Foggy Day, Clear Mind

Day Eleven (Camino de San Salvador Completo)

Camino Primitivo Day Four - Tineo to Samblismo

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

― Terry Pratchett

Tineo was full of pilgrims last night, drinking wine and eating croquettes in the town bar. I think this is how it must have felt to walk the Frances when there were less people on the path. We are coming to know each other, this little group. I am blessed to have met Manon. She’s a wonderful walking partner and we laugh at the silliest things - but we can also be quiet. That makes her the best kind of person for a Camino.

Today there were no sweeping views until late in the day. One moment today stands out in my mind - the beautiful symmetry of a spider web, dewy and bright in the hazy morning. If the sky was clear and open, I would have walked by it without a glance. I then actively began to notice things that are easily missed when the sun is shining and you can see for miles. Lime green ferns, bright berries in the fog, the silhouette of trees in mist - I think the Camino sharpens our eyes as we walk. You can’t “whiz” past anything when the pace is 15 minutes per kilometer, and every café or bar is an opportunity to shed your pack and discuss how the walk is going with other pilgrims.

I want to keep this - to return home with eyes opened for little beauties and a slower walk.