Actually got to Santiago on the 22nd. We reached the pilgrim office shortly after 8 pm and surprisingly it was still open. So we registered and got our compostelas but I am waiting until Friday for my official mass.
We didn't start out yesterday planning to walk 40.5 km (with full packs I must add). We were only going to walk 20 km to Arca. But we got to Arca early afternoon so we decided to go an additional 8 km to San Paio where my guidebook said there was a hotel. That way we would have a good jump start on the walk to Santiago.
Well, when we got to San Paio the one hotel was shuttered closed. By the time we got to the next possible place to stay we were only 10.5 km from Santiago so we decided to just go the whole distance.
Right now I think I am more impressed that I walked 40 km yesterday than I am with the 1300 km I have walked since April 1st.
More later.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
June 20 from Melide
Made it to Melide at 55.5 km from Santiago. On the 18th I walked 23 km to Portomarin. On the 19th I walked 24 km to Palas de Rei. My original schedule had me walking 15.5 km to Melide. But yesterday I was really wanting to go an extra 8 km today because today was so short and the extra 8 km would give me more options in the next days (including getting to Santiago on the 22nd instead of the 23rd). Well my new Camino Partner in Crime, Celina from Brazil, was not going to be able to make the extra km. so I was weighing my reasons for going and staying. I'm tired of saying good-bye to my Camino walking friends! But maybe I should walk the last three days on my own? The Pilgrim Benediction says "blessed are you pilgrim if what concerns you most is not to arrive as to arrive with others." And so many of my "others" are stronger walkers and have already disappeared or were about to start the sprint to Santiago.
And then I learn that today is Celina's birthday and my internal debate was over. What kind of friend leaves a person in the dust on the birthday - and for a mere 8 km?!?
So I stuck to my original schedule and Celina and I strolled the 15.5 km to Melide.
And at the first cafe stop I found friend Daniel from MA with whom I had spent the day walking to Villafranca and then hadn't seen him again. And I probably would not have seen him today had I rushed ahead to get in my extra 8 km.
I would have also rushed straight through Melide and would not have remembered that my guidebook says the best place on the whole Camino to get pulpo (octopus) is at Pulperia Ezequiel in Melide.
But I wasn't rushing and so we ended up having lunch at Pulperia Ezequiel where you sit at long wooden tables. We ended up at a table with four Spanish pilgrims who has recently joined the Camino Frances after having walked the difficult Northern and then even more difficult Primitive trails. When we sat down we didn't know any of them. Within ten minutes we were talking and laughing with them. And that is how we spent the next two hours. It is a Camino memory I will treasure for a long time.
It is no doubt possible that I would have had equally wonderful Camino experiences today if I had chosen to push on for the extra 8 km. But all I know is what happened today because I chose to stick to my original schedule and NOT leave my friend in the dust on her birthday.
And then I learn that today is Celina's birthday and my internal debate was over. What kind of friend leaves a person in the dust on the birthday - and for a mere 8 km?!?
So I stuck to my original schedule and Celina and I strolled the 15.5 km to Melide.
And at the first cafe stop I found friend Daniel from MA with whom I had spent the day walking to Villafranca and then hadn't seen him again. And I probably would not have seen him today had I rushed ahead to get in my extra 8 km.
I would have also rushed straight through Melide and would not have remembered that my guidebook says the best place on the whole Camino to get pulpo (octopus) is at Pulperia Ezequiel in Melide.
But I wasn't rushing and so we ended up having lunch at Pulperia Ezequiel where you sit at long wooden tables. We ended up at a table with four Spanish pilgrims who has recently joined the Camino Frances after having walked the difficult Northern and then even more difficult Primitive trails. When we sat down we didn't know any of them. Within ten minutes we were talking and laughing with them. And that is how we spent the next two hours. It is a Camino memory I will treasure for a long time.
It is no doubt possible that I would have had equally wonderful Camino experiences today if I had chosen to push on for the extra 8 km. But all I know is what happened today because I chose to stick to my original schedule and NOT leave my friend in the dust on her birthday.
Friday, June 17, 2011
June 17 from Sarria in Galicia
I am on track for my June 23 arrival in Santiago. In Sarria - 118 km from Santiago.
Was in Triacastela last night. Felt miserable all day but walked the entire 21 km to stay on track. There was a wonderful Pilgrim's Mass at the church. It was wonderful in part because it was translated into English. The translator was one of two priests I have been seeing at least since Ponferrada. Turns out these two men are missionary priests in northeastern Mexico.
The mass was also wonderful because the church priest (as opposes to the two pilgrim priests)was very inclusive. The first people to arrive had no choice but to sit on benches right up there with him. Everyone else had to squeeze in four-to-a-bench starting at the front. At one point we all held hands and said the Lord's Prayer in our own language (Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, English, Korean and who knows what other languages). And instead of just shaking hands to pass the peace we had to hug the people. So he really broke down barriers amongst we pilgrims.
His message was very inclusive and focused on love, forgiveness, understanding and action.
So now I am in Sarria. It is a small albergue with only four bunk beds - but also only one bathroom (the one room contains shower, sink and toilet). Pilgrim mass is at 730 pm. Before then I need to eat dinner, find the farmacia for more Compeed and a supermercado so I can buy more soap.
Tomorrow I will walk 23 km to Portomarin.
I am now in Galicia. We crossed into Galicia just before O Cebriero which was my destination on the 15th.
Was in Triacastela last night. Felt miserable all day but walked the entire 21 km to stay on track. There was a wonderful Pilgrim's Mass at the church. It was wonderful in part because it was translated into English. The translator was one of two priests I have been seeing at least since Ponferrada. Turns out these two men are missionary priests in northeastern Mexico.
The mass was also wonderful because the church priest (as opposes to the two pilgrim priests)was very inclusive. The first people to arrive had no choice but to sit on benches right up there with him. Everyone else had to squeeze in four-to-a-bench starting at the front. At one point we all held hands and said the Lord's Prayer in our own language (Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, English, Korean and who knows what other languages). And instead of just shaking hands to pass the peace we had to hug the people. So he really broke down barriers amongst we pilgrims.
His message was very inclusive and focused on love, forgiveness, understanding and action.
So now I am in Sarria. It is a small albergue with only four bunk beds - but also only one bathroom (the one room contains shower, sink and toilet). Pilgrim mass is at 730 pm. Before then I need to eat dinner, find the farmacia for more Compeed and a supermercado so I can buy more soap.
Tomorrow I will walk 23 km to Portomarin.
I am now in Galicia. We crossed into Galicia just before O Cebriero which was my destination on the 15th.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
June 14 in Villafranca del Bierzo
Can't believe it has been so long since last I updated. Heike and I successfully arrived in Leon on schedule. Heike then took off for the beach for a week before heading back to work. Meanwhile Anke and husband decided to leave the flooding north and come (back) down to the Camino Frances. Caught up with them in Hospital del Orbigo the day I lost Heike. We walked together for two days and then I took off ahead because I have a schedule to keep.
Meanwhile I had been feeling so sad about losing Heike and Anke and all the familiar faces from the past weeks because many people were leaving for home from Leon.
And now I have a whole new group of familiar faces that I run into most days!
June 11 I was in Astorga where they were having a chocolate festival!
June 12 I was in Foncebadon which features in the Camino books of Shirley MacLaine and Paulo Coelho. It is also where I ran onto more Americans than I have seen the entire journey (excepting the college students).
June 13 it was on to Ponferrada and my longest day at 29 km. Stayed in the only albergue in town but it holds 185 pilgrims. I was not an early arrivor so I was stuck in the 20 bunk bed basement room with only one electrical outlet for charging cell phone and camera batteries. And the bathroom was upstairs and down a hall. Bathroom was co-ed with two toilets, four urinals, three sinks and two showers.
Early morning tomorrow. I hope to leave before 7 am as it looks to be a hot climb up the mountain to O Cebriero.
So today I walked to Villafranca del Bierzo where I am staying in a private albergue which has twelve single beds in the space of twenty bunk beds. It also has electric plugs at each bed and the bathrooms are single sex. And the beds have real sheets!
Tomorrow, June 15 I hope to make O Cebriero which is in Galicia.
Meanwhile I had been feeling so sad about losing Heike and Anke and all the familiar faces from the past weeks because many people were leaving for home from Leon.
And now I have a whole new group of familiar faces that I run into most days!
June 11 I was in Astorga where they were having a chocolate festival!
June 12 I was in Foncebadon which features in the Camino books of Shirley MacLaine and Paulo Coelho. It is also where I ran onto more Americans than I have seen the entire journey (excepting the college students).
June 13 it was on to Ponferrada and my longest day at 29 km. Stayed in the only albergue in town but it holds 185 pilgrims. I was not an early arrivor so I was stuck in the 20 bunk bed basement room with only one electrical outlet for charging cell phone and camera batteries. And the bathroom was upstairs and down a hall. Bathroom was co-ed with two toilets, four urinals, three sinks and two showers.
Early morning tomorrow. I hope to leave before 7 am as it looks to be a hot climb up the mountain to O Cebriero.
So today I walked to Villafranca del Bierzo where I am staying in a private albergue which has twelve single beds in the space of twenty bunk beds. It also has electric plugs at each bed and the bathrooms are single sex. And the beds have real sheets!
Tomorrow, June 15 I hope to make O Cebriero which is in Galicia.
Monday, June 6, 2011
June 6 from Sahagun
Two days in a row! At albergue with wifi so am taking advantage and writing quick update. Today and next three days will be short walking days. The way the villages are spaced we would either have to walk in the high 20s km or in the high teens. So we are walking high teens.
My walking Partner in Crime Heike is very sensitive about how loudly she snores and prefers to be in a private room if possible. Today - with the rain - is a great day to be in a private room instead of the dorm. In a private room you can hang your wet clothes and laundry everywhere and it might actually be dry in the morning.
Once I leave Heike behind in Leon I will be back to the dorms. Unless it was a really wet day and then I might try to find my own room.
It was another beautiful walking day. The rain waited until we arrived in Sahugun before starting. Heike and I needed lunch and some incidentals (new memory card for my camera etc) so we walked to the Plaza Mayor and sat in a bar eating tapas and drinking diet coke and cafe con leche until the stores opened at 430-ish.
Dinner was at the albergue. For 10€ I got a huge mixed salad, half a chicken and for dessert I chose plain yoghurt.
At the table were Heike (German), me, a German man, a Frenchman and a Dutch woman who speaks English, German and French. There were some interesting discussions about the philosophy of the Camino and dangers of commercialism conducted mostly in German except when I threw in some comments in English.
My walking Partner in Crime Heike is very sensitive about how loudly she snores and prefers to be in a private room if possible. Today - with the rain - is a great day to be in a private room instead of the dorm. In a private room you can hang your wet clothes and laundry everywhere and it might actually be dry in the morning.
Once I leave Heike behind in Leon I will be back to the dorms. Unless it was a really wet day and then I might try to find my own room.
It was another beautiful walking day. The rain waited until we arrived in Sahugun before starting. Heike and I needed lunch and some incidentals (new memory card for my camera etc) so we walked to the Plaza Mayor and sat in a bar eating tapas and drinking diet coke and cafe con leche until the stores opened at 430-ish.
Dinner was at the albergue. For 10€ I got a huge mixed salad, half a chicken and for dessert I chose plain yoghurt.
At the table were Heike (German), me, a German man, a Frenchman and a Dutch woman who speaks English, German and French. There were some interesting discussions about the philosophy of the Camino and dangers of commercialism conducted mostly in German except when I threw in some comments in English.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
June 5 from Ledigos in Castilla y Leon
Walked 23.5 km today and I feel like it was a rite of passage! It was a long, very flat, bordering on hot, and very beautiful walk. I think that today and tomorrow will be the flattest stretches of this journey. But there are so many beautiful flowers in the fields and along the trail and the long open stretches have a deep beauty of their own.
The Plan. With the advent of June comes Reality. I fly out of Madrid early on June 25. Yikes! I want to be in Santiago by June 23 so I can attend the pilgrim mass the next day. When you arrive in Santiago you go to the Pilgrim Office where you show them your credential books full of stamps from each day of The Way. You get your Compostela. And the next day at the pilgrim mass they announce the starting points and the nationalities of all the pilgrims who arrived the day before.
So, Santiago by June 23 and afternoon of June 24 go to Madrid so I can fly Lufthansa early morning of June 25 to Frankfurt and then Condor over the pole to Anchorage arriving the morning of June 25 (about half an hour before I left Frankfurt).
I have one walking companion left: Heike and I lose her in Leon on June 9. She heads to the beach for a week before having to go back to work. I lost Anke on June 1 in Burgos. She decided to stay there for a couple of days to rest her ankle and is now making her way north to meet her husband and they will walk the northern route to Santiago.
So I´m looking for more walking companions! Anyone out there available between June 9 (Leon) and June 23/24? I can do it on my own but it is so much more fun to have one or more Partners in Crime along for The Way. No matter how you try to describe things some things just need to be experienced: the oasis bar in the middle of the 17.5 km stretch where you can sit and drink cafe con leche! Meeting a father and son from Italy who are walking together. Going to the pilgrim masses and benedictions even though you can´t understand most of what the priest is saying. Visiting stunningly Baroque churches.
And there are the daily adventures. For example every day you arrive at a new albergue/hostel. Every day the sleeping arrangments are different in quirky ways. You could be in a room with 50 bunk beds or six bunk beds but people from another room walk through your room to get in and out. You could be in a room with only single beds but the door squeaks loudly whenever you open it and you worry about waking everyone up when you have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. You could be in a crowded room with squeeky bunk beds and lots of snorers. The shower and bathroom arrangments are always interesting. It is fun to have someone else there who understands the humor of the newest situation and all you have to do is exchange a quick, knowing glance!
So let me know if you are interested in meeting me. It would be lots of fun! Just be ready to walk 22 - 25 km each day. And be ready for hot weather or chilly weather, blistering sun or rain. And be ready for the experience of your life!
