Why old ruins never get old

I feel the need to balance the difficulties of the Camino with the wonder we've experienced so let's see if I can do that.

There's something special walking the path where others have walked and lived for centuries. Regardless of your religious, spiritual, political, or other beliefs, there's no denying the energy that was put into these places. Whether that energy is still there I leave to your imagination.

The ruins we see now might have been home to a family or a business. Families, farmers, merchants, artisans, and others lived and worked there. Still others built the walls that border so much of the Camino as part of their farms or grazing fields. Devotees built churches and decorated them with art. They put their energy into the creation of something.

It's not just the Camino though. For me, ruins and older structures fascinate me in a multitude of ways that maintains my interest even after having seen so many of them. Sometimes it's the history and the stories around the site. When that isn't known or is incomplete, the scientific and creative gears of my brain happily spin trying to figure it out or imagine stories that fit the circumstances. The Lego building engineer in me marvels at the what, why, and how of various objects and structures. Often there is a simple beauty about the older structures missing in many modern utilitarian buildings and bridges. And, yes, the fantasy geek in me does imagine the impossible and giggle with joy at the sights.Read more