Day 10- Le SoulierTonight we are at a Gite, specifically intent on welcoming pilgrims rather than walkers. It is a little like last night except there are no offices or Mass. It is a tiny place that can accommodate only 6 pilgrims, two of whom presently are a mother and son, the mother being a volunteer worker at the Gite. She is working hard in the garden at this time. Her son is 8 years old and Enda
has been teaching him a little English. Today started off rather easily, but then the climbs began. Not too difficult but many of them! The camino taught us once again that as we climb we should live in the moment (Mindfulnness). Don’t be looking forward to see how long it is to the top, that can be dispiriting, don’t look back to see how good it was down on the flat land, as that is past history and cannot be relived. Be mindful instead of the immediate, what do you see, what is the path like, what plants are growing at the side of the path, what way is the wind blowing, how does it feel on your face, is the sun shining, is there rain or mist, is it cold or hot, … ,? These are only some of the many things which your mind could be considering. Focus your mind on these in a way that does not judge, just appreciate the moment for how you observe it. I have found such techniques to be truly helpful in many situations. So is deep breathing, but rather difficult if you are gasping for breath walking up hill. In that case stop, rest and try deep breathing and get your mind back into the present in a positive sense. For those interested in food, green lentils are still all the go even though we have moved out of Le Puy and the Central Massif. They seem to combine them frequently with cloves, either in soup or as a vegetable with meat (or other vegetables). Tonight we were treated to the regional dish called Alligot, a combination of Cantal cheese, potatoes, cream and spices. We should be putting on weight with all the good bread and wonderful cheese that we consume, hopefully we have found a good exercise and diet balance. We have added Dalmae Kelly to our prayer list. Please continue praying for her and all on our list. (The list may be found on the Useful Links page). On the Useful Links page we have added three links Brendan Bolton has given us. Brendan an Australian and family have recently upended roots in Australia and moved to Santiago to further his passion for the Camino. He has established Project Camino which produces podcasts of interviews with people who have walked the Camino. One of the three links takes you directly to an interview he did with us about 4 weeks ago, but most of you would be aware of its content. I suggest listening to some of the other podcast should you have the time.
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