Day 26: Leon - Villar de Mazarife (4/26/14)

I'll be honest.

Indulging in a train, not walking or carrying a backpack for hours

and sightseeing in a large city

took the wind out of my pilgrim sails.

There was also the reality of a lousy nights sleep - 

(what is it about the Spanish that seems to mandate

screaming, drinking and singing all frickin night long in the streets 

during any kind of celebration? 

May I also add the, I'm sure, politically incorrect observation 

that they have more reasons not to work than any other country I've ever heard of...

yup, it was yet again some provincial holiday 

which, of course, meant businesses
(including stores and restaurants)
were closed. 

Much of life,
at least during daylight hours,
would come to a crawl.

At night, all hell would be breaking loose)

It was raining the next morning -

and I was more than ready to get out of Dodge.

Even if it felt like I didn't get very far. 

Not even passing a community of little hobbit houses raised my spirits.

(I don't think they are residences;

information given to me by passing pilgrims indicated

they are primarily used for wine storage.

But I haven't taken time to Google and verify that - 

because it doesn't particularly matter to me.)

I attributed my malaise

to walking alone again;

and, frankly, it took me by surprise.

I started the Camino walking solo.

I was used to being alone;

More than that, I was comfortable with it.

I had a job for decades that required me to be able to relate quickly 

to a variety of people, 

in extremely difficult situations

and to continue those interactions 

for unending hours every day.

Coming home to quietness and solitude had been essential to my emotional survival.

For years, I have been aware of the struggle 

to find the right balance of companionship
and my need for authentic connection

with the space and restorative time I need to be with myself.

This was clearly a day when the balance was wrong.

Skipping ahead by train on the Camino 

also had the consequence of putting me 'out of sync' 

with folks I had walked around/with for weeks.

There were few familiar faces now;

the path and weather were lousy

and I was having to look really hard to find the beauty.

At least the sun came out by the time I decided to stop walking for the day.

Since I had now walked to a different province - 

one without a holiday? - wth?),

I was able to take advantage of a store,

 sit in the sun relaxing while I watched clothes dry,

and listen to the incredible 'clacking' the storks were making 

in their church nests directly across the square.

Overall, just a 'blah' day...

they happen.