Reclamation

Day 10, October 24: Foncebadon to Molinaseca – 20 ish km, 7 hours

I’m writing from my bed in a warm cosy albergue called Santa Marina in Molinaseca while everyone else is downstairs drinking wine and having a grand time. I am feeling a bit like when I was a child and my folks were entertaining downstairs and I was up in my room supposed to be going to sleep, but feeling like I was missing out on some fun. But my adult self-care part of me knows that I really need some rest and alone time so I’m taking quiet time to write.

Today’s walk was up up up and then all the way down on shale…my feet and ankles enjoying the rest this evening.

We departed Foncebadon just after 8 am this morning, our earliest start yet.

We stopped at the Iron Cross, each of us taking time and space to prepare and say our prayers. I held a beautiful quiet ceremony; building an altar from items I found along the way and a few I had brought to leave there. It was an extremely moving experience for me.

While many people climbed the rock, took pictures and moved on, Adrienne, Svetlana (Camino Amiga) and I spent quite a bit of time in silence saying our prayers or in thoughtfulness.

Before leaving, Adrienne and I joined hands with a group of German pilgrims making a circle around the cross and sang. It may sound cheesy but it brought me to tears…the first batch of the day lol!  It was a moving experience for me.

I then walked with a mala (a beaded string to count chants) I bought myself in El Ganso, chanting Om Triambakam. (a Sanskrit healing mantra) 108 times… That’s a sacred number and the total number of beads on a mala.

Soon after I had an insight, a breakthrough about an experience at my grade 8 graduation where I won an award called the Christian Spirit Award. At the time I felt ashamed for winning it and for being in the spotlight and for being seen as a goody two shoes (whatever that means) and so I never really received, or let it soak in.

Upon remembering all of this I had a deep healing cry at the top of a mountain while Adrienne held space for me beautifully. And then she took my Camino pin off my pack, and presented it to me, like award, and I received it. I feel 50 lbs lighter. And wanted to scream from the top of the mountain…”I won the Christian Spirit Award!”

My Camino pin is a yellow arrow and although it symbolizes many things, it is the yellow arrow that guides you as you walk. So wherever you are, when you come to a decision point like a cross in the path, you look up down sideways and around until you find the arrow pointing the way.

We stopped for lunch in a tiny village in the middle of a mountain after walking on shale all morning. Ankles were happy to have a break. Belly happy to have Spanish tortilla. Body and soul happy to bask in the sun. That was halfway to today’s destination of Molinaseca…We walked another 10 Km in glorious sunshine, meeting other pilgrims along the way.

When finally we arrived in Molinaseca, we walked across the village – and back again and then back again – to find our awesome albergue. I took a shower and did laundry – yay!! And then had dinner by the bridge and river and now I’m writing this to you.

It’s amazing how much can happen while walking all day!

Tomorrow, Day 11, we will taxi, bus, bus to zoom ahead to Sarria to walk the last 100 km to Santiago. Adrienne departs Saturday and I will continue on my own the rest of the way.

Hope you are enjoying reading about the Camino as much as I am walking it. It is truly a beautiful experience and journey.

Sending love.

Xoxo