Sunday, October 24, 2010
A note from the author
I am not happy with this year´s blog and will edit and add more later. Today, Sunday, Oct24, we are at Bilboa Airport waiting for a flt to London -- a change in itinerary due to the strikes in France. The blogging has not gone as I had hoped.Thanks for hanging in with me!
Tuesday, Oct 19 - Estella to Los Arcos
Tuesday, Oct 19 - Estella to Los Arcos
Dear Readers-
Posting has been frustrating due to lack of internet cafes and I am way behind. I hope this has not been as irritating for you as it has been for me -- grr!
It was difficut to find a place to sleep in Estella - and there was no internet. But we left the next morning forLos Arcos - the bows as in bows and arrows. The archers from the town helped win a battle in the middle ages and the town was named and bows were put on its town crest.
We wandered through vineyards to the Monasteryof Iranche where since the 1990s there has been a fountain of wine for pilgrims to drink from for free!Delicious red wine -- vino tinto.
It was very warm and sunny today -- short sleeves and sun screen.
Hasta luego!
Dear Readers-
Posting has been frustrating due to lack of internet cafes and I am way behind. I hope this has not been as irritating for you as it has been for me -- grr!
It was difficut to find a place to sleep in Estella - and there was no internet. But we left the next morning forLos Arcos - the bows as in bows and arrows. The archers from the town helped win a battle in the middle ages and the town was named and bows were put on its town crest.
We wandered through vineyards to the Monasteryof Iranche where since the 1990s there has been a fountain of wine for pilgrims to drink from for free!Delicious red wine -- vino tinto.
It was very warm and sunny today -- short sleeves and sun screen.
Hasta luego!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Monday, October 18 - Puente La Reina to Estella
Posting from Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Monday, October 18
We left town later this morning --we met up with Swiss friends again who have done so many different routes of the Camino.
There was a fork in the road - two possible routes at one point and we took the less traveled. It was an adventure and led us to Ciriguiz - and the Church of San Roman. A wonderful old city with twisting medieval streets. Our art-archaeology book told us of the delightful church interior, but it was closed. So we decided to sit on the bench by the church and eat the bread and cheese we had bought earlier at a store in the village. It was another clear day and the stones by the church wall were warm from the sun. The village was very quiet -- the homes also looked shuttered and empty, but we had seen a few people in the tiny grocery store. Most of them much old women.
As we were eating, an old women in a red fleece bathrobe over her clothes and wearing slippers came out of a house looking onto the church and approached us. She asked if we would like some wine. We of course said yes. And I assumed we would pay for two glasses. She brought out half'-bottle of green glass with no label and one some drinking glass. She poured the wine and explained that she made in her basement. It was 5 years old and had won a gold medal in Madrid at a wine tasting. It was delicious. I asked if we could pay, but she said no. Then we ended up chatting about the time she did the Camino, she was 80 years old and had been born in the village. She said everyone worked in Pamplona and it was only 15 minutes by car -- they kept an apt in the town and were here in the village on the weekends. We told her how lovely the homes were nonetheless -- they all had lush window boxes and containers of geraniums and other plants. She laughed and said this was nothing -- everything was dead now, we should see it in the summer! Sra. Teresa was a delight. We thanked her for the wine and headed out -- then I quickly went back and asked for her address thinking I could write her a thanks note. She carefully wrote her name and address in my journal and smiled. So off we went -- then suddenly we heard this sound like "tsk, tsk, tsk." We turned and there was Sra. Teresa with the wine bottle insisting we take it with us for the trip! Ah, the Camino is full of such incredible moments!
As walked out of town, we were suddenly on ancient cobblestones -- the Via Traiana -- the Roman road! And we walked on through fields and garden with grapes, figus, and asparagus. Suddenly no sheep or cows -- and few other pilgrims. The landscape became treeless and there was no shelter from the north wind that came up.
Then there were olive trees and we happened on the church described in our bok -- built in 1062 -- before the Norman Conquest!
More later!
Monday, October 18
We left town later this morning --we met up with Swiss friends again who have done so many different routes of the Camino.
There was a fork in the road - two possible routes at one point and we took the less traveled. It was an adventure and led us to Ciriguiz - and the Church of San Roman. A wonderful old city with twisting medieval streets. Our art-archaeology book told us of the delightful church interior, but it was closed. So we decided to sit on the bench by the church and eat the bread and cheese we had bought earlier at a store in the village. It was another clear day and the stones by the church wall were warm from the sun. The village was very quiet -- the homes also looked shuttered and empty, but we had seen a few people in the tiny grocery store. Most of them much old women.
As we were eating, an old women in a red fleece bathrobe over her clothes and wearing slippers came out of a house looking onto the church and approached us. She asked if we would like some wine. We of course said yes. And I assumed we would pay for two glasses. She brought out half'-bottle of green glass with no label and one some drinking glass. She poured the wine and explained that she made in her basement. It was 5 years old and had won a gold medal in Madrid at a wine tasting. It was delicious. I asked if we could pay, but she said no. Then we ended up chatting about the time she did the Camino, she was 80 years old and had been born in the village. She said everyone worked in Pamplona and it was only 15 minutes by car -- they kept an apt in the town and were here in the village on the weekends. We told her how lovely the homes were nonetheless -- they all had lush window boxes and containers of geraniums and other plants. She laughed and said this was nothing -- everything was dead now, we should see it in the summer! Sra. Teresa was a delight. We thanked her for the wine and headed out -- then I quickly went back and asked for her address thinking I could write her a thanks note. She carefully wrote her name and address in my journal and smiled. So off we went -- then suddenly we heard this sound like "tsk, tsk, tsk." We turned and there was Sra. Teresa with the wine bottle insisting we take it with us for the trip! Ah, the Camino is full of such incredible moments!
As walked out of town, we were suddenly on ancient cobblestones -- the Via Traiana -- the Roman road! And we walked on through fields and garden with grapes, figus, and asparagus. Suddenly no sheep or cows -- and few other pilgrims. The landscape became treeless and there was no shelter from the north wind that came up.
Then there were olive trees and we happened on the church described in our bok -- built in 1062 -- before the Norman Conquest!
More later!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Adios Pamplona - Hola Puente La Reina
Sunday, October 17 -- posting this from Los Arcos
We left our hotel in the casco antiguo of Pamplona this morning for our walk to Puente La Reina. As we meandered through the modern part of town, we encountered many high rise apartment building, lots of local bakers, florists, and cafes -- all of which reminded us of New York City and its small neighborhoods. It was a quiet Sunday morning and soon we were at the outskirts of the campus of the University of Pamplona -- a gorgeous mix of new and old architecture. A friendly sign directed us to get a stamp at the building dedicated to the Jacobean University. As we approached a very formal pillared entry way we saw several security guards. The doors of the building were locked, so I approached and asked about a stamp. He simply motioned us back to the building and as I turned to follow his arm I saw an open window high above the sidewalk with bars. The keeper of the stamp was inside -- so we stood on tiptoes to give him our credencials and behold we got a stamp!
The rest of the day we climbed up on wonderful hiking trails full of people through woods and residential areas. The hills in front of us were full of windmills -- ah, Don Quixote! Continuing to climb, we passed through tiny hamlets, stopped for breakfast at one, then out once again into the wind -- ah, that is why there are so many windmills! The wind was fierce, but the sky sunny, as we climbed up to the Alto Perdon --the summit of pardon. On this peak there is an enormous metal sculpture of various pilgrims walking and fighting the wind on the top of the hill. A great photo op I will have to share later.
The descent was less windy and we found ourselves in the town of Obanos where the Camino Aragones which comes across Southern France intersects with our route, the Camino Frances. Our Camino crosses the Pyrenees at St. Jean Pied de Port and the Camino Aragones crossed at Somport. Where the Caminos converge is an ancient church -- most fitting.
The way into Puente La Reina -- bridge of the queen -- so called because a queen caused the bridge to be built in the 11th century to capture traffic to Santiago and increase commerce - it worked! -- is down a very narrow medieval street full of ancient stone houses that have been restored and reformed over the years. Our hotel was in one of these old houses with stone arches in the lobby and dining room and gorgeous wooden beams throughout. The church named after Santiago has an incredible gilt retablo -- enormous wooden sculpture that takes up the entire wall behind the altar -- and we stayed to say the rosary.
Later that night at dinner we met a retired couple from near Zurich who have walked the various Caminos -- the route people took from England, from Seville, from northern France, from southern France -- over the past 10 years. Fascinating -- and very inspiring.
NOTE - It grows late and we have a very long day tomorrow so I will say buenas noches to you all. Hopefully I will be able to find another internet connection in the next town and try to catch up on my postings! Thanks for your patience! And the foot is still holding up!
