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Christine PowersChristine Powers
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podróżował/a po 3 krajach. Czytaj więcej
  • PodróżnikCamino de Santiago
    Dzień 34

    Home

    2 września 2023, Stany Zjednoczone ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    I’m home! It feels really good to be back.

    The flight back to Boston felt like one long evening. We must have been flying with the sun, because I left Barcelona at 7pm and arrived in Boston at 9pm. The sun stayed in the sky most of the flight as we made up for the 6 hour time difference.

    It felt so nice to sleep in my own bed and wake up and make my own breakfast. Dylan and I are enjoying a quiet day at the lake. We went to the library and I checked out a bunch of books to read over the next week at home. It’s nice to experience some normalcy and be back in the comforts of home.

    Thank you all for following along and sharing encouraging words and support. I felt held in community even as I was walking alone. I’m very grateful!

    Hugs,
    Christine     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikCamino de Santiago
    112111
    Dzień 32

    Blue moon

    31 sierpnia 2023, Hiszpania ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Today was my last full day in Spain, so I woke up early to go watch the sunrise on the peninsula. I forgot until I got outside that it was also the night of the blue moon. It was spectacularly beautiful to get to see both the bright, full moon shining over the ocean and watch the sunrise. I sat on the rocks with the moon on my left and the sunrise on my right with the waves crashing against the rocks in front of me. It was amazing to watch the moon fade into the pastel colored sky until it finally dipped below the horizon.

    I felt spoiled with so much natural beauty to end my time in Muxia and in Spain. I hope you all got to see the blue moon from your places in the world.

    I took the bus back to Santiago to be ready to travel to the airport for my flight home tomorrow. I’m glad to be going home and looking forward to time with Dylan and the cats, fresh veggies, and swimming in the lake. I’m ready to go back home.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikCamino de Santiago
    12211312112
    Dzień 31

    Muxía

    30 sierpnia 2023, Hiszpania ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Today was a really special day. I took the bus from Santiago to Muxia, one of the coastal towns that is also connected to the Camino if you decide to keep walking. It’s a small village with mostly local people and a few pilgrims.

    I arrived midday and went right to the beach for a swim. The ocean water was cold, but I saw other people swimming so I knew it was possible! It was the perfect way to mark the end of my Camino - by swimming in the ocean. The shock of the cold water felt invigorating.

    The rest of the day was just as delightful. I walked to the end of the peninsula to see a stone church that was built right along the water. I watched the waves crashing against the rocks for a while and enjoyed the familiarity of the Atlantic ocean and rocks and the ways it looked and felt similar to Maine.

    Dylan happened to have planned a day at the beach with his mom, so we waved to each other across the ocean.

    I ended the day collecting seashells and watching the sunset on the beach. A pretty perfect day.

    I can hear the waves on the shore even as I write this and go to bed.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikCamino de Santiago
    3
    11111312111
    Dzień 30

    Santiago

    29 sierpnia 2023, Hiszpania ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    I made it to Santiago! It was a beautiful misty morning walk with pockets of sunshine along the way. There was a gentle flow of pilgrims but not a big rush, which I was grateful for. I was surprised by two horses that appeared along a stone wall and was happy to give them my banana as a treat.

    I made it to the Cathedral and was ushered in with some bagpipe music. I walked the block down to the pilgrim office and got my Compostela. The man processing my credentials was really friendly and congratulatory. He was a volunteer from Florida who has walked 9 Caminos. He asked if I wanted the extra “distance certificate” to mark that I walked from Saint Jean and not just the final 100k to earn the Compostela. I said I didn’t walk every mile so I felt like I didn’t earn the distance certificate. He seemed surprised but didn’t press it.

