A Day Without Thought - Day 22 (May 5)

A day without thought. That is essentially what today was for me. It was a day of one foot in front of the other for about 16 miles. Not having constant thoughts is an unusual event for me - I didn't really think about anything but instead felt gratitude for a day without rain, an ankle that was holding up and a cold that was getting better.

We started the day with a breakfast of eggs and bacon. I still marvel at how good eggs are in Spain. I really must find better eggs when we get back home. It was cold outside and the hospitalero was concerned about me with my cold so offered me one of her scarves to wrap my neck. I showed her I had a neck gaiter and she was pleased I was going to be taking care of myself. Such is the concern for pilgrims on the camino.

It was my original intent to forward my backpack on to our next destination, Mansilla de las Mulas, and just carry the lightweight bag we use each day after our walk. I decided instead to move most of my heavy items from my backpack to the walking bag and forward that on. It was amazing how much difference taking what was probably about five pounds off my back, knees, ankles, feet. It speaks well to the adage to walk far you must carry less.

Roman Road

Since we had chosen the Roman road the day before, we were now committed to continue on this ancient road to our day's destination. It was interesting because the rocks were worn on the tops, much like marble steps are in old buildings, which made me wonder (I know I did actually have some thoughts today) if this was the result of pilgrims walking or from the chariots and horses from two milleniums ago. Very strange to think we were walking on the very road that Emperor Augustus took. The road was in actuality really pretty monotonous outside a small area of trees and flowers and the high speed electric train whizzing by with some frequency.

Flowers along Roman Road

At one point, we had the option of continuing on the Roman road or take a short hike over to the regular route. Again we chose the one less traveled and found ourselves wishing we hadn't as we walked past the prison and unmarked and unused paths into the city. We evenutally found the Municipal Albergue where our bag had been delivered, relieved to find it actually made it there, From there it was to locate a hotel where I could spend another night isolated from other pilgrims so I didn't pass along to them my cold.

We were once again greeted by Camino friends Barry and Char when we arrived in Mansilla. We checked into our hotel and headed out to find a farmacia where we could purchase more drugs - acetominophen, ibuprofen and most treasured codiene cough medicine so I can hopefully get a good nights sleep. It is amazing to me that I can just request codeine and without batting an eye, get what I need. Not in the U.S. I also got a pressure cuff for my ankle. The total cost - $14.00. Amazing!

We found a place to get a beer followed by a cup of coffee and before long other peregrino friends were joining us - Marilyn & Jim, Dawn, Char & Barry, Ralph, Stephen & Barbara. We also met some new people from Oregon - Dylan and his mother Laura.

For dinner we all headed next door for a very good peregrino meal. Tired from getting only about three hours of sleep the previous night, coughing continuosly has a way of keeping you awake, we headed back to our room for what will hopefully be a codeine induced slumber.

We look forward to our short 11.6 mile walk into Leon tomorrow where we will be staying for two days. At that point, we will have less than 200 miles to go!

Lesson of the Day: Not thinking has it's merits!

 

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Rain Take 3 or 4 or ? - Day 21 (May 4)

I was grateful for the private room last night because about five o'clock in the morning I started hacking my head off. So glad I had only Fred to hear me and not a roomful of irritated peregrinos.

Arch in Sahagun

We decided we would take the original Roman road route which meant little or no facilities for the journey to Calzada de los Hermanillos, a distance of 14 kilometres. To prepare for the lack of facilities, we picked up some bocadillas (sandwiches) and bananas at Alimentación Elias. Since our grandson's name is Elias, we thought this to be quite cool.

Stork Landing on Monestrio

We walked past the Arco San Benito, a beautiful arch next to the ruins of the Monasterio de San Facundo built in the 13th century. I am so impressed that buildings from that long ago are left standing. It seems like in the States, buildings are torn down with reckless abandon. To think these buildings have been here, although many in a ruinos state for nearly 1000 years, is such a testament to Spanish history.

Then... it wasn't a mist. It wasn't a drizzle. I was definitely rain. The most drenching we have had thus far. Finding a place to don our rain jackets, we ran into Elaine and Steve doing the same. In the only village we walked through on the way to Calzada a woman peered out at us, looked up at the sky, shook her head and wished us a Buen Camino.We were prepared for rain but the sun came out. During this stretch, I continued to look, as a child would, for the many wonders of nature - flowers, scenery, bugs. It made me wonder why don't I do this routinely when I am at home. Why does it take walking on the Camino to awaken this desire to seek the beauty that is all around.

Because of the pouring rain, I did not take many pictures today. I did stop once to take a picture of some lupines as these were the first I had seen. We walked this Roman road in the company of Dawn, Jim & Marilyn. Delightful conversations made the time in the rain go by quickly.

Walking in Rain

By the time we arrived in Calzada de los Hermanillos around noon, we were not quite soaked but beyond damp despite our rain gear and backpack rain cover. Found a great albergue, Via Trajana, where we were once again able to obtain a private room.

Barry and Char were already there to greet us. After a lunch of eggs and chorizo, we took showers and then much needed naps. Next was an explore of the city and a tienda for some more cough drops. At the outskirts of town, was a shepherd tending his flock. Not really a picturesque scene really but still fun to see the producers of what we had been stepping on in the streets.

At the tienda a sweet little old lady desperately tried to tell me what I needed to do for my cold. She kept saying leche caliente and pointed to the eucalyptus drops I had purchased. So... I did just that, had a hot milk with eucalyptus and some honey. We will see if it works. Hopefully so.

I am finishing this as I am about to call it a day. This evening has proved to be the first time on this walk that I have felt discouraged. My cold has moved into a missing voice making it difficult to join in on the conversations at dinner with friends Jim & Marilyn, Barry & Char, and Steve & Elaine. My ankle is giving serious signs of possible shin splints or something else painful. And to top things off, as I bit into a piece of bread, a piece of my lower front tooth broke off. Thankfully, the piece was off the back of the tooth so I don't look ridiculous.

I hope tomorrow brings some relief from all these things that seem to be plaguing me and that I can see better what lesson I am to be learning from them.

Lesson of Day: Strive for patience.

 

 

 

 

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Unique in the Usual - Day 20 (May 3)

Since our goal for the day was just 15 kilometres, we had a leisurely start to the day. Something I have noticed is that it seems many people seem to walk without stopping to notice some of the details of nature around them. I think that is something that taking pictures gives me - the constant search for the unique in the usual.

Caracol

Today that unique was a man who was standing off to the side of the road, wearing galoshes and sporting an umbrella. With a plastic bag in hand, he kept bending down to add something to his bag. We assumed it was mushrooms but our inquiry revealed something much different and more precious - snails or caracol as he told us in Spanish. He must have finished his hunt because he followed us into the village and told us the best restaurant, a bodega really, to stop at for refreshments,

Hobbit Wine Cellar

Shortly before we arrived at the bodega, we came upon what resembled hobbit houses in the hillside. They were really wine cellars, we assume those for the bodega we were about to visit. Arriving there, we welcomed the time out of the rain, yes it rained again today, for a cup of coffee. There we met a couple from Australia who were only a little younger than us and had started a week after us. We were astonished - they were walking 30-35 kilometres a day!

Something we have noticed is that with each larger city there seems to be a growing number of peregrinos and those added numbers are also creating a demographic shift from older to younger. We are expecting to see this trend continue as we get closer to Santiago. This will likely be especially significant when we have only 100 kilometres to go as that is the minimum that is required to obtain a Compestella, a certificate that you walked the camino.

I am also starting to feel the cumulative effects of walking such long distances with the added weight of a backpack. My knee is starting to give me problems, in part I am sure due to the wearing off of the cortisone shot I received before I left home. So, I have started to use what so many on the camino do - Voltaren. I also am having some issues on and off with my ankles. In reality, I feel a little like a car that is in need of service!

