It has begun. Mom gave me a 4:15am ride to the South Skagit Park and Ride to catch early public transpo to the airport. The early departure only allowed 2.5 hours sleep as the night before was closing night for the Halloween circus show in Bellingham. Travel was...fine. I didn't sleep as much on the planes as I hoped but watched some good movies. SEA-JFK-Madrid-Pamplona. The Pamplona was on a little jet (2 2). From Pamplona, I took a taxi to SJPdP on curvy mountain roads. If the route was any longer, I might have hurled.
SJPdP is a great little medieval town with a fort, narrow streets, and everything. I didn't want to walk too much so as to burn myself out for tomorrow, but I got around enough. The town is definitely tourist in its own right (not just for Pilgrims), but it's off season as well (lots of places closed down.) I couldn't find a reasonably priced eatery, so I had baguette/cheese/meat from the grocery store. It was satisfying after not eating anything all day.
Tomorrow it really begins. The Pilgrim office says the route I wanted to take is off limits (because of weather? the language barrier is more of a problem than I expected.) I'm going to ask around a bit more to get confirmation. But I'm super stoked to be getting started. We'll see what tomrrow brings.
Costs: $450 flight (one way SEA-Pamplona), $8.25 transport (3 buses to Sea-Tac), $14 dinner (Wok and Roll at JFK), €96 taxi (1.5 hour ride), €6 dinner (bread, cheese, meat, jojos (with lots left over for lunch), €12 albergue,
Mileage: 15 (with 3000 feet elevation gain)
Start/End Time: 7:30-2:30
What an initiation! The big story, I guess, was the rain. It rained all day; sometimes hard, sometimes less hard, but all day. It even started snowing just when I arrived in Roncesvalles! My newly acquired gear served me pretty well, though I've got a bit of a learning curve on some things (my underjacket was sticking out of the rain jacket, so much of the stuff in the pockets got wet and some stuff in the backpack got a bit damp, so I'll have to figure that out.) But for a while there, I was actually enjoying walking in the rain. I also really enjoyed the solitude! After being around so many folks first at the circus, then on planes, then in the albergue in SJPdP, I basked in the fact that I only saw 3 other peregrinos while walking. The super rural roads were beautiful--so lush, so many interesting old stone buildings, and Fall present everywhere!. There were a couple stretches along the highway, but luckily the traffic was quite light.
Stops of note include early lunch under a bridge along a river (leftover baguette, meat, and cheese) and hunkering down in a cave/overhang to change my socks (I'm very proud of myself for doing that. I'm sure it helped with the blisters that are starting to form.) I walked most of the day without earphones/podcasts and it was really nice. I was worried about overdoing the podcasts, but I'm confident now that I'll find a nice balance.
Last night and this morning at the hostel, I was reminded of what it is like to sleep in a room full of other people: snorers (probably me included), people packing/rummaging at all hours, lights on and off, etc. I know each night will be different, but I'm excited about the ones where the rooms are smaller. That said, only half(?) the beds were full, so it is off season, indeed. There was a bit of a run around upon arriving in Roncesvalles, as the albergue is closed, but I figured it out. I'm still catching up on my sleep from the flights (and was up at 5 this morning), so it'll be a super early bed time again, which I'm embracing enthusiastically. I'm here to walk, so filling the evenings would just be a chore (at least for now). Tomorrow I'm hoping for less rain and that the downhill won't cause blisters.
Costs: €6 Linner (lackluster soup and fries, but there was a fire to warm up/dry out by so I'm not complaining), €20 for hybrid albergue/hostel situation.
Mileage: 14 (definitely some up and down)
Start/End Time: 8:15-1:15
The bulk of the day was misty/light rain such that I could go without a jacket, but got wet eventually. The morning was foggy making for some epic vistas. The sun poked it out for maybe 2 minutes just after noon, the first I've seen of it. I was wishing today was longer, e.g. more miles. Being done at 1pm seems like dogging it. But the next open albergue is another 12 miles down the road in Pamplona. I guess that's the rub of walking in the off season. I suppose the benefit of a shorter day is to be able to get some business done (i.e. blogging). Also, my boots didn't completely dry last night, so blisters started to creep in a bit today. Resting my feet will be good long term. Probably my legs and shoulders as well, though I think I'm doing okay.
Observations: I have yet to meet another pilgrim that speaks English well enough to have a comfortable conversation with. There have been Spainards, Dutch(2), a German, a couple of Italians, and a Korean couple. I'm able to communicate enough, but so far, it's only necessary exchanges, no pleasantries or more. I'm still in the honeymoon stage of solitude, so I'm good with that, but it will be interesting how long that lasts.
Costs: €3.5 Breakfast (tea, juice, toast and jam), €3.5 Lunch (ham, cheese, and chocolate bar from grocery store), €3 Dinner (2 cup o noodles) €15 albergue
Mileage: 15 (13.5 on the trail, 1.5 roming Pamplona)
Start/End Time: 7:50 - 2:00
A really great day of walking! Firstly, no rain!! It's still chilly enough that even walking in the sun isn't too hot. Another great addition to the day was the variety of sights: small villages, farm/pastureland, riverside paths, city streets. Noteable missteps: I headed out this morning not having had breakfast, thinking it might be a good excuse to takke a break after an hour of walking and check out another little town. Well, everything in the town was closed (including the grocery store), so I ended up going foodless until 12:30 (after walking 10 miles!). It was a good lesson in not trusting the guidebook or app to be accurate, esp. in the off-season.
Due to the good weather, I took more breaks. I would have even taken more if my food situation wasn't so dire. I took the breaks because my legs were really tired (see body notes below). The breaks (esp. the ones where there were benches) were really nice! I'll be excited to do more breaking in the upcoming days.
Pamplona is a larger city than I expected. In thinking about this walk, I never pictured myself downtown in such a large typically European city. From the pedestrian only shopping streets, to the cafes in public squares, to the massive parks, I feel like I could be in Berlin, Milan, or Prague. It's nice. And I've only explored the path that took me here. On the agenda for the afternoon/evening is to get a kebab (or two), get a carrebeaner for my water bottle to attach to my pack, and go see a movie (the plan is the new James Bond). I will be taking the bus to the cinema as I need to save my legs for walking. Edit: I ended up skipping the cinema since for time reasons. I'll have other opportunities when I've found my rhythm more.
Body Notes: I'm feeling it. Blisters are present but not too bad and seem mostly to subside overnight only to come back an hour or two into the next day (left ball of foot (duct taped since yesterday morning, which seems to help), right big toe). Unexplained pain (bruise-like) on the sole of my left foot (outside, middle of the foot). I was able to change from my boots to my sneakers today and that seems to help. Shoulders have expected amount soreness. Right hip is bruise-like from hipbelt of pack. And, somewhat surprisingly to me, my legs are tired. Tiredness could be from cumulation of miles, mediocre sleep (last night's room was crazy hot), or lack of proper sustenance (my diet for the past 2 days has not be stellar). I was hoping to adapt to the mileage more quickly.
Costs: €1 Breakfast(Apple bought from peddler on the trail), €3 Lunch (Doritos and chocolate bar), €1 Smashed penny!, €5.5 Dinner (kebab!), €3 mini-carabiner for water bottle, €2.5 Churros!, €10 Albergue
Mileage: 17.5 (15 on the trail, 2.5 roming Puente de Reina)
Start/End Time: 7:45 -> 2:00
I left the albergue this morning onto the empty streets of Pamplona. I don't know if I mentioned it yesterday, but it was eerie how quiet everything was at around 3:30pm when I first went out. Truly everything does close down for siesta. Anyway, this morning, I started making my way via the empty streets with an eye towards food (as I didn't plan to get stymied like I did yesterday). Wouldn't you know it, but a fella exits his building right near me and umprompted offers me a croquetta. Um...yeah. He was either still drunk from the night before or just a happy guy so we walked for a while (perhaps an awkwardly long while) trying to communicate (I do OK with spanish, but not when spoken fast and with a slur.) He did, however, give me another croquetta. Pretty freaking good.
The weather (I always seem to start with the weather) was really great for walking. Sunny the whole day, but chilly. At times, the wind nearly blew me over (no joke). It was as I was walking up this ridge where, surprise, a bunch of windmills stood. Otherwise, there were the requisite spectacular tiny medeival towns (with no stores open) and lots of farm land.
My body is letting me know that I've walked 60+ miles in 4 days, so I took heed and stopped a bit more today (as benches were more plentiful and a rest in the sun was very comfortable). I get bored while resting (I can only do so many crosswords and play Words With Friends so many times), so I'm planning for tomorrow by taking some food. My food rhythm feels pretty solid now (breakfast of some sort, snacks or whatever while walking, then a mid-afternoon meal after arrival).
I explored town, Puente la Reina a little after an hour or two of resting at the albergue. I got a geocache. I scoped the bridge the town is famous for. I got dinner (Paella!). And now it's 6:30 and I'm back at the albergue. They've got us tincanned in 12 to a room and there are already people zonked out. If I'm feeling 15 miles, I can only imagine how some other less historically walking inclined might feel. Or maybe I'm not as strong as I thought.
Body notes (update): Things are starting to work themselves out. Blisters are doing better now that I've switched to my sneakers and things are dry. Right big toe is still there, so I might duct tape it tomorrow. Outside of left foot, which was really concerning, felt much better, esp. later in the day. New issues are left knee (esp. coming down hill, though it seems to have eased) and right achilles which is at the top of the concern list. We'll see. And super tight calves. I went looking for gatorade this evening, but failed. Alas.
Costs: €3 breakfast (pastry and juice), €2 vending machine snacks (tiny cocoa, mug of chicken broth(!), and crunchy nuggets), €10.50 dinner (paella, salad, fruit), €5 groceries (gatorade, meat and cheese, pastries), €7 albergue
Mileage: 15.7
Start/End Time: 8:30 - 4:00
Not a great morning. The albergue was crammed last night, 12 people in a small space (take that COVID!). I had the best bed, because I was the first one there, but still there were people creaking, zipping, and rustling all night. I don't mind the overnight stuff as much (I haven't been sleeping well or much anyway), but the morning is a zoo. There's not enough space for everyone to pack their things, and they are trying to do it quietly but failing miserably. I gave up trying to get packed and out early and instead went to the kitchen to have a hot cocoa and do a crossword.
I finally hit the road at 8:15 and headed to the supermarket where I got the best vanilla stuffed croissant things the night before (3 for €1.15!) but they were closed. Then I realized I left my lunch stuff back at the hostel, almost .5 miles backwards. I bit the bullet and walked back, knowing that having lunch stuff was key to a) having lunch and b) being inspiration to take breaks.
Because of the multiple delays, I got stuck in the masses (okay, maybe 15-20) of other pilgrims. What was once very solitary quickly became annoying. Passing is awkward, walking behind someone is lame. I've just been enjoying the solitude of walking so much, I was bummed. I eventually passed enough people that I had the trail to myself, but skipped some rest stops I should have taken. So all in all, a pretty bummery morning. And....
My right achilles is bad. Like super bad. I was really freaking out because I could barely take a step today at around 10:30. On a whim, I decided to swap out my sneaker for a croc on that foot, and presto, I could walk again! The shoe was agitating an already super agitated achilles. So I walked the rest of the day in 2 different shoes. I'm quite nervous about it all, as I think the croc solution isn't a long term one. I took some ibuprofren tonight (my first time so far) so hopefully that, some rest, and a massage exercise given to me by a wonderful shopkeeper will do the trick.
Speaking of the shopkeeper, I had my first real Camino experience today. After a hard morning and concerns over my achilles, I was looking for a pick-me-up. I came across a shop called "NamasTe", a seemingly fancy tea shop. I was about to skip out, as I'm not a fancy person (esp. with fancy prices), but I decided to give it a try. I got a shrimp/cheese dip (served hot) with bread that was wonderful. And some tea. The magic part though: the shopkeep struck up a conversation, her having lived in the states (and me desperate for a little english coversation). Not too long in, she asked why I was walking the camino. It's the first time someone has asked me that. I told her about Della being killed, she asked how, I said drunk driver, she gave her condolences. It was nice to share my reason. When I was leaving, after paying, she said she had to shared something with me: she told me she used to drink a lot and often drove drunk. She came to tears telling me this. She said she doesn't drink any more. Right in the feels. She then took me outside to show me the hidden mermaid in the elaborately carved church doorway.
In hopes of avoiding the masses, I've bypassed the bigger town (Estellas) to the next burg (Ayegui). The hostel here is amazing—newly built, big, and, best of all, almost empty! I showered (I was due) and am enjoying the quiet and space. Dinner will be served on premises (which is good because everything else seems to be closed on Sunday) and I'm excited to see what the "Pilgrim's menu" will be, as it will be my first one.
Costs: €1 vending machines (hot cocoa and crunchy nuggets), €7 lunch (tea and shrimp cheese dip), €10 dinner, €10 albergue
Mileage: 17.5
Start/End Time: 8:00 - 3:30
Firstly, it is amazing how quickly one can start to take amazing weather for granted. It was really really nice today; that Autumn sun that isn't too strong but warming all the same. For about 1 minute, when I was out of the wind and had been walking for a bit, I thought about taking my pant legs off, but I was glad I didn't because as soon as the wind picked back up, it was chilly-ish. The tone of the sunlight also bathes the countryside (mostly farm lands with a few olive tree groves and vineyards) in that same warmth.
Today was the highest mileage day so far, but didn't feel like it. Not much elevation change. The wonderful conditions and countryside probably helped as well. I walked the whole day in one sneaker and one croc (though this time with a sock because the croc started to rub). Hopefully soon I'll be able to go back to both sneakers, but this definitely did the trick well.
The "avoid the masses through alternative itinerary" worked like a charm today! I got out of the hostel early and barely saw anyone on the trail. I have, however, made a couple friends whom I walked with a bit today; a Danish fellow of 29 and a British gal maybe a bit younger than that. Some nice chatting and camaraderie, which was a part of the Camino missing until now. We all did dinner togehter with a couple of spainards where I found myself [poorly] translating between people. But despite some half-understandings, it was still a great time
Costs:$2 breakfast (baguette, pastry, apple), €1.50 tea (though mostly for a place to rest), €3.5 lunch (doritos, soda, chocolate bar) €4 laundry, €8 dinner (aparse amount of really good pasta with flan), €12 albergue
Mileage: 17 (that's according to my phone. Only about 13 of Camino walking. The rest exploring Logroño)
Start/End Time: 8:00 - 1:30
The morning's calcuation: do I walk a 30km (~18 mile) day, about my desired length or do I only do 20km (~12 miles).
* Pro 30km: get miles under my belt (every day saved on the trail is another day exploring Africa or wherever), stick with the two buddies I've made, continue the Camino crowd avoidance strategy.
* Pro 20km: my body is hurting (left knee and right achilles) and the rest would be good, Longroño is a big town with fun eating, etc. possibilities (refreshing as many of the towns lately have only had 1 food option, if that), go to the cinema(!), more possibilities for itineraries for the coming days.
With these thoughts rattling around in my head, I walked. With no realistic food options in Torres del Rio, I walked 6 miles to Viana and stopped for a spell for a cuppa and fritada. From there to Logroño, it was somewhat industrial, close to the highway, and not very Camino-y. I guess I've been spoiled with the amazing terrain the last couple days.
I decided to go with the 20km plan, a decision I'm proud of myself for making. I know my body won't heal if I keep pushing it (and walking in crocs is probably not great for my joints otherwise). And I figured maybe a little urban recharge would help shake off the blues the morning had me feeling. The hostel didn't open until 3 so I found a grocery story and had my standard baguette sandwich and doritos lunch. After I checked in, I hopped a public bus and headed to the cinema, something I've been looking forward to! Alas, the moves were dubbed instead of subtitled. I decided to go anyway (since it was only €4!). The movie was the Final Duel, set in castles, etc. so I at least enjoyed the scenery (and had a little comprehension practice).
I walked back from the cinema (though it somewhat defeats the purpose of taking an easy day). I stopped in a grocery for breakfast/lunch stuff for tomorrow and had my now standard big city dinner of doner kebab and fresh churros.
The municiple albergue is almost empty, which I'm stoked on. It was one of my concerns to lose my off-peak stopping points and be crammed in with the masses. I guess big towns have lots of sleeping options. Or maybe we're far enough along that people are starting to naturally spread out. Either way, I'm stoked to be able to sleep without ear plugs in!!
Of note: Today mark's a full week of walking, averaging ~15/day. I've covered ~110 miles, no small feat if I do say so myself. Granted I've got a bit of a walk to go, but the first 100 miles feels noteworthy, so I'm noting it.
Costs: €4 breakfast (tea, fritada, pastry), €7 lunch (baguette, meat, cheese, gummis, chips, orange, aquarius), €1 bus to cinema, €4 cinema, €5.5 dinner (doner kebab, churros), €3.5 groceries (breakfast/lunch for tomorrow), €10 albergue
Mileage: 19
Start/End Time: 7:00 - 3:20
The longest day so far. Other than my left knee and right achilles, it felt great. If it weren't for those pesky maladies, my muscles feel like I could go much further. My mind too. It's hard calling it a day at 3:30 with another 3 hours of light and a new town down the road. But I'm trying my hardest not to push it. I'm super concerned about the achilles, esp. because the left achilles made itself known today. Ugh... But it's really just the concern that bothers me, as the croc solution still is working (though it tore a hole in the heel of my sock today).
I've found I like leaving the a large city on the trail, esp. in the morning. The cityscape fades away. This morning was nice because most of the city-leaving was via a massive park and subsequent nature preserve. There were lots of people out walking, many wishing me a "Buen Camino!". I guess it's hard to dodge that classification, as I so much look the park (minus the boots and hiking poles).
After a brief snack break (my tea experiement (heavy sweetened condensed milk) was a fail), I came across Alex, a local guy who asked if he could walk with me and practice his English. Of course I said yes and passed a very pleasant hour walking and talking. He told me a little about the region La Rioja and about the only other Seattle person he knows, a gal that ran away with the local Gypsies. Walking and talking makes the walking go so much quicker! In Navarette, upon Alex's suggestion, I stopped in the local cathedral/church. Very impressive. I lit a candle for Della (I remember her lighting one for Duane when we were in some big church) and sat and thought about her.
I'm learning more about how the Camino is a financial savior for some of these small villages that were dying out but are now managing to stay afloat with the influx of walker's dollars. In that spirit, I stopped for lunch in a cafe in Ventosa, wanting to do my part to drop a few kroner. I got a decent meal for €6 (eggs, sausage, fries, bread) though the storeminder seemed more put out than appreciative. Alas.
The afternoon's walk was through vineyard upon vineyard. I snuck a taste of a grape or two (most vines were bare, as I imagine the harvest had already happened). Not too bad. Also, since I barely took enough photos yesterday to cover my 3 photo quota, I tried to take more today.
Now I'm in Najera, a bigger town than I was expecting. Owing to the 30km of walking, I took the first albergue that came up, even though it is more expensive. It is done up like a B&B, which is nice. As long as it doesn't get crowded, I'm happy to pay the extra 5 kroner.
Costs: €.50 candle for Della, €6 lunch (eggs, sausage, fries), €8.50 dinner (doner kebab, fries, drink, and chocolate bar for dessert), €15 albergue
Mileage: 14
Start/End Time: 7:15 - 1:30
I really like starting early. This morning I was out and walking while the sky was still dark. This is in no small part to the trouble I've been having sleeping. Well, not so much trouble, because I feel rested, but waking up crazy early. I guess that's what happens when I end my day so early (usually in bed by 7:30 or 8:00, though read or watch things for a while). Anyway, in the morning, I have the trail (and in this case, the city streets) to myself. I can't imagine walking the Camino when it is so crowded with people you never get a mile to yourself.