We left our hotel in the casco antiguo of Pamplona this morning for our walk to Puente La Reina. As we meandered through the modern part of town, we encountered many high rise apartment building, lots of local bakers, florists, and cafes -- all of which reminded us of New York City and its small neighborhoods. It was a quiet Sunday morning and soon we were at the outskirts of the campus of the University of Pamplona -- a gorgeous mix of new and old architecture. A friendly sign directed us to get a stamp at the building dedicated to the Jacobean University. As we approached a very formal pillared entry way we saw several security guards. The doors of the building were locked, so I approached and asked about a stamp. He simply motioned us back to the building and as I turned to follow his arm I saw an open window high above the sidewalk with bars. The keeper of the stamp was inside -- so we stood on tiptoes to give him our credencials and behold we got a stamp!
The rest of the day we climbed up on wonderful hiking trails full of people through woods and residential areas. The hills in front of us were full of windmills -- ah, Don Quixote! Continuing to climb, we passed through tiny hamlets, stopped for breakfast at one, then out once again into the wind -- ah, that is why there are so many windmills! The wind was fierce, but the sky sunny, as we climbed up to the Alto Perdon --the summit of pardon. On this peak there is an enormous metal sculpture of various pilgrims walking and fighting the wind on the top of the hill. A great photo op I will have to share later.
The descent was less windy and we found ourselves in the town of Obanos where the Camino Aragones which comes across Southern France intersects with our route, the Camino Frances. Our Camino crosses the Pyrenees at St. Jean Pied de Port and the Camino Aragones crossed at Somport. Where the Caminos converge is an ancient church -- most fitting.
The way into Puente La Reina -- bridge of the queen -- so called because a queen caused the bridge to be built in the 11th century to capture traffic to Santiago and increase commerce - it worked! -- is down a very narrow medieval street full of ancient stone houses that have been restored and reformed over the years. Our hotel was in one of these old houses with stone arches in the lobby and dining room and gorgeous wooden beams throughout. The church named after Santiago has an incredible gilt retablo -- enormous wooden sculpture that takes up the entire wall behind the altar -- and we stayed to say the rosary.
Later that night at dinner we met a retired couple from near Zurich who have walked the various Caminos -- the route people took from England, from Seville, from northern France, from southern France -- over the past 10 years. Fascinating -- and very inspiring.
NOTE - It grows late and we have a very long day tomorrow so I will say buenas noches to you all. Hopefully I will be able to find another internet connection in the next town and try to catch up on my postings! Thanks for your patience! And the foot is still holding up!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
The sun also rises in Pamplona
Saturday, Oct 16
Hola from the city that Hemingway made famous!
We trudged into Pamplona bout 4:00 pm today after a day that was more arduous than we had anticipated. It was supposed to be 15 miles - about the same as the day before -- but the way was not marked well. We got lost and ended up adding at least of hour of walking onto the route. Normally you always can find an "flecha amarilla" - a yellow arrow -- or a scallop shell pointing the way. Sometimes the arrow or scallop shell is painted on the road, curb, a house, or there is a special marker with tile. All of the sudden the arrows starting pointing in different directions, for a time there were no arrows, and the route guide we had was confusing. We ran into two men we had seen earlier and they pointed a way to go.
That was our mistake -- we should have sat down and re-read both route guides and then we would have stayed on the camino. So we wandered or rather meandered for along time by the side of a river -- we entered a town still looking for yellow arrows. We stopped to ask directions and were sent to the local albergue -- pilgrim lodging -- but it was closed for the season. So off we went again and found another nice person to ask and finally we started seeing yellow arrows and were back on the camino.
I can´t find the parentheses on this keyboard-- European keyboards are setup differently -- but this is a parenthetical -- As I try to type, our elderly concierge at the hotel has the TV blaring and switches between a soccer game and a reality show that looks and sounds like a Spanish Jerry Springer. It is driving me nuts, and I may not be very coherent.
When we walked in this afternoon through the ancient gate that still has the original chains and mechanism from the 16th century drawbridge there was no one in the streets. It was like a ghost town -- it was the time that all the shops are closed. By 5:00 pm the plazas and street were teeming with people, and we literally were having to push our way through crowds as we looked for a place to recharge John´s camera battery and have a bite to eat. We were not forceful enough to make any real headway until one Spanish couple in front of us just charged throug, and John said, "Follow them!"
The chill wind is in Pamplona -- not Ava Gardner or Tony Quinn -- but we did walk into the Hemingway Pizza and Kebob Restaurant. Rather a forlorn place so we wandered back out. Pamplona is a big city -- the casco antiguo -- old part of the city -- is wonderful with six-story homes refurbished in the 1700 and 1800´s. There are several churches, and we went to San Saturnino to have our credencial stamped. Por desgracia, no stamp person there, but we did sit through part of the rosary, and I noted the wonderful statues of St. Catherine of Alexandria with her spiked wheel and St. Barbar with the 3-windowed tower.
It is late and I must get to bed. But I wanted to thank everyone for their comments -- I am thrilled that you take the time to read my postings and even more thrilled that some of you feel prompted to post a comment! ¡Muchisimas gracias - Ustedes son muy amables!
Tomorrow we are off to Puente La Reina -- who knows about the internet?
Hola from the city that Hemingway made famous!
We trudged into Pamplona bout 4:00 pm today after a day that was more arduous than we had anticipated. It was supposed to be 15 miles - about the same as the day before -- but the way was not marked well. We got lost and ended up adding at least of hour of walking onto the route. Normally you always can find an "flecha amarilla" - a yellow arrow -- or a scallop shell pointing the way. Sometimes the arrow or scallop shell is painted on the road, curb, a house, or there is a special marker with tile. All of the sudden the arrows starting pointing in different directions, for a time there were no arrows, and the route guide we had was confusing. We ran into two men we had seen earlier and they pointed a way to go.
That was our mistake -- we should have sat down and re-read both route guides and then we would have stayed on the camino. So we wandered or rather meandered for along time by the side of a river -- we entered a town still looking for yellow arrows. We stopped to ask directions and were sent to the local albergue -- pilgrim lodging -- but it was closed for the season. So off we went again and found another nice person to ask and finally we started seeing yellow arrows and were back on the camino.
I can´t find the parentheses on this keyboard-- European keyboards are setup differently -- but this is a parenthetical -- As I try to type, our elderly concierge at the hotel has the TV blaring and switches between a soccer game and a reality show that looks and sounds like a Spanish Jerry Springer. It is driving me nuts, and I may not be very coherent.
When we walked in this afternoon through the ancient gate that still has the original chains and mechanism from the 16th century drawbridge there was no one in the streets. It was like a ghost town -- it was the time that all the shops are closed. By 5:00 pm the plazas and street were teeming with people, and we literally were having to push our way through crowds as we looked for a place to recharge John´s camera battery and have a bite to eat. We were not forceful enough to make any real headway until one Spanish couple in front of us just charged throug, and John said, "Follow them!"
The chill wind is in Pamplona -- not Ava Gardner or Tony Quinn -- but we did walk into the Hemingway Pizza and Kebob Restaurant. Rather a forlorn place so we wandered back out. Pamplona is a big city -- the casco antiguo -- old part of the city -- is wonderful with six-story homes refurbished in the 1700 and 1800´s. There are several churches, and we went to San Saturnino to have our credencial stamped. Por desgracia, no stamp person there, but we did sit through part of the rosary, and I noted the wonderful statues of St. Catherine of Alexandria with her spiked wheel and St. Barbar with the 3-windowed tower.
It is late and I must get to bed. But I wanted to thank everyone for their comments -- I am thrilled that you take the time to read my postings and even more thrilled that some of you feel prompted to post a comment! ¡Muchisimas gracias - Ustedes son muy amables!
Tomorrow we are off to Puente La Reina -- who knows about the internet?
Roncesvalles to Zubiri
Saturday, October 16
¡Saludos!
To return to where I left off -- posting this from Pamplona
October 14 -- after crossing the Pyrenees we stayed the night in Roncesvalles at a delighful inn called La Posada. The steam heat in the room was great for drying some laundry! For dinner, The management sat all the pilgrims at the same table and about eight of us chatted -- English being the lingua franca most of the time, but we also lapsed into Spanish periodically. Our table included a French airline dispatcher in his early 40´s from Paris who had done the camino before, a Dutchman from The Hague - about the same age -- who was on a bicycle and camping in Roncevalles, an Australian mechanical engineer in his 30´s who was on an extended holiday due to his firm being bought out, and two middle-aged couples from Navarra, Spain.
