Two Left Feet

Feck! Ah Jaysus, feck it.’

 

I’ve had a disturbed nights’ sleep and wake wondering why I’m dreaming about being in an episode of Fr Ted.  Roughly every 45 minutes throughout the night, Mir prodded my shoulder and stage whispered for me to turn over so my snoring would stop. I didn’t like to point out that I couldn’t possibly have been snoring as that would require getting to sleep in the first place, and that task wasn’t achieved because of her frequent and thunderous flatulance.  But I don’t mention that. She’d only think I was being petty.

‘Feck!’

I open one eye to check is Fr Jack in the room but see it’s only Mir lying face down on the bed, pounding her fists and shaking hard. I can’t tell if she’s laughing or crying but it’s not even 7am so actually I don’t give a shit.

Deep breath.

‘What is it? ‘ I ask, trying not to sigh too loudly.

Disaster, she tells me. (See what I mean about the drama queen thing?). ‘Total feckin disaster.  I’ve brought odd boots’.

I stifle a snort and dig deep for my empathetic voice.

‘Oh dear. Are they for the same foot?’

They aren’t, so she can wear them and just has to put up with looking odd. Somehow two left boots would have felt more apt.

 

We are up and out before eight and leave the hotel in such a hurry, in order to avoid people noticing her fashion faux pas, that we forget to get camino passports. Ah well, I’d say there will be enough evidence of the trip without it.

There are periods of reflection during the day as we walk long stretches in silence. These are my vulnerable times, the moments when I’m at risk of focusing on the negatives; thinking about what I’ve lost and all I miss; how much I have given and the fact that little parts of me are still very broken. But somehow, in this lush landscape, with evidence of spring in every field and bank, I give those thoughts limited energy and instead find myself considering the people who have come into my life; the friendships that have been strengthened over the last year; the number of people I can rely on completely to be there when I need them; the fact that my heart doesn’t hurt quite as much as it used to.  Maybe it’s the peaceful scenery; possibly it’s the very fact of being here on this adventure in a place I had no intention of coming to this time last year, despite my mum having made me watch the Martin Sheen movie on several occasions; or perhaps it’s just time and it’s healing powers, but I feel good being here. I am grateful for it.

We are about half way on today’s route when we meet an elderly man with his dog and no teeth. (The man has no teeth, we didn’t stop to check the dog). He tries to give Miriam his hand-made walking stick. She thanks him but refuses and he continues to gesture for her to take it. We walk away smiling and waving to him. I think he thought she had a disability because of her odd boots.

The walk finds it’s own pace; meandering through soft mist and rain at times, and leaning hard into the harsh showers when they come, but also heads lifted high when the air clears and the spring breeze is all we can feel on our faces.

At various places along the way, there are shrines, both ‘official’ and some clearly put together in a pretty ad hoc way. The latter tend to be crosses made from tree branches and tied with whatever string/ socks/ elastic people could find, but all these spaces are adorned by mementoes people leave along the Camino, just like Martin Sheen does in the movie. There are small stones, Mass cards, shells, personal possessions whose origins and meanings we can only guess at. I have nothing physical to leave at these shrines so instead I leave a memory, and I hope that I can now finally begin to let it go.

It’s true what they say about if you want to know someone, come live with me. Miriam Donoghue and I have known each other for many years, but it’s admittedly only in recent times that we have become firm and close friends.  Nevertheless, it’s difficult when a good friend disappoints. I’m not one to have particularly high standards but when Mir suggested that she ‘recycle’ her socks for a second day, I was very disappointed. Thankfully I’m not one to judge so I’m trying to let that go.  My meditation and mindfulness are really helping me.

We walked over 31,000 steps today which we reckon is about 24 kms. We had some fruit along the way and drank loads of water so we both anticipate being total skinny ma whinnies by the time we get home.

Long day tomorrow so early night