And while I enjoyed the early walking under crisp gray skies, I made the mistake of googling "Achilles pain" while lying in bed. I should know better; never google medical things. Everything I read was dire and they're going to have to amputate if I don't stop walking immediately, etc. It really wasn't what I wanted to hear. I'm having a hard enough time convincing myself to take a rest day (I don't feel tired). I can't imagine that I could abandon the walk all together. So it was with this heaviness in mind that I walked through the empty, though freshly plowed, mega-fields. The scenery fit the weather: muted (though, as always, beautiful in its own way).
I stopped for tea at a nice little cafe in a nice little town. Other pilgrims meandered in and by after a while, reinforcing my gladness at being up and out so early. I chatted with a group from France, Switzerland, and Belgium. They had been walking for a month already and had just met up on the trail. It was good perspective, as most of the people I've met are on a similar track to me. It was also good to remind me the walk is a long game, and I don't need to get up every morning and immediately get to walking. Later, at a rest area, I was telling one of the gals of my achilles woes and she said she had had a similar issue and solved it through massage and a day or two off. It was very heartening to hear (esp. after the webMD nightmares).
I cut my day shorter than I would have wanted, only 14 miles. There's a town just 5 miles more that is supposed to be nice. But here is bigger and if I need to take a rest day, it would be better to do here than there. And any time off my feet is probably good.
At the hostel, an older guy, upon hearing of my achilles issue, added his suggestions (though very much in the way of a I know the right way and any other way is WRONG! way). I was, however, grateful for the assurance that it is overcomable and the tiger balm he forced me to rub in. The heavy massaging I did might be the ticket to turning the corner.
Upon arrival to Santa Domingo, I came across a hamburger vending machine (see photos). I wasn't really hungry and looking forward to sitting in a cafe for lunch, but I just couldn't pass it up. The €2 burger was, well, probably not even worth that (though had it been heated evenly through, maybe). Check that one off the list.
I had a super nice chat with a bicyclist at the hostel. Guillemette, a spunky french gal, was eager to tell stories of her 2 months on the road and I was happy to listen. English speaking connections are still sparse enough that I'm grateful for the great ones I find.
Costs: €2.50 tea and croissant, €3 lunch (vending machine burger and chocolate bar), €5 dinner (grocery store sandwich and can of soup), €11 albergue
Mileage: 22.5(!)
Start/End Time: 7:15 - 4:30
Another super early start, this time it was so dark out that I was almost concerned about staying on the path. The darkness wasn't only on occasion of the early hour, but also of the gray skies. But, as has been the case, being up that early leaves the trail empty and that's something I truly enjoy.
Of the stages so far, the first half of today was perhaps the most blah, made all the blah-er by the texture-less gray sky. Most of the first 20km were on a frontage road along a highway. Not only was the highway noise annoying, the combo gravel/dirt road was just uneven enough to make walking require attention (or perhaps it was only because I was wearing crocs and could feel the larger stones through the soles). I had been forewarned of the mediocre-ness of the scenery, so I was prepared and planned to just put my head down and walk. I did this and, while the miles didn't exactly fly by, I was 20km in by noon and decided to reward myself with a sit-down restaurant lunch! Lunch turned out to be basic pasta with ketchup(?) as a sauce, so that was a bit of a fail, but a nice cup of tea afterwards and the hour of rest made it all worth it.
I should say here that I had originally planned to take today as a rest day, or at least a light day, owing to my achilles issue. But perhaps because of the hope I was given yesterday by 2 people who had had Achilles issues before and my prescribed treatment of massage, I felt emboldened. Note: neither suggestor would probably have approved of foregoing a rest day to instead walk my longest day. That's all on me.
After lunch, the path veered away from the highway and started to pass through village after village, which was super nice. The more traditional villages often have a little church with bell tower, one (or many) little squares often with a fountain, and narrow streets lined with stone buildings. And often the towns are just 2 or 3 blocks long without an open store in sight. They are, by far, my favorite element of the scenery.
The other perk of the afternoon was happening upon another good english speaking walker. We passsed a lovely hour meandering along sharing stories, motivations, etc. I mentioned it with Alex back outside of Longroño, the miles pass so much quicker with someone to chat with. When we arrive in what was to be the stopping point, there was only one spot left in the albergue, so I encouraged her to take it as I [by this point] waddled to the next village. It turns out that this was the right decision!
The albergue in Villafranca Montes de Oca is combined with a fancy hotel. While that undermines the underwear-hanging-from-every-radiator aesthetic, it was a welcome change. And...I'm the only one here [knock on wood]!!!! After a long hot shower, I'm currently sitting in front of a fireplace writing this while looking out the window at a beautiful stone church. My body might be sore, but I'm a happy camper.
Speaking of body soreness, we'll see what 22 miles feels like after a night's sleep. I'll do my achilles massage routine (on both ankles, as they are both noticeable). And my knees (now the right more than the left) were definitely feeling it in the last 2 miles. But I'm starting to feel (/hope) that the woes so far have been my body adjusting. My left knee was hurting and has faded away. There were some pretty intense blisters early on and now don't seem to be an issue. My leg muscles were really sore those first couple days and now I barely notice them. And even today, the achilles started to feel more hopeful (either from my body getting used to the routine or from the massage/snake oil I rubbed on them). I'm very excited for the joint stuff to go away, as being able to do a long day today was really nice.
Costs: €7.5 lunch (ketchup spaghetti and tea), €2.5 lunch dessert (chocolate and gummis to fortify me for the afternoon of walking), €15 albergue
Mileage: 15
Start/End Time: 8:30 - 2:30
Two observations on my night at the fancy albergue: 1) Another 2 people came in around 6, so I didn't have the place to myself. Alas. But there was plenty of space (with perhaps the best layout so far), so it wasn't a big deal at all. The bigger deal, however was 2) it got cold! So far, all the albergues have either heated the dormitory or had blankets available to augment our light sleeping bags. Last night, not so much. I slept in both my merino wool tops and was still chilly.
I got a relative late start this morning as the hotel/albergue was the only place around that served food in the morning and they didn't open until 8. I did get a nice frittata/tortilla and cup of tea (though €4 seemed a little steep).
My optimism from yesterday re: my body was not well founded. The 21 miles in crocs definitely took its toll, leaving my achilles as bad as ever. The morning's uphill climb over uneven terrain didn't help. And now, to boot, my feet are hurting, probably from the crocs. At a rest break today, I tried the sneakers and they felt like a dream on my feet but aggrivated my achilles too much to use. So I cut the day short (well, 15 miles) and plan to do a super short day tomorrow. I want to get this under control so I can focus on the walk, rather than my body.
The scenery and weather today were great. There was a period of sun that felt really good. And the terrain had lots of variation: forest, rolling hills, little villages, and very little road walking!
The little village I'm in now looked pretty low energy when I approached. I was even concerned that there wouldn't be a place for me to eat dinner. It turns out the albergue is over the bar (which was more hopping than any eatery I've seen in the little villages). There are just three of us here, my Brazilian friend from the other day and a Frenchman who has been walking 50 days from Brittany. We sat together at dinner, a surprisingly good burger for me (and ice cream). I also scavenged the Brazilian gal's leftovers, so I'm well fed! Now it's 8:00 and time for bed!
Costs: €4 breakfast (frittata, tea at the hotel), €2.75 snack (tea and pastry), €1 snack (chips and sunflower seeds), €9 dinner (hamburger, fries, orange soda, ice cream), €8 albergue
Mileage: 9
Start/End Time: 8:00 - 11:00
With my achilles still a problem (though not getting worse?), I've committed to having today be a rest day, mostly. It was an easy 9 miles into Burgos. I walked it with Carla the Brazilian and we had some nice chats. [She, a 30-year old normal person, is doing the whole Camino without a phone!] The Camino takes a few different routes into Burgos and we elected for the River path. The signage wasn't amazing, so I'm glad I had my app(s) to track me on the map. (The apps ("Camino Ninja" and "Frances") have also been super helpful for calcuating mileage and seeing which albergues are open in the off season.) With the pace Carla kept and me in my stupid crocs, I didn't feel my rest day was as restful as I had hoped. Adding to that, the albergue in Burgos didn't open until 2:00 so I had to while away 3 hours, which meant meandering around with my backback on so even less restful.
Burgos is a big city. It seems like a city I would really enjoy as a tourist. There are awesome stone buildings (the cathedral is really a sight!), public squares around every corner, a river with great trails for exploring, public art, and so much more. But...I'm not here as a tourist. I have a purpose, a mission, a job. I wake up each morning dedicated to my job and not working towards that purpose is hard today. I should really stay here another day for a real rest day (no miles!) and maybe I'll psych myself up for that. But since I couldn't stay in the hostel, I'd just end up walking around town and that defeats the purpose. And it's cold, too cold to be twiddling my thumbs (or doing a crossword) in one of the public squares. So I imagine I'll head out tomorrow. But maybe I'll try to make it another short day.
Another bummer is that today is Sunday and many many stores are closed! I was all excited about a big city supermarket to, let's be honest, get more napolitanos de crema and cheap cholocate bars. Alas. And there are people everywhere! It's kind of a funny juxtaposition: everything closed but everyone out on the streets.
The Burgos albergue is very institutional, but done very well. Each bunk is closed in on 3 sides, has its own outlet and light, and, because of covid, only one person per bunk bed (i.e. no one on the top bunk). It's funny how simple layout decisions can get me so excited.
The challenge for the evening will be to find food (I'm hoping to find a reasonably priced Menu de Peregrinos) a) that's not far of a walk b) that's open on a Sunday and c) that's open for dinner when I want to eat (5:00, instead of Spainards standard 9:00). Here's hoping!
Update: most places were closed, but I ended up find the perfect Traditional-Spanish-Food-With-A-Wren-Twist...a chain tapas place...with a happy hour! I got 6 plates for €8! Granted, some of it was crazy chintzy ("nachos with bacon" was just some chips with ez-squeeze cheese and cold bacon bits), but some of it was pretty good. I even got a salad (though it was mostly cheese, dressing, and crutons)! But for me, it was perfect!
After dinner, I came back to the albergue ready to turn in, somewhat bummed that my fucking feet are not getting better. Someone said "the cathedral is not to be missed", so I decided to head back out to fight off the blahs. The cathedral, indeed, was pretty neat (and I even happened to be there to see the animatronic jesus strike the church bells). Then I found an open store to buy some tea and sugar, something that I've been wanting for some time and haven't found the right way to do it. Anyway, it was a good outing leaving me a little more hopeful (and keeping me from going to bed at 6:45 (instead of the 8:00 that I'm doing now.)
Costs: €3.50 breakfast (tea and omelet/fritta), €.50 hot chocolate (from a vending machine), €8 dinner (TAPAS! Albondigas, fried chicken balls, chicken wings, salad, BBQ pork and cheese slider, "nachos"), €4 tea supplies, €10 albergue
Mileage: 13.5
Start/End Time: 7:45 - 2:00
The albergue in Burgos, in its institutional efficiency, put the lights out automatically at 10pm and automatically on at 7. The host then came through at 7:30 to make sure everyone was up so we could all be out by 8:00. I had thought of taking a rest day in Burgos, but the idea of killing 6 hours until the albergue reopened wasn't appealing, esp. not in this cold. I know I would have ended up just roaming around (even just to stay warm) and having the exact opposite of a rest day, so I figured I might as well toddle down the path, which is what I did.
The morning light was autumnally perfect and suited the scenery well. It was a really lovely morning and I was happy to be walking. I was thwarted by an albergue in Tardajos (closed Mondays) were I was going to cut my day short, so, after a breakfast of tea, frittata, and danish, I kept toddling.
On the outskirts of Rabe de las Calzadas, I heard gregorian chants coming from inside a small chapel. I poked my head in to check it out and was glad I did. While the music was from a stereo, it was a lovely scene with a very proactively welcoming religious lady. She held my hands and looked me in the eye and spoke Spanish very quickly, something along the lines of Santa Maria will watch over me and other such things. I might normally be turned off by such overt evangilism, but this was really nice. I cried a little in front of the altar thinking of Della. I think the sister could see my feelings in my eyes and gave me extra welcoming and comfort.
Leaving the chapel, I walked with Nathan the French chef for the rest of the day, which was nice. I had met him a few days back. It's getting to be like that now, recognizing people and sharing time on various days here and there. It's nice, though I'm still enjoying the solitude more...mostly.
I'm excited about this albergue. It's my first that seems to be more about welcoming than it is merely a functional place to sleep. For €20, you get a bed, dinner, and breakfast the next morning, a great deal not only from a money perspective, but also from a logisitic one, as finding dinner and breakfast can sometimes be tedious. It's to be a communal dinner which so far means 3 french gals, 4 italians (3 guys and a gal), a german dude (super nice!), and me. It makes for a more crowded dormitory than I like, but dinner, at least, might be a great experience.
Update: Before dinner, a group of us accepted an invitation to a pilgrim's mass/blessing at the [very impressive] stone church next to the albergue. I thought it would be a quick little thing, a fun cultural experience. Quick it was not. It was basically a full mass, with standing and sitting, singing, and more. And while it was in Spanish, it might have well been in Latin, as the pastor/priest had a thick accent and spoke very fast. He quite obviously expected us to know when to chime in and with what, as well as learn the words to the songs upon hearing them once. I failed him in both these respects. Then, after the service, we gathered in a circle (maybe 10 of us) and he had us all read a prayer, each in our own language. Then he sprinkled us. Then he insisted on a group selfie. And while it all wasn't the experience I was expecting nor one that I might be excited to do again, I was glad to have one of these pilgrim's masses under my belt.
Then came dinner, something I had been excited about since arrival, as I had heard tales of "Pilgrim's menus" with multiple courses, drinks, desserts, and more! This was not that. It was a very good potato, pork soup with bread, but it left me wanting. Dessert was apples. :-/ Lesson learned, I guess. But what dinner did do was create a nice social atmosphere, a first for me in an albergue. Many of us sat around, playing chess or cards, enjoying the fire and the camaraderie. I showed a few card tricks and taught a few rope tricks. Good times.
Costs: €4.25 breakfast, €4.50 lunch (croquettes in a bar), €20 albergue w/ dinner
Mileage: 21.5
Start/End Time: 8:00 - 4:30
Perhaps I've mentioned it before, but the cadence of the days of a Camino pilgrim (at least from my prespective) continues to befuddle me. We are evicted from the albergue by 8:00 to a town that has nothing open (though this morning breakfast was provided at the albergue). Quite often, the next town is 2 hours away. Usually a cafe is open there, and while this morning I wasn't hungry, I was cold and tired, so I stopped to eat. Then back to walking. Again, the next town was 2 hours away, so I toddled along, arriving at 12:30. At this point, I've toddled 12 miles, the prescribed "stage", but I can't bring myself to call it a day. What would I do for the rest of the day? So I stopped by the grocery store (I wasn't really that hungry, since I'd already had 2 breakfasts), but needed the excuse to have a break later.
So I toddled on. The next town was another 11 km down the way, though my pace slackened signicantly, making it maybe in ~3ish hours. I'm guessing it was probably too much for me in my fragile, croc-wearing state. But it almost seems like the cadence requires it; it's either stop at a reasonable distance but an absurdly early time or stop at a reasonable time with a distance that, for me right now, is a little on the long side.
But I shouldn't complain. Once my feet issues work themselves out, I'll probably find my peace with the rhythm. I've still got time. Today marks 2 weeks of walking and over 210 miles. That's not even halfway.
One of my inspirations for walking to this further town was to try and get outside of the gaggle of pilgrims that were in Hornillos. My thought was they would all stop at the prescibed stage end. We'll see if that works out. But the albergue at least feels more spread out (at least no bunkbeds) and has an attached eatery, even though the little town is the least attractive I've seen (no stone buildings or churches).
A highlight of the day was the ruins of hermitage(?). With the road passing under the flying buttresses and arches still intact, it was quite a spectacle. It wasn't open for visiting, probably due to the low season, but it was a pleasant place to site for a while anyway. I might be more bummed by this lack of sightseeing opportunity, but it's constantly on my mind that my job here is to walk, and that's what I want to do. If I see cool stuff, that's a perk, but I'm not combing the guidebook for which attractions are must-see.
Costs: €1.60 breakfast (frittata), €8 lunch (grocery store sandwich, chips, soda, chocolate), €6 dinner (fried eggs, thin pork strips, french fries (so good!)), €9 albergue
Mileage: 21.5
Start/End Time: 8:00 - 4:00
I woke up feeling surprisingly good after my long day yesterday. Nothing hurt, at least not more than normal, and everything felt raring to go. I tried a sneaker on my right foot, but the rubbing was still too painful on the achilles. It's got me thinking that maybe it's not the achilles now, but maybe something else? When I lie in bed on my back, both the back of my heels hurt where they touch the bed. I remember having an issue like that in high school (though I don't remember the solution.) Anyway, the croc has been doing an admirable job on the right foot, so I set off with a plan to stop if my body told me to.
Hour 1: Wonderful! The sun was just coming up making for a super nice sunrise. The low autumn light make the fields take on an amazing radience. I must have stopped to take pictures 5 times (that's a lot for me). Also, there was no wind, so I quickly shed 2 layers (leaving only 3). It was a beautiful way to start the day.
Hour 2: The wind started up and the same gray cloud cover that has been ever present the last bunch of days returned. I re-layered up (the first time I've had to resort to adding my rain shell as a wind breaker), put my head down, and walked. It wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't necessarily pleasant either. I had my book-on-tape going, I was ahead of the "crowd" (there were only ~8 of us at the albergue last night), and I was doing my job so I was happy
Hour 3: The Camino started following a canal. It was very interesting, with the water level being above the surrounding fields. I assumed it was for irrigation (though not now, of course, as almost all the fields are bare). It made for very pleasant walking. After about an hour, I came to a riverboat that seemed to be used for cruises during warmer months. Then there were some locks. Super interesting! A nice man (maybe a tour guide, maybe just a local) approached me and shared a bunch of the history of the canal with me. It was in spanish, so I only caught about half of it, but still, very interesting. He said it was more for transportation of goods to market than irrigation, though there was some of that too. It was built in the 18th and 19th centuries and the products he mentioned were wheat and wool (I was proud I understood that much). I would have stayed and taken more pictures of the gorgeous locks, but there were other non-pilgrim tourists hanging out and I just can't get enough of being on my own.
In Fromista, I wanted to take my mid-morning break, even though I was feeling plenty strong and enjoying walking. But I did have to go the bathroom (and bathrooms are notably hard to find). I found a cafe and planned to get a tea and do a crossword. After setting my bag down at a table and going to the bathroom, I stood at the bar for over 5 minutes while the 55-year old barista/bartender women (wearing a Nirvana sweatshirt) fully ignored me. Finally, when there was no reasonable excuse for her to avoid me any longer, she begrudgingly looked my way. I was so over the place that I only asked for her to fill my thermos with hot water (for which she charged me €1) and I took off. So much for a break there. But I did make 18 oz. of tea that stayed hot for the next 3 hours which was a great companion for the afternoon.
Hour 4-7: For the last 17km of the day, the trail followed a somewhat major road, though the traffic was quite sparse and the trail was a gravel path maybe 10 meters off to the side. The wind continued and the gray persisted which didn't do much to enhance the scenery that could have used some enhancing. On the plus side, the trail passed through 3 or 4 little towns, each one of which I stopped in to sit for a spell, have a sip of tea, massage my foot, and play a game or two of Words With Friends. Also, on at least 3 occasions, a passing car would honk and wave or cheer me on. It felt like a good eraser of Ms. Nirvana at the bar this morning.
Arriving in Carrion de los Condes, the albergue I was shooting for turned out to be an old monastary(?) with a cool courtyard, attached museum, and a labyrinth of hallways. I decided to splurge and get my own room (€25 vs. €8) since tomorrow is the 18th and balancing my lit Della candle on my precariously positioned backpack while other pilgrims dance around it wasn't something I was much looking forward to. And I can totally monopolize the heater for drying my clothes that are very ready for a hand washing. And, with tomorrow being a shorter day, the solo rooms have a later check out so I can take my time, repack my bag, cook breakfast (I have access to the albergue kitchen), and generally take it easier after a 2-day strech of going hard.
