin is selfish.