Where in the World is Eva?

Wrapping up in Mendocino

2010-04-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Spring is supposed to be here - and it has shown it's lovely face a few days, but April is proving to be both as unpredictable, wet, cold and windy as ever! Lots of days spent here in my little studio apartment painting while the elements rage outside and I can hear the surf pounding, even though I am about 1/3 mile from the ocean. In other words, no kayaking since my paddling buddy Jan came up to visit from Monterey at the end of March! However, a good walk every morning along the headlands with my friend Sharon, rain or shine! We have been persistent, and gotten drenched and blown about more than once! Since walking the Camino a bit of rain or wind doesn't stop me, and Sharon is not afraid of a bit of rain either!

I have finished several projects over the last few weeks - I finished and had my presentation of my Camino DVD at the Mendocino Recreation Center - it went really well, so I am planning on making a couple more about my other travels.

I finished writing and layout of my first book. It is a fairy tale "Princess Annabelle's Adventures" for my little Danish Princess Annabelle in Kuala Lumpur - I just got word that she received it - and loved it! It inspires me to think about new tales to write and illustrate! I have decided that if I have a niche in the children's book world it will be telling fun tales, nothing scary or spooky, nothing lecturing; but just fun and magic tales where the world is beautiful and people are kind! I think we need a break from all the disasters, it is a scary world we live in on so many levels!

A few weeks ago I painted on ceramic pitchers for a fund raiser here at the art center - what fun that was - the auction is next week, so I am curious to see how they are received! Earlier this week I made ceramic sake cups with some of the ceramist here for another fund raiser, so I have definitely been stretching myself as far as exploring new media. Watercolor is still my first love!

I took a weekend workshop here last weekend, learning to paint mandalas in watercolor - it is a bit like painting meditation - and I had a wonderful time ! So now I have added another painting style to my repertoire. Included in the class was a personal, natal chart - and I must say, I was blown away by how right on it was! According to the stars and planets, I am on the right track trying to switch my career from weddings to the creative, painting and teaching workshops, integrating it with travels and writing! So onwards and upwards I go, following my star - one step at the time, like the Camino.

I think it is one of the most important lessons I learned walking the Camino - that even the most daunting task is possible, one step at the time. - When you start out knowing your destination is 500 miles away, it seems impossible; but if you just take it step by step, and set yourself a goal for the day, it is very doable.

Today I have exactly one week left here in Mendocino, before I return to Truckee. I am looking very much forward to going home; but amazed at how quickly the time went, especially these last few weeks.

I will be hitting the ground running, as I have several exhibits coming up, so I am already busy planning what paintings go where, etc. I finally got my inventory computerized, and now have everything numbered and catalogued - a huge project, since I have well over 200 paintings!! This summer I will be doing the art festival circuit, so hopefully the inventory will shrink by the end of summer! In the meantime I have opened shop on Etzy - do check it out!

Fresh AIR Show

2010-04-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

After weeks of preparation our annual Artist In Residence show opened officially yesterday with an Opening Reception. I think we can be proud of our combined efforts, and cooperation - having a very diverse group of artists working together, is no easy task, but we did it! The show looks great, and we had lots of guests at the opening.
This morning Carol left the art center for good, and is heading up to Oregon, then down to Arizona, and I will see her again in Truckee, when I am back there in May. I will miss having her around the last few weeks here, but I have so many projects to finish, I know time will fly by!
Last week Janicke and Erik was here for a short visit - it was great to see them, and wonderful to show Erik around - he loves the ocean, and really enjoyed getting off the mountain and see spring flowers and green pastures!

Update from Mendocino

2010-03-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

This past weekend my daughter Janicke and Otis - my beloved "Grand Poodle" came to visit, and get me a bit out and about! We went to Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, walks along the ocean, dinner in Mendocino, and watched the ice skating from the Olympics, which I had missed.
I am turning in to a painting recluse, I am afraid, but it suits me for the time being. I think and breathe painting day and night - if I am not painting, wandering around looking at my paintings in progress - I am reading about painting, or watching a DVD about painting! Some days I feel I get absolutely nowhere, and others I finish several paintings I am actually happy with. Today was such a day - it feels good, and maybe all the studying is paying of?
I always tell my students there is only one way to learn to paint - and that is to paint - so I am following my own advice.
Now back to the paint brushes!

Connecting in Mendocino

2010-02-21T17:12:00.000-08:00

The days are flying by, sometimes slowly, but most times quickly - I have already been her for 4 weeks today! New paintings are emerging - I have finished quite a few painted mostly from previous sketches from the Camino - and once in a while I paint something completely different, to keep it fresh!
I have spent a lot of time on the computer, working on flyers, postcards, applications, teaching materials and all that stuff that keeps me from painting! Today I just set up shop online at Etzy.com. Another project that took many hours. However, it has to get done, and I have to accept it is part of being a working artist.
I am in the process of putting my Camino presentation on iDVD, a whole new process so I have to learn as I go - as with so many things it takes a lot of time! Once it's done, I look very much forward to the first presentation on March 20th at the Mendocino Rec Center. I am also working on finding Camino artists to collaborate with for an art exhibit, and I am beginning to have some success.
I just finished 2 dot paintings that are going to be exhibited at Racines in Fort Bragg, where I will give a "Story Painting" workshop next Saturday - I have a few signed up already, and hope to get a few more.
Monday I start with my Arts and Crafts class for the kids in the After School program at the Mendocino Rec Center - I am looking forward to meeting the kids, and plan on starting them out with some dot paintings and story telling about Dream Time. If it is a hit, I have found the creation stories of some of the Native American tribes, and I think it can be a lot fun painting and creating from these wonderful legends.
I am spending a lot of time in my own head, so to speak, as I am working alone in the studio, and in my apartment most days, and it has given me lots of time to think and put down ideas that come to me on paper, so I don't forget.
I even wrote a poem of sorts, that came to me one early morning:

"Dancing with the Muses"

The Muses are dancing on long sleepless nights,
when the mind wanders aimlessly between past, present and future,
searching for answers.
From hidden treasures deep in the soul,
answers are whispered from divine places.
Faint melodies reach you,
soon you are dancing with the Muses
to the tones of imagination.

The weather has been pretty grey, with a few sunny days, but I have yet to put my kayak in the water -I promised myself to go paddling next time we have a nice, sunny day!

Mendocino Revisited

2010-02-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

I have taken a break from writing my blog since I finished my Camino in October 2009. Now it's time to update you on what I am doing now that I am back in Mendocino after a couple of wonderful months in the snow-covered mountains around Truckee.
I returned from Spain on the tails of the first major snow storm, and I left for Mendocino in a small window between snowstorms 2 weeks ago. Albeit 5 days later than planned, but winter is king in the mountains, and you got to adjust. Something I have definitely become better at since walking the Camino.
I enjoyed the winter and snow, and it helped me keep the pace down, and stay focused on taking one day at a time.
I will admit the last few weeks before I left for Mendocino, I did "fall off the wagon" a bit, but the extra 5 days king winter dictated actually saved the day! And I left feeling ready, and was pleased with having most of my paintings exhibited somewhere! Anywhere is better than in storage, and at the US Bank in Truckee and Tahoe City, River Gallery in Reno, North Tahoe Arts in Tahoe City, Squaw Valley and Northstar are all great venues to be in - and I am in! Well, my paintings are in. It was a big push, but I got it done!
Driving to Mendocino was a white-knuckle drive over the mountains - it had started snowing before I left the house in Glenshire, but I took it slow, and got here safe - enjoying beautiful rainbows as I drove through the coastal mountains. I took that as a good omen for my stay here. There is supposed to be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, right?
It stayed dry while I unloaded my car with the help of Carol, who had also brought a homemade salad and soup, I had the wine, and we had a great evening catching up. We are sharing a studio here this time, and my little studio apartment is cosy, I do a lot of my painting here, and have all my mat cutting and framing equipment in the art studio.
I have been out for a couple of good long walks at Russian Gulch SP, and around the Headlands, enjoying the crashing waves, and the fresh sea breeze. It's rainy and windy on and off, but the sun does come out and brighten everything up now and again. I don't mind the rain, I brought my rain gear from the Camino.
I am beginning to get into a good "zone" for painting, and I have made some good contacts this week, so I am scheduled to teach art classes at the Mendocino Rec center, next week I am going to Fort Bragg to teach a couple of art classes at an elementary school, paid! Not much, but it helps!

Finisterre - The End of The World

2009-11-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

I met with Kate in the morning, after having said goodbye to Inge, who was flying back to Germany later that day. Together we walked to the bus station, and on the way there I saw a lady coming towards us - she looked familiar? - It was my sweet landlady Maria from last week, who did my laundry for me, when I stayed at her house! She was all smiles, and we gave each other a big hug. She was happy to see I arrived safely in Santiago, and I told her I was on my way to Finisterre, and thanked her once again for her hospitality, before we waved goodbye and Kate and I continued to the bus station. There we met Vihar, who was taking the same bus as us, and Nina, who was waiting for the airport bus to go back home to Denmark.
The bus ride to Finisterre took about 3 hours along lovely country roads, and after about 1 hour we saw the first glimpses of the sea. Once we arrived, Vihar, Kate and I went in to a restaurant right by the bus stop called La Fronterra, which turned out to be run by a lovely German lady. We had coffee, and then Kate went to find the "alternative" albergue. Vihar and I had a bit more comfort and privacy in mind, so we checked at the Hotel Finisterre just up the street, and ended up getting single rooms w/bath for 30 Euros a night. We both made reservation for 2 nights.
I enjoyed settling in knowing it was for 2 days! After I had rested a bit, I went to find and Internet cafe, and later in the afternoon I walked out to the lighthouse at the tip of Finisterre peninsula, a walk of about 3.5 km, to see the sunset at the End of The World. Along the road Kate joined me - armed with a bottle of wine!
It was a lovely evening, and several other pilgrims were out here and we all sat and enjoyed the beautiful scenery right at the edge of the world. Just before the sun set a very tired young pilgrim came up - she had walked 37 km that day to make it before sunset, and she was exhausted, elated, emotional, body and feet hurting. Tears of joy streamed down her face as she laid down looking into the sunset and smiling at the same time. We could all relate - she had reached her goal, she was finally at the end of the Camino! Kate shared her wine with her also. We all drank straight out of the bottle, no worries about swine flu! We enjoyed this special moment together, as the sun slowly sank into the Atlantic Ocean at the End Of The World. I felt totally content, and realized this was the perfect end to my Camino, I was ready to return to my family and friends, and let the lessons of the Camino continue to work in my life!

Arrival in Santiago!

2009-11-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

It was still raining and misty, so Inge and I took our time getting going - it had been a bit of a restless night as people came in at all hours of the night at the albergue. When we left and walked down to get a cup of coffee, we met Anne Marie and Paulette - poor Paulette was sick, and could barely stand upright. She thought it might have been the food last night, or maybe a stomach flue. There was no way she could walk to Santiago today, so Anne Marie was going to get her back to bed, and then hope she would be better by tomorrow. I sure hope so, to be so close, and still there is no guarantee! We never now what the next moment will bring!
The walk in to Santiago was not particularly pretty, even less so in the rain - the usual ugly suburbs and outskirts of an old city; but with the big, beautiful Cathedral placed in the middle of the lovely "old town" of Santiago de Compostela.
Right as we were walking up one of the narrow streets towards the Cathedral somebody called out my name, and I turned around - there was Jane, whom I had met during the very first week of my Camino! We had shared the dubious pleasure of sleeping on the floor in Zubiri. What a wonderful, unexpected surprise! We hugged and were both so happy to have reconnected! The magic of the Camino is just mind boggling! - Jane was on her way to the bus to go back home, after having walked to Finisterre and Muxia, which she said was a stunningly beautiful walk. That's why she was still in town! To think that she would walk out of the store, right when we were walking up to the Cathedral was just so amazing! We exchanged emails, and she pointed us to were she had stayed - a nice, private albergue where we could get private rooms for 20 Euros, and be within 5 minutes of the Cathedral, and right in the center of the beautiful old town.
We made a mental note of the direction, then I hugged Jane goodbye and Inge and I walked the last few blocks up to the Cathedral. It was enormous and beautiful, even in the rain! We walked into the Cathedral and looked around to get our bearings - it was so huge, and full of people, pilgrims and tourists milling around. - We found the line for Saint James, and went slowly up the stairs behind the big, golden statue. When I reached him, I put my arms around him, looked out into the cathedral from there - I was behind the altar and the big statue, looking down over the interior of the Cathedral. I said my heartfelt "Thank you for watching over me on the Camino, allowing me to complete my long journey in good health. " I had walked 750 km to get to this place! No illness, no major health problems, lots of fantastic experiences, and wonderful new Camino friends! I was so grateful at that moment tears came to my eyes.
Afterwards Inge and I walked through the Cathedral and there we saw Nina, she had arrived yesterday! Big hugs were exchanged, and then out to find the albergue and get settled, so we could be back for the 12 Noon Pilgrim's Mass!
We found the Albergue, got a double room, put our backpacks down, and went straight back to the Cathedral, where it was packed by now; but we managed to find a couple of places, where we could squeeze in. I sat on a bench with a bunch of Korean pilgrims, some of whom I had seen along the Camino.
A nun came up to the pulpit about 5 minutes before the Mass started, and she gave us all a few singing lessons, so we could participate in the Mass. She was so sweet and encouraging as we tried to sing along, and her voice was absolutely amazing!
Then several priests appeared in their beautiful robes, and the Mass began with the announcement of how many pilgrims had arrived in Santiago the previous day, listed by country and starting point. I went to the Pilgrim's Mass again the following day and I heard that 2 Americans had arrived from St. Jean - of which I was one! It was pretty cool, I must admit!
It is still hard to believe I have walked 750 km, it didn't seem that hard, really. Of course, at the end of the day, my sore feet told a different story - they thought it was hard, the rest of my body not so much! I think the only part of you that does not get into shape, are your feet and your joints - the rest of the body gets stronger as you walk.
The Mass continued, and I was surprised at how much I did understand, even though everything was in Spanish. Basically the theme was, of course, the Camino, and how much it mirrors life. "Life is like the Camino, the Camino is like life. Your Camino is not over when you have finished the walk, your journey continues, as does the lessons of the Camino. It will probably take a long time for you to fully understand why you walked the Camino, and learn all the lessons of the Camino." Then there was communion, and finally they lit the giant censer know as the botafumeiro, which is a very special experience to witness. It only happens on special occasions (and if Japanese tourists have paid to have it lit!) It took 8 strong monks to swing it back and forth, while the organ played and the nun sang so beautifully! I was so grateful to be experiencing this fantastic, ancient ritual.
Really the reason behind the botafumeiro is not very spiritual at all, more practical. In ancient times when the pilgrims arrived at the Cathedral, sometimes they slept on the balconies, and all of them had been walking for months, not with facilities as we have today, so they quite literally stunk to high heaven, and the incense of the botafumeiro was to alleviate the stench! There you have it!
Afterwards Inge and I went over to find Nina, we hugged and congratulated each other again, and arranged to meet for dinner that night. - Then we went out to find the office where we could get our Compostela, certifying we had indeed completed the Camino on foot! That is what the Pilgrim's Passport is there to prove, and that is why you need at least one stamp from an albergue, church or similar place each day. The Passport is also what entitles you to stay at the albergues, because they are specifically for pilgrims on foot, or on bicycle, even though not all of them take in bicyclists. The albergues are very cheap, from free/donation to about 10 Euros for a bed, many of the municipal albergues only charge 3 euros for a night. You can only stay one night at an albergue, because, of course, you are on a pilgrimage, and supposed to be walking on towards your goal, Santiago.
After asking a few times, we found the office, and soon Inge and I were armed with each our Compostela. Then we went in opposite directions, and I found a place for lunch behind the Cathedral, then I walked to the albergue. First I had a hard time getting oriented in the narrow streets, but then I walked into the Cathedral and found the exit from where I knew the way, and soon I was walking in the right direction.
I rested after my shower, and soon it was time for Inge an me to go out to meet Nina and Esther, who had arrived that afternoon after a long walk through the rain. I was so happy to see her - last I saw Esther was in Sarria, where she stayed behind to rest her leg, which was giving her a lot of trouble at the time. The rest had helped, and she made it to the finish, and here she was all smiles!
We had a lovely evening speaking Danish, German and English, talking about all our wonderful Camino memories, and about all the friends we had made along the way!
As I walked home I ran in to Australian/Scottish Kate - she was in the same albergue as I, but she was not ready to go home yet, it was party-time for her!
It was a busy night - Saturday - and it was hard to sleep with the open windows to the street - the Spanish are definitely a people of the night, and the streets didn't quiet down until morning, when it was time for the street sweepers to clean the streets of Santiago!
Nevertheless, I enjoyed not having to get up and pack my backpack, it was nice to sleep in a bit!
When I got out to go to the Cathedral, I went for a coffee, and learned that the time had changed overnight, so I was an hour early - no need to rush! It was a perfect, sunny morning!
I met Nina outside the Cathedral. We could not get in yet, because they had morning Mass, so we walked around a bit, and Nina told me that both Vihar and the 2 Canadians Anne Marie and Paulette had made it to Santiago also. Soon after Vihar turned up, and I was elated to see her again. She had also arrived Saturday, but somehow we had not seen each other. Then Paulette and Anne Marie appeared, so good to see them both. Today Paulette had her color back, smiling and rosy cheeks! A far cry from her pale appearance yesterday at Monte del Gozo, where she could barely keep upright! At least they got to walk in to Santiago in the beautiful sunshine, since the rain had passed overnight, and it was a lovely day!
When I walked in to the Cathedral for the Pilgrims' Mass I was thrilled to meet Ilona again, and we sat together and got to see the botumafurio in action again. Fantastic!
After the mass and our happy reunion, Nina, Ellen, Inge, Vihar and I went to lunch together, and there we met an interesting lady from the Czech Republic, who had walked all the way from Prague to Santiago - 5 months, and over 2500 km in protest against the poor living conditions for the older generation, whose pensions have be decimated, and barely allows them to survive. She was 63 herself, and had left Prague with only 120 Euros; but along the way people had been supporting her, and now she had a website, and money was coming in, so she has been able to make it all the way to Santiago, and have enough money now, for transportation back to Prague. She told us that especially on her way through Germany people had been extremely generous towards her, and now she was curious what the reception will be once she returns home. She told us she would possibly be arrested, for what I do not know. Anyway, she was a brave lady, and several of us gave her a 5 or 10 Euro note, and big hugs and thumbs up!
That evening I met with Inge, Anne Marie and Paulette for dinner, and we had a great evening, before we had to say goodbye!
Since I had not been able to make any progress on my change of airline tickets,which was for the following week, I had decided to take the bus to Finisterre now that the weather was nice. Before meeting the others for dinner, I had walked to the bus station, to be sure I could find it in the morning. I had run in to Kate and she wanted to go too, so we arranged to meet downstairs the next morning. I knew Ilona and Vihar were going to Finisterre also, so no doubt we would run in to each other again, I thought, before I fell asleep.

Arca to Monte del Gozo

2009-11-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

I slept until about 8 AM, and took my time getting out of bed, since it was still dark, and I could hear the rain outside. I was not too eager getting my wet boots and rain gear on again, but by 9:30 AM I was on my way, wondering if I should push through and go the last 19 km+ in to Santiago, or stick with my original plan of stopping short of Santiago, and do the last little stretch so I could arrive in Santiago in time to attend the 12 Noon Pilgrim's Mass upon arrival.
I walked along the pathways lined with eucalyptus trees in the quiet rain, meeting only a few people, and none I knew. Finally a bar appeared, and I went in to get my first café con leche and a bocadillo with eggs and bacon along with a glass of fresh-pressed orange juice. I was hungry, because I had had nothing to eat yet. Then I walked on, my right foot with the blister was giving me a bit of trouble, not bad; but I could feel it every time I took a step, the wet boots no doubt being part of the problem. I had to stop several times to adjust the laces, as my foot cramped up, then I could walk on again for a little while.
As I passed by the Santiago airport walking around and behind the runways, several planes flew right over my head, as they were landing or taking off. It was a strange feeling that soon I would be on a plane flying out of this very airport!
As I walked on, trying to decide if I could make it to Santiago today, or should stop in Monte del Gozo, which would be coming up in just a few kilometers, Inge suddenly appeared behind me, and we walked together to Monte Gozo, where she had planned to stop for the day. She wanted to walk the last 5 km in to Santiago the next morning, so she could go straight to the Cathedral and hug Saint James and attend the 12 Noon Pilgrim's Mass. I decided the idea sounded good, and walked with her the last bit to the albergue. Inge had walked the Camino last year as well, a bit earlier in the year, and she wanted to experience going straight to the mass from the Camino this time. Besides, we could hope the weather would change, so we would not be walking in to Santiago in the rain.
The Albergue at Monte Gozo was huge - like a whole little city in itself with room for about 800 pilgrims! However, we were greeted very warmly by a very charming hospitaliero, who gave us an empty room with 8 bunk-beds, room for the backpacks, and the heater on full blast! Even though it was way too hot for us, especially since we just came from outside and were warm (and wet) from walking, it was nice to know we could hang our wet clothes up, and they would actually be able to dry out.
It was good to be out of the rain, get showered and into some dry clothes, and off my weary feet! I had seen the 2 Canadians, Anne Marie and Paulette as I had hoped. They had made plans of spending the night here, and walk in to Santiago Saturday morning to make it to the 12 Noon Pilgrims Mass when I last talked with them a couple of days ago. I was happy to be among friends and familiar faces - it felt right to have stopped here today! Everything just seemed to work out the way it was supposed to!
I organized my stuff, put the rain jacket back on, and brought my laundry with me in a plastic bag, to go look for the laundromat. It was right across from the restaurant and café, so I put my clothes in the washer, and went across the plaza to the café. Here I met Inge, and I got myself a glass of red wine and a croissant, which was the only "food" available, until they opened the kitchen for dinner at 8 PM. There was internet available, and it was fast! So I checked emails, while waiting for my laundry to finish. All done, armed with dry, clean clothes, I went up to the dorm and took a well-deserved nap, until it was time to go over for dinner. Inge and I walked over together, and were joined by Anne Marie and Paulette, and after a little while Inge went over to the next table where she joined a German guy who was sitting alone. She found it hard to follow the conversation in English, and thought she would keep her countryman company. When the Canadians left, I joined the German table, and talked with him a bit after Inge left - he was an older guy, who had biked the Camino several times , and he was on bike this time also.

From Ribadiso do Baixo to Rúa/Arca

2009-11-13T08:33:00.001-08:00

Another rainy morning, so I just rolled out of bed, unshowered and same clothes as yesterday - it was too wet and cold for a shower! I brushed my teeth and donned the rain-gear to go next door for coffee and croissant as well as orange juice, to stay healthy for the last few days, in spite of the weather! Then out I went, and walked along in the rain, being mightily cheered up by the close encounters with my personal little cheerleader - the little red-breasted European Robin, which had ben keeping me company and singing so lovely for most of the Camino. I forgot about fake pilgrims and just thought about my Camino, and how blessed I was to be walking and having all these great experiences! I stopped a couple of times along the way for refreshments, and walked on through rain and shine, watching how the markers went from 39.5 km to 19 km, before I found a little private house with a sign saying "rooms".
Before it I had checked out the albergue in St. Irene, but there was no restaurant near, and I certainly didn't want to have to walk far to get dinner. Then I tried at the next hotel, but they were fully booked. I was very happy to have found this little place and have my own room, and the very kind and sweet landlady Maria did my laundry for me - without charging extra!
Even though we couldn't talk much, because she spoke only Spanish, her kindness spoke for itself. My room was very nice and clean, but pretty chilly, so I went under the covers for a while, before getting up, dealing with a blister I got today. I had walked pretty far the last few days, and my boots were wet because of all the rain, so they didn't have a chance to dry out overnight.
I got up, and went back to the hotel to have dinner at their restaurant, but they didn't start dinner service until 8 PM, so I had to resign myself to a glass of wine, while I wrote in my journal, and listened to the conversation between two guides at the bar. It was an Irish and a Japanese guide, and I had actually run into the Japanese group on the Camino today, and took a group photo for them. We were all waiting for dinner. Finally it was time, and I had a nice dinner, and afterwards I chatted a bit with the Irish tour guide, who has walked the camino himself, and have been guiding tours of the Camino for a couple of years, so he had some good insights. In the dark, rainy night I walked back to my room, and soon I was asleep knowing I was nearing the end, and having mixed feelings about it.

From Casanova to Ribadiso do Baixo

2009-11-13T08:25:00.001-08:00

It was raining as I set out, but not too bad, and as the day went on it sprinkled on and off, until a steady rain set in during the afternoon.
It was a long day, and when I saw the albergue by the river, I went in, and decided this was it for me for the day. It was the converted pilgrim's hospital from medieval times, and there was a restaurant right next door, so I was happy to call it a day!
I got a bottom bunk, and right after a bunch of Spanish "pilgrims" came in. - I turned down a request to switch beds - which was not well received by the older Spanish guy, who wanted me to take a top bunk in the middle of the room. I didn't really care, I was tired and cold, so I just crept in to my sleeping bag and ignored him. A few moments earlier I had met Anne Marie and Paulette again, they were in the back room with a bunch of fake French pilgrims!
Later I had a nice dinner with Anne Marie and Paulette, and there was internet at the restaurant also, so I had a chance to just check emails, before I went back to the albergue and turned in, earplugs in place.
As I had expected the Spanish group came in late and loud, but at least the guy who had wanted me to switch beds did apologize for the noise! We had entered the last 100 km of the Camino, and all of a sudden all these "new" pilgrims appeared, and many of them, as the French and the Spanish group, would have back-up car transportation, just carry day packs, and even drive part of the way, and then present themselves at the albergues as true pilgrims entitled to stay there. It's really annoying when they take up the spaces, while "real" pilgrims who come in tired after honestly having walked the whole way, find no bed, and have to move on.

From Eirexe to Casanova

2009-11-13T04:14:00.001-08:00

It had been raining during the night, so we all donned our rainwear. I went across the street for coffee and a croissant, then I set out in the slight drizzle. - It was not cold, and the rain soon stopped, and I walked along, content. - Inge passed me on the way before Palais de Rei, and I ran into the two Canadians in Palais de Rei, where I stopped for coffee, a cheese bocadillo and fresh pressed orange juice. Then I walked on, and found an Internet cafe, so I decided to take advantage, and spent 1 hour on the fastest connection yet!
I was glad to have had the chance to catch up, as the next few days did not promised much access!
I stopped in Casanova where there was a good albergue, and there were the Canadians Anne Marie and Paulette again! Later Kate came in, but it was already full, so she had to walk another 1. 5 km to get to the next albergue.
I did my laundry in the washer and dryer, with the wet weather I was happy to find it available.
I slept almost until it was time to go down to get the the shuttle car for dinner. It was at the albergue where Kate stayed, and it was a real home-cooked, Galician country meal - it was excellent! We started with 2 kinds of soup, then salted pork and beef shank, which the soup had been cooked on, served with boiled potatoes and cabbage. After that country fries with delicious homemade meatballs in a tasty sauce. For dessert delicious homemade cream custard with cinnamon crisp. We all left more than full, it was still raining, but the shuttle took us back to the albergue. With my earplugs in, I slept like a baby until almost 8 AM!

Mercadoiro via Portomarin to Eirexe

2009-11-13T04:06:00.000-08:00

I slept in a bit, then got myself packed up and left along with Kate, as one of the last ones out. It was a quiet morning with a light cloud cover, and after a cup of café con leche and toast I started along the path, hoping to make it to Eirexe as previously planned, even though I had stopped short of Portomarin by about 5 km.
- I enjoyed the quiet day, and many thoughts ran through my mind - probably partly digesting the thought-provoking conversations with Vihar the previous day.
Kate, the 2 German ladies ans I met several times along the way, when we stopped to rest, and as usual the birds kept me company as I walked along the lovely pathways through numerous forlorn - and smelly - hamlets.
Portomarin was not that attractive, it was a new town, mostly, and I was happy I had stopped at the lovely albergue in Mercadoiro!
My feet were getting tired, so I was really happy to see the small albergue coming up as I walked in to Eirexe, and saw Nina waving to me! - There was still plenty of room at the albergue, so I got settled, showered, etc. - It looked like imminent rain, so I was so happy they had a dryer at the albergue, and threw in my sleeping bag and clean clothes as well, just to do a little de-bugging, to be on the safe side! I had a couple of new, very itchy bites on my hands!!
- At the dorm I saw the 2 Canadians ladies and met Inge from Germany again, we had met a few days earlier, briefly. There was a Danish mother and daughter who walked in just after me. The daughter, who was just 18 years old, wanted to walk on to the next town, but her mom wanted to stay here for the night, so she joined the rest of us later for dinner, and we had a really nice evening with good food, and lots of wine! In other words - the usual!

Barbadelo to Mercadoiro

2009-11-13T03:58:00.000-08:00

The next morning we woke up to thick fog, so we took our time getting ready, and ended up having a fun morning with a thrown together breakfast of what we had left of bread, cheese and marmalade. Coffee made with the little boiler stick the Polish guy had brought along, and spent time modifying the night before, so it would fit into the wall socket - he was so pleased with himself when it worked!
After breakfast we said goodbye to each other, the guys walked out together, then Nina walked on, and I was content to start out my walk alone in the quiet morning.
As I walked along the sun slowly burned away the fog, and when I got to the outskirts of a village, trying to get a good look at a bird, Vihar appeared, and we ended up walking together, stopping for coffee and something to eat at a lovely cafe. The time passed quickly as we chatted about our lives and experiences on the Camino.
Of course we had to stop at the 100 km marker stone, and take photos - I couldn't believe we had reached it - only 100 km to Santiago - that's less than 1 week to go!
We continued on until we came to a tiny village, where a kind local man had lit a fire in an old stone fireplace with a sign inviting pilgrims to sit down and rest. We sat down and enjoyed the fire and rest, he came over and sat down with us, asking us where we were from in German. It turned out he was retired, and had moved back to where he grew up after he retired from his job in Madrid. He told us they still baked bread in this little shed made of slate and rocks!
Just a few hundred meters further on was a lovely albergue with delightful music playing and a bar and restaurant with chairs and tables under the umbrellas looking out over a green valley and mountains. Vihar knew of this place from when she walked the camino last year. We sat down, had coffee, and both of us decided that this was too perfect to leave to spend the night in a big crowded albergue in Portomarin!
It was so lovely, and I enjoyed a relaxed afternoon talking with a Dutch couple who had lived in Costa Rica for about 10 years. I think they might be working on a book about the standard of the albergues along the Camino. He was in the hotel business, and they had walked the Camino last year as well, and were taking plenty of very organized notes about the features of the various albergues, etc. It sure would be very helpful for pilgrims!
We had lots of wine as the afternoon slowly slipped away, and as the sun settled behind the hills we got our laundry from the line, nice and dry from the afternoon sunshine.
For dinner Vihar and I sat at a table with a couple of German ladies, young Kate from Brisbane, Australia, but who lived in Edinburgh, Scotland, and we had an enjoyable evening, with lots of talk and laughter!

From Samos to Barbadelo Via Sarria

2009-11-13T03:48:00.000-08:00

We were awoken at 7 AM with beautiful music by Vivaldi - just as the warden had promised us the night before. How pleasant to wake up to lovely music!
After packing up and saying goodbye to all my new friends, I set out to reach Barbadelo, so I could get to Portomarin the following day. Again there were 2 routes to choose from, and I wanted the longer one, and not the one that went along the road to Sarria. I found the little path going off to the right following the yellow arrows. It was a lovely walk along pathways and small country roads, but it felt quite a lot longer than the 12 km my guidebook claimed. When I finally reached the outskirts of Sarria I went in to the tourist office to get a stamp and an extension for my pilgrim's passport, as I was running out of pages. I asked her about the distance from Samos to Sarria, and she confirmed that it was 12 km, if you walked along the road, and more like 15 or 16 km if you took the paths. It made me feel a lot better, and made a lot more sense!
I met Esther whom I met Samos last nigh outside. She was going to stop here, and give herself a break, because she was having trouble with her legs, and was worn down. I was happy to see she was taking care of herself, and wished her a nice rest, and hoped to see her in Santiago!
Then I continued on up to the old, and quite lovely part of Sarria. I was wondering if I should stay, but decided to stick to my original plan, in spite of the extra km. As I was going out past the albergues I met Nina, whom I had just met the night before at the monastery. She was heading out also, so we ended up walking together, chatting and almost missing a turn - a nice elderly Spanish man called out to alert us - pilgrims on the wrong track - and pointed us in the right direction! It's so nice how the locals were looking out for us, and made sure we didn't go off track!
We walked the 1 1/2 hour to Barbadelo, and found the little private albergue I had read about. We were the first ones there, and soon we were checked in and getting settled. Later we were joined by 3 older guys, 2 French and 1 Polish - they were business friends. All of them spoke English, so we could talk without problems, and they were really nice and considerate.
Nina had bought food and some small containers of wine for a before-dinner drink, so she invited me to share her meal, and I was happy to accept! For my part of the meal I offered to go up and see if I could buy a bottle of red wine from the only restaurant in the tiny village. Even though it was closed until it reopened for dinner at 8 PM, I was bold and walked in, finding the woman of the house busy cleaning the kitchen. She only hesitated for a moment, then agreed to sell me a bottle for 5 Euros. Then I walked back to the albergue, and we rested until it was time to go for the 7 PM mass in the little church. There was not a single local, just a few pilgrims - I can't say I blame the locals, it was a very uninspired old, tired priest!
I was hungry, and so was Nina, so we set out the spread, as the guys got ready to go up to the restaurant for their dinner. We had bread, cheese, dried ham, olives and octopus in olive oil - and plenty of red wine! We were in bed before the guys got back from dinner, falling asleep after a long day!

From Triacastela to Samos

2009-11-13T03:34:00.000-08:00

I walked out of the albergue around 8:30 am, and followed the 2 Danes, brother and sister, whom I had met up i O Cebreiro. We were all 3 a bit uncertain as to the correct route, since we were following the longer route towards Samos, a detour of 5-6 km. After walking along the road towards Samos for a couple of kilometers, there was the yellow arrow we were looking for, and from there on the Camino was on lovely dirt pathways through little hamlets, nice stretches of forest, and just the most delightful and varied landscape.
The Danes had long disappeared, they were walking without backpacks, and were long-legged and very fit, so they walked much faster than I. It was a beautiful morning, sunny, but quite chilly, there were frost on the grass and bushes in the fields and pastures, where the rays of the sun had not yet reached. I was happy that I had bought a pair of gloves up in the little store in O Cebreiro, because they sure came in handy this morning! There was definitely Fall in the air, and I thoroughly enjoyed walking through this pretty stretch of the Camino. Birds sang, the ferns and some of the trees were glowing in yellows and golds, picturesque indeed! I had not had any coffee before I left, and I could feel the long walk yesterday in my bones, so when I saw the huge Benedictine Monastery down in the valley, I was happy to know coffee was only a short distance away!
Soon I was drinking my first café con leche of the day, and then I walked to the Monastery. On the way I ran in to Ilona - I was happy to see her again, she was definitely one of my "special" people on the Camino! She told me that the evening mass with chanting at the monastery was at 7:30 PM, and also that the tour of the Monastery was well worth it. She was staying at a hostal just opposite the monastery - she did not stay at the albergues, she preferred to spend a bit more money on her accommodations, and then be frugal with her meals.
Right after I had talked with Ilona I met the friend of the Danish brother and sister I had walked with in the morning. He was driving, and was their personal "carrier", and a really nice guy - he also told me the tour of the Monastery was absolutely a must, so armed with these reports I set out to find when and where the next tour started.
It was still early in the day, I had only walked about 12 km, but I wanted to spend the night here, because the albergue was in the monastery, and when would I ever get a chance to stay in a monastery again? Besides, I wanted to experience the evening mass with the chanting monks.
I bought my ticket for the tour, and walked around a bit, before it was time to go back to the entrance, where we were guided by a lovely young Spanish woman. She only spoke Spanish, but at least she spoke slowly and clearly, and I actually understood some of what she was explaining, as we walked through the huge buildings with beautiful murals, statues, fantastic carvings and artistic and architectural details of this large Benedictine monastery of Samos. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour, even if the explanations were only in Spanish!

Afterwards I went over to the café across the entrance to the albergue, which did not open until 3 PM. I had lunch, and soon I was joined by Vihar, whom I had also met earlier, and when it was a few minutes to 3 PM the kind warden came over and told us we could check in now. He was such a nice, kind man, as was the other warden, and they played lovely music that made the big room seem cozy, as we got settled in these quite majestic surroundings with the tall, vaulted ceilings decorated with murals. While were getting organized and showered, another couple of Danes, Nina and Esther, came along with 2 Canadian women, whom I had not yet met, but heard about.
One of them had been lost for about a day up in the mountains by O Cebreiro. She and her friend had separated as one of them had to use the ladies room. As agreed, the other one walked ahead, and somehow the one trailing behind went the wrong way, and ended up walking all the way around the mountain, and did not find an albergue until it was almost evening.
In the meantime the one walking ahead was getting quite frantic, because her friend never showed up. The next day she was still looking and asking everyone if they had seen her friend, but nobody had! Finally she called in the police, and about 1 1/2 hour later her friend was found, and all was well, luckily! They did not have cell phones, and there was no internet where the lost one ended up, so she had no way of letting her friend know she was okay.
It was quite a scare, and these kinds of news travel fast on the Camino - so even if we did not know any of the involved pilgrims, we all worried and wondered what could have happened. However, I must say even though I walked by myself, and often was all alone for long stretches with no one in sight, I never felt the least bit afraid.

Nina had forgotten her towel at the last albergue, so I dug into my backpack and found the little instant towel my kayak friend Jan had given me long time ago, and gave it to Nina. She looked at the tiny little package, wondering how on earth that would turn into a towel; but she gave it a try, and it worked just fine to her amazement. It is one of those that slowly unfolds as it get in contact with water, and we were all laughing as Nina emerged showing off the towel after use! We were also cracking up when several of the old guys in their tiny speedo underwear zoomed by our bunks, which were right by the entrance to the bathrooms. As someone said, on the Camino modesty is best left at home! It was just too funny, and all this in a monastery! I wondered if the monks have as much fun?
Just before I went to the evening mass I ran into the two Norwegians from Bergen, and we were so happy and surprised to meet again! We ended up going together to the mass, where we joined Ilona on the bench. There were only about 10 priests and monks performing the Vesper service, and most of them were very old. The chanting was really not very impressive, I am afraid. The poor monks were so old, their crackly voices could barely carry in the huge chapel, but at least the organ was playing, helping them along.
I had to imagine what it was like back in the days when several hundred monks lived here. It must have been quite a choir then. However, it's a tradition which clearly is dying out, as the monks get old and pass away, not many newcomers anymore. After the Vesper part of the mass was over, Ilona, the Norwegians and I snug out, we were hungry. After saying good night to Ilona, who did not want to have dinner, I went with Lita and Sven, and we had a nice dinner together, catching up on what we had experienced since we saw each other last in Fromista.

O Cebreiro to Triacastela

2009-11-13T03:28:00.001-08:00

I woke up around 7:30 AM, and enjoyed the peace, took my time getting out of bed. I loved getting ready in peace and quiet, before I got out on the path after having enjoyed a café con leche at the café.
It was a beautiful morning, and I enjoyed walking again, feeling fresh and rested! I stopped at Alto de Poio for orange juice, and then walked on through little forlorn hamlets where the cows definitely seemed to be in the majority - it smelled accordingly! Since none of them seemed the least bit inviting, I ended up walking all the way to Triacastela, well over 20 km.
I was beat, and my feet were really sore by the time I reached the albergue "Refugio de Oribio" around 3:30 PM. I got a bed, bath, did laundry, tried the internet - extremely slow, and I met another Canadian - David, who gave me a nice ice cold soda, so I traded him the last 10 minutes I had left on the computer - it was so slow I had no more patience for it.
After that I went out to find a supermarket and a pharmacy, to get tooth paste and a few other things I needed resupplies of, and then I rested until it was time to find a place for dinner.
As I walked in to the main street, I saw a nice-looking restaurant with a pilgrim's menu according to the sign outside, so I went in, and there was Spanish Pilar and her new Japanese Camino friend. They invited me to join them and we had a delightful evening together! It was so nice to see Pilar again! She was doing so much better, because she is walking at her own pace, and not at that of her friends with whom she walked in the beginning.

On to O Cebreiro and Galicia!

2009-11-13T03:15:00.000-08:00

The first part of the path was just along the road, and I stopped at a couple of the little villages I went through - and in Laguna de Castilla I stopped for another rest and a bite to eat. Here I met the guy from Alaska, I had heard about. - We had a nice, long chat about art and life, before I moved on after lacing up my boots again.
Even though I was tired today, after yesterday's long walk I did enjoy the scenery, which was beautiful, especially as the path went off the road and into the mountains. Lots of birds here too!
- I was so happy when I saw the marker announcing I had finally entered Galicia! Soon the lovely village of O Cebreiro appeared, and I found the Municipal Albergue at the other end of the little village and checked into the modern and pleasant albergue!
I really liked it here, on top of the mountains. It was so green everywhere you looked, and O Cebreiro had retained the Galician charm. It was a popular tourist destination I had heard, and I could certainly understand why! I felt like I needed a rest day, and thought this would be a perfect spot to spend an extra day - something to ponder.
I had the pilgrim's dinner at the little restaurant/bar/souvenir shop, and I shared a table with a young Japanese pilgrim. We had a really nice meal together exchanging Camino stories, and he told me a bit about himself. He had studied in Pennsylvania, and his English was excellent. He was in-between jobs, as he was in the investment trade, and had lost his job, but luckily he had a new position waiting for him in Japan, when he returned.
- At another table I could hear a Danish accent, so after we had finished our meal I went over to say hello to Danish Per from Tønder, and we had a nice little chat in Danish before I went back to the albergue for the night. Top bunk, which was not a problem, I could get up and down without too much trouble other than the usual aches and pains! In the middle of the night the young Spanish girl in the next bunk started to text message on her cell phone, and it rang several times, until I told her to stop it, and turn off her phone!! Somebody had to tell her! Of course, after that I had a heck of a time falling back asleep, and all my aches and pains were acting up, so I tossed and turned for hours, and awoke tired and unmotivated.
I had heard the wind howling during the night, and it was still very windy, but otherwise a beautiful, sunny morning. I made up my mind - I would indeed spend another day here - rest and just enjoy this lovely little village with the great views!
I walked back into the village and found an open café, and joined the crowd of pilgrims getting coffee and toast in the cozy cafe. I asked the hostess about a room for the night, and she told me she was closed for the season, but I could rent a room across the way. I was enjoying my coffee and toast, and when I went up for a 2nd café con leche, she indicated that she might have a room for me after all - great!
When I had finished my 2nd cup of coffee, she came over and asked me to follow her, so I could see the room. It was right around the back, up a set of stairs, and absolutely lovely, with own bathroom, and even a small bathtub! She told me I could have it for 40 euros, if I could close it myself the following day. - The deal was on, and I got the keys and could settle in right away!
I loved having the lovely room all to myself, with views over the little cobble-stoned street, nice and sunny - my own bathroom - heaven! I realized that it was high time for me to take a little break from walking and staying at a new albergue every night, so I was pleased with myself for taking this day of rest in such a lovely place.
That day the miracles of the Camino continued, had I walked on, I would have missed these wonderful reunions! First I saw Vihar come walking in to the village - it was a happy reunion, but she was a bit worried about her backpack, which she had sent ahead, so she didn't have to carry it up the steep path to O Cebreiro. It was not here yet, even though it was mid-day. As we sat and talked about it, a German lady joins us, and when she heard of Vihar's worried, she sprang into action, putting several people on the search, found the phone number for the albergue from where the backpack was sent, rounded up a pilgrim who spoke Spanish, etc. Vihar was just so touched at how everyone wanted to help her!
In the meantime the Spanish lady who had fainted from pain several weeks ago, but whom I had not seen for a while, Pilar, arrived at O Cebreiro also, so another joyful reunion. She had also sent her backpack with a taxi, and just as we were talking, the taxi appeared, and there was Vihar's backpack as well, so everyone were elated and relieved, not least Vihar! Later on I met the German lady again, and we took a walk together to see where the trail continued, and had a wonderful conversation as we were walking along. I learned that her name was Ilona, and she was an artist from Berlin! She had been an artist, and had lived from her art for the past 10 years, Japanese Ink drawings. Now she was entering a new phase of life, she had given up her studio, and wanted to move on to other things. She had a lot of good insights, and I truly enjoyed our conversation.
I really enjoyed my day of rest, and meeting up with old and new friends. In the evening I had a nice relaxed dinner with Vihar, then a nice soak in my little bathtub, before I went to bed, and slept in the comfy bed, with comforter and no sleeping bag - pure luxury!

Villafranca del Bierzo to Vega de Valcarce

2009-11-13T03:12:00.000-08:00

I had a little trouble finding the right trailhead on the way out of Villafranca, because my guidebook gave me 3 options, and on the actual signs I could only find 2. It was important to find the right one, because one went along the road, shorter, but on paved roads, and not nearly as scenic as the one I was after, which went higher up on small pathways, with stunning views. The third option, according to my book, was also very scenic, but over 40 km over very rugged and partly unmarked trails, so I definitely did not want to end up on that one!
After a bit of searching and asking around, I found the trailhead, and started the long hike up the mountain. It was a beautiful, if strenuous walk up into the mountains, but I enjoyed it!
It's a little miracle how at the end of the day I am so tired, my feet hurt, and many other parts of my body aches as well, and yet the next morning I am ready to walk again! When I get to the albergue of the day, have my shower and maybe a nap, I walk around wherever I am, to see the sights!
Anyway, this morning was gorgeous, I enjoyed being all alone on the beautiful natural trail, just me and the birds - and there were lots of them - all the way to the first village of Trabadelo - a stretch of about 12 km. From there the trail went from idyllic to a hazardous and unpleasant walk along a busy highway, with a very treacherous crossing of the busy highway! After this unpleasant stretch I was back on quiet country roads, where I tried to walk on the shoulder of the road as much as possible, to spare my feet from the pavement.
I walked through several tiny villages, and got as far as Vega de Valcarce, before I found an open and appealing albergue - so I landed in Albergue do Brazil just on the outskirts of the little village of Vega de Valcarce!
I was welcomed in by the very cheerful Christina from Brazil, she spoke English with a charming Brazilian accent, and was just so exuberant and Brazilian! She sprayed my backpack outside - custom procedure to curb any infestation of bugs - I appreciated that effort! She assured me the washed and changed the sheets on the beds every day - and I actually saw it in action the next morning! Most places that's not the case, that's for sure! In spite of all these efforts, I am sure it's an uphill battle, because the buildings are just so old, and full of cracks in the walls, old wooden plank floors, etc. I did have 2 new bites on my hands the next morning, but luckily no severe reaction!
I was tired from the long walk, and after shower and laundry I rested almost until dinnertime, which was early - 6 PM. We were a small group seated around the big round granite table outside, where Christina seated us, and then told us a bit about how she had landed in this tiny village all the way from Brazil! She had walked the Camino herself, and had ended up helping out at this albergue, and after completing the Camino she came back, and now she had been here for several years, and felt she learned something new every day, and loved being here. You could feel she was speaking from the heart, she was so bubbly and enthusiastic! Then she asked us to introduce ourselves, and in one word sum up our Camino experience so far - "camaraderie" was what I came up with.
I got to talk quite a bit with the South African couple I had met here and there for the last week or so, but we had never really talked, just greeted each other as we met in cafés or albergues.
They had stayed at San Bol - the little albergue with the field as "potty" - and she told me of a wonderful experience she had there.
When she started the Camino she had wished that somehow God would show himself to her during her Camino. So at San Bol she sat in the sun that was shining through the tall poplar trees, and all of a sudden she saw a cross, when she closed her eyes there was a bright silver cross. Then she opened her eyes, and looked down at her hands, and they were covered in glowing gold - as she turned them in amazement they stayed covered in gold. She would close her eyes, then look again - they were still covered in gold. This went on for about 10-15 minutes, until she was absolutely certain this was really happening. Then the hospitalero, who was a Hungarian woman, arrived with her groceries, and she looked over and said: "Yes, this is a magical place where miracles happen - now you can help me carry in my groceries, so I can cook dinner for us!"
It was such a beautiful story, and as she was telling it, tears slowly rolled down her cheeks, and she discreetly dried them. I was very taken by her story, and grateful that she trusted me to tell it.
After the lovely dinner Christina had prepared Brazilian style - which was a nice change from the usual Pilgrim's Menus, we went upstairs and got ready for the night. We were only a few there, so it was nice and quiet, and we didn't get up until it was way past 7 AM.
It was hard to get up in the mornings by now, because it was dark outside way past 8 AM. - We all had a nice breakfast with ham and cheese toast, coffee, and soon we went off one by one, heading west along the Camino.

Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo

2009-11-13T03:06:00.001-08:00

It was a long walk, mostly along paved roads, so my feet were really hurting and and I changed into my sandals for the last stretch into Villafranca. The Albergue was very crowded, but I still managed to get a bottom bunk on the top floor in a very, very crowded room. There was barely room to get in between the bunk-beds, they were so close together. In my dorm room there was a group of teenagers on a tour - they were German, and at first I must admit I was a bit irritated, because they were, of course, having fun, playing cards and music, and just horsing around. I was tired and beat, so I really had no patience for this, but after resting a bit, and getting to know a couple of them, and they were actually a really nice bunch of kids, it was just my state of mind at the time, combined with the crowded conditions and my aching body!
I walked in to the lovely Plaza Major after my shower, and found an Internet cafe and later a nice, outdoor restaurant where Danish Lars was sitting along with several other pilgrims I had met in Ponferrada. They invited me to join them, and I ended up having dinner there with Lars, and a Canadian and a German pilgrim. Later we were joined by a Brazilian girl I had met on the Camino during the day, as we took turns passing each other. We had a really nice evening, and I learned a lot about the Camino from Lars, who was walking it for the 3rd time! He had started further up in France - in Le Puy, so that's quite a distance extra - about 500 km, I think!

From Riego de Ambrós to Ponferrada

2009-11-12T03:24:00.001-08:00

It was still pretty dark as I started out of the village around 8 AM on a steep and rocky path going down through a lovely forest and passed beautiful groves of huge, old chestnut trees. - I got off track as I reached the road , probably because I was lost in thoughts, so had to backtrack about 2 km to get back on the right path, instead of following the road. - It was beautiful, but very taxing on the knees, as the track went steeply downhill on very uneven ground. Malinaseca came none to soon and there was a café for a eagerly anticipated coffee break!
From there it was a long 8 km in to Ponferrada through some vineyards, then a long slog through neighborhoods and industrial areas on paved road.
I found the refugio without problems just outside the old part of town. It was a nice, municipal albergue, and one of the volunteers was a very friendly woman from Texas, who went around and served ice tea, while we waited. They opened for check-in at 2 p.m., but they had shower and laundry facilities adjacent to the church across the courtyard that were open, so I had my shower and laundry done while I waited. After getting settled in, and chatting a bit with a Danish guy named Lars, I went in to the old part of town, which was quite lovely, and dominated by the huge, medieval castle built by the Knights Templar. I had a nice glass of wine and a pizza on the square by the church, and enjoyed the scenery and resting my tired feet. On the square I notice a sculpture made by the artist who had a special exhibition at the art museum I visited in Estella - I could recognize his distinct modern style.

From Foncebadón to Riego de Ambrós via Cruz de Ferro

2009-11-12T03:10:00.000-08:00

I had an okay night - I had taken an antihistamine plus a sleeping pill. - I had also doctored up a young German girl, who also suffered from bites and had had a terrible night the previously night. I gave her an antihistamine, until she could get to a pharmacy and get some herself.
Today the first important stop was the Cruz de Ferro - a small iron cross on top of a mountain, and it was only about 2 km away - uphill! So I set out around day break, the sky to the East was turning red and orange from the upcoming sun, but as I turned the corner and started walking up and out of the village I wa enveloped in a thick fog.! I was happy as another pilgrim from last night caught up with me - John from Sacramento - one of just a few Americans I had encountered on the Camino so far. Now at least I knew I was on the right path in the thick fog, on the lonely mountain.
We reached the famed cross - it's rather small, and the pile of rocks around it huge! It's the custom for pilgrims to bring a stone along with them from home, and then leave it at this cross.
Lots of people are up here, busy taking photos, this along with the fog made it less of an experience than it could have been. I took John's picture for him, and he took mine, in the fog it was not a great photo, but it's tradition. Quite frankly I found my impromptu stop yesterday at the little chapel outside Astorga in the rain and thunder much more spiritual than this.
Even though it was foggy, I could sense I was walking through beautiful country, unfortunately the fog blocked the views most of the morning. I walked my way first up - not too bad - then down, which was tiring with the loose rocks and stones, but I reached my destination for the day around 1 PM, after having made a stop mid-morning for coffee and a bocadillo in El Acebo.
Again I was the first one checking in, quickly followed by a nice German couple. After showering and laundry I went out the check out the dining possibilities in the tiny village.
I was happy to be able to report back to the German couple that indeed the one and only place in town would be serving dinner from 7:00 PM. - They had gotten the impression that it would be closed from 4 PM. After having established the dining situation, I took a long nap, checked my laundry - it was drying very slowly - then I wandered around to check out the village - quickly done! My feet were sore, the rest of my body was doing fine, and if it wasn't for the feet, I could definitely walk longer; but they get tired and start burning and cramping up!
I had a nice evening chatting with the German couple over dinner and 3 bottles of red wine!! After that I slept well, and woke up with no new bites!

From El Ganzo to Foncebadón

2009-11-12T02:59:00.000-08:00

I awoke after a night were I was awake for a while - too much wine, no doubt - and I felt like I had been bitten again - yikes! (It turned out to be true, and I did all my clothes including sleeping bag, etc. at my next stop.)

It was a beautiful morning with blue sky and some great cloud formations, and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk in the high country along beautiful pathways with great views of the surrounding mountains. Patches of fall colors and beautiful clouds made for an ever-changing scenery.
I arrived in Foncébadon around 1 PM - it's an almost abandoned little mountain village - houses mostly in ruins, but I found the Albergue de Monte Irago, where I met the German woman I had dinner with the other night in Astorga. She was petting a donkey that came wandering down the road, looking for a handout, no doubt!
She had just stopped by the albergue for refreshments, but was walking on. However, she told me it looked nice and clean, so I went in, and found it very friendly, and most importantly, I could get all my stuff washed and dried!
They sold sarongs, and I bought one, put it on after my shower, and then everything went to be washed! I had to stay in my bed in my new sarong with a blanket over me, until my clothes were finally dry, because I was freezing! However, then I felt like I could be sure nothing was hiding in my clothing or sleeping bag! Of course, I could not guard against whatever might hide in the beds, and since I sleep in a new bed every night, it's pretty much the luck of the draw!
Finally dressed I joined the little crowd of pilgrims spending the night at the albergue.
We sat downstairs around the 2 dining tables and took turns using the computer, writing in our journals, and chatting over a glass of wine or beer. Among the pilgrims were a group of Swiss - they sung and played the guitar most of the afternoon and evening, so we had lovely music to boot.
Everyone were hungry by the time dinner was served at 7:30 PM, so we savored the fresh bread and cold-cuts, which were served as appetizers, then there was homemade paella with big shrimps! - I got spaghetti with a great tomato sauce - I am allergic to shell fish, so no paella for me. For dessert we got a lovely homemade goat yogurt with local wild honey - really delicious!

From Astorga to El Ganso

2009-11-11T09:11:00.001-08:00

It had been pouring down all night with occasional thunder and lightening, which had not made sleep any easier - fleeting thoughts of fire and the impossibility of getting down the old wooden stairs for about 40 people sleeping up under the eves of the roof were quite unsettling!
Anyway, I got up, and prepared myself for a wet day. I walked out into the still dark and wet street, and made my way out of Astorga in the rain.
I was a bit nervous about the thunder and lightening that continued as I walked out of the city; but I was not the only one out in the rain and thunder, so I figured it would be okay. Just as I had left the city a small, lovely chapel appeared. It was lit and lovely music was playing, so I stopped by, got a stamp from the lady taking care of the chapel, and just soaked in the lovely atmosphere, before I went out into the rain again. It seemed like it had gotten lighter, and I walked on in a good frame of mind. It is always the thought of walking out into the rain that seems to be a lot worse than actually walking in the rain - and today I quite enjoyed it!
Eventually the rain did stop, and there was even a sliver of blue sky way out in the horizon by the distant mountains now visible. - I stopped in the 2nd village on my way - Santa Catalina, to get a bocadillo to go.
I walked on to my goal for the day - El Ganso, where the older German couple I had talked with earlier had confirmed that according to their guidebook there was a good new albergue. The couple and a nice Austrian guy they walked with at the time and I arrived at about the same time. We were met by a very friendly hostess at the small. private albergue. She offered us tea and biscuits while we did the paperwork, and soon we were settled in, and it started raining again. We had a lovely view of the church tower from the bedroom of the albergue, and showers and toilets were nice and new.
After walking around in the little village we ended up at the "Cowboy Bar" and had a great, fun evening with too much wine and some food, and the host poured us a sample of a local liqueur to walk home on! He was so excited when he heard I lived in California - it was just so odd to find this little piece of the American West in this tiny, remote hamlet in Northern Spain!

Astorga In The Rain

2009-11-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

The night went well, I had borrowed a USB cable from Belgian Chris, so I could listen to my Ipod again, nice! I have this wonderful, calming music that blocks out the noise and encourages relaxation and sleep that I like to listen to at night. Chris and his friend are doing the Camino on kick bikes - it's a first, and it has made them quite famous!
It was raining as we set out in the morning, but with my rain gear on, I still enjoyed the walk through the changing landscape, which was getting more varied with trees and hills, and I got a glimpse of distant mountains as the sky cleared a bit in the horizon.
The last 2-3 km in to Astorga were long and boring, but I found the albergue after asking a few times. It was right by the beautiful Cathedral and the Gaudi Palacio. The albergue does not compare to the last one at all, it's very crowded and the wardens are not friendly at all, but I will make due - after all it's just one night, and then I will be off again.
The German lady Birgit was so disgusted she moved over to another albergue, but I had already gotten settled and unpacked and didn't feel like packing up again - once a day is enough for me! At least I had a single bed, not a bunk, albeit right by the stairs, which proved to be a very noisy place. It's a very old building and the bathrooms were downstairs, and lots of people seemed to have to go all during the night! In one of the bunk beds right across from my bed I saw the older German couple I met a while back - so nice to see them again! Then I saw Manuela from Hungary and also Lola from Mexico - lots of dear familiar faces!
I walked around a bit, wanting to check out the cathedral and the Gaudi Palacio with the museum, but unfortunately both were closed. Then I met the Japanese guy I had had dinner with a few days ago, and stopped to catch up with him. The poor guy had been bitten all over his neck, face and arms by bedbugs, so tonight he was staying at a hotel instead of the albergue. I felt so bad for him, I knew the misery he was going through! Then I went to the Gaudi restaurant's bar and had a glass of wine, wrote my notes and painted until it was 8 PM and time for dinner. - The Danish woman I had met down by the computer was having dinner, and she waved me over, so we could eat together and soon after the young German woman I had met earlier showed up, so we sat together, and had a nice time in spite of the very unfriendly service!
The Gaudi restaurant is supposed to be the finest Astorga has to offer, and they give pilgrim's staying at the albergue where Danish Vihar and I were staying a special card, which entitled us to a pilgrim's dinner for 10 Euros, so our German companion had to pay 3 Euros more for the exact same dinner, even though she was staying at the hotel.
The unfriendliness of the wait staff sure made you feel that they really, really didn't want our business - and the food was no better than in any of the restaurants and cafes I had eaten in along the way, often for less. The Gaudi definitely gets the "thumbs down" from me!
As I had suspected, it was a very noisy night, not much sleep to be had!

From León to Hospital de Orbigo via Villar de Mazarife

2009-11-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

It was a long walk out of León, luckily I had made out the route the night before on my map, while having dinner with a fellow pilgrim from Japan. I was glad I did, because it was a bit complicated, and it was still dark when I started out, as the days are getting noticeably shorter by now, so daylight does not really start until after 8:30 AM.
It was a long walk, most of it on paved road, and I took the longer route once more to avoid walking along the highway. Still it was over 20 km to Villar de Mazarife, where I made my stop for the day at the albergue San Antonio at the start of the village. It was a nice albergue, and not very full, so as soon as I had showered and done my laundry by hand, I took a long nap. I was so tired, because the night before I had not slept well after a French woman came in to the dorm late, and turned all lights on, while she leisurely made her bed!! After that I couldn't fall asleep for a long while. I was making up for it now, and only woke up for dinner, which was communal - paella with salad and melon, before I went to bed again, and slept until past 7:30 am the next morning!
Then I went down for the communal breakfast, packed up, and was out by 8:30 AM. It was a cloudy morning, but no rain - yet.
The first 10 km went slow it seemed, but I had a nice stop at Villavente, where I met up with some of the Germans from the night before, and we had a long chat about the Camino and bedbugs! It seemed to be more and more a topic of conversations, and certainly bedbugs were affecting lots of people along the Camino!
I reached the albergue San Miguel just as it started raining in earnest, it had been threatening to rain all morning! I really liked the albergue, the hospitalieros were very friendly, and I was having my laundry done again in their washer and dryer - it was not going to be easy to get things dry otherwise, and it was an extra precaution against the bedbugs as well.
There were paintings all over the walls from the Camino, I noticed, and an easel and acrylic paints and brushes were set out in the sitting area. When I asked who the artist was, the answer was:"You!" How cool was that!
The friendly hospitalieros put newspapers down on the floor, and put a panel up for me on the easel, and told me to go ahead and paint to my hearts content!
So I had a wonderful time painting straight from the heart - al fresco - and after about 1 1/2 hour I had painted a scene from memory of a sunrise as I was leaving one of the small villages.
While I was painting the hospitalieros took several photos of me painting, and later told me it would be on their official website in a couple of months, so you can check out their website www.alberguesanmiguel.com, to see if it's there.
In the meantime the rain had stopped, so I went out to explore the little village a bit. I had already crossed the bridge with the 20 arches, the main claim to fame of Hospital de Orbigo. The church of Santa Maria was also quite beautiful inside, especially the ceiling which a kind local lady pointed out to me, when I went in to see the church. She even turned on the special lighting for me, so I could really see it.
I had dinner with a German lady - Birgit - and I especially enjoyed the appetizer of melon and dried ham - so refreshing and delicious! The pilgrim's menus are certainly very good value - between 8-10 Euros for 3 courses including wine, but sorely lacking in vegetables and fruits most of the time, so anytime there is something with fresh fruit or vegetables, I go for it!

Sahagún to León By Bus

2009-11-11T07:51:00.000-08:00

I had made my decision, and took the morning bus to León. It was a cold morning, and it was a long wait for the bus, so I got chilled, along with 3 Koreans, who tried staying warm by practicing Tai Chi. Finally the bus came, and I paid 4.70 Euros for a one-way to León.
The bus pretty much followed the same way as the Camino, so all the way to León I could see the Camino - and I was happy with my decision, because I could see the stretch I missed, and it was all along the road!
We even stopped at the couple of villages I would have walked through, and when we reached León I was happy to have the whole day to explore this beautiful city!
There was a festival going on in León that weekend, and the streets were full of people, many of them dressed very stylishly.
All sorts of markets were going on at the plazas, and people were dressed in Medieval costumes, plays were performed, and it was all very festive.
After checking in to the historic Albergue "Madres Benedictinas", in the Convento Santa Maria de las Carbajales a converted convent close to the center of the old town, I went out and viewed the beautiful Gothic Cathedral from the 13th century with it's absolutely gorgeous stained glass windows.
I spent the afternoon wandering around in all the little streets bustling with life, checked out the markets, and just enjoyed the scenery and the splendor of this lovely city!
Of the big cities I have passed through so far, this was no doubt my favorite! The whole old part of León has been made into pedestrian areas, so it was wonderful to be able to walk around without watching out for traffic, and there was a great atmosphere. The afternoon and evening was sunny and warm, perfect weather to sit out at one of the many outdoor cafés and just watch people go by.
The albergue was very comfortable and friendly, even though it was big. Luckily it was not very full, so there was lots of available beds, and they had divided the dorms into a women's dorm and a men's dorm, so it made dressing and showering so much more comfortable.

From San Nicholás to Sahagún

2009-11-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

After a good night's sleep I said "Buen Camino" to my new friends as we finished up our cafés and croissants - I headed out along the track which followed the highway for quite a while, before leaving the noise behind as the distance between road and Camino widened.
The next few miles went quickly, and after crossing over a little bridge by the ruins of Virgen del Puente Sahagun became increasingly more visible, and the Camino entered it through the rather unappealing industrial part, before I reached the old part of town.
I had toyed with the idea of stopping in Sahagún, catch up on my blog, and then take the bus to Léon from here.
It is a very unappealing stretch of the Camino from Sahagun to Leon, running right next to the busy road. - I stopped at the first cafe to use the restroom, have a coffee, and use their Internet, while I pondered what to do.
- My right toe was bothering me, and when I took the boot and sock off, I could see why - a blister! I was surprised from just such a short walk, and the weather was not even hot! I am sure all the walking on paved roads had not helped matters, and I took it as a sign to stop for the day.
The decision made I wandered on through town to find where the albergue was, and then locate the bus stop, and make sure there would be a bus to Leon tomorrow, even though it would be Saturday.
I ran in to Susan, as she was heading out of town, and we walked a bit together, then said our goodbyes, as we probably wouldn't see each other again - she was getting close to her final days, and would be flying back to Canada next week.
I found the bus stop, then went back to the municipal albergue and got a bed, showered and did laundry, and then went online to at least post a couple more entries to my blog. Then I found a place to load more minutes on to my cell phone, and later I tried to call Janicke to wish her Happy Birthday, but had to leave her a message. I went back online at another Cybercafé, before it was time for dinner. It's so funny, yesterday lots of company, and today everybody have moved on, and it is all new faces - but a little solitude is good sometimes, and I know soon some of the new faces will become familiar faces. It's the way of the Camino, like life.

Walking from Calzadilla de la Cueza to San Nicholás del Real Camino

2009-11-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

Today I had decided to walk to San Nicholás and do my laundry in a washing machine and dryer, so I could be relatively sure that there was no possibility of any eggs of bugs surviving, should I have any. I chose the longer route again, because it was away from the road, and much more scenic. Along the way I met several of the people I had been seeing the last few days, and I also met a couple of new people, among them a girl from Hungary.
The private albergue was lovely, the hospitalieros were very friendly, and most importantly there was a washing machine and a dryer, so I could finally wash all my clothes, including sleeping bag in very hot water, and then tumble dry everything hot, just in case any bedbugs or other critters had laid any eggs in my stuff!
Outside there was a lovely garden, and Susan from Canada was there as well, so we had a glass of Vino Rosado, enjoying the afternoon and the lovely spot we had found in this lonely part of the route across the Meseta. A bit later we were joined by Frederik from Holland - she was a new face - and the 3 of us were in the same room. In the next room were 2 Brazilian sisters, who spoke very little English, but I knew I had seen them before. Later a French couple from Bretagne came, and they got their own room, finally a German guy also arrived at the albergue. All 8 of us had dinner together, and somehow we managed to have a very lively evening with lots of conversation in many languages! - I am sure this international evening will be a treasured memory for all of us!

Carrión to Calzadilla de la Cueza

2009-11-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

Today was the long 17.5 km walk without any villages at all along the long, lonely path across the Meseta, but the weather was nice, a bit cloudy, so it did not get too hot for the long, flat walk along the wide dirt track, without much shade.
It was not a very interesting landscape, barren fields and the straight track as far as the eye could see. I felt a bit tired, but made good time already checking in at the Brazilian albergue at 1 p.m. The tiny hamlet of Calzadilla is just a small farming village, desolate. However, I had a really nice dinner with Susan, Angie and Bonnie, all three Canadians, and a young, lively Mexican girl named Lola. One of the topics of conversation were the bedbugs we had all been exposed to along the way, and how to best get rid of them. We found out that 3 of us had gotten bitten in the same albergue Casa Nostra in Castrojeriz! We were wondering why not more is done to eliminate this plague, and part of the reason we all assumed was that the Spanish want to keep it hush, because the Camino is such a big money maker, and most of the little villages we pass through would have no way of making a living, if it was not for all the pilgrims passing through. It's going to be a huge problem next year, because it is a Holy Year they expect about twice as many pilgrims as this year! A good reason to avoid the Camino next year!

Frómista to Carrión de los Condes

2009-11-10T07:34:00.001-08:00

I felt much better after a good night's sleep - the treatment was working, and I had no new bites, so I felt relatively sure at least I was not carrying any unwanted critters in my backpack or sleeping bag. I set out just before 8 AM and walked the alternative route along the river, it was a bit longer, but much prettier, and not on paved road. For a short while I walked with Franz from Bavaria - I had met him last night having dinner next to Susan and me.
The weather was pleasant, sunny, some clouds and a cool breeze from behind, as good as you can hope for here on the Meseta, which is usually unbearably hot or freezing cold!
I enjoyed the walk, especially as long as the path went along the river. Before Villalcázar de Cirga the road markings were a bit unclear, but I found my way in to the village and had an ice cream, and went in to see the 13th century Gothic church of Santa Maria la Blanca, which is a national monument, and very beautiful.
After Villalcázar the path went along the road for the last 5.5 km to Carrión, where I got a bottom bunk in the nice, well-equipped municipal albergue. I went out to find a supermarket after my shower, but I ran in to Franz and a young German girl I had met along the trail today, and her and I went on to find the supermarket together, after chatting a bit with Franz. Along the road we came across Susan, and after the supermarket I joined Susan for a drink, before I went back to the albergue, and then to dinner. I ran in to the Norwegian couple Sven and Lita, as I was looking for the restaurant with the pilgrim's menu, so we had dinner together, which was nice.

