Don Vinarius

The walk today was gorgeous. It rained off and on. The wind picked up here and there. The sun never came out. The views were stunning, however.

I felt like I was in a setting of an 16th to 18th century movie, where a queen is running for her life or perhaps going to meet her future husband and is being transported by horse and carriage through the forest. It looked just like that... bright green moss and algae growing on the trees and stone walls and ferns everywhere.

I walked alone today for a couple of hours. I didn't intend to, but when I'm walking in the front with a hat and poncho over my head, hearing is difficult, and I didn't realize that there was no longer someone behind me. I turned around, and no one was there.

Spring is beautiful here. Everything is blooming. With the rain, the waterfalls are flowing rapidly. The gardens are being tilled for planting. There are these little structures built up off the ground with air slats on the sides and often crosses on top of them. I believe they are for drying and storing grains, called horreos.

My thoughts are random when I'm walking, and I observe my thoughts like passing clouds as they float in and out. I tried to meditate while walking, but that didn't work very well.

I don't have any singular focus in my thoughts or issues that I'm processing. I'm just here. Perhaps escaping, letting go, letting down. Not being in control or knowing where I am, where I'm going, how far I've gone, or how far I have left to walk is a process of letting go for me.

We stopped for lunch at Don Vinarius. I had a salad with lettuce, tomato, onion, carrot, sweet corn, and tuna. Wine is 2.50 Euro per glass. The cost of living and real estate is lower here it seems.Read more