We stopped at a fountain in San Bol a little off track from the Camino route. Legend has it that the fountain has unexplainable healing powers and I figured I'd need all the help I could get. We did dare eachother to jump completely into the fountain for various amounts of money, but in the end we settled for just our feet. It was absolutely freezing, which made for some great photographs where we had to force our smiles then cringe and whine after the camera shutter was released. And then of course, do it all again for the next person's camera. I met Robin, from Holland, who is walking the Camino for the third time in his life. His first time was with his mother when he was 15.
I still have some time to see if the magic fountain works, but at the time of writing this, I'd like to report that I haven't had a blister since and my Achilles hasn't bothered me for the last two days. Knock on wood!
I was thinking on the day of the fountain, that no matter what, everyone must leave the Camino as a better and somewhat changed person. It has to take a certain kind of person to walk across Spain, to persevere through all the challenges, be constantly kind to strangers, and to contemplate one's own life in such a spiritual atmosphere even if you aren't religious. Even if nothing healed from the fountain, or all of one's sins aren't forgiven on this pilgrimage, or if you never keep in touch with the people you meet, you still develop a belief in yourself that probably wasn't there before. And it's for the better, and for whatever walking 500 some odd miles means to you.
So far I have learned, or at least have a glimpse of, the minimal things I need to be clean and happy. I've also learned the kind of, and priority of, the load I carry that's both physical and emotional. Other things that I hope to learn involve understanding what truly makes me happy and the art of actually being able to recognize and believe in my own happiness. I want to know the differences between a traditional Camino pilgrim and what is truly me. I want to know where to go from the point where the journey ends, or where I can go.
500 miles is nothing when I have to consider the path I'll choose to lead for the rest of my life, and I can only hope that it's filled with beautiful thoughts and things, and moments of healing.
What would you walk 500 miles for?
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