Dynamics of Flow

CAMINO STAGE 23: Grado to Salas Camino Primitivo Route of El Camino De Santiago. 16 miles, day 25/ 12 days to go

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Steve has been fascinated with maps and globes since grade school, and this interest has come into play many times on the Primitivo Route as signs have been missing, or they send mixed signals. His navigational skills have also helped several lost pilgrims. He gets them oriented and back on track. Because of this, we’ve been singing Elton John’s song “Bennie and the Jets” but tweaking the lyrics to “Stevie and his Maps.”

In the tv series Patriot, Leslie Claret, owner of a civil engineering piping firm, has written a book on the “Structural Dynamics of Flow.” It is a thick tome on the simple concept of getting things from point A to point B. On this thirty seven day odyssey, Steve has become champion of the ‘structural dynamics of flow’ despite rain, fog, dead ends and darkness.

“Surrender to the flow.” Mike Gordon

• 

• 

• 

• 

The fog this morning and rubbed off directional arrows on Camino markers, did nothing to disrupt Steve’s flow as he skillfully got us from point A to B in five hours. We had checked into our castle tower room in Salas and were half way through eating 4pm lunch by the time many pilgrims were just staggering in.

“Over prepare, then go with the flow.” Anonymous

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

“Flowing water never goes stale, so just keep on flowing.” Bruce Lee

Before getting to Salas, we slid walked down one long descent with erosion runoff of scree and mud after a hard rain, but this hurdle did not disrupt Steve’s process or keep him from missing hidden turns. I stood back and watched the magic happen.

Watching Steve in action reminded of my my favorite 17th century Italian architect and sculpturist —who mastered the dynamics of flow— Lorenzo Bernini. I went to the Borghese museum in Rome a half a dozen times to see his David sculpture and Apollo chasing Daphne. Bernini was the first to show movement in characters suspended in marble. David is in motion and just at the moment where he releases the stone that hits Goliath. Daphne is in a metamorphosis of changing into a tree while being pursued by Apollo. I stood back and admired the magic of their movement.

• 

• 

There are moments transversing fields and muscling my way up rock strewn hills where I pause and savor the moment of living in the flow on the Camino.