Halfway

A day off in Burgos was welcome. It gave me a chance to collect and connect. I was able to Viber call and text with friends and family. There was some really good news from home.

I opened my maps and did some figures. I realized that I would soon be passing the halfway point to Santiago where the camino crossed the Rio Cueza, just east of Ledigos. 

Halfway

On Monday afternoon, I arrived at this "cruce" and there walking along was another peregrino. I pulled up and greeted "!Buen Camino! Senor, look, mira aqui, behind you - the rio!" Bewildered and in perfect English, he said, "What are you talking about?"

Here I met a friend, Peter, from Cumbria, England near the Scots border. I explained we were halfway done - 390 km behind us with 390 more to go. We had a firm congratulating handshake. Then we walked along for an hour or so sharing stories (mostly mine). With Peter I had the first full blown conversation in English in 2 weeks. It was a treat. 

Peter had enlisted in the British army at a young age. He served 9 years military and then 7 years on ambulance with the remaining 17 years as a policeman in Bristol. Peter has seen the harder sides of life and appears to have come out the better. 

We made our way into a small village, dropped in on the first cantina and bought each other a round of aqua con gasse. As we sat and shared a quiet moment, the Spanish news broadcast on the TV. We both admitted we hadn´t a clue as to the business of the real world. I wondered if President Obama and Putin were still eyeballing each other. Peter and I agreed - nothing to get in a twist about.

Peter from England

British kids (as well as many others) have been going off to our wars to be killed and scarred with American kids. Peter, who I believe is in the know, commented with some irony, "All in the name of freedom" - or was it money?

Enough of that.