Rest Day No. 3

Rest Day No. 3 - Saturday

I'm spending today in Moratinos:

A sleepy hamlet of barely a dozen houses, it is the perfect spot to re-charge the Batteries: physical, mental & iPhone !

The third of my five Rest Days, today does feel like Half Time.
(Strictly in terms of kilometres that will be at the end of Monday.)

So what can I tell you about the Camino - #ForeverYoung trip so far?

In two words:
Distance
Rhythm

Distance

As you may know the whole walk of some 860 kilometres is the equivalent of London to Newcastle & back.
Or Bristol to Aberdeen if you don't want to come back!

Spain is a vast country, relatively unpopulated with just 92 people per square kilometre.
Compare: England at 420 & the UK at 270.

As you trek across the Plain of Castile, the road ahead can seem endless:

In this part of Spain the cities are every 150 kilometres or so; about a week's walking.

It can feel that progress - even averaging 25 kilometres per day -  is snail like.
But the Michelin guide book (which stops at Santiago, not Finisterre) shows decent progress after three weeks:

I don't know if Confucius ever walked the Camino, but he was right when he said:

Rhythm

I've settled into a now well-practised daily rhythm.

Boots on the Ground by as soon after 08.00 hours as possible.
This way you get a couple of hours - maybe 10 kilometres - before the day warms up.

I have been blessed by wonderful weather. Just one wet morning so far; Day 4 leaving Pamplona.
It is a real privilege to be Outdoors in such gorgeous  weather.

Coffee break with a 🍌
Perhaps a soft drink break
Sandwich for lunch

Plenty of water as you go

And - as the sun is at its hottest from 14.00 to 16.00 hours - hopefully finishing the walk around 14.30 to 15.00 hours.

A LARGE 🍺
The daily blog
Dinner

And  8+ hours sleep

It is very much one - & just one - day at a time.

Such looking further ahead is little more than thinking about the next Rest Day ... & the Washing !!

But there is a  feeling of Continuity too.

In the week that he died, the quote from Tom Petty said it all:

--

Coming up next: Week 4
The longest week at 172 kilometres.

It is off to Leon.

You know Leon, don't you?
It is where the Kings come from:

See you soon !

#BuenCamino , Pilgrim Piper