I mention the ages because John and I were both amazed at how tired the younger guys were, how much they talked about the difficulty of the ascent and descent, and how all of them were aching. John and I both felt pretty good, and neither of us was had an aches. But we also had very light and comfortable packs -- mine being even lighter because John very graciously was carrying some of my stuff. John, of course, has great strength and stamina, but I can only be grateful that I trained by hiking toward Peak 2 and 3 several times a week, hiked out to Hidden Lake twice -- always with a pack-- and did Wolverine to the top, my first time to summit. Previously I had made it as far as the cairn. After doing Wolverine with a pack, the Pyrenees were not nearly as daunting as I had imagined. The younger fellows were all carrying packs that were heavy to begin with -- and lots of stuff. While in St. Jean, we had watched at the Pilgrims´Office as one of the staff had helped one young man empty his pack and started suggesting to him what stuff he should send home by mail and send poste restante to Santiago. The woman helping us also weighed our packs and was pleased -- they actually hand out information about pack weight, gear, etc. Gettin caught in the pass because of snow or fog happens -- and there was one part of the route that you could easily miss in bad weather and end up going over the wrong pass.
The next morning we took a few moments to see the ossuary that supposedly holds Roland´s bones and those of his fallen comrades. It also holds the bones of pilgrims who died at Roncesvalles.
October 15 -- Roncevalles to Zubiri -- we were mostly descending and did about 14 miles that day. Those of us who had left St. Jean the same day ran into each other on the street. And we saw our friends on horseback again. A couple crossed the Pyrenees riding beautiful horses -- truly a marvelous spectacle to see them galloping across the grassy pastures and up the pass. They are from Cognac, France --yes, like the drink -- and had started in Cognac.
Zubiri is a tiny town and we happened on an unprepossessing looking hotel. Inside was warm and delightful -- very rustic with lots of antiques and a very reasonable price! The room had a steam radiator and it was on! Did I mention it´s been colder than last year and colder than we had anticipated? Luckily we have layers and when we are walking it is not as noticeable. But I have worn cap and gloves a lot! Bright overcast, some sun, and no rain! So we are not complaining. I am running out of 1 euro coins for the machine -- so I have to stop shortly!
¡Saludos!
To return to where I left off -- posting this from Pamplona
October 14 -- after crossing the Pyrenees we stayed the night in Roncesvalles at a delighful inn called La Posada. The steam heat in the room was great for drying some laundry! For dinner, The management sat all the pilgrims at the same table and about eight of us chatted -- English being the lingua franca most of the time, but we also lapsed into Spanish periodically. Our table included a French airline dispatcher in his early 40´s from Paris who had done the camino before, a Dutchman from The Hague - about the same age -- who was on a bicycle and camping in Roncevalles, an Australian mechanical engineer in his 30´s who was on an extended holiday due to his firm being bought out, and two middle-aged couples from Navarra, Spain.
I mention the ages because John and I were both amazed at how tired the younger guys were, how much they talked about the difficulty of the ascent and descent, and how all of them were aching. John and I both felt pretty good, and neither of us was had an aches. But we also had very light and comfortable packs -- mine being even lighter because John very graciously was carrying some of my stuff. John, of course, has great strength and stamina, but I can only be grateful that I trained by hiking toward Peak 2 and 3 several times a week, hiked out to Hidden Lake twice -- always with a pack-- and did Wolverine to the top, my first time to summit. Previously I had made it as far as the cairn. After doing Wolverine with a pack, the Pyrenees were not nearly as daunting as I had imagined. The younger fellows were all carrying packs that were heavy to begin with -- and lots of stuff. While in St. Jean, we had watched at the Pilgrims´Office as one of the staff had helped one young man empty his pack and started suggesting to him what stuff he should send home by mail and send poste restante to Santiago. The woman helping us also weighed our packs and was pleased -- they actually hand out information about pack weight, gear, etc. Gettin caught in the pass because of snow or fog happens -- and there was one part of the route that you could easily miss in bad weather and end up going over the wrong pass.
The next morning we took a few moments to see the ossuary that supposedly holds Roland´s bones and those of his fallen comrades. It also holds the bones of pilgrims who died at Roncesvalles.
October 15 -- Roncevalles to Zubiri -- we were mostly descending and did about 14 miles that day. Those of us who had left St. Jean the same day ran into each other on the street. And we saw our friends on horseback again. A couple crossed the Pyrenees riding beautiful horses -- truly a marvelous spectacle to see them galloping across the grassy pastures and up the pass. They are from Cognac, France --yes, like the drink -- and had started in Cognac.
Zubiri is a tiny town and we happened on an unprepossessing looking hotel. Inside was warm and delightful -- very rustic with lots of antiques and a very reasonable price! The room had a steam radiator and it was on! Did I mention it´s been colder than last year and colder than we had anticipated? Luckily we have layers and when we are walking it is not as noticeable. But I have worn cap and gloves a lot! Bright overcast, some sun, and no rain! So we are not complaining. I am running out of 1 euro coins for the machine -- so I have to stop shortly!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
We crossed the Pyrenees!
Hola gentle readers!
Well, I made it! We crossed they Pyrenees from St. Pied de Port in France over the high Napoleon route and into Roncesvalles where Roland met his fate. St. Jean was delightful. We arrived about 7:oo pm after getting a bus from Bayonne. We flew London to Biarritz, all the time wondering if the trains would be running due to the ongoing French strike. It was wonderful to find out in Biarritz we could still get a bus to the Bayonne train station and there we would find out. Et voila they had put on a bus to take us from Bayonne to St. Jean.
It was darkish when we arrived, but we still walked a bit around the old town and the wonderful ancient gates. In the morning we went to the Pilgrim office for our credencial and the delightful woman there gave us all kinds of information about the route encouraging us to take the high pass because it was so beautiful. The weather was truly fine, my foot felt good, so I told John we should go for it. And it was a terrific hike with an elevation gain of 4,500 feet over 16 miles of sheep and horses and high mountains and beech trees and rock outcroppings.
We descend today and John is telling me we have to go. It will be long day.
Hopefully there will be an internet connection in our town tonight. It was impossible to find one even in London, hence no posts from there. Everyone has iPhones! Hasta luego!
Well, I made it! We crossed they Pyrenees from St. Pied de Port in France over the high Napoleon route and into Roncesvalles where Roland met his fate. St. Jean was delightful. We arrived about 7:oo pm after getting a bus from Bayonne. We flew London to Biarritz, all the time wondering if the trains would be running due to the ongoing French strike. It was wonderful to find out in Biarritz we could still get a bus to the Bayonne train station and there we would find out. Et voila they had put on a bus to take us from Bayonne to St. Jean.
It was darkish when we arrived, but we still walked a bit around the old town and the wonderful ancient gates. In the morning we went to the Pilgrim office for our credencial and the delightful woman there gave us all kinds of information about the route encouraging us to take the high pass because it was so beautiful. The weather was truly fine, my foot felt good, so I told John we should go for it. And it was a terrific hike with an elevation gain of 4,500 feet over 16 miles of sheep and horses and high mountains and beech trees and rock outcroppings.
We descend today and John is telling me we have to go. It will be long day.
Hopefully there will be an internet connection in our town tonight. It was impossible to find one even in London, hence no posts from there. Everyone has iPhones! Hasta luego!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Our route on the Camino - el mapa
Hola!
Behold the map! (I regret it is not the most elegant copy - scanning can be tricky. If you click on the map, it should open up in a new window and be a little bigger and more readable.) In Spanish, el mapa -- ah, you say, those of you familiar with Spanish, why is there a masculine article "el" in front of this word? Most words ending in "a" in Spanish are considered feminine and take the feminine article "la." Because, gentle readers,"mapa" comes from the Greek, and in Greek the word is masculine and his gender transferred to the Spanish. I remember learning this in one of my high school Spanish classes and being uttering fascinated. Basta.
This bit of cartography shows eastern Spain and the border with France. We start in France at St. Jean Pied de Port and climb up over a col or pass in the Pyrenees, then descend into Roncesvalles, Spain. I hope this map helps orient people. We would like to get as far as Santo Domingo, but we shall see what the road brings us.
(And thanks to Rick Steves for giving me permission to use the map from his book, "Rick Steves' Spain 2010" - what a guy!)
Friday morning, October 8, we leave for London and will see Shakespeare's "Henry the IV, Part 2," which I am dutifully re-reading. Hasta luego!
Finding one's way on the Camino
There are several good guidebooks for walking the Camino - Lonely Planet's "Walking in Spain," for example, and there is a wonderful map of each stage of the walk that has been published by John Brierley, "Camino Pilgrim Guides." Our friends Alberto and Carmen, whom we met on the Camino last year, had his great map, and we were able to find one in Sarria. It shows the elevation gains and location of refugios and hotels, bars. It's nice to know how far you have to walk to find a place to sleep or get a cup of coffee and a meal.The other way you know you are going in the right direction is to look for markers with either a yellow arrow or a scallop shell - the shell is a symbol of St. James.
Pictured is an arrow made of yellow scallop shells that has been embedded in the wall of a house.
