Day 20 Camino de Santiago July 25 Calzadilla

Day 20 Calzadilla

Nice town Carrion!  Much bigger than I anticipated.  Most towns have a main street and either you live on it...or you live in a different town.  This one had many streets, even three supermarkets...The term supermarket is a a misnomer, but it does have all the essentials.  Candy bars, ice cream...

     Unfortunately, as I was walking out of town...they had a sign saying how far it is to Santiago. 401K.   It’s okay.  I keep Compound Effecting it and I realize that it’s a good lesson in patience. 

 This is a sign on one of the many churches in Carrion.  It s saying that they are spending over 200,000 Euros on refurbishing the church.  There was another on the church in the middle of town that had one on it for over 400,000E.  Many churches have the sign.  Reminds me of the Cultural Revolution in China and how Mao Tse Tung was intent on destroying all of the temples.  His right hand man, Chou en Lai, had enough foresight to see that they were works of art and convinced Mao to not destroy them.  Good move... now they bring in tons of tourist money.  

   

This picture probably means dooley squat to you but to me, it’s the end of an era... the era of me rolling my cart.  I can roll my cart on pavement, as in a road, however, when it becomes a trail, as in dirt or rocks,  as it does by the yellow arrow behind the stop sign, I have to strap it on.  Oh well...I just think of it as my cross and how much stronger it is making me... Remind me of that when I’m in the hospital for back surgery and knee replacements!!

   Not that I’m hung up on Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti westerns... but remember the scene when he and Tuco are being approached by soldiers on horse and they can’t tell if they are Rebs are Yanks?? (sure ya do!!)  Then as they see they are getting closer, they see that the soldiers are wearing gray, so they put on their Reb hats.  When the soldiers stop, they dust off their uniforms and viola, they’re Yanks.  Such is the case with my shoes.  I look down at them at the end of the day and they are caked in dust.  I can’t tell if they were black or brown.    This was at a rest stop I took on today’s long haul.  It’s the longest haul without a town in between - 17 k.  

  The stretch between Burgos and Leon is the stretch that is described as “either your worst or your best” part of the Camino.  It’s hot, dry, dusty, and pretty much the same scenery.  The positives are that it’s starkly beautiful, the solitude is rare in life, and it builds a better body and mind.  Which doesn’t explain why I was making a video with my iPhone and making horse sounds.  It also helps to explain why I took a picture of only one shoe???

  

 I have no idea what these black and white signs are all about, but I liked this one.  Just after I had sat too long and stiffened up, I saw something scribbled on the sign and hobbled over to read what it said.  It said....”You are here!”  Now that is so profound!!

  This is pretty much the view for the entire 17K.  I enjoyed it.  I enjoy talking, but on this stretch it’s been very good to just walk.  I must say that my friend the pink rabbit is not very good about being quiet!  I must speak to him tomorrow... just as soon I’m through talking to Wilson.

  Okay another movie scene for you.  Dances With Wolves... I was walking on the road through tall grass that can best be described as the prairie in the USA.  So my mind wanders and I start to see what I am sure is  8 Pawnee warriors hiding behind a single blade of grass.  

     What are they growing here...Rocks??  If so, looks like Mable is getting that new red Sunday-go-to-meeting dress!!

At the end of the 17K I was close to dehydrated, though I had drank quite a bit of water.  I stopped in Calzadilla to have a drink, rest, and move on 6K to the next town.  I wanted to catch up to Kevin, who leaves at 5:30 (I left at 9:00), and the rest of the group that I've been having dinner with.  However...I decided to stay and meet new folks.  

The reason I left at 9:00 this morning is because I found a bakery!!!  I bought some things, went to a bar, got a coffee and yapped with Natalie, a lady from London.  Her husband is a high school teacher in an all girls school in inner city London.   Can you say, "Here's your free pass to hell?!"

Speaking of hell... will someone please tell this guy the rules of wearing a speedo in public...namely, if you don't have a gold medal around your neck, leave the lumpsuit in the closet!  This guy was at the aubergue which had a small but clean and ice cold pool.  I was able to soak from the knees down.  What a welcome retreat!

He who will not economize will have to agonize.  

Confucius