Saturday, September 18, 2010

Leaving Las Vegas



Final thoughts from a Friday night in Astorga. . .

A few days ago I asked our son Andrew to do a Mapquest of how far our home in Camarillo, California is from his and Jenn's home in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The answer was 326 miles.

When I arrived in Astorga on Friday, I had now covered 326.4 miles! I've walked past their house, WOW!

More new faces on the Camino as the Silver Route to Santiago that starts in southern Spain joined us in Astorga.

STAGE 23
Astorga to Rabanal del Camino
21.4 km/13.3 miles
Time Walked, 4:10

Total Distance Walked, 546.6 km/339.7 miles
Total Time Walked, 130:28
23 Nights in Albergues, 127 Euros

Distance to Santiago de Compostela
252.0 km/156.6 miles

I left the albergue at 7:00 a.m. and attacked the Camino still in the foul mood I was in yesterday. After walking a block I had to return to the albergue to retrieve my walking stick, nice move!

Near the half way point, Santa Catalina de Somoza, I decided to stop for a Cafe con Leche and a fresh squeezed orange juice. While sitting there I felt the hand of my abuela, also named Catalina by the way, reach down from heaven and slap me across the back of the head as a wake up call.

What is the prime directive? Your attitude is the control center of your life! For the last 36 hours I had opted to let the forces of negativity be my guide. Abuela was right as always, rethink my attitude and get back on a positive mindset.

IT WORKED, LIFE IS GOOD AGAIN!!!

I got to Rabanal del Camino, population 50, a new man. After the usual check-in, shower and hand wash laundry routine, I went to the nearby bar for another Cafe con Leche and tortilla de patata, AWESOME!

While I sat there munching away, the old song "What If God Was One of Us?" came on and I started to think of the people I've met on my travels and my friends and loved ones back home and got really emotional, on the verge of tears really. Damn, it's happening again as I right this and think about those lyrics and all of you who have touched my life. God really is in all of you. Oh shit, here come the tears.

It's a Camino thing. . .

On a more upbeat, non spiritual note, I had a fun talk, after composing myself, with a drop dead gorgeous girl from Barcelona about our favorite tapas bars in her great city and the history of tapas.

It still amazes me how people respond when I tell them I'm from California. Talk about shock and awe, we truly live in a magical state.

VIVA ESPAÑA!!!

Vamos Bien!

BUEN CAMINO!!!

3 comments:

Laurie said...

It could have been worse. You could have found yourself on top of the refrigerator! XOXO

David said...

I always found that saying you're from California is generally much better than saying you're from the United States. Even in places they don't love the U.S. they think California is pretty cool.

steveswindle said...

".....just a slob like one of us"

He is everywhere and in everything and you are feeling it. The Spirit is an amazing thing!!!

You know, every Euro country I have been to and met the locals....they all had a cousin in SoCal, and most of them were in either Santa Barbara or Newport Beach. Yes, Cali IS a magical place and we are lucky to call it home. And it IS the place where everyone wants to be....even the Beverly Hillbillies, haha!!!

Bueno Sueno Papi....