Camino: Day 23, July 23

We are stopped for second breakfast. I have no energy this morning so far. Maybe the bugs drained too much of my blood last night.

Camino: Day 22 alberge

After an all day walk, we finally came to Caldadilla de la Cueza, in the middle of nowhere.

This albergue had a pool. I did laundry, and never even put my feet in. Too hot in the sun. It was in the 90's today, made tolerable by a continuous breeze at our backs.

We were given all top bunks, no ladders. Abby told the owner that I couldn't get in the top bunk without a ladder.

Suddenly he opened the top room and we all had lower bunks. Sometimes it's useful to pull the old lady card.

I've also included 3 photos from the bathroom windows. Good night.

Camino: Day 22, church carvings and more.

Magnificent carvings from 2 medieval churches, and a few more road photos.

Camino: Day 22, Middle of Nowhere

July 5, 2013, Friday
Not sure, but I think this is the start of our 4th week. When morning is so far apart from afternoon and evening, who can be sure?

We started off this morning with no "formal breakfast". Monica and I had a grenola bar and a piece of fruit. It was 5.7 km to a cafe con leche and a pain au chocolate. Carrion de los Condes is where stage 17 ends, but since we are walking with Abby and her Eagle Scout fiance, Luke, we are doing roughly 20 km a day. To me, this is a more sane schedule. Some numbers will have to be worked on to get us to Santiago by the 24th July. I have a room booked for the 23, 24, 25, but have always been more flexible about our arrival date. If we can walk into Santiago the morning of the 24th, that would be grand.

The 25th is St. JAMES' feast day, and we don't want to miss the celebration. And we don't want to take a bus, which many pilgrims did today to miss the LONG WALK ON THE VIA ROMANA WITH JUST GRASS TO SEE

Camino: Day 21, Flat and Hot

We are in the flat country now. Yestrrday's walk to Villacazar de Sirga was pretty but hard on the feet natural path with stones, wilflowers and birds and frog song.

The 11th c. church was open when we were looking for a place to stay and closed when we went back to it.

We sat with beers, talking with Bernard and Patricia from Antibes, and with our American walking companions for the last several days, Luke and Abby.

Camino: Day 21, July 4

Happy Independance Day America! We sang a medoly of the armed forces songs for you today!

Yesterday, we stayed in an oasis albergue with magnificent garden and pool. Just outside tha gate was a lovely church. The morning was cool, the walk mostly along a canal system where we ran into a couple fishing for crawdads!

Camino: Day 20, July 20 - Oasis

We walked down off the Meseta and there seemed to be pilgrims on bikes and thosr on foot flying past us on the home stretch to get to an oasis and our so far favorite place we've stayed.

The people running it were lovely, the garden and pool refreshing, a bar and restaurant right on site, and a great church just outside the gate. Who showed up by the man with the key to the church.

Camino: The Meseta

On July 1, Monday - Day 18, we walked out of Burgos in the mist, but by the time we reached the Meseta, the sun had burned it's way through and we walked in full sun but with a "brisa fresca". A delightful fresh breeze which makes everything seem right!

We had three days on the Meseta. Climb up to walk across the flat grassfields that go all the way to the sky. Then the long steep downhill to a town where you sleep. Next day, climb up again, and start the process all over again. Day three was a little different as it began with a long steep climb up.

I made that climb slowly without stopping with a big Canadian named Jonathan. He noticed my Stratford shirt the day before and asked about it. I asked him later if I could draw him, toothpick drawing.

But at the top of the climb, he sat down,. I  said, " I really enjoyed making that climb with you." I was always behind him, the exact same pace, and we never stopped. It was the first time he had done that. About 20 minutes of steep climbing. He was very proud to have done it.

He was also fast on the downhill, where I am not, because of my knees.

It was our last big climb - 2 days ago - and now days of walking on the flat.

Tomorrow we reach our half way point.

Camino: Day 19 pilgrim mass

Once we checked into our traditional albergue, showered, we headed for a drink. Carey said tgeir woukd be a pulgrim mass at 7pm. We had time to eat first.

So glad that we went. Three priests, two from America that are with parishioners, are walking, and one from Spain that also had some folks, one a 15 year old boy playing the violin. He was good, the violin had a beautiful voice, and the acoustics in the church made ut even more special.

Camino signs

You never know what you'll find.

The last one is from the town we entered two days ago.

We walked and walked to get up to this church/monastario? Then on a search for a bed, we walked clear to the opposite side of town. I never got in it as my feet were't going to let me walk back so far.

We stayed in a traditional albergue that night Day 19. No cell phones allowed, limited facilities. The big fat man took pity on mother and daughter and took us to two lower beds in concrete cells with mattresses. So grateful for that. We woke up to Gregorian Chant, and then the fat man walking through opening the windows to the cold morning air. He had great cafe con leche waiting for us..

Camino: No fracking and more!

Yes, graffiti everywhere voicing that opinion. Jeff, since you're dealing with this, this is for you!

And you artists might like this art school. I'd have liked it more the morning we walked out of Burgos had it been open.

Since I lost my reed pen and Chinese brush, I have tried to make drawings with an over-sizied toothpick!

They have said, "If you gave Sargent a leaf and some horse shit, he would make a masterpiece. I'm no Sargent of the toothpick, and I miss those washes, but it's all I've got now. EXCEPT: my ballpoint pen. Love it, but it takes more time.

Oh my God! No wonder my feet hurt! We've walked 192 miles!!!!@@@***

And by the time you get this, more than that!

We couldn't get a bed in Hornillos. So Santi, a really kind man at that hostel, drove us to another hostel. That one was closed on Mondays. So he took us to another. We are about 6 km off the Camino. Not sure where, but after breakfast, we will be driven back to Hornillos and vontinue walking.

We have several days of flat short walks. Short being between 20 - 25 km. Having said that, we had a pretty good climb back up ontop of the Meseta.

I thought you might like to see last night's 'translated into English' menu from last night. I had the lentils and the duck. The photo is of dessert. A soft cheese covered with honey and sesame seed with a slice of homemade marmelade paste with nuts. Yummy.

Camino: catching up

Day 13, June 26: Najera to Santo Domingo. We walked 21 km and stayed in the Abadia Cisterciense. We were checked in by one of the nuns. Those nuns make sure they get their money.

Feet were hurting, but we had to wash ourselves, our clothes and see the church with the chickens. Plus, we wanted to go to vespers.

I must confess, I was not impressed with the sisters singing, or the setting, or the fact that we couldn't see them.

Mostly I wished the walls could talk. The floors were torture for my broken feet. We had the last three beds in the convent.