Villafranca del Bierzo/O Cereibro

Villafranca del Bierzo/O Cereibro
Up at 6 am – Direction O Cereibro

Arrived at 1o.30
Watched my « mochila » safely installed as the taxi overtook us. Was a bit concerned about it. The cost was Euros 4. The view all the way was breathtaking.
I did not think it was the hardest climb. I also thought it would have taken longer than that to reach it. I almost regretted to have « sent » the « mochila’ by Taxi.:)
Walking along the rural area was an eye-opener. I loved the simplicity of it, everything was in harmony with nature, – how ingenious their reticulation system was, how self-sufficient they were, the colours of the landscape, all blending in –
Everything in that part of Spain is used to conserve energy. Sometimes, I thought it was a bit too much.
For example, you go to the toilets – you don’t even have time to sit down and the light goes off – then you find yourself doing gymnastics with your hands, trying to connect again 🙂 The lack of toilet paper as well used to be a bit annoying. I made sure I checked before I closing the door.
I also learned to check the shower prior to having it, to see what I could bring in or not. My clothes got wet on a few occasions (I noticed that after a few days of walking) The distribution of water can be restricted. In some instances, you have to push the button, lather yourself with soap – and whoosh… the water supply has already disappeared. I thought of holding the soap in my mouth, juggling around with one hand and trying to pick up the soap with the other one, still did not work. Those were the quickest showers I have ever had and I can be pretty good with that as I am conscious of saving energy. I have never fully discussed that with the others to see how they managed the situation, Perhaps, I should have… I wonder..I also did not appreciate on a couple of occasions, not having shower curtains or a door on the shower. It was all in the open. I know we are all the same – well almost – 🙂 I still have a sense of decorum. I like to be able to decide on that aspect myself. I don’t like people imposing it . I know it is less work. It was in the women’s bathrooms..just to reassure you, I slang my towel around and in a controlled flick of the hand I put it across the rail. Privacy was ensured.:)
The Albergue was on the hill. Because we arrived early, the Albergue was not opened until 1.30pm Already a queue was forming and tempers became frayed amongst some of the people. Gary had left his small bag in front and we went back to get our mochilas which had been delivered to a Mason whatever. When we came back, we put our 6 mochilas next to his small bag. That did not go down too well with some people. It resulted that the place got filled in no time the last person that got in lucky was a Japanese. The others had to keep going. It was the first time I have seen this. I had the feeling the end of the Camino is getting closer as well more people were travelling on the road.

Rabanal del Camino/Ponferrada/Villafranca del Bierzo/

Rabanal del Camino/Ponferrada/Villafranca del Bierzo/

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Left at 6.30. During the night there was a huge thunderstorm, rain was falling on the roof with hail.
There was no one in attendance to let us out.
There are oak trees and heather along the way.It is difficult to walk at times, it is slippery and you have to step over big muddy areas with water still running on the side.It is hilly and there is a lot of grass growing.It is also very narrow .We rejoined the road and saw that beautiful medieval bridge (puente de los Peregrinos) on the Meruelo river.(originally built by the Romans)
Had a stopover for breakfast again, an apple cake – the owner of the restaurant was French – Withdrew some money, walked to the Civic Centre and try to juggle over the pool of water. I did not want my shoes to get wet.
The walk continue and Ponferrada is just in sight, we stopped at the Tourist station to ask the direction for the Albergue, it is very close from there.
On arrival, we were welcomed. warmly by volunteers who are running the Albergue and we were allowed to leave our mochilas at the Albergue and walked to the Castle.
« In 1175,the knights for the order of the Temple settle down in Ponferrada to protect the pilgrims and built a fortress »
Ponferrada means Iron bridge.
At the castle, we meet some American cyclists that became friends of Yolanda and Hildegarde.
Glenis , Gary and I walked for quite sometimes trying to find a place to eat. We finally decided to go Italian.
We then headed back to the Albergue.

Glenis and Gary were having a snooze and I went out. Outside the garden in the gardens, a lady stopped me and asked me if I wanted to answer a survey about the Camino. I said yes. Filled up the form and left. My camera had stopped working and I wanted to see if I could get a recharger. So I walked past the Ponferrada bridge and walked and walked and walked. I was so hot, I was wearing some flip flop shoes and they were giving me some problem rubbing inside in between the toes. I thought of walking barefoot for a while would be much better. I located a Chemist – Yes again – My body was covered with strange things and I was itching and scratching and scratching . The blood was coming out. She gave me some cream to ease the itch and showed me where to go to find a camera shop.

On the Camino, I took mainly pictures from the landscape. My camera stopped working because I forgot to take the recharger with me :). I tried to get one in Leon as I could see I was running low on battery,they did not have any.
SO, I walked and walked, Ponferrada is a big place believe me !:)Finally, I found the shop, unfortunately, the man did not have my camera ‘s type -the only solution was for me to buy a new camera- I just say thank you and left. I just had to be patient and wait for a few days. … until Mauricio (a Brazilian) came to the rescue. He had an Universal recharger. I missed not having my camera for a few days that’s all.
A few people asked to take a picture of me on a few occasions, I was a bit reluctant and walking I thought about that. It was another hangover I had from the past. Someone said one day they wanted to take a picture of the family and I immediately came along.I was told No – only the Family – Funny, I thought I was part of the family. So I cleared that up now and learning not to be so touchy. I have never seen so many pictures of me lately!

I returned back to the Albergue and went with Glenis, Gary and Jane for a drink into the centre of the City.
We sat outside watching the passers-by.It was really nice just letting your mind go and do nothing but watching. The rain came again and we waited for a while until it nearly disappeared before walking back to our quarters.
I had a full day and I was pretty tired.

Ponferrada/Villafranca del Bierzo

The journey started at 6 am. The moon was at 1/4 full ,walking along the countryside, crossed a few villages and stopped to have breakfast, a real chocolate (the thick one) without the « Churros ». How lucky!
The Pamplona’s bull race was on, lots of people in the cafe were cheering. Glenis did not appreciated that and thought it was cruel. Some pictures were disturbing, I have to admit. I watched for a short while and my attention got directed towards the newspaper lying on the bar. I picked it up, I wanted to check if there was anything mentioned about Olga. I was worried about that and I had a pang in my stomach. I asked the woman serving me to show me if there was some information about someone being lost on the Camino, she looked at the page she thought it would be and could not find anything. I put the paper down and started doing some breathing to chase that idea out of my head. During the walk, I thought about where all this was coming from. I was able to relate it with childhood’s anxieties. I felt more at peace that I was able to see that.

We went over a bridge and onto the path again, as I turned back I could see two policemen on horses following onto the track. When they approached, I asked them how many kilometres they did a day with the horse? » 20/25 kms depends – sometimes 30 kms – » which is roughly how much I was doing.(20/24 kms) per day walking for 6 hours and stopping on the way a few times. This was interesting. They continued along and I watched the horses ondulating onto the track, at their own rythme.

Walked more onto the alternative road – It took nearly longer than the first 18 kms –
It was time to have a break again, from a short distance, we could hear some loud music – ideal – We placed our order : « bocadillas con jamon y queso » and some tomatoes as well. The lady seemed surprised and presented us with two tomatoes on a plate with a knife on top of it. She brought the sandwich along and asked me to sit closer to the table. She opened the sandwich and added the tomato, poured some salt and olive oil in it.
Two more people arrived, they were relations. One of the lady took a liking to me, telling me she had an apartment in Madrid and her neighbour was French. She had lived in Cuba, been to Venezuela and was asked to visit her cousin in San Antonio in the US but needed knee surgery before she could go, her husband had died after a long illness. She kept striking my hair, ensuring I was happy, even told me to go to the loo before leaving – I followed the instructions as per the rule 🙂 – She was doing my hair and told me a miracle should happen for me on the Camino. I felt it was right there in front of my eyes. She was so kind. Prior to leaving, a song came out « Perfidia » She was so surprised I knew the words, we all ended up singing and dancing before going. It was so spontaneous and we did not have to rehearse it. I enjoyed that; Glenys was dancing away and I am not too sure was I was doing but hey, I was happy singing along from the top of my voice : »Mujer, si puedes tu con Dios hablar, preguntale si yo alguna vez te he dejado di adorar. » That made the rest of the Camino so much more pleasant…and Gary was too, he kept asking me everyday what was my miracle for the day, so there.

As for my itches. Looks like I have measles, big blotches coming out – very very itchy –
The country side is there to distract me from that thought. Absolutely gorgeous – going through vineyards and orchards.

We finally found the Privada Albergue – had to go to the end of the town – apparently, they are not allowed to advertise.

This has been a long walk – very hot – Yes! I will have a foot massage.
We gathered all our clothes and have them ready to have them washed and dried. They were not ready until late in the night – as a matter of fact, they brought them up for us, all folded at 10pm –

The foot massage – This time was different from the first one, a lady came and it was done in front of everyone, she pulled out a table located under a bed that opened up – and Bingo, the massage table is unfolding – I only wanted my feet done, so the preliminaries started :OOHLALA! I AM SCREAMING SHE IS CERTAINLY GETTING INTO THAT NITTY GRITTY OF THINGS! OH BOY ! IT »S PURE AGONY! Hildegarde is killing herself laughing, so am I…well – sort of – 🙂 She is next in line so, I made sure I waited and see what sort of performance this was going to be.
Well, it was hilarious! I thought I was assisting at a wrestling contest. She kept waving her hand and banging it onto the table, begging to stop. She was throwing the sponge! Yolanda was next, I went out after seeing a similar pattern developing.Mine… I thought, was quite timid compared with theirs 🙂 Splendid!

Gary, Glenis and Jane had gone out for a drink to join them. I went around a couple of places, they were not there.I had no idea where they were, not too far they said. I finally find them, sitting on the balcony of the pub, looking over the river « A view to a kill » Tapas were on their ways and not just olives. I had a craving for them all the way, so I always make sure I had my share or two.:)

We then went to the centre of the city to have dinner. I saw Barbara was there sitting on her own and she came over and talk with us. I had a stopover at the Pharmacy for my itchy bits… hee hee hee.

