El Camino, day one

Well, we lived. And actually there was never any doubt about it. Mom and I held up the back of the pack- slow and steady.... We walked about 13-15 miles today, over a mountain. We are now in Spain. We walked over the bridge that separates the two countries this morning, and spent the day walking in the Spanish ( more accurately, the Galician) countryside. I can not describe to you how beautiful the landscape is here. The weather is perfect(actually, very similar to LA) the air fresh and breezy, the path occupied by no one but us, the company good- Mom and I walk with our new friend Kathy and often one of the tour guides, Luisa. Sometimes we talk, sometimes we don't. The pace is pretty fast, set by the people in the front, and mom and I found our rhythm or slightly faster than we normally walk and very steady. I'm learning a lot, and I had to buy a new pair of hiking shoes as the ones I brought were use too small and squeezing my toes.i don't think you ever value your feet completely until you've done something like walk the Camino. You learn to take care of those little piggies! During this one day, I've had two kinds of lotion, runner's Glide, biking Butter, and moleskin on my feet. I've taken my shoes and socks off ten times, and although my feet are sore, there are no blisters! I'm doing something right. I'm still working on how to post pictures- I'll get it. If I can walk the Camino, I cando anything. We have been told that the hardest day on our pilgrimage was today! Much more flat land from here on out. Did I mention we crossed over a mountain? The colors still amaze me- and there are wildflowers growing everywhere, in the village towns, there are magnificent gardens, and everywhere in the countryside there are grape vineyards (grapes help up by granite posts). Heaven. I guess we'll see what I think when I wake up, though I have confidence that though I'll be sore, I'll be fine. Ciao