Markina-Xemein

Day 6
I'm feeling nothing, and that makes me feel frustrated! I suppose this is just the phase of settling in and that's okay: it's finding out if my clothes and everything suit what I need, it's discovering which bits of my body hurt or don't, it's seeing who else is around ,and how it all works, day by day by day. I reckon next week will be a bit of a shock when I will start sleeping in hostels instead of these lovely private rooms Heike has booked for us. But perhaps there will be a better sense of belonging to the pilgrims.
Cold, wind and rain demand resilience. We avoided the long and slippery hill route today in the challenging weather conditions, so took the coastal path for 10 km to Ondarroa, and then a bus to Markina. I didn't expect this cold and I'm very unsure that my kit is sufficient.
A most unusual church building at the Ermita de San Miguel de Arretxinaga - why these rocks?
Heike had booked an Airbnb apartment with a kitchen, so for supper we ate in, Karaoke fish from the fishmonger in Mutriku, and scallops in their shells: I now have my pilgrims' symbol to carry!

Uninspired to paint. Squeezed out some 'thunks' I've been sort of thinking instead.
... am I part of this environment, or separate from it? Incidental, unimportant; or significant, maybe, just because I'm here? Is my passing through any more (or less) consequential because I'm human - compared with sheep, snails, cows, donkeys ... or flowers, winds, sun, rain?

Walking together is nice, but I need to be alone. Next week will do. I want to gain more inner clarity and simplicity.Read more