Several people forward their backpacks to their next destination and then just walk with a separate light pack. Being my stubborn self, I don't want to do that. I have gone through my pack multiple times to determine if there is anything I can do to lighten my load but have essentially used virtually everything I am carrying. I am not going to be unreasonable though; if my issues become more debilitating I will take advantage of this service.

Young People

Just before we reached Sahagun, we were overtaken by the young people we have come to know and like - Chris, Araska and Tomash. They were moving down the road quickly but was able to capture a photo of them with their colorful rain covers protecting their cargo.

As we arrived in town, we ran into Denise who suggested an albergue with some private rooms. This was exactly what we were looking for as the cold I have been trying to keep at bay has caught up with me and I have reached the stage where I feel okay but sound terrible with my nightly coughing. It would be enough to send peregrinos in our communal room at an albergue fleeing for their life!

We were also thrilled because they provided laundry service so we could get all of our clothes not only washed but dried, something that has been a bit of a challenge in this rainy and damp weather. Handing off our dirty laundry to the wonderful hospitalero, we headed downtown to purchase some necessary toiletry items, check out the churches (they were all closed) and to get something to eat. On the way, we met some new peregrinos from Kansas, Keith and Judy, who were looking for an albergue for the night. They had just started their camino journey in Burgos as they had friends there. Being from the Midwest, they too are enjoying the meseta.

On the way back to the albergue, walking past a confectionery shop, we spotted someone waving at us. It was Jim and Marilyn whom we had not seen for several days. With them were Fawn and a brother and sister from Slovania. I think Jim knows almost everyone on this camino route. They invited us to join them as they found a place for dinner but I didn't want to expose them to my cold so we went back to the albergue and had a very nice peregrino meal there before we called it a day.

Tomorrow, we have another fork in the road, one is the real Frances camino route which runs along the road andthe other is an old Roman road that runs through the country. Our leaning is once again to the one less traveled - the Roman road, but if the rain continues may have to reconsider. Always an adventure!

Lesson for the Day: Short walking days have their advantages.

 

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Halfway to Santiago Day 19 (May 2)

Albergues are interesting places. They are typically made up of several rooms with multiple bunk beds very close together in each. These are communal rooms, men and women together. Little or no privacy. Any sound that is made takes flight over the entire room. So now it is four o'clock in the morning and I need to head to the bathroom. Not too much noise making my way out of the room but when I returned, I could not for the life of me find the opening in my sleeping bag. No matter which way I tried to slide into it, I ran into a dead end. It was a literal fight with much shifting and crinkling sounds, creating concern about waking the entire room with my noise before I finally found a way into this cocoon and thankfully more sleep.

On our way out of Carrion, we were delighted to discover a bakery open so picked up the first whole grain bread we have had since our arrival in Spain. Although bread accompanies virtually everything food item you order in Spain, it is always white bread. It was very nice to find some whole grain for a change.

Because it was an 18 kilometre walk before there was any villages, we had a quick breakfast of tortilla potata and coffee. We thought we would be the last of the pilgrims out of town but discovered more pilgrims walking with us on the trail than on any day previous. Because of this, I choose to listen to music for the first part of the trail.

We did run into the two ladies from Ashland Oregon whom we had met way back in Circuena. They were making very good time walking at a faster pace than us, in large part because of my frequent stops for picture taking, including one of them.

Araska Providing Direction

Later on we were joined on the trail by a young man and woman from Czeckoslovakia - Tomash and Araska. They had met just a month previously through their common desire to walk the Camino. What delightful young people. I was particularly impressed with them as we observed them helping an older fellow peregrino who was having many challenges. This gentleman from Austria, we learned, was an English instructor who had a stroke about a year ago. He was struggling with memory and lost his small pack that contained his passport, credit cards and money, not once but twice. We sincerely hope he finds his way to Santiago.

