Maureen Pass

Even on the Camino we must practice our silence, stillness and solitude! In our lives everyday we all have so much going on around us music, tv's, errands, work, phone calls etc etc etc....you know exactly what I'm talking about!!!! So on the Camino you can get caught up in chatting...miss your arrow and go the wrong way (which has happened) or you can stop a 170 times to take photos (you might not ever post🤦🏻‍♀️) because you have FOMO which is probably my own personal biggest distraction when on a journey/trip/camino!

Today, I practiced a day of using all my senses! My sight was to take my own personal pictures and lock them in my mind. Smell....to be present to the smells through out my walk. Sounds...listen to all the sounds of the day. And touch...feel all that I can! So what did I learn and what do I remember a day later ... an excellent question and to be honest a challenging question for myself!!!!

Day 5 was our longest day yet...it clocked in at 13 miles😳 yep with a 15lbs on my back... I was so sore after today! The morning started out of a charming town Barcelos home of the Rooster Legend. We walked through the best market on the way out of town. The weather was cloudy and comfortable. We heard roosters crowing all day but on the way out of town was fitting. The smells of fresh baked goods in the market were tempting but we had had breakfast. All day there was a lovely breeze and it was never too hot or too cold! The wind gave us relief for the hills we had to climb today and the clouds provided cover! NO RAIN was a welcome! It is spring time and all day we smell the trees in bloom that we walk by in the most beautiful country side with cobble stone streets and stone fences hundreds of years old with moss and wild ferns growing on them. Often a scent of Jasmine will grab you to stop and look or the beauty af drapping wisteria in bloom everywhere pulls you to a halt to take a wiff. There are lemon trees filled with many many big lemons in everyone's yards and you find yourself wondering what will they do with so many?!?!? It is unexplainable the wide variety of flowers in bloom on trees, bushes, plants and impossible to name, all I know is that they are magnificent and I'm so happy we choose this time of year to walk!!!! The sounds of water and wells are surrounding these lands and when you hear or see the streams you understand why it's so green and blooming! You are reminded you are in the country side with the smells of manure and farm animals as we pass through these rural charming villages and it takes me back to being a child in Pennsylvania growing up on our little make shift farm.

The lesson learned is we must stop to smell the roses! Camino Portuguese is filled with so many roses and blessing! A reminder for us all to slow down and take time to be present!

My fellow Camigas shared their pics with me so that is what I am sharing with you! The Camino is so very special🥰🩷🥾Baca lagi