When we woke up this morning, Addie turned to me and asked, “Mommy, do we get to hike today?”
I have no doubt people were skeptical when we said we were going to walk the Camino with two young children, but already, I can’t overstate the positives. Addie is so proud of her accomplishment, and she is constantly being told what an accomplishment it is! She donned her blanket as a cape this morning, and announced that she is Wonder Woman. She is my little Wonder Woman.
We encountered a few school-aged kids on the trail today. One family with two young boys passed us and shared that they had already walked 800 kilometers (likely starting in Le Puy). We already can’t wait until we can return with our girls old enough to walk.
We wanted to stop in Lorca for the night, deciding we needed to shorten the length of the stages we are walking, but after booking a private room in Lorca, the hostel emailed back and stated no children were allowed. We decided to stay in Estella but taxi from Lorca. We’ve learned what distance is reasonable for us to cover. 22 kilometers is not reasonable for us.
We keep expecting the route to get flatter, and I know at some point it will, but today was not that day. We had large hills to ascend and stairs to navigate up and down. We made it to Lorca with the assistance of many kind strangers, and have been humbled by the help we’ve received.
We passed a group that included an Argentinian nun and a man from the Canary Islands. They were drinking Argentinian almond tea in the shade of an almond tree, and they shared their tea with us. Later, on the trail, Addie held hands with the nun, while the man helped me wrangle the stroller up some stairs.
Despite the obstacles and struggles, we are loving this adventure. This has been the happiest I’ve ever seen Sandra. We walked past groves of olive and almond trees, and each turn offered a view more breathtaking than the last. We walked past a garden called the “Olive Gard-Zen” and were so tempted to stop and never leave, basking there in the shade of the olive trees forever.
The sense of community out here is stronger than anywhere else in our memories. Everyone here is working toward a common goal and helping one another along the way and cheering one another on. After two years of lockdowns and isolation from covid, I’m so grateful that Addie is getting an opportunity to meet people and experience the goodness in humanity.
We reached Lorca exhausted and proud and called for a taxi to take us to Estella. In the taxi, Addie asked where we were going.
“The taxi is taking us to the hotel,” we replied.
Addie looked at us and replied, “I don’t want to go to the hotel. I just want to keep walking.”
I appreciate your taking the time to blog for all of us who love following your journey. It sounds, and looks,amazing. We will need a Camino party when you get home so we can hear all about it from Addie❤
I love these updates and look forward to them. I feel like we’re all being lifted up right along with you!
home at last. So happy that is going well for you and such nice people are helping if you need it. It warms the heart. And body, it is snowing here. Again.