Today was a planned short day and tomorrow will be short as well. I wanted to spend a night in Astorga and to do that I could either walk 30km in one day or break it up into two short days. I chose the later because I know that after a 30km day, I wouldn’t have enough energy to tour around Astorga.

Many of us Camino elders had this discussion last night and I am now seeing all of them in town tonight. Hopefully there will be enough going on in Astorga tomorrow, Sunday, to make this plan seem smart.

As I left early this morning, I was able to turn an unattractive, modern home into a charming silhouette against the breaking dawn sky.

It was a beautiful morning and leaving town it was pretty and quiet.

The “scenic” southern variant continued today for 14km. While it was pretty, it was fairly monotonous.

I passed this two tractor family home  Perhaps the mayor lives here?

The real show was going on behind me.

When I passed the 300km mark, I was surprised at my progress in just 11 days. I have now walked 200km (ok, actually 180 given the 20km day I took off when I was recovering in Sahagun) and only have 300km left to go to Santiago de Compostela! Just amazing.

Old shoes are abundant on the Camino and I have seen many creative uses for them, but this is the first shoe tree I have seen

This took someone (or several people) some work.

I saw Lynn from Schenectady ahead of me and was actually surprised she had gotten as far ahead of me as she had as she left just shortly before I.

Her knee is really a problem and getting worse every day. To see her getting started after sitting in a chair is painful to watch. She attributes her family’s stubborn streak for getting her going every day and not stopping. Enough people suggested she ship her bag ahead that she finally did that today. I have to believe it helped, but she isn’t sure. I decided I would walk with her to keep her company. She is still doing an impressive 4km/hour pace. I hope she isn’t doing any permanent damage.

I left Lynn just outside of Hospital de Orbigo as I tried to figure out where I was staying. She was heading into the next town.

As I was bringing up the directions for my hostel another pilgrim stopped me to ask if he was going the right way to his overnight accommodations. We figured out that he needed to go one way and I the other, so Raul and I said adios.

Coming into town there is a beautiful 19 arch bridge!! You can see the difference in materials. The first two arches on the right were from the original Roman bridge and the rest of the span was built in more recent times. The Roman bridges are really spectacular.   

Clearly there are not historic building codes in this town. Here is where I am staying tonight. It is a very modern 6 room Hostal.

There is not a pilgrim menu offered at the Hostal so I decided to go back to my Spanish eating schedule today. I found a really nice restaurant and ordered ala carte off the menu for a mid afternoon meal. I just wasn’t up for a potato and pork laden Menu Del dia or pilgrim menu. What I had was delicious; all regional specialties.

Croquettes. The filling was yummy although I am not exactly sure of what was in them.

Beans and clams. It sounds strange, but it was very good and filling.

Fried Milk. Frito Leche. I remember seeing this in my Camino Cookbook and thought I should given it a try. It is like flan that has been cut into a chunk and then fried. Interesting, but probably not something I will need to have again.

I took a leftover box back to the hostal for my evening snack.

Reflections

Today was easy walking and tomorrow will be too. The day after will be a 25km day and I am fine with that too. It is really surprising once I hit 20km how much more challenging 5km can be. And, each km after 25 is even more difficult. The difficulty isn’t so much with the walking as the recovery. Because you get in later you have less recovery time when you actually need more. It isn’t that I can’t do it, but on 25km plus days I would likely crawl into my Alburgue and fall asleep and miss exploring the town. At least that is what happened last year when I pushed myself further.

In the year I had time to reflect on a better Camino experience and one thing I wanted for sure was to get to know the towns I was staying in better. My 20km daily target has allowed me to do that and my body and feet are in pretty good shape. I am really enjoying this Camino experience.

It is always exciting to go into a big city on the Camino, but the downside is the entry and exit into and out of the city. Typically they are in unattractive outskirts and Leon was no exception.

As I was leaving the city, I saw few pilgrims and was on my own navigating my way. There was a young woman just ahead of me so I caught up with her and we walked together. She is Hoa from Tel Aviv, Israel. Talking with her made the two hours go quickly.

She is a student studying Chinese Medicine in Tel Aviv. She is on a short break between the 2nd and 3rd year of her program. Most college kids just want to go home and rest on the breaks; she chose to do the Camino. With limited time, she had just bussed from Burgos to Leon to continue and was missing the friends she had made on the first third of the Camino.

