Some nights we pre-book our accommodation (I use the name Francesca people seem to understand that), most days we have a goal as to where we are headed and still every day is different. I appreciate that our senses are heightened when we are away from home, but gosh I find so many of the camino days as being relatable to ‘normal’ life. (I think the guidebook to life is the Camino’s secret gift.) It was a long, hard hike today. We all have those days don’t we? Next time I have a truckload of boring stuff or a hard slog ahead I promised to remind myself of this last 4kms of sore feet day. Just as next time I hear a superior attitude about ‘how’ things should be done I’ll think of the full moon I hiked out of Población de Campos under.

Days on the Camino – 15

Kms – Today 36 kms. Our total is now around 420’ish kms it’s hard to know the maps are all over the place. But we are on the way to half way!

Starting point today – Población de Campos, Spain.

End of the day – Calzadilla de la Cueza, Spain.

Number of girls in Africa educated – 20

Total funds raised so far – $6,205.00. 

If you’d like to contribute you can do so here.

Frances Antonia – Do it in a dress.

Thanks for the help Kimmy from the Women Who Hike team.

Today was dedicated to – Lisa from Milwaukee! My kind friend who I’m yet to meet in person but who I feel like I’ve know forever. She’s been around for all my blogs … watching me grow out of the simplicity journey and into gentle intention and now here. Always offering her wise support and motherly advice :) A brilliant writer when the winds blow her in that direction. My kind hearted deep thinking friend – glad we virtually met. I wonder how we did. Do you remember?

Accommodation – We’ve arrive at Los Canarios Albergue … possibly my favourite so far. We pre-booked a twin room. After three shared dorm nights we were due (€20 each).

Food highlight – The breakfast was spectaular but after 36kms a plate of spaghetti bol. and a glass of red was just what the Dr ordered.

In a word(s) – In our camino groove.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with leaving your accommodation to chance if that’s what you want from your camino and we’ve done that ourselves. Last year our campervan trip was 5 months of no booking so I get it! But I’m not buying the notion that floats around this trail that pre-booking takes chance or coincidence out of my day.

Here’s how our day of chance and co-incidence played out:

We woke at 6 and set out hiking at 6.30am. We never have a start time planned, we just roll with when we wake up. We had planned a long day today so an early start suited us. This morning we hiked under a full moon. Perhaps a reward for chancing an earlier start than normal.

We skipped the first coffee shop at the 500 metre mark and chanced that we’d find something later down the track. At Villarmentero De Campos we found La Casona de Doña Petra a new hotel built over an old pilgrim’s hospital. We sat down to a surprise full breakfast on the menu and wouldn’t you know it those Danish Gems walked in.

We chanced asking them if they want to share our table. I adored this meet up as we learnt a little more about each other and they shared a few more camino wisdoms. Will we meet them again? Who knows … that’s the chance we take when we walk on. We don’t organise anything – that’s how we choose to protect chance and coincidence walking the camino our ‘way’.

We then walked into the last town where we could either stop at 17kms for the day or decide whether to walk on to the next town over 17kms away. We opted to take the chance and keep going. It was 10.30am and we were feeling strong. A stop at the supermarket to stock up on treats and we set off.

Every person we passed on the way, how the weather panned out, whether we’d feel fine after choosing to walk on, how our accommodation would turn out, who was staying at the same Albergue … all left to chance and coincidence.

Sure we took some chance out of it, we were rested, hydrated and fuelled. That’s just good preparation though – we’re walking across a country!

Our cozy Albergue was the perfect place to relax for an afternoon after such a long hike and the last hour in drizzle. Our cozy twin room is clean and perfect for an early night after a big day and following on from a couple of nights in dorms. Yes we booked … but we chanced that it would be what we needed and it absolutely was.

Living is one big chance! Don’t tell me there’s a monopoly on how chance looks. Shamers can be a bit like dream crushers, busy projecting their own ego by telling us ‘how’ to do things or so sure that their ‘way’ is the best way. Hey I chanced no poncho in the rain today and my own gear held out, it turned out fine.

Nope, I’m not buying that there is only one ‘way’ for anything. And I’m definitely not buying into giving shits about what the shamers and dream crushers think, no time. I’m busy taking my own chances, walking my ‘way’ and noticing the coincidences.