Villavante from León; 1st Blister

While walking today I realized I've walked more than 300 miles (500+ km) so far. If we include in-town, it's significantly more.

That's a lot of steps. My phone says 41,000 today alone and that's pretty typical for a 32km (~20 miles) day.

The landscape was attractive, gentle rolling hills with corn, beets (?), Wheat, a flowering plant we don't recognize, sunflowers, some tree farms, flax, and probably others that I've forgotten because my blood sugar is low and my head is half-baked from the heat and the remarkable paucity of shade.

Right after lunch I discovered my first blister! I'm sad and annoyed by this... I've been successful thus far and don't know what factors contributed. Did I tie my shoe too loose/tight? Socks got too damp? A rock? Some dirt?

Whatever happened, my left 2nd toe now has a little (pea sized) painful blister. Phooey.
I'll decide later what to do to mitigate more problems; after a cool beverage.

Despite each of us discovering blisters, the rising heat, and friendly company .... We opted to do another 10km after lunch in ~90 degree weather. They were 10 boring, but flat, km along first a straight paved road then a straight dirt road. Highlights include: León just after dawn; getting some adorable puppy skritches; watching an eagle eat a snake in a hayfield; watching a different raptor glide around a field, presumably hunting; enjoying a lunch of veggie burger w fries; cool breeze on sweaty bodies; several rivers; standing in the overspray of aomw corn irrigation; meeting some nice people along the way; and taking off my shoes. All in all, a very good day.

We made it. Maybe we should have walked another mile to a cute b&b by the river but took the "good enough and here" option of a humble but clean Albergue. Adding "just one more mile" after 20 miles in the peak of afternoon heat.... Is a tough sell.

Emotionally.... I am glad to say that I had a number of chances to check in with myself and feel great. I've shed some of the burdens with which I started this trip and the others feel much more manageable. Doing hard things every day is good therapy. Combining in the opportunity of 5-10hrs of moving meditation helps, too. Life is feeling good.

I'm dang tired. Staying up till 11+ last night wasn't ideal training. Or maybe I shouldn't have had that penultimate glass of vino. We shall never know.Read more