As we navigated the city, we crossed many busy streets. The cross walks here in Spain are usually set 10-20 feet from the corner so you are taking extra steps at each crossing. I suggested to Hoa that we should always cross at the cross walks. She said she doesn’t like following rules but always crossed with me where we were supposed to.

I didn’t tell Hoa, but I thought to myself, thank God young people question authority. Kent State, Tiananmen Square, Parkland High School students, Greta Thunberg – they all questioned authority.

We passed the Leon Paradore which is closed now for renovations. If you have seen the way, this is the hotel where Tom treats his Camino family to a night of luxury, each with their own private room, yet they all end up hanging out in his room as if they were in an Alburgue dorm room

I am pretty sure that Hoa and I solved all of the world problems in those 2 hours. We concluded that given the way everyone, with multicultural backgrounds, can come together on the Camino, the best thing that could happen would be for all world leaders to have to go on Pilgrimage. We chuckled at the thought of her leader and mine doing exactly what we were doing at that moment with a pack containing everything they needed strapped to their backs. Hoa and I parted when she stopped at an enterprising “rest area” set up in front of a manufacturing business.

In the final suburb before getting back into the country, I came upon an interesting Church and it was open so I went in. It was very contemporary.

We passed more Bodegas.

I would love to see inside of one of these. There is a bodega at a house on Brook Road in Warren. Maybe someday I will get to see inside of that one

Finally we were out of the city!  Note to self: next time take a bus out of the city to Virgen Del Camino. But, had I not done that today, I would not have met Hoa so the pounding was worth it.

I can’t resist taking photos of kitties. I have spared you of most, but I love this one of the kitty on the hunt.

And I guess I can’t resist taking photos of bodegas either. When I was walking with Hoa, she hadn’t seen one before and said it looked like a Hobbit House. That is exactly how the guides describe them!

This was the “southern variant” considered the scenic way. The northern variant goes right next to the highway. While I wouldn’t call this super scenic, the sky way beautiful and provided me with a gorgeous reference photo for painting this winter.

When I find I am getting a little bored, I look for heart rocks. There were plenty yesterday. Here are just a few.

Finally I arrived at my Alburgue for the night. Not bad right? Being a pilgrim doesn’t mean you always have to suffer. I signed up for dinner and breakfast because this town has very limited services. There are just three hostels and one is closed for a family emergency for three days.

After a shower I set out to explore the town. I  figured I would be back in about 15 minutes, but the Camino always gives you surprises when you least expect it.

First I went to the church. Two volunteers were sitting there, asked where I was from and handed me a brochure in English. The woman told me to sit down in a pew and read it; “it is very interesting.” The first part was about the church and town and was somewhat interesting. But at the end of the book there was information about storks. That was fascinating. I have been seeing HUGE storks nests throughout the Camino. While they are not exclusively on church bell towers I would say 90% are. Their size is amazing and they are built differently. Some are large and sprawling and others are vertical. I am going to put the two pages on the storks here in case you are interested. I know a few Mad Birders who might be! (Although it might be old news to them!)

After the church, I was wandering around the town and saw Rosevitha, a German woman who has pretty much been on the same schedule as I since I met her my second night on the Camino. She told me I must go to the Telephone Museum. Hmmmm, in THIS town??

I walked down the street and stepped into a Spanish National Treasure. A man who had been a telephone lineman his entire career has collected everything you can imagine related to telecommunications in the 19th and 20th century. He was very proud and wanted to show me everything. Here is just a taste of what I saw:

He even has a dummy lineman.

I signed his guest book and asked about leaving a donation and he pointed to a coin pay phone so I put some money in there.

The donation box is what the gentleman is leaning on.

The Pilgrim meal at the hostel was exceptional. A beautifully presented salad, gazpacho, vegetable Paella and a crepe plus, of course wine and bread was perfect. Once again the one-horse town surprises!

Reflections

Every day on the Camino is different and full of surprises; today there were many. But it always comes down to the amazing people I meet. Today they ranged from a thoughtful young Israeli womanhood wants to make the world a better place to an elder Spanish gentleman who wants us to remember the past. Both full of passion and life. I am so lucky to have met both – and in the same day!

Today was all around great. As my Alberta friend Kari said as we walked the last few kilometers into León together, for those of use who started in Burgos, today is roughly our first third point. That alone is something worth celebrating.

I tried to get a 7:30am start but realized I left something in the room just as I heard the door lock click. I knew the German couple next door to me hadn’t left yet, because I just saw the husband go down the hall and into the shared bath in his underwear, an upgrade from the towel he wore yesterday. So I waited for them to leave and ran back up to my room.

I was off and walking by 7:50 just as the sun was rising.

The sky looked like someone brushed watercolors onto it.

As the sun came up I saw a person ahead of me who seemed a little unsteady and possibly in some pain. As I walked past I slowed to talk with her and met Camino legend Allyson. She is only on her second Camino so I am not she she would qualify for official legend status but to everyone on the Camino at this time, she is a rock star.

Allyson did her first Camino in 2017. She heard about the Camino much the same way I did; she had a friend who posted pictures of her Camino on Facebook and Allison got intrigued and started her planning.

I am not sure of Allyson’s age. She is retired, but I am not going to take a guess beyond that. This woman is young at heart!

Every person we came across knew Allyson and when they saw each other it was hugs all around. And, by virtue of the fact that I was with Allyson, I too got hugged! In one day, I went from a solo pilgrim to being with the in crowd [chuckle here].

Here is what makes Allison super cool…she started this Camino in Le Puy en Valey. That Camino starts in Le Puy France and heads to the start of the Camino Francés at Saint Jean Pied de Port, 500 miles away!  By the time Alison walks into Santiago de Compostela, she will have walked 1000 miles.

When I heard that, I knew I needed to talk with Allison more. I have the Chemin Le Puy in the back of my mind for a future walk.

Allyson reminds me a little of Dorothy Tod for my Vermont friends who know who I am talking about.  She is the same petite size as Dorothy and has a lot of spunk and a great sense of humor.  She was a career letter carrier in the Seattle Washington area and so she walked for a living.  I remember reading something on preparing for the Camino and it said that everyone needs to train for the Camino unless they are a career mail person. Allyson didn’t train; she does serious hiking in the Cascades and is amazingly fit.

We passed an amazing 20-arch bridge, Puenta Ingente (the giant bridge), and I took quite a few pictures and told Allison I wanted to paint it in watercolors.  She asked why and I showed her how the light was hitting it and creating cast shadows.  She said she would love to paint, but has no artistic talent. First, I will bet you that she is very creative. And second, I am living proof you don’t need to have talent to paint :-).

Allyson stopped to chat with some folks (I am serious, she knows EVERYONE). Kari happened to be there at the time and so she and I took off for León. At first it seemed like it was going to be a Burgos-like entry into the city, but it wasn’t bad at all. We were on a gravel path until we were right in the city. And, they have made crossing the highway easy for pilgrims.

Apparently Leon, at some point, was a walled city and some of the ancient wall remains.

We got to a point where Kari needed to go one way and I another. We said goodbye thinking, because of our plans, we might not see each other for a long time. Chances are because of her rest day here in Leon, she will be a day behind me for at least the next week

Food Upgrade

I am staying in a hotel tonight and it is lovely. It is actually nicer than the Paradore I stayed in last year. Right next door is an Asian restaurant, Kamado, that I had lunch at. I was ready for something other than pork and potatoes!

The restaurant was amazing. Some of the best Asian fare I have had.

Duck Bao Bun

Best meal I have had on the Camino!

I toured the Leon Cathedral. Gorgeous!

I also walked around town quite a bit. Leon is my Favorite Camino city so far!

A Gaudi designed building turned into the Gaudi Museum.

Me and Gaudi

Reflections

Ok, I admit, I was feeling a little sorry for myself yesterday. But things changed today when I met Allyson and her 150 very close Camino friends. She was super interesting to talk with and I look forward to meeting her again on the Way. And, tomorrow I hope to meet up with Loretta and her daughter Claudia as we will both be in the same very small town. Great day!

Today I took a bus from Sahagun to where I should have stayed last night had I not gotten sick. I then walked from El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas. I am back on track!

It turns out the bus system is a major transporter of pilgrims along the Camino from what I could tell. Some people immediately offer an excuse when they showed up at the stop. One woman had a bad knee and was going to do half the distance each day necessitating her to take the other half by bus. She figures it is better for her knee and will enable her to complete her walk.

Another woman needed to get to León where she planned to meet her son in the city today.

It is great to know the bus option is there if you need it. There is also a train out of Sahagun, but it didn’t stop in the town I wanted to start walking from.

Before the bus arrived I had a chance to take some pictures with the morning light on the monastery. I am really eager to paint the scenes I am capturing later this winter.

The 15 minute bus ride that would have taken me 5 hours to walk is a big reminder of just how darned long walking takes compared to other modes of transportation.

I spoke with a couple of women at breakfast from Oregon who are biking the entire Camino. They aren’t going particularly fast, but are covering three times the distance as I in the same amount of time. I think that typical riders would cover more like 4-5 walking stages per day. Of course, on the tough hills they are pushing their heavily packed bike up very slowly and then taking everything they have to control their bike on the way down.

Coincidently the bus stop was right at the hostel I was supposed to stay at last night so I picked up right where I should have left off. The only difference is that my normal start time is closer to 7am than the 10am this morning which means I will be getting in later than normal.

We are still on the very flat part of the Camino so the walking is pretty easy; of course walking 11+ miles a day is never easy, but relatively, it is.

The temps and weather could not have been better. Honestly that has been the case for the entire 8 days. I know I am very lucky.

I like to stop and reflect at the memorials and markers along the way. Some are for specific pilgrims and others are just markers for the Camino.

The sky was beautiful and the cloud formations a great subject for future paintings.

I past another reforestation project. What I don’t understand is why they plant in perfect rows. I need to do more research. Here you can see that this was a multi year project with a lot of newer trees more recently planted.

Little encouraging signs along the way really help.

I stopped for “lunch” and this is what worked with my BRAT diet from the offerings at the bar. But it worked and I was on my way.

I walked a little while with Eva and Leah from Canada. They didn’t know each other before meeting a few weeks ago in Logrono. Leah’s best friend threw in the towel there and went home. Eva met her walking out of town and they have walked together since then. They are now best buddies.

One thing they are doing that I found interesting is they are both listening to the same audio book and are roughly at the same point. They books have heard so far have held Camino messages; at least that is what they have gleaned from them. So it is like a walking book club. I hope I bump into them again.

I had lunch at the Pension I am staying at. They have a beautiful courtyard for dining. I had scrambled eggs :-(. Fingers crossed I can get off of the BRAT regimen tomorrow when I get to León!

I took a walk around town and bought some bananas and an apple for my nighttime snack.

This is a sweet town. It feels like there is money here. As I was eating lunch George Clooney’s twin came in for an espresso. He was dressed very well and obviously lives here. I love the lifestyle of people in Spain. They stop for a mid afternoon coffee. Not a venti choco mocha latte frappe ordered at the drive through, but for a demitasse cup of espresso and a small treat and, most important, conversation. It is a lovely tradition.

Reflections

I am enjoying my solitary time. I haven’t yet found my Camino family. It might not happen. I am not staying in dorms and I know that doesn’t help. I have talked with several people and have enjoyed the conversation, but most of these people are lone walkers like me. I am sure that not feeling well hasn’t helped either. I just wanted to go into a corner and be by myself. But I am loving every step of the Way!

Today I holed up in Sahagun recovering from who knows what I have. I am thinking a kidney infection plus maybe something gastrointestinal, but I am not sure. I feel much much better. The chills and aches are gone as is the back pain. But the other, less pleasant symptoms linger on.

It could be my fault for eating something other than the BRAT (bananas, rice, apples and toast) today. These things are hard to come by. Plain rice is just unheard of here. It all comes in the form of Paella. Bananas too have been a challenge in this town. All I can find are those that are banana-bread ready and that just isn’t appealing if not baked into a loaf. Toast is available in the morning and I had some but not later in the day. I reason that bread should work also so I have that and apples.

But, I was pretty hungry at lunch and had some salmon. Maybe not a good idea. But the benefit is that I am now convinced that BRAT is what I will eat for the next few days. That and some electrolyte replacement drink that I can make thanks to the NUUN tablets Nancy T gave to me. I think she imagined they would help power me up a challenging hill, but not today.

Rest, Laundry and Playing Tourist

I timed my trip to the laundromat between when today’s pilgrims left and when the new ones hadn’t reached town yet. The instructions on using the machine was clear but I still managed to wash my wool tops on the blanket cycle which is cold water, but it took about 90 minutes. So, I sat across the street with an Aquarius and did some pilgrim watching. Pilgrims can travel all different ways. Some bring big rolly suitcases that they have shuttled from town to town.

In fact, this is what greeted me at the hostel a couple of days ago when I checked in.

No judgement. If someone can walk 500 miles with or without a pack, more power to them!

Then I saw this cute couple and chuckled because it could just as easily be Ray and I.

They tried to mix up the colors so it would look like they aren’t dressing alike but as with Ray and I, it didn’t work. I think this is the sign of a solid marriage. Just like when a couple develops a common disdain for many of the same vegetables or when both in the pair simply don’t like hamburgers. Do we pair up because of the similarities or do we adapt and mold ourselves to each other over the years like a well worn pair of very comfortable loafers? I think it is a little of both.

Then, a farmer rolled into town on his tractor.

He got out, very carefully locked it up and went into the bar. Of course you are thinking he was on his coffee break and would be enjoying a hot cafe con leche.

That may be the case, but it reminded me of the 5-6 farmers we saw in the bar yesterday morning. Unless they were drinking their coffee in shot glasses they were imbibing in adult beverages at the early hour of 9am. Of course, they may have already been working for several hours but sunrise is now 8:16am. I think they were revving up for the day!

After the laundry I headed out to explore town taking the Brierley “scenic” tour of Sahagun. (Brierley is the author of one of the foremost English language Camino guides.) One thing very interesting about this town according to Lord Brierley, as some call him, is that the churches were build with brick because stone is hard to come by in this part of Spain. The result is that these structures, albeit old by our standards, are crumbling down.

Above is the remains of one of the most important Benedictine monasteries in Spain, San Benito. The architecture of all of the churches is different from what has been elsewhere on the Camino. Unfortunately none were open when I went by so I didn’t get to see the insides.

I have passed several structures that I believe are Cobb construction. But today I saw the first in a city.

This might be TMI for most, but if you are into sustainable architecture you may be interested.

I have a plan for tomorrow to either bus to where I would have been tonight and walk from there or to bus all the way to where I have a reservation for tomorrow night. It depends on how I am feeling. Long sections with no bathrooms can be quite uncomfortable.

I took a test walk to the bus and it is a good thing because where the app Omio told me it was is on the complete other side of town from where it is now located. But, on the walk I saw the local bullfighting stadium.

I saw a running of the bulls once last year on the Camino and that was enough animal abuse for me. I know some argue that this tradition is deeply embedded into the Spanish culture, but it is not for me.

One thing I want to learn about are these trees. I remember seeing some like this last year as well. I suspect they do bloom and have leaves at some point in the growing season and then they get trimmed back. Any thoughts?

Reflections

The innkeepers where I am staying have been wonderful to me. More than anything they showed empathy and I needed just a little of that over the past two days. I went into town looking to get something small for them and found little so I stopped in a bakery and got them some cookies. I was embarrassed when the girl said the total was just €2.50, but it was the thought I reasoned.

I gave them to the woman who, with her husband, runs the place. She was confused at first but when she read the note I wrote on the bag she came around the desk and hugged me and kissed me on both cheeks. I was so touched.

Today was a first for me on the Camino. I didn’t walk the full distance today. The last 8km were by taxi. I didn’t want to do it, but I had no choice.

The morning started as all mornings do. I stretched and that eased the pain in my back. This made me feel better because the tenderness reminded me of the back pain I had with a kidney infection several years ago. Between that and some other symptoms, I was starting to wonder if this was more than just sore muscles. But I convinced myself because the stretching helped that it is was just muscular.

Everything was packed and ready to go a little after 7am. I took off in the dark and as it became lighter a fog moved in and became thicker.

Given the somewhat unremarkable scenery, the fog made the walk quite beautiful. It also gave me additional cover if I needed to duck behind a tree. I had some dysentery problems the night before that seemed to be lingering on.

Positive signs boosted my spirits and I knew it was another short 20k day so I was optimistic.

I stopped in the first town I came to for breakfast but thought better of having coffee and instead had a banana and an Aquarius. Several bathroom runs later I took off for the next town another 3km away.

The transformation in my health over those 3km was stunning. I was overcome with nausea, I developed chills and my entire body started aching. By the time I reached Terradillos de los Templarios I wasn’t sure I could go on. But I didn’t see a bar or anywhere I could go to sit so I decided to walk on to the next town.

Lucky for me, Kari came around the corner and saw I wasn’t doing well. She said she would walk with me the 3km to the next town and make sure I got into a taxi.

I have been a purist about my Camino. I have wanted to walk every single step. So, I knew I was feeling bad when I no longer had that conviction. As we walked I only felt worse and worse. Poor Kari had to listen to me moan and groan while always keeping an eye out for a good tree for me to duck behind if necessary.

We passed this memorial to a fallen pilgrim who died here in 2013.

I thought I saw the rooftops of houses in a town and was really relieved, but it turned out to be solar panels. It is the first time I have seen solar panels in Spain. We kept walking and to keep my mind off of how I felt I kept thinking of how I would asked someone to call me a cab. I could do it in French but all I could come up with was Necessito Taxi por favor in Spanish.

The town of Moratinos was a welcome sign indeed.

At the first bar in town, we stopped and my “necessito taxi” worked. Within 10 minutes of the bar keeper calling, my ride was there.

Kari was my Camino angel.

One of the German women I had been seeing over the past several days told me I needed to ask what it would cost before I got in the cab. This country bumpkin just doesn’t think that way and I appreciated her tipping me off.

The short 9k into Sahagun took less than 10 minutes. We went past hordes of pilgrims slowly making their way into the city. I didn’t care. I knew I was doing the right thing.

The place I was staying let me check into my room early when it was obvious I was not well. They gave me a map to the local clinic and carried my pack up the two flights of stairs. It is amazing how much these simple gestures of humanity can mean when you feel like I did.

I was too tired to do anything but sleep so I took a nap and when I woke up three hours later dragged myself to the clinic.

Thank goodness for Google Translate. I was asked for my passport and insurance card. When I showed her my insurance info on my phone (I purchased travel insurance just for this purpose) the intake person would have none of it. It had to be a physical card. I didn’t get that from my travel insurance. She sent me to a “special” waiting room which I believe probably was the free clinic.

I took the time waiting to write out, in Google Translate, my symptoms and timing of events. The woman who saw me was perhaps a doctor or nurse practitioner, I am not sure. She sat behind a desk and we communicated phone to phone. She didn’t think I had a kidney infection because I was lacking some symptoms. I have had one kidney infection in my life and what I was feeling now was consistent with that experience.

The Dr. thought that I had some type of gastrointestinal virus that is “going around.” She was going to give me something to help rebuilt my “flora” and send me on my way. But instead something else happened. For the first time ever, I was assertive with a doctor and asked her to test me for the kidney infection. She rolled her eyes, gave me a cup and told me to go pee in it.

Lo and behold, there was blood in my urine. And, with that, her demeanor changed. She prescribed an antibiotic and Ibuprofen and still the packets of stuff to help the “flora.” She said I may or may not be well enough to walk tomorrow, but probably the next day. I got the prescription filled on my way back to the Hostal and slept the rest of the afternoon. Upon waking I was already feeling better, no doubt thanks to the 600mg ibuprofen (that I had sworn off after last year’s Camino, but didn’t want to defy Dr’s orders).

So, now you know most of the gory details. I ended up reserving another night where I am staying and canceling the reservation I had for Tuesday night. Last year’s pilgrim Robin would have started walking from here on Wednesday. However, this year I have made several reservations for the coming nights and I want to keep with my original schedule so I can still walk to Finisterre. So later today when I decide that I can continue tomorrow I will determine whether to skip ahead to Leon missing two stages or get a taxi to the start of the stage before Leon and walk into the city on Thursday as planned.

Pilgrim Tip

When I was sitting at the bar in Calzadilla de la Cueza in Sunday I saw a sign with the number for a taxi. Had I snapped a picture of it, I would have been able to call sooner for a cab rather than waiting until I walked into the next town. From now on when I see a number for a taxi I will snap a photo of it. Likely, I will not need it, but you never know. And, if not for me, it could be for another pilgrim in distress.

Reflections

I never imagined getting sick on the Camino in this way. I guess I was somewhat prepared having a small supply of Imodium and antibiotics that I brought from home, but it was always an injury that concerned me the most.

It is amazing the impact small gestures of kindness can have. Kari insisting she walk with me was exactly what I needed at that moment. The concern of the hotel owner has been amazing. He is just so sweet.

I am filled with gratitude and looking forward to a full recovery by tomorrow.

I slept last night!! All through the night. It was glorious and I felt refreshed this morning. No more dorm-style overnights for this princess pilgrim!