From Boadilla to Fromista

2009-11-10T07:23:00.000-08:00

As I walked along the track that followed the channel I was not feeling all that great - bedbugs! - I still doubted it, but since I have no experience with them, maybe he was right? I remember that Theresa at the albergue the previous morning had said she thought she had gotten bitten that night. I decide a doctor's visit was a must, and walk on hoping there was a doctor in the next town of Fromista. As I enter the town I saw a cafe, and there I meet up with David and the sweet Canadian girl I met yesterday at the albergue. They looked at my hands, and both agreed - doctor's visit! A Finnish lady I met yesterday at the albergue also joined us for coffee, and she chimed in - go to the doctor! I asked the waitress at the cafe if there was a doctor in town, and was happy to hear that there was indeed! She explained how to find the medical center, and David kindly offered to come along, if I needed him to translate, but I thanked him for his kind offer. I was quite sure I would be fine.
I found the medical center easily - it was on the opposite side of the albergue as I had walked in to town, but at the time, of course, I had not noticed it. I got in and managed to explain to the receptionist that I needed to see a doctor, and she told me I had an appointment around 1 PM, but since I am not a EU citizen I would have to pay myself -somewhere around 75 Euros for the appointment. Oh well, it's only money, and I just wanted to feel better, and find out what's going on.
I decided I might as well go back to the center of town and get accommodations taken care off. I got a bunk at the albergue, after having first tried to get a private room at a hostal. However, after she had noticed my hands with all the blisters, she told me no! I am sure you can imagine, how I felt - like a pariah! At least the Municipal Albergue accepted me, for a second I was afraid nobody would let me get a bed for the night!
I went back to the medical center and found my name on one of the appointment lists on the wall, so at least I knew which doctor I was scheduled with. When it was my turn I was greeted by a kind female doctor, and of course, I did not have to explain much, for her to understand what my problem was. She said it was an allergic reaction to bedbug bites, and she would give me something for the itching and swelling immediately. She gave me a cortisone shot and then wrote me a prescription for antihistamines and an anti-itch cream. Then she told me I should wash all my clothing and sleeping bag in very hot water. At the albergue all that was available was the outside wash basins with cold water for our laundry, so I hung my sleeping bag out to air at least, and decided that the next albergue would have to be one with a washer and dryer. I did my laundry as best I could with the poor washing facilities of this albergue, then I went out to see the beautiful church of San Martin, which is considered one of the most perfect Romanesque churches in all of Spain with its many carved figures all around the exterior. Afterwards it was time to find a place for a glass of wine before dinner, to cheer myself up, after a really tough day! I met a Canadian lady named Susan outside the cafe right next to the albergue, and we ended up having a glass of wine together, and then dinner. Spanish Adrian joined us for a short while - Susan knew him also! The poor guy was not feeling well at all, still suffering with his feet, among many other ailments! He was making fun of himself, telling how he would call his aunt, who was the family's healer, and tell her about all his ailments!
After listening to his story of suffering, I sure felt a lot better, bless his Spanish broken heart!

Castrojeriz to Boadilla del Camino

2009-11-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

I walked out in the foggy pre-dawn, and just as I left Castrojeriz the church bells struck 8 AM. It was a long, uphill walk to the top of a big hill - and there were Spanish "Camino angels" with coffee, fruits, etc. - donativo - very nice! - Just before I reached them, I had enjoyed watching a little flock of what I later found out were Red-legged Partridges in the stubble of the harvested wheat fields. There were empty fields as far as I could see - this was really the Meseta - lonely and barren, with it's own beauty. The sun started to break through as I went down the hill, then up another, smaller hill.
I passed by hospital de San Nicholas - a beautiful small refugio right by the bridge over the river Pisuega. I went on and had coffee and a bocadillo in the next small village of Itero de la Veja.
After another lonely 8 km I reached Boadilla and found the beautiful albergue David had mentioned the night before. It was right by the church of Santa Maria, and from the outside it didn't look like much, but once you walked through the old gate it's like an oasis in the middle of this lonely part of Spain. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, and as I went in to check in, I was told by the very kind and charming wardens to just take it easy, shower, etc. and then come over to check in and pay for the night - no need to rush! How nice a welcome! The grounds were beautiful, including a little wading pool with cold water - perfect for a foot soak to cool-off those hot weary feet.
My rash or whatever it was, was acting up again, so I treated myself to the luxury of having my laundry done in the washing machine! Dinner was delicious, but my hands and arms were getting worse and the itching did not ease much, even after taking the antihistamine. I didn't sleep well, and got up late, so I had to scramble to get packed up to go. I talked with Eduardo, one of the wardens and he said he thought it was bedbug bites, and I should get treatment! Yikes!

From Hontanas to Castrojeriz

2009-11-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

I woke up early and took my time packing as today was a short 10 km day.
After coffee and 1/2 bocadillo I set out in the pre-dawn light and soon Michael caught up with me, and we walked along together for a short while chatting, before he resumed his fast pace and walked ahead.
Again it was a nice, pleasant day, as the sun came up and a cool breeze was at my back - perfect walking weather! I stopped at the ruins of the Convent of San Antón, which was used from 1146 to 1791 by monks specializing in caring for pilgrims suffering from 'Saint Anthony's Fire". It was a beautiful spot, and you could tell it had been a huge place - even the ruins were quite impressive!
Soon I was in Castrojeriz, an old Roman town probably founded by Julius Caesar. It is built in layers around a hill, which is evident as you approach. Since it was just past 10 am, I went in to see the big church at the beginning of town called Santa Maria de Manzano, before I continued in through the narrow streets, until I came to the albergue I wanted to stay at. It was still closed, so I walked on the find the super mercado and pharmacy. On the way I stopped at the bar & restaurant El Taberna for coffee. I ended up making reservation for the pilgrim's dinner that night. The bar keeper was really friendly, and told me that it filled up quickly at night, so best make reservations - turned out he was absolutely right! I continued my search. Even though it was fairly small village, it was quite spread out, so I had to ask several people, before I found the stores.
After shopping I went back to wait by the albergue, and soon found out that I had misunderstood what I had been told. It opened at 12 Noon, not 2 PM, so then I went over to check in after a group of Koreans had disappeared inside.
The warden was very friendly, and I got to pick my bunk, bottom, of course, next to an Australian lady from Queensland and a friendly American guy, David, who told me he had lived in a small Andalusian village for about 18 years. When I asked him the name of the village he said Frigiliana - which is the very village I have known for more than 30 years, as it is a charming "white" mountain village right above El Capistrano, where my family has a house!! Uncanny! David gave me a gift of the "Hand Of Fatima" with Christian, Muslim and Jewish symbols engraved on it - a gift of good luck he said. He told me he had designed it himself, and you have to receive it as a gift for it to bring you good luck!
Later we sat at the same table for dinner - the bar keeper had put name tags on the table settings on the tables in the restaurant - trying to pair up pilgrims according to language and nationality! - I found that so thoughtful and sweet! As David and I talked I learned that he worked on the local English radio station in Nerja, and he offered to do a free ad about my workshops on his radio station, if I sent him the information! Of course I followed up, and Janicke mailed off brochures and flyer to him for me! This meeting was another gift of the Camino!
The Norwegian couple was in the village also, I met them in the afternoon, and then again at dinner. They sent me fresh greetings from my sister Dorte, whom they had run into in Burgos, after I had walked on.
After dinner David, Theresa and I traded foot massages, what a treat!

From Rabé de las Calzadas to Hontanas

2009-11-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

After breakfast at the albergue I set out right around 8 AM, just at daybreak, and the light was lovely! I was so inspired that I stopped just as I was walking out of the village to do a quick sketch of a beautiful scene of the outline of a small chapel with cypress trees around, just as the first soft, warm rays of the sun started to light up the scene. I look forward to doing a "real" painting of this scene!
I have not painted and sketched as much as I thought I would, just as I have found that keeping my blog up-to-date while walking is too difficult. First of all there is the physical factor of just being too tired, but more so it is a matter of availability of Internet that makes it difficult. Many villages does not have internet at all, or if they do, the connections are very slow, often the browsers are so outdated that I cannot even open my blog. Secondly, there are at least a dozen other pilgrims that want to get on-line also, so I don't feel it right to take up more that max 1/2 hour, so that puts a stop to many attempts to post blogs. So I have resigned myself to writing extensive notes in my journal, and then I will have a lot of catching up to do, when I have reached my goal!
I am finding that there is a lot more to write about, than I had thought when I set out - I figured "how much will there be to tell, when you just walk most of the day by yourself! " Well, a lot!
As far as sketching and painting go, I thought I would sit down during my days and sketch a lot, but even though there are certainly many, many beautiful scenes along the way, there are hardly any places that are suitable for sitting down and painting, and the thought of getting the backpack off, getting my little travel set out, and sitting on the ground or on a rock just seems too hard, and there is always the little voice saying: "Better not arrive too late, or you won't get a bed for tonight, there will only be cold water left for your shower, and everything will be wet in the bathrooms". As I am sure you can imagine, when there is usually about at least 30 people to one shower, towards the end nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing is dry, the floors are swimming, and it really is not too appealing! The Romans had this whole drain thing worked out, but somehow that knowledge seems to have been lost, since most of the showers I have encountered so far, have water running everywhere in the whole bathroom after a couple of people have showered. There is usually a mop around, but somehow nobody seems to get the idea that they are supposed to mop up the water after showering!
After walking about 8 km I reached the first village Hornillos del Camino. Along the way I walked with the Irish lady for a while, so time went quickly as we walked and talked. In Hornillos there was a little store, and I bought an apple and a banana, and then I met up with her and a Spanish guy for coffee at the cafe. I ordered a bocadillo to go, as the next stretch of 10 km only had one mid-point stop, San Bol, which would most likely be closed for the season. Later I heard it was still open for pilgrims, and it is a very special place, but I have also heard there are no toilet facilities, you "go" in the field across the albergue, and that's just pushing limits I am not ready to push! It's just too unsanitary for my taste, no matter how spiritual and wonderful the place is otherwise!
So I sat in a haystack on a field and enjoyed my little picnic lunch, resting my tired feet and bracing myself for another 5 km along the trail on the lonely and barren Meseta, which holds a beauty of its own. I walked and walked, nothing looked remotely like a village coming up, and not until about 1/2 mile from the village of Hontanas did it appear, as it was hidden in a little fold in the endless Meseta. Several times along the way I had passed the Spanish guy with the big backpack that Dorte and I had met also, and he was in a lot of pain, so as we were walking, and thinking we should see the village up ahead, he kept saying "Where is it?" and I kept telling him: "It'll be there, don't worry!" We were both happy when it suddenly appeared out of nowhere it seemed!
We both checked in to the private albergue Méson Puntido - and got the first beds - I got a nice bottom bunk by the window - my favorite spot! Then off to shower and do laundry, before it got crowded. Afterwards I walked around the tiny village and met the older German couple and several other pilgrims I have met over the last few days. I also met a nice French lady - Francoise, who spoke excellent English - she was in the same bunk room as me, and she was doing her stretches - and told me I should do stretches too! -She was right, of course, and so I did, but I must admit I have not been good about stretching, which I am sure would take some of the stiffness at the end of the day, so I really don't know why I don't do it!
Before dinner I had time to write in my journal, while enjoying a glass of wine, there was internet as well, so I did my best to catch up on emails, Facebook and Blog!
At dinner I was happily surprised as German Michael, whom I had met at my very first pilgrim's meal back in St. Jean - we were joined by the Spanish guy with the big backpack - I now finally learned that his name was Adrian - and he's a sailor, and spoke English quite well, and he is a funny guy - nursing a broken heart, I think! It was also fun catching up with Michael, I was so surprised to see him, as he walks much faster than I, but he had taken a few days off in Pamplona, LoGroño and Burgos, and he had also been sick, so that's why. I am learning that is one of the joys of the Camino - suddenly running into someone you thought you would never see again! Some days you are among all new faces, and then suddenly, like tonight, you are surrounded by people you thought you had lost!
My "bunk mate" is Manuela from Hungary, she speaks fluent German, and she is also an artist, so we had a great conversation right before bedtime about art and life. It was a great day all around with lots of great people!

Burgos to Rabé de las Calzadas

2009-11-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

After packing up, Dorte walked with me past the cathedral to find a place for a café con leche before we said goodbye. We found nothing, but decided to ask at the big, fancy Hotel Abba Burgos, which we were just passing. The valet girl assured us there was a cafe, which served coffee. So we went in and had coffee in their fancy restaurant, which was all set up with breakfast buffet for their staying guests. We were certainly out of place, but they were very nice, and when we wanted to pay they said it was complimentary! What a generous and sweet gesture and a great not to leave each other on! Another gift of the Camino!
The first part out of Burgos was nice, past old buildings, parks and boulevards, then it was pretty boring with suburbia, crossing under the freeway, and along fields, and the first village after Burgos called Villabilla was totally bypassed by the track, so no rest to or coffee there! When I finally came to the outskirts of the next village of Tardajos, I sat on a bench to rest my burning feet, eat the rest of the cheese and bread I had, and drink some water, before I pulled my socks and sandals back on. I walked the last 1.5 km to my destination for the day in Rabé de las Calzadas. - I found the albergues and chose the one that was already opened. I got a bottom bunk - a very nice, older German couple were already there. Very talkative and friendly.
The bathrooms were nice, and there was a friendly hosteliere who spoke a bit of English.
After laundry and nap I wandered around the little village, and a friendly older man showed me where the local bar was - guess he knew I was looking for it! On the way I met the girl from London, Libby, again - she was staying at the other albergue across the street. As I walked into the bar an Irish lady joined me, and we ended up talking and having coffee, then wine together. She had just started her continued Camino journey from Burgos that very same day, as she was doing it in stages as her vacation time allowed. Dinner was going to be at the albergue, it should be fun with a small group like tonight. I bought a bottle of wine for the dinner, which, strangely enough, did not include wine - that's a first! Then I went over to check out the church while it was open. I had arranged to share the bottle of wine with a young Brazilian bicycle rider, who just arrived as I came in with the wine. He was so happy to get a bed - a spare, and the last one in the village! So he thought as I did, that a glass of wine was a must with dinner! We ate in 2 shifts, and he was on the late shift, so I had a heck of a time protection his share of wine - several of the others had not noticed that tonight the wine was not included, so I shared as best I could from my bottle, still leaving wine for the Brazilian!
We were only 9 in the room, 8 bunk beds and 1 spare bed with a funny Italian guy, who spoke hardly any English, but somehow that didn't stop him from being hilarious! He reminded me of the guy from the movie "It's A Beautiful Life". His feet were in awful shape, and he must have been in a lot of pain when walking, but he laughed and joked as he tended to his many blisters! It was a noisy night with lots of coughing, snoring, tossing and turning, sometimes a big room with 100 beds are quieter, you just never know! Oh well, that's part of the fun!

Agés to Burgos

2009-11-07T04:05:00.000-08:00

The first part of the trail was lovely through oak forest, and it was a nice morning with the mist lifting as the sun went up over the hills, casting a soft glow over the landscape around us.
We met a couple of fun girls along the way - one from London, and the other from Germany, and we also ran into the Norwegian couple several times along the trail. We had coffee with the two girls at one of the most charming bar/restaurants we had been in so far - La Palomar - it was really cute, and the owner was very hospitable and friendly.
The last 6-7 km were tough, my blisters were acting up again, probably because it was getting hot, as we were walking into the suburbs of Burgos, then along the airport, mainly on paved roads. So after having walked all the way around the airport and the landing strips, we hopped on a bus the last few km into the center of Burgos. From there we had to find the Camino and the Albergue, and when we asked, a very friendly Spanish lady walked us to the street were the new Albergue was! We were touched by her kindness!
The big, beautiful new albergue is right by the huge, beautiful cathedral of Burgos in the center of the old town. However, the architect has quite obviously never tried to get up into the top bunks - it was impossible!! Very narrow ladder, and absolutely nothing to hold on to, so unless you were young, long-legged and had lots of strength and flexibility, none of which applied to Dorte nor me, you could not get up there. So we got two bottom bunks!
After having done our chores, we went out to look at Burgos and the beautiful cathedral. first we had some tapas, talked with my daughter Janicke on the phone, and then we went in to the exquisite Gothic cathedral and the attached museum - breathtakingly beautiful! With the stores open again after Siesta we walked around to try and find a shoe store - I had decided to try and get some heavy sandals to walk in, as an alternative to the boots while my blisters healed. It wasn't easy, but after asking at the tourist office I wandered through the big gate and across the bridge into the newer part of town, to find the shoe store, while Dorte went back to the albergue for a nap. - As I walked and walked, not finding the store, I asked two young boys in their early teens, thinking they might speak a bit of English, which they did. They were so nice and polite, and after assessing that I probably didn't quite get their directions, they walked with me until they were sure I knew where to go! So sweet! Then they went back to playing soccer! In the shoe store nobody spoke any English, but I managed to get across to the very nice assistant that I needed some sandals for the Camino. She brought out about 6 pairs in my size, and after trying them on, and asking her advice, I settled on an extremely ugly, but very comfortable and sturdy pair! I put them on right away, thought I might as well give them a test run!

On the way back the sunlight from the setting sun illuminated part of the cathedral - it was just so beautiful! - I took several photos of the warm glow on the spires of the Cathedral, before walking on.
When I returned to the albergue it was almost 8 PM, and Dorte was waiting downstairs, so soon we went out to the restaurant the volunteer wardensat the albergue had recommended. - It was our last evening together, so it was a bit sad, but it had been a good experience to share this part of the Camino. Dorte is now ready to do the remainder by herself, as time allows, and I will soon be used to walking alone again.

Villafranca to Agés via St. Juan de Ortega

2009-11-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

I slept like a log, in spite of my long nap yesterday, and woke up a bit before 7 AM. Amazingly, nobody had made noise or turned the light on this morning! We had caught a wave of really, really considerate pilgrims as we were moving westwards, it seemed!
After a muesli bar we headed out into the fog to start our long trek of 12 km to St. Juan de Ortega, and then on to Agés from there. Soon we were on the path leading over the mountains, and we climbed the first 2 hills which gives us some warmth in the cool, foggy and damp morning air. We made a quick stop to eat our bread and cheese which Dorte bought the night before in the Panaderia (bakery), while we see pilgrims emerge out of the thick fog in the forest like ghosts. At a point we pass a memorial for a group of Spanish executed by the Franco regime during the Spanish Civil War - a somber place.
As we move on the wind started blowing from behind, and suddenly the fog started clearing, and we saw the first patches of blue sky as we spotted the bell tower of St. Juan appear over the hilltop, much sooner than anticipated.
First we didn't believe we had reached it, but as we approached, we realized it was indeed the monastery! We had made really good time, as it was not even 11:30 AM.
We got the longed-for café con leche, and then took a few photos of the famous monastery situated up here in the remote forested hills far from everything. The church of San Nicolás was open, so we looked in before we went to the bar. This was the very day - September 22nd - where the sunlight would hit the Statue of the Madonna at 5 PM - but we would have long moved on, as we did not plan on staying here.

The last 3.7 km went gently downhill through oak forest, and we soon four ourselves in Agés, where we choose our albergue - the municipal, which looked fine, above the one and only bar/restaurant in this little village. - We were the first in, again, and chose our bottom bunks, then showered and did laundry as the next pilgrims started to come in. - I slept like a log again, no doubt the antihistamine was doing a bit to help me along, and the next morning I felt good, ready for the long hike in to the city of Burgos.