After our 18 kilometres, we were ready for stop in Caldadilla de la Cueza. We picked up some cheese and salami at a tienda to add to our whole grain bread and then found a restaurant/bar to get a beer to accompany them. It was there that we were delighted to see Christiana, one of the German ladies. It seems that she was now walking on her own as the others had less time and opted to skip the meseta and take a bus directly to Leon.

Although many find the meseta to be tedious, we are finding it to be cathartic. With miles of multi-shaded green fields and enough specimen trees to provide an occasional disruption, the repeated act of putting of one foot in front of the other allows for mind to wander and take in the simplicity of this part of the journey.

Meseta

Something I keep forgetting to mention about the meseta is the constant provision of song by the many larks that are along the trail. We have also had cuckoo birds continue to taunt us as we walk each day.

Descending into Ledigos, there were arrows created with rocks and the word Forgive spelled out. When we reached Ledigos, there were two path options to Terradillos de Templarios and once again we chose the one less traveled which went through the countryside, depositing right in front of our albergue of choice for the night. On the way there we saw six banks of solar panels to which I responded, "Holy cow!" and what should appear but, you guessed it - cows!

Terradillos marks the halfway point between St. Jean and Santiago - a major victory for us. After this long day, we made the decision that we would depart from the stages in Brierley guide and only go as far as Sahagun tomorrow. We are in need of a day to get some clothes washed, pick up some items that we are running low on, and get caught up on our communications.

We did not even leave our albergue to explore the village and opted instead to have dinner there where we were joined by couple from Vancouver Island, Char and Barry. Had a very nice visit and headed off to bed.

Lesson for the Day: Boredom has it's rewards.

 

 

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Rain Take Two - Day 18 (May 1)

We woke to rain. We walked in rain. We ended the day in rain. All day, rain.

There were two choices of paths from Fromista to Carrion de los Condes and we chose the road less traveled. It was the right choice, at least for the majority of the way. This path went through farmland kept green through antique irrigation canals. The path was sandy so no added weight to our boots, that is until the last mile and a half before the road rejoined the other more developed path. The thing about walking in mud is that it sticks to your boots so your joints never get a break. Either they are experiencing the weight of your pack as your foot lands or they are suffering under the added weight of the mud when lifting the foot back up. Definitely tiring.

We stopped at a delightful albergue/restaurant where there were ducks, chickens and dogs running about amongst the hammocks in the courtyard. A quick lunch and a quick stop at a little church for some pictures and we were once again on our way.

Country Church

Something we have seen a lot of in Spain are stork nests. They are found atop churches, monuments, chimneys, almost anything tall. Today we saw one in the most unique of places - on top of a cluster of grain bins.

There is a reason that there are a number of wind turbines along the meseta - there is a lot of wind. Not exaggerated winds but gentle and steady that create wonderful waves in the wheat fields as we passed by. Unfortunately pictures cannot adequately capture what the eye sees. It was beautiful.

About four miles from Carrion, the path came alongside the highway so for the first time since we started our journey, I decided I would listen to music from my playlist. The very first song that played on my random mix was one that made my spirit soar - Memories by Ryan Stewart. As we neared town, still walking next to wheat fields, a song came on that so reminded me of my dad it brought me to tears. And what was more amazing was that two white elevators greeted us as we walked into town, just like one of the approaches to my hometown in North Dakota.

We arrived early, around 2:30 and thought we would have ample time to catch up on some things, clothes washing being one of them. In fact we chose Albergue Santa Maria, in part, because they had a lavadora and secadora (washing machine and dryer). Well, evidently everyone else made the same choice because there was a line-up to use the one and only one that was there. So... hand washing it was. The rain had since subsided and there was a gentle breeze outside that we were certain would dry our "quick-dry" clothes so we chose to hang all 30 plus items on the line. Mistake. Just as we finished the rain started again so we had to move them all to lines inside the building in hopes they would dry there.

