Detachment

Most of the Alberques ( hostels for pilgrims) along the Camino require you to leave your hiking boots in a certain room or location when you check in. So Wednesday night when I checked into the Albergue at the Augustinian Monastery in Roncesvalles I did as requested. I didn't feel to comfortable doing this with over 500 pilgrims staying there that night but followed the rules just the same. 

When I got up on Thursday morning and was ready to head out low and behold my boots were gone!  Now mind you over the past 8 months or so I have tried on countless pairs of boots and bought and returned 5 pair before finding a pair that fit my fat feet comfortably!  Sitting right next to where I had left mine were a similar pair even having the same inserts mine had, but not mine. After searching the room for mine they weren't there!  So I eventually set off in this other pair, about a half to a size smaller. A very uncomfortable walk yesterday.  Along the way I mention what happened to a few friends. 

About 3 in the afternoon while I was taking a break resting my weary feet and had finally come to the realization that maybe I had a lesson in detachment to learn a friend came up and said he thought he knew who had my boots!  Another friend of ours had started out early and didn't realize until about an hour latter he had the wrong boots on. Tom (friend number 1) told him he thought he knew who had his boots and realized where I was rushed ahead about an hour in order to catch up with me.

Thanks be to God I was finally reunited  with my boots. Now if only I can find my prayer rope which is missing!  LOL. 

Trading boots after a long difficult day!