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.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
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.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
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.
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.
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