Alvorge to Conímbriga

21.2km

Much shorter day but it felt longer than any other. I think my body is exhausted. I had planned to go a little further and cab in to avoid highway walking but I cut myself some slack and finished after the ruins in Conímbriga. I missed a short 3km of farm land and 8km of highway walking. I had planned for tomorrow to be a rest day and I am so grateful for it. My feet are starting to revolt.

Today was lovely, lots of little villages and beautiful flowers and hundreds of butterflies and bees. I think I saw over 25 varieties of butterflies.

There are many places on the Camino to leave an intention or release a burden. I have two items in my backpack to symbolize both. I have a holding cross I had in the ICU and the hospital. It has my teeth marks in it. My brain was on sensory overload and biting was a release. I plan to leave that somewhere behind me. It reminds me of all I have overcome, but it also comes with incredible angst. Additionally, I have a stone that has the names of people and things that are important to me. My girlfriends and I wrote on the stones last year during a weekend away. It has sat on my kitchen table for a year and reminded me of who and what is important to me. I plan to dedicate my steps to those people and things and leave the rock somewhere along the way.

Today, I passed one of the places on the Portuguese Camino where you can leave your burden behind. I knew it was coming today, but I wasn’t ready emotionally to let go. So I’ll continue to carry it with me. I think I’ll know when the time is right.

I met a friend and we walked for an hour. It was nice to have companionship. She is a teacher from Florida and is in her late 20’s. She walked the Camino Frances last summer. She is struggling with a sore knee so we were only able to stay together for an hour before she had to stop.

I passed by a little “oasis”. A couple has made a little spot to get a pilgrim stamp, go in their homemade chapel and have a glass of cool water or hot tea. It was a fun surprise!

I am so ready for rest. I am in a big city, so I ordered Uber Eats. Tomorrow I rest.Leggi altro