Then nite nite until the next morning, it was going to be a long hard walk along the scenic way but gee well worth it.

It’s a 6 am start – going the scenic way –
Turning past the bridge on a very high and steep climb.
Avoided three or four dogs barking and looking pretty savage. I am glad Gary lifted his baton otherwise, one of them was going to take a piece of me. Glenis had the same experience. They did look really nasty.
Climbing, climbing, climbing. it is a spectacular view. We came across some young people camping, still asleep. WOW! That’s the ticket!

Had a few stopovers, (Glenis had taken some biscuits and drinks and we shared them amongst ourselves and she gave some to a few passers-by as well who were really pleased about that) not only to admire the view but to take a breath. Running short of breath. Down below, I could see the road and some pilgrims walking, although I don’t like height that much – I was looking at the view making sure I was closer to the right handside, get the picture?:)

I am glad we went that way. When I arrived at the summit, it was glorious. I had the sensation, I had achieved something – I had climbed my mountain – the satisfaction was unbelievable. What appeared to be snow from a distance and I had been watching that for a couple of days, was some white rocks encrusted in the mountain. Just shows you how you can be mistaken about lots of things.

We arrived in a small village and were looking for the cafe, a woman told us to follow her, we went across, cows were nearby inside the compound… the smell of it could have knocked you out.:) so powerful we turned right and the woman opened the cafe for us. It was lovely inside. Had morning tea and came out having a little chat with the locals. One of them was weaving what appeared to be a basket and further down, a man pointed out to us « O Cereibro ».

Caught up with Jane again. She was walking slowly as she had a sore knee. She said she had been bitten by a dog – the same one we had met on the outskirt of Villafranca del Bierzo –
Arriving in Trobella, I asked if there was a Doctor. No, to-day is a holiday and no Doctor was in attendance. There was a pharmacy though and it was open. Spoke with the chemist who called the Doctor in Villafranca at the Centro de Salud who then spoke with me and is telling me we have to come back to Villafranca as Jane needs to have a Tetanos Injection. I thought he meant we had to walk back initially, I was not looking forward to that. The chemist called a Taxi. Jane looked worried, the chemist had cleaned up the bite, it looked nasty. In the meantime, he also had a look at my scratches and suggested that since I was going with Jane,to have an anti-esthimine injection for my allergies.
When we left, the chemist gave us some lollies and a kiss:)

Arrived at the Hospital, they had a look and said it was really dirty, they gave Jane the injection and told her she needed to have another one in a month and in a year time. A report was also written.
As for me…I got my injection..in the bum 🙂

Meantime, the taxi driver was still waiting for us outside and we decided to head back to Vega which was only a few kilometres from Trobella. On the way, we passed Glenis and Gary, Hildegarde, Yolanda and Bill and we asked the taxi driver to sound his horn…and we waved to them:) then we just sat at a bar and waited for them to arrive. Had a drink together and then looked for a place to sleep. We found it at the Pension Fernandez. Had a shower, did the usual, washing, nap, etc

On the way over for dinner, Glenis spotted some beautiful hydrangeas and magnolia tree in a house and spoke with the people. They asked us in and we had a bit of a discussion about the beautiful flowers they had in their garden. I told them about the origin of the name of the Magnolia’s tree. They did not know it was named after the French Botanist Magnol. The man then asked us to follow him around, he wanted to show us something down the road. It was an old flour mill which had been used for generations (200 years) They were so proud to show us that marvel. The way they used the water was so astute with the water coming into what looked like a river wall. During winter, the water overflows (lots of rain and snow) They had three types of flour to make the bread with – fine and mixed – This flour mill is now being restored.
I could not help thinking at the time had not Glenis stopped to admire the flowers and I talking with them in Spanish, we could have missed all that.

To-day I also organised to have my « Mochilla » taken to O Cereibro. It is the second time I have done that.
Went to bed. The Pension was next to the river and you could hear the water running. Nice and calm. Ideal for a good sleep.

Ponferrada

Puente de Orbigo/Santibanez de Valdeiglesias/Astorga/Rabanal del Camino/Riego de Ambros

Puente de Orbigo/Santibanez de Valdeiglesias/Astorga/
We proceeded with our walk. Arriving in Santibanez de Valdeiglesias on time. The bread is being delivered in a van, beeping along for the customers to come and get it.
The Parish Refuge is next to a cafe, it is very hot and we have to wait before it opens. So, it is a good excuse to get a drink.

Went to have my Credenciale stamped in the Trinidad Church. There are some statues of St Jacques Matamore and Saint Roch as a pilgrim. Saint Roch was born in Montpellier. After the death of his parents he gave everything to the poors and went as a beggar pilgrim in Rome. He performed miracles during the plague epidemic and became ill , went to the forest and legend said that he was saved by a dog who licked his wounds. When he returned to Montpellier, he was sent to prison for several years and died on the 16.08.1327. A church was built in his name, the railway station in Montpellier is called Gare Saint Roch. Many other churches around the world are named after St Roch (in South America, Italy, Spain, Scotland, Poland, Croatia, US, etc,
During the Medieval period,after the mariage of Peter II of Aragon in 1213, with Marie de Montpellier, the city was in the hands of the Kings of Aragon.
There were people singing inside the church and I listened to it for a little while.

In the afternoon, I noticed Jane was drawing. I really admired the way she occupied her time. She told me she had a degree in Arts.
Had my shower and had a talk with Hildegarde an Australian woman who was teaching English in the pleasant garden filled with fruit trees and I spoke to her friends Glenys and her husband Gary from Sydney, there was also a Dutch woman, Yolanda who spoke English with a Manchester accent – her Dad was English – and she was also a teacher. Gary was a bank Manager and his wife a Physical Education Teacher.

Dinner time came, I enjoyed the meal – rissoto, mixed salad, potatoes and beef, tortillas con patatas and dessert. Glenis did not eat the rissoto as she was convinced there was garlic in it despite Hercule – the Italian who worked for the Communal Parish and the young Czek who was helping kept telling her there was none at all – I had two serves – hers and mine – I do like my food.:)
I stayed a short while talking after dinner then went onto my bed. I did not sleep well at all. The bed was too small and my feet were coming out of it. There was a lot of noise and what appeared to be a fight going on somewhere. Someone had put the alarm on for 5.30am so I decided to get up and get ready. I left at 6 am with the three Australians.

It was a beautiful morning and the scenery was out of this world.
We walked onto big rocks for quite sometimes.It was quite hilly and the scenery varied a lot.
I remember commenting that it would be nice if we could find a shop as we had been walking for quite a while and no signs of human life – and miracle – the most unusual shop appeared out of nowhere – It was run by David, a printer who had gone bust, lost his family , went on drugs and is now living in a dilapilated place , providing the pilgrims with organic drinks, tea, biscottes, Agave syrup to replace the sugar, cafe, fresh fruit, etc. He had been doing it for a year.
After that nice break, I walked with Jane ,Yolanda and Hildegarde on and of for a while.
Arriving in Astorga, there seemed to be a bit of confusion as to where to go, so I headed on my own straight to the Tourist Bureau, looking for a Hostal to stay.I felt like being on my own again, I am like that sometimes. I seemed to remember also that Barbara was telling me that because it was a Monday the Gaudi Museum would be closed. It was. I was really disappointed as I would have like to have a look at it. I took a few pictures of the Epispocal Palace and the Cathedral. Astorga is another place I would like to revisit again.
Astorga was quite an important and commercial town for the pilgrims. It was founded by St Jacques.
More than 20 hospitals were built, it was the second most important town after Burgos.

Astorga is a beautiful place, clean and full of life.
I saw the young boy from San Francisco lying on a bench, I asked him if he was all right. He was without his brother and his mum. I met them earlier and his mum had a problem with her knee and she doubted that she would continue her walk.
I had an interesting experience in one of the Albergue. It was the first time I shared the washing with somebody else. The price of washing was quite expensive – it varied between 3 Euros the average and the demoniac 5 Euros. and the same for drying. Most of the time you could dry your clothes outside so that was not too much of the problem. One of the problem was that a lot of the places did not have washing powder??? Fortunately, I carried some liquid powder and I used that when the powder was not available. It was a saviour. Anyway, that lady from San Francisco asked me if I minded if she put her washing in with mine as the machine was quite big and there was plenty of room left. She said she would put the money and I the powder. We had a deal. Coming back to get my clothes , I found them all folded. How nice! Then I did the same with the people I was walking with – we all shared – I thought it was a good arrangement .
The cost of using a computer was also different. It varied between o.50 cents for 1/2 hour to 1 Euro, and 1 Euro 50.

Anyhow, I am still in Astorga, having a leisure day, looked around , went to the supermarket, watched a bit of TV, slept , called my neighbours who advised me that the outside windows of the building had been painted and the balcony was all done. I asked Ghyslaine how she was as she has had problems with her heart and needed to have an operation. She was fine she said.

The next morning I went downstairs at 6.15 am to pay my bill. Everything was closed and I started wondering how I was going to pay my bill as I did not want to wait for too long. At 6.30 am on the dot, the curtain lifted and the owner appeared. What a relief! I paid and took the short cut as indicated by the owner. I was on the road once more. Beautiful morning, nice and fresh. Lots and lots of people walking as well.
Had a stop and met with the Aussies again. Ate my cherries whilst they munched on their cinnamon toasted bread. Walked with Glenis, Gary was ahead – They had given their « mochilas » to a Taxi for the day. Went through the next village and another one. We had a drink and Gary said : »I’ll carry your mochila »
How sweet! My left shoulder was bothering me. It was the miracle of the day again. I certainly appreciated that.

