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.

A Day of Celebration

We have now completed the Camino Frances, even though we still have more than 150 miles to make Santiago.  Most of the readers know this is our second time to Spain.  In 2012 we walked from Astorga to Santiago, which is the last third of the Camino Frances.  Today we ended our day in Astorga, completing the first two thirds.  We will continue on, hoping to make it from France to the Atlantic on this walk.

The weather continues to be wonderful.  The morning was the coolest so far at 42F, with a high in the 60s it was perfect for walking.

We made a delicious pasta dish for supper, with chicken breast, fresh onion, green pepper, and tomatoes sauteed in butter with just a bit of paella spice.  Topped off with a perfect 0.89 cent Euro bottle of wine (really good!!!).

A very long, very old bridge. 19 arches like the 3 seen here.  Originally from the 14th century.

Spud harvest - Spanish style.

Crema de Cacahuete

Astorga in the distance

Where it all started two years ago.

Half-day as Tourists

We did a good walk each of the last two days, making Leon by mid-afternoon on Monday and reaching San Martin on Tuesday.  Leon is the last big city we will pass through, and it felt like time for just a little pampering.

We checked into a hotel, took showers, and a long nap(s).  A nice sidewalk table with a view of the cathedral for dinner, and we really felt spoiled.  It was so nice to have a private room and sleep to just a little big city background noise.

As we walked up toward the city center Ruth noticed a sandwich shop and said "that's the window we sat in for lunch in 2012".  It was the first of many recognizable sights to come.

The walk out of the big cities always seems long and ugly - lots of industrial properties and concrete.  We passed through a couple of small towns before reaching San Martin, a town that has more noise than it should due to a busy two lane highway passing through it's center.

The best news of this post is that we found peanut butter in Leon!  It is the simple pleasures that bring the most joy.  (picture in the next post).

 French Toast tapas during a morning break - so good!

Finishing an excellent dinner

Chocolatey goodness

City lights from our bacony on Monday evening

We liked the name of this town.

"It's not a hike it's a pilgrimage"

One of our hosts recently reminded us that it is a pilgrimage, not a hike.  Well, we think it is both.  But the last two days have reminded us of his comment.  Nobody would choose to 'hike' the plains of northern Spain.  Long, uneventful days, with mile after identical mile.

Last night in Bercadillos we had a chance to listen to others pilgrims share what the Camino has meant to them (so far, after covering about half of it).  One young woman said it was helping her battle some of her demons.  Another said that it reminded him of real life, where you sometimes take a wrong turn, but can usually find your way back to the correct path.  Several said stuff in French or Spanish - which we only understood bits and pieces.  Ruth was the last to speak, and said it reminded her that even though we speak different languages and come from different places around the world, we all are on the same Camino - both in this walk, and in life.

Tonight we are in a town called Mansilla de las Mulas (saddle of the mules) a small suburb of Leon.  We made a good supper.  Watched a profound video of some of our Housemates from Denver.  Found a plaza to have a private Eucharist.  Met a new couple from Scotland.

Today was our longest walk of the trip and we should be in Leon tomorrow.  We hardly took any pictures, here are a few.

Not our favorite section of the Camino.

Welcome desk at albergue, note foot care firstaid supplies.

Ancient city walls of Mansilla.

Cuerpo y Sangre de Cristo, pilgrim style.

A Peaceable Evening

We had not had a short day since the day we stopped in Zalbadika (Sept 30).   So Friday we did only 13 km and stayed in Moratinos.  We were hosted by Paddy and Reb, their 6 dogs, 1 cat, several chickens, and one tweety bird.  They are a retired couple who worked in the USA newspaper business before moving to Spain several years ago.  They call their home "The Peaceable Kingdom", and although it is not an albergue or B&B, they will provide a bed for pilgrims who seek them out.  It was a very special evening.  Paddy is a gracious host of all sorts of strays.

Rebekah took us out to the Hobbit Hole where the wine is stored.  These structures can be seen in several towns in this area, and it seems that buying a house in Moratinos included the 'bodega'.  The interior of these were originally constructed with all needed equipment for making wine: a press, an initial storage area, three large barrels (looked like 100 gallons each), and bottle racks.  The temperature is perfect for storage, being underground.  Before refrigeration, other food items such as cheese, potatoes and apples could also be stored here.

One of the local bodegas has been turned into a private "man cave", with a big screen TV for watching soccer, etc.  Others have collapsed due to neglect.  One was extended deep into the hill and turned into a restaurant.  Reb and Paddy maintain theirs and keep just enough bottles of locally purchased wine to be able to make a good selection for dinner.

They told us Moratinos is changing.  There had been sheep here for at least 1000 years.  The last 60 sheep were sold a year ago.  Now the locals cannot gather mushrooms the way they did before,  as the mushroom's growth required sheep dung.  The camino is bringing more money, taking the place of some of the agriculture.  It still reminded us of a small eastern Montana farm town - with Hobbit Holes built nearby.

Saturday was another average day of about 20 km, reaching Bercianos del Camino.  We are glad to have sunshine again, with temperatures nearly perfect for walking, in the 60s most of the day, with a high in the low 70s.  Laundry is hanging in the courtyard.  We will share in the preparation, eating, and cleanup of a community meal after a short siesta.  We continue on to Mansilla de las Mulas in the morning.

Everyone in town knows where Paddy and Reb live.

"Go back. No good at all. Go sideways. Impossible. Go forward. Only thing to do. On we go."

J.R.R. Tolkien in The Hobbit.

Please don't use the bodega entrance as a toilet.

Leaving Moratinos.

Oddly pruned trees in Sahagun. We don't understand this!

A Most Diffucult Day

How do you turn 14 miles of plains into the most difficult walk of our Camino?  Throw in A 30 mile per hour headwind.  Add 45 minutes of hard rain.  Be sure there is no shelter for a break during the last 4 hours.  Two encouraging items.  First, we reached the half-way point today.  Second, the challenges of the day actually give us much more confidence that we will reach our goal. (There aren't likely to be very many as painful as today).

We have changed our strategy a bit.  If you have been following the blog, you might have noticed we have not taken any days off from walking.  We had originally intended to take one rest day each week or so.  We now feel that walking slightly shorter distances each day, but not taking any days off will work better for us.

Only one picture for today.  The wind.

The three phases of the Camino

We heard a simple description of the Camino, when it is divided into three parts, each a little more than 150 miles.  The first third is "physical".  The second third is "mental".  The last third is "spiritual.  Of course, this is just one method of considering the walk.  But at this time it does seem to make sense.  The first couple weeks involve many days with big climbs and steep descents.  Both are difficult when required day after day.  We have just entered the middle phase.  The path is almost completely flat for 10 days.  No special scenery of any kind.  This is when many pilgrims take a bus or train.  Our bodies should be strong enough to handle it quite easily.  Our minds will be tested.  The last third is what we did in 2012.  There is the Leon Cathedral, evening vespers at the monastery in Rabinal, the Cruz de Ferro, the mass in Santiago, and hopefully the sunset over the Atlantic at Finisterre.  These spots can be very meaningful. 

Of course this classification is not exclusive.  The last third is also very physical, with the climb to O'Cebrero and the descent from Cruz de Ferro in our memory.  The first third has been very spiritual for us this year. The several pilgrims blessings, the intimate service in Zabaldika, the wisdom of our host Roberto in Logrono, and the chants in Tosantos all come to mind.  And all three parts take a significant mental determination.

It will be interesting to see how we reflect on this description in the next few weeks.

We are in the middle of a long rainy spell, whose worst day is to be Thursday, with rapid improvement over the weekend.  Last night we were in one of the nicest albergues we've been in, called En El Camino in the town of Boadilla del Camino.  It had a beautiful courtyard with a swimming pool (55 degrees and rain, the pool was closed).  These folks like multi-word town names: tonight we are in Villalcazar de Sirga, and we hope to make it to Caldadilla de la Cueza tomorrow.

Today was our first truly flat day. The meseta has begun.