Costs: €3 breakfast (hot water and candy from the store), €7 dinner(pizza), €5 groceries (for breakfast), €25 albergue (solo room!)
Mileage: 18
Start/End Time: 10:15 - 4:30
I awoke this morning in my own room (which was freezing, but I had plenty of blankets (and cotton sheets(!) rather than the rubber coated mattresses of most albergues) which had its up and downs. I had stayed up too late last night watching TV on my computer (without earphones!) but still woke up at ~7:00. I laid in bed hoping the room would warm up (which it did...slightly). They are big on only heating spaces for a couple of hours in the evening and morning, which I'm not opposed to in principle... I had big plans to cook a nice breakfast and then dawdle until 10:00 when the big LUX exhibit opened at the fancy church. Breakfast was pretty nice, 4 soft boiled eggs, bread, cheese, juice, and a pasty. I ate it with a crossword and my Della candle.
The church exhibit thing that I planned my morning around was a total bust: €5 to look at some religious art, though it did have narration in English which would have been great if it was anything more than "this representation of the Virgin Mary signifies yada yada yada". I was hoping it would be all about the cathedral. I must have been the fastest they ever had someone go through it.
I shouldered my pack at 10:15 and hit the road. I had been forewarned that we were in the "Boring Stretch" of the Camino and that pretty much proved to be true—a straight gravel road with few trees, no towns, and nothing much of interest. It was fine, though, as it made the focus the walking. Plus, there were more than normal rest areas (a few picnic tables and a garbage can) which I took the opportunity to sit for a spell.
The albergue I'm in tonight is pretty nice. And when I arrived, my Brazilian friend was here so we spent a nice hour chatting as we both rested our weary feet. If I was into the albergue scene, I'm sure I would really like this one. The staff seems super cool, an interesting property (patio space, etc.), and everything on premises (restaurant, laundry, etc.). But I'm not really looking for that scene. But it's a reasonably priced bed and hopefully they'll do their best to keep us from freezing, so I won't complain.
I had the Pilgrim's Menu (after trying it a few other places and finding it lacking, I wanted the good experience which is so often touted in books, etc.). Tonight's was good: €10 for soup (potato/calamari), drink (kas naranja), bread (of course), main course (pork, egg, fries, and salad), and dessert (rice pudding!). I haven't found myself to be super hungry, well, at all, but it was something to do and I suppose my body probably could use the sustainance.
Costs: €5 stupid art show, €10 dinner (see above), €10 albergue
Mileage: 16.5
Start/End Time: 7:45 - 3:30
Oof...today kicked my ass. Not even close to max distance and the terrain was the same flat empty fields I've been seing for the past 3 days. And even the weather wwas the nicest yet, with the wind taking a break. But....oof.
To start, I slept super poorly last night. The room was wicked cold and the fancy pants meal I had definitely didn't sit well. I spent a lot of the night wondering if I was going to have to make a break for the vomitorium. I didn't. But by the time morning came, I realized I was sick.
And just as I always do when I can't sleep, I pack up and leave. I was out of the albergue more than 30 minutes before the sun came up. And just as I turned a corner leaving town, the almost full moon was just setting. It was really really nice.
So then I walked. My pace was less than it's been, taking 3.5 hours to do the 8 miles to Sahagun where I stopped for a piece of toast and tea (the only thing I've eaten today.) And most notably along the way, I had to go to the bathroom.
Let's take a second to talk about bathroom's on the Camino. Anyone that knows me knows that I don't go to the bathroom. Eight hours? Ten hours? No problem. But even still, I've noticed there are no public bathrooms. What do the old retired ladies do that have to pee every 30 minutes? Well, my little sickness robbed me of my bathroom avoidance superpower. And, to put it simply, I know now an answer to the age old question Does the pilgrim on a semi-religoius pilgrimage shit in the woods?. Yes, yes he does.
The last 6 miles were crazy, again, not from a terrain perspective, but fom a pace perspective. My pace dropped even further to 2mph with me needing to stop at every bench there was. If there was an earlier option for a place to stay, I would have taken it in a heartbeat, but the options aren't super plentiful.
I splurged again on a solo room (€25) so I don't infect anyone else with my bug and so I can hopefully get some much needed sleep tonight. When I got here, I passed out (fully clothed, lying right where I landed) for 2 hours. Then a quick defiling of the communal bathroom and then back to sleep for another 2 hours.
But I trust that I'll be able to sleep tonight. I've got sole control of the thermastat, I'm in a big bed with cotton sheets, and, as I previously mentioned, I'm wreckt. Here's hoping tomorrow this thing sorts itself out.
Costs:€3 breakfast (tea and toast), €25 albergue (solo room)
Mileage: 17
Start/End Time: 7:55 - 2:30
I think it would be very easy to start to take this amazing weather for granted. I've been on the trail 18 days now, and the last 16 have been rain-free. Yes, granted, there were gray days and windy days, but the absence of rain is noteable and very appreciated. Today was perhaps the best weather yet, a perfect fall day. The terrain, however, was as boring as it's been: a gravel sidewalk along a low traffic road. I'm led to believe things get more interesting here in a day or two, after Leon, the big city. That will mean more elevation and probably worse weather (since it is the mountains), but it will be interesting at least.
It was a rough night of tossing and turning, sweating and shitting, but whatever It seemed to have passed (mostly, except for the bathroom stuff). I didn't suffer the same sluggishness of energy as yesterday and mostly my body held up for a standard length day (though, as always, new issues around feet/achilles/ankles/etc. seem to crop up). And I only had to make one cornfield deposit. (The camino must have read my post from yesterday because signs started popping up at the rest areas giving instructions on how to poop. See photo below.)
I forgot to mention yesterday, in my illness induced haze, that I supposedly yesterday I passed the halfway point. There was supposedly a marker or monument, but I must have missed that. Too bad, as it would have been a good picture (and I'm finding it harder and harder to find interesting photos to take.) I'm hoping that the way they calculate the middle is flawed because 1) at halfway in 17 days, that means a total of 34 days which is longer than I was planning on and 2) look at the map! Doesn't it look like I'm more than halfway?
At the time of this writing, in the past almost 48 hours, I've only had 2 pieces of toast with butter and jam to eat along with 2 cups of tea. And I can't really conceive of what I want to eat now; nothing sounds appetizing. But I will try to eat something this evening, even if just more toast. Maybe by Leon tomorrow, I'll be back in doner kebab shape.
Update: I forced some cup o noodles down for dinner and that quelled the queasiness in my stomach so that's good. I did some yogurt for the "probiotics" as well. We'll see. It was a lovely evening around the alberge, just chatting. So many nationalities represented (Brazil, Portugal, France, Denmark, USA, Spain) all represented around the small table. And I got to benefit from English being the common language! As nice as it was, I wasn't super into the social scene (as per usual), so I headed to bed. My Brazilian friend was having a hard time and I did the best I could to speak conforting words (with appropriate humor) and it made for a nice moment.
It's kind of weird—every time you see someone on the Camino could be your last time crossing paths with them. People take rest days, people have different speeds, or even just you might end up in different albergues. So goes the Camino (and I guess, so goes life).
Costs:€2.5 breakfast (croissant, tea), €3 dinner (grocery store cup o noodles, yogurt, etc.), €10 albergue
Mileage: 15.5 (12 on the Camino, 3.5 exploring Leon)
Start/End Time: 7:45 - 12:15
The walk this morning falls pretty low on the remarkable scale. Entering a city always seems to be like that: trail on the side of the road, highway crossings, etc. But it didn't bother me much this morning. I was ready to have an easy day and maybe a little bit of excitement exploring the city.
When I arrived at the albergue, I somewhat surprised myself by lying in my bed watching youTube for 3 hours. I told myself it was to get as much body rest as I could, but honestly, it was because I didn't want to go out. But then again, when I did move around a bit, I felt my body way more sore than is warranted from the lazy 12 miles. I'll put it on the combo of stomach bug, built up body use, and emotional weight of being alone with my thoughts so much.
I finally got up and out, partially to see what there was to see and partially to meet up with a friend from early on in the trip. As I meandered to the Cathedral, Plaza Mayor, and various other wonderfully European squares and buildings, I felt myself finding a little more enjoyment in it than I expected, which was very welcome. Plus it makes for today's 3 photos to be easy.
Google Fit tells me I meandered almost 4 miles around town. So much for today being an easy day. I so hope that doesn't undermine the rest this was supposed to be for my body. I'm really over having so much of my thoughts (and this journal) going towards my body woes. I'm ready to walk until my muscles tell me I'm done, not my joints, tendons, and bones. Hopefully not wearing a pack, being on paved, even streets, lots of stopping, and a more casual pace will all be taken into consideration when my body decides what it feels like tomorrow.
I met my British friend for dinner. She ends her Camino here in Leon. It was very nice to catch up and compare experiences from the trail, who we met, etc. Just really, really nice...except for the bland yet visually appealing bowl of pasta (that is sitting well enough in my stomach, which is good.)
I had considered taking a rest day here in Leon (as I know my body would appreciate), but I'm not enjoying the vibe. The city is beautiful enough, but my fellow pilgrims are using the big city as a chance to live it up in the night life and drink and drink. Call me a curmudgeon, but I'm content with my 8pm bed time and not a car heard passing in the night. So it's down the road I go tomorrow (assuming my body agrees to the proposal.)
Costs: €2.5 breakfast (gas station pastries and gatorade), €10 postcards and stamps, €23 dinner, €12 albergue
Mileage: 24 (oof!)
Start/End Time: 8:15 - 5:15
NOTE: "Hospital de Orbigo" is the name of the town, not a hospital. I'm fine. Everything's fine. They just like to name their towns after what they used to be known for: a bridge, a hermitage, a strip club. I don't even know if this town has a hospital—that's how fine I am.
NOTE 2: A day on the trail is long and I usually go through all sorts of emotions. I try to protect this journal from being a product just of the state I'm in at the end of the day and missing all the feeling from middle stuff. (How's that for foreshadowing...)
The day started out on a couple great notes:
0.5) There wasn't anyone else in my dormitory last night. This is like winning the lottery on the Camino, IMO.
