RTW ’23: Week 5

Week 5 of my journey was filled with some twists and turns. When I planned my trip, I knew that I would have to make some changes along the way– after all, you cannot plan for the unexpected. I’ve been managing symptoms of a UTI since Wednesday of last week, and, as you can imagine, it has been less than ideal. I took an antibiotic that I brought with me, but it didn’t seem to help. So, on Friday of last week, I had a telemedicine appointment with a doctor who provided a different antibiotic, which, unfortunately, also didn’t help. On Sunday of last week, I was prescribed yet another antibiotic, and that did not alleviate the symptoms, either. So, I went to the hospital on Tuesday morning to have some tests run and see if there was something else that needed to be done. Thankfully, I received great care there, including an interpreter– which was extremely helpful in navigating the medical language in a different country. When the urine analysis came back, it showed low level bacteria, with everything else negative. They are running a culture, so I’ll have to wait a few days for those results, which you will read about later in this blog post. The doctor advised that I finish the last antibiotic series I started as we await the culture results, so that is what I will continue to do. I feel really good about the care I received, and I am thankful to have such a wonderful team taking care of me. The hospital itself was quite modern, and except for everyone speaking Spanish, it could have been any hospital in Boston. I feel tired, which isn’t optimal, but I can tell my body is fighting something and needs to rest. The symptoms are an annoyance– not extremely severe– but, nonetheless, I cannot get on a bicycle until it is resolved. I’ve found a nice hostel to stay at just outside of the old city while I recover and await more answers. Though it is challenging to have to deal with a larger shift in plans than I hoped, I am doing my best to continue to place my faith in “the plan”, looking forward to what is yet to come. I am looking for the joy in the little moments, accepting the rest that is necessary, and taking more time to connect with myself, my surroundings, and my vision for RTW ’23.

On Wednesday, after getting some rest, I discovered a new park, Alameda. It’s frequented by locals, high school and college students, and a few tourists like me. I loved the wrought iron benches– they evoked a 19th century feeling of strolling down the promenade in fancy dresses. I came across a statue of two women and later looked up their story. As you know, women’s stories and struggles are close to my heart and my passion for RTW ’23. The trials and tribulations that the women in the statue, Corelia and Maruxa, faced during the years of Franco’s dictatorship aren’t in the distant past. Just outside of the ancient pilgrimage walls, people had very real struggles. What I loved watching on this day was all of the people who stopped and took their picture with the statue of the two women. They would have loved the attention and notoriety! I smiled thinking about how they really did have the last laugh. I also appreciated the artist, Cesar Lombera, who created the statue in their likeness. It’s not lost on me that I champion women’s issues and, today, I am faced with my own health issues. Having an infection in a “private” area of my body is still a little embarrassing for me to share. I thought I got over my embarrassment about female anatomy 16 years ago when I had breast cancer, but these things are not a one and done experience. What I do know is that my health is priceless and I need to be my own advocate, do smart research, and get over any embarrassment I may have in order to protect my health. There are women in many parts of the world that face far greater taboos and struggles than I’m dealing with– I know that there is a lot of luck in when, and where, a woman is born. I’ve been very fortunate, and I am grateful for all the care that I’ve received. Wednesday was no exception– this issue happened in a place where they’ve been tending to pilgrims and their health for centuries, and I have the means to pay for my care. I’m not minimizing how I’m feeling, but rather empathizing with women around the world dealing with the taboos we all face, whether created by ourselves or the societies we live in. I did feel disappointed that I won’t be starting my bicycle trip tomorrow as planned, but one advantage of being older is that I’ve lived long enough to know that there’s a good reason to delay, and when the time is right, I’ll savor that bike ride so much more.

