The Happy Pilgrim

Well, I have finally arrived in Spain and what can I say?
The first thing is that travelling long distance (by aircraft)) is definitely not for the faint hearted. Don’t get me wrong I have no regrets it’s best I say that from the start. I should come as no surprise tothose who know me that already I have had some humorous insights.  I am sure you will allow me to share thsee,  it is after all my blog and you are merely an observer. It would be remiss of me not to mention that if you get annoyed with my “ramblings” then you don’t need to read  them!

Thoughts on the long leg from Canberra to Barcelona and then on to Bilbao
• Be careful not to judge the kids that run around the airport making lots of pre-departure noise (they can actually turn out to be the quietest of passengers)
• Drinking lots of water is smart (even if it means extra trips to the WC)  any excuse to move is good for circulation and your  back!
• Yoga is useful (even in a tiny seat in an aircraft) and if you can get your knees to your chest or your chest on your lap easily it will bring great relief to your sedentary “self”. Also breathing mindfully takes up no space at all.
• If you open yourself up to a conversation with integrity and kindess you never know how many similarities you can find with a total stranger.
• The entertainment systems are deliberately different on every flight, I think it's designed  to confuse you and keep your mind active while in flight mode! I am definitely not the only one who didn't work them out straight away.
• If you “Go With the Flow” on long flights everything works out  in the end including;
o the noise (and if you are the only one anxious about that strange whirring noise in the engine it could be you are over reacting)
o interruptions to sleep
o the strange regularity at which  food items are delivered to your seat; and finally
o being too tired to actually work out how long you are in the air and in transit!

I sat next to an older couple in the departure lounge  in Melbourne who, coincidentally ended up being my flight neighbours from Melbourne to Doha. They were on their way to Edinburgh for a holiday with family. At the end of the family visits they were looking forward to going on their ever first cruise. I am guessing here but they may have been in their mid 70s. Great people (not too chatty) but good company on the long haul over.

There wasn’t much time during the connection from Doha and Barcelona (enough to go through customs again and find my boarding lounge). To be honest I only made it by 2 minutes by the recommended times and had to run. Mind you there were people arriving much later than me. Next time I wont run.  I don’t know why I purchased that handy pouch for my money and passport that straps over my neck,  I think it’s marvellous but it’s a right royal pain to remove every time I go through a check point. Actually I forget to remove it appropriately every time,  I empty all my pockets instead and break  into a nervous sweat and try (and then fail)  to remove it from under my clothing in a hurry.

During the stop over in Doha I made an attempt to  update the family (by text  and Facebook) both failed and I ended up having to do a run to get to the lounge in time…. 2 minutes to spare and the burned up all this lazy energy. Loved the adrenaline rush of course! Despite the 2 announcements stating they wouldn’t let late comers through, they arrived late anyway!

From Doha to Barcelona I sat next to a Associate Professor of Mental Health Nursing from Jordan (who is currently working in Saudi Arabi as as FIFO worker). We certainly covered a few of the challenging first world problems and a few third world ones. When it comes down to it,  apart from gender and religion, where we live and how much income we earn,  we were basically “the same”. We are parents, who care deeply about our children’s education and their ability to purchase a home, are concerned about those less fortunate than ourselves, we were both interested and  open to learning about each others religious customs, believed in a fair and just social system for ourselves and those with disadvantate in our community. We were also both facinated by the different tax and retirement systems (we talked a lot on that subject). We were both interested in sharing an understanding for our respective Pilgrimages. It was very interesting for me to ask questions of someone who has actauuly been on The Hajj, which is a once in a lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca. I think our plane ride would make for a good documentatry on SBS actually. I will sugest that to my newphew! I will reflect back on that moment throughout my  own journey across south-west Spain and when I receive my Compostela in Santiago in late June.

We didn’t chat the whole way (it was a 7 hour flight) but enjoyed semi regular conversation between movies and naps and food and stretch and toilet breaks. Our chats made the time pass differently. Each of us were interested in learning how things worked in each other's country  (in some ways we were quite similar and in others such as national wealth  in Saudi Arabia, are experiences were quite different).

Again the time between landing in Barcelona and getting on a plane to Bilbao was very short.  The passport pouch caused me grief again and unlike Doha where they were very friendly and patient I had to empty the enitre contents off my back pack plus take off my shoes (lesson learned from Barcelona airport for next time). The Spanish are less tolerant when it comes to airport security.

What I learned today
1. Don’t ever underestimate the significance of movement and it's affect on personal comfort and health.
2. Move (even if you are still and sore and tired) it’s worth it. I walked aroud 5 kms this evening and I know this will servve me well in the coming weeks.
3. Pinxtos in Bilbao are delicious I had a lot of fun choosing and the slowly eating four little pretties!
4. Three big glasses and the small splash of delicious wine were well earned this evening. The wine is definitely delicious and cheap here and I am going to sleep well.
5. It was a very smart move that I didn't start my wine consumption until I arrived at my final destination (I don't think I would have made it if I started celebrating earlier in the journey!
6. Taxi drivers are the same all round the world and it's quite a thrill getting in a left hand drive for the first time and zooming through a busy city. The one I met was fast, honest and got me where I was going safely with a smile with very little English or Spanish between us!
7. Bilbao has  lots of beautiful sports to walk and run and take your dog for a walk. The sun doesn't set until quite late and there are lots of people out enjoying the early evening (it truly was lovely to be part of.)
8. I will need to use my glasses to blog and re-read late night posts in the morning (apologies in advance to those early readers) and finally
9. This one is for JJ. Not all iron-free clothing is what the marking tells you it is. I have ironed my skirt and it's not different to ironing it back in  Canberra! I put it down to the packing and have decided not to rush back to the experience too quickly!

More posts in a few days time once I settle into the rhythm of walking. I don't want to over promise and under deliver so possibly the next post will be when I get to Pamplona.  Thanks again to everyone who has provided me with pearls of wisdom, prayers and encouraging comments.

Buenas noches from The Happy Pilgrim