1) there was a breakfast at the albergue and I was excited to eat it! Granted it was more of the same (toast, meat and cheese, butter and jam, prewrapped [horrible] muffins, orange juice(-ish), and hot cocoa (which was delicious and I will be having more of!)) but I loved that I didn't need to make a decision about it!
2) I happened by the Cathedral when there was no one in line at the selfie spot and there was a nice lady there to selfie me. (Yes, I know this isn't technically a selfie...)
3) I WAS WEARING A SHOE!! The walking around Leon yesterday actually buggered my feet pretty bad (bruising(?) on the ball of my foot, etc.) I decided this was probably because of the croc (maybe because of 3 miles of meandering about town, maybe because of the 300 miles previous), so I decided to give the sneaker a try. It worked! The back wasn't agitating my achilles and it felt tons better on the ball of my foot!
3.5) After a hour or two of city egress (which I know well enough not to have high hopes for), I reached a fork in the road to either go the rural route or road route. Even though it was a bit longer, I opted for the rural route. And sure enough, almost from the split, it was so much nicer than the terrain the last 10 days; it felt like the path was just to myself, the lands around weren't all farmland, and, best of all, NO HIGHWAY!
That was the morning. The sneaker experiment lasted about 5 miles before the pressure started to aggrivate the right achilles. Back to the croc. Alas. The terrain lasted for maybe 2 hours before the nice bucolic path became a paved road through farmland then became a rocky dirt road (not great for ankles or feet). (As a plus, I saw a corn thresher machine in action that was pretty neat!). And partially due to lack of research by me and partically because info in my app was wrong, the day was longer than I expected. It turns out, I wasn't ready for a long day at all.
You maybe have noticed the mileage and start times above: 24 miles and 9 hours. That's almost a marathon (though not in a time anyone I know would be proud of). I remember how badly I was hurting after my personal Walk Like MADD marathon walk this summer. I could barely walk for 2 days (though in that case it was due to blisters and chaffage, neither of which came in to play today, luckily). After putting my head down and gritting my teeth, I hobbled into the albergue and promptly lied down, put my feet up, and didn't move for 2 hours. Note: this is not a great practice for post-workout lactic acid circulation.
To be specific, my feet reaaly hurt. The right one suffers mostly in the ball of the foot, like a bruise. Also a bit in the upper most joints of the middle 3 toes. The left foot just kind of hurts all over, kind of like it was on fire(?), but on the inside. Chilling out for 2 hours definiltey helped, as in I could at least hobble to the shower, though going out to find dinner is out of the question. That's okay, because a) I'm not hungry and ii) I've got some meat and bread left over from every meal I've eaten in Spain so far.
It turns out I'm not good at walking the Camino de Santiago. I came to spend time with myself and yet when my body is literally* screaming at me to chill out, I'm not listening. It's not macho-ism. It's not ignorance. It's a combination of dislike of change (perhaps also called stubbornness) and well, so much: my tendency towards focusing on the goal instead enjoying the journey, uncreativity ("Jeez Wren, what would you do with yourself if you stopped at 1:00 at a reasonable 20km mark? Just hang out in the hostel?" / "Good point, Wren, I'll just keep walking."), etc.
Della, among the tons of things I loved her so very much for, helped save me from parts of myself. And while I know she probably would say she barely made a dent, my stubbornness in my life with Della was so much better than it is now. And I guess that's part of why I'm here on the Camino, to learn to live without Della here in my life. I need to be the one looking out for my health, being more level headed in decisions, stopping to smell the roses (or, in this case, taking the photo of the cute kitty).
I guess today was a good Camino day even though it was very hard. Will I have learned anything from it? Tune in tomorrow to find out (because I honestly can't say).
Costs: €3 breakfast (albergue "buffet"), €5 lunch (grocery store meat, bread, chips, and orange(!)), €11 albergue
Mileage: 17
Start/End Time: 8:45 - 3:45
I shared the albergue room last night with two other solo dude walkers, one younger Dane and one older Swiss. Both were averaging much longer days than me and sympathized with my feet conditions. Lucas, the Dane, reminded me that 1) every pilgrim has body woes and 2) often, surprisingly, they are healed (or at least transformed) by the next day. Sure enough, after sleeping like a rock, I woke up with my feet feeling way better. Still a bit of a bruise on the right ball of foot (and of course the achilles stuff still), but I felt ready to take on the day (in a reasonable fashion).
The morning was great! The terrain has officially changed, with some elevation, snow-capped hills in the distance, interesting forests and shrubbery, and all important, a path that didn't follow a road. The temperature was real nice (cloud cover made it a little less cold and no wind.) Basically, just a lovely morning of walking.
After maybe 2 hours, I came across a magical oasis along the trail. It had fruits, snacks, and drinks set out with a sign that said "This place is a gift for you". There were comfortable places to sit, shady areas (not that shade was needed today, but I can imagine during the summer..), and an all around welcoming, magical aura. It left me wishing I hadn't had breakfast at the albergue so I could spend some more time just being in the special place. Instead, I just sat for a short spell, had a small orange and apple, nodded my appreciation to the completely empty space, and headed down the road with a smile on my face.
I hit the city of Astorga around lunch. So near after Leon, I wasn't ready for more city time, but this one was nice. I found a burger bar for lunch, grabbed some snacks from the grocery, and snapped a few photos in front of the cathedral. (I'm sure cathedrals are like a lot of things in that differences between them can be forever analyzed, etc., but I think they all kind of look the same, but all look AWESOME!)
I only had 2 hours of walking to do in the afternoon and it was pleasant enough. I happened upon 2 others and we walked in a group for a bit. It is fun to get people's story. I got Valentine's life story in a matter of 30 minutes, and what a story it was: Hungarian Air Force, canadian trucker, Austrian bus driver, and so much more...and he's only 34!
I feel really good about today. I walked a good distance (that is to say a distance that will allow me to get to where I want to be by when I want to be there), I didn't push my body, I took time to see (and eat) things, had plenty of luck with weather and terrain, and, most of all, was happy.
Costs: €3 breakfast (toast, hot cocoa at the albergue), €7 lunch (burger, rice pudding), €2 snacks (mandarines, chocolate), €10 albergue
Mileage: 24
Start/End Time: 7:45 - 5:00
Having the albergue room to myself is always nice, because I can spread my shit everywhere, not have to worry about being quiet or the lights when packing in the morning, and no snorers (other than me), but I never seem to sleep as well alone [insert meaning here]. So I was up and out this morning before the tiny town was stirring. And not that I've been making a point to eat breakfast much, but I did have a 2-day old hunk of bread and a few mandarines to get me going.
Today was an elevation day. The first hour walking was spend looking up at it, maybe barely gently climbing. The top was shrouded in mist/fog. It was nice but concerning re: weather. I was concerned enough about the up and downhill portions on shaky ankle and even shakier shoes. Adding moisture into the mix might make it tougher still.
By about 9:30, I hit the mists, and with it came wind. It was cold enough that the mist had a snow-like quality. And while it wasn't enough to get wet wet, it was plenty enough to remind you how nice a warm dry room was. After about 2 hours pushing against the wind, just that appeared!
The little town of Foncebadon would have felt like a mountain town even if I hadn't been climbing a mountain to get to it. I can't put my finger on what it was that made it feel different. Perhaps more timber mixed in with the stone architecture. Or steeper pitched roofs. But it was cool.
I popped in to the first open spot I saw, as I was jonesing for a warm beverage and chance to get off my feet after 10 miles. I open the door and am greeted with a hug, a "welcome home!", and folks gathered around a roaring fireplace. Just the ticket! I had 2 cups of hot cocoa, a ham and cheese crepe, and a piece of frittata (even though I wasn't hungry, but just wanted an excuse to hang out a little longer.) Monte Irago is the name of the place and Maria is the owner. Upon leaving, I got another hug and some genuine well wishes. Quite a lovely stop.
From there, it was more up and more weather to the Cruz de Ferro, an important bit of the camino that I just learned about yesterday. I guess you're supposed to bring a rock along with you and leave it on the massive pile there. Some say it represents something you want to leave behind. It didn't speak to me, though for no bad reason, so I just kept puttering along.
The pass crossed was high enough that the trail was covered with snow in parts, making my little toesies a bit wet and chilly, but that's okay. It was beautiful, lush, varied, interesting, and, perhaps most of all, secluded. I didn't see another pilgrim (aside from lunch) all day!
Today might rank as my favorite day so far. It checked so many boxes: beautiful terrain, magical experience, respectable physical achievement (distance/elevation), overcoming challenges (weather, shoes, snow, etc.), picturesque stone mountain villages. I think I'll fall asleep tonight with a smile on my face.
Dinner was from the only open place in town, a little bar. A had a burger, and a pretty good one at that. After, I grabbed a few overpriced things from the tiny grocery store, partially because I thought a 1.5 liter gatorade(-knockoff) would be good to encourage my hydration and partially because I feel bad for these little town that are so built up for all the summer pilgrims and then have nothing in the winter. I guess the $3.00 gatorade is my way of saying thank you.
Costs: €10 Lunch (2 hot cocoas, crepe, frittata), €9 dinner (hamburger, chocolate, and gatorade), €10 albergue
Mileage: 19.5
Start/End Time: 7:45 - 3:00
Morning started off with an easy 7km into another biggish city, with its suburbs an. d busy roads, etc. Luckily the trail found a bit of a novel path here and there, but mostly sidewalks. In honor of the day, I decided to overindulge calorically at a donus shop (with a sign featuring Homer Simpson): a smoothie, donut, and croissant with ham and cheese. Yum! I noticed the experience caused me to be a little less sour on the city as a whole.
The rest of the day, however, was among the less pleasant, terrain wise. The suburbs of this city seemed to go on longer than most, and in between them, the path followed a busy road with very little shoulder/path. I found myself thinking "how uncreative of the path planners!" but then realized the path was probably there before the road! Still, it was a bit of a slog.
As you may have noticed from this journal, lots of my camino experience has been about analyzing what works for my body, hypotecizing on fixes/reasons, etc. Today's observation was that perhaps flat ground and paved paths are harder on my body than mountain passes and paths. It's the only way I can explain feeling great after 24 miles yesterday yet have throbbing feet after a mere 19.5 today. Or maybe it's something else. I'm sure I'll keep thinking about it.
