Hola everyone,
Wow I had to pause for a moment to think of the day of the week.  I lost a day in here somewhere as I didn't post anything yesterday.   I got into Potomarin yesterday  later than my usual time, which always throws me off a bit.  Amazing how I can get into a schedule even a simple schedule, which is  get up, bond with my pack, eat a light breakfast cafe conleche, walk, break, walk, break, walk , walk, walk, get to the alburgue get a bed and make it home, laundry, write, explore, dinner, bed.  That is pretty much the routine, although I do shake it up a bit just for the sake of the "shake up"  Its good for the soul to shake things up every once in a while, espcially when you are on a pilgrimage in Spain.

The Camino in my mind is a very powerful energetic grid, like a lay line or an acupuncture meridian of the earth.  There is so much spirituality, religion, history, ancient wisdom, ancient trees, millions of stories and millions of feet that have tromped over the same land I am tromping.  That is some powerful powerful energy and the Camino Magic" happens everywhere.  I don't use that word magic lightly.  Things happen hear that are beyond time.  Sometimes I feel like i'm in a time warp, either time speeds up, or stops all together.  Well yesterday I had an experience that would definitely qualify as Camino Magic.  I started my day walking with the people I  shared the room with the night before.  I usually start out walking my self, so I was already plugged  into another time table yesterday which threw me off a bit.  How did it throw you off you might ask.  Well, I couldn t find my head lamp and it doesn't  get light here until after 8 am, and then  I went for cafe con leche and realized I left my guide book in the room, second time I've done that, anyway that wasn't too bad as the cafe was right next door and I didn't have far to go for the guide and I did find my light but not where I usually keep it.   So you get the picture.  Iḿ a bit discombaubled.  We all leave together, up the hill, walk a bit  out of town, down a nice hill to a bridge and all of a sudden I gasp, look down and realize I have someone else's walking poles !!!  Now this is a catastrophe.  My walking poles are like an extension of my body.  If that is so you might ask, why did it take you so long to notice.  Good questions.  Early morning?  Don' be smart!!  Anywway, I came to a complete stand still tryinging to figure out what to do.  I have another personś poles and they most likely have mine and I want mine back.  Sooooooo Back up the hill through the town, down the hill to the cafe where I had my cafe con leche hoping that my poles are there and the othere person is there.  EVeryone I pass I ask if they have their poles. I get to the care and I look up and my poles are there leaning where I put them and a young woman has just walkied out the door and is reachihng for the poles.  She hasn't even had time to register in her mind that they are not her poles when I say excuse me, she turns around looks at my hands  and says" those are my poles".  EXACTLY   I take mine give her hers and say "these are mine"  We smile and I shake my head in awe.  The timing of that was unbelievable  A few minutes  either way and we would have missed each other.  Add to that  the fact that she had just walked out and was ready to get her poles and leave and  didn't even have time to register that they weren't her poles. She was just reaching for them.    Add that all together and I say there was some Camino Magic.  I was soooo happy to see my poles, I haven let them out of my sight since and infact have been putting a twisty around them so people are clear that they belong to someone else and won't take them by mistake.

It was a long cold rainy day today and I am  so grateful I went to a little clothing sotre in Portomarin and bought leggings and good rain pants.  I am in Palas de Rei. The other day when it rained all day i was pretty wet and cold.  Today those rain pants kept me dry and the wind out.  I now understand  why outdoor enthusiasts buy good gear.  It makes a difference when you are out in the elements.  You don't miss having the rain gear until you are in the rain.  Brilliant insight Camille.  Well Iḿ an embodied kinda gal and learn my lessons best that way.  So, I am warm and dry and although it was a rainy  cold and windy day, we walked through some beautiful pine forests and I saw some amazing red and orange mushrooms.  I did not eat them, just took a photo of them.  Not sure where I will walk to tomorrow, maybe Santa Irene, or Salceda or Amenal Tunel   I want to stayoff the regular guide book stages as more and more people are walking now since they can officially get a compestela certificate if they walk 100 kilometers.  Sarria is the place where alot of folks start,, usually on a Monday and walk to Santiago doing their 100 Kilometers.  They have to get stamps to prove they did the walk, although Iḿ not sure how all that works.  I will find out this weekend when I get to Santiago.

Well dear ones, I am tired and ready for another cup of tea and dinner and then bed.  Love to you all, Appreciate your warm dry bed as I do mine and embrace the day, no matter what it brings.  Love to you all, Camille in and on the Camino