Dedication—Day 16
Days on the Camino 0
Dedication
Dedication, what does it mean for you?
It probably means something different to everyone. Today I became aware of dedication in two ways.
Lefty’s friends
The 518 km mark to Santiago
It wasn’t so much getting up before sunrise nor the idea of walking 24 km that made me aware of dedication. Though, I did pass the 518 km to Santiago in Agés. About 5 km before my stop for the day, I sat down at a park bench. Lefty, that’s the name I have given my left foot, has been shouting at me for the past 10 km. I untied my hiking shoe and carefully removed it; then, ever so slowly, the sock came off. There, looking me straight in the eye, was a huge blister … it grew.
Now, I know, you will say, “Why didn’t you use Moleskin?” I did. I used both Moleskin and K-Tape. The new blister formed right beside the moleskin and K-Tape where a tiny piece of skin was exposed. The blister looked angry—the old blister and the new blister that joined it. And, the blister on Lefty’s pinky toe was not looking good at all.
I took the emergency kit from my day-pack and laid all the necessary tools and instruments on the park bench. Out came the safety pin to release the pressure … it almost look like Old Faithful has taken residence on Lefty. Well, I doctored the other two blisters as well. Then I soothed them with some foot cream. The Moleskin was carefully cut and K-Tape was used to hold the @$# Moleskin in place. (A word of advice, Moleskin doesn’t work that great; however, K-Tape worked much better all by itself.)
After I rested a few more minutes, I put the sock back on, then the shoe, and slowly hobbled along the Way to Burgos.
Once I arrived at my hotel it was time for some more doctoring. After some more draining, and Epson Salt soak, and Gold Bond cream Lefty felt a lot better.
The Cathedral
After a well-deserved rest, I went to grab something to eat and to visit the Cathedral—Catedral de Santa María XIIIth. The Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was amazing to see the craftsmanship that went into the construction of this magnificent site. I couldn’t help but wonder what the people working on the Cathedral must have felt … I am sure it took a great deal of dedication.
And so the day …
And so the day came to an end quite early for me. I did run into an Australian couple I met a few days ago. It was great to chat with them. There were other interesting sites to see in Burgos, though Lefty did not give me that luxury.
I had a burger and fries for dinner, went to the hotel, and Lefty took a long needed rest …
As I reflect on the Journey to Burgos I do realize that the Journey of Life has a lot to do with being DEDICATED … both staying on the course and giving your best service.
My journey on the Camino de Santiago started in September 2017. At the time I wrote blogged entries with pictures whenever I could. Now, three years later, it is time to revisit the journey; I am re-posting the entries with a few updates. Enjoy.
