...And Lighten Your Pack
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

October 18th, 2015

10/18/2015

2 Comments

 
     Something strange has happened to the  Wretched Stones of Galicia.
     They're not there anymore.  
​     Not that there are no tricky spots now and then
Picture
...but we're halfway though Galicia and I have yet to meet up  any of the terrible, terrifying patches of giant jagged rocks that on our last Camino left me paralyzed with fear, unable to move without the group encouragement of Tom and every other pilgrim  who happened to be around me.
     I remember the Wretched Stones being everywhere last time.  Now they're nowhere.
    Now, I'm wondering whether all the hundreds of thousands of pilgrim boots that have walked over those stones in the two years since I last walked the Camino have worn them away, or could it be that something inside my head has changed?  Or did I just build these rocks up to be such huge monsters in my memory that the  reality now makes them seem insignificant?
     Or maybe they'll spring up on the path before me tomorrow.
​     Yesterday we walked about 17 kilometers from Gonzor to Palais de Rei.
​     It was another morning of walking alongside cloud islands.
Picture
Picture
Picture
    I love the cloud islands.  I can't resist stopping to gaze  at them, then I can't stop gazing at them. I feel like I want to keep looking at them forever, mesmerized by the illusion of islands and oceans.
    But then by late morning the clouds have drifted off  and the mountain tops are no longer islands, but mountain tops once again.
           We hit a brief spell of rain in the afternoon, and so I  transformed into  a Camino tortoise,
Picture
      ....and on we walked, 
Picture
Picture

​    ....and saw the little pilgrim Xunta guy a few times. I love him, too.
Picture
Picture
     
​     In the city of Palais de Rei  we stayed at the albergue Castro, a beautiful modern new building with a bar on the first floor, a restaurant in the basement and elevators to the bright, spacious dorms on the second and third floors where the beds were 9€ each..
Picture
     The internet was lightening-fast - it's been a bit of a challenge finding working WIFI lately - and the bathrooms were gender-segregated and spotless, with soap dispensers, paper towels  - almost unheard of in the albergues - and plenty of lovely hot water
Picture
     We had a delicious 9€ pilgrim meal - complete with the standard bottle of vino tinto - ​red wine - in the cozy basement restaurant:
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
     As we were finishing the last bites of our dessert a bus full of French tourgrims came piling into then restaurant and the hassled server was bustling around trying to find seats for them all. Tom and I quickly got up from our seats and offered them to the group.  When we went up to the bar to pay for our meal the grateful server as a thank-you poured Tom - I declined - a shot glass full of a strong local liqueur typical to Galicia, on the house.  And everybody was happy.

2 Comments
Paula Trybus
10/19/2015 06:52:01 am

I am enjoying your Camino blog so much, Patti! I agree with you about your dining table mass experience. Whenever my brother, Joe, says mass for us in our home, it is such a special, peaceful time. I wish you and Tom safe travels as you continue on to the sea! God bless you and keep you safe.

Reply
Claire
10/19/2015 09:40:13 am

Hi Mom, I'm glad the Wretched Stones aren't bothering you so much this time around. Oftentimes I think the anticipation of whatever you're worrying about is worse than the actual thing. (Though those stones do sound pretty wretched). Wishing you and Dad smooth walking with minimal stones!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Patti Liszkay

    My husband Tom and I will be walking the 490.7-mile Camino de Santiago de Compostela from St. Jean Pied de Port, France, to Santiago, Spain. We leave Columbus 9/02/15 and return 11/02/15, God willing.
    If you're interested in reading about our first Camino two years ago I've chronicled that journey in "Tighten Your Boots" at www.pattiliszkay.weebly.com

    Archives

    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    The sequel to "Equal and Opposite Reactions" in which a woman discovers the naked truth about herself.
    Picture
    ​"Hail Mary"
    by Patti Liszkay
    Buy it on Amazon:

    https://www.amzn.com/1684334888


     A romantic comedy of errors.
           Lots and lots of errors.

    Picture
    "Equal And Opposite Reactions"
     by Patti Liszkay
    Buy it on Kindle:

    http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa 
    or in print:

    http://www.blackrosewriting.com/romance/equalandoppositereactions
    or from

    The Book Loft
    of German Village,
    Columbus, Ohio

    Picture
    Or check it out at the Columbus Metropolitan Library
    Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact