I slept like a log and woke just before the alarm went off, something I seem to be doing a lot, regardless of how well I slept. I’m sure it wouldn’t work for me to rely on that as my alarm though.
OK. Aiming for 64k to Viana or a bit more to Logroño so should be off soon but had a few minutes as supermarket here in Puenta la Reina (bridge of the queen) doesn’t open ’til 09.00 and I know I need lots off fluids aboard for today as it has a lot of up and down and will be exposed and hot. Amazingly, wifi and internet both working so here I am. The bridge was built by a canny medieval queen according to something I read. I doubt if she did it alone myself as it’s wonderful:
Hooray, all that hard work last night was worth it: ‘photos up! Here’s another to show how hard she worked:
and I call this “self-portrait with beautiful bridge”:
OK. More of this later. Truly beautiful town with two fascinating churches but I must go and get breakfast and get onward. Very best to anyone reading this rather erratic and tantalising blog: I do appreciate it that people are. Do post comments, if you do, WordPress has a not very obvious button that allows you to sign up to receive Emails when more posts go up … how could you not take up that offer?! (Don’t worry, I’m the only one who can see your Email address.)
Marvellous photos! Sorry you face ups and downs and heat. I had hoped the top of Spain might be flat! M and D.
Chris, I have been following your stories and I have been touched by all that you have shared with us. I have been in the midst of my own administrative work at my national university, and some of what you have written has really resonated with me, but your situation in the NHS was far, far more difficult than anything I can imagine.
One image that spoke to me was your discussion last week about how much influence the quality of the road surface has on your journey…especially that the rougher the surface, the more energy it takes to make progress. Of course I thought about the ‘surface quality’ of one’s workplace, and of one’s professional community. Especially for those whose work entails a great deal of emotional labor (i.e. psychiatrists, police officers, airline attendants, teachers, medical doctors, social workers, etc.), the surface of one’s place of employment and the general texture of the profession can get quickly worn down, cracked, and pitted by the people coming in and with the bureaucratic directives pushing down. Unless significant resources are brought to break for repairing the damage and maintaining a smooth surface, so to speak, things get worse…it takes too much energy to go forward. People get tired and pass out on the side of the road.
One of the problems with the way that Western Civilizations have been going since the Industrial Revolution is that we are good at building structures (social, physical, or otherwise), but we have not budgeted much into maintaining them. People suffer enormously as a result, especially those caught in the middle with trying to keep things moving.
I am happy that you have this chance to go on a walkabout, a pilgrimage, or a sojourn in the wilderness…whatever you would like to call it. Good things will come from this, and already have started to emerge, as can be seen in the hopeful undertones of your blog postings.
I don’t know who you wrote this for but you helped a brehotr out.
I was never 100% sure of my intended readers to be honest but it became an important part of the journey. Great if it helps anyone and welcome aboard Jenny. Chris