The 4,757 foot -high mountain over which the Camino climbs on the first day has always been my biggest Frankenstein monster nightmare : Because this mountain happens on the first day, before I'll be all toughened up and strong; because it's the only day on the Camino when we'll be required to carry all our food and water for the 9 or 10 hours it takes to get from our starting point in St. Jean Pied -De-Port to the next nearest town of Roncesvalles; because 9 or 10 hours is a long time to be hauling the recommended 3 liters per person of water (which has got be even worse than carrying two extra pairs of undies); and because 4,757 feet is dang steep. All the other days (except for one other day, one of the last days, by which time we'll have arms & legs & backs like Arnold Schwartznegger) the elevations will be kinder and there will be plenty of water stops and rest stops and cafes and albergues along the way. Except on this first day. Or so I thought. And yet I always vaguely knew there was another route, a "low road" that runs parallel to high road, it just never was on my radar. Until today, when the thought suddenly popped up in my brain: we could take the low road! I found some information on the low road and learned that it passes through villages, over rolling hills and through lush forests and that few pilgrims take it. Maybe few take it because, like me, they just don't think about it, or maybe because the breathtaking panoramic views from the mountain trail are supposed to be among the most beautiful sights on the camino or anywhere. So can I stand to go through life knowing I'll have passed up one of the most spiritually enlightening vistas on the planet? Eh, well, you know what they say: "Before enlightement: chop wood, carry water, clean floor. After enlightenment: chop wood, carry water, clean floor." I guess I can.
5 Comments
Linda P
9/10/2013 02:46:17 am
Oh PRAISE GOD, there is a low route!! [I think this PROVES there IS a God, with a sense of humor who wanted to toughen you up and make sure you were up to the challenge, maybe?] Now THIS should restore an ear to dimpled cheek grin on ye, Missy Patti! I am gonna see if Lynn and Lynn are able this wknd to gather, watch The Way, and practice some "mindfulness" for you vicariously. Quote from Ohio politic'r Tim Ryan who practices 'mindfulness" each day (I heard him on the radio last night but you probably already do it at yoga, yes?) : If more citizens can reduce stress and increase performance - even if only by a little - they will be healthier and more resilient. They will be better equipped to face the challenges of daily life, and to arrive at creative solutions to the challenges [they] face...." ...So HOORAY for today's enlightenment and 2 HOORAYS for SATURDAY'S RELIEF the enlightenment will bring ye as a result! God bless you and Tom and keep you safe! Hugs , Linda : - )
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Patti
9/10/2013 11:40:14 am
Thanks Linda! Hugs back at ya!
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Mary Jane
9/10/2013 07:35:18 am
Patti and Tom, Good luck and keep us posted. I love reading your thoughts. MJ
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Romaine
9/10/2013 09:22:09 am
Yay for the low road! I think you can take the low road and still be on the high road - you know what I mean.
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Patti
9/10/2013 09:41:20 am
"You can take the low road and still be on the high road". Yes! I love it! Love you, too! Patti 8)
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Patti Liszkay
My husband Tom and I will be walking the 490.7-mile Camino de Santiago from St. Jean Pied de Port, France, to Santiago, Spain. We leave Columbus 9/11/13 and return 10/30/13. God willing. ArchivesCategoriesThe sequel to "Equal and Opposite Reactions" in which a woman discovers the naked truth about herself.
A romantic comedy of errors. Lots and lots of errors. "Equal And Opposite Reactions"
by Patti Liszkay Buy it on Kindle: http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa or in print: http://www.blackrosewriting.com/romance/equalandoppositereactions or from The Book Loft of German Village, Columbus, Ohio Or check it out at the Columbus Metropolitan Library
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