Stage 11: Nájera to Santo Domingo

20.9 km/13 miles, about 7 hours, 52°-59°, cool cloudy with intermittent rain showers, got to try the poncho - it works great! 🌧️ Bit of a slog after last good rest stop for elevenses (at 10:00) in Azofra 5.8 km in. Got into an interesting conversation about religion/ spirituality during which a woman from the Netherlands shared that she just found out she has bladder cancer. We all prayed with her before heading back out. You just never know...each day is a gift.
Mid- back lodged intermittent complaints today- its main demand seems to be "you must stop, sit down and take off the d*** pack at least every two hours!!" Seems reasonable.

I have thoughts, I am not my thoughts.
I have sensations, I am not my sensations.
I have emotions, I am not my emotions.

I'm experimenting with walking with the Minimal Required Effort (MRE- and/or meals ready to eat). How do I walk in as relaxed and graceful a manner as possible? without extra effort? Resisting or having an emotional reaction to my sensations/experience is extra and adds stress. Where am I clenching? (even my jaw! when I get into grim determination mode). Surrender into the experience, breathe.... experience is experience, suffering is optional. (Hah, great in theory 😂)

I've decided the poles slow me down sometimes, the effort of swinging them with every stride, so I'm playing around with them. Sometimes I hold them horizontally, or swing them ahead together every few steps (pretty soon I'll be twirling them like batons).

Got checked into the Cistercian monastery, into my spare but comfortable room, have showered and done laundry and it's 6:00 pm, dinner isn't till 9:00! I'm so hungry I don't know what I'm going to do till then!Read more