👣 Noire Pilgrim: I'm Not There Yet

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… but I am closer than I was yesterday.

Walking much of the day pales in comparison to daily needs that must be fulfilled. The walk is over for a few hours. Now, spending time cleaning myself up, eating, washing my clothes, and attending to injuries take up the rest of the day.

Organizing my pack and socializing a bit rounds out the remaining hours. Soon it is evening, then night.

What is more important?

Aware of the night, I run out of time to do anything but massage my sore feet. In a communal setting such as an albergue, it is lights out… time for sleeping.

Morning comes too soon. The rush begins to get out of bed, dress, and walk out of the albergue with my pack on my back.

It’s time to begin another day’s walking. A variety of feelings come to my mind.

Gladness, then sadness, uncertainty, second-guessing myself – all come and go!

Today and the next day

There are days that I look forward to. Others when I wish I could stay in bed or even leave a little later. No luck. It’s this instead: get my things and get out of the door for another 20, 25, 30 or more kilometers to the next town.

Overall, Spain is not a country without resources but pilgrimage paths cross through towns that may not have grocery stores, pharmacies, or even a restaurant. There may be a small albergue run by the owner of the only bar in town. Sometimes the access key to the albergue must be retrieved at the bar.

The bars may serve food. Often, however, the hours of service do not coincide with those of the pilgrims or peregrinas.

Eat food

An immediate and often, unintended, phenomenon for most walkers is loss of weight and a light head.

Often, choices are limited to something you don’t want or like. You may have no desire to eat it, but you must for health and for strength. The body needs fuel to walk, especially with a weighty backpack on it. You are feeding your feet, too. Blisters need food and plenty of water to heal. Importantly, your brain needs to be fed and hydrated.

That underscores the wisdom of stocking up on healthy foods and snacks at any fruit or vegetable stand, or market along the way.

Or entering a cafe that is open and serves food and welcomes you – a peregrina – with open arms.

Learn to depend on yourself

… before a bad situation becomes critical.

The Farmacia

First aid

Pharmacy or farmacia is the word spoken the most before cafe or bar. When blisters, muscle aches, sunburns, or other ailments need attention, the farmacia is the best only place to go.

Don’t Touch

The good thing is you can ask the pharmacist for what you want. There is not a lot that you can actually touch or examine. No tocar means do not touch. For curious people like me who need time to read labels and make up my mind, that can be a good or bad thing.

You see, I have to make a decision quickly while “talking” to the pharmacist in languages neither of us understand fully. The interaction goes fast. I have to be alert or I may end up with something I don’t need or want. It can get comical but we work through it.

It won’t be easy if your Spanish is lacking and the pharmacist can’t understand that you want gauze, not ankle wrap complete with fastener. After a community effort involving everyone in the store including local customers, you finally get what you need and all is well.

And the pharmacist knows who you are when you enter the shop – an injured pilgrim. At the end of the transaction, she smiles and says “buen camino”.

It is funny when all you wish for is a farmacia at the end of the walking day. If there is none, fellow pilgrims may be able to help you out of their own medical supply stash! Some of them are traveling farmacias!

Note: An image was intended here but who wants to look at blisters after the discussion about that delicious food?

Life lessons

I am learning to be gentle and more compassionate with myself. At times, I find that I am my only resource.

I meet people who help me along the Way but this is the key: often the help is not within reach when you need it. That’s when you have to use the things you learned so far in life – those life lessons that were put away. Retrieve them from that brain of yours to help yourself and others. Those recollections are as essential as your backpack, shoes, or even food.

When you are hungry, sleepy or in pain, learn to not despair. That is the greatest lesson of all.

Buen Camino

Shirley J ♥️

This and several posts this summer will chronicle my pilgrimage in Spain where I will walk the 1400 kilometer-long camino Mozárabe. Read my announcement here.