Blister Blues

Lonesome landscape. On the way to Santo Domingo de Calzada.

It had to happen sooner or later.

I´m halfway done with the Camino de Santiago, about 250 miles complete, currently in the small city of Sahagún, not far from León--in a car driver´s terms that is, not so much a walker´s. And I´m doubting whether I want to go on.

I´ve got a bazillion blisters. The October weather in Spain has been hotter than average. I´ve been crossing the dull, dry Meseta and plains for days now. And I no longer see most of the original friends I made in my first week, who stopped earlier on or got days ahead of me. I´ve been walking the past few days entirely alone, from the time I step out of the albergue in the morning to the time I make it to another one farther on down the Camino at day´s end. The magic seems gone. I don´t feel I have the inner resources to conjure any up on my own.

I´ll be making a decision to continue or return to Ireland, and then the U.S., within the next day. Perhaps I can save the second half of the Camino for another time. Or perhaps I just need to let the blisters heal and open myself up more to the newer (and fewer in number) pilgrims passing me by. Perhaps I need to take an extra day and commit more to putting thoughts down on this blog, describing some of the friends I made and the sights I´ve seen--perhaps that will remind me why I´m doing this and give me the encouragement to go on. We´ll see, amigos...

Lonesome travelin'. Soon after entering Castilla y Leon region.

Beginning of the Meseta.

View from Alto Mostelares (after Castrojeriz) of the way ahead.

Morning leaving Villalcazar.

17 km stretch of nothing between Carrion de los Condes and Calzadilla.