I just got permission from Rick Steves' office to use a copy of the map of the Camino from his book on Spain. I like the drawing. So I will be scanning that tomorrow and uploading it!
Hasta manana! (imagine a tilda - can't make it take!)
Monday, October 4, 2010
Credenciales and trekking poles
Here is a photo of John's credencial showing the first of the rubber stamps we got in each town. Some are quite ornate and large. Each bar, hotel, and church has a stamp available. You must get a stamp from each village or city as proof that you passed through there on your way to Santiago.
We requested our credenciales - or Pilgrim Passports - in advance from the group, American Pilgrims on the Camino. Their website is a great resource. No charge - but they did ask for a donation if we felt inclined. We did.
At one point, we were afraid we might not have room for all the stamps we needed, but it worked out just fine. We presented our credenciales at the special office in Santiago - they passed muster - and we each got our special document with our name written in Latin attesting to our having completed the pilgrimage to Santiago by walking at least the last 100 km.
"An Actor Prepares" is the famous book by Stanislavsky on learning the craft of acting. Well, "a pilgrim prepares," too. Many things to learn and decide - including type of shoes, trekking poles or not trekking poles, and so on. For this year's walk I purchased trekking poles -- short enough to fit into my pack. Lightweight carbon -- thank goodness I had a 15% discount card for REI. We tried them out tonight as John, Holly the dog, and I walked a bit at the end of the road. They do seem to help with my ankle issue, but I am concerned that they are not tall enough for me to grasp at the right height. We shall experiment. Worst case, I buy a tall pilgrim staff when we get to France and use it instead. More on the ankle later. This is called blatant foreshadowing.
We leave on Friday -- the days are flying by!
2010 Camino - The First Third
iHola amigos!
Last time I posted was in October 2009 - we had reached Santiago de Compostella after hiking about 150-160 miles over the last third of the Camino. Now in October 2010, a designated Holy Year because the feast of Santiago (St. James the Apostle) fell on a Sunday, we are going to hike as much of the first third of the Camino as we can.
We will begin at St. Jean Pied de Port in France at the base of the Pyrenees and go up over a col, then down into Roncevalles -- the place of the noble Roland's death - Charlemagne's trusted knight immortalized in the medieval "Song of Roland." He and his comrades were ambushed by Basques. We will be traveling in Basque country for several days -- the Basque language is still a puzzle - it is called "Euskara" in the Basque. Some say the Basques are the lost people of Atlantis and that is why their language is so different from any other known tongue.
Because we walked at least 100km to Santiago, John and I received our pilgrim certificates last year. We had to show our pilgrim passport with stamps for each city we visited. I will be posting photos from last year.
We leave Friday, October 8 and will be stopping to London, en route to Biarritz and then a bus to St. Jean Pied de Port. The walk will actually begin around October 13 or 14.
More to come. Thanks for reading. iBuen Camino!
Last time I posted was in October 2009 - we had reached Santiago de Compostella after hiking about 150-160 miles over the last third of the Camino. Now in October 2010, a designated Holy Year because the feast of Santiago (St. James the Apostle) fell on a Sunday, we are going to hike as much of the first third of the Camino as we can.
We will begin at St. Jean Pied de Port in France at the base of the Pyrenees and go up over a col, then down into Roncevalles -- the place of the noble Roland's death - Charlemagne's trusted knight immortalized in the medieval "Song of Roland." He and his comrades were ambushed by Basques. We will be traveling in Basque country for several days -- the Basque language is still a puzzle - it is called "Euskara" in the Basque. Some say the Basques are the lost people of Atlantis and that is why their language is so different from any other known tongue.
Because we walked at least 100km to Santiago, John and I received our pilgrim certificates last year. We had to show our pilgrim passport with stamps for each city we visited. I will be posting photos from last year.
We leave Friday, October 8 and will be stopping to London, en route to Biarritz and then a bus to St. Jean Pied de Port. The walk will actually begin around October 13 or 14.
More to come. Thanks for reading. iBuen Camino!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Santiago - Pilgrim Mass on Friday
Friday, October 16
We slept in til 8:30 am and had a lovely breakfast in the sunroom of the Hotel Costa Vella. Then off to meet Carmen and Alberto in the cathedral for noon Pilgrim Mass. Mass was packed -- but we got there early for good seats to see the altar. About 15 concelebrants came out in a procession- all in red vestments. There were Spanish, Hungarian, Polish, German and Italian priests. The main celebrant read out all the starting places for the Camino and how many from each country had arrived. We were in the Astorga group.
It was very emotional to see the pilgrims just coming in and to feel a part of this huge community of peregrinos.
The highlight was the use of the enormous incenser at the end of Mass -- about 4 ft high and 2 ft wide that six men swing from from the high point of the church. It was amazing to see this huge incensor going about 40 mph and flying over our heads. It hearkens back to medieval times when pilgrims would come and sleep in the chursch and because of lack of washing facilities and mores of hte times, the odor was unbearable. Altar boys used to run up and down the aisles with incensers burning. The botafumeiro is from the 15th century.
After Mass, we bid adios to Carmen and Alberto who are heading to Vigo to visit friends. It was an emotional farewell -- they had bought us a gift of a beautiful post of the Camino and signed it for a remembrance. We shall miss them very much. They will always be a precious part of the Camino for us.
More later. I am posting from the Santiago Airport on our way to Madrid.
We slept in til 8:30 am and had a lovely breakfast in the sunroom of the Hotel Costa Vella. Then off to meet Carmen and Alberto in the cathedral for noon Pilgrim Mass. Mass was packed -- but we got there early for good seats to see the altar. About 15 concelebrants came out in a procession- all in red vestments. There were Spanish, Hungarian, Polish, German and Italian priests. The main celebrant read out all the starting places for the Camino and how many from each country had arrived. We were in the Astorga group.
It was very emotional to see the pilgrims just coming in and to feel a part of this huge community of peregrinos.
The highlight was the use of the enormous incenser at the end of Mass -- about 4 ft high and 2 ft wide that six men swing from from the high point of the church. It was amazing to see this huge incensor going about 40 mph and flying over our heads. It hearkens back to medieval times when pilgrims would come and sleep in the chursch and because of lack of washing facilities and mores of hte times, the odor was unbearable. Altar boys used to run up and down the aisles with incensers burning. The botafumeiro is from the 15th century.
After Mass, we bid adios to Carmen and Alberto who are heading to Vigo to visit friends. It was an emotional farewell -- they had bought us a gift of a beautiful post of the Camino and signed it for a remembrance. We shall miss them very much. They will always be a precious part of the Camino for us.
More later. I am posting from the Santiago Airport on our way to Madrid.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Arca to Santiago - 20 km -- We arrive!
Thursday, October 15
We get up early knowing that my limp will make us go slow into Santiago.
My ankle actually feels better and we start off after our ususal breakfast -- sunny, warm day -- aabout 8:30 am.
All is well for the first few km -- then my ankle seems to really give out. Not even having the staff seems to make a difference and I am already full of anti-inflammatory drugs.So we stop at a small cafe and I ice my ankle for a time- That seems to help immensely.
The rest of the way is better -- we go through a series of small villages.
We make it to Lavacolla where medieval pilgrims would wash in the river -- symbolic cleansing. And we both wash our hands in the water.
Then we make the ascent to Monte de Gozo -- Mount of Joy -- now we are actually close to the city. This used to be where pilgrims would first view the church spires -- now obscured by high rises.
We stop at Monte de Gozo then on into Santiago.
We go first to the plaza in front of the church to meet Carman and Alberto -- we meet them -- hugs all round with them and other pilgrims we know. Then into the church to give thanks, hug the statue of Santiago above the altar, visit his crypt, then off to get our compostella!
Tomorrow we will go to the noon Pilgrim´s Mass.
We get in line and get our document in Latin after the clerk reviews our passport and stamps.
Then I leave my staff with all the others inside the compostella building and we go back out to the church.
We have arrived after 11 days -- after seeing beautiful country, making wonderful friends, and walking further than I have ever walked in my life.
More tomorrow! Gracias a Dios -- buen camino a todos!
We get up early knowing that my limp will make us go slow into Santiago.
My ankle actually feels better and we start off after our ususal breakfast -- sunny, warm day -- aabout 8:30 am.
All is well for the first few km -- then my ankle seems to really give out. Not even having the staff seems to make a difference and I am already full of anti-inflammatory drugs.So we stop at a small cafe and I ice my ankle for a time- That seems to help immensely.
The rest of the way is better -- we go through a series of small villages.
We make it to Lavacolla where medieval pilgrims would wash in the river -- symbolic cleansing. And we both wash our hands in the water.
Then we make the ascent to Monte de Gozo -- Mount of Joy -- now we are actually close to the city. This used to be where pilgrims would first view the church spires -- now obscured by high rises.
