Portomarin

I had a day off the journal yesterday. Not that I hadn't plenty to consider, but I was busy with the visual effects of the day as I approached Portomarin, checked into a private albergue, with a fully functional kitchen, ate a lovely lunch, made a lovely dinner. Drank some wine, etc.

Awoke at 2pm. Had an hour of struggling to get back to sleep wondering if I need to start examining my life? The unexamined life isn't worth much. This Camino is the one where answers are to be revealed and I definitely saw hints of serendipitous ponderousness happening after I stopped for coffee and cake mid morning... Those pump clips. The second time I cried tears of joy and happiness...

Because I see things I don't see elsewhere: where I have peak experiences which fill me with hope, I keep going. But they are vanishingly Illusive/allusive as l sit down for yet another cup of coffee, orange juice and aceite y tomate this morning .... Such pathos.

Ten years ago I began seeing other things ... Another way, a new beginning; which I've stuck to determined to reach a conclusion.

The swarm of people on the Camino for the final few days. I have to find the me in it. A viaduct over the Rio Sarria before Samos looked an inviting place to leap from and I wasn't in Sarria yet... But it was beautiful coming down to Portomarin. I spoke to all of the dogs in each of the farming hamlets and I took time to say hello to cows and horses in the paddocks: I felt one with nature on that pleasant stroll.

But I am still thinking of what Socrates is said to have said  about living an unexamined life... I need to weigh out the value of it. Too many people here on the Camino. But it's for me. It feels different though. They're a different kind of face from those who I saw prior to Sarria and I am being less friendly too. One guy had his head fixed in his phone as he ate lunch yesterday as I have mine fixed here too, but as every bite was so pleasant for me where he appeared not to be noticing the food he was eating? The food was so British I could've screamed: broth and stew. Fantastic bread, etc.