Walking West to Santiago de Compostela: FAQ

A Hot Spanish Day.
I think I'll take some time to answer a few questions.

Friday Aug 30, 2019
Navarette to Ventosa to Najera
20-ish km

FAQ

How do I post comments on your blog?
Click at the bottom of the day's blog where it says "No Comment". Or it might say "1 comment" or it might even say "2 comments". A text box will open up for you to enter comments and you'll be able to see any other comments. It's not very user-friendly, and it's not even consistent day to day, but it is what it is. And I do love everyone's comments!! I also get an email when you comment, so I know right away when someone has contributed.

How do I share your blog?
The easiest way is to copy the address of the blog, then paste it into an email.
Or just write the address into an email.
Walkingwesttosantiago.blogspot.com

Can I email you privately instead of commenting on the blog?
Of Course!
Carol.weinberg@gmail.com

Do you love getting emails and comments?
Oh, yes!

Do you think it's possible to get tired of walking through mountains and vineyards?
No, not possible!

How many snails have you stepped on while you have been in Spain?

Four. And I'm very sorry about each and every one. I just don't always see them against the gravel path. I do hope any butterfly effect thus created will be a positive one.

(The Butterfly Effect describes how a small change in even the tiniest thing can result in huge differences later on. The idea that one butterfly could eventually have a far-reaching ripple effect on subsequent historic events made its earliest known appearance in "A Sound of Thunder", a 1952 short story by Ray Bradbury about time travel. I read everything Ray Bradbury wrote during my junior high school years. My favorite story was "R is for Rocket").

What's your favorite tapas so far?

Anything with goat cheese.

Toast, Iberico ham, goat cheese, raspberry jam, walnut and balsamic reduction!

Do you ever go "off the map"?

Interesting that you ask me that. Today was the first time that I ventured "off the map". There was a little detour that would take me up to a little town called Ventosa. There was the possibility of seeing a pretty church there. Giving in to the FOMA Syndrome (Fear of Missing Anything), I decided to go. It was just a few extra kilometers. With my luck, the church would be closed but since the decision was in my own hands, I decided to go and enjoy whatever happened. Well the church was, of course, closed. BUT...here's what I found on the side of the road:

A pomegranate tree!! I had never seen one before! And when they get ripe they split open and drop their seeds! That was the best detour EVER!

Have you had any interaction with locals other than saying "buenos dias" and "gracias"?

At a bend in the path today, a Spanish man approached me and asked me politely if he could join me while walking, and practice his English with me. He was well groomed and well spoken, and there were a fair number of pilgrims about today, so I said "all right". I invited him to tell me any story he wished. He told me how he was writing a history of the camino, and then he described how the camino developed in terms of religion, business and politics. I learned some interesting perspectives, and he received some assistance with tenses and pronunciation. His English was actually quite good. After a few kilometers we arrived at a convenient spot. I shook his hand, complimented his English and wished him well.

Do you wish that Spanish people had a larger personal space when it comes to strangers?

Yes, yes I do.

Can you tell us anything more about the Romanian woman?

Yes. I caught up with her today at about 1:00 pm. I wanted to give her something to smile about, since her walk seemed so difficult, so I greeted her today in Romanian (Thanks, Google translate). Her name is Natalia. We sat together at lunch but we couldn't really talk much. I finished lunch before her, and I said "see you later" in Romanian (ne vedem mai tarziu). I doubt I pronounced it very well, but she got the message, and I got another smile from her.

What's your strange thought for the day?

I don't know why, but "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" popped into my mind, and I wondered if it could be applied to this trip.

Something old: I'm using the black rolling suitcase that my parents bought me. I think they bought it for me to take on my honeymoon. That would be 25 years ago. It was my first rolling suitcase. Still perfectly good and functional. The suitcase, I mean!

Something new: A few weeks before I left for Spain I bought a long-sleeved 50 SPF shirt from MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-Op). It's awesome. I wear it every day, wash it every night. I wish I was getting kick-backs for advertising MEC stuff, but I don't.

Something borrowed: My friend and co-worker loaned me her lumbar pack. It is working perfectly for me. So grateful.

Something blue: I am wearing a necklace with a scallop shell charm. I glued a blue good luck bead to the back of the shell, so it wouldn't clink against my dog tag, which I always wear when I am travelling.