Day 25 - Villafranca to Herrerias - 21 km

There were many on the path today walking 31 km from Villafranca to the top of the mountain at O'Cebreiro. When you factor in the difference in altitude, since it's a 1200 meter climb, it works out to be more like 37 km. I decided that it would be a great idea for me to walk only 21 km to the base of the mountain and have a beautiful, fresh walk up that baby tomorrow! There are less than 200 km to get to Santiago now.

The weather was very brisk this morning which made for fast traveling over the hills and through the valleys. Today we were walking in a group of 5 people representing Canada, USA, Ireland and Holland. The 3 in the group who were heading for the top of the mountain weren't carrying their backpacks. The had had them transported in order to lighten the load on the incline. I was carrying my pack and as usual started to stiffen up and slow down after about 10 km. The wonderful, fabulous, and very handsome Eugene carried my pack for me until I reached my destination. I felt quite light and bouncy without that load on my back! Here the five of us have stopped for a picnic lunch.

I am now at a pretty chalet style hotel at the base of the mountain and relaxing with my feet up. It's a beautiful sunny afternoon and I'm enjoying the sound of the cow bells from the pasture across the way. This is the scene from my bedroom and if you look closely you can see the cows.

Day 24 - Ponferrada to Villafranca - 25 km

Le Peligrino Perro or The Camino Dog

Sonja and I stayed in a hostel last night and headed out at 8:00 a.m. We'd walked about 1 km when we realized that we had company. "Don't look at him", Sonja said, "he seems to like us". I've seen many stray dogs on the streets and none of them are very sociable creatures so I assured her he wouldn't stick around for long. But it soon became evident that this was no ordinary stray. He was definitely walking with us. We ignored him for awhile, although I did think he was very cute and Sonja insisted frequently that we had to seriously work on getting rid of him. I wondered how she was going to do that since I was fairly certain he did not understand English. She tried shooing him away with her poles, but with no affect. What we did not understand was that we really had no choice in the matter because it was he who had chosen us as his pilgrims for the day.

After a couple of hours we entered Fuentes Nuevas for some coffee and toast. By the time we left our guest had been given a name ('Benji') and had also enjoyed some toast. Sonja was still quite concerned that we needed to get rid of Benji somehow, but I insisted that he was a Camino dog and we couldn't send him 'back' because there is no 'back' on the Camino. I said "don't worry Sonja, he'll walk with us for awhile and then he'll be gone". Here is Benji waiting for me to catch up when I got too slow.

We stopped at Cacabelos for a beautiful lunch of smoked meat, olives, salad and bread. I'd say we were in that restaurant for about an hour and were sure that when we got back to the road Benji would be gone. But he was not. He was lying under a table about a block away. As we continued to walk I got thinking "Benji is going to need some food, maybe I should buy him something if he is still with us in Villafranca". Just then we were passing a butcher shop and Sonja said, "we need to buy the dog some food". I started to laugh and questioned her intentions to get rid of him. She said, "I wanted to get rid of him because I knew I would start to love him". As I was teasing her about being a big softy, we went to the butchers and Sonja bought a good size piece of pork ribs. Benji was a lucky and happy Camino dog today! Here he is having a drink at a fountain after his delicious lunch.

We had gone about 20 km when were met this pilgrim on the path carving shells out of different types of wood. He did beautiful work and of course I was a great customer! The last 5 km into Villafranca were slow going for me. There were many hills and I was very tired. When I arrived at the Albergue Ave Fenix with Benji I explained to the host that he was a pilgrim and had walked the 25 km from Ponferrada, but I'm afraid he did not get a lot of sympathy. He had a rest on the side of the street and then later followed us down to the plaza where a waiter at a restaurant brought him a bowl of water. Sonja and I are both hoping that he will be gone with other pilgrims in the morning because we like him way too much now and feel completely responsible for him!

Later......
We just finished our peligrino dinner and I sat beside Patrick. At the end of the meal he said, "the weirdest thing happened. Yesterday I walked with a dog for 20 km and today I saw him in this town". I showed him the picture of Benji and he said "that's him!". I don't think I have to worry about Benji. He really is a Camino Dog.

Day 23 - Villares de Orbigo to Astoria - 16 km

Just an everyday morning on the Camino.

