*We have now been walking for 5 days. Today we stopped in Lorca at a beautiful pension. Hunter left us after lunch and is moving on at a faster pace. We now have cell phones to keep in touch when there is service (which is spotty.) The actual trail is very steep and rocky in places and the maps we have do not fully describe the terrain (which is porbably a good thing.) We are finding as we walk that life really slows down and you start to actually see what is around you as well as to hear what your body is saying. We both agree that while the trail and walking have been very demanding physically, it has been wonderful in ways that are difficult to describe. Today we both felt like we were getting our real legs and the pack started to feel better on our backs. We have found that descending grades are tougher on us because there was no way to work those muscles prior to the trip.
*This afternooon we walked across a Roman bridge (2,000 years old) and on portions of a Roman road. We wonder how many of the modern bridges and roads will be here in 2,000 years.
We are learning to see God's hand in everything. Yesterday we were washing our clothes in Pamplona in the only laundromat in town and met Liliana Silva, one of the managers. When she heard we were going to take a cab to meet Hunter at Eunate, she insisted on taking us part way in her own car to save us costs. She is from Peru, married to a Spaniard that she met in Italy while visiting her sister. We also met her two cute daughters, ages 3 months and five years. Her car had the normal ´mom stuff,´ like disney dvds, and Puss-n-Boots action figure (Gato-n-Botas)from the movie Shrek, etc. She knew a lot of English, so between Helen´s little Spanish and Liliana´s English, we learned a lot about her and her family, the children´s schooling, and so on.
Ancient buildings, some in use, some in ruin, perch atop hills and along roadways in the middle of farmlands.*
On Saturday in Zubiri we had one hotel manager treat us like scum ("American and peregrino" seemed to be his attitude.) We walked up the road to the next lower rated hotel and were treated like royalty. On the trail we have met folks from England, Ireland, Philipines, Norway, France, Germany, and Canada, but no other Americans. One Canadian lady was an interior designer and her son was an architect working for Perkins and Will in Canada. (That's for you, Haley!) The countryside is just beautiful. This morning we walked through a vineyard and sampled the grapes. Very sweet! The wine has been good each evening. Each small town we pass through has a very old church. Clearly town life in past generations revolved around the church. We wish it were so today! The church bells toll on the quarter, half, three quarter, and hour except after 1:00 AM or at least they have not woken us after that. It is easy to visualize how men in the fields or shops and women at home would depend on that before modern clocks and watches. There is a peacefulness in the rhythm that is extremely comforting.
--Wick
*These photos were added on Oct.19 at home.