We stop at Monte de Gozo then on into Santiago.
We go first to the plaza in front of the church to meet Carman and Alberto -- we meet them -- hugs all round with them and other pilgrims we know. Then into the church to give thanks, hug the statue of Santiago above the altar, visit his crypt, then off to get our compostella!
Tomorrow we will go to the noon Pilgrim´s Mass.
We get in line and get our document in Latin after the clerk reviews our passport and stamps.
Then I leave my staff with all the others inside the compostella building and we go back out to the church.
We have arrived after 11 days -- after seeing beautiful country, making wonderful friends, and walking further than I have ever walked in my life.
More tomorrow! Gracias a Dios -- buen camino a todos!
Arzua to Arca -- about 20km -- still limping on the Camino
Wednesday, Oct 14
Dinner last night at the albergue with Carmen, Alberto, Adriano, and Susanna was great -- lentils and carrots, salad, wine, and yogurt with chocolate bits!
My ankle felt much better after icing.
This morning I am still limping, but able to walk.
I am walking through the pain and hoping I don´t do more damage -- but it is certainly bearable. John is worried about how slow we will be, but we seem to be doing okay after getting a palo for me.
John had looked for a staff -- he said he found some brooms at a hardware store and perhaps I could use a broom to help me. I gasped! But Carmen´s staff had certainly been a help when I used it before.
As we started off I was so slow, John and I talked again and walked back into town to see if we could find a staff. No one seems to be selling them this far along on the Carmino. Then he suggeste the hardware store again -- he said we could take the handle of a broom or rake and use it. Luckily we found a store that sold handles separately so 5 euros I had a staff which I wrapped with a stick ace bandage to help with the grip.
The day went slowly but we finally made it into Rua just before Arca where there was very nice hotel we hoped to stay in -- lovely village -- the hotel was completo. The pensione there did not look great, so we walked 2 more km to Arzua itself. There we did find a nice room -- the only drawback was the mosquitoes all night long.
Not too many downhills today which was good -- made walking easier. Mostly on the dirt trails through groves and villages. People we know on the Camino pass by and ask how my ankle is doing. Strangers on the Camino also see me limping and keeping telling me, It´s only a little farther!
We ate dinner with Carmen and the gang in the restaurant which turned out to be a comedy of errors iwth ordering -- first time that has happened. We kept getting tuna in whatever we ordered.
The hostal had an internet link so I could update the blog -- I hate getting behind.
And after taking more anti-inflammatory meds my ankle was doing ok -- the ace bandage wrap really helped.
Weather has still be clear and warm!
We leave Arca in the morning for Santiago! It´s getting near!
Dinner last night at the albergue with Carmen, Alberto, Adriano, and Susanna was great -- lentils and carrots, salad, wine, and yogurt with chocolate bits!
My ankle felt much better after icing.
This morning I am still limping, but able to walk.
I am walking through the pain and hoping I don´t do more damage -- but it is certainly bearable. John is worried about how slow we will be, but we seem to be doing okay after getting a palo for me.
John had looked for a staff -- he said he found some brooms at a hardware store and perhaps I could use a broom to help me. I gasped! But Carmen´s staff had certainly been a help when I used it before.
As we started off I was so slow, John and I talked again and walked back into town to see if we could find a staff. No one seems to be selling them this far along on the Carmino. Then he suggeste the hardware store again -- he said we could take the handle of a broom or rake and use it. Luckily we found a store that sold handles separately so 5 euros I had a staff which I wrapped with a stick ace bandage to help with the grip.
The day went slowly but we finally made it into Rua just before Arca where there was very nice hotel we hoped to stay in -- lovely village -- the hotel was completo. The pensione there did not look great, so we walked 2 more km to Arzua itself. There we did find a nice room -- the only drawback was the mosquitoes all night long.
Not too many downhills today which was good -- made walking easier. Mostly on the dirt trails through groves and villages. People we know on the Camino pass by and ask how my ankle is doing. Strangers on the Camino also see me limping and keeping telling me, It´s only a little farther!
We ate dinner with Carmen and the gang in the restaurant which turned out to be a comedy of errors iwth ordering -- first time that has happened. We kept getting tuna in whatever we ordered.
The hostal had an internet link so I could update the blog -- I hate getting behind.
And after taking more anti-inflammatory meds my ankle was doing ok -- the ace bandage wrap really helped.
Weather has still be clear and warm!
We leave Arca in the morning for Santiago! It´s getting near!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Palas do Rei to Arzua - 29 k - limping on the Camino
Tuesday, October 13
We knew this would be a long day. And it is suddenly much warmer. We started out early -- stopped at a cafe run by two Germans in a small village for an omelette about 11 am.
There are about 20 German pilgrims stopping with us. A group from all over Germany -- very nice people. We also ran into a Carmelite monk from Cracow!
Had some cidre -- 4 per cent hard cider yesterday -- very tasty!
It really got hot in the afternoon -- then it happened.
Suddenly my left ankle ached and I could hardly walk. I did not twist it -- but we had been doing about 5km per hour and perhaps I stressed it.
We stopped so I could rest at a cafe -- the ankle was very swollen. We tried to stay at a pensione in a small village, bu they were full. So we went on .
John took my pack and carried it sherpa style on his head while I very, very slowly walked the Camino. Luckily Alberto and Carmen appeared -- we thought they were way ahead of us but they had stopped for a long lunch of pulpo -- octopus. Carmen gave me her palo -- staff -- and we all made it into Arzua.
We joined them for dinner at the albergue -- after I had iced my ankle and John had found a pharmacy with an ace bandage and other first aid items for all my blisters.
I am very worried about tomorrow. But at least it is a shorter day -- only about 12 miles.
Susanna - a doctor from Tarife -- tells me to eat a lot of lentils- They will help heal me!
We knew this would be a long day. And it is suddenly much warmer. We started out early -- stopped at a cafe run by two Germans in a small village for an omelette about 11 am.
There are about 20 German pilgrims stopping with us. A group from all over Germany -- very nice people. We also ran into a Carmelite monk from Cracow!
Had some cidre -- 4 per cent hard cider yesterday -- very tasty!
It really got hot in the afternoon -- then it happened.
Suddenly my left ankle ached and I could hardly walk. I did not twist it -- but we had been doing about 5km per hour and perhaps I stressed it.
We stopped so I could rest at a cafe -- the ankle was very swollen. We tried to stay at a pensione in a small village, bu they were full. So we went on .
John took my pack and carried it sherpa style on his head while I very, very slowly walked the Camino. Luckily Alberto and Carmen appeared -- we thought they were way ahead of us but they had stopped for a long lunch of pulpo -- octopus. Carmen gave me her palo -- staff -- and we all made it into Arzua.
We joined them for dinner at the albergue -- after I had iced my ankle and John had found a pharmacy with an ace bandage and other first aid items for all my blisters.
I am very worried about tomorrow. But at least it is a shorter day -- only about 12 miles.
Susanna - a doctor from Tarife -- tells me to eat a lot of lentils- They will help heal me!
Portomarin to Palas de Rei or Palas do Rei -- 26 km
Monday, October 12
Feast of Nuestra Señora del Pilar -- patroness of Spain and of the army
Also Christopher Columbus Day
Everyone speaks Castilian Spanish -- different words for things than Mexican or Latin American Spanish -- and of course c´s and s´s and z´s are pronounced as th.
In addition to Spanish, different parts of Spain have different dialects -- Barcelona has Catalan and this part of Spain -- Galicia -- has Gallego. Gallego looks and sounds more like Portuguese than Spanish. Lots of diphthongs -- and lots of x´s in words.
So Palas de Rei may be seen on different signs as do Rei -- and Rei would be written as Rey in other parts of Spain.
It´s a long day, but the trail is good and we get into Palas de Rei in late afternoon. There are lots of people in the town, but most things are closed. It´s a bigger town than we had anticipated -- we go to a hotel that had been recommended, but it is ´completo´- full. Then we spy two Aussies we know -- father and daughter who are doing this trip -- and they tell us where they are staying. After getting a room, we are to meet Alberto and Carmen for dinner they are cooking at the albergue. We say we will bring wine and bread. But all the super markets are closed. John manages to find a bakery that is still open and gets some bread and postre -- dessert. The wine is still an issue. So we ask at the bar where we had rented our room if we could buy a bottle. We assume it will be outrageously expensive, but we want to bring a beverage for dinner. I explain our dilemma to the older women behind the bar -- she talks to her husband, then to her granddaughter who is about 12. Time passes. Then the grand daughter goes into the backrooom, starts calling out names, then the older women seems to approve. The girl brings us a bottle of red wine with no label -- but then we see a tiny address label sign label on the back just saying it is from the area. We brace ourselves for the price -- 3 euros -- $4.50! And it turns out to be excellent wine!
Dinner at the albergue with Carmen, Alberto, Adriano, Susanna, Patricia, and Angel is wonderful. And we get to tour the albergue. All sorts of people are staying there -- younger, older, singles, couples, etc. It´s a great sense of camaraderie -- John and I are both glad we got to be a little part of it.
Another long day tomorrow, Tuesday, 29 km to Arzua via Melide. I have been using up bandages for my blisters at an alarming rate.
Feast of Nuestra Señora del Pilar -- patroness of Spain and of the army
Also Christopher Columbus Day
Everyone speaks Castilian Spanish -- different words for things than Mexican or Latin American Spanish -- and of course c´s and s´s and z´s are pronounced as th.
In addition to Spanish, different parts of Spain have different dialects -- Barcelona has Catalan and this part of Spain -- Galicia -- has Gallego. Gallego looks and sounds more like Portuguese than Spanish. Lots of diphthongs -- and lots of x´s in words.
So Palas de Rei may be seen on different signs as do Rei -- and Rei would be written as Rey in other parts of Spain.
It´s a long day, but the trail is good and we get into Palas de Rei in late afternoon. There are lots of people in the town, but most things are closed. It´s a bigger town than we had anticipated -- we go to a hotel that had been recommended, but it is ´completo´- full. Then we spy two Aussies we know -- father and daughter who are doing this trip -- and they tell us where they are staying. After getting a room, we are to meet Alberto and Carmen for dinner they are cooking at the albergue. We say we will bring wine and bread. But all the super markets are closed. John manages to find a bakery that is still open and gets some bread and postre -- dessert. The wine is still an issue. So we ask at the bar where we had rented our room if we could buy a bottle. We assume it will be outrageously expensive, but we want to bring a beverage for dinner. I explain our dilemma to the older women behind the bar -- she talks to her husband, then to her granddaughter who is about 12. Time passes. Then the grand daughter goes into the backrooom, starts calling out names, then the older women seems to approve. The girl brings us a bottle of red wine with no label -- but then we see a tiny address label sign label on the back just saying it is from the area. We brace ourselves for the price -- 3 euros -- $4.50! And it turns out to be excellent wine!
Dinner at the albergue with Carmen, Alberto, Adriano, Susanna, Patricia, and Angel is wonderful. And we get to tour the albergue. All sorts of people are staying there -- younger, older, singles, couples, etc. It´s a great sense of camaraderie -- John and I are both glad we got to be a little part of it.
Another long day tomorrow, Tuesday, 29 km to Arzua via Melide. I have been using up bandages for my blisters at an alarming rate.
Sarria to Portomarin -- 23 k -- from here 100 km to Santiago
Sunday, October 11
I am getting very good at changing kilometers to miles. John and I have been averaging 4 km per hour -- not bad -- and usually finishing the stage on the low end of the estimate.
Today is very sunny as we meet Carmen and Alberto for breakfast and head out. Carmen had had a massage the night before -- like many pilgrims, her feet and back had begun to bother her.
Sarria is big city compared to the other stops we have made. And it is the important starting point for many pilgrims wanting to walk 100 km to Santiago to get the ´´compostella´´ and to gain the partial indulgence -- wiping out time in purgatory for sins committed on earth. Suddenly we see many more Americans and the camino starts to seem a bit crowded.
As we head out of Sarria and are soon in a country lane, we come upon a group of bicyclists crowded around a lone Asian woman. The poor woman speaks a little English and some Spanish, and the Spanish cyclists have gathered she can not walk anymore. One of them has a cellphone and calls for an ambulance. About 3 minutes later an ambulance shows on the highway above the lane -- John grabs the woman´s pack, runs up the lane to flag the ambulance down and one of the cyclists cycles up also. As the ambulance pulls off the highway and into the start of the lane, we walk with the woman up to the ambulance-- I ask her in Spanish where she is from. She is from Korea and had started in Roncevalles -- she has walked a long way already. She started with a group and we all surprised, including the cyclists, that no one from her group stayed with her to make sure she was ok. The medics took everything in hand and we continued on.
The country lanes are lovely -- there are more chestnut groves and oak trees with acorns. Some of the acorns fall on Alberto and John as they talking about women -- the nature gods are speaking!
At the Church in Barbadelo, we stop, get a sello, and I light a candle. The person in charge of giving us the sello for our passports, tells us that this church is unique in Spain because the access to the bell tower is inside the church, not outside. Another pilgrim enters as we leave, and suddenly we hear singing. She has lit a candle and is standing in front of the altar singing a beautiful hymn in German - a capella.
Today we see lots of sheeps, crows, and there are raspberries for sale along the road -- a must buy!
This area has lots of hunting reserves and we have run into lots of hunting parties with they dogs at cafes and bars along the way. We also meet two American women from California -- one , Amy, works in the juvenile justice system, the other is on the faculty of Antioch College, Susan. More about them later.
The day was not too long and we get into Portomarin and find a room easily. Sometimes we stay in hostals, which are not hostels, they are hotels with-without bath in the room, or in pensiones -- also with-without bath, and in refugios privadas which are more spartan and cheaper. Usually a room with a bath is 30 to 40 euros. Breakfast is running about 3 euros for coffee and a pastry or toast.
The church in Portomarin is famous for being built like a fortress -- Romanesque style -- with crenellated towers. It is open when we arrive, so look for a hotel. When we come back, it is closed. Then suddenly the doors open. There are German pilgrims sitting on the steps -- John and I go up the steps and into the church. The interior is much lighter and brighter than most stone churches of this type -- and we also find the old stone painting we had read about. A man appears at the back of the church and it seems as if he wants to lock up. We had managed to slip in with a German tour group who had special permission to open the church after hours. Another miracle on the Camino?
Outside the church, we ran into the solidly-built fast walking pilgrim from Ponferrada -- we said buen camino and started to chat. He turned out to be a doctor from Lodz, Poland -now working in pharmaceuticals and it was fun to talk about my Polish grandparents and Polish culture. Robert also has been walking on weekends parts of the Camino routes they are rediscovering in Poland. There was once a route from Kiev to Santiago.
Alberto and Carmen are staying in an albergue -- some are municipal, some run by the Catholic church, some are private -- and they are essentially like youth hostels with bunkbeds and often with kitchens for cooking, and facilities for doing laundry, internet, etc. They have invited us to eat at the albergue with them -- but the albergue conveniently had no dishes or pans. Apparently it was their way of getting pilgrims to eat at their cafe. So a bunch of us headed for a restaurant.
Tomorow will be a long day -- so we end early.
I am getting very good at changing kilometers to miles. John and I have been averaging 4 km per hour -- not bad -- and usually finishing the stage on the low end of the estimate.
Today is very sunny as we meet Carmen and Alberto for breakfast and head out. Carmen had had a massage the night before -- like many pilgrims, her feet and back had begun to bother her.
Sarria is big city compared to the other stops we have made. And it is the important starting point for many pilgrims wanting to walk 100 km to Santiago to get the ´´compostella´´ and to gain the partial indulgence -- wiping out time in purgatory for sins committed on earth. Suddenly we see many more Americans and the camino starts to seem a bit crowded.
As we head out of Sarria and are soon in a country lane, we come upon a group of bicyclists crowded around a lone Asian woman. The poor woman speaks a little English and some Spanish, and the Spanish cyclists have gathered she can not walk anymore. One of them has a cellphone and calls for an ambulance. About 3 minutes later an ambulance shows on the highway above the lane -- John grabs the woman´s pack, runs up the lane to flag the ambulance down and one of the cyclists cycles up also. As the ambulance pulls off the highway and into the start of the lane, we walk with the woman up to the ambulance-- I ask her in Spanish where she is from. She is from Korea and had started in Roncevalles -- she has walked a long way already. She started with a group and we all surprised, including the cyclists, that no one from her group stayed with her to make sure she was ok. The medics took everything in hand and we continued on.
The country lanes are lovely -- there are more chestnut groves and oak trees with acorns. Some of the acorns fall on Alberto and John as they talking about women -- the nature gods are speaking!
At the Church in Barbadelo, we stop, get a sello, and I light a candle. The person in charge of giving us the sello for our passports, tells us that this church is unique in Spain because the access to the bell tower is inside the church, not outside. Another pilgrim enters as we leave, and suddenly we hear singing. She has lit a candle and is standing in front of the altar singing a beautiful hymn in German - a capella.
Today we see lots of sheeps, crows, and there are raspberries for sale along the road -- a must buy!
This area has lots of hunting reserves and we have run into lots of hunting parties with they dogs at cafes and bars along the way. We also meet two American women from California -- one , Amy, works in the juvenile justice system, the other is on the faculty of Antioch College, Susan. More about them later.
