Day 19 To Ledigos

Day 19 Sept 27 Destination = Ledigos / 410 km to go.

This just came in- from my dear friend Jane in Colorado:
“Tom, I found this beautiful quote and wanted to share it with you” “Pilgrims are persons in motion-passing through territories not their own-seeking something we might call completion, or perhaps the word ‘clarity’ will do as well, a goal to which only the spirit’s compass points the way” -Richard R Niebuhr

“Keep walking” ! -from Jane

Yesterday cast once and for the the upper limit on my ‘max day’ / ‘red zone’ / risk factor. While many are doing the 29 km plus that a ‘stage’ specifies, I’m reminded that my max for the rest of the Camino for me will not exceed 24 km which is 14.912 miles or close to 39000 steps. I prefer to think in terms of steps as this is a better (physiological) stress / inflammation meter for my body. My target for mapping out a days destination will center on 20km - and if a hilly day then that is my absolute max for the day. If I have to change my departure flight in October- so be it. BTW I was the last one to ‘rise & shine’ this morning. I missed the rooster crowing from yesterday. This morning a bunch of iPhone ringtone gibberish in foreign languages. Dint see that coming. 😳

-Minor detail after leaving Carrion de Los Condes I did not realize that I would be on the autobahn of the Camino en la Mesa. I could see for 2 km into the horizon & 2 km behind me on the endless White Road. The road is actually a Via Romana 2000 years old very cool . Wow!
Today however, while endless was the walking, it was all about the sky. Like I said, wow. Still not ready for tunes there is too much to take with every step along the Way.

I’m now out of snacks and I am out of water.

Just passed a hand-made advertisement for a much appreciated ‘food truck’ ahead just around that next bend - I need coffee and a croissant !

The ‘autobahn’ of La Meseta- me stuck in 2nd gear however. You get to the very end of this view and the exact same horizon reappeared, and again, and again…. What Roman legions walked down this path and what the heck were they doing from town to town? What stories would they tell what short lives did they live how would they want to be remembered (or likely not remembered by the villagers)

Food truck rest break at last. Phillip (left) (Nic (right) from Deutschland (his day number 4) is wondering when his body will stop hurting- I said after 10 or 12 days if you’re lucky) Phillip is a recently retired college professor who walked out his door at his home on August 3 some 20 miles north of London and here he is. “Why did you decide to do it”, I asked him. “ I don’t know, it just seem to happen and to be the thing to do right now” And I thought I was the slightly eccentric one

All about the (hallelujah) sky today on the road that would never end

A well designed forest as we left Condes. Google did not show this ‘hammock’ spot on Maps.

Till this land ?! You’re joking. Yup, frequent tractors turning over the ‘soil’. What can you grow !? Sunflowers typically.

Lodging at last! And a nice one at that. 39,486 steps today. Not intended distance. Oofdah - no towns earlier! I didn’t book in advance-this province now allows 75% capacity in Albergues 😵‍ -therefore I was assigned a top bunk here at La Morena. Pretty much full - completo! Not gonna end well for the bottom bunk-mate at 4:45 am if I have to get up. A wonderful place, awesome courtyard, and a most incredible dinner with two I have not seen in some days. Very comfortable. Lars is staying here-private room splurge. Also Jonathan, who is no stranger to the Camino (4) or the world for that matter. Amazing stories and catching up on Camino skuttlebutt during dinner is always memorable and fun

Via Romana, and I’m on it 2021 years later. One of my favorite (benevolent) emperors - Marcus Aurelius- also dealt with a pandemic & had to hold the empire together on his watch - sound familiar?

“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart ”
- Marcus Aurelius from Meditations

potd = picture of the day