The Fine Art of Blisters

Got a chance to wear my new coat. Do I look like a traffic cone?

St-Maurice to Martigny

Via Francigena #8 of 20

“Oh I’m back in the saddle again!

Yes I’m back in the saddle again!”

It’s a fine morning. After the previous day of peanut M&M’s and Swiss Chicken McNuggets slathered in mayo, I’m good to go.

The feet seem good, like I sprayed Blister Be Gone on them. I’m chalking it up to early intervention; as in stop walking. And managing my expectations; as in it’s okay to stop walking. My two little toes are still squawking but only if I have shoes on.

An injury, which blisters are of the skin, is of course best avoided, but realistically it is inevitable because a Camino isn’t a day hike or even a weekend back pack excursion. It seems reasonable that what works in these short term situations should work in longer ones. But it doesn’t. There are too many variables, and how far in a day you walk and how many days in a row you go are big ones.

There isn’t a set length for Camino’s, but two weeks is common and last year we did five weeks and covered 550 miles. Just as it takes time to “get your walking legs,” it takes time to condition your walking feet.

There is a level of finessing and personal preference here that even as a Virgo-Tinkerer has taken me a while to grasp: Compeed works on my big toes, especially if I use it prophylactically, but not on my little toes, omg what was I thinking. White surgical tape works on the occasional 2nd toe issue and that sometimes weird hot spot on the top of number three, but not between my fourth and fifth toes That’s where Dr Sholl’s Corn pads come in. Slather with Hike Goo to reduce friction and off I go. Except if it’s sunny. Or wet. Or if it’s Monday and you were forced to stomp through Dante’s Inferno. Or if the moon is in Aquarius. Or, god forbid, you get new boots, which I had.

It all reminds me of that other thing I spend a lot of time practicing: yoga. The pose you did yesterday is not the pose you are doing today.

It’s an easy hike through the Alps, oxymoron that that is. See below for photos, including another award winning salad sandwich.

©Theresa Elliott, All Rights Reserved

Yes.

And more yes.

The morning started with breaking low clouds.

Because it’s weird.

Because it’s beautiful.

And suddenly we were being watched. Intently.

Sandy told me it rains rocks here.

Even more yessing.

And the result of yessing.

This fabulous salad sandwich was an Italian grandmother’s recipe. Crusty garlic bread, cherry tomatoes, tuna, balsamic reduction, buffalo mozzarella.