Tao Te Ching 64

What is rooted is easy to nourish. What is recent is easy to correct. What is brittle is easy to break. What is small is easy to scatter. Prevent trouble before it arises. Put things in order before they exist. The giant pine tree grows from a tiny sprout. The journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath your feet. Rushing into action, you fail. Trying to grasp things, you lose them. Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe. Therefore the Master takes action by letting things take their course. He remains as calm at the end as at the beginning. He has nothing, thus has nothing to lose. What he desires is non-desire; what he learns is to unlearn. He simply reminds people of who they have always been. He cares about nothing but the Tao. Thus he can care for all things.

Tr: Stephen Mitchell

Saint Jean Pied de Port - Day 2

Today was an easy, restful day. Explored town. Met Colin from Colorado and Marta from Valencia at the pilgrim office. Had dinner with Joe and Ann from New Zealand and then a drink with Colin. And enjoyed this lovely view from my room in a 330 year old house.

I plan to attend Easter mass (in Basque!) tomorrow morning, and then begin my hike across the Pyrenees. Tomorrow night at Borda.

Saint Jean Pied de Port - Day 1

On Sunday, I will walk across that bridge, as pilgrims have done for hundreds of years, and begin my journey over there mountains:

But first, I will spend another day relaxing and exploring Saint Jean, and humoring the locals with my abysmal pronunciation of French.

Weather today was perfect. Tomorrow promises a lot of rain. Fortunate (I hope) that I had the extra day in the schedule.

Also today: citadel walk, tapas and wine by the river with an Australian, doux wine and Gâteau Basque before the rain.

Pamplona (first time)

Went to bed last night at 11p (which felt like 4p) slept for a couple hours, then tried to sleep for the next 5. Saw the clock around 6a... and then woke with a start at 11:20a. Check out at noon! 

Found a good brunch, walked through though Madrid's expansive central park, and then to the train station. Fast electric train to Pamplona, now sitting in the Plaza del Castillo enjoying a local vino rosando and waiting for dinner. 

Tomorrow- bus to Saint Jean Pied de Port.

Arrived in Madrid

Arrived in Madrid after overnight flight from Chicago. A little delayed, and lost my water bottle on the bus in from the airport 😥, but otherwise smooth journey.

Checked in to the Hostel Met Madrid, cleaned up, and then got tapas and rioja at the Matador before going to the "Essential Flemenco" show at Teatro Tablao Flamenco Torero. Starting to feel like I've arrived... still a little surreal. 

Museum tomorrow and then train to Pamplona.