    When I was waiting to purchase a little packing tube that they sell at the pilgrim office to store your Compostela in safely, I changed my mind and found an opening in the line to go back and ask the man for my distance certificate. He said he was glad I came back and happily gave me the distance certificate saying I completed the Camino from Saint Jean. Even that little story feels like a moment of grace for myself. It’s not important that I didn’t walk every mile from Saint Jean to Santiago. It’s enough that I started in Saint Jean and I ended in Santiago and it was a pilgrimage to get here. I’m glad I didn’t get so caught up in the details that I denied myself the accomplishment of traveling a long ways, whether exclusively by foot or not.

    Today felt joyful and celebratory. I feel proud of myself and grateful for the experience.

    I decided to mail my hiking poles back to the US. The plane doesn’t let you bring them on board with your carry on. I was originally planning on leaving them behind, but I’ve grown fond of them and wanted to keep them as a memento. It felt like I was missing something for a full 10 minutes after I mailed them off.

    I’m happy I decided to visit the ocean tomorrow as a fitting place to end my time in Spain and my time on the Camino.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikCamino de Santiago
    11
    Dzień 29

    Lavacolla

    28 sierpnia 2023, Hiszpania ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Today was a really nice day of rest and reflection. Leaving later in the morning meant it was much quieter on the trail. I walked happily and was able to listen to the birds and the wind in the trees. The weather continues to be a mix of clouds, light showers, and sunshine. The light rain showers are refreshing and fun in their own way.

    I made it to Lavacolla and enjoyed a quiet afternoon journaling by a fountain in the courtyard. The stream that pilgrims used to wash in is overgrown and not accessible anymore, so it was nice to sit by a fountain and feel connected to the sound of water.

    Even though I’m only 9km (5.5 miles) from Santiago, it was nice to take today to rest mentally, physically, and emotionally and integrate what I’ve learned along the way before arriving in Santiago tomorrow. It’s always interesting when I notice myself doubting whether I really need rest and thinking, “I could have just kept going.” I’m almost always grateful I decided to rest even if I could have done more.

    I’m excited to get my Compostela certificate tomorrow. It feels like I earned it - not just because I walked the obligatory 100km but because it feels like I brought my full self to the experience and have been open to the lessons and growth I’ve gained along the way.

    Thanks for following along :)     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikCamino de Santiago
    1
    1124
    Dzień 28

    O Pedrouzo

    27 sierpnia 2023, Hiszpania ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today I walked 13.5 miles from Arzua to O Pedrouzo. It was my last long day of walking. That alone feels celebratory knowing I’ve done all the big pushes and now it’s just two short days to Santiago.

    Today was another busier day with more crowds on the trail. I met some Irish people who said they were part of a tour group of 90 people. The trail feels different with all the chatty groups of newcomers, but I sped up or slowed down my walking pace throughout the day to find moments of quiet.

    A lot of people walk from here to Santiago since it’s about 20km. I decided to break up the final stretch and stay in Lavacolla tomorrow, about halfway to Santiago. Lavacolla is the town where pilgrims used to wash themselves off in the stream to prepare to arrive in Santiago. It feels like a fitting place to rest and reflect. It also means I can leave early on Tuesday for the final 10km and hopefully arrive in Santiago with fewer crowds.

    When I decided to change my itinerary earlier in the trip, I wanted to imagine myself arriving in Santiago feeling proud and celebratory. I didn’t want to arrive in Santiago feeling exhausted and relieved to be done. I think breaking the final stage into two shorter days will help it feel more celebratory and less of a rush to the end.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikCamino de Santiago
    112
    Dzień 27

    Arzua

    26 sierpnia 2023, Hiszpania ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Today was a nice day. The weather was sunnier but still cooler - in the 60s and low 70s - which was nice walking weather. There was a more gradual flow of people, so I didn’t feel crowded or alone - the perfect balance.

    I enjoy days when I know I have fewer miles to walk because I can enjoy the walk without feeling a time pressure. I stopped at an albergue for a coffee early in the day and had a nice conversation with a woman in her 60s from California. I’ve still met fewer than a dozen people from the US, so I always perk up when I hear English. We chatted about walking at your own pace, not listening to other people’s opinions about what constitutes a “real pilgrim,” and avoiding unnecessary suffering. It was a nice conversation that energized me for the rest of the walk.