Thursday was initially slated as the day that I was supposed to begin my bike ride, but I was still waiting for culture results, so I had to stay in Santiago. Depending on how I feel over the upcoming weekend, I am planning to do a local bike ride so I can get on a bike, even if it’s for a shorter amount of time than desired. In the morning, I went to the English Mass. The priest was German but spoke perfect English! His homily message was to encourage all of us to say “Peace” as a universal greeting instead of “Hola” or “Buen Camino”. It was a really nice message about reaching across our divides and spreading peace and love in all of our encounters. Instead of the priest offering prayers, he invited people to come to the altar, light a candle, and if desired, share a prayer intention. It was very moving, and a few people mentioned why they had walked the Camino. It was nice to feel the spirit of the Camino, especially on a day where I was supposed to be starting a new one. After Mass, I moved a half mile from the old city Pension Santa Cruz to the Loop Inn Hostel. This was the first time that I walked with all of my belongings at once– my new, big pack and my daypack. It worked, but I was glad it was only a half mile, as it was uphill all the way! As much as I love the old town atmosphere, sleeping wasn’t easy with the Spanish nightlife booming right below my window. The space was also very confined, as I’m sure you noticed from the pictures in last week’s blog. It felt like a Manhattan studio apartment, with a shared bathroom that was very tight. The sink just barely cleared the door, and each of the two bathrooms had one toilet and two shower stalls, but there was only room for one person at a time. My new hostel is modern, spacious by comparison, and has kitchen facilities including a fridge. It’s definitely an upgrade, but the downside is that it’s a 20 minute walk to the cathedral. After I got settled in, I roamed around my new neighborhood, boasting a completely different vibe than the last. There’s an elementary and secondary school, only a few tourists, and different shops. One thing I love about traveling is finding the local grocery store and laundromat, and seeing where the “real people” hang out, and I found them! I picked up some groceries and found a wonderful deli where I purchased cheese and lean turkey. The Jamon (Spanish ham) is delicious, but I’ve had enough of that for awhile. I’m also figuring out how to navigate the cafe bars here. It’s one establishment that serves coffee and light breakfast in the morning, then serves beer, wine and tapas in the evening. It does not offer sit down restaurant food, and it drove Pam and I crazy as hungry pilgrims coming into a new town each night. There are only a few cafeterias and restaurants that serve actual meals, and given they don’t open until 8 p.m. or later each night, it was difficult to find a prepared meal. I’ve adjusted my big meal of the day to lunch, before 2 p.m. when everything shuts down, to help tame my belly’s hunger, as even most of the shops are closed. It’s nothing at all like being in the USA, where everything stays open for extended hours. Though it was a little disappointing to know that I should have started a new leg of my trip today, I had a productive day nonetheless. I’m blooming where I am planted!

Friday was a slower day than the others have been. It’s interesting to wake up and not know where the day will take me– but I am enjoying the peace and slower pace while I have it, because as soon as I feel better, I will be off to the races! Overall, it was a good day. I did productive “life stuff” in the morning, and then went for a walk in-between checking out of one room and into another. Technically, I’m homeless, but pilgrims do this every day! This hostel moves a lot of people through it every day, and it has been fun to watch the different pilgrims come and go– passerbys in what now feels to me like home. My body aches to be one of them, but I know that soon enough, I will return to the pilgrim path. I was happy to make my breakfast, lunch, and dinner “at home”. It sounds funny, but it was a treat to do what I wanted, when I wanted. Later in the day, I picked up my bike and rented it for a week. I even got one whole bike mile in! It’s small, but not insignificant to me given my circumstances. Tomorrow, I will get familiar with riding this model around this part of the world! If I’m still feeling good, I’ll take it for a longer ride on Sunday. One step at a time. Before getting sick, the plan was to ride out of Santiago to Finisterre/Muxia and then back to Santiago. The next two days will tell me if I’m up for it physically, and allow me to gain confidence with the bike. I did receive the urine culture test results, and they were negative, so I will finish the last 4 days of the antibiotic and go from there. I’m feeling somewhat better– still not 100%, but definitely overall improved. I am hopeful that over the next few days I will continue to improve, and then I will be able to finally start my bicycle journey! At night, I downloaded a movie, Camino Voyage, and enjoyed a restful evening.

