Day 5, April 30, Calzadilla de las Cuesa to Sahagun

Day 5, April 30, Calzadilla de la Cuesa (mile 239.8) to Sahagun (mile 253.2). Walked 13.4 miles. 

Although we agreed not to set an alarm but to sleep as late as we wanted and wake up naturally, River woke up at 4 am rarin' to go. Near 5 am Chris got up to go to the toilet and seemed distressed. River asked "Are you alright?" And Chris said "Not really. " She had been up every hour since midnight with diarrhea much more drastic than River's (which River had thought was fairly severe), and had had to wash out her underwear and even her fleece long pants repeatedly because she couldn't make it to the toilet on time. You get the picture. But she was miserable enough in bed that walking seemed to her preferable, so we agreed to get up. 

In spite of Chris' being quite sick and River quite worried, it was another beautiful morning. Photo 1 shows as arrow pointing the way along the Camino in the beautiful morning sunlight. 

And we were lucky. Although the first town where we hoped to find a bar/cafe had none, we found an alburgue with an open door and just went in and used the toilet (in the nick of time for both these two leaky peregrinas). Chris had no appetite and ate nothing and, perhaps because of that, the diarrhea subsided at least for the rest of the morning. 

The next town had no bar either, but the third town had a very nice one where we got coffee and orange juice and a chocolate croissant for Chris (which it turned out she had no appetite for, so that River decided to experiment to see if European wheat might not trigger her sensitivities, and ate it herself). 

Across the way from the bar were some tiny houses built into a hillside with chimneys rising out of the hilltop. They were utterly charming and we read that they were left from ancient Roman times, and had been built as storage houses for food and wine. Here's a glimpse of one in Photo 2. 

We hiked a much shorter day today and arrived in Sahagun by 11:15.  Chris went promptly to bed for a long nap and River showered, washed clothes and hung then up to dry. 

When Chris woke we wandered around Sahugun and scouted the way out of town so we can find it tomorrow in the dark. With a lot of help from other pilgrims, we located a small store and bought Riv's now standard banana and yogurt for breakfast. (We find it strange this is only day 5. It feels as if we have been doing this forever). Among those who directed us to the store were a lovely young family with two red-headed children probably around 9 and 11, who at stayed at the same alburgue we did last night in Calzadilla de la Cuesa. We ended up sitting down at s table near them and learned they were from Holland and had been walking the Camino during their vacations since 2014. This year they hope to walk from Fromista to Ponteferrada, having done the Camino from St Jean Pied a Port to Fromista in their fist two sections. Somehow we got to talking about my experience on the PCT and the whole family got very excited about the possibility of hiking a wilderness trail together. We both wished we had taken their photo. 

Then we returned to our albergue, one we chose because our guidebook described it as a "gracious, imaginatively furnished private refuge in a comfy extravagant building style. "

So here is what we saw whe n we arrived (photo 3)

Chris wants to add a photo from the row of sculptures to the far left of the photo above, which are labeled Camino mistico, Camino Interior, Camino de Fraternidad and Camino de Sabiduria. So here is photo 4

And River wanted to include this old probably Roman bridge we saw on our stroll around town as Photo 5

River got curious what "viatoris" -- the name of our albergue -- meant and found a short piece on the internet that she wanted to add to our blog. It's at 

https://mindyourmaker.wordpress.com/2007/05/23/to-be-a-pilgrim-status-viatoris/

She also wanted to share a poem she wrote a couple days ago and revised today:

***

May I Have This Dance?

It all began along the Camino:

a mural I saw

of a tall man reaching out 

as if inviting a woman to dance

and she lifting her arm and

placing her own hand so delicately down 

upon the palm-up offering of his,

so one could almost feel the gracefulness

with which they would start to dance,

the strong gentle clasp

of his hand at her waist

and the way his other hand would allow 

her to twirl freely yet also  

would lead her along. 

Then something about the round white 

shape of his face made me think "Death,"

which was when I knew I wanted to go back

to photograph the mural, but didn't,

deciding instead to make up this poem 

              which was when the mural

began to transform and the man did become

Death, a tall lean skeleton on an elegant staircase 

spiraling down from the stars. 

I knew then how their dance would

end, how she who had become stiff, aching, old 

would have now become young

and how Death would descend all the way

down to the ground, his bare bone feet touching

the earth itself after she'd placed 

her warm flesh and blood palm

onto the cold bone of his hand

                                        (because 

this would be Death she was dancing with,

however gently he might linger awhile on earth,

leading her, twirling her, until she too

could hear the music he listened to, and

how gracefully then he would begin

to dance up those spiral stairs again,

up, up, up, and around and around and around,

until she and he both would have danced

at last to a place where they

and those stairs along with them

dissolved

***

Tomorrow we choose between a very short day (11 miles) and another long one (20 miles). Based on our history so far one would predict the latter. Also our beautiful young family from Holland plans to walk that far and we might get a chance to photograph them. 

