Ken Kesey: "Further" (Along The Camino De Compostela)

 

Dear Q,

Thanks for your email.

I remember that Kris was quite athletic, and am happy for her opportunity to hike el camino.

Flashback...

Being a very poor swimmer myself, I recall - as if it happened yesterday - not being able to spot Kris on the Salvadoran beach we were visiting south of San Miguel. 

After working myself into a dither, I finally saw her way out to sea, swimming parallel to the coast, happy as a clam. 

Waving. 

With a big smile on her face. 

I still feel bad about projecting my anxiety and fear onto Kris after she came ashore. 

Just couldn't contain my assholosity.

Life. 

If only we could correct the "first draft..." 

... although it's hard to pull the plug on "the valleys", without the likelihood of leveling "all" the peaks.

Paz contigo

Alan

PS At the risk of overdosing you on "Proud Parent Syndrome," son Danny ("Caribou") is now hiking his fifth big trail - the Continental Divide. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Divide_Trail 

PPS You might enjoy the following video, shot-and-edited by Caribou's Godfather, Steve Dear. Watch it if you're interested. Blow it off if you're not. There will be no Test. (The most interesting section is from the 6:00 mark to the 12:00 mark.)

"Winnemucca: The Search For Caribou," Son Danny's "Oregon Desert Trail" Trek Video

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2021/01/winnemucca-search-for-caribou-son.html

Ken Kesey

Wikiquote

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ken_Kesey

(I have very high regard for Ken Kesey, whom I got to know on a late night walk in Berkeley, shortly after his son was killed in a school bus accident. If you are unfamiliar with Kesey's work, check out the Wikiquotes above.)

On Mon, Jul 19, 2021 at 7:58 PM CQ wrote:

As an aside, my sister Kris now lives in the southwest of France in the Basque Country. 

She and a friend have done several stints of 5 days on the Camino. She loved the experience walking along the Pyrenees 30 miles a day. A wonderful challenge. 

CQ

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

On Mon, Jul 19, 2021 at 11:27 AM, Alan Archibald

<alanarchibaldo@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Mary,

Thanks for your email.

I did not read Shirley McLain's account of "El Camino," but I have enjoyed her writing in the past. 

I seem to recall that we've spoken of Martin Sheen's movie 'The Way," directed by son, Emilio Estevez.

If not, I will mention that I have never recommended "The Way" to anyone who -- regardless their religious tradition, or lack of religious tradition -- did not "get back to me" to say how much they enjoyed the movie. 

"The Way" used to stream freely on Netflix, but it's not featured at the moment.

Here is the scoop from Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_way_2011

Almost everyone finds "walking the camino" an enriching experience. And just being in Spain is wonderful! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago 

Love

Alan

PS Returning to our "map theme" again, my home town -- and Compostela -- are bloody close to the same latitude. Rochester is 43.1566° North, and Compostela is 42.8782° N. And just now I recall that the whole while I was in Galicia, I was struck by how much it reminded me of upstate New York!

On Mon, Jul 19, 2021 at 11:01 AM MW wrote:

I do remember that you hiked some of the Camino though not the specifics from where.  Daisy wants to do it one of these days, sooner than later.  Jeanette Keller’s sister who has lived in Assisi for many years and her daughter, Alyne, have walked it as well as Kelly who runs the Taylorsville market and is a good friend.  Did you ever read Shirley McLain’s account of her walk?  It’s unforgettable.  Love, Mary

On Jul 18, 2021, at 7:18 PM, Alan Archibald <alanarchibaldo@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Mary,

Thanks for your email. 

I'm glad you enjoyed the superimposed maps.

Did I mention to you that during the last ten days of our 6 week stay in Andalucia that Danny, friend Rowan and I walked the Camino de Santiago, from Tuy/Tui (on the Portuguese border) to Santiago de Compostela, a distance sufficient to earn us a Camino de Compostela "Passport" under whose beautiful (and now-framed) calligraphy I sit at my computer. (I'll send you a photo taken in the daylight.)

It was an extremely memorable adventure.

Best wishes to one and all.

Love

Alan

On Sun, Jul 18, 2021 at 4:28 PM MW wrote: 

Thanks, Alan!  It did interest me as I could see that Humboldt County is similar to northern Portugal/ northern Spain near one of my favorite places, Santiago de Compostela…..That’s comforting as the fires advance along the Feather River Canyon.  Daisy said that the smoke is now in Indian Valley as she visits Dan and Carol these days.  Love, Mary

On Jul 18, 2021, at 12:25 AM, Alan Archibald <alanarchibaldo@gmail.com> wrote:

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2021/07/a-revealing-map-that-superimposes.html