Siesta

We had a long slog today -- 31K to Astorga. This is a mid-sized town with an old town center and a beautiful cathedral. (This is becoming a recurrent theme for these towns.)

We started before dawn, a little after 6:00 

am. The weather was cool in the low 40s and the first couple of hours of walking was great. We were with Canada Mark and Leona from the Netherlands, who we've been traveling with for the last several days. 

 

Along the way, we saw a cyclist with an interesting way of drying his laundry. 

We arrived at the albergue at 1:30, a 7 1/2 hour walk for the day. The last part of the walk was a hot slog in the mid day sun. Therese tends to get a bit cranky about this time of day but I just try to inform her. 

Our later than usual arrival presented a bit of a problem because almost everything closes down for siesta in the afternoon. From 2:00 until 5:00 or 6:00, it's hard to find anything open, with the exception of the bars. 

It's been hard getting used to siesta. After walking all day, we need to buy food and other supplies. But we have to wait until 5:00 or 6:00 when the shops reopen. Usually, we just take a nap like everyone else or take care of our aches and pains like in this fountain of cold water. 

In the larger towns, the grocery stores, or supermercados, often stay open through siesta but the clerks are cranky. In the small villages, everything closes.

It's even tougher with dinner. Most restaurants don't even begin to serve dinner until 7:00 or 8:00. If you come at opening time, you usually are the only ones there for 30 or 45 minutes. The albergues lock their doors at 10:00, so sometimes it's a rush to eat and get back in time. 

Today's good intentions are for Therese's running, cycling and swimming buddies Liz, Amy, Lynn and Virginia. They have provided great companionship, counsel and other diversions (e.g., quilting, Liz!) through their training sessions together. 

A Day of Surprises

We decided to skip our planned rest day in Leon and keep walking today. The hotel last night was very nice and in the middle of all the action in the old city. There is a festival going on in the city this week and there were stages and bands playing all over town. The place was packed. 

This is great but most of the action seemed to be taking place outside of our hotel. It went on all night. I could hear the partiers at 5:00 this morning. I'll post a video on Facebook of the street scene. 

The walk out of Leon this morning was very nice for the most part. We walked by the San Marcos Paradore, the famous hotel from "The Way" (we didn't stay there). 

Therese rested for a few minutes with another weary pilgrim. 

We had a dreary section through an industrial area on the outskirts of Leon. Along a very busy road, we came upon a local cafe and we needed our first coffee for the day. The proprietor was out front hustling business from the peregrinos passing by. Unlike most of the cafes, she quickly took our orders, upsold a couple of things to us, and quickly had our food in front of us. She was much more like a hustling American entrepreneur than Spanish.  It was a very unexpected delight on such a bad stretch of road. 

Fortunately, we quickly turned off the highway and onto a quiet country path. Within a few hundred meters, we left the big city behind and were back onto the traditional Camino. About 1K later, we ran into a traffic jam, Camino style. Another wonderful surprise. 

A couple of kilometers later, we came across a vendor selling fruits and drinks to the peregrinos. He was a delightful and friendly chap, so we had to buy a couple of bananas from him. 

The Camino route is easy to follow with yellow arrows painted on the roads, sign posts, rocks or any stationary surface. There are also helpful directions to other services along the way. 

You see these quite a bit. 

But bars here are all purpose. They open early to serve coffee and breakfast (they all have industrial strength expresso machines), lunches and dinners. And, of course, beer all day long. It nothing to see the locals and the peregrinos hydrating with beer at 8:00 in the morning. I haven't had an 8:00 beer (yet) but I did enjoy one at 11:00 today when Therese needed another cafe con leche. 

The bar (cafe) was in this tiny, tiny village but it was very relaxing. I could have stayed all afternoon but we had 5K to go to our stopping point for the day. 

Our ending village for the day was Villar de Mazarife, a small burg of about 50 people. We had planned to stay in the small albergue in town, one of three. But Therese saw a sign for the Albergue Jesus which advertised a pool!  We turned down a dirt path, past broken down farm equipment and decaying buildings, and into a walled courtyard of an old, but renovated, hacienda. It was a very quirky place, but really nice. The young owner and her son checked us in. Another place with no English spoken. 

As we were given the grand tour, the owner showed us our room -- a room with two beds. No bunk beds or sharing tonight. We hit the jackpot for €5 each.  Therese quickly made for the pool with a friend. 

They also have a very nice kitchen where we will prepare dinner tonight. No peregrino menu today. 

The final surprise of the day was the local tienda, or food shop, that we found to pick up groceries for dinner. In these small villages, these places are usually quite sketchy. This place was great -- fresh produce, a good selection of canned goods for marinara sauce, small containers of olive oil and vinegar for cooking and salad dressing, and even spices (oregano) for my sauce. The shopkeeper was very friendly and helpful. She spoke no English but with our slightly improving Spanish, we got everything we needed. 

