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I think I'll go for a walk outside now...
Walk, walk, walk, walk. I cannot believe how little I realized I actually walk at home. I know it is not the norm for people to walk 20km-30km a day, but I probably don't walk more than 4km a day at home. It's kind of sad.
I love to joke and ask people, "Hey, what're you doing tomorrow?!" Most of the time people don't get the joke and will answer something like, "Oh, I think we will try to walk about 25km and make it to Azofra tomorrow..." Then I normally respond, "Oh, okay... I was joking... get it, like what else does anyone really have to do except walk..." Well, it's funny to me.
April 10: Torres del Río to Logroño Journal Entry-------------------- Tuesday April 10th, 2012 Sara, Molly and I left the albergue a little after 0800 this morning. Today was nice because I got to walk alone and had a lot of time to just think things through. Unfortunately my monthly pain in my butt visited me in the middle of nowhere and I had to sneak behind a large stack of hay to fix myself.
It started out raining in the morning and then was sunny for about an hour. After that it pretty much rained on and off all day and became windy and quite cold. I thought about Lee pretty much all day long. I really love my husband, more than I ever thought possible. When we made it to Logroño we walked around for a little bit and then went out for some pizza. I really have to stop spending so much money on food!!... --------------------end of journal entry
Logroño was a really neat little city. It is the capital of the famous wine growing region of La Rioja. We passed by many beautiful wine fields on our walk this day, literally miles and miles and miles worth of wine growing fields. It was a nice day to walk solo and just sort of lose myself in the wonderful views.
I also went through many memories that I want to commit to my life-long memory bank. I replayed so many different memories in my mind and must've looked like a crazy person when I laughed
to myself outloud and couldn't stop smiling when thinking about when Lee and I first met. I also remember thinking about the speech that my younger sister, who was my maid of honor, gave at my wedding. I cried. It's so nice to not have any distractions and be able to simply think and hold a thought for a long period of time. The Camino definitely is good for the mind, body and soul.
April 11: Longroño to Ventosa I remember this day vividly for a couple of different reasons... or rather, I remember the albergue. The albergue that we stayed in this night was absolutely wonderful! However, I was so grumpy because we had so many loud people in our room. They came in late at night and woke me up and then I was up almost every twenty minutes through the night because the lady sleeping beneath me moved around allllllll night long.
I also remember this day because this is the first night that I met two Australians that I would pass a bunch of different times along my Camino. I remember not feeling so good and not wanting to go out
for dinner with Molly and Sara. I had bought some pasta in a little store within the albergue and was going to make that for myself for dinner. While in the kitchen, which was full of people fighting for room to make their own meals, Sarah and Michael asked me if I just wanted to eat with them because they had made plenty of food. I agreed because what they were cooking looked so much better than anything I was about to make.
I sat and ate with Sarah and Michael and later they asked another man from Japan to join us. The meal was wonderful and filling. Michael and Sarah were a lovely older brother and sister pair who were very funny and quite awkward at times, but in the good way. I liked them instantly.
Journal Entry-------------------- Wednesday April 11th, 2012 Today Molly, Sara and I set out from our not so good albergue a little after 0800. The walk today was amost entirely next to the highway, so it was not as peaceful as I have gotten used to. The more comfortable that I get with the Camino, the more I like to walk alone at times. Although, it is very nice to know that Molly and Sara are near by if I need anything.
Yesterday was nice because I replayed a bunch of memories in my mind. All from the first time that I met Lee, the first time we hungout, the first time we kissed and so on and so forth. I felt very tired today so I think I was slower than normal considering the path today was fairly flat. I feel healthy here, even though I am eating way too much bread! I hate to say it, but I think I am sick of ham and cheese... and bread too. Tonight I bought pasta to make for dinner because I didn't feel like going out with Molly and Sara to eat. While I was in the kitchen a nice lady and man from Australia invited me to eat with them so as not to waste all of the food that they had literally just prepared. I jointed them and it was really good! Their names are Sarah and Michael who are a sister and brother pair walking the Camino together. I really love the people on the Camino...
--------------------end of journal entry April 12: Ventosa to Azofra Today was the first day that I was actualy really grumpy. It was pouring rain, not that this was any different from just about every other day, but for some reason it really made me grumpy today. We stopped in Nárjera to visit a Monastery with a magnificent Royal Pantheon building for housing dead Kings, Queens, and Knights of Navarre. It was a beautiful building.
There also was a church inside, of course. The churches here blow my mind. I cannot believe all of the money that goes into these buildings. Naturally I have been thinking a lot about religion on the Camino. I am not a very religious person and tend to keep my beliefs to myself. I do not like to say that I identify with any religion because it simply is not true. I refuse to conform to a label and have it be assumed that I believe everything within the category describing the label. It's crazy in my mind.
I have a very hard time seeing these beautiful churches with idols, I'm sorry but
that's how I see them in my mind, and gold encrusted alters that are sky high and then you walk outside and are met by people begging. It just doesn't sit well in my mind. I know that the churches have been here for literally ages, but I am a simple person who believes that the church is the people, not a huge expensive building. However, they are beautiful to look at, and that I can appreciate.
After sighseeing, Molly, Sara and I continued to walk until we reached Azofra. We stumbled into the albergue soaking wet! We were very happy to find that the rooms each have two beds!!! Que bien! We spent the rest of the evening lounging around.
Journal Entry-------------------- Thursday April 12th, 2012 I'm not sure if it was the loud Germans, PMS, or the rain, but I was a little grumpy today. I think it was probably a combination of all of the above. The albergue that we stayed in last night was absolutely lovely. The company in our room however were not. Anyhow, we usual three suspects ventured out around 0800. It rained almost all day. We decided to have a short day walking today because we took some extra time in Nájera to see some sights. Around 1430 Molly, Sara and I had a big pilgrim lunch and now we are planning just to spend the rest of this icky day in the hostel.
--------------------end of journal entry
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Andrea
I was interested to see how your camino went! Looks like a fantastic journey. Can't wait to go back on your blogs and read. Thanks for sharing.