Contemplation

As dawn breaks on another day, I lay in bed watching the sky transforming from dark to brilliant cobalt blue. It’s a stunning colour and changing by the second.

I hear the town of Liencres coming to life and ponder on what surprises today will bring. I’m so removed from my everyday life and love this existence in Spain. People ask me “what is it that draws you back all the time?” Well, Everything here is slow. Yes, it can be frustrating, but it’s refreshing to be living back in the 50’s. That is what it is like. Life is simple again.

My favourite part of Spain is Galicia. It has its own magic. It is known for its stories of witches, fairies and Celtic power and I feel it very strongly. It constantly calls me when I am not here. I miss the sound of mornings, heralded by a tooting bread van. (The bread is placed in the hand made bags hanging on the front door knob). Church bells ring every hour, sometimes half an hour, and the abundance of roosters crow loudly. There is very little graffiti, no litter in the streets and people promenade in the evenings or sit in the town squares and socialise while children run amok, playing soccer mostly. Family life is so important here.

The fresh eucalyptus or pine scented air fills my lungs with its energy and I’m totally captured by the beauty of Spanish countryside, but while I’m here, I miss my family, my dog and my friends. I miss things like the kookaburras and magpies, walking along the cliff top and walking in the bush land. I take for granted, how lucky I am to see echidnas, wombats, wallabies, emus etc. Australia is a hidden gem of a place, too far for many to visit, and we seem to like it that way.

I have often been in a wide open space in Spain, looking at the stars, but remembering the huge blanket of black sky in Australia and it’s canopy of twinkling stars overhead like a rooftop. I miss these things and I am torn in two.

Right now, I’m on the Cantabrian coast making my way westward in the company of friends I’ve met through walking the Camino. It feels so natural to be just hanging out with them as if it was an everyday thing, but we live in different countries, and have very different lives.

In a recent chat with Dan Mullins, he asked what the Camino meant to me. I said ‘freedom’, but his word was laughter. I agree. My face and belly ache from the laughter I’ve encountered here. Happiness is a wonderful thing and it should be shared more.

My friend Susi’s word was ‘love’.

Today, I know I will laugh a lot more, I will walk in the freedom of open space by the ocean and I will be in the company of people I care about. Life is good right now and I guess I’m just thinking how much I appreciate it. I’m fussy these days about who I spend time with, so if you are in my life, just know that I love and appreciate you, and I’m missing you.

To those who ring or message me, thank you. You probably don’t realize how that brightens my day or sometimes even makes my day.