    When I cancelled all my reservations and then re-made reservations with my new plan, I had a hard time finding a room in Arzua. All I could find was a “wellness hotel” about a mile from the trail. I wasn’t thrilled about walking an extra mile, but the hotel turned out to be a lovely place to relax for the afternoon. I even got a 30 minute massage for my legs, feet, and back. And I got to have a salad with actual greens and try some Arzua cheese which is made from the milk of all the cows I’ve been seeing.

    I’m ready for my last big walking day tomorrow (12 miles) before the gradual approach to Santiago (two more 6 mile days). Only 39km to go!     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikCamino de Santiago
    1
    121
    Dzień 26

    Getting closer

    25 sierpnia 2023, Hiszpania ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I forgot to post last night, so this is a double post. Yesterday I walked from Portomarin to Eirexe. Eirexe was a tiny stop along the way with an albergue and a restaurant across the street without much of a town. I decided to stop early to do fewer km and to stay “off stage” (aka not stopping at the primary towns dictated by the stages in the guidebooks).

    Leaving Portomarin yesterday morning was my first taste of the big crowds everyone describes joining at the end. It was a constant stream of people ahead and behind with that same hurried energy from the beginning of the trail. There must be some psychological principle that makes people feel like they’re racing when they’re in a crowd.

    Today I walked 14 miles from Eirexe to Melide. This was my last longest walking day - everyday after this is shorter than what I did today.

    I’m glad to be getting close to Santiago and glad to be coming to a close with this experience. My body feels stronger than it did at the beginning, but emotionally I feel drained from the effort it has taken to sustain myself. I’m looking forward to being back in the comforts of home and back to the bountiful harvest of fresh vegetables available from our local farms.

    Three more days before Santiago.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikCamino de Santiago
    1121
    Dzień 24

    Hiding from the heat

    23 sierpnia 2023, Hiszpania ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    Today was another gentle walking day. I enjoyed the meandering trails through cow fields and wooded groves. I passed the 100km mark and am officially in the final days before reaching Santiago.

    It got to be 99 degrees today, so I spent most of the afternoon in my room trying to stay relatively cool. Looking at the forecast for the rest of my time in Spain, it looks like the temperatures are going to be much more mild, highs in the 70s from here out. It should be lovely weather to walk some longer distances over the next few days.

    Today’s primary emotion was gratitude. Setting out on the trail this morning I felt gratitude for the gift of the time I could take to walk this Camino and all the financial and logistical privileges that allowed me to do this. I also felt grateful that my body has been able to walk these distances without pain. And gratitude for the emotional support and encouragement I’ve received along the way.

    Tonight I started reading a book Shannon recommended at Winni called The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating. It’s a memoir about chronic fatigue and one woman’s connection with a snail that lives in a terrarium at her bedside. Coincidentally, I’ve been surprised to notice a few snails along the Camino and they’ve often stopped me in my tracks to marvel about how they got there.

    I have much more learning to do about ableism, disability justice, and how my own internalized ablism is present in my blind spots and biases. It’s learning I want to do to better acknowledge my able-bodied privileges and be a better ally for the wide range of disabling experiences. I don’t have any big thoughts to share, besides that I’m seeking out resources and hoping to learn and reflect more. I’m open to any other resources people have to share.     Czytaj więcej

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  • PodróżnikCamino de Santiago
    111111
    Dzień 23

    Taking my time

    22 sierpnia 2023, Hiszpania ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Today was a good day. I walked a shorter distance and stopped at a cozy albergue halfway between Sarria and Portomarín. There’s another heatwave with temps in the high 90s, so I’m grateful the timing worked out to do shorter walking days that I can get done early in the day before the heat comes. I’ll finish the walk to Portomarín tomorrow.

    I had another good vegetarian lunch, washed my laundry and hung it to dry, and enjoyed reading on the terrace. Overall, it was a quiet, pleasant day.     Czytaj więcej

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