A bit emotional today

It’s 11am and I’m lying , lazing, slothing in bed. I’m fitting into the life of Spain by staying out later and taking it easy during the day, although I am clocking up an average of 12-14 thousand steps a day.

There’s a problem though. One of the reasons I’m still in bed is that it’s too cold to get up. I have no warm clothes. What was a thinking? Obviously I wasn’t thinking at all. I’m such a bad packer. I left everything to the last minute and blindly threw clothes into my suitcase. Nothing matches, nothing fits and everything is creased and there is no iron. Hotels here don’t seem to have irons either.

Also, writing texts and blogs is getting difficult because my phone is confused about whether it should be writing in English or Spanish. It keeps changing my words! Tan loco🤷🏻‍♀️

Nothing funny has happened in the past few days. I’ve spent a bit of time in the Garden of the Speaking Stones, a place I used to go to to meditate, but discovered the spiral of rocks and I’ve been walking them like a labyrinth.

I went to the Cathedral yesterday and lit a candle for a friend whose facing health challenges and Patti took me to a shop in new town to get a charger cord for my computer. I’ve mainly just been hanging with Patti in the afternoons, laughing, eating scrumptious tapas and reminiscing about the fun we’ve had over the years. Life is good.

Mostly, I’ve been thinking that there was a time I thought I would never get back, let alone , still be alive and able to travel. I’m now sure this will be my last trip to Spain though. Things have changed since Covid, and the Santiago I know is turning into a memory to treasure. Costs have increased, I’ve been encountering less and less free tapas with drinks and free cake with coffee. It’s just the little things, but they are the things that made this place so special.

I’ve also noticed that the locals are not as friendly anymore. I saw in the news how they are sick of tourists but I’ve seen it in action now. Customer service is certainly not what it used to be and some staff in restaurants are just positively rude. So sad to see this happening. I guess they think it doesn’t matter because the majority of us are just passing through. to be fair, the “pilgrim” is changing in attitude and behaviour as well. I think I’m done. Time for a new wave to come through and leave me with my fabulous memories and experiences.

To finish this post, I’m not saying I’m having a miserable time….far from it. I’m loving and making the most of it. The familiarity of Santiago and having friends here makes my time here so precious. Santiago de Compostela is a great place to be, full of energy and history. The stone walls buildings and roads hold many ancient secrets. It’s palpable. Traditions abound, festivals and fiestas continue to keep all this alive, and well, the cathedral has to be seen to believe. It is so magnificent, so huge! I’m astonished at how long the line is to go hug the effigy of St James ! They have put up barriers to steer us like cattle in a cattle race.

I know that I’m extremely lucky to be here, to be able to travel, have my health back, and I’m so very grateful for the friends I have here. …Gonzalo and Laura especially. And Patti , you know we are soul sisters. 💜

To all of you who supported me when I needed love and kindness so badly, I thank you from deep in my heart. Your prayers, candles and kind gestures and words were just what I needed…and it worked!