[연재] 사랑하면 산티아고로 떠나라, 그녀처럼

[Serial] Leave for Santiago Trail if in Love like Her

16. Metamorphosis

Written by Su-a Lee, assistant principal cellist with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Metamorphosis


Day 19 started with a total meltdown. 
I had been awake since 3am. I despised my ageing, weak body. My legs were pulsating with heat and they hurt just to move in bed. I realised they just needed some time off. I also knew that they needed more than just one rest day. Today was meant to be a 30km day.

My good friend Rosenna in Edinburgh had already suggested last week that I might consider taking another week off work to complete the Camino, to remove some of that time pressure. The main issue there would be financial, but I was seriously considering it now.

I spent the rest of the night writing, then went through the bandaging routine, took painkillers (ibuprofen, paracetamol and codeine, as suggested by paramedic friend Graeme Dunn in London) and appeared for departure coffee at the agreed late hour of 8:30am.

The sight of the three lovely faces of Jade, George and Hartmut and their simple question of “how are you?” made me crumple with tears. 
I wasn’t good. I didn’t think I’d finish the Camino in time, as I needed some rest days. I would therefore need to take another week off work (not ideal for so many reasons, other than just financial).

They were kind and pragmatic with their responses. 
Firstly, they pointed out that I could still finish in time by simply taking the bus for a stage or two, to give my body a break. They had each been on the verge of doing just that, on our hill climb day in the snow. They revealed that it was actually me who had (unwittingly) spurred them on that day, just by not giving up.

I know it isn’t a failure to take the bus, but somehow it simply is not in my nature to do this (I do take the bus at home in Edinburgh, contrary to belief!!) 
In any case, not for this situation.

“There are always choices!”, they quoted back at me, as something I was always saying…

After some thought, and a very generous offer from Hartmut to carry some of my gear, there was a suggestion that I could perhaps give my whole backpack to a company who specifically takes them from albergue to albergue. We have seen them do this for many of our fellow pilgrims.

Genius!!! I perked up and we tried to remember the name of the company. 
Jacobtrans!

Suddenly there was excitement and movement. The man at the albergue simply handed me an envelope where I wrote my name and where the backpack was to go, then placed €7 inside and that was it! He even gave me a shoulder bag (something a child might take to school for swimming gear!) for my day’s needs. The most essential item to take, of course, was my Camino shell.

As we set off, I was overcome by the feeling of warmth, camaraderie and support that my Camino friends were providing me. I felt transformed and lighter (literally by some kilos!). Their kindness was evident to me, even on the smallest of levels.

We couldn’t leave Sahagún before a visit to the supermercado, because today was now committed to being 30kms to Reliegos albergue! There were no lunch places along the way, so we were carrying our food. 
This being Spain, the land of late nights and siestas, we had to wait until 10:30am for it to open.

Mood was now light as we took to the wide open plains of the Masetas again, this day choosing the more scenic Old Roman Road.

Conversation drifted onto quantum mechanics and physics, directed by our passionate scientist, George. 
Atom levels gave way to multiverses and time travel.

At this point Jade had to remove a stone from her shoe, and I took the opportunity to stretch out my shin muscles. This gave the boys the lead, which lasted an hour or so.

During this time, Jade and I got stuck into a variety of subjects, covering the body which has evolved with brains that ignore body signals, as well as alcoholism and depression. 
Cheery stuff.

Imagine our hilarity when we finally caught up with the boys, who were still nattering on about science and the universe! The tail end of their conversation went something like this… “that’s what’s amazing about this universe from a worms perspective…”

At this point, I should say that in general, we spend a lot of our time together laughing. A lot. Somehow it’s not at all what I expected to be doing. But I guess it can’t be helped.

Picnic at our near halfway point, with 16kms of Masetas still to go, was one of the best ever! Ending with a genius round of word games invented out of chocolate biscuits…don’t ask!

I had been warned that you needed all your mental stamina to survive the monotony and boredom of 6 or 7 days of unending featureless Masetas, but I refuse to let anyone tell me that the Masetas are boring.

Today was one of the most glorious landscapes to witness. Full of variety. Wide expanses of brown fields, green fields, snow capped mountains, teaming insect and bird life, racing clouds etc. Of course, it can only have been helped by the fact that, after 4 or 5 incessant days, it had finally stopped raining and the sun came out!

A brief hailstorm before entering Reliegos, and the utter relief that we’d achieved our 30k, sent us out to the nearest bar, even before showering! 
Imagine our delight when we entered 
the incredible bar of El Elvis del Camino de Santiago! This is a destination location!

What a host! Senín. A total living legend. Cerveza flowed, endless plates of complimentary queso and jamón generously sliced from the whole cheese round and the whole iberico pork leg…as well as cooked mussels… All served with panache, a tuneful whistle, and cheery Spanish banter that none of us really understood!

There is no way that I could have foreseen this outcome to the day I had woken up to.


Su-a Lee

 



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작성 2019.02.02 10:16 수정 2019.02.02 11:28
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2023-01-30 10:21:54 / 김종현기자