All in all it was a delightfully surprising day when we expected nothing. 

Today's good intentions are for our good friend Grandison and her great family hubby Mark and children Matthew, Lilly and Hayes. Therese and Grandison are like two peas in a pod and Grandison has become my intrepid trail running buddy. Who else would run with me at 6:00 am on a cold December morning to kick off my 60th birthday? You and your family are precious to us. 

Dear Abby (Big T) on the Camino

Two nights ago we stayed in a very out-of-the-way, very small village called Calzadilla de los Hermanillos. After picking up a few things from the tienda for dinner (see the Top Chef post from a couple of days ago), we sat in the plaza to have a cervesa before cooking. 

We started chatting with an Asian woman we had seen along the way over the prior several days. Other than saying hello, we hadn't talked to her at all. She had seemed very quiet and kept to herself

She was very shy at first, I think a bit self conscious about her English. (Of course, we know zippo Asian languages.)  As we talked, she began to open up. Goh is from South Korea and has been traveling the Camino by herself since May 26, about a week before us. She was having difficulty meeting people because of the language difficulties. She hadn't met any other Koreans (although we've met several). 

Goh was getting lonely at times, missing her family and friends. She was a little envious of people traveling with friends or family. She said she had watched Therese and I and that we seemed to be having a good time together. 

We had a nice time talking with her and Therese especially took Goh under her wing. Goh was fascinated by Therese's jewelry and stories about our families. So Therese is again the earth mother of the Camino with a new Korean daughter. 

The next night in Mansilla, we saw Goh again at the albergue. She was with a group of young Korean boys and having a great time. She was very animated and friendly with all of the other peregrinos, a 180 degree change from the day before. She told Therese that she was very happy that we had talked to her the day before and that it had changed her Camino. She was part of the international dinner that night and by the end of the 

night she was giving Therese hugs and kisses like a long lost child. Goh is a changed person. 

Today, we had an easy 19K stroll into Leon. It was a sensory shock going from the solitude of the past two days to the hustle and bustle of a big city.

We are staying in a hotel in the old central city. We have a room overlooking a busy pedestrian street. It's just up the street from Leon's grand cathedral. 

Many of our fellow peregrinos are taking advantage of the luxuries of a big city and are staying in hotels tonight. It seems that half of our hotel is our fellow travelers. 

Today's good intentions are for our close friends Chris and Richard. They are our loving friends and Therese's faithful running companions on those 6:00 am runs. Thank you, guys. 

Top Chef International

At the end of yesterday's walk we were way off the beaten path. Most of the peregrinos took the easy route along the road. Therese and I took the path less traveled to the very small village of Cazadilla de Los Hermanillos. There was nothing in town with the exception of two small albergues and one bar. 

We stayed in the municipal albergue which had a small kitchen.  This was great because we could fix ourselves dinner rather than eating the tiresome Menu Peregrino at the local bar. 

The village actually had a small tienda where we could buy groceries. The place  was quite a trip.  It was in an ancient building, very right and cramped space and the proprietor was a very short, very old Spanish gentleman. Three local women were in the store before us and it took over 30 minutes for them to buy their groceries before our turn. It was not like a quick trip to Kroger. 

The shopkeeper was very helpful and we bought food for lunch and dinner as well as a liter bottle of San Miguel (to rehydrate, of course). He took great pains to let us know that he would reopen at 5:00 pm after siesta. (We did go back for another liter of San Miguel.)

Everyone had the same idea to cool their own dinner. First, Lauren, an American girl from Northern Virginia, made a massive cheese and vegetable omelet. Then, the Italians took over the kitchen to make pasta and marinara sauce. Then, the French were up and they started in on an elaborate mix of sautéed onions and other vegetables, rice, something with a tomato stock, bread and many bottles of wine. Therese and I were up next and made a mixed vegetable hash and fried eggs (which is a popular dinner item in Spain). 

It was amazing the various and scrumptious dinners that could be made with a few local ingredients and minimal kitchen facilities. The French won the Top Chef award for the night for their elaborate dinner prepared under minimalistic conditions. 

The Frenchman, Oliver, has taken a liking to Therese. We are in the same albergue tonight, so we decided to all fix dinner together. It will be something to look forward to. 

Today's walk was 25K to Mansilla over ancient Roman roadways nearly 2,000 years old. We were still off the beaten path, with no intermediate villages and only four other peregrinos today. It was almost like being a medieval pilgrim. 

For the past several days, we have been walking parallel to a mountain range to the north. It is very much like Colorado and Wyoming -- rolling plains to rough snow capped peaks. 

We arrived in Mansilla before noon and checked into the albergue. We ran into many of our friends we haven't seen for a couple of days because they took the busy road route. It will be a great evening tonight. Here's a picture of the courtyard patio. 

I took a tour of town and found a barbershop/hairdresser to get a haircut. Gotta keep looking fresh on the Camino. 

