On the Road to Caceres

We are doing well as the days go by and the landscape captures our heart and soul. We have come to love and appreciate the simple beauty here and are quite content in our solitude. We feel stronger each day and have grown accustomed to the traveling life. We have met some lovely people and have, as always, been enriched immensely.

I have always been an avid walker. From my early days of parenthood when an early morning walk was my only time I ever had to be alone to these long distance walks there is a transformation that occurs within me as my feet repeatively hit the ground. It is my time of prayer and connection to God and I have come to depend on it so very much. It is also a time to reflect upon things that I might have overlooked in the busyness of my days. I find that I yearn for these moments more often as I get older.

Two, seemingly small events, occurred in Caceres and Casar de Caceres and I found the miles onward gave me plenty of time to think of  them. We were out in the Plaza Major in Caceres and, interestingly, in a bar in Casar de Cacerres on two consecutive evenings. I began to watch as the families came together. The kids all congregated as they often do with the girls dancing with each other and the boys  playing soccer. The young moms all stood together chatting a mile a minute and the adults with older children were drinking beer or coffee.  The excitement in the air felt familiar to me and I realized it reminded me of the Sunday afternoons when I am with my family. I also began to think  of my grandmother and my mother and of the gifts they have shared with me and that I have now come to treasure. It is the value of family and the importance of connecting with them and maintaining those relationships that I treasure most. Sometimes that is hard and sometimes I fail at this but it is the deepest desire of my heart and one I hope is known to those I love.  I have had many of hours to think of this these last few days and hope that I too will leave that legacy with my children. 

Although we were outsiders we were able to enjoy these evenings in a way that no one could imagine but us. We move on tomorrow with the expectation of heavy rains for the next few days. We will alter our route a bit with shorter days but will continue northward. 

We think of you as the days go by. You are the anchor that brings us home. You are loved...

Buen Camino.