Things we will and won't miss on the camino

Things we are going to miss when the camino is over:
Cafe con leche
Fresh squeezed oj
Churros y chocolate
Architecture
Amazing Spanish people
Cute old people
Principe chocolate cookies
Kas soda
2€ bottles of wine
Bunkbeds
Cheap bags of great olives
Meeting new friends from around the world
Trying to communicate in French, German, Italian, etc. with other walkers
Tortilla espanola
Paella
Pulpo
Ensalada mixta
Vino tinto, sangria, vino de verano
Cows walking down the street
Tapas

Things we are not going to miss after the camino:
Timed lights in bathrooms
Fart snorer
Talking about bedbugs
Poop on the trail
Garbage on the trail
Having to air out my socks and feet at every opportunity
Distinguishing poop smells
Constantly searching for yellow arrows or shells
Completa:-(
Using the "woods"
Taking care of our feet

Santiago

Walking into Santiago was an incredible experience.  Leaving from 21k away at 4:30am brought us into the city under the stars.  The amazing thing is a month earlier we walked from Larrasoana with the brightest super moon guiding us, and today was a similar experience.  We didn't need our headlamps  because the moon was our guide.  We took our time and it was a quiet reflective walk.  We stopped in Lavacolla to see the church where pilgrims traditionally washed them selves before entering into Santiago.  We walked to a beautiful cross monument on the hill in Monte de la Goza where a man was crafting camino wire art for donativo.  We are amazed with the creativeness of how some Spainards make a living.  We have seen many types of handiwork.

Once we arrived in Santiago, we felt the bustle of a bigger city but knew we had an incredible experience coming to us.  We got into town and it seemed like forever until we got to the plaza where the cathedral is.  It was an amazing feeling to stand where thousands of pilgrims before us stood as they came to the completion of their journey.  People were sitting, laying down, taking pictures and just hanging out in the plaza.  Some people couldn't hold back their emotions and were crying. We did some of our own pictures and then group photos with our camino family.  After that, we walked together to get our final stamp and our compostela.  The feeling of being in Santiago was surreal because of the great fun we have had all along the way.  We were excited to complete this stage of our journey, but equally sad to be already done!!!

My compostela said Joanne Hibberd.  I thought there was a mistake, but I learned that really was my name in latin.  Carson's name didn't change at all.  We took our compostela and went to check in at our last albergue for this portion of our adventure and then headed to the pilgrims mass at noon.  Though our feet were less than satisfied to stand still for an hour and a half, it was intensely beautiful to be inside the cathedral and see the large number of people taking part in the misa.  My favorite piece was hearing pilgrims read parts of the daily prayer in their own languages and seeing the intense ball of incense fly through the cathedral.   After we went to say a prayer for the end of our journey in the lower part of the church where Santiago remains.  

We did some walking around Santiago and were celebrating with some Galician celtic music in the other big plaza.  We hung out with our camino family and reunited with other friends from along the way!

The 24th of July is the big celebration in Santiago for the feast day.  The actual saints day is a day spent with family. We planned to watch the fogos (in Galician), aka fireworks.  They also planned a laser show on the cathedral, which we planned to sit in the square and watch.  All of the festivities began around 11-12pm, much later than what we do back home for the 4th of July.   We waited in line for a bit, but it turned out they weren't letting in any more people to the square because it was very full, or so we thought, so we went up to the park that over looked the cathedral.   We found out after just a little bit that there had been a terrible train accident just a few miles away at the RENFE station, and that there would not be fireworks.  We later realized that around 80 people passed away. Over 100 were injured and the train was going more than twice as fast as it should have been for the corner it was rounding.   Santiago was not the same.  This accident was one of the worst in European history, and definitely made the festival of Saint James, San Santiago a solemn day.  The city declared a 3 day period of mourning, so we spent our time finding the camino friends we had met along the way.  We had an excellent seafood meal with our french friends Jean Luke and Michel, and their wives.  We did a little celtic Spanish dancing at the first concert of the festival, before they were cancelled.  We did some shopping for ourselves and our families.   We reflected on the incredible experience of the camino and realized the camino never is over.  We found ourselves pampered in our first hotel experience (thank you Sheri Gedlinske!!!) with real towels and sheets.  We do enjoy most albergues with camino friends, but we have met several friends along the way who snore a bit much.   We had forgotten too how great it is to use real towels and sheets!!!

Arzura to O'Pedrouzo

The one unfortunate part of walking the Camino is that all the days feel like one long day.  Our routines are fairly set so the biggest thing is spending time with the amazing people we walk the Camino with, the views, Spanish culture, and trails.  The memories all kind of blend together in one long great memory so when we don't write a blog the day it happens it gets difficult remembering exact things specific to the day.

Fortunately we did encounter something that stands out two days later.  Our walk today was amazing as always.  The trail was great and we leave so early that it doesn't seem like we are stuck in large crowds.  We did do something different.  Having reserved a place to stay the night before we really wanted to trust that the Camino would provide.

This trust thrusted us into a position that we never thought possible on the Camino.  We got to town fairly early, around 11ish and walked immediately to the municipal albergue.  We figured we would be early, as we turned the corner there were already 90 people waiting in line for the albergue and it didn't even open for another 2 hours!

We waited in line and were able to say hi to many of our Camino family as they got to town.  The place was just so so but we again realized it was the people we were with that made everything what it was and we loved our company. Brian, James, Amy, Dan, Ryan, Jen, Kate, Melissa, and Jennifer.  We couldn't ask for a better group and were thankful we found each other.

Palas De Rei to Arzua

Things I learned about Spain:

Tractors are as common in cities as cars and travel just as fast.  I also learned cows out number people 3 to 1.

Today's walk was brisk with the thick fog that turned into a slight drizzle.  We had reserved an albergue so we weren't in as much of a rush to get to our end point as we had been.  The large hordes of people that plagued us right before the 100km mark had also spread out.  

The Camino tests everyone different.  The Camino pounds on your weaknesses until you either work past them or they become so apparent to everyone around you that someone else calls you out.

one of my weaknesses was how I initially thought ill of the new walkers that flooded the trail and compete for the space in the albergues at the 100km mark.   I didn't like how they wore their new Camino t-shirts or wore shells around their necks with arrows.  It wasn't until I watched a guy popping a blister with a safety pin on the floor next to my bunk did I realize that it isn't a compitition for the toughest or longest journey.  If it were I would lose that battle miserably as there are walkers that I have met that started in Switzerland, Belgium, and even a family with a 9 month old baby, an 8 and 11 year old, and the mom and dad that started 100 kilometers further back then we did.  None of these people thought ill of competing with me for space having started from where I did. Watching the guy pop his blister made me remember that I am here for my journey.  My journey is different then others and we will all complete our journey as we should.

Some of our Camino family has had some unfortunate visitors at night.  Jenni and I have been as diligent as we could looking for signs of these visitors and am thankful every morning that we do not have them.   We did write a little song for them and anyone that has had the guests over for dinner.

One little bed bug biting me

It is goin' to have babies

Two little bed bugs biting me

Their goin' start a colony 

Three little bed bugs biting me

I think I am starting to get dizzy

Four little bed bugs biting me

I don't want to look down to see

Five little bed bugs biting me

People are starting to stay away from me

Our Santa Cruz friends added some lyrics and created another song that also highlights the number one fear on the Camino.  These little critters have caused more anxiety then any other challenge the Camino could have provided.  We are hopeful that we do not have this fear get tested, and hope that those of our friends that have were able to clear them up without further problems.

Portomarin to Palas de REI

This morning ended our experience with fart snorer.  It was a tough night for many in our camino family as we were joined in our 100+ person albergue with two of the three worst snorers on the entire camino.

Our day started early, around 5:45 with surprisingly nice cool but thick air.  Again, we began with more hords of people.  This time, the groups had grown larger...like zombies walking through the night.  We did our best to keep our regular quicker cadence, but it was made even quicker as we worried about our camino family being separated from the start of the day.

We started to hear about people reserving albergues yesterday.  Before then, we had no idea this was even allowed, but we quickly learned it was true as we wrapped up our walking and began to find our stopping spot for the day.  The very first albergue we came to was one of the largest private albergues in town, and even being some of the quicker walkers of the day, we were turned away because it was full.  James, Carson and I got a lead on a brand new albergue not in the books and were able to get in without reservation, but the rest of our camino family wasn't as lucky.   They had to walk an extra 3.5k to find their stopping point.  The interesting piece is our dialog that we shared to make a group decision.   We decided as a group, we feel blessed having met and for continuing our journey on the camino together for so much time.  We don't like the feeling of racing through this experience, but today definitely could not be as enjoyed as much as all of our other camino days, not due to lack of great company, but due to so many people pilgrimaging.

For dinner tonight, James, Carson and I adventured to try the menu del dia which included ensalada, caldo, lomo, and pulpo along with vino and postres.  It was the best menu we have had so far, and Carson was the greatest sport to try the Galician pulpo... served with potatoes.  I am so proud to be marrying such an openly adventurous man!!!!!

Sarria to Portomarin

Walking Through the Clouds

With the cooler days we started leaving a little later because we no longer fear a death by sun.  The cooler days and mountain hikes bring with them the most amazing sensation we have felt on the Camino.  The valleys have low lying fog that give us stunning pictures of age old farms surrounded by stone fences with cows roaming the narrow pathways between them.  As we climb higher we emerged from the fog and experienced what it is like to walk on clouds as we can see how they fill the valleys below and behind us.  It is an amazing feeling.

