My dear friend Suzanne sent me this passage the other day – John Muir’s message for the saunterer;

Today’s view

Hiking – “I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains – not hike! Do you know the origin of that word ‘saunter?’ It’s a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, ‘A la sainte terre,’ ‘To the Holy Land.’ And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not ‘hike’ through them.”

– John Muir

Today is the perfect day for me to share it. Today we sauntered. There have been other sauntering days, but today it was purposeful. We only had seven miles to cover. The terrain was easy. The weather spectacular. Our mood mellow.  A good day.

At 4300 feet and marking 400 miles

We went over the second highest peak of our journey at 4300 feet in the Galician mountains. The view is breathtaking. We passed the 400 mile mark and we once again wonder how this happened?  How has our life’s decisions brought us to this day? Sauntering across Spain on this glorious fall day?

Tomorrow we begin the descent, and we also enter the home stretch. It will take some time to process all that has happened. I’m trying to not think too much about what’s next. Just staying in the moment and sauntering.

Buen Camino!

402 miles walked. 87 mile six to go.