My heel is healing nicely and without the ministrations and/or intervention of an already over-burdened NHS. For those who don’t necessarily follow the UK news, our Junior Doctors and Consultants are currently on strike, waiting lists for both routine and complex procedures run into the many millions and a visit to A & E (accident and emergency) can not only last 12 hours or more but result in an infection completely unrelated to the business at hand.
As mentioned in an earlier post; annoying, unpleasant and uncomfortable as this injury might be, it is, nonetheless, entirely manageable. And after over 72 hours of comparative rest, frequent changes of dressings and analgesics when required, the recuperative process is well underway. By the end of this week, all being well, I should be ‘back on my feet’; bruised and battered foot and self esteem notwithstanding…
My original post clearly states that I would prefer not to discuss personal motives, and that remains the case today. Why do certain individuals attempt anything beyond the so-called norm ?
Why did I undertake three back-to-back Caminos in 2021 (CF+CP+Primitivo) 67 days on the road and over 1800 kms in total without a break other than train/travel time and, importantly, without any foot issue whatsoever ??
What possessed me to get up early one morning in June this year and climb up and over O Cebreiro, down through Fonfria, Triacastela, Sarria and out to Barbadelo, a total of 55km, eventually arriving at 20.30hrs ??
The answer to that is simple, my friend
@MrHappyfeet had a cold beer, a bear-hug, and a smile waiting…
Motivation enough some would agree; others might say an idiotic and hare-brained undertaking…
Point being, we are all different, our endurance and capability levels varied and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the Camino – or anything else in life as far as I can see.
For that reason it is neither particularly helpful or considerate to hurl pearls of hindsight-infused wisdom at anyone in my situation, especially when admission of error/stupidity has already been confessed, namely: “
That 16-hour or so plod the day before – I overdid it plain and simple – believing, as ever, that I am in some daft way ‘invincible’. Well it turns out that I’m not - lesson painfully learned and not to be forgotten….”
And so with the passing of time this sore foot of mine will become but a memory of a madcap adventure that went wrong. There can be no doubt that, once the seriousness of the matter became apparent, my ‘challenge’ had to be aborted.
Words cannot describe my frustration and disappointment, the decision to fly home, tail between legs, prematurely….after all the hard training, the sheer joy of the first 10 days, that 6.2 km/h hike from Carrion to Calzadilla where it felt as though I was walking on air…
The wonderful people I met on the way; Megan at Stansted airport, Katya from Southern Germany, Rick and Sue from Colorado, Andrew and Beth from England, Lasse from Uddevalla and so many, many more who wished me well.
Today, as I sit poking away at my laptop, foot elevated and still weeping the occasional discharge of such recovering wounds, I count myself truly blessed.
Fast or slow, long days or short, the Camino is arguably one of the most spectacular and rejuvenating spiritual journeys on the planet.
So thank you all again for your kindness and esprit de corps…
I will be back, oh yeah – you can count on that !