Thursday, March 18, 2010

Still Here!

During this long pause between blogs, I have continued to walk walk walk but haven't found too many opportunities to blog blog blog. The landscape is beautiful and the people to match, but somewhere in there I got hold of some bad feta or something and was rather under the weather for many days... days of snow, mostly, ugh! I'm so strongly determined to be in Patras on April 3rd that giving up was never a thought that crossed my mind. I just kept my head down and walked, preoccupied with the search for Mother Nature's powderrooms in response to the constant rumblings of the thunderstorm in my digestive track. I lost my appetite, and thus my energy was drained, but, funny thing, during this time, really nice people kept crossing my path, waving me into a cafe for a cup of tea and making it easy to find places to sleep - sometimes for 12 hours at a go. I walked through a lot of history, too, and took passing note, but didn't get too consumed. I walked by Philippi, but could see from the hillside above that the ruins were completely covered in wet snow, and being a Monday, was closed anyway. Oh well. Onward I trekked.

I recovered fully in the days it took to walk around Mt Olympus, just below the snowline. The sun has returned in force, as has my appetite, and the home of the gods is now behind me. I'm happily in the mountains, green and lush from the recent moisture, a day from the perched monasteries of Meteora. Calculating my actual route, I can eliminate the swing through Corinth and take the bridge or a ferry across the Gulf of Patras and recover my schedule to offset the greater-than-planned distance. Though my Greek language skills are still very limited, using mostly German, I explain to people what I'm doing. 'Patras is too far to walk to,' they tell me, 'you must take a bus.' Isn't that a hoot! I show them my credenziale, completely filled with stamps from so many of the places where I've stayed, and they begin to get it. Otherwise, the concept of pilgrimage by foot is completely foreign. They quickly conclude that I must be Catholic because an Orthodox simply wouldn't do something like this.

More soon, but I'm alive and well and found an internet cafe to post.

9 comments:

Pittsburgh Suzy said...

Ann, I was so glad to see your post. I was really getting worried, almost had to call Eileen. Sorry to hear that you were under the weather, glad to hear that you are doing much better. Keeping you in my prayers.

Pittsburgh Suzy

The Solitary Walker said...

Hard going... but you've come through! Go girl...

Anonymous said...

Anna, phew, glad to see your post and that you are well. I am amazed that that's the only "little" problem you had...figured you would have callouses in your no-sole boots!
I have no doubt you will make your goal...you are almost there!
You are in my prayers! Nadja

Kiwi Nomad said...

All that horrendous weather you trudged safely through further north.... then the feta gets you! In my much more ordinary pilgrimage I know that the one day I had a huge stomach problem easily rated as my worst day- though there were other issues that day like the forked lightning storm I also had to walk through! But I hope you are over the stomach thing, and are feeling energetic for the last haul. And since you have really hoped for this arrival date for so long, I hope you get there in time!
Margaret

Margaret Meredith said...

Wonderful to learn that you are feeling better! Keep on treking! Hope for the best. Ultreia!
Margaret Meredith

OHMV said...

Those darn microbes! So glad you are better! We raise our glass to you and drink to your health this St. Patty's Day week!

Best wishes and keep on walking you are almost there!

Sylvia

ksam said...

Oh I second..third...fourth etc...I kept checking...even at work, and was starting to get more than a little antsy! So sorry to hear you weren't feeling well, but even more strangely, the malady is apparently being shared by a fellow pilgrim...treking thru the Camnio Frances!! Both of you are truly on my list of "Poster" girls...women whom I'd aspire to be like! Doing it..not just saying it...Will be praying for you esp. as Easter approaches .. Be strong and know that there are a lot of people .. many strangers, thinikng and praying for you and wishing you well. K

LDahl said...

We've had that bug here... if you had to walk and go through bad weather + the bug, you have my sincere sympathy and admiration for keeping on keeping on.

Anonymous said...

Hope you will find a place to blog, blog, blog! Can't wait to see some watercolors and celebrate your "arrival" at destination!