El Ganson''s cowboy bar

Rabanal del Camino - Mara leaving with her horse -

Walking along a forest of poplars, brook, we are climbing up through small road passing through Santa Catalina de Somoza which has had pilgrims since the XV century. We stopped for a drink in the cowboy bar in el Ganso (the Goose), Santiago church. Stayed at Rabanal del Camino (Altitude 1156m)- 22 kms – Well done – Arrived safe. I ‘ve worked out the essentials for the day – Pharmacy in check ! Everything is Okay – Washing is in.
Waiting time : 45 mns – Had a nice spaghetti bolognese – What else could one ask for?
Came back and sat outside. there was a sleeping bag lying.- Bed bugs – They have arrived.
A pilgrim was showing the effects of bed bugs on your body. Not a pretty sight. Had all his clothes desinfected and was hoping to leave to-morrow.
The temperature was soaring. It was still 36 degrees at 17.00. I asked the Lady who was running the Albergue if she lived across the road as she went to check the temperature there (on the wall) .No, she lives in a small village a few kms away.
Saw Mara, a girl who was travelling with her horse. She was so good with him, checking and feeding him before leaving.Must have been difficult to find places for the horses. She had encountered some difficulties at times.

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Dario interviewing Mara outside the Santa Maria Church in Rabanal del Camino

Went to mass. Done in Latin with texts read in English, Italian (by a Polish Franciscan monk) French and Spanish.
Saw Dario again. He said it was hard to carry a camera and load.
Had dinner. Did not like it. The chicken looked like it was 3 months old and bathing in oil.
Coming out from the restaurant, Paddy – an Irishman – 🙂 was having a conversation about people having their « mochilas » taken by a taxi. He did not like that.
I had booked mine onto a taxi for to-morrow. Was it a premonition?
Did not sleep very well. Had cramps in my stomach and feeling like vomiting.
Got waken up at at 4.30 am by some young women who left and put the lights on in the hall.
Rabanal del Camino – Riego de Ambros

A green caterpillar ..on the "road"

Left at 6.15 feeling all washy washy ..without the « mochila » This must have been the hardest walk ever!
Arrived in the afternoon,

The young woman told me she was born in Lyon and lived there for four years but she does not speak French.
There is a washing machine. Good!
Headed straight for the shower, back into the room, I looked at my foot and found one blister – it’s a heart shaped one – I had to take a picture of it. Yolanda took one as well, she said mine was not too good.
We went to the Hotel for a drink. It happened that the owner of the Albergue is the son of the owner of the Hotel as well. Reception was ordinary.We asked what was on the Menu for the night and the woman refused to tell us. Seemed like television was more interesting than the customers. She could not keep her eyes from it. So we decided to leave and not order anything.
Hildegarde and Yolanda came to join us and Hildegarde said the Police stopped them and showed them a photograph of a Lady whose husband had not heard for a few days. Her name was Olga, I felt strange, only a few days ago I was walking with her.
We then left.We were told there was another pension above and they might give us some food. We went and found a 97 years old lady- as bright as a button – who kindly called her daughter to come and talk with us. She was fluent in French and a daughter who lives in France and a son in Melbourne. She told us to eat the cherries from the trees. So tasty!
From the house, the view was Magnificent! – a millionaire view –
She could not do anything for us but called a restaurant a few kms away and the lady came and picked us up and brought us back to the Albergue. How about that?

Jane, Hildegarde, Glenis, Yolanda and the owner of the restaurant

Another miracle for the day!
Gary did not come with us, he went back to the Albergue.
The next day I learned that the Police had come. The owner had put a complain about us saying we were disruptive and the Police came and spoke with Gary, asking for his passport.

The heart-shaped blister of the "Camino"

Leaving Rabanal del Camino

Leon/Villar de Mazarife/Puente de Orbigo

Usually when I wake-up in the morning it is with a song in my head. This morning was no exception. « I feel good » was my song . Where is this coming from? I have no idea.
As I was putting my « mochila » on, I found myself smiling. I was feeling like the Fool on the Tarot card with his bundle over his shoulders.

Leaving Leon

I went down the Hotel Reception to pay my bill and asked the man at the desk to show me the quickest way to leave. He gave me a map which was straight forward and that saved me to have to go back to the Cathedral.

The Leon Hospital

I went passed the Asylum and met a young man from Bilbao – with a Basque name – Gaskon, He was a University student and was used to climbing mountains. He said he was pleased to talk with someone It was his first day on the Camino and it is always good to have company for a while.
When he said he was from Bilbao, I told him I went there when I was young. My best friend was from Algorta and her family invited me to stay with her.
We walked together for a while I stopped for breakfast and Gaskon continued on. I met the Korean young man from Burgos again and he told me that he had given the message to Sylvia and Elyseo. I thought that was really nice of him to do that. I thanked him, had my breakfast and left.

I arrived at an intersection. There were two ways to go. Asked a man which was the best way. He suggested left, so left I went. It was the one that avoided walking on the road. Onto the Camino, I met with Jane, an Englishwoman and walked with her until Villar de Mazarife.

We stayed at the « Tio Pepe Private » -the name amused me -There were two beds in the room, a bathroom outside, nice. No need to use the sleeping bag phew! that is good, Everything looks pretty clean in the bedroom. Jane had a sore knee, so I said I’ll go up 🙂 . I had never done that before..When I tried to go up, it was so silly – I just could not do it – I did not know which way to manoeuver.. I was laughing just thinking about the situation I found myself in. – My co-ordination was all out of whack ! – I put both hands onto the top…my body was not following.! I tried again and again – Jane was out of the room so that was Okay. I could rehearse as long as I liked – I then used the bedside table, so I just put my leg up and Hoppety, hoppety hop,. I thought that would be easier…still not working. Anyhow, it must have taken me a good 10 minutes to finally arrived at destination… Once I was up there, I did not want to move..no kidding. I then had to devise a plan to get down now. Laurel and Hardy would have loved that!
I remember thinking hard about that one because the bedside table was quite low in comparison with the height of the bunk. That’ll teach me! I stayed up for quite a while pondering about the situation. Finally, I had the courage to get down…without a parachute – and I thumped my foot onto the table who probably was wondering what was happening as well. I hit it really hard and landed onto safe ground at last.
Went out to get some fruit, posted some cards I had written a few days ago.
The lady in the shop was telling me that there was no pharmacy here (medications is brought up from the nearest village).
I saw some people sitting on a bench near the church, I went and had a chat with them. Sergio, the young boy, was playing up. He was pouting. He was staying with his grandma for a holiday. Whilst his grandma went away, he was listening to the lady who was telling him his behaviour was not very nice. He was taking it all in. Grandma came back with a little friend, he gave her a kiss and forgot all about it, running around with a robot toy.
The man took me inside the church and I had a little prayer. He had the keys as the priest was also living in the other village and did not come every day. They were telling me that the young people no longer wanted to stay in the village , they wanted to move out into the city.
I bide good bye to them and went across back to « Tio Pepe Private ».
Had a meal.I met with Barbara(from Ireland) again. Barbara was a good source of information. She had already done the Camino and had some good advices about Albergues.
That night Spain was playing against Paraguay and won. The young locals came to watch the game on the big screen outside in the courtyard with their young children.A few of the men got a bottle out of a well and were holding the bottle with their right hand as high as possible and pouring the content into a glass they were holding with the other hand – there was quite a lot of skill involved in that without pouring any of the liquid out – and handing it over to their wives or for themselves. I asked one of them what was inside. »Cider » he said.
I watched for a while the children playing with each other, then went and thank the owner, the lady that served us who was really top. So full of attention towards us.
and? did I forget something? Yes… the climb was a lot easier on the bunk !:)

The next morning, I left on my own again I stopped for breakfast and a drink (tortillas sandwich). Barbara came in we had a bit of a chat, then she disappeared in no time.
Further down I met the Brasilian’s couple I saw at « Tio Pepe » (Loved that name) who were a bit confused as to which road to take. There are two ways you can go once again. I decided after the crossing of the bridge to go left to the town -along the road- I could see nearby, they opted for a different way. I had a bit of difficulty finding my way also. I asked a couple of people and they were not very helpful. My intuition was telling me I was going the wrong way, so I decided to come back to a crossing, I then asked a person who was most obliging and pointed me into the right direction, walking along the canal.

Puente de Orbigo

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on the bridge Puente de Orbigo

I could see pilgrims and bikes and there I was in Puente de Orbigo. The longest medieval bridge with its 20 archs and 204 m long. It was undergoing renovations. I stopped for a while to admire it. I could see there were flags near the river bed and a Spanish couple were telling me that every year Medieval games are replayed about the Legend of Don Suero de Quinones and 9 Knights in 1434 who were fighting anyone who tried to cross the bridge to save the honour of a Lady. They fought with French Germans Italians Spanish and Portuguese for nearly a month. Then went onto Santiago de Compostella.
Hospital de Orbigo was built by soldiers-monks from the order of St Jean of Jerusalem.
I saw Jane coming onto the bridge. I was not too sure whether to stop or continue, It was a really very attractive place. Jane and I decided to go for a drink before making-up our mind to continue further, it was still quite early in the morning. I hope one day I have the opportunity to go back there again.

Statue in Leon

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El Burgo Ranero/Mansilla de las Mulas/Leon

El Burgo Ranero/Mansilla de las Mulas/Leon

I started walking on my own the next day at 6,30 am.Listening to the frogs walking along the railways that takes you to Leon and the roadway .

It was then that I met Olga from Slovenia, Ljubljana « Veronika’s country »:).I had some difficulty understanding her English. I think she was an Economist and worked at the medical centre as well as in a Gymnasium. Told me Slovenia had 2 millions people and a President who was democratically elected every four years. Her husband worked in the medical profession, he was a professor and was joining her in Santiago on the 17th. She spoke with him on the phone as we were walking.

She also mentioned that Slovenia had one of the best neuro-surgeons in the world.
Olga had heard that the European Commission was giving 25 Euros I think per day per pilgrim to Spain for the Camino – some of which to go for the plants – Trees which, in my mind,are lacking for a good part of the Camino – That was encouraging!
This particular section we were walking had plenty of trees that were planted but were not grown enough to give some shade and on that day…. we could have done with some believe me!
Stopped to a bar to have breakfast. Olga met with Theo (a Dutchman) who walked all the way from Holland and I continued with my walk, drinking water and crossing the Meseta. I have walked along the Meseta for a while.
Both the Camino Real (Frances) and La Calzada are joining in Reliegos. I arrived in Mansilla de las Mulas.

Mansilla de las Mulas

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Mansilla de las Mulas

During the Middle Age there were 3 or 4 Hospitals and 7 churches.It was a meeting place for farmers.The fortifications made out of lime and rocks are still there. Only the Eastern door is intact.
I stopped to have a drink . It was quite early and I spoke with Frederique and Amalia his wife who had lived in France until the age of 17. She was telling me how difficult it had been for her to settle in Spain as she had spent all her youth in France. I decided to stay.
Olga and Jean made a quick appearance for some refreshments and went further on.
Lunch was really nice with a soup of lentils, chicken and a flan. I went to have a look at the town with Frederique and Amalia, got some fruit at the shop. Met some French people I had seen previously.
Went to bed early.

Mansilla de las Mulas early in the morning

Left the Albergue, it was still dark. Walked really well, my new silicone soles did the trick. I caught up later on with the three young Spaniards I stayed with in Belorado. This was their last day of walking. As they go to France on a regular basis, they promise they’ll come and visit.

The three amigos

I bought a stick before I left. I hardly used it at all. Most of the time. I was holding it with my hands behind my back. Later on, I was told I should have bought two instead of one.:)
As we entered Leon, at the intersection I saw Olga with Theo entering heading towards the Albergue. I decided not to go there and went to stay at a Hotel for the night. Had a bath and went to visit the Cathedral and have a look around.
I had read some of the history of the Cathedral, built in 1222 which was the first one and most important Gothic one.Dedicated to Santa Maria de la Regla Inside there was so much wealth displayed and plenty of light as well. On the door there is the representation of St James.
Originally, Leon was a military Camp.

Cathedral Leon

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I came back to the Hotel, soaked my feet in cold water then did the ritual, unpacking and packing my « mochila » and leaving a few things behind. I watched a bit of TV – going through all the channels available – so as to get an overview of what the TV programs were. I had not watched TV for such a long time. Since I came back to France, I only watched a couple of times. I took two books with me one was a Guide for my trip, the other one « Le pelerin de Compostelle » by Paulo Coelho and I read some of it. A few people , on occasion had mentioned Paulo Coelho was the reason why they were doing the Camino. Some of them said they had never heard of him which really surprised me. Some of them went to buy his book after too.

Leon

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I don’t know why occasionally people were offering me books to read and I just could not put my head down, which was quite unusual because I like to read anything at any time. I noticed people were looking into their Guide’s books – some of them in great depth – To me, it did not matter so much because I had no idea where I would be going the next day except to leave from point A and get to another place when I had enough to walk. Don’t get me wrong, I did read the book and had an idea of what the « terrain » was going to be like but it was not that important to me. I guess because every day was different and I just wanted to absorb its content and discover it without needing any great details before I started. I thought it was more exciting like that perhaps, who knows? I also noticed that these Books Guide were all different, some of them had the numbers of kms marked onto the map, mine had not. Interesting.

Cathedral Leon

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Cathedral Leon

San Nicolas del Real Camino/El Burgo Ranero

Started my walk from San Nicolas del Camino at 6.30am.
Arrived in Shahagun early and the first thing I did was to find a fruit shop. It is open. Good.
The next thing is to get some money out. Getting money is another problem, I encountered. Not all places have banks. Credit cards are not always accepted.

The city of Shahagun was destroyed in the IX century by Almanzor.
It became a prosperous town and hosted a number of people from different countries, English, Germans, Lombards, Toulousains, Bretons, Provencaux, etc in the late 1080.
Interesting about the Benedictine Pedro Ponce de Leon (1515-1584) Who was one of the first to teach deaf and mute.
The church of Trinidad built in the XVI century was used for the pilgrims.

Further down, on the outskirts of Shahagun, I met with Ann (from England) a training teacher for one of the University who does not get paid for holidays???
At the intersection, there were two paths, La Calzada de los Peregrinos and the Camino Real Frances also called the Royal Camino, we bid each other farewell, I took the West path and arrived after a few pauses, following a road filled with small trees and places to rest, and a few snacks:)in the heat of the day .. in El Burgo Ranero.

I booked my room and 3 German women are in, lying down. Later on came a Spaniard, another German and a Swiss.
The Spaniard,, as soon as he arrived sprayed all over his bed a content that inconvenienced the Germans. I asked him what it was , he said : « to avoid nasty things …and he was not bothered about the protest. » At that precise moment, the window was fully open.

I fell asleep and when I awoke I saw that young frailed looking man who was on the upper bank. I liked him straight away. We engaged in conversation, he had a good sense of humour. Jean was from Zurich , doing Engineering in Physics, had double nationality – his Dad was French, his Mum Swiss (from the Italian side) –
We spoke about watches. How some of them can cost Euros 1.500.000. A lot of French people work in the watch industry I did not know that. Jean said they were well sought after. A lot of them cross the boarder daily.
He then told me that the « Proletarian Bugatti » – mini in Gold – can cost more than the real thing. ..WOW! I think I might order half a dozen this Christmas…
I asked him if there was such a thing as a « poor Swiss »? His reply was there was a joke going on in Switzerland :
-« What is the difference between a rich Swiss and a poor?… the poor ones washes his Mercedes on a Sunday morning. » Handy to know, I’ll keep an eye on, if I ever go to Switzerland on a Sunday morning…:)

The Spaniard lend me some cream from my feet. I then decided to take action about that ongoing problem. I bought some silicone soles from the Pharmacy with a few bits and pieces. It was costing me a fortune in pharmaceutical items and I had enough of that… talk about being slow 🙂 The chemist gave me some samples for my face « Eau Thermale d’Avene » .. This brought back memories, it is not far from where I used to live when I was little.

I them went outside, there were celebrations all around, they had been going since Burgos. It was the Fiesta de San Pedro.
I sat outside the Albergue and watched the children playing musical chairs. It was really nice. You could see how happy they were when they won and their disappointment when they were loosing. As I was watching, a man came and sat next to me. He was French, from Bordeaux and he asked me where I was going, etc, what was the purpose of my Camino. He was working on a voluntary basis at the Albergue and was waiting for his friend to arrive to finish the Camino with him. Quite a few people do that actually. I asked him what was the role of the Albergue in all that, he said to ensure that people were doing okay, to attend to their problems if any, to ensure that no one was controlling anyone and to try to defuse it, if it was. I am sure that he was quite genuine in his comments, however, I was not too sure about that. It was, in any case, the first time I was approached in this manner. I was pleased to hear it.

I had dinner at 7.30pm – By then, I was getting rather sick and tired of the Peregrinos Menu – it was always the same – This was quite strange because normally I have been known to eat the same thing over and over. So, I noticed some changes in that regard, that must be a good thing I thought.
The Fiesta went on most of the night, right under our windows. « Volare, cantare » could be heard in the street until the small wee hours of the morning.

Burgos to Castrojeriz/Fromista/Carrion del Terradillos de Templarios/San Nicolas del Camino

Chapter 3 –

If you are wondering why there is nothing about that particular walk, here is what happened.
I just had no desires to continue.
I got up in the morning, thinking I should pick-up my gear and leave. Sylvia and Elyseo had left.
I met with Helen a Danish woman downstairs. I heard her saying that she was going on the bus. I asked if I could go with her. She said « Yes » She was waiting for an American friend to come down. So, I waited. We went on a reconnaissance trip to the Bus Station, walked for a fair bit around the city only to find that had we crossed the bridge it would have taken us straight away there.

Arriving at the bus station, we could not get our tickets until one hour prior to leaving. So we came back to the town and sat in a coffee shop, having our breakfast. The young woman that served us was so cute. Miss
Personality Plus. She was really funny, full of mimics. Nothing was a problem for her.
After a while, a Swedish young woman and a German man who was working for the Government wanted also to come down with us on the bus. There was a robust conversation going on regarding health matters and education. The American in particular was quite interested in knowing about the image the USA had around the world?..I had a bit to say…:)
Anyhow, time passed and it was time to leave for the bus, so, we walked back, went into a market nearby and got some fruit, ham and cheese and a drink, purchase our ticket and off we went.
Sitting inside the bus, I was feeling kind of strange. I could not decide whether I was doing the right thing or not. I had mixed feeling. The trip took less than 1/2 and it was quite bizarre to see the distance covered in 1/2 hour by bus compared to the one walking. We arrived at the place and the American and the Swedish woman had booked into a Hotel.
So I had a shower in the Albergue in Castrojeriz.I was still feeling pretty tired . We went for a drink and then onto a restaurant for dinner.
When I came back onto the dormitory, I lay awake for quite sometimes, thinking about what I had done. Then, I remember the reasons why I was doing it. It was symbolic, I knew, however it meant a lot to me.
That break allowed me to carry on. I am glad I did it. I needed that.I just had to scrape 40kms or so from my trip that was all.
I had made the right decision. I felt good about that and that was all that matters. I never discussed this during my trip with anyone else, although this came up at different times. It was my own decision and had nothing to do with anybody else.

on the road again

I got up at 7.15am the next day, feeling good. The hosts were fabulous gave us a »sign » as a complimentary gift .I took it as a « SIGN ».
It was a beautiful morning. Pretty steep again… Here she goes, hi! hee!hi !oh!
Walked with Pia, Helen, Pietr for a while then on my own. Climb was very difficult again, up and down and up and down, the last kms were flat – thanks for that –
Weather was just right, neither warm or cold to start with,then it got really hot. And it bothered me – Yes! –
Found a 50 cents piece on the road.

Castilla's Canal built in the xviii century

Arriving at the place in Fromista -meaning wheat in Latin – put my washing on, had a shower and lied down on the grass. Clouds are gathering.

SAn Martin's church Fromista (Roman style)

San Martin's church Fromista - also linked up with Cathedral of Compostella

On my way way over to dinner, I met Dario again – an Italian – who was making a documentary on the Camino and was interviewing people. He carried all the equipment with him – quite a heavy load considering he was such a feather-looking person. I met him on another occasion and noticed some people were helping him with the load. I was happy for him. He was in front of the church San Martin (Roman art).
At dinner, Marc (a mountaineering Guide from Ireland and Andreas from Switzerland) came to join us at the table. John (from Toronto who had connections in Spain and spoke Spanish as well), a young German girl (16 or 17 years old fluent in French, English), Helen and Pia (from Denmark) and Toni (from Florida).
It was a most entertaining night with Marc leading the conversation – about the problems facing Ireland – in a manner only Irish people can do – the articulate way –

Left at 6,15 am the next day. I travelled on my own. I wanted to keep away from the people. I had business to look after -Myself- I got emotional thinking about my Dad and my son.

Leaving Fromista early in the morning

Trip was uneventful, following the Highway, on a straight line.
Arrived into town, passed the Convent of Santa Clara built in the XIII century where St Francis of Assisis stayed when he did his pilgrimage.
I headed straight for the Pharmacy again – this was part of my daily routine, I had forgotten to mention it –
« Compeed » here I come! ..to get some strips for my toes. Feet were on FIRE! I did not like the idea of spending so much money onto « Compeed » strips, they are very expensive and there are so few in the box.
It’s the Camino rip off! A pharmacist told me he did not stock them because of that. Although I only have had one blister , I wanted to ensure I did not get anymore. My nails were starting to get all black as well. I counted 2 on one foot and 3 on the other one from the friction I was putting when going down with my shoes.
I also brought/bought the Alkileine – for tired and hot feet – phew! 🙂 Betadine , repairing foot and heal cream, the Ibufen, the Cicaderma, the medicamento homeopatico, the Dermo feet, the this, the that, ..the Pharmacists love the Peregrinos that’s for sure.
The only inconvenience – the weight –

I then went to the Hostal Santiago – Cost : 10 Euros. Went upstairs, had a look, there were only men in that room. I was the only woman and I was perched on the top Gallery. Did not like that 😦
So, I went downstairs again. Was offered another room at a price 25 Euros. BIG NO NO. I refused, then was offered another one for 13 Euros. I asked to see the room then, it was pretty good with a bath in it. I was the only person in – a room on my own – There were five beds.then… was told that the room had already been booked. SO, I asked for my money back. After another phone call, it was OKay to stay 🙂 Weird! SO, I took all my gear upstairs. Had a lovely bath and fell onto Morpheus’ arms in no time.Slept until 5 pm.
My washing was being taken care of – included in the price – I watched the owner of the Hostal, she was painting a bridge and adding the final touches – putting all the lights onto the reflections –

a Zen'snail

Went to the church. Prayed. then onto the « Dia Supermercado » to purchase some fruit. href= »https://chemindecompostelle.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/dsc03699.jpg »>
Went to have a look around and sat in a cafe. I ordered a Hamburger – I did not like it at all – Could not eat it, the blood was running out of it. Left and came back to the Hostal. Picked up my laundry – was in a bad mood –

In the room were three men and another woman, three Spaniards and one Frenchman who had already walked 1,100kms. He had just came back from France. There had been some floods in the area he lived and he went back to assess the damages. It was his second Camino de Santiago.
The Spaniards were very young and very switched on. I enjoyed their company and had a good laugh with them. I felt much better after that and soon forgot about my Hamburger.

Carrion Terradillos de Templarios – San Nicolas del Camino

Woke up at 5am and left before 5.30. Daniel, the Frenchman was already in the Hall. I walked with him the first hour, averaging 5 1/2 kms per hour. My own personal best! He was running late he said… normally he does 6 kms per hour!

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"Here comes the sun"

5.30 am moon in sight

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It was night still. I could see the full moon and I saw the sun coming up. Glorious !Daniel used his torch as we walked across onto the Camino . The whole world was coming alive as we went along. .Heard the rooster , the cows ,the pigs and the dogs barking, the birds chirping. It was just magic! I really felt fortunate to be witnessing that.

I asked him what he got out of the Camino the first time, he said he did not know. That’s why he was doing it again. As he was saying that, I could not help thinking about that saying « You have the watch, I have the time. »
I am not saying this in a derogatory way, I think it was quite a valid answer he gave because the first time, from my own experience , it is difficult to absorb the whole thing, tiredness is one factor, the weight of your backpack another one,plus the (for me) extra load you are carrying internally . There were times all I wanted to do was going to bed straight away…and in any case everybody is different.
He soon vanished out of my sight. I resumed my own walk at a much slower pace.

I am on my own the whole time. There are a few people going back the other way, we exchanged a few words as we passed each other. It is pretty hot, my hat is wet with perspiration. « Water unsuitable for drinking » signs are found. I am not worried because I have water with me and there are quite a few villages not too far from one and another. I was later told that you can drink the water, a bit of politics going around from what I could gather.
I nearly got lost. I have to retrace my steps, the signs are not well indicated. So I go back and as I am about to go onto that right turn I can see someone coming towards me. So I decided to come back to where I was and wait until that person passes so that I can check. Just as well, the person- a German -tells me that the village is not too far. So, I continue along, singing to myself and talking with myself as I normally do.
At the Albergue I met with Willow again and Jan both Australians from Queensland) and John (Tasmania). Willow wants to establish some kind of Health Center along the Camino and suggested because I have lived in Australia, I might be able to help with getting some Australians coming to France in Montpellier in particular as it is part of the Camino, to do some walking along the Camino there with them to give them an idea of what it is like before they start in Spain.
I am in the same room as Jan and two French people have joined us.

Viana to Najera to…. Burgos

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I come out of the hotel, follow the signs, crossing the Rioja vineyards and not too many villages.I am heading towards Logrono.

Whilst I am walking, I am watching the people in front of me and notice their equipment and their clothing.
Most of them are wearing Lycra outfits that are easily washed and dry quickly.
A lot of them do not carry a heavy bag.
They have it transported on a daily basis by a Taxi at a cost of 7 Euros -price varies as you get closer from Santiago – and only carry a small bag which makes somehow the journey more comfortable.
The Spaniards are always greeting you with their « Hola, Buen Camino » Kudos to them!

Just prior to entering Logrono, I met with Rosa Mari from Mexico and we continue our walk together into the town, crossing the XI century bridge on the Ebre river continuing onto the street leading to the Santiago el Real’s Church with its baroque representation of Santiago the Matamoros (the killer of Maures) above.

Santiago el Real Church Logrono

Rosa Mari and the host ..and the wine

Cathedral Santa Maria de la Redonda Logrono

Our lunch - Paella -

In that street, a man came out of a house holding a plate with some food. I commented on it and asked him who was the person on the plaque on his wall? a scientist who lived in his house . The man invited both of us in for a glass of wine – he opened a new bottle just for us and we drank some of it. He gave us the bottle when we left, I carried it on the side of my « mochila » How nice of him! After visiting the church we arrived onto a square they were making a huge paella raising funds for Oxfam, so we sat and had lunch. We then went to the visit the Cathedral. It was closed.

Sevillana dances

We headed for Navarette. Half way through we stopped at a lovely park area. They had a fiesta in honour of San Rosio. People were dancing Sevillanas, all dressed up. It was so beautiful, young and old really enjoying the day, a big Family Day Outing. We watched them for quite a while, it was hard to leave.

On the road again – climbing up – Rosa Mari was walking very slowly and stopped often. I decided to keep walking. My whole body was sore. I arrived very late. Already in the Albergue, I found Laora and Simona, two Japanese I had met in Villa Tuerta. Rosa Mari arrived much later. The bedrooms are in the second floor. I came in, there was a man (a Brazilian) already in bed. I thought I might have got the wrong room, so I came out. Laora confirmed that she was in the same room and that was the one.Arrived more people – two Russians, a German, 3 Spaniards, then Carmen a friend of Laora. There are only two toilets in the room and everybody is sharing. I hurried onto the shower, Laora is already in it. Rosa Mari was not pleased that the men did not even asked the women to use the shower first.All lights are off at ten and we have to leave before 8.30. The young Spaniards speak very loudly with a very deep voices. The beds are very small.

I left the next day at 6.30am. Walked until 9 am and stopped at a bar. Met Laora with Carmen and I had 2 eggs and some madeleines and a hot chocolate. Left, asked the man with the truck for the Camino’ signs. I go up and down the village to come back to the same place I was originally. The locals are having some fun at times :O.

Took the right way this time, so kept walking and enjoying the scenery, so beautiful. Getting closer to the town and suddenly I noticed that my water bottle is no longer at its place and immediately… felt very thirsty. Not far away, were some men working in a vineyard. A car was on the side of the road as well. A man was inside, so I stopped and asked him if he had some water. He said « Yes » and produced a 5 litres bottle. I drank some of it, he said I could keep it if I wanted. I thank him and he gave me a banana. ..said the village was not too far away and there was a fountain there. Met with an American from Massachussets waiting for his girlfriend. The fountain was not working. I kept walking. Went to the toilet in a cafe further down – no paper again – good to have some tissues with you – Admiring the beautiful scenery of the outlines of the mountains all the way to the town. On arrival, I found a fruit shop and bought some cherries. Met with Rosa Mari again and went out for lunch with her.
The Albergue in Najera did not open until 1.30 pm.

Left at 6am. A couple of young Czeks were in front of me as a Guide. Good to be going out early in the morning with someone in front of you. Saw a rabbit along chasing something in the vineyard. The view once again was spectacular.
Had breakfast at Azofra. As soon as I arrived, the place filled up with men . All watching a repeat of the World Cup on the TV.

I walked along the roadway for a long time , it was windy and cold although the sun was out. I came along a small road and in the middle of nowhere was an Eski looking-like type filled with drinks . A help yourself kind and leave the money in a tin. I did that and drank. I was getting really tired of the Camino, my feet were aching so much, I undid my shoelaces and saw how pitiful my toenails were, all wrinkled – like a newborn baby – it wasn’t any fun at all 😀 .
I resumed my walk and started thinking how nice it would be if a car appeared and took me, I will go willingly. Soon after that thought occurred, a tractor came and the man stopped and asked me if I wanted a lift? – YES, HE DID ! – I looked at him, and in a split decision said ; »YES- PLEAZE! » He was telling me he was going one kilometre from here onto his vineyard. He was a burly kind of a man in his 40’s with a big beaming smile and huge legs. I got onto the tractor. It was enclosed. I was standing up. My neck was tilted at an angle. He asked me where I started the Camino and where I was going? Where was I from? Told me my Spanish was good, then he must have seen how uncomfortable I was and said if I wanted I could sit on his leg. I could see he was a genuine kind of a man. I said « No thank you » I got off the tractor at destination and gave him a kiss. He was really happy and waved good bye to me. There was a big climb looming in front of me. I was not looking forward to that at all, suddenly, emotions overtook me and I burst out into tears, overwhelmed by that experience and me having trusted that man from the start. Phew!

The landscape was magnificent – like in a painting – full of vibrant colours –

At the summit, I was passing along a Golf Club. There was a town at the top full of what appeared empty new Holidays’ Houses. I heard someone saying later that they belonged to the Russian Mafia – how they know that, I have no idea –

Arrived at Santo Domingo de la Calzada at 12, was going to continue on but decided to stay. The Albergue looked quite inviting, not like the last ones – with 90 of us – looked more like being into a Concentration Camp and the « Lamentation Walls » were in place during the night with a symphony of snorers each trying to outdo each other and taking it in turns at the right movement. How well synchronised they all were. It was truly amazing!
Did some washing had a drink with Laora and Simona. It was Laora last day of walking she was going back to Valencia.

Laora, Carmen Paola

I've got the chicken!

Met some more Spaniards. Elyseo (from Cuenca ) who works with elderly people and Sylvia (sister-in-law) – a doctor from Valencia.

Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Santo Domingo de la Calzada Gothic Church

The name of Santo Domingo is taken after the benedictine Saint Dominique de la Chaussee who built bridges, churches and Hostals for the pilgrims
In the Plazza del Santo is the Parador Nacional de Turismo where you can see some paintings of the Hospital de peregrinos.It was re built in towards the end of the 1500s for the San Francisco Convent. I went to mass at the Gothic cathedral Salvador. The priest wished a « Buen Camino a los 25 peregrinos » present. It was very moving.
The Cathedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada has a « Gallinero » a (hen house) inside. Legend said that a family was passing by and one of the young girl made advances to the young man without any success. As an act of vengeance, she put some money into the young man’s pouch and accused him of stealing. He then was condemned and hanged, parents heard voice that said that their son was still alive, so they went to the judge who at that time was eating some poultry and did not believe a word they said. and in a joke manner told them that the story he was telling them of their son being alive was as true as the rooster in that plate singing. as soon as these words were said, the poultry got up from the plate and started singing. So,this proof was sufficient for the son to be free.

Santo Domingo de la Calzada – Beldorado

Left at 6 am. Walked non-stop until the last stop as nothing was open for breakfast. Went into a restaurant. Was asked to leave my pack outside. The man did not seem to be too happy. So I asked him how he was?
and if he was crossed with me? He said no that the tone of his voice sounds like if he is crossed with me but he was not. Bless him! He then brought me a piece of « Chalcizone » to eat. Gratis. Another miracle for the day.

I then got lost with two Spaniards. Walk was fairly easy and mainly flat. Temperature was very hot – like walking with feet on glowing ambers just about…

Met with Elyseo and Sylvia again.Belorado Albergue is owned by a Brazilian and a Spaniard.I went out and bought some fruit (cherries, peaches, nectarines) I made sure I carry some with me everytime I could – providing there was a shop.Had a shower.
Sylvia had a sore leg and I accompanied them to the Hospital, I wanted to see what it was like – just curious – I was impressed with the services given to her by the medical staff. Commenting on it, Elyseo replied that she was well looked after because they knew she was a Doctor. Things were not as easy as what it looked. I see, they were experiencing problems over there as well…
I did not want to go to sleep. It was so enjoyable outside, there was a swimming pool and I was happy just sipping my drink and writing some of my notes.

Elyseo and Sylvia

Well,… I hardly slept at all. Everything worked out the way I said. An Irish man was sleeping above me and was snoring his head off most of the night, the person across was doing the same and the most funny of all was when the Irishman woke up in the middle of the night and went up to wake-up the other one, telling him he was snoring. That was a cracker!:)

Belorado has an interesting history.Around the early 1110 the place thrived with the Francs and the Jews and the Maurs. There were two hospitals built and a number of churches. The Church Santa Maria can be seen at the entry of the village. San Pedro church is in the middle of the village.

Military Manoeuver

« Cutting pine trees in the forest »][/caption]
Left at 6 am with Sylvia and Elyseo. Going out, we crossed the bridge of the Rio Tiron.
Hard walk, up and down ~~(10% angle). Some military were there doing some kind of exercises in the forest…They went pass. Further down, I met them again – they had stopped for a pause – and started walking again as I was coming towards them.
Met a Japanese from Tokyo. We spoke in English. They were eight of them (retirees) impeccably dressed… long white gloves, hat, backpacks and matching shoes. Accompanying them was a Spanish guide who told me he works for a Tourist Organisation (French, Spanish and Japanese) The tourists walk for 12 kms a day and in 9 days will be in Santiago. They are very well looked after. The Guide ensuring they stopped each time there was a shady place to have a drink. He gave me some water as well as Patrick, a young German I meet at regular intervals and who always greets me with a big smile. There are long stretches without any water available at all. This was one of these walks. I believe it is pretty dangerous, especially if you are walking on your own.

Meantime…coming towards us was a soldier running, followed by an officer. I asked the Guide what was happening? As he went past, he asked the soldier where he was going. He replied … »I left the riffle » at the spot they had a pause. …and he kept running ..- for his life – with the officer running …behind him .ah! ah !ah !that was so funny! It was like watching one of these movies about army training. I also felt sorry for him.
I was walking very very slowly. It was so hot, my legs were hurting.
I went pass some men cutting trees along the forest with big trucks.

At an intersection, a bit further down, there was another officer waiting. I could tell he was not amused – I turned back and saw the soldier still running ..holding the riffle in between his hands. He got a serve from the officer waiting as well and… I don’t think he’ll do that again.:)

One of the aspect of the « Camino » I really like is to hear so many different languages spoken.
It was interesting whilst I wrote my diary, depending who I was travelling with, some parts are written in different languages. It is a mixture of English, Spanish and French. Mainly English and Spanish

My sleeping bag looks like a sarcophagus! I am starting to see that I have made a big mistake purchasing it.
I simply cannot move inside. It resembles a torture chamber:) At the least movement, my knees start playing castanets together – yeah I know I am in Spain – however! Every night I am learning to manoeuver in such a way as my body is getting a rest instead of decomposing. It was the lightest. I thought I was doing the right thing. Less weight to carry. Finally, I found a posture that was kind of more fitting…. it’s an out of body experience – half of me is outside the sarcophagus – At last… I am getting somewhere. Why did it take me that long? I dunno…

Met Eiffie again. Went to buy some fruit and asked her if she wanted some. They are the special ones – from « The Alchemista’s shop ». The trouble was that I could not find her back… Desperately seeking…
I ended up eating one of them and when I caught up with her the next day at the top of a mountain overlooking Burgos, it was most welcomed.

To-morrow, en route for Burgos! It is not going to be an easy walk – UP AND DOWN UP AND DOWN , Yep! I am familiar with the drill now.

The Statue El Cid Burgos

« Elyseo Sylvia and I behind the Cathedral Burgos »][/caption]

San Nicolas Burgos

It is very hot again, I walked on and off for a few days with ELyseo and Sylvia. I really like them, Elyseo has a great sense of humour – he likes to play with words, has a very good knowledge of history as well – and Sylvia has a very quiet personality – although she says what she thinks – They get on well together. A section of the walk consisted in us praying. – Elyseo started the rosary and we finished it with Sylvia praying in Spanish and I in French, I really liked that. It made me feel good inside.
By the way, Elyseo is not his real name. It is a joke between us – it is in reference with the Elysees Palace in Paris –
I enjoyed the early morning life, when everything comes to life, rooster, cows, dogs, birds, etc the moon disappears and the sun comes up.
We reached Ages and then go through Atapuerca there is an archeological site there where human remains were found. It is said that the Atapuerca’s man is the oldest « homo sapiens » in Europe.

Coming into Atapuerca - the oldest "homo sapiens"- in Europe

The entry into Burgos was never ending and took ages.

We crossed the Avenida del Cid Campeador.and continued until we arrived at the Park following the Arlanzon’s river.
Burgos was established around the IX century as a strategic post.A lot of commerce started developing .

The Albergue looks brand new and is situated behind the Cathedral. I have a sore sheen, looks like I have been bitten by something. So I applied some ice on it. remembering from my First Aid Course I did ages ago.
Went on a Tour Guide at 6.15 pm until 7.15, free for the Peregrinos -How about that?- It was excellent,
The guide takes us in front of the Cathedral Santa Maria built in 1220 similar to Notre Dame de Paris.
for me anyway.It is part of the Unesco Inheritance. Opposite it, is the San Nicolas ‘s gothic church. We walked though the beautiful gardens along the Arlanzon’s river.

After the Tour, I went to mass with Sylvia and Elyseo to the Cathedral. It was packed.
After mass, we went for a drink and watched a bit of the match Spain-Chili (2-1) on tv and came back to the Albergue.
I asked if I could stayed for another day. Yes, I can. Elyseo and Sylvia are going further to-morrow and coming back . It is their last day of walking. I will meet them again to-morrow.
I am sore, feeling sorry for myself and don’t want to continue. I am seriously thinking of giving it all up. I have enough. I am disenchanted I guess and I am not feeling up to the challenge any more. The next day arrived. I am changing my mind and I decided to go. I tell the Korean engineer I have met several times and who was sleeping above me to tell Sylvia and Elyseo that I am continuing my walk.

Chemin de Compostelle

Ce diaporama nécessite JavaScript.

Camino de Santiago –

Had fun at the sports shop, picking up my sleeping-bag-light weight one- incredible how light these can be. Got a hood on it as well ..which I thought was funny.

In the socks department – they have some interesting ones – with extra volume on the sensitive part – I have read the Swiss Army have developed socks to avoid blisters – anyhow I see how I go.

Got a stick – I played with it a la Charlie Chaplin, it’s a telescopic one, ooh! la! la! I still haven’t managed to insert it onto the bag.

Got my 4% discount as well. And 20% at the hairdresser after I did my Nana because of the conditions they were treating their staff Apparently hairdressers are very hard to get. Would not dare to put my name down – I did it once with dire consequences -:)

This afternoon, headed into town, with the bag (½ full)…just to get the feel of it . And arrived at the doors of the Presbitary. I had to use the door knock. I had not used one of those for years, so I made sure they heard it, It worked. The man Frederique opened the door and we proceeded upstairs in the dining room, no sooner were we upstairs that another bang on the door occurred and in came two pilgrims ready to settle in for the night, one of them was from Belgium, the other one from Portugal. Their French was better than mine. The Belgium had done the Camino once before and Frederique had also done it in bits and pieces, I have spoken with a few people as well and they do it in parts here and there, We spoke for a while-the Spanish part is very sought after – you can put it in in your CV and you might get a job with that in Spain. Gosh that will be my one and only certificate just about.
They also mentioned the snoring into the communal bedrooms – need to put cotton wool into your ears- I had read about that. The pilgrim from Belgium said that on several occasions, he spent the night sleeping outside.

Frederique then issued me with the “Creanciale of Saint-Jacques de Compostelle” – looked really nice – with the words ;”Viens et suis moi.” written at the bottom of it. I asked how much it was – 5 Euros – I was really surprised, I thought it would cost more than that.

I then left and walked back home, stopping at the bakery hoping to get the “pain aux raisins” I had the other day – it was so delicious with « fleur d’oranger » in it – I did not know they had “brioche aux raisins” as well, first time I saw them, they did not have any so I settled for the “coque” all encrusted with those little pieces of sugar, hum yam yam and I ate it during the walk.. I like doing that in France. It is really good.

At home, I went to say « hello » to the neighbours to inform them I’ll be leaving and asking them if they mind opening the windows when the men are ready to paint them and they said – Yes -. They invited me for a glass of Rose – They knew I was heading for San Rose – I drank it and enjoyed it.

Oh also, I worked something out on the computer, called Orange with the fixed phone to get some infos, waiting was reasonable and the staff were very helpful. Except that they could not help me, it was a matter for a technician in informatics… I was told to look it up onto the Yellow pages, so I did that and found one that lives just nearby. Explained my problem – he was able to understand – the last few days I was experiencing some funny writings with it , I thought I was re-inventing a new language or trying to – you see certain words were coming out as letters and the others as numbers – in a ration of ¾ in letters and the last ¼ in numbers. All I had to do was to hold on to the Fn key and then press onto the F11 NumLK. (thought I was going onto a trip on a plane for a while). So I was pretty pleased with that information. I thanked the man and put the phone down, then, I realized I forgot to tell him about the e-mail being inaccessible. Still was pretty pleased with that… which also made me think how come the Orange people were unable to tell me that . It is kind of strange – the more I thought about it – seemed pretty rudimentary stuff. Humm. Anyhow I am not complaining they were all very nice, I did my doodles whilst I was proceeding with the talking. I also did something else I did not think I could do – drawing a face – So it was a pretty good day.
Right now, I am going to bed because I am pretty tired.

I had a look at my itinerary. I have to go through Barcelona, with a stopover in Tarragona for 4 hours and I arrive in Pamplona at 19.30 pm. I leave at 7.30am – a 12 hours journey – 8 hours on the train and the other 4 in Tarragon. It is almost like flying from Australia to Dubai. Looking forward to that anyway. The Hotel I am staying is near the Arena – thinking about Ernest – I hope they won’t have the bulls out on that night… what with me and the bag on my back I’ll have to face the music like El Cordobes then.

I saw some really nice pictures of the Camino on another site. Also found a quote from Antonio Gaudi that I liked about Gothic.

“Gothic Art is imperfect, it means to solve, it is the style of the compass, the formula of industrial repetition. Its stability is based on the permanent propping of abutments, it is a defective body that holds with support…gothic works produce maximum emotion when they are mutilated, covered with ivy and illuminated by the moon.” Antoni Gaudi

And another one from him about the Laws of Nature.

“Those who look for the laws of Nature as a support for their works collaborate with the creator” Antoni Gaudi.

I think you cannot go wrong if you follow that advice.

Makes so much sense.

Before I left for my “Camino” , I decided to go for a complete check-up. So I had my eyes, teeth ,etc and went to see a podiatrist. I passed the tests with flying colours!

I left on the 15th of June. Got up at 4 am – got the wrong time – boarded the tram, no hassle – no strike –
It was on time. I was an hour earlier waiting at the Station, bought my sandwich and a drink from Paul’s Bakery. Train departed on schedule… Had to find my wagon first..

Control of tickets and customs were done in Narbonne, Cerbere and Port Bou.

-”J’ai passe la frontiere!”

Two Americans were talking in a very loud voice and had got the wrong seats, had to move into another wagon.

Saw Kevin Spacey with a little boy on TV(mute sound) called “Pay forward” Do something for people 2 pay forward 1,2,3.

I immediately started thinking about 3 things:

1. Meninos de Luz
2. Mental Illness
3. Breast Cancer Association Etincelle.

We are now approaching Barcelona. The train is going at a very slow pace.

The TV screen is now off. A little while ago, we could watch some seals, penguins, white, yellow, black, salmons going upstream.

Earlier on, going through Beziers, I took a picture. I went to boarding school there.

Beziers

The town has a lot of History.

The Canal du Midi – built by Pierre-Paul Riquet (born in Beziers) who used his own money to finance the Canal du Midi. The original work started in Saint Ferreol Reservoir ( the largest artificial reservoir in the world) Riquet’s idea was to connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean through Toulouse’s river, the Garonne who was already flowing onto the Atlantic – for commerce purposes. This is now part of the World Heritage and you can travel along its 240 kms for pleasure. More than 10,000 people help building the Canal and it took 14 years to complete it. Only 1 mile was left when Pierre-Paul Riquet died.

On the 22/07/1209 – The Crusader Army lead by Arnaud Amaury reached Beziers in Languedoc- where Cathars thrived.
Badly prepared, the town was taken. People took refuge in the church dedicated to Mary Magdelene. The church was set alight – all the 7,000 people died , not one survived –
The Occitan language is the language of Romance dating back to the X century. It was banned for centuries in France and is derived from Vulgar Latin. It was the Troubadours language and is related with the Catalan language, Romanian,Sanskrist and others.

Passing through Narbonne-I thought about you Dad and all those years you spent at boarding school – I still recall you telling me how your grandmother used to send you a food parcel every week and you were supposed to share it with your brother- however things did not turn out that way- the first one that got it ate the lot ! – What greedy pigs you were! This brought a smile to my face.:)
I also thought of Charles Trenet – his birth place – and his beautiful song “La Mer” “Beyond the Sea”.

Railways Station

My arrival in Tarragona was very “divertido” I thought I checked to see if everything was in order with my ongoing travel to Pamplona. What a surprise! I was told I had to go to another Railways Station situated at 11 kms from Tarragona. No one ever advised me of this. How do I get there then? “Go to the Bus Station”.
“Where is it?” Arriving at the Bus Station, I was told I have missed the bus and I had to wait until 15,30pm to take my train who was scheduled to leave at 16.12. I decided this did not leave me enough time – I hate being late – wrote a letter asking why there is no shuttle service linking those two railways and took a taxi instead…and hope that I will be re-imbursed for the inconvenience.:)

The Railways Station in Tarragona is State of the Arts – I am impressed – I went and vented my displeasure and was entitled to the Lounge, so I treated myself with a chocolate drink and a muffin.

The Railways Employee – who was French incidently – took me to the entrance where luggages have to be screened and showed me the way to go onto the quay.

Arriving in Pamplona, “mochilla” all secured onto my back, I got onto a bus and asked the bus driver to let me know when I had to get off. There were a few Pilgrims on it as well. So I got off and watched where the other “Peregrinos” where heading to. I knew it was not too far from the Hotel I was staying as I had checked the map prior to get onto the bus.

After checking-in, I went out, the receptionist lending me an umbrella as it was raining. Reached the Pamplona’s Plaza de Toros and saw the arena. Had a look around saw Ernst Hemingway’s statue in front of it and a pub on the other side of the street with his name on it. Took a walk around the area so as to get an idea of where the cathedral was situated for the next day.

Pamplona

Once this was finalized, I decided to go for a meal – a “tortilla con patatas con jamon y queso y tapas” sounded like a nice proposition to me – little did I know that this was going to be part of my daily staple during most of the Camino.

I woke up early the next day, not really knowing what I was going to do. I thought about staying in Pamplona and see how things would develop. I headed straight towards the Cathedral, I knew the “Ayutamiento de la M.N.M.L. y M..H. Ciudad de Pamplona” was around there. I met three young Spaniards from Valencia – Miguel-Angel, Carmen y Jimmy. Accompanying them was Fernando, a friend of a friend from the Police. When I heard the name Fernando , Abba came to my mind.

Fernando walked with us until we were out of Pamplona at the start of the Camino, showing us the sights as we were going along. Thank you Fernando for all your help. My first miracle of the day.

Pamplona

Pamplona was founded by Pompaelo. The town was part of the Compostella’s pilgrims.
The Cathedral Metropolitana was drestroyed in 1390 by a fire and rebuilt in a Gothic Style.The Kings of Navarre were crowned there.

The aim being to reach Puente la Reyna at 3 oclock in the afternoon. Until 12 o’clock.I walked with Miguel-Angel, Carmen and Jimmy. Miguel-Angel was very attentive and waited for me when I started falling behind which was most of the time. He was also giving me tips on the way – for example, not walking in a straight line but like a snake – I did recall reading that in a magazine way back – They were walking very fast and I could not follow them. We ate and then they went their own way, they had taken a week holiday to do their walk.

Alto de Santa Maria de Erreniega – Sierra del Perdon the highest peak (780 m) The sculpture « La via Lactea was done in 1996) representing a group of pilgrims.
A beautiful view of the Pyrenees and Pamplona can be seen from this point.

The landscape was beautiful, all green and dotted with flowers all along the way – poppies and margaritas – etc.

It started raining and the weather was very cold. I arrived in what I thought was Puente la Reina but in fact was Obanos. I was absolutely drenched as well as all the content of my “mochila” – credenciale included – my shoes weighing a “ton” with what appeared to be 3 inches mud all over.

I was so tired, my shoulders were aching and I was soaking wet. What an experience! In the Albergue, I was given a set of clothes someone had left – a pair of trousers and a jumper – that I kept during the whole trip. It was such a big help and so kind of the man at the Albergue to help me. I went to have a shower, to wash my clothes and to clean my shoes with 3 inches mud on them outside in the garden, in the rain. In the meantime, the man took my clothes and tried to dry them. I had to leave them there – the weight would have been too much of a hindrance – He gave me a good tip about wet shoes . To put newspaper in them to dry them. I did and the next morning my shoes were dry and also gave me a plastic cover from my “Credenciale” and a military type looking poncho – I looked a sight in that –

I wanted to go to the shop to buy something to eat, I forgot that the shops did not open until 17.30.

The last thing I remember is lying onto the bed inside my sleeping-bag and falling asleep – I do recall someone putting a blanket over me – my guardian angel – and then … the next morning appeared.

This was my first 20kms or so of the Camino.

After my encounter with the rain, I made a promise – all my clothes, books, etc, were to go “under cover” – Plastic bags were the rules –

I have accumulated a few quotes on the Camino. They have been a part of my childhood. I used to write them in all kind of places and they were kind of a collectors’ items for me because I knew they were good for my soul.

I walked again in the rain. It was bitterly cold. The poncho was a good thing, however it made me perspired a lot. So I was soaked in perspiration and I did not like that.

I arrived at Villatuerta around 2 o’clock I had enough walking for the day so I decided to go into an Albergue that had advertised for massages.I was badly in need of one, believe me! So, I followed the sign and it led me there.

First thing I did was to book the massage. I only ever had a few in my life and I felt this one was fully deserved . I was sore all over again. I met Eifie from Ireland and Paola from Roma. Had my shower then did some washing. Washing during the Camino was one of my priorities as I hate carrying dirty clothes – even if they are packed in a plastic bag – seems to me that the “odor” emanating from it contaminates the whole “mochila”… just one of those “chilly” idea of mine I guess.
The owner and his wife gave me a good recipe for sore feet. Soak them in hot or cold water with some salt and vinegar. I did that, it relieved the pain a bit, but not enough.

Paola, Eifie and I then went to lie on a hamac.

The massage, I was told would be done by a man, I expected it would have been a woman, don’t ask me why. Anyhow, I am here, lying in my underwear, showing off my pretty toenails. The procedure is starting. After the oiling bits, I am waiting for the miracle to unveil. The masseur is telling me that my feet are very tender and I have to take it easy – I should only do 5 to 10 kms to-morrow – He also mentioned my tibia who was really sore saying that it means I have to forgive myself.Hum! Some truth there.

Then onto the back, I turned over in a hurry, find myself caught in between the hole in the massage table and facing the ground when my eyes are open. Suddenly, I hear a moan and a rave and some ranting – goodness gracious what is this all about? My eyes are rolling over as the sound amplifies, I am then squinting,. What ever is this? Could I have that effect on a man? WOW! I don’t really know what to think – should I cry or start laughing – This continue for a while, each stroke being accompanied by a rather loud seductive sound, that gets louder and louder. Heavens above! Is this real? I have been out of the routine for too long I think POW! WOW! WOW ! Yes, … sure it must be Me, I know now, I am convinced that I have that effect on people. Any minute a catastrophe is looming… and I’ll have to call the Emergency 🙂 Anyhow, it came to an end… I don’t know why? Chilly me! He then gave me kiss on the third eye. Oh! La !La! I knew Eiffie was next on the line… I could not wait for her impressions on that.

So, after she came out I asked her ”How did you go?” We looked at each other and started laughing our heads off. The same thing happened to her…I was then re-assured – it was part of the show!-:)

On that night, Paola did some cooking for us – spaghetti with tomatoes, olive oil and herbs – So succulent! She put some olive oil, garlic and pieces of tomatoes onto the bread as well. Effie from Dublin – an English teacher – had bought a bottle of wine. I had a glass and thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Considering I had not eaten the night before… this was most welcome. Went to bed around 9.30pm.

The next morning Paola put some of her bread for me to take on the “trip” and I had the leftovers from the night before for breakfast as well.!How thoughtful of her! I certainly appreciated it. The miracle for the day started early. I spoke with Rosa Mary from Mexico for a while and we exchanged e-mails – mine is still not working since I left –

Pilgrim’s bridge Estella on the Ega River. »Estella » means star. Lizarra in Basque. Sometimes named « Chemin des Etoiles »

It was 9 o’clock. I was told to take it easy and not walk too much. Arrived at Estella, felt OK, so decided to head a bit further. Had a stopover at a fuel-station. Why? I don’t know. I guess it was on the way, asked for a coke – my first one – and a sandwich and started reading the People’s Magazines for a wee while and for a change of “ambiance”. It took me straight out of the Camino’s frame.
I was surprised to see that people were still smoking in the lunch area.

Walked across the street, following the signs. Met with Massimo from Burgos and continued part of the Camino with him until the Monastery at Irache. I tasted the wine at the fountain, then he proceeded to go ahead on his own, I met him again later at one of the Albergue.

Monastary - Fuente del Vino in Irache

Irache

Massimo at « Fuente del Vino » in Irache
The Roman church is from the XII century.

The view along the Camino was fabulous, going up and down the hills, with lots of wild flowers along the way. It was an opportunity to reflect. I took it all in, camera handy.

Before reaching Villamayor de Monjardin, Keegan passed me, a young Australian of 29 years old who had traveled for the last 15 months and lived in South America. We picked up some cherries hanging on the side of the road and ate them on the way. I had an interesting conversation with him about his views on the world. He continued on further. Passing the first Albergue – there were two – I saw Massimo. The one I am staying is owned by Deutsch people. We can have dinner and breakfast there – Suits me fine, I won’t have to walk any further – Met with Simona (a lawyer from Italy) and Laura from Valencia, an English and German teacher). They are only walking for a couple of weeks due to work commitment and short holidays.

Keagan

Have done some hand-washing – no washing machine – they have a funny spinner machine though and put my clothes on the line as everything is soaking wet every time I reached destination.

There is a Deutsch girl (a psychologist) who is helping in the Albergue in Villamayor de Monjardin, a small village.In front of the Albergue is a playground and I am watching the children playing and taking turns going up and down the slide. There is a statue next to the playground of a man who used to own the castle perched high above the village – now in ruins –

Laura was telling me that she was reading the commentaries in Spanish and the Spaniards were not pleased about the way they had been treated . They had been asked to go to the other Albergue who was owned by Spaniards. She had a drink at the local café and heard the locals complaining that none of them spoke Spanish and were not very friendly. They were fine by me.

Dinner consisted of a dish with tuna, asparagus, tomatoes and lots of lettuce, then chicken with rice , peaches, capsicum and herbs and a yoghurt.

Got up at six for breakfast with Simona and Laora and headed down for Los Arcos. Arrived early , so decided to keep going until Sansol. Stopped for lunch. Sunshine was out for the first time since arrival whilst I was walking . The weather seems to take a turn for the better or worse at no specific time I had noticed.

It was very early, so once again I went towards Torre del Rio, direction Viana – the longest 10 kms ever – felt more like 100 kms, there was nothing at all – no water – Met some people from Tenerife in Sansol and met them again – they gave me some water – I was dying of thirst – Alongside the road was mixed with olive trees and vineyards.

In Viana, I headed straight to the first place I saw – The Pujadas Albergue – also known as the “Palacio de Pujadas” Hotel. In front of me was a woman who was apologizing for her bad Spanish. Reminded me of me a few years ago. This time no good Spanish or not, I just said what I had to say and headed straight for the lift. I realized it was also the first time I booked myself in to a Hotel on my own without feeling guilty. Hee! Ha! I had to celebrate, so I did open a can of Coke and a Schweppes from the bar and pretended I was Nicole doing her add for Schweppes…I then noticed how smelly I was. Definitively ..time to have a bath… what a luxury!
I had to call the receptionist to ask how to put the Light on.though…”With the card” she replied. » Hum! »
I soon fell asleep. Woke up a few times. It was too late to have my clothes washed. I called my neighbours in France to see how they were going as I had not been able to contact them because a) I don’t know how to operate that silly thing called a “mobile” and b) most of the time there was no “reseau” – a good excuse –
I woke up the next day at 7am, sore but feeling refreshed. Put the TV on, it was upside down. I had to take a picture of that. I had never seen anything of the sort. It was working OK the night before???