Camino 2016 06/13 - Making Something Out of Nothing

I sometimes wonder if I analyze things too much. Instead of saying to myself "there's a lovely city wall", my mind wanders through a list of items.

Yes, look at the interesting stone color. It differs from the stone of the cathedral so is it from the same quarry source or era? It looks like flowers have grown into the nooks. Do they intend that to happen or do they have to trim it? Is it strong enough to eventually cause a crack in the stones? How do you replace such a stone? What did they use for mortar? Is this base done in a Roman style or celtic style or is it newer than that? Were the Celts here? Perhaps the moors got this far. No, they were beat back so the walls must pre-date them. You certainly don't see moorish influence on the architecture or food like in the south. Mmmm. Lunch time.

And so on.

But I've been told to rest physically which limited what I see. Tomorrow I will move on to Foncebadon. I'm using the pack service so that I won't need to put so much weight on my feet. Once I feel confident that I've beat back the blisters, I can wear the pack without concern.

We had a nice American style breakfast then attended mass at the cathedral. We bought some groceries and then rested in the hotel.

Later we took a stroll to the southwest end of the city walls. We looked towards the hills we will climb tomorrow in the north west. After we picnicked, I dozed staring at the lovely trees. We checked out the bakeries and gave some money to a one handed man kneeling all hours of the day at one intersection. We then headed back and rested in the hotel.

We went to dinner, chatted with a British store owner I recognized from my first Camino, and ran into Thore. Though we chatted with others today, he's one I spent considerable time with between Roncesvalles and Zibiri. He's the red backpack angel I followed through the fog over the Pyrenees. It was a welcome reunion as I haven't seen him since Estella.

We soaked my feet one more time and I feel ready for my return to the Camino.

And that's it. Nothing else happened. At least, nothing interesting that can be journaled. 

Yet that's the beauty of rest and stillness. In all that napping and quiet, my feet were healing. My feet look more normal. Tissues were repairing. Swelling was going away. It might sound like nothing to a person who wants to constantly walk and do, wander and wonder. 

But sometimes it's the best way to make something out of nothing.

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