The Big Day

   So today was the day I´ve been awaiting with a little dread - it was a 15.2 mile walk on the original Roman road (which means lots of rocks).  There is no shade along the way, no villages to stop in, no fountains, nothing, just a day of walking.  But I was ready for it.  Last night at dinner we heard the weather report and there was a dwindling possibility of rain - so we all hoped for a cloud covered day.

The Roman road less traveled

 This morning I was walking by about 6:45AM and I could see the moon, but also

a number of clouds in the sky - yeah!  There was a beautiful sunrise thanks to the clouds surrounding the sun.  (picture later, no usb adapter at this computer).  But around 8:00AM I started to notice that there was nothing but rain ahead.  I could see the rain shower directly ahead, but to the left was a very, very dark rain...  I kept my eye on it.  I started thinking about how we see trouble ahead.  Sometimes due to the choices we´ve made (did my easy day yesterday mean I´d be caught in a thunderstorm today).  Sometimes we see trouble and we try to avoid it - but when you have 15 miles to walk, you just keep walking straight towards the rain.  There´s no way I was going to add any miles. 

   Funny thing about trouble, as you continue towards it, sometimes you find it isn´t trouble at all.  I watched as this huge rainstorm continued to move in front of me from west to east.  At one point the sun broke out behind me - ahh, look for a rainbow.  Within a couple of minutes I saw the beginning color taking form.  I continued to watch this live slide show unfold as the color intensified, then changed, then arced downward, and finally there was a small part of a think rainbow with vivid colors.  It continued to show for quite a while.

   

Oh yeah - miles to go!

So I kept walking, very thankful that the sun was covered more often than not.  Finally about 11:30 I came to the turn to start the final walk into Mansillia de los Muela.  I thought I could see the town way in the distance...  My impulsive brain said "yes!  You´re almost there."    My reasonable brain said, "Don´t get too excited, you have miles to go."   So I have my goal in sight, but just had to keep on walking.  I was thinking about vision and goals that we set for ourselves as I walked.  We see where we want to go, but sometimes we give up before we get there -- does it always take longer than we thought it would?   I remember watching a video of the poet David Whyte and he talked about a woman who told him that she knew what she wanted to do in her life, but she took a job that was of only some interest and in the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed.  Yes, we do have to stay on the path towards our goals if we are going to get there.  And sometimes those paths go on a long time.

    I stopped and ate my apple.  Changed my socks for the 4th time (didn´t want to take a chance on my feet on this long day), then thought I´d be heading into town.  But the road went on and on and on.  At 12:45 I finally made it around the bend, only to see that what I´d thought was the town was actually a little suburb and the town was now another couple miles to the left.  The pathway narrowed and was surround by thistles and thorny bushes.  It looked like it had hardly been used (there´s something called a sendra, a gravel path that parallels the highway that apparently most of the pilgrims had used.)  So I plodded on.  Finally I could see the church steeple and after going through the underpass under the hwy and through the medieval gate into town (the last one in Spain if I understand correctly), I arrived.  My goal was reached, but I have to tell you it was not easy today.   Something for me to consider as I look at what my goals might be for my 70th, 80th and 90th decades of life.

      So stay on the path...    Bueno Camino!