Today felt fairly short, probably because there was a village every 5km or so. I started in the dark at 7 and navigated my way out of Fromista. It was flat and I was moving along at a good clip. The day could have been totally along a two lane, but fairly major road had I not bumped into a mother daughter duo at the first coffee break. Loretta and her daughter are from Toronto and are walking the Camino to celebrate Claudia’s 40th birthday. They had a great rapport with each other so when they headed off on the “scenic” route, I went with them. It was lovely along a river and there was shade. We went past the most interesting “forest.” I really need to know what this was.

Clearly it is man made.

I stopped with Loretta and Claudia at the next town for a cold drink and just as we were leaving Kari from Alberta was coming in so I said goodbye to mom and daughter and had a cafe con leche with Kari and then we walked together.

Kari and I seem to keep finding things we have in common and I enjoyed chatting with her for a while. She is on her third Camino and I on my second and we both have a pretty good idea of what works and doesn’t work for us. She needs frequent breaks to rest her feet and refuel. I prefer plowing on until I reach my destination so I left Kari in a lovely little park in the shade and walked the rest of the way into Carrion de Los Condes on my own. The scenic path met back up with the roadside path so the rest of the walk wasn’t much to talk about.

In the area where Kari stopped to take her break we saw our first bodegas! Bodega means cellar and it is where wine is stored. They are built into hills so they are partially underground and keep the wine at a perfect temperature. In this town there were three that I saw.

I need to learn more about them, but at least here it seems like the are community wine cellars? Obviously, they come in all different styles.

As I was leaving that town, a bunch of tourists were reboarding a bus and a few pointed to me. As happened to me last year at the wine fountain in Irache, I was part of the local flavor people had paid to experience. “Look, there’s a pilgrim now!”

It was a somewhat hot slightly uphill slog into Carrion de Los Condes without much to see.

Field of dead sunflowers can get depressing.

But soon I could see the town and perked up! My Spanish lunch was now imminent!

It was just a little after noon so when I passed a church with it’s doors open, I stopped in briefly. It was a sweet little church.

I lit a candle for my dad and sat down for a little while to think about what he would make of this journey I am on. I am pretty sure he would this is is awesome!

i passed a couple from South Korea who were doing the Camino with their daughter.  They are distinctive because they pull a small cart with their packs on it  I figured they were resting and walked by

Later when entering the town I saw Loretta and Claudia and they told me that the mother had injured her ankle and could not walk  they rearranged the wagon so she would sit on it and be pulled  I hope she can recover so they can continue their Camino  they are experienced hikers and are not sure of what caused this injury.

After the check-in and shower routine, I went to the restaurant at the Hostal I am staying at. There, at the first table were Denise and David who I bunked with my first and second days out of Burgos.

I invited myself to join them and we got to catch up. I hadn’t gotten any contact info from them or a picture so this was a chance to do that.

My lunch was killer! I had the Shrimp in garlic and olive oil. The waitress brought it to the table and asked me if I was ready? Of course! She took off the lid and the shrimp was bubbling away! I stopped up every last bit of it with bread. I followed that with a salad of all kinds of things. Denise had gotten the same thing and had already been served so I could see what it looked like. It was interesting and a perfect addition to the shrimp

They are staying at the same place as I and, as is Kari who I met up with after lunch and we went to a grocery store looking for some food to take with us tomorrow as there are no services for the whole 17km.

Tonight, in the church right across the street, there will be a guitar concert that I will go to. There seems to be a lot to see in the town. I will admit to sticking close to my home base. Maybe I will explore a little after the concert.

These last two church photos are from the church across the street where I will be attending the guitar concert.

Later that same evening…

The Guitar Concert was beautiful. It was put in the Camino Arts. This is one of those things that just happens by luck and timing. The acoustics in the church made the music of just one guitar rich and full. The performer was passionate and very talented. It made for a great way to enjoy the evening.

As I am sitting here in the plaza with a glass of wine at nearly 10pm, I hear children playing    right in the square  this is the third night in a row I have listened to kids playing games at what us would consider very late at night for little ones. They sound so happy. Their parents aren’t nagging at them, telling them what they can and cannot do.

Each of the three nights the scenario was just about the same. The adults were at the bar, talking with friends, drinking wine and eating tapas and the kids had a soccer ball they were playing with. I am starting to think that this is the Spanish culture. It is so different from what we know in the US.

Reflections

I am only 4 days into this Camino, but I am enjoying myself so much. It is very different from my experience last year. I am not sitting around with large groups of people deep in conversation about blisters, plans for tomorrow and world problems. And, I am not arriving, eating and going to bed by 6pm.