From Belorado to Villa Franca Monte del Oca

2009-11-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

We got up fairly late this morning - amazingly no one got up and turned on lights or made lots of noise packing up!
I had had a fairly sleppless night due to incessant itching on my hands - mainly my hands, but not only my hands! When Dorte helped me look, we could see my whole upper back was full of a rash also, so we decided it must be an allergic reaction to something, but what? I had bites or rashes on neck, face, cheeks, both arms and the top of my back, not to mention my hands! It's good to have a sister along who is also a medical doctor, and thus has a well-equipped first aid kit! She prescriped some antihistamine tablets, and soon it eased the terrible itching. - We decided to try and find a place for morning coffee and bocadillos in Belorado, and at the outskirts we lucked out! Then we set of on the trail, which thankfully was at least somewhat away from the N120 highway, which was busy with Monday morning traffic.
We walked through several small, deserted villages with nothing open, but finally in the one before Villa Franca we found an open bar, so we were refreshed and ready to make the final trek of about 3.7 km. We got a bunk at the albergue which was part of the new, 3-star hotel, built by a former pilgrim, who had wanted to give something back, so he built an albergue behind his fancy hotel!
We got in just as it started raining, so we really lucked out! Not so the Norwegian couple we had noticed the night before - they came in about half an hour after us, dripping wet!
The hotel was very elegant, but cold, so after shower and laundry I crept into my sleeping bag and slept for a couple of hours, catching up on my sleep! I had felt a bit slugging because of the antihistamine, so the next one I would take at night, not in the morning!
After I woke up Dorte and I went out to find a local bar, to warm up with a glass of wine, enjoying the atmosphere in the bar with was brimming with locals, pilgrims, and of course, lots of smoke and the television blaring as in most every Spanish bar or café!

Grañón to Belorado

2009-11-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

Breakfast was good, and we got off to a start around 8:15 am - it was cloudy and cool, but not raining as we walked along the Camino, which at this point pretty much followed the highway N-120.
Luckily it was not very busy since it was Sunday morning. Thus none of the villages we passed through had any life, it seemed, and certainly no open bars, so it seemed like a desolate, deserted country we walked through that morning, the fields bare, so nothing to capture the eye and entertain the mind. Lots of opportunity to let the mind wander!
We made quick progress since there were nowhere to stop, and around 1 p.m. we had covered 15 km, and started looking for an albergue for the night, as we had planned to spend the night in Belorado. We decided to stay at the new albergue right outside the town, since it had all facilities, and that way we didn't have to worry about finding an open restaurant on a Sunday, which can be difficult in some of these small villages. Besides it was a cool day, and it looked like rain was in the imminent future, so with sore feet, we had no desire to hunt around for a restaurant!
We took advantage of being the first ones there to get showered and do our laundry in the washer and dryer - we appreciated especially the dryer, since our laundry from the previous day had not dried in the cool, damp air in the bell tower, nor on the back of our backpacks.
Even though the surroundings were lacking in atmosphere, we enjoyed a really good dinner, and they had a slideshow from the Camino in the dining hall while we were eating, so it was fun to watch some of the places we had already been!

From Cirueña to Grañón

2009-11-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

We reached the next village of Santo Domingo de Calzades, which is famous for the chicken they keep in the church. I wanted to see the critters, but there was an important town fiesta, so there was a big church service, thus we couldn't get in to see the famed chicken, oh well!
We walked through town and continued on our way in the headwind, and found to our dismay that much of today's path went along a busy highway, so it seemed we moved slower than usual. However, we reached Grañón around lunchtime, where we found the refugio we wanted - it was in the bell tower of the church, and they only had mattresses, but it was charming, and how often do you get the chance to stay in a church bell tower?
We got settled in in the attic right next to the bell tower and soon we were showered, did laundry, and then it was high time to find a place for a late lunch!
We found a local cafe mainly patronized by the older men of the village it appeared, so we enjoyed our bocadillos with cheese and dried ham in plenty of cigarette and cigar smoke! The Spanish in general smoke like were they paid to do so - even the young people!
Then we went on the hunt to get a stamp for our passport since the refugio did not have a stamp, so we got it from another bar in the village. After a nap I helped out with prepping the vegetables for the evening's communal meal, before it was time for the evening mass in the beautiful church, where the old women sang so lovely as they went up to receive the sacrament. As we came back to the refugio it was dinner time, and we were all benched in the dining room and had a nice dinner of salad, pasta and fruit with wine and water. Afterwards we helped with the dishes. (Amazing how some people feel no need to contribute - the same ones it seems that steal grapes, figs etc. and cut across private fields to save a few steps - I think they are the "takers" of this world - also the same ones who are stingy with their donations, while they feel free to criticize the coffee, breakfast, etc.) Luckily I meet many more of the world's givers on the Camino - most of the hospitalieros are volunteers, and the pilgrims in general are generous and caring.
During the night there was no doubt, I was sleeping in the bell tower - I think I only missed the 1 PM bell, but then there were no loud snorers, so that was a plus!

From Nájera to Cirueña

2009-11-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

We awoke to pouring rain, so we donned the rainwear, and went out to find the coffee bar Dorte had noticed the previous day when she was shopping.
After a hot café con leche and a bit to eat, we trotted out of town in the pouring rain towards the first town of the day, Azofra, where we stopped for another coffee and bocadillos to sustain ourselves. Then it was on to the next stretch of almost 10 km, before the next possible rest stop.
The path got very muddy as we walked along, and we had to concede that the guidebook was absolutely correct, when it said that the rich, red Rioja soil "sticks to your boots like leeches when wet!" - It was tough going, and we were very happy when we saw Cirueña appear, as we trudged up a long hill.
- We were surprised at how good time we had made in spite of the slow going in the mud. - The previous night we had made reservation at a private albergue - Casa Victoria - and hoped we could find it, as we walked through the completely empty new part of the little mountain village. It was desolate with all the empty, mostly ugly, new condominiums adjacent to the new golf course, oddly out-of-place, we thought!
As we followed the yellow arrows towards the few old houses, we could see the church and the lone bar of the original village. We went into the bar, got coffee, and asked where Casa Victoria was - right across the street in a very nice-looking house! We were happy that we were so close, as we were very wet and tired.
My 2 blisters were bothering me by now, and I looked forward to getting out of my wet, muddy boots and clothes - as was Dorte!
We rang the doorbell and a nice, elderly man welcomed us into the beautiful, sparkling clean house. - We got our muddy boots of and followed him up 3 flights of stairs to our room, with 2 big beds, and a beautiful bathroom with shower and bidet! Towels were laid out on the beds! It was a beautiful room- albeit a bit chilly, but the shower was heavenly - hot water - and I managed to rinse most of the mud off my rain pants in the shower. Later I washed them and my socks, the rest I just hung out to dry. Most of our stuff was wet or damp, and we hung it out to dry as best we could in the room, before we went under the covers to warm up and rest.
Around 5:30 PM we finally got up and dressed as warmly as we could, to go the short distance to the bar to get something to eat and drink. The lady of the house, whom we had not yet met, came out to greet us, and told us she would give us a stamp in our Pilgrim's Passport, so not to worry about that! You have to have a stamp from every day in order to qualify to stay at the albergues, and ultimately to get the Compostela.
At the bar it was nice and warm - the food was good, and there was even free internet - who would have thought in such a small, remote hamlet! Maybe because they were trying to change in to a posh golf community? Anyway, we enjoyed the evening, and even more getting back to our own room, sleep in a real bed, and have our own bathroom!
The next morning breakfast was set out for us at 8 am as we had requested, and after enjoying a peaceful breakfast we packed up and got back on the Camino in the breezy, but sunny morning.

LoGroño to Najera Via Navarette

2009-10-31T04:42:00.000-07:00

I walked to the train station in the rain to wait for Dorte to arrive. I had my morning café con leche and wrote my notes, checked the map to find the easiest way from the train station back to the Camino, so we could get on the right track out of town.
I was happy to see my sister get off the train as we had planned, and shortly we were on our way - Dorte without her walking sticks, which the airline had lost - so we shared mine!
We found the Camino without problems - a few Spanish people pointed us in the right direction, when we were in doubt, and several wished us "Buen Camino" as we walked by in the light rain. The way out of LoGroño went through a park, but then there were lots of paved road ahead, so it was a bit hard on our feet. Nevertheless, we had a nice walk, meeting several lone female walkers, who seemed happy to have someone to chat with as we walked together for a bit.
First we talked with a German lady who had been living on the East Coast of the US for many years, and later on another lady approached us as we were walking in to Navarette, where we were planning on spending the night. She had caught the sound of our Danish as she was also from Denmark, and was happy to get a chance to talk to Danes. We walked together up to the albergue, and she told us that she was having serious trouble with her knee and felt she was loosing her spirit because of the constant pain. I gave her my lecture about taking it easy and listen to her body! She had walked really long distances, and the first day over the Pyrenees she had set out fairly late, and not reached Roncesvalles until it was dark!! I shudder to think of her walking down that dangerous, very steep and rocky path in the dark! After that she had been pushing ahead and walked 30 km or more a day! Mind you she was no spring chicken either, somewhere in her late 60-ties! - I hope she takes my advice so she can have an enjoyable walk, and make it to the finish! She told us she had no time schedule, so why push yourself past your limits! As I am meeting more and more people and have a couple of weeks under my belt now, I know one of the lessons of the Camino is to listen to your body, and be willing to adjust your plans accordingly!
At the albergue we got beds on the top floor - and because of the slanted ceilings they were not bunks, but regular beds! Score!
It must have been the Danish convention that night, we met 2 Danish couples there also, so a total of 7 Danes! As I went on, I experienced that either I saw no Danes for a while, and then all of a sudden 3 or 4! My friends from the previous days, Doro, Roland and Antonio were there also, so lots of familiar faces, and a lot of fun! I am glad to have Dorte here to share the experience with - the camaraderie on the Camino is really one of the biggest joys!

The next morning We started out with a cafe con leche at the Los Arcos bar next to the albergue in Navarette and then set out in the early dawn light around 7:45 am. to our pleasant surprise it was not raining, we could see the last stars and a sliver of the moon, and just some clouds in the distant horizon.
We walked past lots of vineyards and farmland, it was a pretty morning and the temperature was pleasant. At the next little town we had another cafe con leche and cheese bocadillo along with good company of many of the same people we had met the day before.
Then we walked on and made good time into Najera. We had a bit of trouble finding the albergue as there was a festival in town, and the signage was not really clear. However, we found it, and were welcomed with open arms - literally! - After getting our bunks assigned, Dorte's walking sticks arrived as promised earlier, when she had checked with the airline - much to our surprise! Truly a Camino miracle, we thought! Then we went out for lunch, before we did our chores of showering and laundry. I got a bit of emailing done while Dorte rested, then she went out to shop for fruit and water, while I rested. We went out for a light dinner of tapas, since we had had a big and late lunch, and then it was time to turn in!

To Logroño

2009-10-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

The walk in to Logroño was fairly short - only 9 km, and as Pilar had told me, I passed by a bird sanctuary on the way. As I reached it, it really was not very impressive, just some wetlands about 1/4 km away, so not too easy to spot or identify any of the birdlife there, but at least there were a sanctuary!
A van was parked at the parking area - it turned out to be the English guy I had heard about, who drives around to various lone spots of the camino and offers free (donations only) coffee, tea, fruit, etc. A perfect stop, and a nice surprise! He had a friend along, an American woman who had volunteered at one of the Albergues in St. Jean Pied de Port, before she was going to walk the Camino. However, she had strained her knee so much, running up and down all the stairs, that she had had to put it off, and rest it, before setting out, so instead she drove around with the "Camino Angel", and served the pilgrims this way, until her knee had healed enough to walk! I thought that was such a great example of what you meet on the Camino!
As I got in to Logroño I found it a bit difficult to find the Albergue. It turned out I had walked right by it without realizing it. When I came to the cathedral in the center of town, I decided it was time to ask for direction, as I was obviously off track. A very kind old Spanish lady practically took me by the hand and led me in the right direction. I have talked with many of my fellow pilgrims since, and we all have many tales of kind Spaniards leading us back on the right track, when they see us wander off in the wrong direction! It is so reassuring to know they watch out for us!
As soon as I was on the right path, I ran in to other pilgrims I knew, and since the albergue didn´t open until aftet 2 pm, I sat down and had some coffee and a tortilla with Doro, whom I had run into also. I found a photo shop that could load some of my photos from my camera onto my memory stick, but I later found that I could still not get them on any of the public computers, so I have decided to give it up, and resign myself to waiting until I am done with the Camino, and have my own computer! It´s just the way it is!
I also found an art supply store, and got myself another little watercolor sketchbook, as the one I had brought along was nearly full. I felt quite accomplished, after also having found out how to get to the train station the next morning to meet my sister Dorte, who would be arriving there, to walk with me for about 10 days. All this before I had even check in to the albergue!
Since I was now in the famous wine district of Rioja, I decided to go buy a couple of bottles of good wine, and when I met Ronald and his Spanish friend Antonio, who also speaks German, we decided they should buy some bread, cheese and jamon, and we would have a party at the albergue, instead of eating out! It did not get any cheaper than eating the usual peregrino dinner, but it was fun sitting in the kitchen, chatting and having fun! Soon we were joined by an american guy from Denver, German Doro, and the two Finnish ladies, who were recuperation from the flu also joined us, so it was fun, and the wine and food were a nice break from the usual fare.

Evening In Viana

2009-10-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

As the first one to check in I got a chance to choose my matress and which room - so I choose the smaller room with only 4 matresses, what luxury!! I ended up with a "girls only" dorm, with Doro, the German lady, who had said :"Wir sind ja nicht auf der Flucht" and two young Brazilean girls - perfect! After doing the usual chores, shower, wash my dirty clothes, it was time for a Siesta!
We were going to have a communal evening meal, and so I sat down in the dining area and chatted and painted, until it was time for helping out with dinner. As I was sitting there painting, several of the others asked if they could see my sketchbook, and a couple of the French ladies were so excited, they wanted to photograph my little sketches - of course I let them, and was quite flattered.
I was happy to be able to help out in the kitchen a bit, so the 2 Brazilean girls and I were in charge of the salad, and it was just such a good atmosphere, everyone kind and helpful, not least the lovely hosts, who were volunteers from the church.
At dinner the priest, I think, showed up, but we could all squeeze in, and the conversations flew across the table in Spanish, French, English, German, Portugeese and lots of body language! As always a lot of fun!
After dinner we all pitched in to clean up, and then we went past the laundry room, through a secret door and through a narrow passage, to see the church at night! It was really exciting to be up where the organ and choir usually sits, and look down at the dark church, only lit by the light coming in from the windows from the street lamps which were softly reflected in all the gold and jewels of the magnificant altar piece. We could faintly hear the Fiesta music, but felt like in another secret world.
Pilar and Roberto had brought a little CD Player, and played some beautiful meditation music, as we all sat there each in our own thoughts, reflecting on the day and the Camino. What a wonderful end to a great day!

Los Arcos to Viana

2009-10-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

I started out around 7:30 am with the intent to making it to Viana - about 18 km, so a respectable distance after my short days. - I felt good, and it was another beautiful morning. - The first town Sansol had nothing open, so I walked on and soon Rio del Torres appeared in the distance - soon I was seated and enjoying a cafè con leche and a bocadillo outside the local cafe with other pilgrims enjoying the cameraderie among us. At one of the other tables a Spanish guy was rude to the waitress, and we all were horrified, those who spoke Spanish told him off, and tried to calm him down. After he left the pleasant conversation continued sharing stories from our Camino experiences. We were discussing the morning rush we had all experienced. A German lady Doro came with a perfect remark: "Wir sind ja nicht auf der Flucht". Translates to "We are not fleeing for Pete´s sake!" Oh so true! This mad rush some people have to get out the door at the crack of dawn is really annoying, and I ask myself why? It does not get light here until around 8 am, and it´s really hard to see the way markers in the dark, not to mention the uneven pathways!
Later as I was happily walking along, one of the guys who had sat at the table passed me saying; "Auf der Flucht!" Funny!
My knees were doing well, I felt strong - glad I gave them the rest, and feeling I am getting stronger! Along the way I passed through a few villages, and I especially enjoyed the little octagonal romanesque church of Santo Sepulcro in Rio del Torres. When I got in to Viana I found they were having some sort of festival involving running bulls - along the Camino!! Not wanting to be part of the show I tried to find a way around it, and stumbled into a Albergue which was not mentioned in my book. It was only matresses on the floor, but the ambiance was so pleasant, I decided that was fine!

The Road To Los Arcos

2009-10-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

After the hearty breakfast and light sleep I set out around 7:30 am just as the light was painting the eastern skies in soft purples changing to golds. I found my way out of town and soon I was making good strides along the mostly very pleasant pathways. - It was cloudy, and the sun never really truly broke through, so I even had to put on my headband to protect my ears for the cool breeze.
I saw lots of birds this morning, and I am really looking forward to be able to identify some of all the birds I have seen along the Camino, when I am able to get my hands on a birdbook. It´s way too heavy to carry along, so I am doing my best to remember the markings of the birds I see.
I walked past the Finnish ladies and they past me a few times - they were both suffering from a cold, so they had to take some rest stops.
It seemed like the time just flew by, and I reached Los Arcos by 11 am. - I looked at the auberges as I came in to town, stopped to buy bread at the open panederia, just in case I would not be able to find a open restaurant, it being Sunday.
I went back to the plaza by the church of Santa Maria, and another pilgrim from Lethuania told me I should go in and check out the church, as it was very beautiful, so I did, and he was right, it was quite fantastic - gold everywhere!
Then I found the Belgian albergue I was looking for, and could leave my backpack there until they opened at 12 Noon. I went back to the square and had a cafè con leche, and had a nice long chat with a German couple who had been on the road for over 100 days! They had travelled on foot down through France, taking their time to stop whenever the felt like it. It was nice to meet people who were not in a rush to get to the finish line, but enjoyed the journey!
Back at the albergue check-in went fast, I got a bottom bunk again, and shared the room with all guys, and among them a father and son from Israel. The son had the top bunk above me, and he was a really nice young man, but he tossed and turned all night so the whole bed was shaking! The other guys were Spanish/Basque and obviously they had not observed that it was not all male, because one of them stood buck-naked with his behind in the air, roaming through his backpack! His friends saw me, and their faces showed their shock, not to mention his embarassement when he saw me, poor guy trying to hide the vital parts with a towel that was too small to go all the way around his rather wide waist! Yes, the Camino, modesty goes out the window very soon!
After showering and laundry duties I went back for a glass of wine at the bar in front of the church, and then I went in for the evening service. I sat with a row of old, spanish ladies - the one next to me was really sweet, and helped me along through the service. At the end of the service the priest called all the pilgrims up to the altar for a special Pilgrim´s blessing, and the old lady nudged me to go - since I did not understand the priest´s spanish. He was very kind, and spOke to each pilgrim as he gave us a prayer in our language and said a few words to each of us - very touching. Afterwards I went back to the same bar and had the Pilgrim´s menu and sat with a nice couple from Sweden, then off to bed before the doors closed at 10 pm sharp!

From Estella to Villamayor de Monjardin

2009-10-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

I woke up early - we had to be out by 7 am!! Packed up and got coffee and a couple of crackers downstairs in the communal kitchen, before I headed out following the stream of pilgrims through the dark, emply streets of a sleeping town. As we walked through the gate, we moved from the narrow streets of old-town to modern suburbs, and before 8 AM I was at the famous wine fountain at the Irache winery, were I sacrificed one of my waterbottles to be able to fill it with about a glass worth of the free red wine flowing from the fountain to be enjoyed later in the day - I just couldn´t start drinking at that early hour and with about +8 km ahead of me to my stop for the day!
The walk went fast it seemed - especially because I had started so early. My goal for the day was to get to Villamayor de Monjardin, so I could give my knees a bit of rest. I was there by 10 am, and first I stopped at the Albergue Parroquial, but decided to check out the Dutch Albergue I had read about, before deciding, even though it wa tempting to get rid of my backpack, which the parroquial offered to store until they re-opened at 2 PM.
I am glad I did, because the Dutch Oasis Auberge was so nice, right on the plaza of the little mountain village, across from the lovely church. As I approached I was greeted by the Dutch hospitalier and was told to just go ahead and choose a bed, take my time to shower and do laundry, and make myself at home until it opened at 4 pm, at which time we would do the paperwork! What bliss!! "Oh, and if you encounter other pilgrims during the day, just tell them the same, and let them get settled."
It was just so nice to be able to get all the chores out of the way in peace and quiet, no rush, no long lines, no wet bathroom floors, and lines at the laundry sinks! Yes, life on the Camino really is simple and quite basic, you are happy when you have a bed secured, can bathe and wash your clothes, and hang them out to dry in a sunny spot! I was done before 11 am!!
Then I went in search of food, and the bar at the plaza was closed - after searching the few streets I returned to the bar, the one and only in town! It did say it would be open at 9 am, but obviously not! A few other pilgrims had stopped also, waiting for the bar to open, and sure enough, a few minutes later the owner showed up, and we applauded - and he jokingly turned around as if he was leaving again - but he did open, and soon I was happily consuming a much-longed for café con leche and a bocadillo in the warmth from the sun, which just then was emerging from it´s hideaway behind clouds.
I enjoyed just sitting and listening to the talk among the pilgrims as they wandered in to get refreshments before most of them continued on, most likely to the town of Los Arcos, where I would go to the next day.
Back at the Oasis it slowly filled up, first 2 Danes came, then a couple of Finnish ladies, a loud Italian - first I found him annoying, I will admit, but he grew on me as I got to know him a bit better. He was actually a nice guy, just loud, boisterous, well - Italian!
In the late afternoon we sat outside, enjoying the sun and I did a little sketch of the church and the view. We were enjoying seeing the little village coming alive - there was a fiesta going on, and earlier in the day there had been a wedding at the church.
As the last beds were filled, we had ourselves a nice, very international group of pilgrims - about 20 or so, and we had communal dinner in the cozy dining room with a fabulous view of the church and the country-side below. The food was really great too, a really well-prepared and delicious home-cooked meal, good wine and good company! Afterwards there was Christian Meditation, a bit difficult with the fiesta going on outside, but very nice.
The night was not as restful as one could have wished for, the fiesta went on until the early morning with loud music and fireworks throughout the night!
At 6 am the lights went on, and it was time to get up, pack and go down for a fabulous breakfast - by far the best I have had so far! There was everything you could imagine and then some - not just a cup of coffee and a cake or croissant, but eggs, granola, yogurt, rye bread, toast, etc. You have got to give it to the Dutch - it was fantastic!

On To Estella

2009-10-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

I woke up to the usual sound of pilgrims packing, and I was on the road by 7:45 am in the lovely, cool morning air with the pastel glow on the sky as the sun slowly moved up over the mountain ridge in the East.
The next town was 5 km away, and I was there by about 9:30 am, ready for my café con leche, bocadillo and a banana. Lots of other pilgrims from the auberge was there as well, most of them Spanish.
The walk was not too strenious, just a few hills, but downhill still was tough for my left knee, but I made good time, and enjoyed most of my walk. A group of French "day pilgrims" no backpack or water to carry - were keeping pace with me for a while. Along the way they raided a fig tree - I resented that, because that´s one of the reason´s some Spaniards are not too thrilled about all the pelegrinos (pilgrims) passing by every day - can´t blame them with that behaviour!
Anyway, I happily lost them on the way out of Villatuerta, and the last part of the day´s walk in to Estella went quickly. I found the municipal auberge without problems as it was right on the Camino leading into Estella.
I was there just past 1 pm, and got my stamp in my pilgrim´s passport and a bed - bottom bunk again! I don´t know how long this luck can last, but I will enjoy it as long as I can!
I went about the usual routine of shower, laundry, checking emails, all this before the majority of pilgrims had arrived! Then I sat out in the lovely couryard and did my nails, before taking a nap while putting the cool necktie around my knee to ease the swelling. This little "cool tie" certainly has been coming in handy during these rather hot days!
In the early evening I set out to explore Estella, which is a beautiful town dating back to 1090, with lots of churches and monuments and the Palacio de los Reys de Navarra where the kings of Navarra used to live back in the 12th century. Part of it is now converted in to an art gallery devoted to the painter Gustave de Maetzu. Of course I had to see it, and it really was a very nice exhibit, which I enjoyed.
Inspired by the artwork, I walked on to the town square where I found lots of outdoor cafes full of people, so I joined them and had a nice, cool glass of Rosada wine, got my sketchbook out, and did a little quick sketch with my black pen,and then another with watercolors. It was 6:30 pm and the temperature was still 25C, and feeling cool, so the day must have been really hot! Later I had a nice pilgrim´s dinner while chatting with my neighbors from the dorm - they were from Quebec - so many Canadians are on the Camino, especially from Quebec, and very few Americans - so far I have only met very few.

Onwards to Cirauque

2009-10-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

I got up around 6:45 am because it was impossible to sleep longer with all the packing noises from the other pilgrims, even thought I had not slept well at all - first night without sleep aid, and it seemed the beds were especially noisy at this albergue, so I could hear whenever anyone in the dorm turned!
After packing up in the dark, I set out in the early morning with just a hint of light - the sun does not rise until about 8:15 am at this time of year in Spain. Once I was out, I must admit it was a beautiful morning, and I cheerfully set out on the detour to see the Octagonal church in Eunate. - I enjoyed to walk there, and it was pretty well marked. I could see the church in the distance, so it was not hard to find. When I reached the small, pretty church I sat down at a bench outside the little Albergue there and ate my left-over bocadillo from the day before. It was still good, and would have been even better with a cup of coffee! Then I headed back to the Camino - or so I thought - the way marking was not very clear, and I headed in the wrong direction, up a steep hill - then realizing this could not possibly be correct as the path ended in wooded wilderness! Oh joy - now my poor knees had to take me back down again! Well, I eventually got back on the Camino, and soon there was a bar where I could get a cefé con leche and a cold Gaseosa - sort of a sports drink, and just what I needed to lift my spirit again. I continued on towards my destination for the day - a small mountain village that sounded lovely according to my guidebook. - I enjoyed walking through Puenta de Reina, where I bought a peach and a nectarine, before I headed out over the medieval pilgrim bridge over the Rio Arga, built by royal command in the 11th c. and then up the little mountain towards the village of Cirauque.
It was getting hot, and I finally used the cooling neck tie Janicke and Erik had given me - later I also used it to cool my knee - a really handy little thing!
When I reached Cirauqui I was ready to get off my feet, and I was happy to find the Auberge Maralotx after a bit of searching. - It was so lovely, situated right across from the church, and a delightful and friendly hostelier who spoke English. As she welcomed me she told me to leave earlier, and not walk in the hot afternoon sun! Her concern was heart-warming! As I stepped in to the dorm room I was even more delighted to see Sarah from the day before, as well as Jane, whom I had met several times, but last I saw her was the night on the floor in Zubiri! We hugged like long-lost friends! That´s the Camino spirit!
After a shower and laundry I took my nap, and then enjoyed the lovely patio where I wrote my notes and just enjoyed the late afternoon in another lovely little Spanish village.
That evening we had a great dinner downstairs in the cloister-like cellar room, and the tables were set according to what language we spoke, so I was at the "English" table with 2 Canadian couples from Vancouver Island + an Austrian guy, Sarah and Jane and we had a lively conversation as we ate our way through an excellent pilgrim´s menu of Cream of Green Vegetable Soup, Spagetti w/Vegetables and Meatballs in a delicious sauce, yogurtwith fruits for dessert, copious amounts of red wine, bread and water. A great evening in a lovely setting, conversations in many languages, and lots of laughter!

Pamplona To Uterga Via Alto del Perdón

2009-10-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

The weather was perfect the next morning, clear skies, and the sun was beginning to paint the sky in pastels as I headed West out of Pamplona. I had to keep eyes and ears open, so I would not miss the signs showing the way out of town. At a corner on the outskirts of town I ran in to two German ladies - Monika and Ewa, who were just starting their Camino walk from Pamplona - and we struck up a conversation and walked out of town together, while chatting.
It was nice to get out of the city, and at the first little town of Cizur Menor I stopped for a much desired café con leche and ordered a cheese bocadillo for my breakfast, and a chese and dried ham for my lunch. When he brought them out they were HUGE!! One would certainly have sufficed, so they actually lasted me until the following day!
The trek up the low Mount Alto del Perdón with all the windmills was a long, hot walk, but the rocky, steep downhill was even worse, and really hard on my knees!
On the top there was cut-out iron statues of pilgrims - and a supply car offering cold drinks and coffee. I got an orange juice to fortify me and give me stamina for the last downhill stretch, and then I braved the steep slope.
I had already decided that the next town of Uterga was going to be my stop for the day, and so had Monika and Ewa, so we reached the private Auberge Rte Camino del Perdón at the same time. They still had beds available, and soon we were getting unpacked, waiting for our turn to shower and do laundry. As we were waiting another woman I had seen on the Camino came in, Sarah from Wales. She later joined us outside where we were sitting chatting, writing notes and I did a bit of painting. We had dinner together as well, and we had a blast with the 4 of us communication in English and German, with me translating when it got to tough for one or the other to understand, as I was the only one who spoke both languages fluiently. I am certainly getting my German brushed up here on the Camino!

On To Pamplona

2009-10-02T04:16:00.000-07:00

After a good night´s sleep, enjoying not having to sleep on the floor with lots of other people, I woke up rested as the sound of pilgrims packing their backpacks intensified. After having packed up my few belongings and getting them back in my backpack I headed out into the early morning light to find the Camino and hike the short distance in to Pamplona. It was only about 5 km, mainly along the road, so not too interesting until I reached the old part of Pamplona, and made sure not to loose the signs showing the way through the narrow streets. I found the Auberge Jesus y Maria right by the cathedral, and got my stamp, but they were not yet open, so I could not get rid of my backpack. However, I found a nice pastelleria and treated myself to a cafe con leche and a croissant. Then I asked around to find a place where I could get on-line to check emails and update my blog, etc. As I was sitting there busy writing, Margo came in - she was going to continue on to the next little town of Cizur Menor on the other side of Pamplona. I had no plans to continue on, as I wanted to give my poor knees a much-needed rest, so they would not give out on me completely, and I wanted to have a little time to check out Pamplona as well.
By the time I was done with my emails it was time to check in at the Auberge, which was situated right beside the Cathedral de Santa Maria, so it was pretty easy to find it again. The Auberge was nice and new, but very big, so it did not have the charm of the old Abbey.
I got my bunk assigned - bottom, and then proceeded to do the routine of shower, do laundry, hang it out to dry, and then headed out the check out Pamplona.
First I walked the short way over to the huge, beautiful cathedral and the museum attached to it - it was beautiful! So much to take in, and I am sure my photos will not do it justice!
By now I was getting hungry, so I started to look around for a place to have a late lunch. By some magic I stumbled on a little quaint restaurant only a short way from the Auberge, and the menu looked interesting - not that there was much on it I understood, but I decided this was the place. As I sat down the waiter brought me the menu, and it turned out it was a fixed menu with 3 courses, wine, water and bread included for €12.50, so I thought I might as well eat the Spanish way - big lunch, siesta and a light dinner or tapas. What an excellent meal it was! I had about 6 choices for all three courses, and only understanding few of the words, I did my best, and with the help of the waiter using sign language I ended up with a delicious lunch of Crepes with Spinach, Pork Tenderloin with a fabulous Roquefort sauce and a delicious rice dessert, + all the wine and water I wanted, so I was ready for siesta by the time I had finished! I sure hope my 3 musketeers had found this or an equally great plcae to eat, as I know a good meal was on their agenda for Pamplona!
After a long nap I wandered out to look at the city, now that it was coming alive with people. As all Spanish cities the streets were now bustling with life after the siesta, the cafes were full of Spaniards and tourists and on several of the plazas bands were playing. After wandering around for a while I just had a bocadilla for dinner in a small local bar close to the Auberge, I didn´t want to risk getting lost in the maze of narrow streets at night.

The Abbey at Trinidad de Arre

2009-09-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

I was so happy I had chosen this particular refugio - it was so beautiful, and staying in the old Basilica de Arre convent righ beside the river Ulzama was really special. To get to the dormatory you had to go through the Abbey past the altar with statues of the Trinity, cross the courtyard with old fruit trees and cosy seating area - very picturesque.
As I was unpacking Margo, the American girl joined me in the women´s dormatory - I was happy to see her, and she thanked me for my advice - it was just the little nudge she needed, to make her decision to take care of herself and her body. We ended up being the only ones in the small dormatory, but the big one filled up, among others I was happy to see my German friend Dieter, from the night on the floor. He had also decided to take it easy, and not push through to Pamplona, so the 3 of us ended up having dinner together later that evening.
As I was checking out the town of Arre I met another of the pilgrims I had met earlier, back at the auberge at Orisson, Noel from Quebec, and we sat and chatted over a glass of wine in the late afternoon sun, watching the town slowly come alive, and then we walked over to the restaurant that served the pilgrim´s dinner. He joined some of his French-speaking friends, while I sat with Margo and Dieter, and we had a lovely evening talking about the Camino and life in general.

Zubiri to Trinidad del Arre

2009-09-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

The next day I awoke to the hustling and bustling of many,many pilgrims packing up in the large gym building where we had been spending the night, many of us on the floor. I was a bit stiff, but able to get up, packed and with the backpack on, water bottles filled, moved with the others along the camino,looking for a bar that was open, so we could get a much-needed cup af warm coffee. The weather was nice, blue sky and sun, and even though my knees were giving me some trouble, I moved along first through the next village, Larrasoaña, where the streets were deserted, and you could see the left-over trash from the weekend fiesta still lying in the streets. Then through a long stretch of lovely country side, until I finally reached the village of Trinidad de Arre. As I crossed the bridge I saw an American girl sitting resting - I had seen her before, and we chatted a bit.
She was tired and a bit at odds with what she wanted to do. Stop here and rest as her body demanded, or push on to Pamplona to keep up with the friends she had made the first few days on the Camino. I told her it was important to head the signs the body gives us, and that she would no doubt make new friends along the camino. Then I crossed the bridge and was happy to have reached the lovely old Abbey where the priest greeted me warmly. Soon I was signed in, had gotten my stamp in my pilgrim´s Pass, and I was shown to a nice, small dormatory separated from the big dormatory, it was just for women, and I was the first one who had arrived, as the Abbey had just opened it´s doors for the day´s pilgrims. Obviously that meant I got a bottom bunk and could take my shower and do my laundry in peace and quiet - what a gift!

Roncesvalles to Zubiri

2009-09-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

As the time neared 4 PM we started to line up outside the refugio building in Roncesvalles to get our bunks - and I talked with the 2 Germans - Wolfgang and Norbert - I had chatted with in Orisson the previous night. They introduced me to Peter - whom I had seen, but not spoken to the night before, and surprised him by talking Danish to him - he had not realized that I am actually Danish, so it was fun to see his surprise!
- We were among the first ones to get our beds in the huge dormitory, so I got a bottom bunk by the wall, far from the showers and toilets, but by the wall at the "dead end", so I figured it would be as quiet as one can expect with well over 100 people sleeping in one room!
After shower, laundry and nap, it was time to go for the pilgrim´s dinner and I ended up at the "French" table, but at least one of the ladies spoke some English, so we managed, and had a nice evening with good food and wine, and then I was VERY ready for bed, and slept amazingly well.
The next morning I awoke to the sound of people getting ready to hit the camino, and I got myself up and organized, and went out into the early morning light, heading west along with all the other pilgrims as the sky turned from pink to lavender and then blue!
I could feel the long walk up and down the mountains yesterday, my knees and leg muscles were sore, but after about 1/2 hour they warmed up, and it went quite well. The weather was beautiful, and it didn´t really heat up until later in the day, so the first 10 km through several small villages went fairly easy.
Around noon-time I reached the third of the villages that were close together, and contemplated staying there for the night to rest my body, but decided against it as it was still quite early, and the village not particularly inviting. So I pushed on, even though it was a +10 km commitment, as that was the distance to the next village. Little did I realize that it involved another steep decent on difficult, rocky trails! My knees were protesting, as was my entire body, and I had to take several breaks to recuperate, and I saw that I was not the only one having problems. I passed and was passed by a younger man several times, as we exchanged comments like "My knees are killing me!" "Yeah, mine too!"
As I finally reached the town of Zubiri the albergue I had hoped to stay at was full, so I dragged myself over to the refugio they directed me to, the guy I had been exchanging laments with was on the same path, and as we arrived at the next auberge we were met by chaos, and the sad tale that only floor space was available sans madrases! Well, we had no choice, since neither of us had another +17 km in us, so concrete floor in the gym of the village is was! The reason for the problem was that the next village was closed due to a fiesta, so twice as many pilgrims as usual were staying in Zubiri! As he and I walked into the big gymnasium filled with pilgrims on mattresses and on the floor I saw my two German friends and the Danish guy - they had been there early enough to at least get a matress. I was so exhausted, I just sat down and got my sleeping bag out, and got my self situated as best I could. My floor neighbor, whom I found out was German and named Dieter, got up and came back with 2 cardboard boxes - one of them for me!! How thoughtful was that! I cannot tell you how grateful I was! The three musketeers were discussing the outlook for dinner with all the people in town, and set out to find a place and make reservations - and they included me in their plans - I was so grateful once again, because I was just so tired, to the point of nausea, and there was no way I had the energy to go find a place for dinner!
I laid down on the cardboard and rested for a while, listening to the place filling up and voices and conversations in many languages. Among them Danish! A nice young Danish woman had landed a spot on the floor also, and next to her was an older Danish woman on a mattress - we had a nice chat, and later I shared the sink with the young woman to wash my clothes. - In spite of the circumstances, or maybe because of them, I had a really nice experience, and lots of fun at dinner with my 3 musketeers! They walked at a much faster pace than I, so we knew we would probably not meet up again, but we exchanged email addresses, and had a last goodnight drink, before we bid each other farewell and Buen Camino!
As I walked back to the refugio in the gym I walked into the internet room there, and met Jane, the English woman who lived in Denmark, and I remembered she had mentioned that she had not been able to figure out how to sent an email home, to let her son know she was doing fine. I asked her if she still needed to send an email, and she did, so I showed her how to do it, and she was so happy. It made me feel good to have helped someone, as I had received so much kindness today! I went to bed on my cardboard and slept amazingly well, considering the circumstances!

Getting Over The Pyrenees - Part II

2009-09-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

Early the next morning, well before daybreak I awoke to the sound of pilgrims waking up and packing their few belongings in their backpacks - soon I followed suit, and after a quick look out the window I decided to pack down my rain jacket, as the pre-dawn sky spotted a few stars and it looked to be a clear day without rain.
After a typical French breakfast of cafe au lait, bread and jam, I put on my backpack, and started the trek up the mountains in the beautiful morning light. Clouds were lying deep in the valleys as the sun slowly climbed up over the distant mountain ridges. It was such a glorious morning, and I had to stop often, not only to catch my breath from the steep climbs, but to admire the beautiful landscape unfolding on all sides. It was a lovely, cool, windy day, perfect for the long hike over the ridge of the Pyrenees, which I had feared would be more than I could handle. It was exhausting, don´t get me wrong, but not as bad as I had feared, and the cool breeze helped a lot! I walked past herds of sheep, pastures with cattle and horses, and it was so green and lush, and the views went on for miles - just breathtaking! As soon as I have the chance I will add photos, so you can see for yourself!
Along the way I ate the hearty bocadillo I had picked up in the morning from the auberge and it tasted delicious - dried jamon (ham) and french cheese on a big, freshly-baked baguette - which would prove to be the standard lunch for most of the Camino.
After about 3 hours I reached the summit, and then the path went steeply down - very steeply, and quite rocky was the path, so I took it really slow, I could feel it was a heavy load for my knees, and I certainly did not want to slip and injure myself!
It went through lovely beech woods, and at one point I passed a bunch of people, some dressed up in old costumes from the days of the temple knights, and as I passed an ox team pulling a wagon with wooden wheels I realized I had walked right on to a movie set. I found out that they were filming a documentary about the Song Of Roland, which took place in these very mountains and woods right above Roncesvalles. I passed a pack of 4 wolves, and that´s were I got my information - a girl was watching the wolves, and she spoke English well, so I could get the story.
Soon I was out of the woods, and there in front of me was the monestary and church buildings of Roncesvalles - I had made it over the Pyrenees in one piece, and it was only about 1:45 PM - much quicker than I had tought! I even had a chance to get my bunk assignment in the big old monestary building that would house well over 100 tired pilgrims who had made the very same journey I had! Happy to have a bed secured I walked over to one of the outside cafes and had a drink with my fellow pelegrinos to celebrate!

Getting Over The Pyrenees - Part 1

2009-09-08T03:48:00.000-07:00

St. Jean Pied de Port was as lovely as I remembered - and now I was part of the Pilgrims! It gave the scenery a whole new meaning when Narcisse and Marie Helene dropped me off in the late morning and walked me up to the pilgrim´s office. Soon I was seated and got my briefing by a former American pilgrim who was spending her birthday volunteering at the office.
After I got my pilgrim´s passport and my first stamp I ventured on to find the location of my auberge, which I (well, Janicke in her perfect french)had reserved in advance. It was right on the camino route, but not open until 2 pm, so I wandered around St. Jean and took in the sights, found postcards, stamps and sat at a cafe to write them. I tried to find an internet cafe, but didn´t succeed.
At 2 PM I walked back to the auberge, and was met by the very friendly hostess, a former pilgrim, and she showed me up to the dorm on the 3rd floor of the very old building, full of atmosphere! I dropped off my backpack, and went downstairs to use the internet there - it was slow, but at least I could check my mails and start my blog.
It was a lovely, but cool afternoon, and I did my laundry at the laundry area, then hung them outside in the backyard under some old fruit trees. Because of the cool weather I moved them in at night, and was happy to find them dry the next morning. It was overcast, cool and soon a light rain fell, as I started on the path out of the village and up the mountain. I was happy to know that I had a bed secured some 8 km up the mountain at the auberge Orisson. It took me about 2 1/2 hours to reach the auberge, and I was pleased to see other pilgrims there, and especially to find the bunk rooms nice and clean, and split into female and male - it makes the dressing so much easier! I changed into dry clothes and washed my dirty clothes in the sink, and then tried the dryer - it did not work, so I hung them on the line outside, under the eve - not very hopeful that they would dry in the rainy weather!
Then I went down to the restaurant and had a warm soup, a glass of red wine, and settled in to a cozy afternoon writing, sketching and painting, as I watched other pilgrims coming and going, and felt very content to be part of this amazing experience of the Camino!
After a nap it was time for dinner, and we all soon were seated along the long tables and benches, chatting in many different languages. After a hearty dinner of soup, lamb, basque bean stew and a wonderful basque cake, lots of red wine and water, we were asked to introduce ourselves in whatever language we spoke, and under much laughter and cameraderie we got to know a bit about each other! In the coming days I found that we had formed a certain bond by sharing this evening, and we looked out for each other whenever we met again along the route.

Getting to France

2009-09-05T06:01:00.000-07:00

The last few days before my departure for the Camino adventure were hectic - trying to tie up all loose ends, squeezing in a few more hikes with fully loaded backpack, and trying to remember everything I might need. Well, somehow I think I remembered all the important parts, and early monday morning Janicke took me to the Reno airport, and my travels begun! Reno, via Denver, Toronto, then on to Madrid. Everything was on time, even though I almost missed my plane out of Denver - due to me being engrossed in reading! In Madrid airport I had to repack my suitcase, and pack my backpack with all the stuff I needed for the next 2 months hiking the Camino, so I tried to remember everything, before I stored my suitcase in a big locker. Then I took a taxi to my hotel in Madrid, right by the train station, where my train for Irun would leave at 8 AM the next morning. After checking in, I took a much-needed nap, before I walked across the street to familiarize myself with the train station, and find the gate from which my train would leave, and then my next task was to get a SIM card for my cell phone. That accomplished, I bought a baguette with cheese and ham, and a small bottle of redwine, and called it early dinner! I went to bed early, so I would be ready to get up early to catch my train.
The train ride went smooth, the train was on time, and very new and clean, it had a cafeteria, so I could get my cafe latte and a baguette, and by 2 PM I was in Irun, on the French-Spanish border, and Erik´s uncle was there to pick me up!
I enjoyed meeting his wife and her kids, and we had a lovely evening with the whole family and a few friends, converstion flying across the table in French, Spanish and English!

Catching Up And Settling In

2009-07-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

I am finally at a point after my return from my 3-months trip where I can at least take a few minutes out to catch you up on what has been going on since I came home mid-June - and now we have end-July!!

I just read my thoughts while I was on my way out at Shangi Airport at the beginning of my trip - something about being determined to learn to slow down!!! Well, looking back on the month+ I have now been back, I guess I really have not learned that at all!!!

I hit the ground running with a yard-sale the first weekend after I came home to my "new" home here at Janicke and Erik's house in Truckee. I sold a few things and made some good connections, and before I knew it I was part of the "First Friday" art-show in downtown Truckee, and promoted my new workshops which I got the green light to put on here in Glenshire at the Clubhouse Gazebo.
I did my first "real" weekend art-show at Lavender Ridge in Reno "Purple Summer" 3rd annual festival - it went well, and I made new friends and got several leads on what galleries to pursue here in the area, so that's on my agenda for the next few weeks. I got more students for my workshops, and the kick-off this past Monday was a success! I have even had to put on an extra class tomorrow, so that's fantastic!

I have been to Monterey to pick up paintings from the galleries there, and had a chance to visit with all my dear friends, and drop off a commission painting - my client liked it so well that she gave me another commission, which I have just finished.
After spending July 4th with Janicke and Erik here in Truckee, I took off for Mendocino to visit with my new friends from my time at the Mendocino Art Center, and I had a fantastic time staying in Sharon and Mitch's lovely cottage in the redwoods, in exchange for a "Story Painting" workshop with Sharon and Carol - we had a blast! I got accepted to a 4-months residency at Mendocino Art Center starting in January, so I am looking very much forward to spending some quality time painting up there again!
With all my paintings now gathered here, my poor storage space is packed to the max! I got to find at least one gallery before I head off for the Camino trails! Which of course demands lots of long walks here in the mountains, so I can be in decent shape before I set out on the 500 miles trek across Northern Spain! I have had a chance to paddle with my neighbor across the street, Julie, nice to have a lake just 10 minutes from the house!
The front and back yard at the house here needed some serious weeding, so when I needed to clear my head I pulled thistles and other stubborn weeds, so now the yard actually looks presentable! When I sit here and add up all the things I have been doing, it's no wonder time is flying by!

Sunday Afternoon in Darwin

2009-06-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

My last two days in Darwin I spent getting myself organized for the long trip back, catching up on my last few blog entries, and just exploring Darwin a bit more.
I wandered around checking out some of the galleries downtown Darwin, enjoying some of the beautiful artwork I saw - both the desert style dot paintings, as well as the Arnhemland and Tiwi Island style with the cross hatching.

I did a bit of painting myself Saturday and Sunday, just dappling a bit really - I have so much inspiration from this trip, that I have a hard time distilling it out so I can put it on paper - but I can feel I am processing, and hopefully I will soon be ready to really get going.

I had still not visited the Darwin Art Museum, so that, as well as a visit to the Mindil Beach Sunset Market, was on my agenda for Sunday afternoon.
I caught a city-bus out to the Museum, and spent a couple of hours engrossed in the lovely exhibits of Aboriginal Art, and then I moved on to the other exhibits of the geology, flora and fauna of the Top End, as well as the exhibit about Cyclone Tracy, which pretty much wiped Darwin out on Christmas Eve, 1974. I tried to think back, but I really have no recollection of hearing of those events at the time.
After enjoying an iced coffee and the views from the Cornucopia Café at the museum, I wandered along the path over to the Mindil Market. The area was familiar, because it was the very same path I had biked on earlier in the week, but instead of the empty parking lot under the shade trees at Mindil Beach, it was full of booths and food stalls, and the Darwinians were out in full force enjoying a lovely Sunday afternoon strolling along the booths, shopping, eating and just relaxing.
Earlier as I had walked down to the bus terminal, I had noticed how peaceful and deserted downtown Darwin seemed - most stores were closed - a real old-fashioned "Sunday" feel, which you don't experience in the States anymore, as most stores are open 7-days a week.
There were all the usual things you find at markets everywhere nowadays at the Mindil market, but I was drawn to a couple of art booths with aboriginal paintings - and watched for a while as the artists were painting. I was especially fascinated by an artist, Rhonda Wygunja, who was painting in the traditional Arnhemland style along with her 2 young sons and her husband. I chatted a bit with them, and learned they were regulars at the market. Of course, I ended up buying the small painting Rhonda was working on - Crocodile Dreaming - it will be a nice memory of the wonderful time I have had up here in the "Top End".

Impressions from Tiwi Islands

2009-06-13T00:37:00.000-07:00

As my time here in Darwin is drawing to a close, I realize there are still so many things to see and explore, so I have to make choices. Since being here I have heard of the unique arts and crafts coming from the isolated Tiwi people on the Tiwi Islands (which consists of Bathurst and Melville Islands) about 2 hours by boat from Darwin. I decided I must go there to see this art community, so I booked a day tour.
I arrived at the Cullen Bay Ferry Terminal at 7 AM, to board the "Arafura Pearl" fast ferry which would depart at 7:30 AM, so giving me ample time to wander around and admire the beautiful sunrise and the cool morning air coming off the ocean. We were about 10 passengers going on the "Tiwi Island Adventure Tour", so we were shown up to the upper deck, while the regular passengers stayed at the deck below. As the boat left the dock we were served coffee and the, and shown a brief safety film, then a movie was put on the big screen in the salon.
I wasn't interested in watching a movie, so I leafed through the pile of old magazines and booklets lying up front, and found a few about the history of the Tiwi Islands.
When we reached Bathurst Island we boarded the shuttle boat which took us the last 100 yards or so onto the Nguiu Beach, where we were met by our local tour guide John from the Tiwi Islands. We boarded a small bus, and John told us a bit about the Tiwi People's interesting history, as we slowly drove through the small village and disembarked at the little museum. We all got out, and the bus driver went over to open up the museum and turn on the lights, while John explained what we were going to see in the museum, before we went in.
The first room was displays about the creation story, and John did an excellent job of telling us these stories of how the world was created, and about the story of how death came to the Tiwi Islands.
The next room had displays of some of their famous burial poles, spears and throw sticks. We were allowed to photograph, except for the burial poles, which are considered very sacred in the Tiwi Culture. The third room was mainly old photos from the mission days of the Tiwi Islands. The Catholic Mission was established on the Tiwi Islands in 1911, so relatively late. There had been other attempts earlier by the Dutch and later the British to establish settlements on the islands, but the Tiwi People drove them away.
Nest stop was the old Mission church, which is now only used for special occasions such as weddings. I liked the way the church was decorated with indigenous artwork along with the small Madonna and Jesus statues. Outside was a plaque commemorating the bravery of some of the islanders during the 2nd World War.
Next we drove over to see the Ngaruwanajirri Art Community – aboriginal artist coop – were a few artists were working while we were there. I also wandered over to the building where the wood sculptures were made, but there was no one working, however I saw some wood carvings in various stages of completion.
Next stop was the Pwanga Women's Enterprise – where they did screen printing, sowing, etc. A few women were working, and there was a little shop, with no one attending it – there were some beautiful printed fabrics lying on some of the long tables, and there was a big oven, where they apparently baked the fabrics so the prints would hold up when washing the fabrics. It would have been so great if we had had someone to explain exactly what they were doing there, and I am sure the sales would be boosted that way also, especially if somebody would attend the shop, and maybe work a bit on the displays, which were uninspiring to say the least.

The last stop was the Tiwi Design Art Center, which was set up a bit more commercially appealing than the previous centers we had visited. There were a couple of artists working, among them an artist who was working on a beautiful traditional painting of a turtle. I went over to talk to him, and he told me how he made his colors from ochre that he found on the beach, how he would grind them up and mix them with water, etc. He used the traditional colors of yellow, reddish brown, black, white, grays and creams, all colors that he made himself, except for black, which he told me was so messy that nowadays he used black acrylic. They need more people like him to interact with the visitors, and who can make the art and the process come alive. Afterwards I walked over to the pottery barn where a lone ceramist was working.
As our little group got back in the bus again, we were taken down to the beach to board our vessel for lunch, and then we would go back to Darwin after the regular passengers were boarded at 2 PM.
Lunch was a nice buffet, and I enjoyed chatting with a couple of the other passengers during lunch. We came away with a certain sadness at what we had seen – it was not the vibrant art community I think we had all expected from the description in the brochures. It seemed like everything was in disrepair, and I couldn't help the feeling that I had just visited an old movie set, dusty, cobwebbed and with time standing still. It seems to me that this might have been a vibrant community when the art centers first started more than 20 years ago, but now there is no new blood, no young people to take over, and most of the few artists still there have lost the momentum, and are getting older, or something!
I so wish I could have given you a glowing report on how inspiring a trip it was, but sadly it wasn't. I have to go with the saying: "A tourist sees what she has come to see, a traveler sees what she sees". And I saw what I can only describe as "decline".
The one very positive thing I did learn is that there are several really good Australian Rule Football players from the Tiwi Islands, and the sport is extremely popular on the islands, so maybe the young generation is into sports instead of arts? I think it is possible to do both.
When I looked back upon the islands as we rode towards Darwin I though about how idyllic they look so beautiful and green, red sand beaches, swaying palm trees and mangroves, turquoise waters - but yet such a harsh environment. Most of the year the heat and humidity is unbearable, lots of mosquitos and flies. You cannot enter the waters due to crocodiles and box jellies, and in the rainy season I cannot imagine the mud and flooding!