After 10 Days

It is hard to believe that I have been on this pilgrimage for 10 days! It is an amazing thing but much harder than even I expected. It is the relentless sun during this time of the year but tomorrow we are supposed to have rain and I will so welcome it! Stayed in the convent last night and the nuns were so good to me. I had just about had it with dehydration. I was using one of the hydration systems in my pack but was not getting as much fluid as I needed. I keep remembering that a man from France died of organ failure on the second day of this trip. I don´t remember him but he was in the group who started in the Pyrenees with me on the 28th. He was dehydrated and it affected his heart. Today my pack was so heavy with water but that is okay, slows you down but I have nothing to hurry for. i have put my hydration system away and am taking only big bottles of water.

The people doing this are amazing. They are so kind and concerned for each other. You might walk with one person for part of a day and never see them again. A lot of the pilgrims stayed back today to catch a bus to the next place but I went on. Am using a lot of sunscreen and stuff for my feet. One little blister can make you miserable when you have to walk 15 miles. Tomorrow is another long day, about 18 miles, but hopefully it won´t be so hot. Am in a little farming village tonight, very, very old. They are having an onion festival for the farmers! Big deal as everyone brings food and they are going to party. Only problem is that all of the restaurants closed at 6 and did not open until after 8. Am hungry for a real meal. Have eaten bar sandwiches for 3 days but nowhere in Spain do they serve real food until after 8 or 8 and I am usually asleep by then.

I am so blessed to have a cell phone so I can call Steve each day. I watch my time carefully so I am able to bridge the 6 hour time difference and not wake him up. Once I have talked with him I am able to get on with my pilgrimage.

In spite of the sun, heat, blisters and not understanding much of what is said, I am still so enthralled with this Camino. As I drag my feet through the dust and rocks, by the endless wheat fields, I can´t help but think of our Christ who did all of His journeys under much more difficult circumstances. I go into all of the churchs I can get to and just reflect on this.

Please continue to pray for me on this journey. 500 miles does not seem that long until you are walking them!