Santa Maria Iglesia

We then went in search for food for the next day's journey as it was an 18 kilometre (yes, I am beginning to think in terms of kilometres instead of miles) trek without a village to stop for food. On the way we passed Iglesia Santa Maria so went inside finding beautiful low key surroundings with places for pilgrims to light candles - very peaceful.

May 1st is Labour Day in Spain and few stores were open so meandered until we found one where we purchased some fruit, enough to sustain us if we had a breakfast before we left.

Returning to our albergue to deposit our treasures and to check our clothes before our peregrino meal, we opened the door to find four beautiful nuns leading vespers with many of the pilgrims surrounding them. Of course we decided to join in and we were so glad we did. One of the nuns absolutely radiated joy as she spoke and played the guitar. They spoke so many words of wisdom about the camino - that it is not "The Way" but "Our Way". That although many have walked the footsteps to Santiago before us and with us, their steps are not our steps. Our steps are unique to each of us.

Vespers

After vespers we proceeded to check on our clothes only to find a fellow peregrino, Barbara from Austria having problems getting her clothes out of the washer. And our clothes were definitely not dry so while we continued to try to help her, we put our clothes in the dryer for a cycle and got them reasonably dry.

By now it was well after the time to get a peregrino meal so we headed to a bar/restaurant where we had a hamburger and fries just in time to head back to our albergue before lights were out at 10:00. Another day logged in our journey.

Lesson of the Day: It isn't "The Way", it is "Our Way".

 

 

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Why Are We Doing This? - Day 17 (April 30)

All day today I have been wondering again why are we doing this, not individually, although certainly that too, but collectively. We have seen fellow pilgrims with multiple blisters on their feet keep putting one foot in front of the other. People with painful knees that cause them to limp every step. Walking through rain and wind. And why? A fellow pilgrim who is currently walking the camino for the third time says when you reach Santiago, you will know. I hope he is right.

Start of Day

The day started with a 100 meter climb over about one kilometre, a strenous way to awaken tired muscles and joints. We were rewarded at the top, however with a rainbow which reminded us of Bob (Fred's brother) as the song "Somewhere over the rainbow" was one of his favorite songs. He always told us that you had to "look for the blue", just as the song suggests.

We had left without eating breakfast and it wasn't too long before we realized that Fred read the map from the wrong day (here we go with our map issue again) and instead of three kilometres to a town sporting something to eat, it would be eleven! Needless to say, we were famished by the time we reached Itero de la Vega where we had our second bacon and egg meal on the camino. Eggs here just have seem much more flavor than eggs we get in the U.S.

As we walked the road to Boadilla del Camino, the ditches were filled with blue bachelor buttons, red poppies, white daisies and yellow mustard creating a palette of colors. At one point we spotted a couple of blue butterflies flitting about. Trying to capture them photographically had me looking quite ridiculous, I'm sure as my arms were flailing about with camera in tow. Finally one decided to rest on the grass next to some flowers so I took some quickly before he started on his dance again.

A little further down the road we came to San Nicolas de Puertelitero, a very old Hospital of Peregrinos that stood next to an old Roman bridge. Inside was a hospitalero dressed in all black including a quaint cap. He was welcoming peregrinos with fresh coffee made with a Bialetti, a manual espresso maker. This albergue seemed a place that would allow for quite reflection because of it's utter simplicity. If it weren't so early in the day, I may have suggested we stay.

San Nicolas

Outside Boadilla, there were sheep grazing in a pasture and shortly thereafter we entered into the province of Palencia with yet more grain fields and flowers in the ditches. The rest of the way to Fromista, our destination for the day, was along a very wide canal which ended just outside the city with a series of locks built in the late 1700's.

