The food of the Camino

"Don't need no five star reservation. I got spaghetti and a cheap bottle of wine...."  Darrius Rucker - Alright.

We've mentioned food a few times on this blog and posted a few pictures.  We hope a little more detail will be valuable to some readers.

Pilgrims find all sorts of ways of managing food along the path.  Some choose to eat at the little cafes for nearly every meal.  Four euros for breakfast, six for lunch, and ten for dinner.  For two people this would be over $50 per day at current exchange rates.  This might be fine for a short trip, but for a 7 week adventure, it just doesn't work for us.

We ate out when we needed to, and after a particularly difficult day, we found it quite comforting to let someone else take care of us.  Most days we found a "supermercado", investigated what was on the shelves, and invented a recipe with the available choices.  Many of the albergues have kitchens the pilgrims can use.  Sometimes a meal with no cooking was required.  For breakfast and lunch we made bread, cheese, various fruits, tuna, olives, chocolate, nuts and such some of our staples.  We also often bought eggs to boil in the evening.  In cool weather these will last for at least 36 hours, and make a great high protien snack.

One of our favorite types of refuge is the Parochiol Albergue.  In many of these, all pilgrims eat together at a large table for the evening meal.  Some of the hosts appreciate help in the preparation, others handle it themselves.

Like many other aspects of the Camino, we learned to simplify our expections, and be thankful for any neccesity we found.  It has given us new appreciation for the Lord's prayer phrase "give us this day our daily bread".  We know much of the world's population is much more in tune with this concern than we normally are.

Here are a few pictures of our meals from our journey.

Charizo and Potato soup provided by our hosts in Logrono.

Lunch in a streetside park in Navarrete.

They call it "tortilla" in Spain.  It is a wonderful egg and potato dish that was our favorite when we did buy breakfast.

Best thing about this dinner was the new friends we shared it with.

Our own egg and potato concoction for supper

A surprisingly good dinner of ham sandwiches and microwave veggies.

One of the few dinners we purchased at an albergue, good but unremarkable.

Early Thanksgiving Dinner in Moratinos.

Enough to share with two fellow pilgrims.

No wine, but I did have the woman I love to share it with.

To the Sea

Three days of walking since the Nov. 6th post.  We are finally done walking.  We stood in the ocean waters last evening after a beautiful, long walk on Sunday.  It has now rained every day in the month of November!  But on Sunday the heavy rains hit us in the morning, allowing our clothes to dry as we walked in the afternoon sun.  What a wonderful finish.  We identified with the men from the Lewis and Clark expedition of whom Clark said,

"appear much Satisfied with their trip beholding with estonishment the high waves dashing against the rocks and this emmense ocean." (Nov 18, 1805)

If our math is correct, we have traveled about 550 miles in 44 days.  We rest in Finisterre today, with plans to get on a bus Tuesday morning to begin our travels home.  It will be the first vehicle we've been in since September 26.

We will have two or three posts after we return to Denver.  We hope to share some thoughts about food and crowds along the Way, the religious/spiritual nature of the Camino, and finally some of our personal reflections concerning the trip.

A few more pictures.

It is difficult capture the rain in pictures, but hopefully you can see from the trail...

Our first view of the Atlantic.

We've dubbed this our private beach.

"High waves dashing against the rocks"

Late afternoon at "the end of the earth".

On the beach.

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Wednesday was a great day to be in Santiago!

With a walk of only a few miles, we were at the Pilgrim Office when they opened at 10am.  Our Compostela Certificates are dated November 5, exactly 40 days after we left St. Jean.  Forty days is a long time.  We've been taught that, when seen in scripture, it represents a long time.  Now we know from experience, it is a long time.

We were blessed to be at the cathedral on this day.  There was a pilgrim who walked the Camino with her father during the last few weeks.  His birthday is November 5, this year being his 75th. They planned their trip so that they would arrive on that day.  As a birthday present she arranged for the botafumeiro to swing on this day (this can be done for a certain "donation").  All of the attendees were able to share in this birthday present, including us!

The swinging of this large incense burner is an ancient tradition, but normally only done on special days in modern times.  Legend says it was used in the old days to help mask the smell of the hundreds of pilgrims who had walked for weeks without proper cleanliness.

We had several other errands to get done in Santiago, so had a busy day, finishing it with a great meal at Casa Manolo.  This is a great little restaurant about 4 blocks behind the cathedral, right on the Camino as it comes down the hill.  We highly recommend it.

As we have planned all along, we are continuing to the coast.  The rain is also continuing, but it lightened to more of a mist for today. We are in Negreira tonight, planning to share a supper of homemade vegetable soup with a couple of other walkers.

Ruth receives her Compostela.

Slight disappointment, the cathedral is undergoing renovation.

The botafumeiro is a large thurible or censer that swings from a rope of about 100 feet in height.

The skies cleared in the evening, giving us a wondeful view of the full moon behind the cathedral.

It looked like RUTH had her own path arrow.  Actually "RUTA" - Route.

A warmer climate than you might imagine.

Two happy but soggy pilgrims.

The Rain has Returned

It was October 16th when the last hard rain hit us.  It was a great two weeks of wonderful weather.  After yesterday and today, it seems a distant memory.  Steady rain yesterday, and very heavy rain today.  We are on schedule to arrive in Santiago on Wednesday morning.  Last night we stayed in Arzua and we are now in Pedrouzo.

We continue the walk with thoughts on our family in the States.  Our troubles are minor.  Their sorrow is great.  We send our love to Houston and Iowa.

We do have three pictures to share.

Creative and appropriate pumpkin.

Not a costume.  A pilgrim trying to stay dry.

A rainy back patio.

Unique sightings along the Camino

On Thursday we walked about 19 miles, we don't intend to do that again soon!  We stayed in Gonzar, a very small town with more dairy cattle than people.  Friday we made it to Palas de Rei (Palace of King).  Today we did a fairly short day to the decent size town of Melide.  The refuge for tonight is very new and quite nice.

We've recently seen a few items we know to be unique to northern Spain.  First is the half-moon ox cart wheels.  These were common in ancient cultures around the world.  The uniqueness is that for some reason the spoked wheel never caught on here until very recently.

Second is the very common "horreo".  It is used to store corn, having a flat, elevated base to prevent access by rodents.  Almost every farm house has one in the backyard, near the house.

Third is the Cross of St. James.  It's has the shape of a cross, but also the characteristics of a sword.  This design is related to the Spanish tradition that St. James was instrumental in helping to drive the Africans out of the Iberian penninsula nearly 1000 years ago.  Legend says that he reincarnated in some fashion at a particularly important battle, leading on a white horse, weilding a huge sword.

One other notable incident.  We met an elderly farmer taking his several cows to pasture.  He stopped Ruth and asked (in Spanish) if she was going all the way to Santiago.  She said "Si".  He then gave her the small gift of three fresh walnuts and ask her to pray for him and his wife when she got there (we think that is what he asked). She did her best to assure him that she would do this. His name is Dunicio and his wife is Castora, if any of you would like to offer a prayer for them.

Here are a few pictures.

No spokes and square axel

Horreo, pronounced Oh-Ray-Oh

Is it a cross or a sword?

Dunicio.

All former pilgrims will recognize the Portomarin stairs!

Mirror selfie.

The Simple Things

After just over a month on the trail we have a list of some simple things that make life easier.  We hope they provide some entertainment for the readers.
--  A soap dish in the shower
--  Soft dirt on the trail
--  A chair in the boot changing area
--  Clean dish towels
--  Screens on the windows
--  TP in the bathroom
--  Soap in the laundry area
--  Head room in the bottom bunk
--  Head room in the top bunk
--  Newspaper to stuff in wet boots
--  A sharp knife in the kitchen
--  A skillet with a flat bottom
--  Light bulbs in all the sockets
--  Beds, showers and toilets on the same floor
--  A little shade on a hot afternoon
--  A little shelter on a cold rainy morning
--  A clearly marked fork in the trail
--  Hot water
We don't intend to sound as if we are complaining.  We have learned to laugh at most of these items, and appreciate them greatly when they are provided.