The day was not too long and we get into Portomarin and find a room easily. Sometimes we stay in hostals, which are not hostels, they are hotels with-without bath in the room, or in pensiones -- also with-without bath, and in refugios privadas which are more spartan and cheaper. Usually a room with a bath is 30 to 40 euros. Breakfast is running about 3 euros for coffee and a pastry or toast.
The church in Portomarin is famous for being built like a fortress -- Romanesque style -- with crenellated towers. It is open when we arrive, so look for a hotel. When we come back, it is closed. Then suddenly the doors open. There are German pilgrims sitting on the steps -- John and I go up the steps and into the church. The interior is much lighter and brighter than most stone churches of this type -- and we also find the old stone painting we had read about. A man appears at the back of the church and it seems as if he wants to lock up. We had managed to slip in with a German tour group who had special permission to open the church after hours. Another miracle on the Camino?
Outside the church, we ran into the solidly-built fast walking pilgrim from Ponferrada -- we said buen camino and started to chat. He turned out to be a doctor from Lodz, Poland -now working in pharmaceuticals and it was fun to talk about my Polish grandparents and Polish culture. Robert also has been walking on weekends parts of the Camino routes they are rediscovering in Poland. There was once a route from Kiev to Santiago.
Alberto and Carmen are staying in an albergue -- some are municipal, some run by the Catholic church, some are private -- and they are essentially like youth hostels with bunkbeds and often with kitchens for cooking, and facilities for doing laundry, internet, etc. They have invited us to eat at the albergue with them -- but the albergue conveniently had no dishes or pans. Apparently it was their way of getting pilgrims to eat at their cafe. So a bunch of us headed for a restaurant.
Tomorow will be a long day -- so we end early.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Monastery at Samos then Samos to Sarria - 15 k
Corrections: John read part of the blog -- in O Cebreiro we had gone 24 k, 6 k to go on the descent. I bonked at 1 k up -- no wonder it seemed so long -- we had 5 k to go! Apparently the guidebooks all call this the most arduous stage because it is over 30 k. The early stages in the Pyrenees are much shorter.
Saturday, October 10
To my delight, Padre Augustin, an eldery monk, was still there as the porter and he remembered John and me. I had acted as a translator for him when he took us and some other pilgrims (German and Danish) on an impromptu tour -- English was the common language. This time we were on tour with a lovely young local woman -- and just as we were about to start two other pilgrims walked in. -- a young American student from California, Tim, studying at the American University in Cairo and Sam, an Australian just out of architecture school. Our guide speaks only Spanish -- Tim is very good with languages -- so between us both we feel we can translate for John and Sam.
The monastery grounds are lovely and have the largest cloister -- covered rectangular walkway and gardens -- in Spain. Two novices are here now and about 15 monks -- in the middle ages there would have 80 or 90 monks and over 200 other persons to help with taking care of the monastery, the fields, and to oversee all the villages and other churches that were under the monastery´s care.
Out of Samos, John was ahead of me as usual -- espeically down or uphill. I am faster on the flat trails though. As I rounded a corner he was talking to a fellow pilgrim. In a few moments, the pilgrim´s wife caught up behind me. And here is one of the most serendipitous things abou the Camino -- the people you meet.
Alberto and Carmen are a couple in their 30s from Valencia. They are doing the Camino together as a kind of celebration and affirmation of their relationship - and they are getting married next year at a Redemptorist monastery in Burgos, Spain. They are absolutely delightful. Alberto and John walk at the same pace and talk about rock and mountain climbing experiences and owning small businesses. Alberto speaks marvelous English as does Carmen. And Carmen matches her pace to mine and we speak Spanish. She is a wonderful help as I try to improve my pronuncation and vocabulary, and it is very fun to hear about her life in Spain, and her work. Carmen used to live in Mallorca and worked in community involvement. She now is in charge of the administration of Alberto´s business -- pool maintenance for the municipality, schools, and private and public clubs.
Once in Sarria, a fairly large city, we have trouble finding a hotel room. There is a huge festival for San Froilan in a nearby city, and the overflow has taken over the hotels. Luckily, Alberto has a cell phone and he manages to find us rooms in a Pensione -- a small hotel with rooms with private bath and some without. We run into other pilgrims we have seen on the camino and stop to chat with Justino and Fernando. People on the camino don´t talk right away about what they do for ¨trabajo¨ - work. As we talk about the city, I find out they are from Mallorca and are police officers.
They explain that there are many different jurisdictions of police -- they are municipal- but they both have law degrees. The worst crimes in Mallorca revolve around tourists -- drinking, fights, pickpockets, etc. But there are an incredible number of tourists to deal with from so many countries. I tell them about the Justice Center and the Alaska Justice Forum publication -- and they ask if it is online. So soon we will have readers in Mallorca!
That night we eat a pilgrim´s dinner with Carmen and Alberto in a great nearby restaurant and it´s early to bed.
(As I post this in Arca -- one day out from Santiago -- the Italian guy in the next internet booth is playing some kind of internet game. All the waiters in this cafe seem to be Italian and they are constantly leaning over me to see his screen and cheering him on. I am not sure how coherenet this post will be.)
Saturday, October 10
Samos:
We were up early and after our usual breakfast in the bar -- brioche or pan tostado (toasted bread) and coffee (this time we also got yogurt). At breakfast we met a young couple from Mallorca -- a policeman and a ballerina. Then we were off to the monastery at Samos. This Benedictine monastery from the middle ages was once very powerful and influential -- there is also a small church dating from about the 8th century -- and a huge monastery complex which has a modern pilgrim refugio --dormitory style with bunk beds -- all for only a few euros each -- bring your own sleeping bag.To my delight, Padre Augustin, an eldery monk, was still there as the porter and he remembered John and me. I had acted as a translator for him when he took us and some other pilgrims (German and Danish) on an impromptu tour -- English was the common language. This time we were on tour with a lovely young local woman -- and just as we were about to start two other pilgrims walked in. -- a young American student from California, Tim, studying at the American University in Cairo and Sam, an Australian just out of architecture school. Our guide speaks only Spanish -- Tim is very good with languages -- so between us both we feel we can translate for John and Sam.
The monastery grounds are lovely and have the largest cloister -- covered rectangular walkway and gardens -- in Spain. Two novices are here now and about 15 monks -- in the middle ages there would have 80 or 90 monks and over 200 other persons to help with taking care of the monastery, the fields, and to oversee all the villages and other churches that were under the monastery´s care.
Out of Samos, John was ahead of me as usual -- espeically down or uphill. I am faster on the flat trails though. As I rounded a corner he was talking to a fellow pilgrim. In a few moments, the pilgrim´s wife caught up behind me. And here is one of the most serendipitous things abou the Camino -- the people you meet.
Alberto and Carmen are a couple in their 30s from Valencia. They are doing the Camino together as a kind of celebration and affirmation of their relationship - and they are getting married next year at a Redemptorist monastery in Burgos, Spain. They are absolutely delightful. Alberto and John walk at the same pace and talk about rock and mountain climbing experiences and owning small businesses. Alberto speaks marvelous English as does Carmen. And Carmen matches her pace to mine and we speak Spanish. She is a wonderful help as I try to improve my pronuncation and vocabulary, and it is very fun to hear about her life in Spain, and her work. Carmen used to live in Mallorca and worked in community involvement. She now is in charge of the administration of Alberto´s business -- pool maintenance for the municipality, schools, and private and public clubs.
Once in Sarria, a fairly large city, we have trouble finding a hotel room. There is a huge festival for San Froilan in a nearby city, and the overflow has taken over the hotels. Luckily, Alberto has a cell phone and he manages to find us rooms in a Pensione -- a small hotel with rooms with private bath and some without. We run into other pilgrims we have seen on the camino and stop to chat with Justino and Fernando. People on the camino don´t talk right away about what they do for ¨trabajo¨ - work. As we talk about the city, I find out they are from Mallorca and are police officers.
They explain that there are many different jurisdictions of police -- they are municipal- but they both have law degrees. The worst crimes in Mallorca revolve around tourists -- drinking, fights, pickpockets, etc. But there are an incredible number of tourists to deal with from so many countries. I tell them about the Justice Center and the Alaska Justice Forum publication -- and they ask if it is online. So soon we will have readers in Mallorca!
That night we eat a pilgrim´s dinner with Carmen and Alberto in a great nearby restaurant and it´s early to bed.
(As I post this in Arca -- one day out from Santiago -- the Italian guy in the next internet booth is playing some kind of internet game. All the waiters in this cafe seem to be Italian and they are constantly leaning over me to see his screen and cheering him on. I am not sure how coherenet this post will be.)
