September 28
While Beth was in the hospital, our days consisted of daily visits with her there; errands (physical and electronic); and finding ways to occupy ourselves.
Since a day or two before Beth was discharged, our lives revolved largely around waiting to communicate and communicating with the insurance company about trip coverage and arrangements for Beth's travel home. Especially the day she left the hospital and the day after; we barely left the room and our WiFi link to the world. I will not go into the details--it's stressful to even think about it.
Pressing onward, Karen (the nurse who will accompany Beth home) arrived last night and came to the room to meet with us, gather some information, and fill in some details of the travel plans. She seems very capable, and it was wonderful to speak English and be immediately and completely understood. Last night, Beth was already tired by dinner time, so we went across the street to the Restaurante Acella (our most frequent breakfast place) and discovered there was a small dining room beyond the bar. We had thought the swinging doors led to the señora's kitchen. It was a shame that we had not known sooner so we could have been enjoying her convenient, inexpensive, and delicious meals. So, the plan is for Beth to leave early tomorrow morning with Karen, the nurse. Jerri and I will take a bus to Estella to rejoin the Camino. Since we haven't walked any real distance or difficult paths in two weeks--in fact, this has been the most inactive I've been since early July--I'm concerned. Will we have an abundance of energy since we've had plenty of rest? Or will our bodies, and feet, have become so pampered that hiking for hours in full gear will be grueling? We won't know until we get back out there. After a couple of days, we'll evaluate how we feel, how far we're able to go, etc. and adjust however we can to make sure we arrive in Santiago by the deadline date. The additional distance to Finisterre is definitely cancelled, and we most likely will have to skip other portions of the trail to make up for lost time. Unless we've gained super strength and endurance while sitting around Pamplona, there is no way we can cover 400 miles by foot in three weeks. However, we will do the best we can to keep walking.
While Beth was in the hospital, our days consisted of daily visits with her there; errands (physical and electronic); and finding ways to occupy ourselves.
Since a day or two before Beth was discharged, our lives revolved largely around waiting to communicate and communicating with the insurance company about trip coverage and arrangements for Beth's travel home. Especially the day she left the hospital and the day after; we barely left the room and our WiFi link to the world. I will not go into the details--it's stressful to even think about it.
Pressing onward, Karen (the nurse who will accompany Beth home) arrived last night and came to the room to meet with us, gather some information, and fill in some details of the travel plans. She seems very capable, and it was wonderful to speak English and be immediately and completely understood. Last night, Beth was already tired by dinner time, so we went across the street to the Restaurante Acella (our most frequent breakfast place) and discovered there was a small dining room beyond the bar. We had thought the swinging doors led to the señora's kitchen. It was a shame that we had not known sooner so we could have been enjoying her convenient, inexpensive, and delicious meals. So, the plan is for Beth to leave early tomorrow morning with Karen, the nurse. Jerri and I will take a bus to Estella to rejoin the Camino. Since we haven't walked any real distance or difficult paths in two weeks--in fact, this has been the most inactive I've been since early July--I'm concerned. Will we have an abundance of energy since we've had plenty of rest? Or will our bodies, and feet, have become so pampered that hiking for hours in full gear will be grueling? We won't know until we get back out there. After a couple of days, we'll evaluate how we feel, how far we're able to go, etc. and adjust however we can to make sure we arrive in Santiago by the deadline date. The additional distance to Finisterre is definitely cancelled, and we most likely will have to skip other portions of the trail to make up for lost time. Unless we've gained super strength and endurance while sitting around Pamplona, there is no way we can cover 400 miles by foot in three weeks. However, we will do the best we can to keep walking.
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