A true pilgrim, yesterday's washed laundry drying on the backpack(Ruth).

A canal with previously functional locks for small boats.

Local wisdom reminding us of home.

Many of these villages honor pilgrims with artwork. 

Typical Day on the Camino

Today was our most challenging day so far.  A very muddy path for about 4 miles of today's 13 miles.  It rained much of yesterday, soaking the dirt road.  We arrived at the municiple albergue San Estaban in Castroheriz before today's heavy rains, but the forecast is for rain the next three days.

We've been asked "what is a typical day like?".  Since it seems that we have had several typical days lately, we thought it would be a good chance to go through our normal activities.  Sunrise in Spain is quite late during October, about 8:30 this week, and as late as 9:00 am by the end of the month.  We chose not to bring headlamps, so we wait until natural light provides what we need to both see the Way markers, and minimize the risk of taking a fall.  Right now 'walking light' is a few minutes before 8:00.  We try to walk for between 90 minutes and two hours between stops, taking 3 or 4 breaks each day.  The stops are rarely more than 30 minutes, usually much less.  We have a list of songs from which pick a "song of the day", and say a prayer together. We try to do these things on our first break, although the morning rains have changed our routine the last couple of days.

We've learned, when we stop at a cafe, to order hot milk and carry instant coffee to add to it.  Most mornings there is a little town with one or two small cafes along the path. We find ourselves hungry for nutrition, and the shops give a larger glass when we order hot milk than when we order coffee.  On the cool days, a hot drink is such a blessing (today the temperature remained betwen 48F and 54F all day, and quite wet). Most days we carry several snacks to get us through the walk, choosing to not eat a large meal until we arrive at our destination for the day.

Finding a bed is the first task upon arrival.  Most towns have good signs to the albergues. Our stay begins with showers.  Then clothes washing, finding a grocery or restaurant, visiting with our 'new' housmates, writing in our journals, and of course this blog.  Sometimes a short nap.  About twice a week we go to a local church for a "pilgrim blessing".  It is a very old tradition here to gather the pilgrims at the front of the auditorium and pronounce a blessing over them.  It is normally in Spanish, so we only partly 'get it', but it is very meaningful for us, and it obviously is important to the congregants.

Lights out by 10pm, usually earlier.  In a room of 10 or more, the snoring begins shortly.  We are stirring by 6:45am, and begin the routine again.  We have just recently started buying a liter of milk in the afternoon, and carrying a bit of cereal - maybe three days worth.  The milk is enough for one hot glass-full in the evening, and milk with coffee in the morning, and a bowl of cereal, so we don't carry it.

Several towns along the Way have interesting historical sites, such as the cathedral in Burgos or the Templar Castle in Ponferada.  If we can handle more walking we will make a short visit.

Here are a few pictures of our "everyday life".

Our bunk in the midst of morning packing.

Just light enough to walk.

The mud got much worse than this, but when that happened we could not stop for pictures!

Trying to smile on a cold, wet day.

A building mural seen on a late afternoon stroll in Logrono.

Raindrops keep falling

We left Ages early Saturday morning with Burgos as our destination. It rained on and off all morning. There was a rather steep, rocky ascent which was very slippery due to the rain. One crazy guy was running full tilt on the downhill side yelling at the top of his lungs. I was having enough of a challenge keeping my feet under me going slowly. There were three options for entering Burgos, and we chose the middle path. We were a little on edge coming into such a big city, through some rather sketchy neighborhoods, and seeing few other pilgrims. We walked for a while with a young man from Sydney. Burgos was buzzing as it was a national holiday weekend. The partying went on into the wee hours of the morning. We had rain again today with a stiff, cold wind blowing. We were grateful for finding a good stopping place for the night (in a brand new albergue in Hornillos del Camino called Meeting Point).
Ruth.

Yes, there are rocky parts of the Camino.

The Burgos Cathedral is not to be missed.

Colors of the Camino.

Sad sunflowers.

Today me live in the moment. Unless it is unpleasant.

In which case, me eat cookie.  Cookie Monster.