Day 20: Separation Anxiety | Murray Morrison

Do pre-schoolers get taught letters or numbers first and does the order determine whether they turn out English or Math inclined? Do we too often confine ginger ale to an airplane drink? These are the types of questions you consider after over a week of the Meseta. Yes, we are out of it now, but the Meseta has taught our minds to roam.

Last night, Astorga provided everything we needed. We have been continuously reminded from various strangers that “the Camino will provide.” We would always give each other a look afterwards like we had just talked to a crazy person, but Astorga showed us the meaning of this peculiar motto. Coming into town, we needed three things: an ATM, a tobacco store for cigars, and a tech store because I decided to leave my phone charger in Sahugun, and we were definitely not walking back. We found all three briskly and got to our private accommodation around 1. It was shaping into a spectacular day. We picked our cigars like you would expect two college-aged boys to. We found the cheapest ones. Before dinner we enjoyed them on a park bench looking over the mountains that we were about to climb under the setting sun. We agreed afterwards that it was one of the most pleasant moment of the trip.

After the stogies, we proceeded to have our nightly pilgrim’s meal. I have really gotten into Spanish music videos because many of the café’s we go to have them going on their TVs. Where an American restaurant would have a sports game on, Spanish ones have music videos. Don’t know which I like better.

For the first time on the trip, Alex and I were separated for a solid 60 minutes today. It was scary. I equate it to a bull losing his horns. We did not know what to do. At times we will put a little distance between ourselves when we are walking, so we can consider the questions that the Camino asks us, but this time we had a little too much distance. To our parents, it won’t happen again.

We have entered the mountains once again. Today’s walk was 26 km steadily uphill to the sloped village of Foncebadon. The weather was cloudy with no rain. It was a unicorn of a day. On the Camino, it’s either sun or rain, and there is no in between. Today was different, and we very much appreciated this change of pace.

Peace. Love. Pilgrims.


Here is where the stogies were had-

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