On Saturday, I woke up feeling rejuvenated and hopeful! I ate a good breakfast– yogurt, croissant, and green tea– and put together what I needed for a day trip on my bicycle. After waiting for almost a week in purgatory, I was anxious to get on my bike and get some miles beneath me. I went out to the bike garage, key in hand, ready to start my adventure, when what appeared to be a maintenance or landscape man started yelling at me in Spanish! I had no idea what he was saying, but two people walked by that spoke some English and told me that the key I was using was supposed to remain at the front desk at all times. Apparently, I was being scolded by the key police! It was a simple misunderstanding– when I was originally given the key, I wasn’t informed that I had to return it right away. Nonetheless, the key police, who was very upset with me, followed me all the way back to the front desk to ensure I returned it promptly! Once that situation was resolved, I hopped on my bike and spent some time riding around the empty school yard next to my hostel to get a feel for how my bike rides, thankful to be out of earshot of the screaming key police. Riding a bike always makes me feel like a kid again, so it was appropriate to do the test ride at a school. It took a little while to figure out the shifter– there’s one front sprocket and ten gears in the rear– but once I figured it out, it was smooth sailing. I left the empty lot and headed towards the city. I felt really comfortable once I got over the anxiety of all of the cars and buses around me, which all seemed used to having bikes around them and, thankfully, gave me plenty of space. I’d prefer to have a mirror, but that wasn’t an option at the shop, so I’ll have to make due with what I have. The bike is a mountain bike style which is really good for the stone and gravel paths on the Camino. I decided to do a test ride on the Camino route that I plan to ride when I officially start the next leg of my journey. I bought a top tube phone bag so I can follow the directions while riding and it worked out really well. There were a few tough up hills along the trail where I had to walk the bike up, which is okay, but hopefully I’ll get more skilled as the miles add up. The only downside to the ride was the afternoon heat– the sun is unforgiving at high noon and the few hours after. I got back around 4 p.m. and took a much needed nap, and then, in Spanish style, woke up in time to make a light tapas supper. It felt great to put some real miles on the bike, and I am thankful that my body allowed an adventure!

I woke up on Sunday feeling better than I had in quite some time. I was thankful to feel relief in my body, and I was excited to get some miles in on my bicycle! In the morning, I had a nice chat with a Swedish woman, Lotti, who just finished the full French Way for the third time. We were sharing a bunk last night and I noticed all of the patches on her pack– it was very impressive! She was taking the bus to O Coruna to rest for two days before returning home. It’s so cool to meet people from around the world who share a love for hiking, the outdoors, and grand adventures. After our chat, I took my bike out for a smooth 16.4 mile ride before the heat was too intense. I followed the Ingles Way in reverse, since the path goes right past my hostel. Since it was a Sunday morning, there were almost no cars or buses to navigate around. I felt strong and energized seeing the walking pilgrims going in the opposite direction, and they were a good guide post on which direction to go. The challenge on this ride was a rocky, hilly section– it’s serious mountain biking, for sure. I found myself needing the reminder that “it’s not a race”– and when I got stuck in a gully, I had to walk the bike up the remaining hill, repeating the mantra over and over. It was humbling, humorous, and frustrating all at once. It was fitting that I rode a little section of the English way after watching the movie Camino Voyage last night. It was an inspiring story about four Irish men who rowed from Ireland in a traditional currach (row boat) 2,500 miles over the course of three years. They rowed to O Coruna and then went to Santiago on the Ingles Way, which is also fitting since I’ll be visiting family in Ireland next month. Overall, I completed a total of 16.4 bike miles, and I felt great! Once I got back from my ride, I went back to the hostel. I forgot to grab my towel from last night’s room, but the lovely cleaning staff checked my old room, found my towel, and brought it to my new room. I’ve never been so happy to see my blue quick dry towel! Having a room with a bathroom to myself is incredible. It’s the first time since I started RTW ’23! I don’t need to bring my room key with me to use the bathroom at night, I can spread everything out anywhere I want, and I can leave the lights on until I want to go to sleep! As an added bonus, I don’t have to share the plug with anyone else. This is luxury!

