Nutters

May 5, 2007

Rory Stewart, in The Places in Between, tells of a freezing day walking in Afganistan. As he is walking a jeep passes him with British Special Forces men inside. He says,

"When they reached me, an electric window when down..."You,¨said the driver, "are a fucking nutter.¨

This passage from my camino reading was especially with me yesterday. After I crossed this beautiful 11th century bridge in the picture, I hiked for 5-7 kilometers through mud--slimy, slick, wet mud. I thought of the nutter comment and felt sympathy with the sentiment. Still, it was exhilerating after finding an alternative path and a bizarre feeling of accomplishment.

I told some of you I would try to post a few notes on this site and now find myself wondering what to say. Walking is an anachronistsic (sp?) way to travel--still, it is an intimate way to travel as well. I see fewer sights but I seem them slowly and close-up. I also have plenty of time, when walking with others, to talk, and when walking alone, to think. That´s another kind of intimacy. So, a record of this trip is an account of thoughts and travel.

I spent a lot of time with Liz from England, and we decided that much of camino time is either blissful or miserable. I hope more bliss than misery, but I am not attached to that balance. Today, for the most part, has been sweet, and a hospitable touch this morning was the fuente de vino--the wine fountatin. A winery we passed has a fountain on the side of the building (really a lovely faucet) that pours red wine. I had a small nip of wine there this morning around 8:00 A.M. I have heard more than one person talk about how alcohol can get one started in the morning, but I´m not sold on that perspective yet. Still, I was pleased at the generostiy the fountain represents.

After the fountain I passd many vineyards. Most of the grape plants have just a few leaves at this time of year, and I still want to walk for a couple of weeks here during the grape harvest. The bases of the grape plants look ancient. I also passed an orchard of olive trees, grain fields, and a few almond trees. The altitude of today´s walk went from 420 - 700 meters above sea level.

It appears that the number of walkers on the camino keeps going up. Last night we arrived five minutes too late to get a bed in the refugio. Liz and I shared a reasonably priced room.

So, the walk continues.