Part of it is that I didn’t start by crossing the Pyrenees. So, I am not behind before barely getting started. But, part of it is the 11 months I had the think about changes I wanted to make in my walking experience. I am happy with how it is working out so far!

So this was another easy day. The sun was shining, temps were ideal, not too many people on the Camino, but I wasn’t alone, no trips or falls, and I am still “fresh.” Of course, any change in just one variable for the day could have turned a perfect walk into pure misery. But that wasn’t the plan for today.

So, call it (re)beginners luck; I am sure that won’t be the case for every day over the next month.

First, About Dinner Last Night

The Alburgue I stayed at, Meeting Point, offers a Pilgrim Dinner for €9.50. It started with Salad, featured this amazing Chicken Paella (the BEST I have ever had) and finished with lemon yogurt. All meals are served with Wine and bread.

After preparing many Paella’s over the past year, I was especially wowed with the delicious soccrate, the caramelized well-done bits of rice that form on the bottom of the pan, that is the sign of a well-made Paella.

Ultreia

Today was an “iconic landmark day” as I knew I would be passing through the ruins of the Monastery of San Anton, but there was so much to see and experience before that.

One tip I often hear for pilgrims is to look behind you every now and then, and that was especially true today.

What a spectacular sunrise at our backs. I couldn’t stop turning around to watch it unfold.

Hontanos was the first village of the day and from the ridge above it, I thought a party was going on…at 9am. What sounded like Caribbean music was playing loudly. It turned out to be a one man show at the bar at the entrance of town.

Needless to say everyone left the bar dancing on down the Camino.

The next landmark was the ruins of San Anton, a convent built in the 14th century. They do have an Alburgue there, but it felt too early in the day to stop so I continued on to Castrojeriz.

San Anton is a pretty sweet place and I walked through the arches in awe thinking about the history and pilgrims who have been associated with this place. I could feel the energy of the Camino.

Castrojeriz is large as Spanish villages go. The town itself is about 2km long and I am grateful that my Alburgue is near the end of town since that means a quick exit in the morning.

I got to Roselia Hostel around 1. This is how I would like each Camino day to be. An early afternoon arrival allows plenty of time to shower, do laundry and explore town after getting something to eat.

I enjoyed a fabulous lunch in a restaurant across the street from my Alburgue. I had garlic soup (the first time I have had it in Spain). Delicious! Then, for the main course, I chose the fish which was a whole flat fish perfectly cooked.

I wrapped up the meal with flan. All this was for €11 including a bottle of wine.

While I didn’t intend to eat this big of a lunch, I don’t regret it even though I had already committed to dinner at the Alburgue.

It was just as well that I was still full by the time 7pm rolled around because I wasn’t super excited with the Paella made with spaghetti, which apparently is a specialty of Barcelona. It was ok, but didn’t match up to the classic Paella from the night before.

the best part about any communal dinner on the Camino is the opportunity to meet and talk with other pilgrims.

Leaving the lunch restaurant, I bumped into Kari from the bus ride from Madrid to Burgos. We exchanged contact info which is always a good idea since you never know if you will be seeing someone again when you are on the Camino.

Reflections: HOW You Do the Camino

Everyone has their own reason for why they do the Camino and this is the subject of countless books and blogs. What struck me over the past several days is people telling me HOW they are doing the Camino.

By the time I had gotten on the bus to Burgos on Tuesday I had met 4 pilgrims, each with their own ideas of how they like to do the Camino. The two brothers I met in Boston like walking slowly, but for long days. They can’t understand why people would stop walking halfway through the day. Victor, from Mexico, who was heading off to the Camino Norte (as the brothers also were) said he likes to take it nice and easy, going slowly so he can enjoy the experience. Kari from Alberta decided this Camino that she needed to walk shorter days and used a service that arranged for all of her accommodations forcing her to stop around her self-imposed 20km/day limit.

Changing HOW you do the Camino is a benefit of a second (third, fourth or fifth) walk. You have a chance to reflect on what worked and didn’t work on previous walks and make corrections for a more enjoyable and fulfilling time.

While I am only 2 days in, I am happy with the changes I have made this year. 20km days feel good. I like knowing where I am going to be staying and with all the “Completo” (aka, this Alburgue is full) signs I have seen, I have been booking a couple of days in advance. I am good with that. Maybe that makes me a tourigrino?? But, it is my Camino.