It started on day 16 with a sunny day in Spain's farm country. For the most part my plan is s no plan. Friends from earlier arrived there today and will stay tomorrow and try and corrupt me. They are of 20-30 year olds that enjoy that I am still corruptible
Ricardo and Elizabeth, they have hiked from Rotterdam and love each other, he is Dutch, she Polish. I met them on Day 17. They are so in love and it just did my heart good to see their smiles, holding hands along the way. This was my "special" for the day.
Kim from Sweden, Beau from Australia today, day 18.. I walked with them from the start, they met on Camino. In Leon, friends from earlier in the Camino are here. Tomorrow might be a rest day as I am expected to keep up with 18-30 year olds. Luckily, the guys at Pau Paus and Beans and Beer have kept me in training. I think it surprised them I caught with them and have passed some of the others. "Old Guys Rule"
I have now finished 18 days on the Camino. The last two have rainy. On Saturday I took a wrong turn and ended only minimum progress. Later I found out this was not a wasted day. My amiga from Lisa just learned a treasured every friend had committed suicide. She needed a friend. The next day I walked 36.5 KM, 22.5 miles to make up for the most of the time I lost. Now I moved my return home a week due I am doing better than expected. I ate pilgrims dinner with two Spanish in and two Irish women. One of the women and her husband are triathlete's and mentioned she read a book by a nun that has run Iron Man. It turns out it was by Sister Madonna Bruder. I had run races with her in the 80's. Most of the past two days have dominated by rain. Now to go out and walk the town.Great night, I had an hour with Lucas from Belgium. 50 with four kids and a wife he loves. He just lost a job of 20 years after punching his boss. His wife is a nurse, his kids are 8-18. He is walking with gratitude for all has been given. His Wife and kids have encouraged the Camino. Also, Phil from Madison Wisconsin. He is 69. His wife and he moved to Madison to be near daughter and granddaughter. He is a Viet Nam vet with two dousings of anger orange. A great guy who owned stereo store and sold to Best Buy and then worked in Best Buy's acquisition department until he retired.
Another great man I met along the way is Phil Ward from Park Forrest, Il. This is where my cousins grew up and found out that Phil wrestled at Rich High School, graduated 1964, wife Cindy Tassio graduated from Rich in 1966. I had dinner with him last night and have walked several KM with him.
After emailing my cousin, found out that Gordy does know the wife and were in the same graduating class. Small world once again!
As you can see with this post, Joel's experiences for the last few days is about the fellow Pilgrim's he's met along the way the past few days. There is a real comradery of those that are walking this same journey. 16 days until Joel returns. Yes, I'm happy, but so very happy that my husband is having this experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment