The Daily Routine

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Lawrence Jones Daily Routine Astorga, pilgrims walking on a path.
Unknown pilgrims on the way to Astorga on July 10, 2017. Photo by Larry Jones.

The Daily Routine

by Lawrence Jones | Bristol, VT

Up before the sun, and underway before the stars
Have totally blinked out above the early morning cars,
We walk an hour, maybe two, before a coffee break,
And then café con leche and tortilla take the cake!
We visit the aseos and then take the Way again.
Perhaps we make another stop at half past nine or ten,
Then on into the town ahead, we find a place to stay:
This is the general pattern when you walk St. James’s Way.
We try to have a bed all set no later than one-thirty,
And then we wash and do laundry (we’ve gotten rather dirty).
And then it’s time for lunch, and what a joyful meal that is,
With the tallest of cervezas followed by the daily quiz:
What was the best about today? What was the very worst?
What happened so exciting that it made you want to burst?
And then with questions answered and a look at next day’s map,
It’s back to the albergue for an hour-long, lovely nap!
And then upon arising, do some writing, maybe walk,
Then get the laundry off the line and have a worthwhile talk,
Ere stepping out for dinner off the pilgrim’s menu plain,
Then back to the albergue, and it’s off to bed again!

Lawrence Jones Portomarin Daily Routine, pilgrims eating lunch.
Dinner with fellow pilgrims in Portomarin, Spain, on July 19, 2017. Pictured from left to right: Mike Rogers, Diane McWilliam, Carly Snyder, Steve Lytch, Carol Lytch, Nancy Shongalla-Bowman, and Carolyn Emsley. Photo by Larry Jones.

The photos that accompany this poem were taken along the Camino Francés. To learn more, check out our Camino Francés route overview.

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