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I am arriving places early now. Partially because I am not carrying my pack. It didnt fit me correctly, my waist is quite invisable but quite high and the pack i bought didnt fit so I bought a great day pack and have been shipping my pack ahead for 5 Euro a day. Not a big expense but limits your flexibility the current plan is to buy a new pack and ship the old one and the daypack ahead to santiago. When I get home I will return the pack as it did not work for me. however doing this requires timing as post offices close at 2:30, There was a cultural featival in the town square today.

The church in Los Arcos was incredable for such a little town, I wanted to hear it’s organ but it is only played on sunday during Mass . maybe today I will hear one in Vianna, I am always a little uncomfortable watching the Eucharist because it must be such a powerful ritual. When we pass the matzo at our seder we are in communion with those at the table with us, for the catholic they are in communion with god, which I think of as a metaphor for humanities better nature.

Saw a gem of a church on the way, the christians had hired a moor as an architect. The christ was so human and was nearly 1000 years old. The crucifiction, hard for me to understand but makes for great art.

Have had my first problem, I neglected to cut my toenails and the pressure of the shoe on one has created a sore. This has happened before, what will happen is that the toenail will fall off and the sore will heal, untill then the pain will remind me to cut my nails.

Arrived at 2, I have hit my stride, felt like I could do anouther 5 miles. The cheap spanish poles were better than mine, more solid and not as noisy. However If I had waited, at my albergue there were a pile of poles for the taking. I bought a simm so I am connected me new phone is 34 617277318, apparently what everyone uses here is whatsapp, I hope I can put back the old simm when I return. Simon from England, sitting accross from me, says that the waves of wheat are the spirits of the dead.

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So tired today, I lost my treking poles. The new ones I bought are far inferior to the ones I left somewhere. This Aubergues requires a 3pm checkin or you might lose your place. 12 miles is a long way when your walking. Picture one is the queens bridge actualy no queen had anything to do with it.This is a stand in the middle of the trail, fresh fruit, No set price donate what you wish.

This is the first day that I was not exhausted when I arrived. Met another musician, we really werent able to jam but he knew some american songs so i got to sing. Because I took a day in pamplona i lost my cohort, but met a completely new group. This is an experience out of place and time that is unique. A lot of people do it again and again, I dont think that is what i am looking for.

The peak I climbed looked so far away when I began but was eventually crossed, it is a metaphor for life Your goals appear distant but if you keep going they will be reached, I include a part of anouther spititual message. The churches along the way seem intent on reminding the pilgrims why they are pilgrims but no one talks about it.

I am having dinner that incuses wine, I was surprised when they gave me a whole bottle. There is a free wine fountain a few days ahead.

I was here in 1967, I don’t recognize anything, dispite the fact that in the old city not much has changed. Iwent to the bull fight ring, I took an audio tour complete with videos. As a 22 year old, reliving Hemingway, the bullfight was an amazing spectacle, a dance with death. It has lost its luster, although the final killing is no worse than the slaughterhouse, the lead up is probably torture for the bull. I probably couldnt watch one now. This is my most alone day, my pilgrim friends have moved on. I will need to make new ones tomorrow. However I am getting much more spanish practice.

The man restored the church told me not to miss another church about 8K further which had the oldest bell in spain. it was on a hill that was off the main camino. The bell had a sign next to it, ring the bell only once and then listen. The women in the church asked me where I was from and then gave me a page with a pilgrims blessing, hopefully you can read it. It was very Unitarian-Universalist, it looks like many of the worlds religions are moving toward us. She also gave me a paper with times for a pilgrims tour of the pamplona cathedral and ecumenical service, The tour was in french but delivered so slowly I could understand every word. Thank you again Monsieur Dannon from Reed I may have gottten a D but what you taught me has enriched my life, I am doing great in spanish also, I can ask questions and understand the answers, The priest at the service was from canada and we had an interesting discussion, His job was to adjudicate the defrocking of priests for child abuse, he claimed that this was not only a catholic problem and celibacy had nothing to do with it. “Abuse is not about sex it is about power”

I stopped at an ancient church, the door opened and a man from south africa invited us inside, he had bought the church and was nearly singlehandedly restoring it. its alter dated from the 12th century. He pointed out the pagan symbols on the partially restored alter painting. It brought to mind, the conversation the day before about work in the age of robots, and the volunteers from Holand who ran the pilgrims hostel in

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the monestary. What will my work be?

They woke us at the monestary at 6 with gregorean chants, how appropriate. This day has been picture perfect, sun birds singing, panoramas of farmland, and quant villages. What I came for. First stop as a waited on line for coffee I chated with a women from england living in dubai, It hadn’t occurred to her that waiting in line is a spiritual exercise, will i come back home a more patient man? Chatted with a great many people. my shoulders arestill hurting, today i only had that day pack whichnwas designed as an emergency pack for travels. Today I bought a very nice daypAck, which means I am now committed to the pack transport service, 7 euros to take your pack to the next town.

Had I bit of an international incident which I now think I did not handle well. When I went into my room with two bunk beds, it looked like a lower bunk was open so I put my stuff on it, when I got back we had a long conversation in broken spanglish about how they had been there first and i should take the upper bunk, wihout thinking much I played the age card, I am 74 and have trouble getting up and down. I decided later what I should have said was that I was 74 and need to get up an pee quite often and didnt want to wake the person on the lower bunk, that would have given them the option of saying, “it wont bother us” In any case i have the lower bunk and guilt as well(they were in there early 60’s) if they were kids i would have no guilt about playing the age card. Yesterdays pictures didnt load so I will try againthe white trees are covered in frost. I wore socks on my hands it was so coldThe monestary It is very beautiful here