Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagún
We had a great evening last night. We had dinner with a couple from London, a guy from Manchester, a woman from Munich, and our Canadian friend. It was an evening of great conversation and it reinforced for us the importance of hearing the perspectives of people from different countries, backgrounds, and experiences. We loved it.
We left the hotel at 7:35 am. After about four miles we reached our first village, Ledigos.
For some reason I started singing the song from Frozen.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, pilgrims love to stop along the way for breakfast, a snack, or some type of refreshment. From our perspective, the first bar as you enter a village is where people stop. It’s convenient and you never know if you will have another opportunity. As we started approaching a village today, we saw the following signs.
Genius. The bar was packed. I wanted to stop there just to recognize their clever marketing, but there were no tables available. Good job, 2nd Bar!
I thought I would describe today my motivation for walking the Camino. It’s been something Jim and I have wanted to do for eight years and we are both so grateful that our plans finally came to fruition. My mom was a great influence in my life. I was raised in the Lutheran Church. When I was unable to attend Confirmation classes because of drum corp practice, my mom worked a deal. She would pick me up and drive me to the church to have one-on-one classes with the pastor. It was important to her that her children understood the legacy of the Church, the stories of the Bible, and to appreciate a good potluck. Although I am not Catholic, I have always appreciated the similarities between it and the Lutheran Church. The Camino can definitely be a religious experience and I appreciate that aspect of the journey. The Camino also allows you to explore your spirituality on a different level. Walking 500 miles in 40 days provides you with a lot of time for self-reflection. Jim and I have both talked about how during the Camino we have given a lot of thought about who we are, who we want to be, and our place in the universe. I appreciate that part of the Camino, and we love that we can share that together. Another legacy of my mom’s is my love of walking. When I was a teenager, it was not uncommon for us to head out on our own and walk five to ten miles in a day. It was one-on-one time between mother and son and we would talk about everything. I learned she was afraid of birds. I remember walking down Swain Road in Stockton and there being black birds sitting on a telephone wire above our heads. My mom mentioned she’s afraid of birds and just as she said that, the birds swooped down toward her and she ran with her arms flailing above her head. Ok, I now see the similarities between that experience and my own with geese from a couple of days ago. Again, the Camino provides a lot of opportunity for self-reflection. At any rate, I was motivated in a number of ways to begin this journey, but I see the biggest factor as my mom’s influence on me. I dedicate my time on the Camino to my mom’s memory. Tomorrow we head toward El Burgo Ranero.
3 Comments
Mary Kedzierski
9/15/2021 08:06:45 am
I knew how much you admired and loved your mother, but this really put it in perspective. You were lucky to have her, but speaking as a mother, she was the luckiest. I’m so happy you had such an amazing person in your life.
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Greg
9/15/2021 09:54:57 am
Thanks, Mary. She meant the world to me.
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Rick Knight
9/17/2021 11:18:30 am
What a wonderful history you shared of your mother. Thank you.
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AuthorsGreg and James live in Pleasanton in Northern California and are on a pilgrimage on the Camino De Santiago in Spain. Their adventures are captured in this blog. Archives
October 2021
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