Friday, October 9, 2009
O Cebreiro to Triacastela to Samos 32 k
Friday, October 9
Very damp in O Cebreiro -- none of our laundry -- socks and microfiber t-shirts did not dry. We got up and used our headlamps to walk over for breakfast across the cobblestones from our little inn.
Lots of activity and headlamps about -- pan tostada with jam, and coffee -- then off to Triacastela at 8:40 am. We ran into Sole and Leos again -- Sole works at a kind of marine park in Barcelona- the poor dolphins have only a small pool and so do seals. The whole thing is terribly depressing, but she works with the tourists-visitors -- and it is a job. Not an easy thing to get int Barcelona these days -- all the Spaniards we hve talked to say how unreal the movie, Vicky, Christine, Barcelona was -- even though they love Woody Allen. Leos has worked in management in business, but is unemployed due to the economic crisis. They are walking the Camino for spiritual reasons and doing it as inexpensively as possible.
We made the ascent to Alto Roc -- the highest point -- where there is statue of a pilgrim holding onto his hat in the wind. It´s still misty out about 11 am -- and stop for a bocadillo -- a sandwich on great artisan bread with an omelete.
Now we are going through villages again. As we enter one village, a tiny old woman stops us with a dish full of crepes for 2 euro each. We each take one and she neatly folds it over and sprinkles surgar on it. Delicious! Then we stop further on at Casa Lucas for coffee and to get a sello on our passport.
We come to San Juan Hospital and stop at the church. There are tons of churches named after St. John the Baptist -- San Juan. His feast day on June 24 is quite a big deal.
En route to Triacastela we pass a man selling palos -- pilgrim staffs -- I nearly buy one but realize I have only one large euro bill. He was very sweet and gave me and John both apples and wishes us Buen Camino. The chestnut tree groves continue.
Around lunch we dropped down into Triacastela and stopped for lunch -- a tortilla española with potatoes and eggs. We picked the same cafe we had eaten at last year -- only this time there were fewer pilgrims than in May, the awning was not down because it was not hot.
Instead of spending the night in Triscastela, we decided to head onto Samos -- a longer day, but Samos was where we had spent 3 delightful days at a wonderful little hotel last year.
The walk to Samos seemed much longer than last year -- it was 11 - 15 k depending on which guidebook you read. we arrived late -- 6:30 p.m. and to our disappointment, our favorite hotel was `complete` -- full. Many hotels were full and we ended up at a rather shabby Hostal -- hot hostel. A hostal is like a hotel, but some rooms share a bath. The highlight of the evening was going to Cafe Resco where we had eaten every night last year. The owner remembered us, welcomed us back to her ´casa´´ and fixed us our ´usual´ -- omelet with mushrooms, grilled vegetables, mixed salad, flan for me, and wine.
There are special pilgrims` meals that cost 8 - 10 euros. There are 3 courses and many choices. The cost is so reasonable.
Next day we were off to Sarria -- a big city, but before then we had to visit again the monastery at Samos and see Padre Augustin.
Very damp in O Cebreiro -- none of our laundry -- socks and microfiber t-shirts did not dry. We got up and used our headlamps to walk over for breakfast across the cobblestones from our little inn.
Lots of activity and headlamps about -- pan tostada with jam, and coffee -- then off to Triacastela at 8:40 am. We ran into Sole and Leos again -- Sole works at a kind of marine park in Barcelona- the poor dolphins have only a small pool and so do seals. The whole thing is terribly depressing, but she works with the tourists-visitors -- and it is a job. Not an easy thing to get int Barcelona these days -- all the Spaniards we hve talked to say how unreal the movie, Vicky, Christine, Barcelona was -- even though they love Woody Allen. Leos has worked in management in business, but is unemployed due to the economic crisis. They are walking the Camino for spiritual reasons and doing it as inexpensively as possible.
We made the ascent to Alto Roc -- the highest point -- where there is statue of a pilgrim holding onto his hat in the wind. It´s still misty out about 11 am -- and stop for a bocadillo -- a sandwich on great artisan bread with an omelete.
Now we are going through villages again. As we enter one village, a tiny old woman stops us with a dish full of crepes for 2 euro each. We each take one and she neatly folds it over and sprinkles surgar on it. Delicious! Then we stop further on at Casa Lucas for coffee and to get a sello on our passport.
We come to San Juan Hospital and stop at the church. There are tons of churches named after St. John the Baptist -- San Juan. His feast day on June 24 is quite a big deal.
En route to Triacastela we pass a man selling palos -- pilgrim staffs -- I nearly buy one but realize I have only one large euro bill. He was very sweet and gave me and John both apples and wishes us Buen Camino. The chestnut tree groves continue.
Around lunch we dropped down into Triacastela and stopped for lunch -- a tortilla española with potatoes and eggs. We picked the same cafe we had eaten at last year -- only this time there were fewer pilgrims than in May, the awning was not down because it was not hot.
Instead of spending the night in Triscastela, we decided to head onto Samos -- a longer day, but Samos was where we had spent 3 delightful days at a wonderful little hotel last year.
The walk to Samos seemed much longer than last year -- it was 11 - 15 k depending on which guidebook you read. we arrived late -- 6:30 p.m. and to our disappointment, our favorite hotel was `complete` -- full. Many hotels were full and we ended up at a rather shabby Hostal -- hot hostel. A hostal is like a hotel, but some rooms share a bath. The highlight of the evening was going to Cafe Resco where we had eaten every night last year. The owner remembered us, welcomed us back to her ´casa´´ and fixed us our ´usual´ -- omelet with mushrooms, grilled vegetables, mixed salad, flan for me, and wine.
There are special pilgrims` meals that cost 8 - 10 euros. There are 3 courses and many choices. The cost is so reasonable.
Next day we were off to Sarria -- a big city, but before then we had to visit again the monastery at Samos and see Padre Augustin.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Villafranca to O Cebreiro - 31 k - most arduous stage
Thursday, October 8
This is said to be the most arduous stage of the trip -- ascending into the Galician Alps -- not as strenuous as the stage of the other Alps, but the guidebook keeps stressing how hard a day this will be.
It is not light until 8:30 am, but we did bring headlamps. It is also dark by 8:30 pm.
We started out at 8:15 am -- and it was raining slightly.
We were walking along the highway for a bit -- then more in the country. So far it was not too bad, but when we stopped for lunch at a bakery, I noticed blood on my socks. Terrible blisters on my heels.
Groves and groves of chestnut trees -- castañas in Spanish. We were in villages where people were herding cows down the narrow lanes -- we had to move aside to let them pass. The milk cows have horns and look like they could be dangerous if upset. One cow seemed to find me interesting and stopped to put her nose on my arm and sniff my pack-- then moved on.
After 25 k, we hit the ascent -- 1,280 meters -- you do the math -- it was fine for awhile -- it was a beautiful trail in a chestnut grove. However, I hit the wall about 2 k before the end -- or as John said, the correct modern term is-- I bonked -- my back and hips and feet ached, plus my legs felt rubbery. John gave me some food, some water and started to take my pack to carry it. I refused to let him do that -- so he opened it and just started taking stuff out and putting it into his pack. After a few minutees, I revived enough to go on. I really thought I was going to have lie donw and spend the night on the trail covered by pine boughs only there any pine boughs to be had!
Finally made it into O Cebreiro and stayed in a wonderful little in -- had a great dinner and met two delightful women from Barcelona, Sole and Leos.
This is said to be the most arduous stage of the trip -- ascending into the Galician Alps -- not as strenuous as the stage of the other Alps, but the guidebook keeps stressing how hard a day this will be.
It is not light until 8:30 am, but we did bring headlamps. It is also dark by 8:30 pm.
We started out at 8:15 am -- and it was raining slightly.
We were walking along the highway for a bit -- then more in the country. So far it was not too bad, but when we stopped for lunch at a bakery, I noticed blood on my socks. Terrible blisters on my heels.
Groves and groves of chestnut trees -- castañas in Spanish. We were in villages where people were herding cows down the narrow lanes -- we had to move aside to let them pass. The milk cows have horns and look like they could be dangerous if upset. One cow seemed to find me interesting and stopped to put her nose on my arm and sniff my pack-- then moved on.
After 25 k, we hit the ascent -- 1,280 meters -- you do the math -- it was fine for awhile -- it was a beautiful trail in a chestnut grove. However, I hit the wall about 2 k before the end -- or as John said, the correct modern term is-- I bonked -- my back and hips and feet ached, plus my legs felt rubbery. John gave me some food, some water and started to take my pack to carry it. I refused to let him do that -- so he opened it and just started taking stuff out and putting it into his pack. After a few minutees, I revived enough to go on. I really thought I was going to have lie donw and spend the night on the trail covered by pine boughs only there any pine boughs to be had!
Finally made it into O Cebreiro and stayed in a wonderful little in -- had a great dinner and met two delightful women from Barcelona, Sole and Leos.
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