Oh Baiona, Spain is Truly Beautiful!
I can honestly say that what I wrote above in the title is truly an understatement! Hiking along the coast yesterday, then cutting up and over a major cliff before descending into Baiona, took my breath away. It was beyond spectacular (as you will see from my photos).
Baiona (taken on our gloomy morning today)
Sometimes I have to be very conscious of the fact that there’s more beauty around then just the ocean side of the trail. We always look forward, but a lot of the time, we have to remind ourselves to stop and turn and look back at the coast. We also look off to the right side of us to see the hills and mountains. It’s just a sensory overload of beauty!
Baiona – I had no idea this resort town existed! I feel like a slob walking around in my hiking clothes (oh God, I’m sick of these 4 shirts and both pairs of the exact same pants! 😂😂😂).
It’s early Sunday morning here and we have foggy skies and cool weather 16°C. It’s certainly a break from what we have hiked in since leaving Porto on May 26.
We have been walking every day and the weather has been close to or above 30°C. I have not seen one cloud in five days. I’ll just enjoy this fresh Sunday morning.
These are photos of the Marina across from my hotel.
My friends, George, Helen, and Angela are staying in the Parador Hotel on the peninsula which once must have been an old castle.
Apparently, today is Triathlon Day! It was fun to watch!
Aches and Pains!
My body aches! My back seems to be holding out OK but the arthritic foot has been very painful and has caused a bit of a limp which is now affected my knee on the same leg. I’m happy to rest today. Tomorrow is a 27 Km hike (looks like rain too. I FREAKING HATE hiking in rain – UGH!).
Shorter hiking days are ahead and we only have 1 week left with another rest day in there!
These Are Photos as We Hiked Into Baiona Yesterday!
I honestly can’t believe how pretty it is here! This photo was taken through the stone guard fence of the Parador hotel looking into the marina.
As you turn the corner along the ocean side route you see this magnificent bay and the city of Baiona. The water seems turquoise and it’s breathtaking!
Photos Taken on Our Route from Oia to Baiona
I’m trying to show everyone in this next range of photos that it’s really important to look away from the ocean to the hills that you’re walking beside. We had to go straight up and over one of them. I dreaded doing it because I just didn’t want to do that climb! Every time I looked back at the ocean, I gasped at its beauty. I also saw how beautiful the flowers on trails were. I was so happy that we went up and over that huge hill. At times I forgot I was climbing up!
Oh this hill!!!!!
This Hike is All About Thankfulness for Me!
To many of you, this may sound ridiculous. To me, it’s heartfelt.
I think I spent a large part of my life feeling bad about all the tough times I’ve gone through and thinking I deserved so much more. Sometimes, I probably felt that “ Life” owed me payback! As life progresses, I realize that everyone has very tough times. There is no payback for those traumas and hurdles we are faced with! It is how we react to them, how we seek a path through tough times, and how we learn from them. Yes, often they are not choices but problems thrown right at us!
We often always want more, better things, to make up for those tough times. I guess what I didn’t realize, is that there’s so much more is already there! I just have to look for it, grasp it, and enjoy it.
THIS IS ONE LESSON THE CAMINO HAS TAUGHT ME!
Example: Look at the Photos of These Simple Flowers Below.
There really is nothing simple about them when I stop and look at them, and appreciate them. I find each one has real beauty.
The simplest of some of these flowers is an extravagant display of beauty. Some of them seem to be growing in conditions that are unbelievably harsh and are the sole flower on a field of barren scrub. To me, they appear as little beautiful gems and my eyes were drawn to the immediately. I had to try to capture their image with my camera.
The simplest of some of these flowers is an extravagant display of beauty. Some of them seem to be growing in conditions that are unbelievably harsh and are the sole flower on a field of barren scrub. To me, they appear as little beautiful gems and my eyes were drawn to the immediately. I had to try to capture their image with my camera.
The Camino has taught me to stop, to look, to appreciate, to reflect, and to be thankful for what’s right in front of me. I have had to work hard to overcome hardship and appreciate what has gone well.
I have done that! The question I ask is how great could our world be if we only do that with people instead of objects?
This is why I hike Spain. It is the place that awakened my soul to appreciation. It has a special place in my heart. I’m grateful for everything that I have. My family, my friends, and my amazing hiking partners that I’m with. They (Angela, Helen, George – Alison in spirit) will be friends of mine for life because each one of them is amazing!
Life is a journey! Somehow I have been blessed enough and have been lucky enough to enjoy my journey! I appreciate everything that’s here for me to see! I refuse to dwell on what I have lost or what has gone wrong in the past.
One thing that I thought about on my long hiking days in the middle of the countryside was the following;
Could I go back to every horrible thing I went through and try to see if somehow something positive arose from it?
Here is one eye opening example. When my mom died, I was 11. I was one of the only kids in school who went through such a tragedy. I felt alone, devastated, insecure, and walked around in sadness. I struggled terribly. As a young adult, I always had a soft spot for kids. I came to realize that I had more patience for those who were the misfits, the weird ones, the quirky ones, and those who had tough times. I went into teaching and fought hard for all kids but especially those who were misunderstood. I feel that was a direct result of what I went through as a kid. In my heart I believe that was the good thing to salvage from losing my mom at a young age. I like to try to find that “silver lining” in all experiences.
I hope everyone can open their eyes and see what is right there for them to enjoy!
KEEP WALKING!