I was ready to write off the day as mostly a wash when I found the albergue. It's not like one I've been in before, having more in common with a hippie hostel than a church attic. They welcomed me with a bowl of soup and tea, had pooches and puppies running around, art for sale, guitars sitting about--basically the vibe of so many SE asian hostels I remember from the old days. All this is to say it was really nice. And to top it all off, the group hanging out by the fire were all English speakers (Ireland, England, Australia, New Zealand)! I ended up spending all evening hanging out, showing rope tricks, hearing everyone's story, and finishing it off with a communal meal provided by the albergue.
Thanksgiving has definitely been on my mind all day. In part, of course, has been the thanks I feel. I helped pass the miles by remembering all I have to be grateful for. But, of course, food has been on my mind too. So far, I haven't felt super satisfied by Spanish cuisine as a whole (or perhaps just the slice of it I've been exposed to due to my schedule.) I was curious how I was going to address the Thanksgiving situation without resorting to another bread/meat/cheese grocery store dinner. The communal dinner (by donation) saved me from deciding. We had carrot/pumpkin soup (which they made in honor of T-day), 2 salads (with cabbage, eel, jamon, blue berries, tomatoes), frittata, bread, and a cup of pudding for dessert. It was no turkey, mashed pototates, and gravy, but the company was great. It felt like the day was properly honored.
Side note: I bought a plane ticket to Africa today, The Gambia, specifically. Having a departure date (Dec. 6 out of Madrid) helps me structure the rest of my time a little better. I know how much time I have to get to Santiago, how many miles I have to go each day, etc. I think I'm going to like having the structure, and maybe feel less inclined to push hard to put on miles when I don't necessarily feel like it. And I'm just jazzed about having the next step in place. But I've got a few more miles here to take care of first...
Costs: €6 breakfast (donut, ham and cheese croissant, smoothie), €1 snack/lunch (chips), €10 dinner (by donation), €10 albergue
Mileage: 21 (with uber elevation)
Start/End Time: 8:30 - 4:30
Right out of Villafanca, there was a choice to take the road route or the ridge route. As you may have noted, I've had enough of roads for a while, so I opted for the ridge route. I knew it was about a mile longer (no biggie), but I guess I underestimated the vertical gain. Oof! But even with straight up climbing, it was worth it! The path felt far removed and the views were amazing!
After coming down (an exercise of its own(!)) from the ridge route, I met back up with the road route, appropraitely enough, right at a truck stop. I was ready for some time off my feet and the bustling cafe was perfect! I loved the anonymity, space, and lack of engagement of the staff! I think I've found a favorite new haunt in truck stops! I stayed for an hour(!) resting my feet, drinking 2 hot cocoas, and eating some fries. It was a great break!
The afternoon was mostly along a road, but a tiny one at the bottom of a valley alongside a cute little creek. Everything is super lush, a significant change (like going from Eastern to Western WA). The weather was similar too, changing between mist, drizzle, and sprinkles. I was a pretty happy dude toddling along.
Then the road turned upward. It seemed I wasn't done with elevation gain for the day. The scenery kept getting nicer so I'm splurging on posting 4 pictures today! The contant mist (turned to snow just as I arrived at the albergue) made the trail pretty slick in a few spots, making for some hilarious nagivation with my shoe situation. But I made it.
Costs: €6 lunch (hot cocoa x 2, fries), €8 dinner(pasta, soda, and crunkies), €8 albergue
Mileage: 14
Start/End Time: 7:45 - 2:15
Last night, the weather howled outside the albergue. It was quite pleasant inside, but the noises combined with the frigid, icy, snowy glimpse I got on the way to dinner, left me with an uneasy feeling about the next day. What was I going to do about the croc dilemma? Would I be warm enough? (The weather predicted sub-freezing temps and I had been on the chilly side with it still in the 30s.) It was with those thought that I slept.
I was up, packed, and ready by 7:45, and even though it was still quite dark, I decided to set out. I donned my rain pants (as much for wind/warmth as for moisture protection) and I put on BOTH boots! It was so dark that I was lucky the ground was covered with snow to highlight the path. And since I was first out, I had fresh tracks all to myself. It was magical: the silence the snow brings, knowing that I was the only person around, wearing the exact right gear to be warm and dry, knowing that I was doing the exact thing I was supposed to be doing at that moment—walking to Santiago.
After about 2 hours (and more uphill), I came to a little town that was well suited for a breakfast stop. Plus, my achilles was starting to hurt pretty significantly where the boot was rubbing, so I hoped a break would help. I did tea and toast at one of the restaurants and then popped across the street to do the same again at the other. All told, I frittered away almost 2 hours hoping for my leg to heal, but to no avail. All the other pilgrims were eager to offer their suggestions (ice, rest, padding, creams, etc.) A French guy named Remy gave me some stick-on anti-inflammatory pads that he said helped him. Alas. When I set out again, I was back to one boot and one croc.
With a good ground covering of snow, the croc did quite admirable. I stuffed the toe with a tissue to sop up water, and otherwise, it was perfect. As I decended, the snow became slush which was less ideal, but still workable. The afternoon's weather really ran the gamut; peaceful snow, blizzard whipping at your face snow, thunder and lightning snow (something I've never experienced before), and is-it-snow-or-rain-or-hail snow. By the time I rolled into Triacastela, though, the sun was out!
I would have liked to keep going today, as calling it a day so early leaves a long afternoon to fill. But as far as I could tell, the next open albergues were 10+ km down the road, and that seemed unwise, so I decided to call it a day (only after a lunch of a hamburger and fries).
But I think it's good. With my departure date set, I think there is enough built in that if I don't take a couple short days, I'll end up with too much time to kill in Santiago and Madrid. The thing that is hard is that it is gorgeous and sunny out, my gear was already on and wet, so it feels like a tiny waste. But it's good.
I was able to pass the afternoon easily enough, catching up on photos, postcards, chats, etc. Though I wasn't particularly hungry, I did meander into town and got some pasta. I actively fight my tendencies to be as cheap as possible. I know the Camino is the lifeblood of many of these communities and I'm happy to do my part to keep them afloat. Then I also grab a chocolate bar from the grocery store so I can be satisfied as well ;-)
Costs:€7 breakfast (tea and toast x 2), €5.5 lunch (hamburger and fries), €9 dinner (pasta, rice pudding, chocolate bar and crunkies), €8 albergue
Mileage: 15
Start/End Time: 7:50 - 3:00
Today could have been straight out of the Northwest—cold, rainy, and super lush. The path split out of Triacastela and I opted for the non-Samos route, as the book said there was less road walking and shorter. Since I didn't know how walking would go in the rain and my croc, I thought the shorter distance might be preferable. My chosen route rewarded me with some spectacular views and, again, some much appreciated solitude. But the best thing about this route...
A week or two ago, I mentioned a pathside oasis complete with fresh food by donation, couches, and an overall chill-out vibe. Today, I found another one just outside of Fontearcuda and it was great. There were a bunch of couches, etc. tucked in an old stone barn with art all around. There was a yoga and meditation area, a labyrinth (not like I needed more walking), and plenty of inspirational sayings painted everywhere. But most of all, there were 2 friendly people with whom I spent an hour chatting about their story, my story, and more. A while I nearly froze (since I was rather damp and not moving can chill a person out pretty quick), my heart was warmed a lot.
Despite me always extolling solitude, having these deep albeit short interactions with people has been very important to my Camino. They haven't happened nearly as much as I would have hoped, but I guess if they happened more often, they woulddn't be as special.
The rest of the day was more of the same: lush countryside and soggy clothes. The croc, however, performed admirably! In fact, I had very little foot pain or pain of any kind today, which was nice. The relatively shorter distance, however, probably has a lot to do with that.
The countdown to Santiago has pretty much started. Tomorrow I will reach the 100km marker, meaning only ~4 days to go. Part of me likes having the countdown, but it also distracts from being here now. Whatever the case, I'm excited about getting to Santiago, completing this thing I set out to do. But before then, there's still some adventure, food, meditiation, fun, and walking to be had.
Costs: €2 breakfast (donation for tea and an orange), €5 lunch (eggs, fries, pork loin, salad), €12 albergue
Mileage: 19.5
Start/End Time: 8:00 - 4:00
Last night, the "town" I stayed in had nothing but a few houses and the albergue. Specifically, it had no stores, restraurants, or cafes which meant no dinner for Wren. That's okay, as I've rarely been hungry. But that also meant no breakfast. And it turned out that the next 4 or 5 villages this morning also didn't have anything open. So aside from 2 fallen apples I found on the side of the road and a little vending machine station where I bought a crappy pastry and some cheetos, it wasn't a banner day for Spanish cuisine.
I passed the 100km market (photo below). It would have been a happier landmark for me but for all the vandalism. Graffiti and vandalism is grossly prevalent on the Camino and it super bums me out. What feels like it should be a chance to be peaceful, connect with history, and disconnect is marred by "MJ wuz here", "Meat is murder", and "I bought a market today". No me gusta.
After walking a couple hours, I came across a fellow pilgrim slowly making his way. I stopped to chat and make sure everything was okay and ended up getting his story. Another American (only the 4th I've met), he's 62 and just lost his wife of 42 years to COVID. I remember how important it was to me to just be able to talk and have someone listen, so that's what I did. He told me all about it, from the symptoms to the ambulance to the hospital to the end of life decisions to FEMA reimbursement for funeral expenses and lots in between. I shared a little of my story, so he knew I understood, but it seemed the best thing for him was to talk. I slowed my pace drastically to stay with him and we ended up having lunch of sorts together. I think it was good for me and him to have met.
Getting people's stories is a very interesting part of the Camino, perhaps one of the most powerful. I've been avoiding people, for the most part, so haven't heard as many stories as I could/should. But the ones I have affect me and I'm glad to have heard them. Maybe in the last couple of days, I'll try to get a few more.