Thanks as always for walking with us. Your comments or emails are very welcome and contribute more than you can know to our Camino. 

Day 3, April 28, Castrojeriz to Poblacion de Campo

Day 3, April 28, Castrojeriz (mile 201.4) to Poblacion Del Campo (mile 219). Walked 17.6. 

We've been wondering which ones of you somehow "knew" that we'd end up making the more challenging choice, despite all our words of wisdom and caution. We did indeed walk the longer distance (though it turns out to have been 17-1/2 miles, and not the 18-1/2 we thought it was. )

We started walking at 6am again, after coffee and breakfast (bread from the Albergue plus salami and cheese we found at a supermarket for Chrissy, yogurt and banana from the market for Rivy). There was a steep climb early in the day's walk and we enjoyed looking back at the lights of the village from the crest. Photo 1 doesn't give you the feeling of looking down on those lights but it's the best we could do. 

 

Again we loved watching the gradual changes from dark into light. Although the sunrise was behind us, even the western sky before us was touched by "rosy fingered dawn." Photo 2 shows the rose-colored canopy that stretched out over our heads to welcome us. 

Though of course looking back at Dawn herself was more dramatic as in photo 3. 

Though Chris might get a little bored of being asked her age and being celebrated as if being 85 were her major life accomplishment, it is fun to have the world around us join the celebration. So when the still slightly pink clouds formed themselves into two fish to honor her Pisces birthday we had to snap a photo. (Photo 4). 

We thought the trees at the crest of this hill made a lovely design in front of the morning sky. (Photo 5)

At the day's first rest stop, we shared a lovely zumo naranjo natural (fresh squeezed orange juice), some of which River managed to spill across our table. We were frantically blotting it up with napkins when the man at the bar came over and cleaned it up. River said  "Como se dice 'mess' en Espanol?" "no pasa nada (nothing happened, idiom for 'its OK don't worry about it') he said.  It reminds her of the Spanish response to gracias/thank you: de nada/for nothing. 

River is struck again and again by the culture of kindness along the Camino. She finds herself in "kindness shock." 

Here's River letting her feet rest from all their hard work after our first couple of hours. (Photo 6)

For our third stop of the day where Chrissy found her always sought after table in the sun we shared a beer and a salad (we love the simple mixed salad here, somewhat variable, but in this case lettuce, tomato, boiled eggs, tuna, and white asparagus.) This is the day we started to notice more interest in other pilgrims, for example the Italian couple just as we were leaving the first rest stop, who showed us photos from the 13th century Church of St Nicolas which was restored by Italians and is run by Italian hospitaleros as a 13-bed albergue. The photos showed the beautiful interior and the group meal at a long table. They pointed out the dinner by candlelight (no electricity in the church). The man so delighted in their rare experience. "Bella" he said, kissing his fingers in that sensual Italian way. 

We arrived finally in Poblacion and at first had the entire private albergue all to ourselves. Later in the day four Korean young men joined us.  Riv couldn't find the clothesline at first, so she stretched our little portable line across this bit of child's play equipment. You can see what was practically our own private albergue in the background. 

We had dinner at the neighboring hotel (that also operates the albergue) at a long table with people from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Most of the conversation was in German, which somewhat left out both River and the only woman (other than ourselves) who seemed to speak only schweizer-Deutch. But Chris really enjoyed the surprising fluidity with which she engaged in what is after all her first language.  

That's it for day 3. Now will the heroic urge win out again, so that our two heroes walk 20-1/2 miles to Casadilla de la Cuesa, or will they make the sensible choice and follow this long day with a short one (10 miles to Carrion de los Condes) and a nice long rest?

Day 4, April 29, Poblacion to Calzadilla de la Cuesa

Day 4, April 29, Poblacion (219) to Calzadilla de la Cuesa (239.7). Walked 20.7 miles. 

We are once again curious how many of you guessed that we would make the greedy heroic choice (it is fascinating how seductive a choice it is) over the restrained rational one.  For those who find it hard to understand, we can only explain that there is a strange and addictive happiness in walking, and that staying too long in one place can make us feel bored and restless. Leaving again in predawn darkness, we arrived at Carrion by 10 am. We just weren't ready to end our day's walk.  

Alas, there were no alternatives but to go 10-1/2 miles further, and it may have been an unwise choice. But how much more satisfying to arrive at 3:30pm and fall onto the bed for a long delayed and intensely desired nap. 

