Thoughts on Day 1

Thursday Aug 22 Roncesvalles to Zubiri

 I didn’t sleep very well last night - maybe nervous about my first Camino day. My alarm woke me up at 7:00 and of course someone in the hallway dragging their luggage down the stairs woke me up (again) at 7:30. It was a good thing, too, since luggage has to be in the pick-up area by 8:00! I’m glad I had the foresight to prep everything the night before.

 Breakfast was awesome as usual and included a very interesting potato omelet thing. I liked it. Finally it was time to leave the hotel and begin my journey. How would it feel? What would I think about? How would I manage? Who would I meet?

 At 8:30 am I took a deep breath and pushed open the glass door of the hotel exit. My pack was snug around my waist and my shoes felt good. It was a cool morning so I wrapped myself in my shawl that folds into almost nothing and fits in my pack when the day warms up and it’s not needed any more. I took my first steps on my Camino.

 Today was a walk of 23 km. It started through cow pastures, then went through the Pyrenees Mountains, up and down. It got me thinking….and by the end of the day I had developed some thoughts about “The Camino and Life”. I am certainly not the first to think about this, but, without having read others' thoughts on the matter, here is my take after Day 1:

 Many things reach out to touch you on the narrow path. Some things are soft and sweet like the new tips of evergreen branches. Some are sharp and will catch you like the blackberry brambles that lined today’s route.

 No-one has placed all their steps on the Camino in the exact same place as anyone else.

 Every time you place a foot, it is a choice. Every step you take has an impact on where you place your foot next. The only thing you can do is to make a choice in the present moment. The past steps are gone and the future steps are not determined.

 I started walking through cow pastures. I was mildly concerned when a bull began to follow me down the road. It turns out he was only interested in visiting his friends in the next field. What??!! It’s not always about me?? This time I’m thankful.

 The path continued mostly through forests. There was lots of shade today but the walking was quite technical, as most of the paths were through mountain passes. There were steep ascents and descents, and the surface was often covered in either small, super slippery gravel or larger (and just as slippery) rocks. I quickly had to abandon my training pace of 5 km per hour. Toto - I don’t think we’re walking in North York anymore. Practicing acceptance, gratitude and patience, I slowed my pace by a factor of four and carefully picked my way along the path. We all walk our own Camino, and we walk at the right pace for the terrain and for ourselves. Thank you, universe, for inventing walking sticks.

 I did learn something today: I like walking uphill MUCH more than walking downhill.

 Uphill: All you have to do is overcome gravity.
 Downhill: You have to fight gravity while at the same time control your motion and balance with your own strength.

 Uphill: You have 4 things to pay attention to: breathing, heartbeat, footsteps and the tapping of the walking sticks. If you hear all 4 things, you’re doing fine.
Downhill: Rocks will suddenly change their position from under your feet to much farther away - usually to outside your base of support, roots will appear to trip you. 

Uphill: The legs use mostly concentric muscle contraction (working while shortening) which I find satisfying and comfortable.
Downhill: The legs use mostly eccentric muscle contraction (working while lengthening) which I find nasty.

 Uphill: You get settled comfortably in the back of your shoes, and you just carry on. Downhill: Your toes get smooshed in the front of your shoes and that’s just nasty, too. (Please don’t lecture me on how to my shoelaces for uphill versus downhill - I’ve read it all.

And finally:

 Uphill: You have the satisfaction of summiting.
Downhill: You have the annoyance of hitting rock bottom, and of having given up all your kinetic energy. The one upside to achieving the bottom...you get to go up some more!

 I walked from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. I passed many people, and many passed me. I noticed one girl who was struggling. She passed me slowly while I took a rest break, and a short while later I found her sitting down, talking on the phone, saying “Ich kan nicht mer” which is German for “I can’t do any more”. And so close to the route. I wonder how she will fare.

 I got into town (Zubiri) and my place for the night was located directly on the camino, at the very entrance to town, at the end of the medieval bridge that marks the town's border. Zubiri itself is only a few blocks worth of buildings, so my place wouldn’t have been hard to find, but in this case it couldn’t have been easier to find. All I had to do was look up!

I checked in and went out for a celebratory drink and dinner. I ordered the “Menu Peregrino” (“Pilgrim’s menu of the day - starter, main, dessert, and drink for one price) without even knowing what it was. If you don’t know me well, let me explain that this behaviour can be classified as almost, if not completely, unprecedented. What I received was al dente spaghetti (nice) in a very pleasant tomato sauce, a wedge of potato omelet (my current favorite thing) and salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and a Nestle confection for dessert. Ok, maybe next time I’ll do a tad more research. What can I say…. I was hungry.   

Now to unpack, repack and prep for the morning!
Bueno Camino!