Then came the mountains, the steep climbs and wicked descents on shale smoothed over from the 10s of thousands of feet that have proceeded us. And finally we arrive at our accommodations…tired is word that simply does not capture the fatigue of the day. Yet, we shower, change, and walk from one end of the village to the other (200 people live here). And then we find them…the other pilgrims are gathered. Many of these people we have met along The Way as they passed us. The gang from Ireland is there, so to is the group from Michigan, as well as many others. Included in this assemblage of pilgrims is a 70+ year old man (has to be upper 70s) and his daughter (easily my age) - they are sitting there visiting with several younger ladies who they have just met - this old man breezed by us on one of the initial ascents of the day somewhere around the 8 mile point! I was zonked and he was slow and steady up the climb - never saw him again until now. A real character owns the establishment, his name is, are you ready for this…Angel. Angel loves the Beatles and is blaring them away, often times breaking into dance with contagious smiles. Angel bears a remarkable resemblance to Robert de Niro. Another person who has embraced his life, where he is and what he does…he has decided to love it…and as it says in movie I once watched (well at least once) “You don't choose your life, you live it!” and Angel is living his life!
What a wonderful first day. Ridiculously fatigued and couldn't get enough of it. Lastly, I want to let you know that during the course of the day, I named my walking stick. At first the stick simply tapped out time and cadence as we walked, but once we got into the mountains and foot became uncertain and legs became fatigued, the walking stick serviced an incredible need. It maintained my balance, helped me climb, and made descents more sure footed and controlled. It kept me from stumbling on several occasions and one point a rock broke loose that I had place my weight on during a descent. The stick supported my entire weight just as my knee locked in place. I am sure that without my stick this would have been an epic fall, resulting in devastating knee damage and who knows how far I might have rolled and bounced before stopping. At this moment Jacob (the walking stick) and I became fast friends. Jacob absorbed the limp that would have surely been all mine! If you're wondering, my backpack has also been named: “Ultreya”. It is wonderful pack that sits perfectly on my hips and carries the weight so well that while it is heavy to put on, it immediately becomes forgotten that it is there. Each time I reach for it to put it on, I am reminded that the journey continues - Ultreya!!