After getting cleaned up and taking a short walk around the town, we visited with a group of pilgrims over a glass of wine. One young man who is on his second camino journey and has been carrying his guitar around entertained us with a song he made up about peregrinos on the camino.

We had a delightful dinner with Ralph, Jim, Marilyn, Dawn (a lady from Portland on her first day of the Camino) as well as three people from Canada. Another very nice day.

Lesson of the Day: Look for the blue!

 

 

 

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Pleasant Surprises Day 16 (April 29)

Our austere albergue had an equally austere breakfast of toast and granola cereal. What brought life to the place was meeting a grandpa and grandson from France who were doing the camino together a section at a time each year and also Joanina, a beautiful young lady from Germany who had previously done the Northern France route that runs along the coast. She, despite many blisters just liked to walk.

The meseta has a mesmerizing spirit about it. It is a relatively flat trail with miles and miles of dirt path ahead, grain fields as far as you can see and few trees. I think I just described North Dakota! For some reason as I walked today I thought about my friend-sister's son Jared and how much I thought he would have enjoyed walking this pilgrim road. I could visualize the connections he would have made with all the fellow sojourners.

Meseta

At one point, the road became quite muddy and so a very narrow trail had been established through the wheat field that hugged the road. Although I felt bad about walking through someone's field, the damage had already been done and it seemed much preferable to another day of heavy boots.

By the time we arrived in Hontanas, we were hungry so had a quick lunch before we continued on our way to Castrojeriz, our destination for the day. After hearing the story about the young couple who ate the hemlock, we noticed just how frequent it could be found growing along the edge of the road.

Just outside of Castrojeriz, we came upon what I would term the first irritation I have experienced on the camino. There was a sign upon which someone had written, "This isn't Hollywood, go home you "The Way" tourists". Since watching this movie was what precipitated our decision to go on this journey, I guess I took personal afront to such words. In the end, I decided whoever wrote it had far less a camino spirit than most anyone who was on this road as an outcome of seeing the movie.

Shortly thereafter was Ruina del Convento de San Anton, the ruins of an old pilgrim hospital from the 1400's. There was something actually quite comforting about pilgrims from so long ago being cared for on their journey, just as we are being cared for by the many hospiteros at our albergues.

Ruina del Convento San Anton

The city of Castojeriz takes it's name from a castle, now in ruins, that overlooks the city. We decided to stay in the Albergue Casa Nostra, a good choice as the hospitalero washed and dried our dirty clothes, a very welcome service. Despite having so few, or maybe because of, It seems that we cannot keep on top of dirty clothes. Something really needs to be washed each day but we don't always feel like it so put off until the next day only to arrive later than planned so.... dirty clothes!

Since I was still feeling under the weather and we were running low on Sport Legs, we went in search of a farmacia to get some vitamin C and magnesium tablets. It was four o'clock and they were closed until five for siesta time so we made good use of the hour by having a glass of wine with a plate of cheese and salami.

On the way back to the albergue to deposit our precious purchase from the farmacia, we came upon a place called "The Restful Soul", a modern day peregrino hospital. Hospital in this sense really referred to a hospital for the soul, not the body. There was incense burning, music playing and photographs on the walls with words of wisdom displayed below each. There was such a sense of calm and beauty here, that we really did feel a healing of the soul. Some of the words of wisdom that spoke to me were "The secret to relations is to ask much of yourself and little of others" and "What we are doing is just like a drop in the ocean but if that drop will not be there something will be missing." And one particularly for the camino, "The miracle is not to fly or walking on water, but walking on the earth."

The Restful Soul

The most amazing moment of the day for me was upon leaving that place, I found a white feather, something that had special meaning for Jared whom I had thought of so much during the day. The day was now complete.

We had a delightful dinner with Jim and Marilyn; as we were leaving who should appear but our English friend, Elaine. We had not seen her since shortly after Pamplona so were very pleased to know she was doing well.

Lesson for the Day: Pleasant surprises abound if you look for them.

 

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