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Imagine all the people living life in peace…

Along the trail today:

This isn’t the first time I’ve been moved by this song when travelling. One of my favorite travel moments in my life was when we were couch surfing in Prague. RobO and our host were passing a guitar back and forth for an impromptu kitchen sing-a-long. At one point we were singing ‘Imagine’ and I had tears in my eyes as I realized that we were in a different country, with people we had never met before, living the lyrics of this song.
It was a similar moment for me today as I walked with my Italian, USA, Polish, Spanish, and NZ friends!
And now for something completely different…
In Galicia one of the food specialties is ‘pulpo’ (octopus). Last night we went to a popular pulperia to test it out! Yum! Much better than I anticipated!
This is it! We’re now a mere 20km from Santiago de Compostella!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Skipping and a-jumping in the misty morning fog

Today is a day I had trouble imagining one month ago. We passed the 100km to Santiago marker!
Over the past few days we enjoyed the castle in Ponferrada and the wines of the Bierzo region, then climbed up another mountain range into the region of Galicia. This region is best known for it’s seafood, which is a welcome change on the pilgrim menus. It’s been very foggy and cloudy in the mornings but by the afternoons we’ve been able to see some glorious views. I think we really lucked out weather-wise as Galicia is known for erratic weather patterns.
For the record, that’s 9:18am! When in Spain…
Thanks to Chris for taking this blog worthy photo! This statue marks the highest point on the Camino Francés.
Surprisingly (to me) it feels a little bittersweet to be nearing the end of this journey. Of course I’m excited about my upcoming travels and reunion with RobO, but the Camino has given me a chance to experience a simplicity that is often lost in my daily life. I hope to be able to carry this lesson home with me.
We’re on track to reach Santiago on Friday, then will be completing the full journey to Finisterre and Muxia!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Whisper words of wisdom, Let it be

The number 22 has always been one of my favourites. I was married on April 22, my sister’s birthday is October 22, my in laws celebrate their anniversary on September 22, and my nephew wears the number 22 on his hockey jersey. It should be no surprise that my 22nd day of walking was my favorite thus far.
We awoke to fog, but ascended above the fog to clear skies and nice weather to the Cruz Ferro.

From my guidebook:

“The Cruz Ferro occupies nearly the highest point of the entire Camino Francés. The site consists of a tall wooden pole topped with an iron cross. For centuries pilgrims have brought a stone to the place to represent their burden. The stone and the burden are left here, leaving the pilgrim lighter (literally and figuratively) for the journey ahead.”
I have been carrying a stone from outside of our condo building in Medicine Hat. Today I walked up the mound of worries, fears, stresses, and problems of pilgrims past and deposited my stone. It was an important moment in my journey.
As we started our descent we had beautiful mountain vistas. I found myself in a bit of a walking meditation. As if he was a messenger to bring me out of my thoughts, this guy rolled up:
AC/DC’s Thunderstruck was blaring from his boom box. I honestly started laughing out loud!
The only thing that would have made this day better would be RobO waiting at the alburgue, arms open for a big hug! At least I only have 2.2 more weeks to wait!

 

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If Britney Spears made it through 2007…

We stayed in an alburgue where pilgrims are encouraged to write on the walls. These are a couple of my favorite spots.
I left my mark, my favorite quotation:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. 
So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream.
Discover.”
– Mark Twain

I think RobO and I do a pretty good job of following it in life.

After León we spent a couple more days walking in the Meseta, arriving at a city called Astorga, which is known for artesian chocolate making.

RobO said people have forgotten what I look like because I don’t often put up pictures of myself. Check out those quads!

After a night in Astorga, we climbed the Cantabrian Mountains. It was our first full day of rain. Thundershowers in the morning, followed by steady rain with pea soup fog as we reached higher altitudes. I could feel the squish-squish of the water in my shoes with every step! Thank goodness the alburgue in Foncebadón had a fireplace where I could dry my shoes.

 

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Kings of León

We arrived in León early yesterday and had the whole afternoon to wander around. I feel like it’s something extra special to arrive to a new city on foot. It definitely gives an extra feeling of accomplishment!

The Spanish are experts at city planning, having plazas filled with cafes and outdoor patios. Arriving on a Sunday gave us the chance to see marching bands and religious processions in the streets. I really enjoyed admiring the whimsical Gaudi castle and the time I spent people watching in a park.

Unfortunately I don’t think the pictures capture the energy of the city, but here’s a glimpse:
Reunited with our friends Dan and Cole, father and son from Phoenix.
We now have less than 300kms to Santiago!
TTSOL (To The Spirit Of Life)!
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Walk. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

The routine on the Camino has given me a lot of time for reflection, which I think is something that I don’t do enough of in my ‘regular life’. Even though I am not doing the Camino for a religious purpose, the environment, art, and sculptures definitely make my spirit sing. In today’s post I am including photos of many of the artsy things that have caught my eye along The Way.

This pilgrim is covered in the stamps that we receive at each alburgue along the way. This ‘Pilgrim Passport’ is the way to prove that a pilgrim has actually walked.
This poem is written in both German and Spanish. The English translation is:

“Dust, mud, sun and rain,
is the Way of Saint James;
thousands of pilgrims and more than a thousand years.
Pilgrim, who calls you? What dark force brings you here?
It’s not the Way of the Stars, nor the grand cathedrals.
Neither is it the courage of Navarra,
or the wine of the people of La Rioja.
It’s not the seafood of Galicia;
it’s not the countryside of Castilla.
Pilgrim, who calls you?
What mysterious force attracts you?
It is not the people of the way or their rural customs.
Nor is it their history and culture.
It isn’t the cockerel of la Calzada,
Gaudi’s palace,
nor the castle in Ponferrada.
Everything you see in passing is a joy;
and the voice which calls me,
makes me feel much deeper.
The force which pulls me, attracts me,
I cannot explain it.
Only he above knows why.”
-Eugenio Gariibay

 

 
I guess this restaurant had problems with pilgrims who don’t wear shoes!

This one is a bit creepy!

Full of meaning for me.
What post would be complete without some beautiful scenery shots?

 

We’ve altered our plans slightly and will be in León on Sunday now. That will give us more time and energy to explore the city!
TTSOL (To The Spirit Of Life)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Halfway

Today we’re sleeping in Teradillos de Templarios, which is approximately the halfway point to Santiago! We have had a few days of walking in the Meseta now, which is similar to the Prairies at home. Just like at home, the big sky sunrises don’t disappoint.

By far the best thing along this journey have been the people I’ve met. I see so many people each day that sometimes I don’t know their names or where they’re from, but I can recognize a familiar smiling face accompanied by the phrase “Buen Camino”. All of us are connected by the same goal.
It was a special experience last night when Marco, my Italian walking mate, cooked a typical Italian dinner for Majeik, John, and I. I can’t wait to eat more Italian food with RobO when we meet in Rome at the end of June!
Today I walked for a while with 2 men from Montreal (Marc and Chris) with whom I had crossed paths with before. I found out that they have been reading this blog (I had given the address on our last encounter). When I commented on an amazing pin of a Canadian flag with a Camino scallop shell, Mark generously took his off of his hat and gave it to me. It was a touching example of the Camino bond.
If all goes well we should reach León on Saturday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bonita Burgos

We are almost at the halfway point! So far my body is holding up very well. My feet are sore by the end of the day, but I think that’s to be expected. My shoes, on the other hand, are looking pretty injured!

Yesterday we had a short day (15km) so that we could spend some time in the larger city of Burgos. It has the 2nd largest cathedral in Spain and is a beautiful city. It was wonderful to explore and eat some really great pinchos (similar to tapas) for lunch, followed by an awesome dinner of smoked salmon and sea worms (totally weird but really tasty).

The coolest thing about the shorter day was that we met up with many pilgrims that we haven’t seen for a couple of days. It’s such a nice little reunion to reconnect and find out how their journeys are going.
Today we entered the Meseta, which is kind of like the prairies back home. It’s supposed to be one of the hardest sections on the brain, just because it’s so hot and flat. We have about 6 days of this until we reach Leon. So far so good for me!
Last but not least, lunch and dinner!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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And I would walk 500 miles…

I am in the Camino rhythm now. It feels very normal to get up every day and walk between 20 and 40 kilometres, stopping for a chocolate croissant for breakfast and a beer and a sandwich for lunch. We leapfrog with pilgrims along the route and usually see the same people every couple of nights. When we arrive at the Alburgue I shower, do laundry, relax, do yoga, then go for a ‘pilgrim dinner’, which is usually a 3 course meal that includes bread and wine. Finally I collapse into my bunk bed and pray that nobody around me is a ‘roncador’ (snorer)!

Yesterday we walked just shy of a marathon to catch up and say a final goodbye to our Uruguy friend. It was a long, hot day, but worth it to sleep in an old church, share a meal with all of the pilgrims there, and attend an evening meditation. Being a pilgrim definitely feels like being a part of a big family.
The pictures are worth 1000 words!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I drank from the fountain of…

Wine!!!

Yesterday’s hike included something that I had been looking forward to. We are in wine country, so as the path travels past a winery they have installed a fountain that dispenses (for free) water and wine! There is a webcam that you can check out if you’re interested in seeing thirsty pilgrims in action: www.irache.com
The scenery has continued to be beautiful along the way. We are in Viana, which means we have walked about 154km in the past 6 days. We’ve averaged 25km per day, so we’re right on track. Tonight I am very excited because we got a room with only 4 beds and none of us snore. I’m really dying for a snore-free night. Last night was the worst yet with 2 lawnmower men in the room.
The view from our alburgue last night.
We had to say goodbye to a couple Camino friends – Javier and Hugo from Uruguay (2nd from the left and 2nd from the right). They are a father/son team who had to fly home. They definitely played a huge role in my first week of the Camino, mostly with how much wine I drank!!
I am so lucky to have this experience thus far! Buen Camino!