The Plan. With the advent of June comes Reality. I fly out of Madrid early on June 25. Yikes! I want to be in Santiago by June 23 so I can attend the pilgrim mass the next day. When you arrive in Santiago you go to the Pilgrim Office where you show them your credential books full of stamps from each day of The Way. You get your Compostela. And the next day at the pilgrim mass they announce the starting points and the nationalities of all the pilgrims who arrived the day before.
So, Santiago by June 23 and afternoon of June 24 go to Madrid so I can fly Lufthansa early morning of June 25 to Frankfurt and then Condor over the pole to Anchorage arriving the morning of June 25 (about half an hour before I left Frankfurt).
I have one walking companion left: Heike and I lose her in Leon on June 9. She heads to the beach for a week before having to go back to work. I lost Anke on June 1 in Burgos. She decided to stay there for a couple of days to rest her ankle and is now making her way north to meet her husband and they will walk the northern route to Santiago.
So I´m looking for more walking companions! Anyone out there available between June 9 (Leon) and June 23/24? I can do it on my own but it is so much more fun to have one or more Partners in Crime along for The Way. No matter how you try to describe things some things just need to be experienced: the oasis bar in the middle of the 17.5 km stretch where you can sit and drink cafe con leche! Meeting a father and son from Italy who are walking together. Going to the pilgrim masses and benedictions even though you can´t understand most of what the priest is saying. Visiting stunningly Baroque churches.
And there are the daily adventures. For example every day you arrive at a new albergue/hostel. Every day the sleeping arrangments are different in quirky ways. You could be in a room with 50 bunk beds or six bunk beds but people from another room walk through your room to get in and out. You could be in a room with only single beds but the door squeaks loudly whenever you open it and you worry about waking everyone up when you have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. You could be in a crowded room with squeeky bunk beds and lots of snorers. The shower and bathroom arrangments are always interesting. It is fun to have someone else there who understands the humor of the newest situation and all you have to do is exchange a quick, knowing glance!
So let me know if you are interested in meeting me. It would be lots of fun! Just be ready to walk 22 - 25 km each day. And be ready for hot weather or chilly weather, blistering sun or rain. And be ready for the experience of your life!
Monday, May 30, 2011
May 30 from Ages in Castilla y Leon
Only a few minutes on the computer so this will be a quick update. Walked 23 km yesterday and 28 km today. I am 22.5 km from Burgos and 522 km from Santiago. My flight departs Madrid early on the 25th so I need to reach Santiago no later than the 23rd of June. That way I can attend the pilgrim mass on the 24th - where the announce the starting points and nationalities of all the pilgrims who arrived the previous day - and then catch a train to Madrid.
Today is Memorial Day and I knew I would be walking past a memorial for the spanish civil war. So, at the town before I got a diet-coke to carry with me. I remembered the memorial from last time but I think new plaques have been added. they explain that the memorial is to honor the 300 republicans who were killed there by franco´s supporters in the early months of the spanish civil war in 1936. I drank my diet coke and had some minutes of silent reflection about those 300 who had been shot dead on the spot because of their political believes. I also thought of my own family members and friends who have served in the US military in WWII and subsequent actions.
So I hope everyone had a chance to spend some time in refelction today. And I hope that all of you are well.
I wish you could be here to enjoy this experience with me. Every day is full of adventures and decisions to be made. Last time I had insisted that Julien and Kim and I stay at the monastery at San Juan de Ortega because it would be a true pilgrim experience. It was also the coldest, dampest and most miserable night of the 2006 Camino! This time we passed by San Juan de Ortega although we did confirm that the beds still sagged and that everything was still damp in the albergue in the monastery. Five years ago we couldn´t wait to get to the next village four km away the next morning where we consumed the best and warmest cafe con leche and tortilla (spanish not mexican) you can imagine. That town was Ages where I am staying tonight.
Today is Memorial Day and I knew I would be walking past a memorial for the spanish civil war. So, at the town before I got a diet-coke to carry with me. I remembered the memorial from last time but I think new plaques have been added. they explain that the memorial is to honor the 300 republicans who were killed there by franco´s supporters in the early months of the spanish civil war in 1936. I drank my diet coke and had some minutes of silent reflection about those 300 who had been shot dead on the spot because of their political believes. I also thought of my own family members and friends who have served in the US military in WWII and subsequent actions.
So I hope everyone had a chance to spend some time in refelction today. And I hope that all of you are well.
I wish you could be here to enjoy this experience with me. Every day is full of adventures and decisions to be made. Last time I had insisted that Julien and Kim and I stay at the monastery at San Juan de Ortega because it would be a true pilgrim experience. It was also the coldest, dampest and most miserable night of the 2006 Camino! This time we passed by San Juan de Ortega although we did confirm that the beds still sagged and that everything was still damp in the albergue in the monastery. Five years ago we couldn´t wait to get to the next village four km away the next morning where we consumed the best and warmest cafe con leche and tortilla (spanish not mexican) you can imagine. That town was Ages where I am staying tonight.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)