The walking has been a great experience. I would have thought after 13 years of walking we would be going on a lot of similar landforms but no, nature has a way of exciting us with new eye-bewildering landscape. On the Iberian Peninsular there’s a lot of rain so it highlights the varying green grasses carpeting the glorious open fields of more shapes and designs than ever before. You might see all sizes of cavernous appearance that have either similar vegetation as that of the land around it or a variety of new plants. Then there are the Lillies.
The hills and valleys dive off each other making smaller ones until out of nowhere another one appears. All looks well because unlike the forests of Europe that are mostly imported trees for harvesting, there is no tree harvest, there is no felling of timber, no extra roads to bring more fallen trees and no unattractive places that are built for tree harvesting. What you will see though are trees which stop erosion, eg. pines on hill tops. Instead there is more land that is green. There are landforms that begin as a flat space, then suddenly making a dip meeting a large natural concave space. These spaces are left wild as the farmer ploughs around them, or plants more bushes in them. And all of this located in a larger still deep open area.
We climbed a mountain today with stunning views and 360 degrees of it. It seems that the farms are protected by nearby hills, they are then watched by nearby mountains, and then framed by the snow covered Picos in this case. I didn’t see them at first but as we were leaving the curtain of clouds lifted to reveal the snow covered stage of the Picos for a minute.
Down below we started up a conversation with a Scottish couple who could have turned into acquaintances but they were going a different route; there was older Juan a real character from Argentina – we walked with him for a while in the dimly lit Plaza Mayor; and then there was the landlord, a lot younger than the others who is donating a sum of money and will keep in touch. We felt, and noticed history, as we walked the bumpy cobbled streets of this fascinating heritage town in The Iberian Peninsular. It was so bumpy the cars had to move at pedestrian speed.
We have met a lot more of those on holidays, many of them looking for rainbows from those billowing clouds, while others enjoy the limited sunshine available, or simply just get wet. We take every opportunity to talk of Parkinson’s, some promising to donate, while others wishing me well thinking that I’m not, but I am….., but do so with good intention. Of course there are many who do suffer and you can see that in their eyes, but some learn to live with it suffering silently or accepting it as as now being a part of who they are.
We went for most of our usual walk this morning from Santillana Del Mar with its stunning surrounds, a new masterpiece round every corner, a brilliant piece of art over every hill, nature at its very best, a visual feast for many of us. There’s nothing ordinary out there and we know how lucky we are. It’s a type of marathon, except we have breaks.
Post Script: I have just received a message from Dean Laws who is leading a team of extraordinary people mostly with Parkinson’s (and like many of those beautiful horses I saw today on my and Corrie’s 10km walk), where with the bit in their teeth, pawing madly along the ground wanting to get going to make this the best walking marathon ever. We want you, need you, to sign up NOW so they can do the work that is needed to prepare everything for you. So please sign up TODAY. This work they are doing is vital in helping them to have a better life with Parkinson’s because it enables them to get back the reward that our loss of dopamine has taken from us.
I believe this is also an incredible event in that it is probably the biggest gathering of people living with Parkinson’s outside the National conference. But there is also another huge difference. There are physiotherapists, physiologists, a neurologist or two, people with Pd whom you have never met where you can share experiences, potential friends with whom you can share support in many ways. I do a few things re Parkinson’s and have made friends with whom I can share concerns and delights. Signing up early allows you more time to talk about the event; more time to be part of the experience; more valuable training time; and more time to talk with those bringing this marathon to your backdoor and think of what experiences you could bring with you.
PS you’ve guessed that Janine’s course is in mindfulness rather than midfulness!, and Parlisnons is a creative way of spelling Parkinsons. Must read my words before I press send.
Hello dear friends!
Thank you Will, for your continued blog, and it was high time for me to contribute something. Janine is doing an online course in midfulness, and it occurs to me that all your journeys incorporate so much mindfulness. Your descriptive writings remind me that I could be a lot more mindful of my surroundings when we go for walks. Walking as you do is of course a great way to really absorb your surroundings in a way that other forms of transport don’t do. I take my hat of to you both (or would do if i had one).
I will take issue with you over one thing – you write in the above comments that ‘you do a few things re Parlisnons’., including initiating the walking marathon which is now an annual event. Mate, you do and have done so much, but I applaud the humility.
Much love to you both from both of us.
Narayan and Janine