Thursday, May 31

Oloron Sainte-Marie, France

So, the Camino de Santiago did not go as planned. The day I began was cold and rainy; throughout the entire 36km of the day I trecked up and down hills through mud that has clmaimed many pairs of shoes on elementary school playgrounds around the world. I slipped and slid along the path and even waltzed right through a couple of raging creeks. It was quite an adventure. The main problem was that my bag was about 4x too heavy for that kind of hike, so as I powered my way along the trail I began to destroy my left knee and the muscles of my legs.
As I began the second day, through the same mud and cold, my legs were groaning. I went about 10km and then threw in the white flag as I knew I wouldn't be able to continue. I began hiking back to Oloron (the stopping point after the first day) and after about 5km my thumb got me a ride the rest of the way back.
Since then, Tuesday, I have been relaxing in this lovely town of 11,000 French citizens and trying to find ways to entertain myself as I heal. It has actually been nice as I have been able to reflect on the past semester, think about the future, and read a lot of Scripture.
Tomorrow I am taking the train to Pau, France from where I hope to catch a train or bus to Barcelona. I'm actually really looking forward to returning to Spain as I haven't been able to talk with anyone the entire time I've been in France. Once I get to Barcelona the plan is to relax as I await Aaron's arrival on the 6th.
Let the adventure continue!

No comments: