Backpacking Bill

The forecast says that we are going to have rain today. That will not be fun.

We started the day by going to the Cathedral for the morning service. It took place in the chapel. A fellow pilgrim, Francesca, came to the same service. Francesca and Tina walked the final several miles together into León. Francesca is an attorney living in Madrid but originally from Chile.

The route leaving León is the least picturesque portion of the Camino to date; Just the decaying part of the beautiful city of León and busy highway.  It was a 16 mile day so we  took a city bus to the outskirts of the city then resumed our walk. 

There was not much to photograph on this section of the Camino. All the pilgrims we spoke with agree that this was the least scenic day.

When we got to our lodging, we met two of the guys from Tampa that we met on the first day. We had a great lunch together. Tina and I shared a pulled pork Sandwich on a black bun. I read that the black comes from squid ink mixed into the batter. I have never heard of that before. I don’t think I will try it at home, it would freak people out.

A group of us who had met previously on the Camino got together for dinner. A gal from Philadelphia, me, Tina, a guy from Germany and a gal from The Netherlands

We have had many long mile days on this first portion of the Camino.  On one recent day we covered 25 miles…I knew I could not walk that far and when I scheduled it, I was hopeful we could find a ride for a portion of it and we did!  Thankfully there are host families, taxis and buses that will help out in situations like this. These next couple of weeks ahead are much more manageable (many days under 10 miles) in terms of distances traveled.   We look forward to a bit slower pace! 

Tina’s Thoughts.

As one can imagine walking across a country is quite different than driving through and stopping at the most beautiful and touristy spots.  On this walk we have seen the good, the bad and the ugly.  It all has beauty in one way or another but the middle part of the Camino walk so far has taken us through many small and dying Spanish villages with populations having dropped from thousands to hundreds. There are many run down and decaying buildings and in some cases we do not see anyone in these towns.  For many, the seasonal Camino Pilgrims are their only source of income. It has given us a glimpse of a  part of Spain we wouldn’t otherwise have known about.

Buen Camino

we will be fine

It’s 11.5 miles to Leon. A lot of flat terrain but there are threatening clouds.

We found out from another Pilgrim that we are known as the Pilgrims that hold hands. That, I believe, is not a bad reputation.

Some of Graham’s friends traveled to León to walk with him for a couple of days. They are to meet him at the bridge

Met Michael from the UK again. We had lunch with him and another Pilgrim, Nilah,  from Seattle

We started the day in Sahagún with a visit to the Convent of the Virgin Pilgrim to get a half Camino Compostela. Although the website says that they open at 9:30, they don’t open until 10:00. Well, we were questioning the value of a half Compostela anyway.

The service was a Catholic Mass all in Spanish and Latin

Sahagún is the official halfway point. However, we actually passed halfway mileage wise somewhere before that. This is going to be a relatively short day of 9.5 miles.

There is a change in the character of the Camino, there are more trees and vegetation along the trail. The change makes it more interesting.

These small cellars cut into the side of a hill began to appear. Evidently this was at one time a place that had a lot of vineyards. I noticed very few now.

Irene is from Argentina. She came into the restaurant shortly after we sat. People on the Camino seem to have very interesting histories. Irene has a daughter in Italy who she is going to visit after she completes the Francés.

We also said goodbye to a delightful couple from Ireland that we had met. Their group came into the restaurant as we were finishing our dinner. The guy is from the Canary Islands. After dinner the Irish group was going to the local Irish Pub (named the ” Temple” after the bar in Dublin). We were not about to join them as we are going right to bed. The Irish group was going to leave the Camino in León.

Evidently one can get a half Camino Compostela in Sahagún. May stop at the Convent in the morning to see if we can get one.

Tina still communicates with a number of pilgrims that have proceeded ahead of us.

Tina’s Thoughts

Walking everyday 10 miles or more is hard (for me at least).  Getting a good night’s sleep helps so much.  The night in Lédigos we did not.  Walking into Sahagún was tougher for that reason.

There is much goodwill between and amongst pilgrims.  It is heartening to see how strangers from all over the world have bonded on this walk. 

I have enjoyed the fact that there is almost no political talk on our journey.  Having said that it seems almost everyone we have met says the same thing; There is much dissention in their countries and  the cost of living since COVID has made it very tough for young people to get out on their own.  This includes people from Amsterdam, the UK, Spain, Italy, France, Argentina and Australia. 

Today is our daughter, Emma’s birthday. Happy Birthday Emma!

Well, our lodging last night was very nice. Much nicer than the converted chicken coop we are staying in tonight. No private bathrooms means that I will be doing a lot of commuting during the night. We didn’t wash clothes yesterday because this place has laundry facilities. One machine for the whole place. However, the dinner was good.

One positive for our stay is that we had dinner with John and Helen, a delightful couple from Pennsylvania.

We survived the small bed and had a surprisingly good sleep.

I have come to learn of some of the things that have motivated people to do the Camino. Many young adults have recently quit their jobs and came on the Camino to gather their thoughts as to their next career move. Last night a fellow at dinner refused to let the hostess set another Pilgrim at his table, he wanted to be alone. (We benefited because he was set next to us, he was a delightful guy from Switzerland). A great many others are wrestling with some kind of trauma or disturbing issues in their livesI have encountered some of the latter group talking together. I guess my point here is that the Camino  isn’t just a holiday for many pilgrims. It remains a place of healing as it was in medieval times. 

So, why am I walking the Camino? Good question. I suspect that it’s not very profound. Today I would say that I am trying to figure out what it is that I need to figure out. Once I determine what my goal should be for what’s left to do in my life, I can find a path.

I don’t expect that there will be much to photograph today. And, it is going to be another long walk.

When we got to Carrión de los Condes we learned that they were having a pilgrim concert at the church across from our hotel. We attended. It was actually really good. Especially the Bach and Handel. They also had Latin chants that I didn’t understand at all. They were, however, lovely

At dinner everyone seemed to descended on the same place for dinner. The restaurant at our hotel. We must have encountered 15 – 20 people we knew.

Reflecting on today reminded me that the Camino is not all happiness and community. It is also a time for reflection. Today both Tina and I recalled independently the passing of our mothers. For both of us it was a time of sadness because neither of us were present at the moment our mothers passed. Tina and I are both extremely blessed to have had great Moms.

The fact that we were both feeling a bit down was probably the reason I was questioning “why am I doing this”? Why not stop here and go to Portugal and forget all this Camino bull. Don’t think I am going to do that – not today at least.

Days are starting to all look the same. Didn’t take photos leaving Castrojerez.

Many avoid the Meseta. However, Tina and I are enjoying it. It’s an easier walk and, although the terrain is flat, there is beauty in the landscape. This morning we elected to put our ponchos in our travel bag because the forecast was for no rain. That may have been a mistake because it is looking like rain.

The flat terrain lets one think more about life than an achy exhausted body. The other advantage we have is that this is a cool day. It would be, I am sure, a much different experience if it were 95°F + which it was this summer.

The Camino follows the tow path of the Canal de Castilla for a few miles. This canal was built to transport grain to market. I understand that it was nearing completion in the middle to late 19th century. This was about the time that railroads were starting to be built. The canals had a short working history. Like the canals being built in the USA about the same time. Technology changes and those that abapt don’t wind up in the dustbin of history.

After their short life as a working canal, it was used for irrigation (for which it is still used) and for mills. There are some tour boats as well.

Tonight we had the Pilgrim meal at our hotel. Tina had salad, chicken with french fries (every meal has french fries) and flan. I had Castilian soup ( garlic soup) trout with french fries, and ice cream. Wine is included. We met a number of fellow pilgrims that we know from the trail. One group was from the UK, a group we met yesterday. And, one fellow shares an interest in Robert Burns. He and I (to the great shagrin of Tina and his wife) shared quotations ad nauseam.

We also discussed Spanish lisp. In Castilian there is a definite lisp. Gracias is pronounced “Grathias”. This is proper Spanish. The legend is that King Ferdinand or King Peter of Castile spoke with a lisp. Evidentially there is no historical basis for this. It likely evolved from the “s” and “z” sounds from ancient Castilian.

Tina’s Thoughts

Today I felt thankful for many things, including,

The cooler overcast weather

Continued beautiful landscape

The crosses along the Camino that remind us of God’s grace, love and mercy

For Bill.  I wouldn’t want to be walking with anyone else. He has been a helpmate in big and little ways along this journey. 

For all of you back home whom we love.

Buen Camino

This is a short day, 5.5 miles. We are doing short days instead of days off off. I think it’s a good idea in general because there is little to do in some of these sleepy Spanish villages. The down side is that there are some interesting cities where we could spend a day.

There was evidently a Hospital at this convent. The disease they were known to treat was Saint Anton’s Fire. There is evidently a fungus that can get into rye grain. This fungus, I understand, causes some really bad effects. So, people who eat rye bread would get Saint Anton’s Fire. In Castrojerez they make their bread with wheat. Pilgrims would come to the convent, eat the bread and be miraculously cured of Saint Anton’s Fire.

We had lunch at a small tavern in town. Per a suggestion from another Pilgrim we had met earlier we had croquettes and a salad. Half the croquettes, the best tasting ones, were black. It turns out that they were blood sausage croquettes.

One thing that American pilgrims have to know and deal with is the Spanish rhythm of life and adjust accordingly. Whenever you’re hungry the restaurants close and don’t open until you want to go to bed. We usually get to our location about 2:00 pm. That is good because most of the lodging places open then. Restaurants close from 3:00 until 8:00. The only place to get something to eat is a sleepy bar and often they have a very limited menu. This is not the case at lodging that supplies dinner.

I am amazed at how well I am sleeping. Some of the beds are good, like the one in Burgos, and some not so good. The one last night was average, a bit too soft. But, the absolute quiet of these remote villages is great.

Today is a long hike, 12.5 miles. Oh, if it only was kilometers.

Our lodging boasted a Spa.  While Tina partook of the amenity, I had a glass of 1.3 € wine with a fellow pilgrim, Carol from San Sebastian, Spain. Her best friend is a wine maker, P. López de Herendia – Viño Tondonia. I included Jim in the conversations via WhatsApp chat. Jim was very familiar with the wine. Carol was emphatic that Spanish wine is far better than Italian wine. That evening I sat next to an Italian fellow who was equally emphatic that Italian wine is superior to Spanish wine. I am thankful that I know so little that I can agree with both of them.

We had a communal dinner at our lodging. The meal was great but, the highlight was Tina. She sat next to a Portuguese guy and a Dutch guy. Across was me, an Italian guy and a Danish guy. She had a ball being in the middle of all these handsome men,

Tina’s Thoughts

Yes I wholeheartedly agree with Bill’s last statement.  I did have a ball at dinner last night.  I usually love the dinners that are with other pilgrams, the dinner last night was particularly fun.  Jao from Portugal was a big personality, very engaging as was his Camino best friend from Italy.   By that time of day, I am generally weary so it helps to get re energized by good food and good company.

When we planned this Camino, we looked at various itineraries and scenarios for how we wanted to spend our days. The average Camino Francés takes 32-35 days. We are doing it in 42 days and as I mentioned in another post,  we have booked all of our lodgings in advance,  Many people plan rest days but we chose to do shorter walk days interspersed instead of 2 nights in the same place.  We have been happy with that decision until arriving in Burgos.  We arrived in Burgos, last Saturday after 14 miles of walking on little sleep from the night before.

I arrived  tired and crabby. 😺 After a shower and a short rest we went hunting for dinner. In Spain at 5:00 pm it’s impossible to find a place that will serve a full dinner so we opted for pinchos and then I went straight to bed having missed the best of Burgos.  On our way out of town, the next morning we came across the most beautiful cathedral I have seen in Europe. The plaza and area around it reminded me of a swiss village. It was breathtaking and  I  instantly regretted that we didn’t have time to enjoy it. Burgos by far, in my opinion is the loveliest small city we have passed through on the Camino.  Take note for any of you who may be in this part of Spain.  Burgos is a gem.   

This morning started off with a  fun happening. The cafe we wanted to go to for breakfast didn’t open for half an hour so, we stopped in a cafe for a coffee (our usual double espresso for me and a latte for Tina). We were descended upon by a group of revelers from the night before. They were students (law, art and political science). They were a bright shining start to our day. One had taken down a string of flags that had been strung at a plaza. He wrapped the flags around himself and said it was a costume for the El Cid celebration. He wanted us to take the flags as a gift in celebration of El Cid, we declined, I didn’t want to get arrested by the Guardia Civil. I guess you had to be there to see the fun of it. The gal in the photo is from Morocco. Tina spoke with her briefly and in passing advised her to wait for the right man to be in her life. She came to tears and said that we were her family.

On the way out of Burgos we encountered the group of fellows we met on the first day. John took our photo

We walked with a woman pilgrim this afternoon from San Sebastian. She told us a story about early pilgrims. In medieval times there was nothing to mark the way. They followed the path of the milky way.

We made it to Rabé de las Calzadas. According to the locals it is 476 kilometers to Santiago (295 miles)

Looking forward, there will not be much of note to report. We are entering the Meseta, a long stretch of the flat uninteresting terrain. It is a time for contemplation. Read that to be boring. However, many believe it to be an important part of the Camino. My posts will probably be shorter.