Chris developed a back ache which we can only hope, as we hope for River's dramatic diarrhea, will prove temporary. Chris wants to add this is an all too familiar ache that usually heals quickly. She was profoundly grateful that "Trail Mommy" River transferred about half of the contents of Chris's backpack into her own. River, who always wanted to be a mommy but never got to be one, was pleased with herself for following Chris' mother's motto "See what needs doing" and for realizing that Chris' backpack needed lightening. Such opportunities for mommy-like care seem obvious (like, duh) once they are noticed, yet they are so so easily overlooked. 

Speaking of trail mommies, we delight in how we switch roles so fluidly on this Camino, sometimes one leading, sometimes the other. Sometimes one impatient, sometimes the other. Our friend Joanie Murphy sent a poem that really speaks beautifully to the subject of impatience and shifting roles:

Hurry

 

We stop at the dry cleaners and the grocery store

and the gas station and the green market and

Hurry up honey, I say, hurry,

as she runs along two or three steps behind me

her blue jacket unzipped and her socks rolled down.

 

Where do I want her to hurry to? To her grave?

To mine? Where one day she might stand all grown?

Today, when all the errands are finally done, I say to her,

Honey I'm sorry I keep saying Hurry--

you walk ahead of me. You be the mother.

 

And, Hurry up, she says, over her shoulder, looking

back at me, laughing. Hurry up now darling, she says,

hurry, hurry, taking the house keys from my hands. 

    Marie Howe 

    from The Kingdom of Ordinary Time

     W.W. Norton, 2008

Photo 1 - Leaving Carrion on our fool/hero adventure, we crossed over this lovely old bridge. 

Photo 2 the parallel lines of trees we find so orderly and comforting

Photo 3 is when we stepped over the rise and saw that the long-awaited and seemingly mythical village of Calzadilla, our destination, really existed and was near. 

Photo 4 shows the lovely very new municipal alburgue with its white bunk beds so different from the bright colors at Hornillos but so peaceful and calming and right for us after this long exhausting walk. 

Look closely and you will see Chris napping under a blue comforter. 

Day 2, April 27, Hornillos to Castrojeriz

Hornillos (mile 189) to Castrojeriz (mile 201.4). 

We set our iPhone alarm for 5:20am this morning when the lovely "hospitalero" (volunteer) agreed to make breakfast for us early so we could start walking at 6am and walk through the darkness to dawn transition we have come to love. We had the Camino totally to ourselves for 2 1/2 hours. Then we walked over a crest and saw a small village (photo 1, with our long morning shadows stretched out on the Camini) where we found a cafe with both coffee and wifi, posted yesterday's blog and caught up on our emails.  

In the second half of our walk we shared the Camino with a half dozen other pilgrims and quite a few bicyclists. At one point we were surprised to come upon the ruins of a medieval convent (photo 2), which we later learned was a monastery that provided care for pilgrims with leprosy. The tradition of caring for sick pilgrims is an ancient as the pilgrimage itself (many pilgrims came to seek miraculous healing,which River could use right now after two days of severe diarrhea--too much information?)

We arrived in Castrojeriz before 11:30. It's very hard for Chris to limit our walking to only 12 or 13 miles and be done so early. But she knows (or at least River insists) that it's the wise thing to do at the beginning of our Camino -- to build strength gradually and avoid injury. Nevertheless we find ourselves very attracted to fantasies of more heroic and challenging days ahead. We love the albergue here (photo 3 gives a hint of the colorful sheets and walls) and thoroughly relished our hot showers and change into fresh clean clothes and a nap. We also appreciated a machine that spins the water out of our hand-laundered clothes before we hang them on the line. 

By 2pm we were really hungry so we set out looking for lunch. Chris barely survived the heartbreak of not being able to find a place with tables in the sun (this time River was impatient to sit at a table anywhere at all as long as it had food. ). We ended up at a fairly elegant restaurant and had what turned out to be our meal of the day. Photo 4 shows a very happy River knowing that lunch is not far away. 

So far to our surprise we have not had any energy at all to connect with the other pilgrims (in our last Camino, as we expect will eventually be the case in this one, other pilgrims were a major part of the joy and mystery of pilgrimage). We expect it is because we had so much social contact in Barcelona (and River would add before that in Orcas, and Del Mar) that we got thoroughly sated with contact with wonderful people. 

River teases Chris that this is really a celebration of being 85 because everywhere we go people ask how old she is and then get very very excited to hear she is 85 and walking the Camino. So we never forget for very long what we are celebrating!

Tomorrow we hope to walk to Fromista, about 15 miles ahead. (We have somehow managed to rein in our fantasy which would involve 18.5 miles tomorrow and 21 miles the next day). And now, to bed!

