I realized today that my days walking the Camino are now fewer ahead of me than behind me. While I can’t say that I don’t want this to end (!) I can say that the days are passing far too swiftly. As they always seem to do at this time in my life. What seemed like a long time to be walking has now turned into more of a memory than an anticipation.

So today I resolved to be more present as I walked. I had a shorter distance to cover today, and the whole day in front of me without concern for too much heat in the afternoon, or a threat of rain. So I took my time. Stopped more often. Walked more slowly. Looked behind me more often to see what I left instead of focusing on what I still needed to accomplish. I found myself noticing the scents more today.  Of course, much of the scent in this farm country is of manure. But occasionally, as I was walking through a beautiful forested area, there were some tantalizing scents that I had never smelled before. I stopped and just breathed deeply and enjoyed the fragrance. I made a lot of eye contact with the huge local population of cows on my walk, was forced to be present as I navigated some rocky and muddy downhill sections, and was grateful for seeing a blue sky once again.

When I arrived in Sarria, I was given a restaurant recommendation for the local specialty, octopus. When I entered the restaurant, the first thing I encountered was a man pulling out huge legs (?) of octopus out of a boiling kettle and slicing them up. The restaurant consisted of a bunch of picnic tables and no menus. And all locals. A great sign. So I had the specialty. Just boiled, sliced, with a sprinkling of salt, olive oil and paprika. With a few glasses of Vino Tinto (the house red, given to you as a bottle that I think you can take as much out of as you want!!) and a slice of crusty bread. It may not be for everyone, but I loved it! I wandered the streets and really noticed how quiet this busy city is during siesta time. Another time to pause and be present…