Instead of eating apples today I decided to share with the horses.  After seeing the beasts in there pastures I picked some apples to feed them.  The horses where very thankful and were also very good about only using there lips to take the apple from my hand.  Seeing my success with the horses Jenni fed one and immediately became the horse's best friend.  She sometimes reminds me of a character on an old Disney cartoon where all the birds and small forrest critters sing songs and circle up around her.

Today also marked a milestone in our trek.  We hit the 100km marker post.  It is weird thinking that just a few short weeks ago we had over 800 kilometers to go.  With each marker post counting down Jenni no longer expresses joy but rather sadness knowing that soon it all must come to an end.  

The 100km marker also signified a few other changes for us.  The trails are BUSY.  We were used to days out in the meseta where we did not see anyone during the entire walk.  Today we were surrounded by dozens of people.  There was still enough of a gap that we didn't feel overwhelmed but there was also no moment there wasn't someone a few feet from us.

With the crowds we also have more commercialism along the route.  A friend on the Camino referred to these shops as s##t shops because it is filled with junk made in China to sell to tourists.  This is a change from where we started.  In the beginning of our trek most items for sale at the markets were made locally by artisans.

With all the new people and changes in the route we have decided that each person does what they can on the Camino and pray we find a place to sleep the next few nights till we get to Santiago.

Triacastela to Sarria

This morning began with a peaceful fog.  We spent most of the morning in cool mountain air walking along nice trails.  We made a pitstop for ugh café and found a place that made fresh tortilla.  Yum!!!  Afted Carson and I made it for dinner last night we decided we are missing something.   To be determined after a few more authentic tortillas... The town we stopped in had cows going for a walk.  One of the coolest yet grossest things about Galica is the cow poo everywhere.  There seems to be a commonality of washing it down the trail and we are so lucky to get to walk through their daily disposing.  Eww.

Today we took a short day of only 11.5 miles.  This quickly  heightened our spirits and helped us see some extra Spanish culture.  We stayed in Sarria, the town of 100k before Santiago, where loads of people will be droning into the end.  There is an expectation to finish the camino officially, you must walk the last 100.

We treated ourselves to Italian pizza and sangria with Bryan from Brooklyn and crew.  It was expensive, but delicious.  It is nice to reconnect with great friends from before we started our pilgrimage to now.  We feel like we have grown together in this incredible experience.

Bedbugs gross me out.  There has been more talk of them as we get into bigger cities with more people.

100k mark on the trail comes tomorrow.  This means more and more people... church, school and tour groups trying to start before the official final leg to earn their pilgrims certificate.   We are always amazed by the people hiking the stages before us in France and the newbies on the trail.  There is such a variety of experiences on the camino.

Carson loves eating fruit.  One fun fact about today is he found an apple, pear, plum, grapes and cherries in about a 2 minute span.  None were quite ripe yet, or I may never get him out of Spain.  Such a fun way to snack along the way!!!!!!!

La Faba to Triacastela

Camino Lessons

The Camino knows what you need and will get it for you when you need it.

Whether it is a cold glass of water, a shade tree, directions, something to eat, or something to sooth your soul.  It is always there.

Last night Jenni and I had an awesome pilgrims blessing that consisted of just the right message to let us know that we need to change first before we can change the world.  Once we change our space then the world will change around us.

We joined back with the N.C./St. Luis/Virginia group.  These people are a lot of fun and walking with them always makes time fly by.  We are lucky that the Camino provides so many interesting people for us to talk to.  

After taking the hilly route the day before we figured hills were done.  We were wrong.  Uncle John did not mention the many bonus hills that we still needed to conquer in order to reach our goal.  That said we are thankful for the workout that a steep 12-18% grade offers.  

Our route is a point of pride for the Spanish people in the region.  It connects many small towns and is off the beaten path. It is also the route the farmers use to move cattle from one grazing space to another.  Littered with cow pies we played a game sort of like hop scotch in order to avoid the freshest deposits.  This worked for a while until we were too tired from walking up hills to care about any that looked dried and stopped attempting to avoid them. Avoiding only the fresh pies worked well until Jenni stepped in what appeared to be a dry one and got some wet poo on her leg.

Uncle John stated that pilgrims grow to like the smell of manure because it means civilization is close by.  We failed to see how he came up with this since the entire route smelled like it and we never grew to enjoy the smell.  We did like that the cattle kept the trails clear of weeds and well traveled so that we could walk with realitive ease.

Being with Jenni everyday during this trek has made me appreciate her more then I ever thought possible.  Her selflessness and love for everyone around her is an inspiration.  I am lucky to have her heart and have learned so much from this trek across Spain about myself that has only fueled my love and respect for her.

Villafranca to La Faba

We had a fun challenge to start our day today.  Uncle John, as many of us who have been using his Camino de Santiago guide book call him, told us the trail we chose is not easy to find and not well marked with yellow arrows/shells like other trails.  Of course, for Carson and I, we consider that part of our challenge, and accept it fully.  Well, this time Uncle John was entirely accurate and it did take us just over an hour to find the trail from our albergue in town. Every minute of our challenging mountain trail was worth the effort.  The stunning views, the solemn mountains listening to our thoughts and being past tree level and looking down on the world is and incredible place to be.  I loved it!!!

We are so excited every time we find cherries along the trail.  Sometimes in obvious orchards, but other times right along our trail.  On our mountain trek,  the camino provided cherries instead of tots in our pants pockets:-)  (Napoleon Dynamite reference!)

We have been keeping track of our camino lessons learned.   Today we learned:
-Be nice to barking dogs.  Hide your fear.  Use others to protect yourself (Carson).
-The camino provides cherries of the most delicious sort.  Red, Ranier-like and wild.  Delish.
-Directions from random Spanish people through trees and in cars are most ultimately appreciated!!
-Use all of your patience and beyond to find the trail.  Never give up.  Its worth the effort.
-John's not always accurate.  Mileage, directions, descriptions.

We ended our day early to rest.  We walked over 16 miles in mountain terrain and treated ourselves to ice cream and a lemon adult beverage before making the decision to walk another 5k to finish the day.  We thought we picked a town off the trail from our friends, but ended up at the same place they were!!

James, Carson and I made a pasta for dinner with salchichon and veggie sauce.  It was delicious and we consumed it all!!!  Next up, we we to a special pilgrims blessing service by a monk in the town. There were Americans, Germans, Spanairds, Italians and Polish people there.  The monk asked me to help translate his Spanish into English which was fun, but he went a bit to fast for my tired brain.  The neatest things about the service were having volunteers come up and get their feet washed by him and then passing that along the line.  He also had us all say the "Our father" in our own languages at the same time, and had us all hug each other. He was very positive about spreading the world's happiness.  He reminded all of is that on the camino we are never alone.

Another highlight of our great day was seeing happy cows walking through towns, and in fields.  They are everywhere in this part of Spain, including their poo!!!!!!  Ew.

Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo

Jenni and I talk a lot about the positives of the Camino.  The views, fellow pilgrims, the Spanish people, cheap drink and food, and all the amazingness this journey through Spain has to offer.  Of all the good there is one other thing that really should be mentioned in case any of you also intend to walk the way.

The albergues are set up kind of like military barracks.  This means there are bunk beds and people can sometimes be only inches away from you.  None of this has been too bad but on three nights now there has been an issue where no amount of space was far enough.  There is a phenominom that I refer to as the human chainsaw.  

A human chainsaw is a type of snorer that vibrates the metal frames of the bunks you are sleeping in.  This person is in such dire need of help sleeping that even turning to their side doesn't buy enough of a reprieve from their breathing to allow you any sort of mercy.

Jenni has an amazing ability to sleep through the noise.  Perhaps she gained this super power because of my snoring but I don't believe I can be compared to a human chainsaw.  I do not have this super power so I toss and turn, tickle the chainsaws feet, and in situations like I found myself in yesterday where it was so loud I ended up sleeping in the common area of the albergue on a couch.  

The Camino had a special treat for us today.  Walking out of town we came across a cherry tree full of cherries.  It is cherry season here in Spain and they are all over for sale but this was one of the first we have seen in a while.  So me being me and Jenni as a cheerleader I went to get some.  I didn't want too many but then a branch snapped.  So not wanting to waste or leave evidence behind we worked feverishly to pick all off the branches before getting caught.  Once done we tossed the branch just in time for James to catch up.  

I am learning that the Camino is very Carson friendly with all the fruit trees lining the trails.   So far we had apple, plum, and cherry plus many more that weren't close enough to ripe for me to identify.

Today's walk had amazing views as most walks do but we were rewarded with a special treat coming into town.  The Santa Cruz crew (Erin, Buzz, Jordan, and Dylan had caught up to us and were in the same town.  It is funny how seeing a familiar face after only 10 days apart can lift anyone's spirits.

We made our version of pasta with tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, and canned tomatoes for dinner.  This albergue was a little empty in terms of pans, spices, and oil so the pasta wasn't perfect but after a hard day walking the food was delicious and the company divine.

Cruz de Ferro to Ponderrada

Cruz de Ferro is a humble monument to mark the 1,504 meter, 4934 feet location on the camino.  Carson and I left a stone for Clif and one for Grandma Hibberd, as we are both walking for each of them.  We had a grand plan to sleep at the point of the cross and wake up to leave our rock at the top of the pile at sunrise.  It was an amazing moment:-)

We had a day of walking with our Minnesota college students Lucy and Kate.  They both go to Carlton college in Northfield.  Small world continuing to get smaller.  We did a little bit of uphill to the absolute high point of the camino, at 1,515 meters and the majority of the rest of today was downhill, opposite from the near constant uphill yesterday.  The most positive I can be is to say I appreciate the downhill because it always leads to uphill...  I have a much harder time with my feet on the downhills.  Today there were lots of stones and larger sheets of rock we walked on.  A small bit was road too.

