Whispers from the Camino—Day 7

September 11  Estella to Sansol  28.4 km.

This was a day of very mixed experiences—some somewhat frustrating and others quite exhilarating.

I woke up about 6:00 a.m. and could hear other pilgrims stirring around me. I always hated being the first one getting up feeling like I was risking the ire of those who needed a few more minutes of sleep. But as soon as I heard at least one person stirring, it felt like I had permission to make a few noises as well.

A rainy dark start out of Estella

Right away I discovered that my clothes had not dried overnight meaning that I would need to either hang them on my backpack so they could dry while walking or put them in a bag and make another attempt to dry them at the next albergue. The albergue where I was staying didn’t serve a breakfast, but I had become accustomed to finding an open cafe usually within the first few blocks, especially in these smaller towns like Estelle.

My decision about my clothes was made quickly. It was still raining outside and so the wet clothes would need to go in the plastic sack. In the dark of the morning I followed other pilgrims and planned to stop at the first cafe since I only had a few nuts, some dried fruit and a banana—enough to get my day started, but not enough to walk myself all the way to lunch.

Unfortunately, I found no open cafes and I didn’t want to get off the marked trail as I was using the other pilgrims as my guides to following the signs in the dark of the morning. I had just a tinge of worry as I left the outskirts of town not knowing when the next reliable food stop might be.

Stopping at the wine fountain!

Interestingly enough, the first stop was not food, but a winery that had a spigot for pilgrims to drink as much wine as they wanted. I certainly didn’t want to guzzle the unexpected treat, but it was a must stop. It was one of those stops that if you walked on by, you would definitely regret it later. “Did you stop at Bodegas Irache and fill your bottle with wine,” pilgrims would be sure to ask later. I stopped, found a way to use the cap of my bottle to get a healthy sample and enjoyed the delightful smiles and laughter of the other pilgrims relishing in the non-stop wine source coming from the wall.

Just beyond that I met Ramona, a therapist from the Pacific Northwest. We shared a geographic home as well as a common language. Pastors and counselors often get along very well with our “touchy-feely” way of communicating. It doesn’t feel touch-feely to me, but I often get teased about how every conversation has some sort of emotion tied to it.

Ramona and I shared our stories—she recovering from some significant physical injuries and using the Camino to propel her back into life and me talking about my images of what life might look like in a few weeks after completing the Camino. I told her I wasn’t sure where life was taking me, but that I was setting myself up to be able to write and consult. My house back in Portland was being rented out as an Airbnb. My live-in camper was ready to go and I had plans to simplify my life so I could write a second edition of my book “Alone,” finally start working on the manuscript to my “Rome to Rumi” book and complete my reflections of this Camino.

Stopping for a late breakfast

Ramona was a true therapist. “Brian, I don’t know where you are going, but the joy and the energy in your voice is marvelous. It is clear that you feel called to this work.” My whole body relaxed at hearing her words. I have struggled with finding the right balance between financial security and stability and following this sense of call. I wrote about this earlier where I have been trying to find that magical balance where financial security and calling are both getting the attention they need. Up to this point, it had felt like my life had been one long yo-yo-ing back and forth between the two.

Not far after that I found the cafe I was hoping for where I was able to get fresh-squeezed orange juice, a cafe con leche, and a tortilla (a Spanish potato omelette) that was becoming a staple of the walk.

No worries! It is just exercise-induced-heat-related vasculitis.

As the day wore down, I noticed a concerning rash-like area above my ankles on both feet. I wasn’t sure what this meant. I asked a few other pilgrims. Most weren’t sure what I had, but a couple people said that I had probably developed vasculitis. Was this the beginning of some challenge only a week into the pilgrimage or something that would pass, I asked myself. A little Google searching gave me the answer I was looking for. “Exercise-induced vasculitis is a small-vessel vasculitis affecting the lower legs that occurs after strenuous sports activity such as running or hiking, particularly during hot weather.” There it was—strenuous activity combined with hot conditions. The site went on to say that it usually resolves itself in a few days. I would be fine.

At day’s end I had this deeply grateful feeling. “Now I am on a pilgrimage,” I thought. The day had the challenge of wet clothes, and continuing to walk in the rain, the uncertainty about food, a surprise wine spigot, the gift of Romana and her intuition, and some physical signs that I really was out doing something.

It felt like life.