. . . enlightened self-interest . . . reflecting on these in the context of the journey and especially the breaks, brokered by Helpx, whereby service from the traveller is exchanged for lodging and sometimes food from the host.
Being vaguely aware that my monthly pension of €400 is less than usual expenditure, these breaks enable the show to stay on the road . . . and the savings cushion means my attention is not on want of money; indeed, with simple living, there is enough . . . sometimes for chocolate too.
And in each break there are opportunities to learn . . . from hosts and people around them.
This latest and longest stop is throwing up some interesting challenges, managing a menagerie of dogs, cats, guinea pigs and chicken. Since one of the dogs, Nessie, ate poison and died, the others have been on leads . . . not my favourite mode of dog-walking, but better than dead dogs.
Nevertheless, this morning, Erin managed to ingest poison too, possibly pesticide . . . she is still at the vets, but expected to survive . . . which means walks are cancelled until further notice . . . though not for me . . .
In return for trying to keep the animals alive, I have the use of a cosy caravan, where I can cook my own food . . . and a bonus as the Rio Dao approaches: Wayne Dyer's interpretation of the Tao Te Ching . . . perfect . .
. . . warm sunny weather to wander and ponder this journey . . . create some narratives to give some meaning . . . enjoy these days and imagine the ones to come: along the River Dao and on to Santiago de Compostela for the second time . . . maybe . . .
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