I can tell I'm more of a mountain girl than desert girl.  There are some majorly obvious differences between the meseta and the Spanish mountains.  The vegetation is different.  Plants are more hearty and less flowery.  The animals include my favorite cows and sheep with lots of areas to graze in.  The variety of the mountains with wind turbines is beautiful.  So. Much. Better.  Than.  The.  Meseta!!!!!  Not that I didn't appreciate the meseta, but I prefer the hills and mountains.

We took a scenic route to get into town today, and found ourselves not far from the road route many other pilgrims took.   We are sleeping in a huge albergue with small rooms, which is excellent for snoring and privacy reasons.  More to come.

Laundry is not our favorite thing to do.   Usually Carson gets us going because I like to get in to the albergue, unpack and foot massage/nap rather than laundry.  Our clothes are usually full of dust/dirt, wheat, picker bushes, etc.   Those of you who know me best know I'm not so good about laundry, but it's different when you don't have clean clothes the next day because you only have 2 shirts.   We are usually quite ripe by the end of each walking day, so I appreciate Carson pushing me to participate in the laundry doing party.  He gets most of the credit...

When we got to town, we hit our 2nd downpour of rain in 2 days!!!!  The Spanish who love here think its great as the ground really needs it.  Those of us walking are thankful it is evening showers only... knock on wood!

Tonight we splurged and went to dinner with Kate and Lucy.  They were excited to try a pizza place they have been told to go to, so we went to get Spanish pizza and a mixed salad.  The pizza was good with goat cheese, capers, bacon, olives and motz.  We had to follow up with a tasty dessert of churros y chocolate and mango sorbet.  Quite a fun evening of foodies.

This town is very quiet for a Sunday.   The grocer is closed, we found only 2 open stores and a bunch of restaurants.  It is nice to give employees a day of rest, but we were excited to see the Templar castle.   Next time, as we will be back!!!

Astorga to Cruz de Ferro

After partying it up for Jenni's half birthday (Thanks for this new holiday Brian...), well when I say partying I mean making tuna salad, drinking 0.89€ bottle of wine, and touring the city Jenni and I awoke promptly at 4:30 and started our days trek in the dark streets of Astorga.

There was something different here then every other city that we passed through at this hour.  Instead of the quiet streets that echoed of a party the night before we found that the streets here were still very much alive and that echo was actually the echo of a party still in progress.  

It started with an ambulance and squad cars on a corner with their lights flickering in the otherwise dark streets.  Then as we passed we saw all the young Spaniards still enjoying the nights celebration.  We've walked through plenty of empty towns where the only noise is the whistling in your head the iconic tune from "The Good the Bad and the Ugly".  If you are paranoid the empty towns during the day could be described as looking like every vampire movie you ever watched where the vampires sleep during the day leaving a deserted town.  At night everything changes.  The sun gets lower in the sky and the temperature drops.  This is when the towns come alive.  On special celebrations such as a weekend or a saints day the partying continues into the next morning when the sun comes back up.  

After smiling at the situation Jenni and I went ahead.  This city was kind to pilgrims leaving in the early hours.  The way was marked with little orange lights on the street.  This made it easy for us to navigate the medieval labyrinth of the city streets and alleyways.

Today Jenni and I decided that today we were going to go one village past where "Uncle John" (the author of our guide book) said we should stop.  This would put us 1.5 miles from the Cruce de Ferro.   We figured we would have a good chance at seeing it during the morning light.  We both had picked a rock that we felt spoke to us about Clif and Grandma Jane a few days earlier and had been carrying them with us to leave at the cross at the top of the hill.  Traditionally pilgrims leave a stone from home or a message for a loved one here amongst all the tokens left by millions of others before.  It is a way to reconnect with the purpose of your journey.

The walk today was mostly uphill and without a doubt let us know we were not in the meseta anymore.  The fields disappeared to be replaced with mountain grazing land.  The wheat replaced by cows and sheep and the dirt road by a mountain trail.  The views became more spectacular with each step upwards.  

We arrived to the town we wanted to stay in early in the afternoon.  The town was nearly deserted a few years earlier but had found new life in the Camino.  All around the stone buildings were crumbling with caved in roofs and collapsed walls.  The only intact buildings seemed to be the three albergues and the mercado.  The town was vintage to say the least.  

Jenni and I sat at the mercado on the bench looking at the parish hostile across the street that was to be our home for the night.  The temperature outside was not scalding hot as the meseta would have been at this time of day.  We sat there and Jenni jokingly asked, "you wanna sleep outside?"  She should have known not to toy with me like that because I immediately responded with yes.

We decided we should sleep at the Cruce de Ferro.  The weather looked good so we went inside the mercado for supplies.  A tomato, onion, chips, bread, jamon, salchichon, and last but not least a plastic bottle of sangria.  We were hungry after only eating a bowl of the most delicious gazpacho ever in a little town 3 hours earlier so we made one sandwich that we shared with the white and brown spotted village dog that wouldn't stop looking at us with its puppy dog eyes.

James was in this town and stopped over to visit.  He very observantly told us to look at the sky.  The clouds were getting dark and formed large columns in the sky.  The merchant at the store stated the it may or may not rain so it was up to me to make the call.  

I decided that we should move on and camp and that the storm would miss us. After all Jenni proclaimed that today was my day to be right.  So we packed up and started to walk.  I had a feeling there would be a shelter on the top if the hill so I wasn't too worried if I was wrong.

We made it to the cross in time to watch many cars stopping to look at the mountain of messages left at the base.  There was a shelter and picnic area.  We sat down and made another sandwich for dinner.  The storm was getting closer so everyone cleared out leaving Jenni, me, and a biker.  The biker boasted of his hotel room he had for the night and wished us a good night before taking off.  

We set up our beds on the benches in the shelter just in time for the hail to start coming down.  We used the rain to clean up and get ready for bed afterwards we settled in to our sleeping bags to watch the storm   The sun doesn't set until 10 at night but before we realized it the storm was over and the stars were out.  

Villavante to Astorga

We started our adventure today with a small walk to a cafe where we planned to get cafe and watch our friend Joey who was doing the running of the bulls this morning.  It was different than ever before to watch it live while in Spain.   It was also different to actually know someone running.  Joey survived and even got to touch one of the bulls in the ring.   The worst we saw was a poor boy who was getting major attention from a black bull.  Including his pants pulled down and goring in the legs.  Luckily someone else pulled him away so he got a break.  Serious business!!!  I strongly dislike the idea of running with the bulls, but understand the old tradition.   I even more strongly dislike the bull fight that happens every night afterwards:-(  Today was day #4 of San Fermin, the festival, so there are 3 more days to go and each day the bulls and get more aggressive (probably the people too).

We found lots of food being grown.  The neatest was garlic that we saw a few older folks pruning the dried leaves from it for selling.  Their entire house top to bottom was full!!!!  They were definitely proud of their crop.  We also saw fields of hops.  Dad, you'd love Spain!!!!!  We also saw something new.  Grape vines without support.  They seemed a bit sad and sort of confused without having a place to go..  We have seen more than knee high corn and something else, maybe beets or turnips?  We have pictures to help with your recognition.

We were greeted by a fabulous Spanish guitar player who was standing by the beautiful cross coming into Astorga today.   He was very happy to take a photo with us and share his website to purchase his CD.  He also asked us along with all others for something to remember us by... an American dollar.   We are fairly certain he makes bank on the pilgrims, but he was entertaining and definitely worth a dollar.

Carson loves cats.  I know this more now than when we started the camino.  He pets them ALL and gives most of them food scraps.  He met kittens yesterday in a bar we were having coffee in, and asked if he could bring one on the camino with us.  Lol.  Nice try!!!  We have decided that when we get a cat we also will be getting a dog.

Spanish grocery stores and those in other foreign lands are some of my favorite places to visit.  Today we found a really great one in Astorga where we bought makings for tuna pasta salad (carb loading for tomorrow's uphill trek), .98€ Spanish wine (tasted really good!), chocolate cookies, Greek yogurt and fruit.  We have had to buy new soap a few times along the way and champu makes great shampoo, body and laundry soap.

Chocolate museum hours stink!!!!!  We have been told Astorga is the birthplace of European chocolate.  It first came here from the Mexican cacao bean by Hernan Cortes. The bad thing is that the museum was on siesta all afternoon and only open for a 2 hour time span, and we missed it!  Instead we bought our own cookies and chocolate bar with almendras to make up for it... we will come again another time!!!

We visited the Gaudi palacio today.  Gaudi was an amazing architect and started construction of the bishops palace but stopped before it was finished because the bishop died and nobody replaced him.  Another bishop finished the palace in Gaudi style and turned it into a museum.

Leon to Villavante

After an amazing day in Leon I was not too thrilled to get up this morning.  Jenni and I have gotten in the habit of getting up at 4:30 and walking by 5:15.  This allows us to walk in the cool of the morning and finish before it gets too hot.

This morning I was recovering from the fever I had two nights ago that left me with a case of the runs yesterday.  The sun is devastating and it is easy to see how people can get ill and die on the Camino if they are out in it too long.  I was happy that my ailments only cost me a little comfort.

When we finally got going we decided that today would be the night we camp outside.  We didn't think an albergue was near where we wanted to stop so this was the best option.  

We left with our Ohio friend James and started out for our 25k trek through Spain.  We took a two hour siesta in a town at noon and many relaxing breaks along the way.  It was a peaceful feeling not having to race to get a bunk and where our time was our own.

Along the way we heard a man blaring his car horn and shouting in a loudspeaker.  It was a bit strange but when we approached him we learned he was selling fresh picked cherries in the back of his car.  It is cherry season here so we bought a kilo to share. Delicious!!!!

The freedom we felt today and the spontinaity that our schedule allowed made us feel relaxed and truly free.  We were ready to sleep outside but we happened upon an albergue along our path.  It had exactly 3 open beds left so we took a vote and decided that it looked like rain tonight and my digestive system was a bit out of whack so a cool shower and soft bed was meant to be.

Another great day on the Camino.

Mansilla to Leon

We began our meseta day at 4:30am.  Walking with James, Daniel and Carson was good fun.   We had pitstops for cafe con leche and hot cocoa, which each cost 1.30€.

We planned the day to be rather short hiking-wise so we could have a little time to explore the city of Leon.  Leon is a city of 130,000.  It was once home to a roman military base, which was conquered by the Visigoth, Moor and finally Christian forces.  

The cathedral of Leon is has really amazing history.  Only 5,000 people lived in the town when it was built.  There are three major cathedrals built after the moors were pushed out of Spain, and this is one of them.  It cost us 5€ to see inside, but the beauty of the stained glass windows was well worth the visit.  A lot of the church is currently under restoration by a team from Germany.

We walked the entire city, or so it felt.  We went to 3 different churches, San Marcos square, a super fun park full of birds:-) and a bank that is held inside a Gaudi building.  

Food in a bigger city seems like it would be the best, but you have to start with the correct timing.  If you are trying to find food in a restaurant, siesta is a tough time to go.  We have learned about keebob, a middle  eastern food kind of like a gyro, except with ketchup and cucumber sauce/ranch dressing.  For dinner, we splurged and got the pilgrims menu.  It was paella and roasted chicken with flan for dessert.  Yum!!!!

Ice cream with toothpaste is something we don't have at home.  I ordered a natural frozen yogurt with nutella, and it came with a travel size toothpaste.  So strange but smart!!!!

We had a great day in Leon and will be back again...

Hontanas to Boudilladel Camino

Jenni and I have now been walking for quite a few days. Our morning routine has become very predictable. We pack the night before and when we wake it takes about 2 minutes to put away our cocoon sacs and 40 minutes to tape our feet.

We left today pondering the differences in albergues and the role they play in recharging us. Many albergues are newer with nice showers and clean floors. These albergues make us feel clean and recharge our bodies.

The cleanliness comes at a cost. Even though we are refreshed and laying in a clean bed the opportunities to talk with other pilgrims is reduced. Jenni is amazing company and every minute with her is precious however we still leave these albergues feeling slightly isolated.

Then there are albergues with kitchens. These are preferred stops even if there is a newer and cleaner albergue close by. The pilgrims at this point have learned that by making a meal together it is cheap and the company is very fulfilling. Getting to know new pilgrims and catch up with old friends recharges our spirits far more then just having a good nights rest in a clean bed.

The parish albergues have by far outdone the other two types. They are generally the oldest but they have the most character. Usually there is a community meal and a pilgrims mass of some sort. These albergues remind us of why we are on this trek and do far more to recharge our mind body and soul.

The albergue we left this morning was the second type and we were very excited to share a meal with Jphnathon, Christina,Anna and many new friends.

Today's walk will be the first real walk through the meseta. To get there we needed to climb over one last ridge. It was a kilometer distance on a 12% grade going up.

After a short rest we started to leave when Jenni noticed a hat by our gear. Knowing the sun is torturous here we asked so people if it was theirs. They thought it was the Koreans that just left so Jenni and I grabbed it and tried to catch up. Upon doing so we learned it wasn't theirs so feeling bad that we stole the hat we left it by a sign hoping if the owner was still behind us they would find it. Thankfully we saw the owner later in the day and all was well.

Through the abundance of wheat fields and amazing views we made it to our albergue.

This albergue was owned by a local artist and sat adjacent to a monument to the king of the providence dating back to 1492. Looking at the monument it was easy to get lost in history thinking of how that was the same date that Columbus rediscovered the American Continent. The awe of walking through history older than our own nation was pretty amazing.

The albergue was an old barn and on the outside it looked like every old barn. Clay plaster that was falling off. Roof tiles covered in moss and grass that look like they are going to cave in with the first snowfall. The old wooden doors were decaying at the bottom, but when you walk through the dark entry way past the old field sledges with stones stuck in the bottom for smoothing soil you walk into an oasis complete with a sparkling swimming pool and soft green grass that was completely absent of all the green pickers that have been in all the grass we've come to this far. The lawn had artistic statues and a great feel. The man running it told us to find a place to sleep and come find him after we've cleaned up and rested to stamp the passports and pay the fee.

We got two beds in the loft on the barn. The place was clearly a renovated barn where the didn't do much to take away that feel but it was an enjoyable stay where we met a fellow minneapolisinite named Peter.

Carrion to Ledigos

The walks between villages brings new views and challenges everyday. It is easy to take for granted that a field is a field and the mountains to the north never seem to change. Each village has a church that by itself could be considered a castle and many of them were built before Christopher Columbus made his voyage. So many things are the same but different slightly just enough that they are a delight to the eyes at each glance.

One thing has remained constant each and everyday we have been in Spain. The Spanish people have been the most welcoming we have ever met.  Some have even at times taken pilgrims into their own homes as family. 

This all changed when we made it to the albergue we planned to stay in for the night.  We knew something was off when the street was lined by pilgrims that we knew intended to stay here as well.  Each of the pilgrims sitting in the shade had decided to walk an addition 6 kilometers to the next town and were just hiding from the afternoon sun before taking on the extreme heat of the meseta.  when we went in the bar was empty beaides two young female bartenders dancing to videos on the TV.  they wouldnt let us see the albergue unless we were staying there and made us feel very unwelcome.  Jenni made the decision to leave as well based on how rude the people running the albergue were to us when we wanted to look at the beds.

Jenni's feet were in pain with her new blister between the toes and my blisters all felt like they could use a rest. I have learned that walking in the heat has been the root cause of most my blisters so I wanted to stay and convinced Jenni that she should as well. So we bid good day to all our friends and signed in to the albergue. Not much changed with the staff and we soon realized we that they did not give the respect to pilgrims that everyone else up to now have.  They cut whatever corners they could to make a buck and we were not pilgrims as much as we were dollar signs that needed "clean" sheets.

Fortunately we did not come here for them so after having to deal with paying for our night we did not need to be around them.  The night was saved by our new German friend named Suzanna that we met a day earlier.  She loves to cook and walked around the whole albergue inviting everyone for dinner.  

Jenni and I helped her, an Italian guy, Spanish couple, and a French couple prepare the meal.  The Italian got involved when he heard we were having Risotto.  He was worried Suzzanna would ruin it and to quote him, "pasta is the food of the god's".  So he was going to show us how to do it.

Suzzanna single handedly saved the night for us.  It would have been easy to eat a small meal just the two of us and them go to bed.  Instead we met a dozen new friends and had a blast despite the rude hosts.

Another Camino triumph.  

Calzadilla to Mansilla

We walked out of town after a hot hot hot night of sleep.  Days are hot, nights are cooler but still hot!!!  We left early, around 5:10 am to see stars in the sky turning into a beautifully amazing sunrise.

The meseta challenges our blisters in an interesting way.   I have been taping my big toe to what would be my pointer toe to avoid my between the toe blister from growing.  Carson has been learning new ways to tape our feet so we can walk smarter:-)  His wilderness first responder training is being put to the test!!

We had a walk of 16 miles today, on the flat meseta, completely unsupported.   It was a long hot stretch which we chose to power through to avoid the heat.  By about 9:15 the sun is intense at our backs and we push on quickly to get through.  The route along the meseta has very few trees.

We arrived to Mansilla today by 10:45, enough time for cafe con leche and pan dulce.  We also found a beautiful market with frutas, carnes y todo barato.  We had to wait until 12:30 for the albergue to open, which was conveniently located next to a cafe that sold $6 pitchers of sangria.  We watched it being made.  Vino tinto, sangria real, azucar, jugo de naranja, agua con gas y frutas.  Delicioso!

We took a nice siesta nap before going to explore the town.  It definitely feels great to all be on a similar schedule with hiking early, siesta all afternoon and a quiet evening of dinner and friends.   We are constantly amazed by the cost of many Spanish foods.  We can make a nice veggie and bean salad, get yogurt for breakfast and snacks for the next day, all for about 9€.  Why cant food back home be that affordable???  I love Spanish olives.  A random fact you must know.  They are so cheap here we are eating them like they're running out of supply.  We are going to see about bringing some home with us to share with you all:-)

Yum...

Ledigos to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos

Stars are amazingly wonderful!!!  I am loving getting up by 4:30 to start the hot meseta and arriving to the albergue by noon to fully enjoy the day.   When we walk longer miles we end up taking siesta during the hottest hour of the day and then moving on.

When we started our day today we thought we were seeing the airport in the distance, and then we thought maybe a radio tower and really it was dozens of windmills spinning each one lit individually.  Very neat site once the sun rose.

Towns in the distance make for bitter and sweet.  They are great because you can see exactly where you are going, but at the same time, you can see where you are going and it might take 4 hours to arrive.  This has happened a lot in smaller towns but is most challenging in the bigger more spread out cities.  I realize I need to release some of my control of knowing when and where I am and are going and enjoy the journey to each city/town more.  Let the camino guide me...

Cafe con Leche will now and always be part of my life.  I have found this my new daily wake up medicine.  Carson will not admit it, but he also loves it.  We often hike a town or so and then stop at a cafe and get cafe con leche.  Usually tortilla or pan dulce of some sort.  The coffee in Spain is espresso...  very delicious with milk and sugar in the addicting sort of way.  We will be upgrading our small drip coffee pot when we return.

We met friends Jen, Kate, Amy, Ryan and Daniel back at the albergue 2 days ago and have connected well with them.  We walked for the day with them and stayed together at the municipal albergue.  There were 10 of us walking with 2 other friends from Virginia, Jennifer and Melissa and our buddy James.

We got to the albergue municipal and got hugs and i love yous from Luis, the hospitalero.  He was making something that smelled delicious and let those of us hanging out try a taste of his paella.  Yum!!!!!  We already had decided to make a group meal rather than to pay for going out to dinner, so I thought it would be super cool to have Luis teach us how to make paella his way.  We bought 2 packages of tomate frito, 2 pimientas verdes, 1 pimienta roja, aceite, 1 package arroz, 2 cebollas and oregano.  We did the chopping part and then he came into the kitchen to help.   He put a bit of oil in a pan with the rice.  Then he browned it for a bit, at the same time he is sautéing the green peppers and onions.   He adds the same amount of water as rice and brings it to a boil.  He then adds the pepper onion mix and from there simmers for quite some time, adding water as needed.  He used black pepper, cloves and a yellow powder that said it was salt and that it would work in place of saffron.  It did smell and looked beautiful.  We set the table for 15..Carson made a yummy salad, we cut bread and had wine for 2.5p€/person.  Not bad!!!

Boadilla to Carrion de los condes

The stars are so very beautiful each morning as we get started on our camino.  Each day as we cross the meseta we must wake earlier and earlier to make up for the intense sun.  We often start with 14 and end with almost double that, most days not a cloud in the sky.  Glorious to remember next winter as we are complaining about the cold harsh winter.

Meseta is tough.  We heard that one biker passed away from heat exhaustion, probably not drinking enough water in the heat of the day.  Very scary to think about this happening!!

Decisions along the way have made for some contemplative moments.  Today we had an option to walk along the potentially shaded river or take a 2k short cut on the road.  We usually take the scenic route, which I would say signifies the way Carson and I live our lives.  We dont generally go for the short cuts.  The tough part about the camino is our minds tell is one thing and our bodies say another.

Tonight we found ourselves immersed in spiritual love by the nuns at the albergue. We participated in a group sing a long, which was incredible.  We found ourselves at the grocery store ready to buy items for the albergue potluck when we ran into 4 other friends staying at other albergues around town.  So small world to randomly know other people around Spain!!  After, we went to mass and were blessed in a special ceremony for pilgrims.  It was the nicest of them yet, with the nuns.

I feel an incredible amount of love for Carson, but also love most everyone i meet along the way.   Feeling very blessed:-)

Tarjados to Hontanas

We started our morning with hugs from the hospitaleros.  They were the most incredibly nice hosts we have had at an albergue yet.  We were so happily greeted, rested and goodbyed with breakfast from their donativo albergue in Tarjados.

We started our day with about 14c temperature.  We walked a few hills and then the start to the meseta.  A very flat treeless section of the camino that stretches about 7 days starting now.  We see mostly whhhhheat these days and lots of wind turbines.  Dad would LOVE it!!!  The wheat is always dancing to different songs along the way.  It is beautiful.

We walked today about 20km to Hornados.  This town is mostly made up of business from pelegrinos since there are a total of 3 alberguesa hostel and a hotel all within a very small area.  In a small town, business is limited to about 2 shops for groceries, so they can sort of charge what they wish.  We can pay a cheap 2£ for lunch of a tortilla sandwich to share between Carson and I.  We can also pay 2€ for a dinner of pasta, bread, potato salad and wine that we prepare in a group at the albergue together.  Francesca, our Italian friend did some nice cooking for our group again.  There were 10 of us this time.  Very nice!!!  We much prefer making food together instead of buying the restaurant pilgrims menu for 9€.   We have found lots of bread, ham, cheese, eggs and fruits. My favorites are the oranges and the pears and Carsons are mangos and nectarines.

Today we tried to celebrate the best we could our American Independence Day.  If we were back home, right now dozens of fireworks would be going off as we speak.  Instead, in Spain we have another day on the camino.  Some friends spent last night partying in Burgos, but we are saving our adventures for the end of the trip in Santiago for Feast Day.  We did, however happen on a 2£ swimming pool today.  We ran into Tristan our friend who is running the Camino and he was excited by the idea of a pool.  We then decided to join and hang by the water.  It felt amazing on our feet.

One of my favorites about walking the Ca.mino is the friends we meet and re-meet along the way.  Today we bumped into Ana, Christina, Jonathon, Francesca, Sergey, and Brian.  James,  Carson and I are all making good progress towards our trek together.

Tomorrow is a new fresh day.  Looking forward to our 5:30am wake up to beat some of the intense heat of the meseta.  Today ended at 26c.  HoT!!!!!!!!

Atapuerca to Tarjados

After a relaxing day that included resting in a park the day before with chickens picking bugs and worms from the soil next to us Jenni woke before the alarm went off. Her amazing phone picking up a stray free WiFi signal from a block away she was busy checking Facebook and posting pictures.

The walk started with a climb up the hil outside of town. There was a sheep herder that lived at the bottom of the hill and I mentioned to Jenni how these sheep did not seem as happy as the sheep we saw in the mountains. They were penned up and the odor of manure quite strong. On the road up the hill we could see the sheep had walked this way probably the day before as it was covered in pellet sized droppings.

Once we got to the top of the hill the sign of sheep had disappeared and on the left we could see that we were bordering a military post. The day before James and I noted the sounds of a rifle range and this verified our keen military senses. On top of the hill it was very rocky and smack dab in the middle of the trail was a large cross that combined with the sunrise was very awe inspiring. In front of us 12 miles we had a clear view to Burgos.

The roads were empty and on the trail we had only two people in front of us a French guy and James. Both of which had a faster pace and did not take long to lose us.

As the trail got smaller and smaller and the grass grew so tall it covered what little pathway was left Jenni made a comment about us possibly being not going the way. Being alone on the trail was strange but it was nice to get some alone time. For some reason a very well marked trail is never marked well enough.

We could see the city so I wasn't too worried and when we made it to a road we started heading the way that looked right on the map. Coincidentally it was opposite other pilgrims. We realized this when we crossed the French dude. He didn't look happy to see us since he knew he was far in front, yet here we were walking towards him. Apparently we took a shortcut.

He kept walking his way and us ours. This is when we crossed James. James liked our trail plan and turned around with us to follow our way. We found our trail and it lead us to a parkway that could be best compared to the River Parkway in Minneapolis. It was a beautiful walk that had so much cottony like seeds it looked as though it was snowing.

Jenni met lady that was visiting her son and spoke Spanish. They got along real well and talked for a few kilometers. Jenni is amazing with her Spanish skills and the lady loved speaking with her.

When we got to Burgos we toured the 3rd best Cathedral in Europe. Jonathon described it as stunning/awe inspiring.

The city was amazing and after having some chiros and chocolate we moved out to Tarjados. It was a long walk and I wa rewarded with two new blisters for my efforts. Jenni made it through with tired feet but no blisters.

At the albergue the people running it were extremely welcoming as they have us mint tea to welcome us in. Later they brought us salt for the water that we were soaking our feet and lemon water. Their little touches of hospitality were a great reminder of how important and respectable a mission it is to walk the Camino. It filled us with a bit of positive energy and good spirits.

Villafranca to Atapuerca

Today was a beautiful day to go for a walk.  Carson starts each day asking me if i want to go for a walk.  I always tell him yes:-) It was full fog cover as we started our adventure today.

We started the walk with Tim and chatted about backpacking adventures.  We soon after stopped in St. Juan de Ortega to look at a cathedral in restoration mode and found a pit stop for cafe con leche.  Carson had a 9am cerveza as he decided that would help him along the way.  At that stop, we found James, Nick, and Mark, shortly after Jessica.  We also found our Scottish ultra running friend, Tristan.  We continued walking with James after our pitstop and enjoyed our company.   Today was an easy grouping of miles which we were looking forward to after several longer days in a row.

We pulled into Atapuerca, and were thinking we would go to the UNESCO world heritage site which is a prehistoric cave which holds the earliest human remains ever discovered in Europe dating back 900,000 years.  We couldn't actually get into the albergue until 1pm, so we relaxed in a nice park with other pilgrims and chickens.  Turns out the tour was a bit of a flop so it was best that we didnt make it.  Too bad they aren't gaining more interest!!!

While we were hanging out a big white truck announced its arrival with a bunch of honks through town.   It stopped at the basketball court and hydrolyzed doors opened to a store. It had fruit, meats, beer, pasta and most everything to make it without going to the grocery store.  We saw several older ladies walking over to get oranges and other things.  Very cute:-)

We walked and got checked Into the albergue and grabbed a tuna empanada and vino with coke.  We tried to buy cheap wine and the store clerk mentioned the Spanish people only drink that with coke, so we tried it.   Tasted a little like sangria without fruit in a way...

We organized a small group to have dinner together.  Fun to meet another Spanish teacher and to compare Camino stories with other walkers.  Bryan from Brooklyn suggested pasta so we went for it.  Chorizo, tomatoes, salad, bread and wine!!!  We said a nice prayer and enjoyed delicious food together.  A great end to a relaxing day:-)

Najera to Granon

We started our beautiful day with brekkie at the local cafe along the river with our friend Guido.  We had a delicious coffee and tortilla espanola.   The coffee i ordered had sweetened condensed milk in it.  It was like candy!!!!

We walked through amazing land today.   A lot of it was in the country.  Many varieties of wheat, poppies, mountains, sweet peas and a grapevines make an delicious looking quilt of agriculture.  

We saw lots of amigos today.  We found Allie and Ryan, Jessica and Nick and met new friends Greg and Liz.

While we were walking today, we decided that Spain is a very smart country.  Starting from the clay tile roofs to the fresh squeezed orange juice that you can buy almost everywhere!   We have also loved looking at the architecture.  The very old vs. new is overly obvious.  I love seeing 1600 or 1800 on some peoples houses.  Incredible to believe buildings can be hundreds of years old.

We pitstopped in Santo Domingo with several other Camino friends for a snack of new tapas.  It was a nice way to tide over the afternoon.

We stayed at the albergue attached to the town church.  When we arrived we went inside and felt like we were walking up dark mysterious cement stairs to a castle.  We had to remove our hiking boots and leave our sticks outside.  We were some of the first walkers to arrive for the day and got a nice bit of Information from the hospitalera.  There will be cooking and a communal dinner then meditation at 9:30.

We did our normal shower up, laundry, foot massage, power nap routine and then got up to see the pueblo.  While napping we heard guinea pig or rat noises but we found out that they were swallows loving the steeple of the church. There were only about 2 blocks of town , which included a small store and a bar.  We are enjoying the generosity of the Spanairds. Carson and i shared a package of cookies and a bocadillo de jamon queso y tomates.  We went on to enjoy a few glasses of rioja region wine and then went back to the albergue to help prepare dinner.  We had a delicious salad to start with aceitunas verdes and corn.  The main meal was potato and chorizo sopa, followed by good old fruit cocktail.

We cleaned up dinner and went to a secret door in the albergue which led to the upstairs room of the church.  We did a pilgrim meditation and prayer with the 2 hospitaleras.  I really enjoyed the piece where we each took a turn holding tht pilgrim candle and said a few words or gave a few moments of silence.  The neat part for me was hearing why or what pilgrims appreciate about the camino in the many native languages people speak.  I was proud of Carson and his kind words.  He always knows the perfect thing to say. I let everybody know I was thankful for my Camino family.  We feel like we are really getting to know a lot of the people we leapfrog with every day.  

Granon to Villafranca

This morning Jenni and I awoke with a refreshed zest. It was cloudy outside and the temperature was perfect.

We had spent the night at an old church albergue that was built by a pilgrim hundreds of years earlier. There were no cots so 16 people slept on mats on the floor in each of three rooms. The mats were side by side so it was very cozy.

After 9 nights on the Camino this closeness no longer mattered and we had one of the best nights sleep yet. Not only did we sleep well our feet felt amazing. Jenni's blister was healed leaving only a hard piece of skin where the blister had been. My metatarsals and blisters also seemed to be a 100% better. We attributed the healing to the pilgrim's prayer we recieved the night before in the ancient church attached to the Albergue.

We ate a traditional pilgrim breakfast of bread and coffee with the other pilgrims. While eating breakfast we went over our plans with our traveling companions. It was here that we met Chris. Chris studied in New Elm MN and now travels the world teaching English online. He spent a year in Costa Rica and was full of traveling tips for Jenni and I.

We hit the trails a bit late, around 7:15ish, and started walking. It didn't take long before we came across James. We seem to see him every morning while walking and chat a bit about our experiences the day before.

It is interesting the people you see along the trail. Almost every country is represented and every mode of travel present. Today we came across a runner that started in St Jean 5 days after us and even after having a day off caught up to us. We had the benefit of walking with him while he was taking a break and learned he was from Scotland and was running the Camino to get in shape before starting a desk job.

During today's walk we were amazed at the lack of houses outside of town. This was the same throughout Spain but it finally struck us as significant. In the US it would have been impossible to walk between towns and only see fields. The absence of condos, fences, houses, even barns was absolutely stunning and made the entire walk visually stimulating.

We walked long in the cool overcast day. When we made it to our destination we chose an albergue that was owned by a prior pilgrim that wanted to give back. The place was attached to a hotel and was very clean and spacious. It was a welcome place to rest.

When we arrived to the albergue we ran into Bryan. We first saw him in Pamplona and he caught the bus with us to St Jean to start the Camino. Since then we been seeming him almost everyday. One of the great things about the Camino is we see a lot of our friends throughout the journey. We don't generally make plans and it is always a celebration we see each other.

Jenni and I made our own dinner of lettuce, olives, tomatoes, white asparagus, and corn. With a bottle of wine it was amazing to spend some alone time with each other.

During our dinner we met some new friends from Sweden and Norway that were walking back to Scandinavia. They just flew over from India where they met and their new love for each other seemed to be carrying them through.

Logrono to Najera

We awoke early as has become our norm, Jenni and I quietly change and pack our gear in the dark saving the noisiest bits such as stuffing the sleeping bag in the stuff sac for the hallway outside the main sleeping bay.

Once most the packing is done we sit on the floor or a chair if it is available and bandage the few blisters we have. Jenni has thankfully only formed one blister on her little toe. I however have been fighting them off on both feet. I fear that day that I lose the battle and they bubble up into actual blisters but for now have been preemptively taping them.

Not all alberques have breakfast but thankfully this one does. We went upstairs to the kitchen/dinning area and on the table is a place setting that consists of a cup placed on a saucer and on the side is a knife and spoon. Coffee is available on the counter and in the middle of the table is french bread cut into 2 inch pieces as well as a plethora of spreads for the bread.

When we sat down and started to drink our coffee an old lady came into the room asking for cereal. Both Jenni and I immediately identify her as American for only an American would ask this. We just smirk at each other and introduce ourselves to the lady to break the awkwardness of her question and draw attention from all the Europeans that were contemplating her cereal inquiry.

We finish breakfast around 6:15, brush our teeth, don our packs and head out to the street. It is still early so there is a chill in the air. The seem empty feeling we had in Pamplona is present as we walk out of town between the tall buildings and empty streets that were bustling with activity a few short hours earlier. The trash from the festivities last night still cluttering the gutters. In the streets an occasional cat can be seen wondering looking for scraps.

The walk to Najera borders a lake and as we reach the edge if it some kids can be seen fishing. Today was special because we also see a goose with her goslings. Walking with the goose is a couple ducks.

The scenery on the trail is very picturesque. There are vineyards as far as the eye can see. There is also many other fruit trees but Jenni keeps stopping me from eating them. The few times I get to try an odd berry I end up spitting it out and get Jenni inquisitively asking me what I did.

Today was the longest hike we have done to date, 18.7 miles, and we arrived to Najera feeling excited and very exhausted. We couldn't wait to get off our feet and lay down for a quick siesta.

Our plans abruptly changed when we arrived to town and there was a celebration going on. The band was playing some sort of spanish music with a lot of horn instruments. There were dozens of rows of people locked arm and arm dancing down the street. There hundreds of people dancing and as they crossed us a couple locals grabbed us by the arm and locked step with us. We would dance 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. The atmosphere was festive and even though it was hot there were kids squirting water in the air and adults throwing wine. All the teenagers looked as though they were in a giant mosh pit and their shirts were torn and they had writing all over their bodies in marker.

We had a blast and everyone was so friendly to us. We wanted to stay with the festivities but after a while we worked our way through the crowd to the Alberque.

After cleaning up we went back to the celebration but it had gone into siesta. So we sat with our pelegrino friends and enjoyed the best sangria in the world. For 9 euro we got a pitcher of it that served 4.

We sat with the California crew: Buzz and his daughter Erin, Erin's boyfriend Jordan and Jordan's brother Dylan. Later we also had multiple other Camino family members join us as we toasted the end of a great day on "The Way".

Jenni and spent much of the day reminiscing about Clif and wishing we were with our family today as everyone paid there respects. He has made such an impact on us as we walk on. Love you Clif.

Sansol to Logrono

We are amazed by what works for people.  We have seen walking shoes, sandals, hiking boots, running shoes, and trail running shoes.  We have seen people with hiking stick and no sticks.  We have seen people with packs of all sorts of sizes and weight and we have seen people paying to ship their gear ahead to the next town.

Eva and Krystal are two friends we got to know better last evening.  Eva is our intelligent German friend and Krystal we just met is working for Panera in Boston, originally from Detroit.  We are inspired by Krystals efforts to make her own way on the camino even though she parted ways from her main group of friends she planned the camino with.   Krystal, Carson and I found it fun exchanging stories about how we met our significant others and she tells a very cute one about her boyfriend David.

Our walk was nice today.  We saw many incredibly beautiful views through hills of grapes and wheat and found the wind turbines of the camino norte.  I love the Spanish countryside!!!!!!

We stopped in a bigger town along the way called Viana.  It was a superb stop for seeing the hustle of a Thursday within a town before siesta.  The markets were open for us to get aceitunas and manzanas.  We decided to let our feet rest which was about an hour of relaxing the body.  We found it also a spot where we ran into friends Guido and Ryan who were posted at the cafe waiting for the arrival of their friends from further back on the way.   We are impressed with the group of 3 who find ways to connect, but are each experiencing a different camino.  Josh who is rediscovering himself after a break up and has struggled to walk since day 1 and has now a hurt ankle and broken toe.  Allie who has pushed through carrying her laptop computer has hurt ankles and aching feet.   We havent seen her In a day or so, but she is making her way with an amazing attitude.  Ryan, is often running though the camino usually to touch base with the others and has a giant pack.  He also has been picking up a rock each day to represent his life burdens and he will release them at the high point on the camino.  He has left his old life in the past and is fully living the camino using only forward motion.

As we walked our way into Logrono, we decided the church albergue with a communal dinner was the way to go.  Funny thing is we were nervous about it because when we arrived, it seemed full or closed.  We had knocked on the door and it was locked up.  We saw a way to ring the doorbell for peregrinos.   We were let in immediately and they had open beds and right away we saw our teacher friend Susanne. It is a great feeling to see friends along the way.  This albergue was a donation albergue and included mass, a blessing for pilgrims, the communal dinner and breakfast.  We got cleaned up after our walk and took an hour to grab a glass of cold beverages and a tapa on Laurel street, recommended by the group of 4 Spanish ladies we kept seeing the last few days.  Most bars weren't open until later but we found one on the corner to relax at for a bit.

It was really fun and it felt nice to help with the dinner preparation.   Carson cut watermelons and I helped with salads.  We were prepping for 35 people to eat together.   After meal prep we went to Spanish Catholic mass.  Carson and I both volunteered to read at mass and in English along with a bunch of other readers in different languages.   It was tough to follow the mass not being Catholic and trying to understand the priests speaking.  The church is absolutely beautiful.   It has shells on the altar and they did a special prayer for the pilgrims at the end of the mass.

We went back to the albergue for dinner.  It was salad bread and a delicious stew with garbanzo beans.  Hit the spot.  After dinner, there was an invitation to be part of a special private pilgrims blessing back at the church where they read in multi languages and sang to us.  We also got our passport stamped at this time.  It was nearly 10pm by this time and we still had to go back and do dishes from dinner.  That is late for a camino walker...

We feel very lucky to have been part of this amazing experience at the church of Santiago albergue.  The food, bed and commraderie we were part of made us feel very prepared mentally and physically for our hardest day to come on the camino the following day. We will definitely do this again.

Clif

Jenni and I have dedicated our walk to Clif and Jenni's Grandma as well as other we have lost. Along the way we stopped in various churches to light candles and say a prayer for them. We feel as if they are with us on this walk and their spirit carries us through the blisters and aching feet.

Clif was laid to rest today and though we could not be there for the service we could feel his presence with us now.

There are few people you will come across where the moment you meet them it is as if they have always been your best friend. Clif was that type of guy. His infectious laughter, love of sports, and passion for others define who Clif was.

One of the things Clif was known for was his hospitality. He made it his mission to ensure everyone was well fed and having a good time. From being formally titled as Snack Master during the trip to Utah where he fell for the love of his life to making the non-sports person like me enjoy every game I went to with him. Clif was a master at finding just the right thing to ensure everyone had what they needed; a joke, snack, or a shoulder to lean on.

When I think of ways to honor Clif the best one I can think of is that we make it a point to stay in touch and have fun together. I can share many stories about Clif as can everyone here, but what I think he would want more than me reminiscing all my best memories to you all right now would be that we make a point to reconnect with one another and share our stories together.

We love you Clif. Your presence is missed but your spirit will be with us always.

Estella to Sansol

We started our day very early today after a night of a room full of loud squeaky bed mattresses.  I woke around 2am thinking it was closer to 6am.  Went back to sleep until 5am so we could get a good start.  It can be tricky to sleep with 20 other people right next to you... 

We were invited to brekkie with our Californian friends, Buzz, Erin, Dylan and Jordan.  Jordan is a cook and was excited to share his eggs and bacon with us.  Erin is his girlfriend, Buzz is his girlfriends dad and Dylan is his brother.  We have enjoyed getting to know each of them. 

It has been interesting getting to see all types camino walkers.   Walkers. Taxiers. Busers. Gear aheaders. Bikers. Short termers. Seasonalers.   We feel the only way to do the camino is to walk, but many have a different idea what that means.  Some people end up on the camino after many miles walking other places.  Some have walked already 50 miles before now.  

We made a pitstop to Los Arcos which is the finale according to our guidebook today.   We stopped for our first sangria and then made the rest of the the hike to Sansol.  

We are staying in a very small albergue of 14 people.   2 of them from Norway, 2 from Italy, 2 from Spain, 2 from Germany and 3 Americans.   We have been enjoying the entire afternoon at the one local bar.   This is by far the smallest town I have ever known.  

Puente la Reina to Estella

We woke up to a quick delicious Spanish coffee.  

Roman road and bridges are over 2000 years old. Walking over them sometime is a challenge.  They are bricks and rocks and uneven on our feet... some of them and others are really well kept.  What is amazing is that they are so old and still here and being used.  We love the effort made with Spanish roads too.  Many of them have nice tiles and are extremely well kept.  It is humbling to be using them.

We started the day on our own, but found many of our friends along the walk.   Allie and Ryan from Oregon and Susan entertained us for the second half of the walk and we all ended up at the same albergue for the night.  It was fabulous to relax and walk around together, and a group of us planned an amazing Italian dinner of salad, spaghetti and meatballs and bread.  Jonathan found the cheapest rosado of the trip, 1.30€ for a bottle.  Francesca from Italy was the lead chef and amazed us all.

The city of Estella is very nice.  We sat in the plaza and each took a 30 minute power nap with the pigeons, kids playing and adults socializing.   

Basque land is interesting as there are many English quotes around town asking for independence from Spain.  There has been an improvement in the battle as the Spanish government has given autonomy to them through inclusion of both Spanish and basque languages in schools and signage around town.  The language is very different, but most people we have met along the way speak both.

Larrasoana to Pamplona

We made today a shorter camino than others to rest and recover our feet.  During our first two days, we were challenged by the terrain and our bodies getting adjusted to wearing a pack while climbing and descending.  

After an interesting night of sleep in the ball court gym, Carson and i were overly motivated to find the albergue and get in line.  We ended up being the first two bunks for the night in Jesu, Maria, a refuge attached to the church.

Carson has done an incredible job speaking Spanish when ordering vino, cerveza and tapas.  Its been fun watching his language immersion help his ability to communicate.  

So far, Pamplona is one of my favorite places to be.  We love window shopping, the food, history and people watching.

In Pamplona, we reunite with friends who we have met along the way, but miss others who had to travel slower.  We are sad to say our firet goodbye to friends David,  and Lynny, who were heading north to see the camino norte.  We may see them again during the feast of Santiago.

Pamplona to Puente la reina

After an amazing night in Pamplona Jenni and I were up early and left just after the sun rose high enough to light the streets.

Walking through Pamplona that early in the morning gives an interesting look into the city. Just a few hours earlier the city was alive with every bar open and people were drinking their wine and eating tapas while sitting on the stone street outside the doors. Age was not an issue as there were people as young as 16 and others old enough to be their great grandparents all hobnobbing together.

The abandoned streets were a bit surreal as the echoes from the night before faded into the sunlight.

When we left the Alberque we were among the first to go. We had learned our lesson on the gym floor the night before and were bound and determined to get to the next city in time for a bed without having to sacrifice stopping to take pictures.

The walk was as picturesque as ever. The views of the valley opened up to show the mountain range ahead. We could see a ridge about six miles ahead. On the ridge were dozens of windmills and between us and them were rolling hills planted with wheat that was just starting to turn a golden brown.

Along the way to the windmills we came across James from Ohio. We had met him the day before and enjoyed listening to him talk about his studies in India. His pace was a bit quick and after a few picture breaks he pulled ahead.

When we made it to the top of the ridge we were greeted with an amazing view of the valley on either side of it. In the distance behind us Pamplona stuck out as a reminder of where we came from and in front of us on the other side of the ridge we could see where we had to go.

On top of the ridge was the pilgrim monument. It held the 1/2 inch steel cut out images of pilgrims made to symbolize everyone that has come through this way.

On either side of the pilgrim monument we could hear the enormous blades of the windmills cutting through the air above us The generators were humming with electricity. The wind was so strong that we could hardly stand in one place.

We walked on and stopped at a cafe for lunch in a small village along the way. It was a welcome relief for our aching feet after having climbed up the ridge on one side and down on the other. Surprisingly both of us realized the uphills were preferred even though they tired us they also made us stronger. The downhills slowed us more than the uphills because of the fear for slipping on rocks and the aching joints caused by the sharp pounding of our feet against the ground aided by gravity.

At the cafe we sat down and ordered a coffee then took out our bread, cheese, and salami. This meal combination has already become a staple meal for Jenni and I. While eating we were joined with two members of our Camino family. Eva from Germany whom we met a day earlier having a beer and coffee for breakfast. We also met Joey the freshman student from Iowa that is attending Jenni's rival school St. Johns in MN.

We enjoyed the conversation and through it Joey taught us am important lesson of the Camino. Getting from point A to point B is not the primary objective. Without this lesson we would have not considered taking the road less traveled. Joey told us of a Templar Church that even though it would add an additional 3 kilometers to our route it would be a spectacular and inspirational visit. There was a pilgrims hostel attached to it that we considered a good place to stay if there was room.

The route leading to the church was lined with fields covered in plastic. We learned that under the plastic was crops of asparagus. This explained why on either side of the road there was so much wild asparagus it grew like weeds.

We arrived at the church just after 1 in the afternoon. Fortunately the lady working there had not gone on siesta yet. The however had and we weren't allowed to see the inside. It was a magnificent round building made of stone surrounded by an intricately carved stone fence. Walking around this fence in bare feet seven times has been foretold to heal pilgrims feet. We did not know of this spiritual power till later that night but Jonathon, a member of our family from Australia, claimed it was a bit uncomfortable on the rocks but it did also massage the feet a bit.

Behind the church was a row of cherry trees that were just beginning to ripen. This was a welcome consolation when we were informed that the hostile was no longer in operation.

After eating our fill of cherries we walked on with Joey towards town. While walking and talking we misread the map and took a wrong turn. Having realized this halfway up a steep hill we resolved to bush whacking through a vineyard and across a cornfield. The corn was up to our ankles and afforded us a view into country life that we would not normally have seen.

When arrived at Puenta La Reina we walked through the Main Street on centuries old cobble stone where the buildings on either side were so close that any American SUV would have trouble fitting between. At the opposite end of town from where we arrived stood a spectacular bridge built by the Romans. One couldn't help but be humbled by the engineering marvels the ancient Romans built that still stood thousands of years after being constructed.

We choose to stay at a private Alberque that was 400 meters up a steep hill. While climbing the hill one walker with a sore knee was walking backwards and in Spanish told us the road was too steep for her aching knees and she was going to go to the municipal Alberque in town.

The Alberque was nothing like any we had stayed at this far. It reminded me of a KOA that we would see in the states with its cabins and swimming pool. The pilgrims area was still a large room filled with bunk beds sectioned off in cubicles of four bunks per.

That night Jenni and I met with members of our Camino family for dinner. This was our first dinner where we were the only Americans. At the table we were joined with Jonathan from Australia, Christina and Ana from Portugal, Francesca and Andreas from Italy, and new to our group was Patrick and Tamara from Great Britain. It was here that we were reminded of the spirit of camaraderie that one could only receive on the Camino. We shared stories from the trip and our lives. It did not matter that the food was mediocre at best because the company made the night one that we would not trade for anything.

Roncesvalles to Larrasoaña

Today was an interesting day. The night before when we arrived in Roncevalles over dinner and after a few glasses of wine we made arrangements with our pilgrim friends for breakfast. Our group was later named by a fellow pilgrim down the way as "The Breakfast Club" a reference to one of his favorite movies.

None of the restaurants near our Alberque were open so after starting a bit late our group moved out in the drizzling rain to the next town. Our aching feet and the poor weather could not dampen our spirits. We shared stories and laughter all the way as the time seemed to fly by.

Upon arriving to town Jenni noticed an almost full bottle of vodka sitting outside. This was our first clue that there was a party the night before. Our suspicions were confirmed a few short steps later when we stumbled upon the party still in progress.

The young men with blood shot eyes and drinks in there hands were still shouting at one another and having a good time. As we maneuvered our way to the one open cafe it was packed with patrons from the party in town and fellow pilgrims.

Jenni used her amazing skills in Spanish to learn they were celebrating their towns Saints Day. While Jenni was learning about the towns founding Saint we were welcomed with our first spanish hello that consisted of kisses on the cheeks. I was not to excited about a drunk guy kissing Jenni on the cheek but with alcohol on his breath he asked permission and then greeted me the same way. In all the chaos of a crowded cafe that had people tripping over one another the locals and pilgrims still mixed well and enjoyed the atmosphere.

The rest of the walk for the day was over rolling hills that had stunning views of the valley below.

The late start combined with our love of the view put us in a position where we were almost the last ones left on the pilgrimage between the two towns.

Being in the back if the pack has its advantages in that we felt like we were the only ones on the trails. The problem was that when there was no one to follow and it is easy to lose your way.

Jenni and I came to a point on the trail where there was a sign in Spanish that stated pilgrims need to exit. There were three big stones blocking the road in front of us and to the right we could see that there looked to be an old Camino sign that was decommissioned. There was a green arrow pointing a way but all Camino arrows were yellow so we didn't pay any attention to it. To the left of the trail was what looked to be the way so Jenni and I took that. It was a bit more rustic than any other Camino trails and after about 100 meters Jenni suggested we look at the map. While I was pulling our the map and looking at it she went ahead and kept walking.

I determined we went the wrong way, but Jenni was so far ahead that I had to run down the so called trail and through the thistle brush to catch her. She was so far up that we thought we saw a road and decided to go to it. After bush whacking for about an hour it turned out it was part of an access road to the sludge pond for an industrial plant. We were a bit tired so we trespassed on the plants service road and made our way back.

When we made it to where we took the so called trail we looked ahead and found that had we turned our necks just a little more by the blocked road we would have seen the way.

Now even further back from everyone we walked on. Eventually coming across a young boy running from his grandpa and yelling, "no" with the grandpa close behind him. We also saw a couple waking there dog by having the dog run in front of the van. They would get to the end of the road and the dog would turn around come back. It was very hilarious!

We eventually made it to town and they were out of bunks at the Alberque. The lady working there wasn't all that helpful as we left to find a place to sleep. We saw a German group that passed us early on calling for a taxi to the next town. They offered to share with us but both Jenni and I thought that would be cheating the Camino and resolved to sleep outside.

Thankfully we learned of the local racket ball court from a member of our Camino family. The court was open to us for free and with a roof over our heads and we liked the idea of having a quiet place to sleep.

We were taken out of our comfort zone as the doors of the court did not lock. While we were setting up our sleeping pads a guy came in the building to hang out. Shortly after he left Jenni and I settled in with a bottle of wine.

We fell fast asleep only to be awoken by the local teenagers that used the court as a hangout after dark. The gym echoed and magnified sounds from outside. The kids were shadowed in the transparent walls by the full moon. We could see them circling the building. Between the fireworks, screams, and running around the building it felt like a scene from Children of the Corn. To top it of the changing temperature caused the walls to expand but it sounded like they were hitting the walls in an attempt to let scare us.

Then they started to come into the building and rode their bikes in circles around the court.

We weren't sure what to expect so I manned up and went to talk to them. It turned out they were actually very nice and after a short conversation said "Buen Camino" and left.

St. Jean to Roncevalles

Today was the first day of our camino we had a nice wake around 6 am for breakfast with consisted of french bread, butter, marmalade and a bowl full of coffee.  Instant coffee, not the good stuff from the machine.  

We have made great friends of Jonathon, from Australia, Christina and Ana, cousins from Portugal, and they were our bunk mates for the noche. 

We decided to bring hike snackies with us so we stopped by the grocery store to buy a few apples, oranges, almonds, and some bread.

Carson and I visited the church to say a prayer and give a dedication to the camino. 

When we left town, the streets went up.  We knew the day would be tough, but we had no idea how tough. Two girls from California, Nicole and Suzannne were hiking their inspiration from the movie the way. From the corner uphill where we met the girls, everybody spread out.  We had all ups with a few little flats today.  We came across the albergue we debated staying at up in the mountains, named Orisson, and decided to share salchichon and queso sandwich. 

Bocadillo, is the word, sandwiches are for nerds!   France and Spain have delicious bread... french bread loaf is usually only 1€.  Our pitstop for a sandwich was what many other pilgrims decided to do.  

The views thoughout the Pyranees are ever changing.  We wanted to stand still and freeze every view we could to remember this.  We could stand in 1 spot to see amazing mountains and turn the other way to see horses, sheep and cows. The animals were either painted with a color, or had dinner bells so their owners could locate them. It was great to see so much free land for the animals to roam.  Not like the midwest at all.

In France, we saw a lot of wooden fighting position posts that were set up in WW2.

We have definitely worked our legs, feet, arms and bodies to the point that we feel like we have run a marathon. It is incredible to know what we are capable with having some mountains to climb food and water.

There were 2  water fountains along the pass and we needed to refresh with both of them, even with our camelbacks.   One was a nice monument of the fountain of Rolan, then the other side you see animals and trees.  The fountain was fresh spring water coming from the ground and tasted a lil bit particley but completely hit the spot.  We were spent!! Just a few feet after we continue on, we arrived to Spain from France.  It's really not a super obvious border like MN to WI, but it does say Navarra, for the region.  Many pilgrims didn't notice the change between countries, a as our surroundings hadn't really changed.

We walked with Max from France for quite a bit of the walk and then we found our friend Brian from Brooklyn about halfway through to the end.

We remain very happy on our pilgrimage. Here we have mixed emotions between the beauty of the vast country that surrounds us, but also in the challenges we are finding with our own selves in the physical challenge.

The albergue had a really nice cubicle for each person that we got really good sleep in.  I appreciated the good bathroom, good sink and mirror to clean up with.   The albergue has very nice restaurants on the property so we had dinner with the same friends we started with.  We had fish with their heads still attached, which Carson did not appreciate.   The pilgrims menu is a special meal timed so we can have our bigger meal later in the day, when the walking is complete. Usually more expensive but includes wine and a 2-3 course meal.  We ended our meal with chocolate pudding.  Yummers!!!  Afterwards we sat on the patio and made his friends for hours.  1 glass of vino tinto will cost you 1.20 euro.  The more we had the better the feet felt. 

Ear plugs to block snoring, but the best night of rest thus far. 

The morning comes very early, and tomorrow we learn early isnt early enough.