Today's good intentions are for our good friends, Som and Steve. We have had many, many good times together and greatly value our close friendship. 

A Little Off The Beaten Path

For the last several days, much of the Camino has been along paths next to highways. Although the paths are separated from the road surfaces, you still hear the cars and trucks zooming past.  It can get quite boring and is not the serene walks that are characteristic of the Camino. These gravel paths, known as sendes, are part of the unwise modernization of the Camino by the Spanish government. 

Today's walk gave us the option of following the ancient Camino pathways, actually old Roman roads. Most of the peregrinos decided to follow the new route which has more towns and places to stop. But Therese and I decided to follow the original route. 

Once we got away from the main route, it became much quieter. We entered a tiny little farming village and I asked one of the locals for directions (like I really needed them for this one-street town). I pretty much understood him (derecho - straight ahead). But he kept going on and kept saying pregunta, pregunta. I kept saying si, si and he kept looking at me expectantly, shaking his head.  Finally, we said adios and were off. Only when I was down the street did I remember that pregunta means question -- do you have questions. I kept saying si like I understood what he was saying. He must have thought that I was nuts. 

For the final 10K of our walk, we saw no other people, except for one farmer in his fields. It was grand. 

Our 27K walk today took us through Sahagun, a medieval powerhouse city of 10,000. Now it's a sleepy town of 1,500. The entrance bridges and gates to the old city are spectacular, however. 

Today's good intentions are for our adopted Irish son, Gerry, his family and the woman who keeps him straight, Eithne. Gerry's spirit and sense of adventure makes him a model and excellent traveling companion for all sorts of trips. 

Half Way

It is fitting after our amazing day yesterday that we have passed the half way point in our journey. With the completion of 27K to Terradillos de Templarios, we have covered 249 miles with 241 to go to Santiago. 

It has truly been a wonderful journey. We've seen amazing scenery, walked through ancient Spanish towns, met great people from around the world and have had one great experience after another. It's hard to explain and describe, but it is truly a life changing experience. Also, one hellava way to kick off retirement. With any luck, this will be the first of many similar experiences. 

We continued our walk through the Meseta.  For the first 16K stretch, we just walked though farm fields.  No villages for cafe con leche, tortillas or pastries. It was a long way but with nice scenery. 

The weather was brilliant again today. It is very cool in the morning - in the 40s. It is very pleasant walking conditions. By 11:00 or noon, it starts to heat up a bit, but by then the day's walk is over.  The afternoon is spent in the garden of the albergue reading and catching up with others. 

We've been on the Camino for 18 days now but it seems like just an instant.

Today's good intentions are for my mother and father, Donald and Delores, who are celebrating their 65th anniversary today. You have been great role models to me, my brothers and sisters, their families and friends. Thank you and happy anniversary. 

A Boring Hike But A Brilliant Town: Probably the Best Day on the Camino So Far

Our 20K walk today was probably the least interesting of the Camino up to Most of it was a gravel path next to a road. The weather was very comfortable for walking, even chilly in the early day. We arrived in Carrion at 11:00 an hour before the albergue opened up so we got in the queue for beds. Fortunately, we were 2nd and 3rd in the queue so we had first dibbs on the showers. 

Hans (from Hamburg) showed up later and had to wait a bit to take his shower.  He just wandered about until his turn. 

This albergue is run by a local convent with very sweet and lovely nuns. We will go to Vespers at 5:30, folk songs at 6:00, Mass at 7:00 and  I'm cooking marinara and pasta at 8:00. 

We spent a lovely afternoon on the plaza talking to our fellow peregrinos and enjoying muchas cervesas. The weather was gorgeous--a bit cool in the shade that you need a long sleeve, but toasty in the sun. We went back and forth to get warm or cool off. 

The sisters that run this albergue were very special. They greeted us with smiling  faces, offered us bread and tea as we waited to check in, and patiently talked to each peregrino. They all were very young and had angelic faces. 

They had angelic voices, as well. We went to vespers - sung prayers - at 5:30. It was beautiful and very emotional.  After vespers, the sisters led sing along in the albergue with traditional Camino songs. A couple of peregrinos sang and played guitar as well. 

After the folk songs, we went to Mass and had a very special peregrino's blessing afterward. The priests laid hands on each peregrino's head and made the sign of the cross on their foreheads. We each received a special token from the sisters who said that they would continue to think about and pray for us during the rest of our journeys. 

The sisters were so nice and genuine. I don't know how they can do it day after day with each new group of peregrinos. They are truly very special people and I was humbled. 

After Mass, I fixed a big pot of marinara sauce and pasta for Kiss Vera, Hans and Patrick. They all were very appreciative of my home cooking. It was a fine finish to an amazing day. By far, it has been the best day. 

Today's good intentions are for Therese's older brother Al, whose 62nd birthday is today. Al's good humor and friendliness puts all at ease. It is a wonderful quality.