We proceed on.  We stayed in a great albergue in La Faba on Monday.  It is run by a German pilgrim association.  The host turned on the dorm light promptly at 6:30 am.  The Germans don't mess around.  We walked a difficult 25 kilometers on Tuesday, climbing a steep trail for the first 90 minutes and then descending steep paths almost all afternoon, arriving in Triacastela very fatigued.  Today we did a bit shorter distance, but still over a good size hill.  We've found a gem of an albergue called Albergue Mayor in the town of Sarria.

Sarria is noteworthy because many Camino pilgrims begin their walk here.  If a person wants to walk the minimum distance to Santiago, and still receive a certificate of completion (a Compostela), then Sarria is where they begin.

We appreciate all the comments on the blog, hopefully we've conquered our tech issues and the comments with appear more quickly.

The last three days have been througn wonderful terrain. Here are a few pics.

Suggar and Flower.

Looking back at the trail on Tuesday morning.

Farm and Forest.

Much better weather than the last time we were here!

We wondered how many folks have crossed here.

Unbelievable.

The dairy cows in the high country are an ancient and hardy breed.

Ruth always has to stop and smell the roses - literally.

Through the last of the vineyards

Wow, we hope the pictures can show the beauty of our morning walk.  Villafranca de Bierzo is our favorite town along the Camino.  The town is a beautiful, very old town, with narrow stone streets on the hills above a small river.  To the east are the last vineyards we will encounter.   To the west are mountains much like those of western Montana. 

We walked to Cacabellos on Saturday, passing the Templar Castle in Ponferrada.  We normally walk mostly alone, but our dear new friend from Denmark slowed her pace to spend most of these last two days with us.  It was very special.  We stopped short today to spend a little extra time in Villafranca.  Tomorrow we start up the last big climb of our trip.

We continue to have excellent fall weather, we would call it Indian Summer in the states.  It seemed that rabbit hunting season began today.  The hillsides were full of the sounds of hound dogs and shotguns.

The Templar Castle - not Disneyland, the real thing.

A shepherd leaves the 99 to bring the one injured lamb back in a wheel barrow.

Vineyards above the mist on Sunday morning.

Ruth's dream house near Villafranca.

A room with a view for this evening.

Thin Places

We trust what the Apostle Paul said to the crowd in Athens concerning the God he spoke about, "He is not far from from any of us, for in Him we live and exist."  In light of this, we do not think there are places where God is really closer to us.

Could there be places where people find it easier to sense his presence?  Our experience at the Cruz de Ferro tells us this is one such "thin place".

The Cruz de Ferro (Cross of Iron) is near the highest spot on the Camino.  It is actually a small cross on the top of a tall wooden pole.  Tradition says pilgrims should bring a small stone from home, carry it along the Way, and leave it at the foot of this cross.  Each person finds their own meaning in this symbol.  For us this cross represents the cross of Jesus.

There are two main reasons the cross of Jesus is so important to us.  First, it is the place where God chose to say, through Jesus, I am with you in your suffering.  Second, it is the place where Jesus would say, to God and for God, "Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing".

As a representation of these two themes, the Cruz de Ferro is definitely a "thin place", where the earthly and the divine seem closer than normal.  The thousands of stones left there tell us other pilgrims feel similarly.

Once again we've had two more days of excellent progress, walking from Astorga to Rabanal on Thursday, and on to Molinaseca today.  The trail today was steep and rocky.  Very rocky.  Our bodies continue to be a little sore in spots, but not too painful.

Our fine refuge in Rabanal.

Ruth places one of the stones she has carried.

A fellow pilgrim contemplates the Cruz de Ferro.

Not the Rocky Mountains, but still beautiful.

As we descend into Molinaseca.