gerardcarey
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- CFx2, CPx1
It hadn't taken long to find a Chemist after I'd walked into the town.
Plenty of them around in Spain aren't there.
But then I had to stand outside for a while, under the flickery green cross, figuring out what I was going to tell the chemist.
I had to get my story straight.
And to do that I first needed to review what had happened that morning.
It had been one of those dank Galician autumn mornings.
Chilly, but it looked colder than it was.
A thin mist sat low, way out into the distance, wetly embracing the countryside. But it was only a temporary embrace. It would soon loosen. The sun was beginning it's slow rise from the horizon and already I felt a wisp of warmth flash my cheek.
Clouds wafted gently above, occasionally tumbling softly over the hilltops.
Being Galicia there was an abundance of trees, up high across the hillsides, even down into the fields where their spreading limbs sheltered groups of farm animals.
Small birds surprised me as they stuttered and fluttered from the bushy hedgerows as I walked along. Yet, of my surroundings I was almost completely unaware.
They occasioned only a passing glance from me.
I was in a plodding mood. Thick headed.
My head was down, my eyes fixed on the path ahead, the comforting crunch of my shoes on the gravel my only regular contact with the here and now.
“Morning! Lovely morning isn't it?” A loud female voice greeted me thus from behind, awakening me from my dozy reverie.
I lifted my head and saw the world anew.
“And a very good morning to you too,” I replied as an extremely stout lady moved briskly up alongside.
“Hullo, I'm Mary from Illinois and aren't we just so lucky to be here,” she said. She smiled that friendly open-hearted smile that pilgrims seem to bestow on any new pilgrim they meet.
And, as tho I had been her absolutely very best friend forever, she continued at pace. “Now just look around. When I consider what I would be doing right now if I was at home in Illinois, well, I just count my blessings.”
“Hi Mary,” I replied. I thought I'd better make an effort to get involved in this conversation before it passed me by. “Nice to meet you. I'm Gerard, and you are quite right. We are fortunate to be here on such a morning."
But she seemed to ignore my contribution to the conversation. Her head tilted back and she took a deep breath in through her nostrils.
A rather generous chest expanded rather exponentially.
“Ah yes,” she said, “the smell of the countryside, invigorating isn't it?”
Invigorating?
It is?
But then I'm not really a smelling type pilgrim.
More of your looker I am.
“Oh my, do you smell the wild mint?” she asked.
I sniff-sniffed at the air.
“Wild mint eh? Um. Not sure I do Mary. Don't think so. But then I was a smoker. Probably ruined my olfactory system.”
We chatted for a few minutes, well, she told me stuff, until her desire for a faster pace occasioned our parting.
She was quite a sight as she headed up trail, like a great ship of the line under full sail, breasting into the hillside swells.
I now had the opportunity to quietly survey my surroundings.
Yes, it was a champion morning.
Thank you for waking me up Mary.
And wild mint in the air too eh?
Well, if you can smell it that means it's probably growing somewhere close by.
I scanned the hedgerows as I wandered along.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before I spotted the familiar leaf shape with it's distinctive pattern.
That was the morning I stuffed stinging nettle up my nose.
Yeah thanks for that too Mary.
Regards
Gerard
PS.
Told the Chemist I'd had to go off trail for a pee. That I'd tripped and fallen into some bushes.
But my Spanglish was not up to scratch.
What's that game? Charades, that's it. I had to give him a bit of that.
Induced much mirth amongst the staff.
Next time I'll take mother's advice to always tell the truth.
No I won't.
Next time I'll figure out a better lie.
Plenty of them around in Spain aren't there.
But then I had to stand outside for a while, under the flickery green cross, figuring out what I was going to tell the chemist.
I had to get my story straight.
And to do that I first needed to review what had happened that morning.
It had been one of those dank Galician autumn mornings.
Chilly, but it looked colder than it was.
A thin mist sat low, way out into the distance, wetly embracing the countryside. But it was only a temporary embrace. It would soon loosen. The sun was beginning it's slow rise from the horizon and already I felt a wisp of warmth flash my cheek.
Clouds wafted gently above, occasionally tumbling softly over the hilltops.
Being Galicia there was an abundance of trees, up high across the hillsides, even down into the fields where their spreading limbs sheltered groups of farm animals.
Small birds surprised me as they stuttered and fluttered from the bushy hedgerows as I walked along. Yet, of my surroundings I was almost completely unaware.
They occasioned only a passing glance from me.
I was in a plodding mood. Thick headed.
My head was down, my eyes fixed on the path ahead, the comforting crunch of my shoes on the gravel my only regular contact with the here and now.
“Morning! Lovely morning isn't it?” A loud female voice greeted me thus from behind, awakening me from my dozy reverie.
I lifted my head and saw the world anew.
“And a very good morning to you too,” I replied as an extremely stout lady moved briskly up alongside.
“Hullo, I'm Mary from Illinois and aren't we just so lucky to be here,” she said. She smiled that friendly open-hearted smile that pilgrims seem to bestow on any new pilgrim they meet.
And, as tho I had been her absolutely very best friend forever, she continued at pace. “Now just look around. When I consider what I would be doing right now if I was at home in Illinois, well, I just count my blessings.”
“Hi Mary,” I replied. I thought I'd better make an effort to get involved in this conversation before it passed me by. “Nice to meet you. I'm Gerard, and you are quite right. We are fortunate to be here on such a morning."
But she seemed to ignore my contribution to the conversation. Her head tilted back and she took a deep breath in through her nostrils.
A rather generous chest expanded rather exponentially.
“Ah yes,” she said, “the smell of the countryside, invigorating isn't it?”
Invigorating?
It is?
But then I'm not really a smelling type pilgrim.
More of your looker I am.
“Oh my, do you smell the wild mint?” she asked.
I sniff-sniffed at the air.
“Wild mint eh? Um. Not sure I do Mary. Don't think so. But then I was a smoker. Probably ruined my olfactory system.”
We chatted for a few minutes, well, she told me stuff, until her desire for a faster pace occasioned our parting.
She was quite a sight as she headed up trail, like a great ship of the line under full sail, breasting into the hillside swells.
I now had the opportunity to quietly survey my surroundings.
Yes, it was a champion morning.
Thank you for waking me up Mary.
And wild mint in the air too eh?
Well, if you can smell it that means it's probably growing somewhere close by.
I scanned the hedgerows as I wandered along.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before I spotted the familiar leaf shape with it's distinctive pattern.
That was the morning I stuffed stinging nettle up my nose.
Yeah thanks for that too Mary.
Regards
Gerard
PS.
Told the Chemist I'd had to go off trail for a pee. That I'd tripped and fallen into some bushes.
But my Spanglish was not up to scratch.
What's that game? Charades, that's it. I had to give him a bit of that.
Induced much mirth amongst the staff.
Next time I'll take mother's advice to always tell the truth.
No I won't.
Next time I'll figure out a better lie.
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