We walked 8 km and came across this this pilgrim lemonade stand, so the speak. All organic and run my pilgrim volunteers. That is Sonja in the sexy black and white pants.

Both Sonja and I sat down last night and did a bit of figuring out of how many days we had left, how far we still needed to walk, and some of the things we really wanted to do before we left the Camino. On the current schedule none of it added up, so we decided on a plan to walk 16 km today, then take a bus from Astorga to Ponferrada. This is a distance of 60 km and gives us 3 extra days, which makes the remainder of the Camino both more enjoyable and doable. Many will say, "but your missing some of the best part!", but but we have heard that about every part, so we just have to do what is within our means right now. This decision means that we will miss the highest point and the cross where the stones of sorrow are left. We found another spot today many pilgrims had left prayers and a piece of their own past sorrows. It was here that I left my own memories and those of a couple of friends from Canada.

My pilgrim boyfriend. This is a funny little guy that is dressed and adorned by the 100's of pilgrims who have passed.

This has been a day of castles! The 1st one is the Gaudi Castle in Astoria, the 2nd the Castle of the Knights of the Templar in Ponferrada.

This has been a very busy day! Besides walking the 16km this morning we have walked many more touring two cities, castles and pastry shops! Back on the trail tomorrow :)

Day 22 - Mazarife to Villares de Orbigo - 16 km

Last night I had a Camino dream. I was walking all night and didn't feel like I was getting anywhere. I got to this French town and couldn't go any further until I learned to speak French. Somehow I got out of there and went to a German town. When I got up to go to the bathroom I told myself to stop dreaming this because I was still in Mazarife! But I went right back to walking and this morning I was mentally exhausted! The 1st part of the walk today was a long one with no place break in between. It was 10 km to Villavante and by the time I got there my Camino spirit must have taken a detour because it had left me.

I stopped for lunch 4 km up the path at Hospital de Orbigo. There were several people stopping for the day due to injuring. I figured I'd better keep on the path since I didn't have any good excuse not to, other than feeling a bit sick and tired of walking. Then in 2 km more I saw it. The Albergue at Villares de Orbigo. Now tell me, if you had just walked 16 km in the hot sun would the site of this place not make you feel happy? But wait! This is not the best part :) My spirits lifted with every room I walked into, but when I saw the bathroom I thought, "I'm in heaven". Never mind me in the mirror.... Do you see on the wall? There is soap! And paper towels too! I kid you not, this is the 1st time. A 5 star Albergue!

This Albergue seems to be off the grid a bit and there are only 6 people staying here. I met Sonja from Amsterdam during my second week of the Camino. We went to the tienta and bought some food to cook since there are no restaurants open here today. Pasta was quick and easy and also delicious!

I have figured out that based on my physical abilities I don't have enough days to walk all of the Camino. The most I am able to walk per day is about 25 km (and that's pushing it). There are many more hot days forecasted for the next week, so I might not even be able to do that. It's a Camino rule that one has to walk the last 100 km in order to receive the Compostela. I know that at some point in the next week I'll have to take a bus for a section in order to make it to Sarria by October 4th. I'm not too concerned about it and plan on having a beautiful last two weeks!

Day 21 - Leon to Villar de Mazarife - 24 km

Breakfast at the Parador was phenomenal. I ate as much as possible since I was paying way too much money for it, but ham and cheese and fish are not things I'd usually eat for breakfast. Neither were the pies and cakes and other pastries, but I didn't care; I just ate. I took the bus to outside the industrial area of the city. There were couple of paths to chose from today. One was along the roadway but I took the alternative path which involves walking on dirt roads in the countryside and through a couple of very small villages. There was no shade and it was quite warm, but the day was made more interesting by the group of Canadians I met from New Brunswick. They had walked from St. Jean to Leon last year, are back now, and started out in Leon this morning.

I don't have a lot to say about today. It was just walking, chatting with the Canadians, finding an Albergue, showering, washing my clothes and hanging them to dry (the usual drill). I suppose you could almost say it was a bit boring, but I prefer to think of it as peaceful. Tomorrow's walk is 31 km according to the guidebook, but I can't imagine that my body will be ok with that. After about 25 km it will be saying, "you're not serious!".

There are a lot more English people now. There were many who skipped the Meseta and are starting again at Leon. The church here in Mararife has a very old bell tower which chimes every half hour. Notice the stork nests at the top. I'm curious about those holes and wonder if it was used as a place of defense.

Dinner was served here at the Albergue and for dessert we had a Camino 'shell' crepe.

Day 20 - Mansilla to Leon - 19 km

Morning:
I am not in a good mood this morning! There was a lady in the bunk above me who snored so loudly she made the who bed vibrate. It was like a freight train going through the room all night. I used earplugs and even covered my head with my arm, but this sound would not stop. The room was very hot and smelly because the French ladies would not open the window. It was very early when the giant German guy turned on the light and proceeded to do about 100 push-ups. Tonight I'm getting a hotel!

Everyone kept telling me that I should get a bus into Leon. Apparently it is not a nice walk into the busy city. I started walking since it seemed silly to wait around Mansilla for a bus. Just yesterday I was discussing with someone how nice it was that Spain had not sold themselves out to that major fast food chain. Then, as I walked along the path, I saw garbage with golden arches on it. I was definitely getting closer to the big city. It was about 10 degrees and quite damp and I started getting a chill that went right through me. After walking 6 km I noticed a group of pilgrims waiting for the Leon bus. Nobody had to ask me twice.

The Parador in Leon. My home for tonight :) This was originally a monastery founded in the 12th Century to provide lodging for pilgrims. The current building was contracted in the 16th century for the friars and the monks. Religion and politics were pretty much one and the same back then. In this room they held meetings about serious matters and often assigned sentencing. There was also a room in the cellar called the coal room, where punishments were given. In the 17th century it was a prison and then taken over by the military during the Spanish Civil War. If the walls could talk!

Afternoon:
The 1st thing on the agenda for this afternoon was a nap! I really needed to catch up on sleep and besides, in Spain everyone sleeps in the afternoon. I then gave myself a tour of the city, including the Cathedral which is well known for it's stained glass. The funny thing about the Cathedral was there was one wedding booked after another, but the tourist kept going through the church and taking pictures, even during the weddings. There were so many weddings today that they were practically lined up outside and I saw brides everywhere.

While I was touring around the city I bumped into many pilgrims who I had spent time with in other towns. Eight of us met at the Cathedral at 7:00 and we found a restaurant in a little plaza. By 9:00 the streets were packed with people and there were traveling minstrels walking through the streets, entertaining the crowds. In this picture there's me, Laura, Mary, Morton, Declan, Joe, Peter, and Gay. Great night with good friends!

And below are Declan and Joe who didn't quite make it in the 1st picture. I bump into Declan everywhere I go pretty much and Joe is Mary's husband, from North Bay Ontario.

Day 19 - El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas - 21 km

I'm not sure what to say about today. I walked and then walked some more. Everyone in the Albergue where I'm staying is French. Right now I'm hanging out at the bar and showing Facebook pictures to the bar tender. He's showing me pictures of his kids. He's nice and gives me lots of free appetizers so maybe I won't need supper. His favourite musician is Michael Jackson and right now he's playing Adele. :)

This morning felt different somehow. It's hard to explain, but I was walking and felt like I'd broken through some kind of other pilgrim dimension. I don't think I've lost my mind, but I couldn't feel my backpack anymore and my legs were just moving. There was no effort (at least for the first 10 km). I thought, "maybe this is the thing they say happens after a couple of weeks". I have completed more than half of my journey. There are only 370 km until I arrive at Santiago. I think I can do it!

Here is another hobbit house in Reliegos where I stopped for lunch. By the way those little doorways in Moratinos in the hill are bodegas, or wine cellars. Keeping the wine underground keeps it at a perfect, stable temperature. I learned this from Moratinos resident and Camino Forum member Rebekah Scott. Hello Rebekah!

I've done my laundry and it's hanging to dry, so nothing to do now but relax and eat ! :)

Day 18 - Ledigos to El Burgo Ranero - 31 km

Today felt like a long time for some reason. When I think back on this morning it seems like last week. I left Ledigos at 7:30 a.m. and passed through Terradilos de Templarios about an hour later. On the road to Moratinos I passed by Rita who has been a Camino friend for many days. Rita is one of those people who I always meet wherever I go. We may not see each other for a day then, out of the blue, she will just be there. We spent a good chunk of the day together in Santo Domingo and here is a picture of us together at Boadilla del Camino. There is hardly a day that I have not bumped into Rita in some peculiar place. This morning when we met up she was quite ill but still walking. I was resting at Moratinos when Rita came by and said she needed a taxi because she was too sick to continue. I went to find one and accompanied her to the nearest emergency medical centre which was in Sahagun. We both thought that she would be waiting for hours so I went for a coffee and said I'd be back in half and hour. When I arrived back Rita had been seen and treated by the doctor and was sleeping in a chair waiting for me! We found a hotel for her to recuperate in for a couple of days.

First more on Moratinos. Being there was like being transported back in time and it reminded me of Lord of the Rings. There was a hill with miniature doors imbedded along the side. I haven't found out yet the history yet, but in think Gollum must have lived there. Many towns have homes with walls that are constructed of earth, but this one is particularly unique with it's blue window shutters. You can also see the straw from the farmer's fields. Moratinos is definitely on my list of magical places to be.

After saying my goodbyes to Rita I proceeded to walk. On my way out of Sahagun I ran into several people who I had met over the past couple of weeks. I realize that I'm never alone now. There are people at every turn who I have spent time with and often we don't even speak the same language, but we share the Camino language of a warm smile and "Buen Camino". I sat down to rest under a tree only 1 km out of town and shut my eyes for awhile. In the distance I could hear a strange kind of music which was getting louder and louder. All of a sudden I came to with a start to find that I had company! There was a French fellow passing by at that moment so I asked him to take a picture.

It was difficult walking in the sun once again today. I walked 18 km from Sahagun to El Burgos Ranero and was grateful to be joined by an Australian fellow named Peter for the last while since I was feeling as if I may keel over on the side of the road. When I arrived at El Burgo I was told over and over again that all the Albergues were full. As I stood at the side of the road not knowing quite what to do, a car pulled up. The driver got out and said, "Albergue"? He motioned for me to follow him and it turned out he was the owner of a private Albergue that wasn't full. Here is my home for tonight that I am sharing with a young fellow from Denmark.

After many laughs and great food at a local restaurant it is time for bed. :)

Day 17 - Carrion to Ledigos - 24 km

I ate a banana and some yogurt before leaving the Carrion monastery this morning. The guidebook warns that I'd be walking 18 km without any food available or even washrooms. I had a chunk of bread left over from grocery shopping yesterday so I threw it in my bag. The 1st 8 km was on a beautiful shaded path and since the air was cool the walking was quick and easy. A medic van drove slowly by us, asking if we needed help. This is the 1st time I've seen anything like this on any of the routes. There were 3 paramedics onboard and on of the pilgrims asked for help with his tendinitis. One of the guys called the problem in to a doctor (I'm assuming that's who he called) and they treated him.

The remainder of the 10 km looked pretty much like you see in this picture. At one point there was a guy in a trailer selling coffee and fruit. He was also playing loud music from American pop charts and it was a great bit of entertainment to break up the monotony. The rest of the time I found myself making rhythms with my walking poles to keep me in the groove.
I reached Calzadilla by noon, just as the sun was threatening to really spoil my fun. It was decision time for a lot of people at the little restaurant in the town. I sat under the awning drinking a Coke (yes I said Coke and nothing's ever tasted so good!) and looking out at the sun thinking, "I really don't want to stay here and I really don't want to leave". It was 6 km to the next town. A couple of fellows from Colorado told me about an alternative path where there were supposed to be some trees. Figuring if there's shade I can do this, I set out. There was no shade and in fact there were no other people or yellow arrows either and after about an hour I didn't even know if I was still on the Camino. I started thinking that the vultures would be circling soon and the wolves having me for dinner (are there wolves in Spain?) when I finally came to a road and back on the Camino path. From there it was 2 km into Ledigos.

The Albergue here is fairly typical. I've been to much nicer ones and worse ones too. The check-in process includes getting your pilgrim passport stamped and paying the fee for the night's stay. After that the 1st thing on the agenda is to claim a bed and preferably a bottom bunk. Theres me in the far corner by the window. I have a specially treated bedbug sheet which goes on before my sleeping bag and also a special bedbug pillow case. Bedbugs are to be taken seriously. I even shower with lavender soap because they don't like the smell apparently. Next comes doing the laundry which is washed by hand in a laundry tub. Even if you think, "I'll just lie down for an hour 1st", it's a bad idea because there's only so many sun hours left for drying time. There you have the agenda; day after day after day. I have one added activity of updating my blog, which doesn't always get published because there's no wireless, as is the case today. Another day on the Camino.

Day 16 - Boadilla to Carrion de Los Condes - 26 km

The 1st 6 km feels a whole lot different than the last 6 km! That is my only revelation for today. The morning was so beautiful. I was practically skipping down this path with the cool air and the mist over the Canal de Castilla. You can see in this picture just how picturesque it was.

I was walking with a fellow from Ireland and we were exchanging stories about the wonderful 'coincidences' we had experienced since starting the Camino. We both also had interesting experiences with certain people who had been put in our path along the way. We shared a feeling that we were supposed to learn something from individuals who we had run into again and again and again. It was quite the deep philosophical little discussion and then we arrived at Fromista about an hour later. We had a very nice surprise as we walked into town and saw the continuation of the canal!

I'm sorry to say that that's about where the enjoyable walk today ended. The rest of the 20 km to Carrion was along side a busy road with very few rest stops and no shade. My feet were aching and burning so badly that I was starting to worry. I'm staying at the Monistario San Zoilo tonight and just finished soaking my feet for about an hour. Here is the view from outside my window. This place doesn't serve breakfast until 8:30 and I'll have to be on the path about an hour earlier to take advantage of the cool air, so I've bought some yogurt and fruit from the supermercado. Sleep and maybe a little ibuprofen tonight will do wonders.

Day 15 - Castrojeriz to Boadilla del Camino - 20 km

Written sept 19th

I went downstairs to the restaurant at 7:30 this morning to meet Giancarlo for breakfast. He said, "Catherine I have bad news" and showed me his leg where tendinitis had flared up and made walking too painful. He would have to stay in Castrojeriz, get medical attention and probably rest for a few days. This was very disappointing for him and just the type of thing that can put an end to his Camino.

It had turned very cold over night and was only 4 degrees as I walked out of Castrojeriz this morning. I could see my breathe and kept switching poles between hands so that I could alternately warm my fingers in pockets. As I walked down the path I could see the view of the ascent I was about to make. It's funny how these climbs don't seem so daunting anymore and don't trigger the OMG! reaction. What you can't see in the picture above is that 2/3rds of the climb is after you reach the top of that hill. Here is a picture of a couple on a bicycle built for two and they are working very hard! I also passed a tomb stone and I'm sure the poor soul must have died of a heart attack.

At the top of the climb was an enterprising man who made espresso with a propane torch and offered a variety of fruit for hungry pilgrims. He asked for donation only but everyone was so grateful that he was there that I'd bet he does very well.

After about 9 km I came upon this magical Albergue called St. Nicholas that had only 8 beds. If it weren't so early I would have been tempted to stay. A couple of km past this was the town of Itero de la Vega where I enjoyed putting my feet up and eating a bocadilla con jamon y queso. Today I am feeling very good and as I walk I usually forget about my backpack; almost as if it's just another part of my body. The only thing that gets tired are my feet and of course as soon as the temperature starts to rise I start to get low on energy. Today's walk got challenging mid-afternoon since the high was about 26.

I walked 20 km today to a place called Boadilla del Camino. Some of these villages are so small and consist only of Albergues and restaurants, that I'm sure they would not be here at all if it were not for the Camino. The Albergue I'm staying at is called En El Camino and is almost resort-like! The water in that pool is like ice but a good place to soak sore feet. There is no wifi though so this will be posted tomorrow.

A few of us walked over to the 12th century cathedral where I was able to get this picture of the baptismal font. This cathedral I really like. It is very rustic and authentic and has a beautiful simplicity about it. Magical. We had an amazing dinner with 3 different soups and fish and creme de caramel for dessert. We were discussing at dinner if we thought we had lost any weight. Everyone agreed that they had lost inches off the middle and probably gained muscle. They also agreed that it was impossible to eat too much on the Camino. This is my kind of place!