Camino de Santiago

I passed up the chance to play in a swimming pool, choosing instead to sleep on a thin mat on the floor again.

I really enjoyed yesterday that much, and this type of experience is not available every stop.

Also
Today marks a year since my brother, Marty, died of a brain tumor and I feel conflicted about the relative merits of playing vs. being more spiritual. I am sure he would say "play!" but equally sure that my inner sense of self is clearly telling me that I feel less celebratory and more somber. I will celebrate him, plenty, but I haven't tapped into a feeling of joy enough to ignore the feeling of sadness. It all comes and goes in waves.

That said, I did pause in a dappled-shade garden with geraniums on the wall and enjoyed a delicious glass of sangria. He would have liked that. I sure did! Low-80s temps, light breeze, an amazing watermelon... All things of which he and I are both quite fond.

Besides the thoughts of him, today's 24km walk included: a beautiful cool morning with some pre-walk yoga (missed sunrise), passing from La Rioja into Castilla y León, rolling hills, a fresh-from-the-oven chocolate croissant, many wildflowers, too much near-the-highway, a great commencement speech in my ears ("This is Water" by Wallace), butterflies!, plenty of sunshine, some cool murals, ripe cherries plucked from a tree, several fun fountains, some kind and caring inquiries from fellow pilgrims who have heard me mention the significance of today, a visit to a 6th century hermitage bored into a mountain (renovated in the mid-1600s), and some pleasant conversations with new friends staying here.

A fantastic day.
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