March 6, 2016
I'm sitting in our living room, with a fire alternately roaring and embering, and wind gusting outside. It's already knocked over the chairs on the deck. I expect the bird feeders to go flying next. I've just been learning the mechanics of Blogger -- how to get pictures from the iPhone to the website, how to format. Now I want to take it for a test drive.
Our trip is 5 1/2 weeks away. I am excited and apprehensive. We'll be walking the last 130 miles of the Camino in 11 days. I am worried about some of the daily distances. Jessica is worried also. The first day (Pontferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo) is 16 miles. Thankfully, it's also relatively flat -- unlike Marin. We've been walking to get ready. Physically demanding but beautiful walks on Mt Tam and Marin open space. Here's what we've seen.
 |
| View from High Marsh Trail, Mt Tam |
 |
| Blithedale Ridge |
 |
| Unknown Lily |
 |
| Cataract Trail, Mt. Tam |
 |
| Kent Lake from San Geronimo Ridge |
 |
| Trillium |
We've also been frequenting REI. Discovered a new sock manufacturer -- "Darn Tough" located in Vermont. Jessica got some spiffy new poles, and I am hankering for a new day pack, once the new and improved 2016 models appear later in March.
I'm also thinking about what it means to walk the Camino -- the path so many pilgrims have followed for hundreds of years. I'm certainly not a Catholic, and at this time of my life, not so much a seeker either. And yet, this doesn't seem like just another multi-day hike.
There are two movies about walking the Camino that are interesting. One with Marin Sheen called The Way, and one a documentary that follows six pilgrims throughout their journey. Of the two, I enjoyed The Way the most. Documentaries are only as compelling as their subjects, and I didn't click with the walkers they portrayed.
The rain is raging in Mill Valley, and it's time to quit for now. More to come. JRM