The day finally came where I could start biking the Camino! I woke up on Monday feeling empowered and excited, ready to get back on my bike, who I’ve affectionately named Sally, and on the Camino trail. It was so energizing to be back on the Camino again after living in Santiago for almost two weeks. I was ready to get back out on the trail and see the cathedral spires in my rear view! Being back on the path and seeing pilgrims, walking and biking alike, was truly wonderful. I felt the rhythm coming back to my body seamlessly, as if it never left, and I was thankful for a less crowded path and more relaxed pilgrim group. These pilgrims are usually the ones who reach Santiago and want more, and that’s when Finisterre calls to them. Yes, I was back on the Camino, but cycling is a very different experience than walking. When walking, it’s a steady and consistent pace. You get to see the scenery at the same speed all day– there’s time to pick flowers, take pictures, and chat with the other walking pilgrims along the way. When cycling, however, especially on various types of terrain, I’m switching from experiencing an adrenaline rush when racing down a big asphalt descent with the scenery whizzing by and the wind cooling off sweat to grinding up a hill, quads on fire, arms holding on to the handle bars to stay upright ten minutes later. Then, there’s the point where the steep slope and rocks win, and we just come to a stop– that’s when walking with Sally commences. In between those extremes, there were stretches of normal bike riding with the added spice of downhill rocky patches. I came across a plaque in Ponte Maceira which told of a heavily disputed legend that the disciples of Santiago, fleeing their Roman captors, were aided by divine intervention here. Upon crossing the bridge, the center span gave way, stranding the Romans on the other side. This legend, which some will tell you actually took place upstream or downstream from Ponte Maceira, is nonetheless recounted on the Negreira coat-of- arms. Sally and I really bonded during our first day out on the Camino. She loves to fly down the asphalt descents and I manage how much braking to do based on my confidence… or fear of crashing. We definitely exceeded 30 MPH more than a few times. Sally loves to ride, just like the song “Mustang Sally”. But, on the steep and rocky ascents, she comes to a crawl, and more than a few times, we walked together to the top. As the day went on, she helped me manage gear shift timing, the foot brake, and the stabilizer on the rocky descents. It was a full body workout– I have muscles that are sore now that I never experienced while walking the Camino, like my forearms! It must be from the steering and braking, which I did quite a lot. It was a whole new Camino experience! In the evening, I enjoyed a pilgrim meal with everyone staying at 2 Alburges and we had some great conversations. Fernando, from the next town over, did the Camino Frances 3 times! I also spoke with Jessica, an American from Washington state, who finished the full Frances Way. She said Finisterre was always her end goal, not Santiago. She did the Camino because of a poem by David White titled “FInisterre”. I was so touched by how much a poem spoke to her and really shaped this part of her life. To read the poem, follow this link: https://onbeing.org/poetry/finisterre/. The Camino calls to us in different ways, and it’s always interesting– and quite beautiful– to hear how others ended up on this incredible journey. Hearing other people’s stories really connects us along the way!

On Tuesday, Sally and I rode a total of 26.6 miles! It felt like two days in one, because of the amount of miles and juxtaposition of scenery in the different towns alike. In the morning, it was all about farming– the smell of manure was so strong that I thought I could taste it when I drank water from my camelback! I mean BIG agriculture– lots of huge tractors and equipment, especially now during harvest season where the last of the corn fields are being cut down. Poor Sally had some manure stains on her tires, and I got chased by two dogs, probably because of the smell! It was terrifying being chased down by rambunctious dogs while on a bike, but once I hit an uphill, I somehow found the extra speed to get away. Climbing the hills, especially the short and steep one in the morning that I had to walk, still remained a challenge. I was counting my steps and stopping every 20-30 steps to pause, with the bike brake on, to avoid having the bike rolling down the incline. It did feel good to coast down the other side, though, with the breeze cooling the sweat away and giving my leg muscles a rest. The afternoon offered peaceful and quiet paths along the ridge line of the mountains I’ve been climbing, which were mostly shade covered with only a few pilgrims and one cyclist walking his bike up a hill. I was happy to see that I wasn’t the only one who had to walk when the slope or curve was too much to manage. For the most part, the afternoon was perfect for riding. There was a nice breeze, views of the wind turbines, and birds chirping while I listened to the crunch of leaves on the gravel path beneath me as I rode along. I’m also getting better with my shifting timing, which helped on the rolling hills in the afternoon. Overall, it was an extremely productive day with much to be thankful for. Though my body is tired, I am feeling rejuvenated, accomplished, and excited to be moving along the path!

It’s been a week of ups and downs, on the bike and otherwise. I’m feeling well physically with no UTI symptoms as of late, but the next day or so will be the final test to see if the infection is completely gone, as I took my last dose of medication on Tuesday. I’m feeling hopeful, especially since I’ve had the physical stamina to achieve the ride from Santiago. I’m extremely grateful for the support of my daughter, Corrine, this week. She’s been my cheerleader, Mom, and daily lifeline. I’m so lucky to have her in my life! I’m also grateful for my son’s support this week– Mike has a full life, yet he’s always there for me when I need him. I feel so blessed to have children who support me unconditionally, care so deeply, and go above and beyond to make my journey around the world as smooth as possible. Raising children really does come full circle! As I head to Finisterre tomorrow, my heart is grateful for my family, friends who are following along, my health, and every single day I have to explore, challenge myself, and be present with nature. Until next time, dear friends: stay safe, stay healthy, and always remember to make space for what brings you joy.

We must be willing to let go of the life we planned
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
-Joseph Campbell