The Foolish Pilgrim

Today, the first day of my Camino, I missed the pilgrim mass at the cathedral. I'm not actually worried about it, though, since it means I didn't have to climb the 135 steps to get into it. Instead I just started up the hill out of town. The big hill.

I had to stop several times to catch my breath, but that was the worst of it. I actually felt pretty good. My pack was heavy but didn't bother me much. However, after about five or six kilometers, I really started to feel the pasta, cheese, three packages of soup mix, pack of three small cans of green beans, the lentils I'd bought, the two potatoes, three apples, small jar of pasta sauce, iPad, tent...

It wasn't long before I started regretting carrying so much. I tried to weed things out before coming with no luck. I can't get rid of my first aid kit, my two changes of clothes, my shelter (though tonight I'm not using it), sleeping bag or much of anything else. I did bring a journal to write in, which weighs a lot, so I think I'm going to send that to my parents, along with a set of maps for the Camino Francés in Spain. I'll have to look and see what else I can get rid of, but I think eating the food will definitely help.

Other than the weight, which made my hips sore, I had a nice walk. I've met some very interesting people. I walked for a while with a retired gentleman (who worked on motors for Airbus, of all things!) and he pointed out some things. He told me what a device by the side of the road was, called a "travail," which means work. It was a metal frame with a couple of straps hanging from one side to another. It was used when fields were worked by horses and oxen. They would put the animals in the straps and raise them up in order to shoe them.

He also pointed out the call of a cuckoo. It's apparently pretty big, but it'll put its eggs in another bird's nest, even when the other bird is very small. So the other bird ends up raising the cuckoo.

I also came into the hostel today with a small group from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais. We got here about 2:00, and I stayed downstairs for a while, but then I was so tired I decided to find a bed upstairs and lie down. I ended up sleeping for a few hours, but I'm still tired. I feel much refreshed after taking a shower, though, and I'm sure the other people will appreciate it as well. I didn't partake of the meal prepared by the owners, preferring to cook my own food. It's much cheaper, not to mention healthier. But the owner did set out a bowl for me to share in the dessert: Île Flottante (floating island). It's crème anglaise, with meringue on top that's covered in what the French call caramel but it's really just burnt sugar, the same crispy stuff on top of crème brûlée.

Now, though, I'm going to read for a bit to wind down, then I'll go to sleep. It's 10:00 and still somewhat light outside! Some of you may be used to that, but it's dark by 9:00 in Kansas. Bonne nuit!