9-22

So there are 3 fairly distinct parts to the Camino - up and over the Pyrenees, and through the vineyards that make up the wine country up to Burgos; the meseta which is a plateau consisting of endless fields; and finally, Galicia, a verdant region that extends to the Atlantic Ocean. It is said that the first third of the Camino breaks the body, the second third breaks the mind, and the third third breaks the spirit. THEN - you can be transformed. Now, one may very reasonably ask, but why? I can’t answer that right now, as I am in Burgos, just having completed the breaking of my body. I have been so sick. While most of my fellow pilgrims achieved their broken body status via infected blisters, bruised ligaments, major knee issues and horrible shin splints, I just got sick. My new best friend Steve, a retired er doctor thinks I had a sinus infection and a urinary tract infection. I also wound up with a bacterial infection that made me very sick to my stomach. So, I have been sleeping a lot, walking little, and feeling quite sorry for myself. However, I am much improved, and after spending a rest day in Burgos, I’m ready to head out again tomorrow. I guess, to begin the process of breaking my mind. Again, a sane person might ask, “but why?” And again - I have no idea. All I can say is that despite all of this breaking, this continues to be an amazing experience. My new friends - and the configuration morphs daily - continue to keep me motivated.

More to come…..Read more