New body woes: I think the achilles issue is creeping down around the back of my heel and underneath. I was feeling some uncomfortableness there, kind of like a pin prick, on both feet to some degree. It's not painful enough to be super concerned, but I'll keep an eye on it. Only a couple days to go and then I'll be interested to see how the healing works once I'm no longer walking 8 hours a day.
Side note: I just got an e-mail saying my Africa flight was cancelled. No reason was given, but I'm guessing COVID. It had a stopover in Morocco and I think that country is cracking down. So now it's back to the drawing table... E-mail me any suggestions you have for what to do for a month on this side of the world. Bonus points for warmth, new to me, exotic, and cheap!
Costs: €2 breakfast (vending machine pastry and cheetos), €11 lunch (bocadillo, cola-cao, chocolate bar, and cheetos (and also bought Greg's lunch)), €8 albergue
Mileage: 19.5
Start/End Time: 8:00 - 3:30
Last night, the albergue was cold. It was a huge room with 30 bunkbeds and only 2 people in it, one on either end of the room. My sleeping bag is lightweight (by design), so I've counted on sleeping in heated spaces or having blankets be available. Last night, this was not the case. Never fear, I took pillows off a bunch of other beds and stuffed them down my sleeping bag to bulk it up. It worked like a charm! The Camino provides.
Similar to yesterday, Hospital de la Cruz had nothing except an albergue, so no dinner or breakfast for Wren. My fellow pilgrim did offer to share, and I was guilted into taken a boiled egg for dinner to complement my half chocolate bar, so I did okay. But it left me ready for lunch when I got to Palas de Rei, the big town three hours walk away.
Despite it being a big town, nothing was open! I guess Spainards don't really eat breakfast, or at least eat out for breakfast. There were tons of places advertising DESAYUNO! but they were either closed, or when I went in and asked, they said all they had was coffee. Perhaps the town is just like a vacation beach town, only coming to life when the tourists are around. And since there aren't many pilgrims, nothing is open. I ended up going into a bar and talking the nice lady into making me eggs and bacon (super good bacon!) and then hitting up the grocery store for a pastry and some juice. All in all, it left a bad taste in my mouth, so I skedattled from town ASAP.
The weather today was super perfect! I made it all the way down to one layer and zipped off my pant legs! There was a beautiful sunrise and some really pretty mist/fog in some of the valleys. I even tried a few artsy photos (see below). And the other big benefit of having the wonderful weather was that I could take a rest-break! So often, it's either been wet (so I don't want to sit down) or freezing (so I don't want to stop moving). Midafternoon, I found a wonderful little spot in the woods and chilled out for 30 minutes, playing games on my phone and letting my feet rest. It was quite nice.
Melide, tonight's town, is a big one. I'm pretty excited, actually. After a couple days of low caloric intake, I'm stoked to go eat dinner! And I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find something open! (I already scoped a churro place!)
Two more days until Santiago. And they should be short-ist days. I found myself really getting excited about finishing today. I remember hearing about how my dad, when coming up to the end of the Appalachain Trail, wanting to run the last miles. I'm not quite there, but I'm pretty excited.
Side note (update): I rebooked Africa tickets, this time to Senegal and for more money :-( But Adventure isn't going to have itself.
Costs: €10 breakfast (eggs, bacon, tea, and groceries), €1 vending machine hot cocoa, €8.50 dinner(hamburger, milkshake(that was served room temp...:-/)), €12 albergue
Mileage: 19.5
Start/End Time: 8:00 - 4:00
Even thought I didn't leave the albergue until 8 this morning, I was walking in the dark—like using-the-flashlight-on-my-phone dark. There was a heavy heavy mist that kept any daylight from breaking through until almost 9. The mist was also enough that you can't not wear your rain jacket but not so much that you really want to. I compromised and wore mine like a cape. Very functional (and stylish!).
There are some days on the trail where the hours and miles go by quickly. Today was not one of those days. I don't know if it was the anticipation of tomorrow or the weather or the fact I've been walking 7+ hours a day, every day, for almost a month. Whatever the case, today was long. But with every day, there's always something good in the day. Today, that good thing was Graham.
I've mentioned how almost all the cafes, etc. in the tiny towns I pass through are closed. I expected nothing else today, though was really wishing for an excuse to get out of the rain and have a warm beverage. After about 2.5 hours, I found an open cafe with one other Pilgrim in it, a Brit who has walked the Camino many many times. We shared breakfast/lunch, neither of us wanting to head back out. He bought my food (so kind!). Then we bid each other "Buen Camino" and I was off.
Side note: Getting started again after a break is pretty hard on my body. I literally hobble until I get the blood back to where it needs to go and the aches and pains find their balance point.
The afternoon, the mists let up a bit and, much to my excitement, I found a mostly-functioning umbrella in the garbage! It proved just the thing for when the mists kicked back up (which it did on and off for the rest of the day.)
Around 2:00, I came across another open cafe(!) and was standing outside debating whether to go inside. I wasn't hungry and was anxious to get to the albergue. Lo and behold, Graham walks up and talks me in to sitting with him again for a tea. It was, again, lovely! We walked the rest of the day together. He's 66 years old and still had another 10 km to go when I bailed out at my albergue. I'm continuously humbled by the other folks I meet on the trail.
It turns out I'm solo at this albergue again, and I'm stoked! It's another nothing else going on town, so I was ready to skip dinner, but the nice inn-keeper had a menu for a pizza place down the road that delivered! Now I have breakfast for tomorrow too! After pizza, I had a phone interview for an upcoming project. Fingers crossed. (How's that for crypticness?)
Costs: €12 dinner (pizza, soda, tip for delivery lady), €8 albergue
Mileage: 15.5
Start/End Time: 8:00 - 3:00
I'm going to bury the lede just a bit for continuity...
I started out today in a completely empty albergue (including no hospitalero), so I pranced around like I owned the place. Plus, I had left over pizza from the night before! But even with all that, I was on the road before the sun (though I didn't have to resort to a flashlight like yesterday).
It was to be an easy day, with less mileage than I've been doing. But as it turned out, walking through the paved suburbs left my feet sore enough by the time I arrived that I can barely stand to wash my laundry in the sink.
I took two nice tea and crumpets breaks, one where the guy way over charged me (€5 for tea and a slice of cake!?!?) and the other one where the sweet barista gave me 3 little morsels (including a churro!) with my hot chocolate, all for €1.60!
As one might expect, I'm crossing paths with others I've met from the trail, some from as far back as the first week! It's nice to catch up and see how their Camino went. I'm thinking tomorrow, when I am mobile again, I will plant myself along the route to say hi to folks.
One fun highlight of the day—I found a disc golf course! It's my hope to track down a disc so I can go throw a round or two!
After a few wrong turns coming into the city, I made it to the cathedral, the symbolic end of the journey. I'll do a proper post with stats, impressions, etc. in a day or two. In short, I wasn't overwelmed like I thought I might be. Yes I proud I completed the thing I set out to do. And by no means is there any negative feeling; the cathedral is gorgeous, the sun came out to illuminate it all, and the square was practically empty (which I wasn't expecting at all). Perhaps the logistics of it all (my feet hurting, me still needing to find a place to sleep for the night, having no exact point to say "this is the end", not being able to enter the cathedral with a backpack, etc.) didn't allow me to be in the proper headspace. Maybe it will sink in in the next couple days I have to explore the city. Maybe I'm distracted by my follow-up interview for mystery project tonight...
As an aside, I'm also feeling quite under the weather again, with mega-sniffles and a bit of a stuffy head. I'm guessing it is from some albergue with no heating overnight or getting drenched and walking through the cold. So it goes. So I'm stoked to have a room to myself tonight with my own bathroom and my own control of the heat! I've got my first batch of laundry drying on the radiator as we speak.
So yeah, I made it. Stay tuned for a more comprehensive wrap-up.
Costs: €6.60 tea and crumpets (x2), €6.50 dinner (udon noodle soup!), €3 groceries, €27 proper hotel
Mileage: ~3 miles of meandering
Start/End Time: It doesn't matter!!
First rest day, though I really consider it the day that I switch from a pilgrim to a tourist. My job as a pilgrim was to walk, so that's what I did. Now, as a tourist, I get to do whatever I want. But before I did, I have a few last pilgrim business things to take care of.
The first thing I did, after sleeping in until almost 11(!), was head to the cathedral. Even though I got my picture outside it yesterday as a "I did it" kind of moment, I didn't get a chance to explore it. Plus, there was a pilgrim's mass at 12:00 that I thought maybe I should attend for some reason, so I did. It's hard to say whether not being able to understand the language well makes church more or less enjoyable. But I did see quite a few fellow pilgrims there and the space was beautiful. I lit a candle for Della and cried for a long time in front of it. I'll have to go back and check out the cathedral again when my eyes are less filled with tears.
The second thing I did was go retrieve my compostela, the document that proves(?) you did it. The place was very welcoming and efficient. I don't know that I'll hang the certificate on my wall, but I figured it was part of the pilgrimage, so I had to do it.
And besides letting my body heal, that was the last of my pilgrim responsibilities. Then it was on to tourist stuff. First up, try to find a place to buy a disc golf disc so I can play the course they have here. The tourist office pointed me to the local sporting goods store, but they didn't carry it. Then I reached out to the local frolf club and got a very helpful response. The result: I'm meeting a guy tomorrow and he'll sell me a disc! I'm very excited.
Otherwise, I meandered about a bit playing close attention to not pushing it. I wore 2 sneakers(!) and was able to go the whole day without having unbearable pain. Not having a pack on my back and being able to walk slowly with very little purpose probably helped a lot. But even so, I know my body is not out of the woods yet. I'm guessing even after a week of leisure, my achilles will still be reminding me they are there. But I took today as a step in the right direction.
As the acquiring of my certificate signifies the end of my Camino, I'm debating how/if I will continue with this journalling or if I'll switch back to my blog post style. Time will tell. But I will say that it has been so comforting to know that so many of you are traveling along with me through this journal. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Costs: €1 candle for Della, €7 postcards/stamps, €3.50 lunch (fast food tapas!!), €1 smashed penny(!), €8 dinner (stir fried udon noodles, soda), €27 proper hotel