Thanks for walking with us, and love. 

Day 1, April 26, Burgos to Hornillos

Day 1, from Burgos bus station (approx mile 176, for the Camino Frances beginning at St. Jean Pied a Port) to Hornillos (mile 189). 13 miles. 

Our all-night bus arrived at just after 4 am. It was an easy and comfortable ride. Chris slept quite a bit, River was wide awake but calm and content with her all-night vigil. We sat in the two front seats just behind the driver and had wonderful panoramic views of the sunset, which led to reflections on this as a pilgrimage with dawn at our back and walking into the sunset. This resonated with Gaudi's immense Sagrada Familia cathedral with the east entrance (sunrise) devoted to the nativity and all beginnings, with the west entrance (sunset) devoted to the "passion" and death, suffering and endings. Although that makes it all sound rather dark and somber, and it doesn't feel that way at all. 

We were disappointed not to find any hot breakfast or coffee at the bus station. After reorganizing our backpacks, locating our headlamps, and dressing for the cold, we set out walking at 5 am, Chris navigating by paper map and River by her gps app. It was very dark and an almost full moon.  Finding the Camino was our first challenge. We were deleriously happy to find our first scallop shell marking the Camino, so much so that we must include as our first photo this very dark photo of Chris standing beside that first marker. 

Our attachment to the Camino continued to be insecure for some time as we played lost and found in the dark, always thrilled to find a yellow arrow or a scallop shell. So our second picture is a yellow arrow and shell also in the predawn dark. 

It didn't really get light until 7am and we didn't find breakfast until almost 8am. You can imagine how impatient Chris was with River as she repeatedly stopped to try to photograph the beautiful dawn sky and landscape. Photo 3 shows how gorgeous landscape, morning sky and moon were. Only the goldfinches perched in the dawn light are missing. 

And you can also imagine how impatient Chrissy was as River insisted on dawdling and dawdling and dawdling over breakfast. Why, we must have spent almost 30 minutes. Nevertheless,before 11am we had reached the village of Hornillos (our first destination) and were sitting in the sun in our t-shirts having progressively peeled off mittens, wool hats, jackets, fleece top. Photo 4 shows  Chrissy home at last in the sun. 

It turns out that both the wifi and dining possibilities in Hornillos are quite limited. And the church that we remembered so fondly (especially two German women singing sacred German music a Capella in a deeply moving way in that exquisite acoustic space) is now closed for the installation of electricity and "megafone."

Which is just to say, you never walk the same Camino twice -- and, its all part of the Camino. 

After much search, and having been assured there was no food store ("mercado") in the village, we actually found a tiny food store ("alimentacion") and put together a perfect lunch (including the first San Miguel of our Camino) which we ate in the sun, and then attended to our most important project--a nap. 

If you'd read this far, congratulations, and thank you for walking with us. Enjoy the nap!

Buen Camino. 

Ps.  We actually had a very pleasant dinner followed by a stroll through the small village. Probably this village would not exist without the Camino that supports three albergues (pilgrim hostels) and a Restaurante. Photos 5 and 6 and 7  reflect our appreciation for the simplicity and age of the village.  

Day 0, photos 3 and 4

 

   

Day 0, 3rd try to upload photos

Camino Day 0, April 25, Barcelona to Burgos.

Tonight we will ride a night bus (7:30pm - 4am) from Barcelona to Burgos. Then we hope we will find something open (perhaps in the bus station?) so we can have breakfast before beginning our Camino.

The predicted temperature is 36 deg F when we begin, so it will be cold (though fortunately no rain predicted). We are glad Chris' sister Hanna, who has walked different paths of the Camino in 2014, 2015 and again this year, urged us to bring warmer clothes than we did for our 2012 Camino. We are glad we will have our puffy jackets, mittens and wool beanies as we start out. 

Barcelona has been a hard time for River. The sheer density of people has made it tiring and uncomfortable so that she has not felt fully present or able to fully see and enjoy the beauty. Despite that there have been plenty of sweet joyful moments including a Fri night birthday dinner with friends Miles and Alan (photo 1- Chris kissing her friend Miles on his birthday, they've been friends since 1980)

Also a Saturday night birthday party with Miles and Alan and Sabine and Agnes (who surprised us with a German candle ring that brought rich memories of Chris' early childhood), and sparklers. 

We visited several buildings designed by Gaudi. Photo 2 shows Sabine and Agnes at Park Guell. 

In photo 3 Sabine Agnes and Chris at our goodbye for now/hasta luega lunch.  

And in photo 4 Chris and River at the fountain with fish and scallop shell that made us think of course of the signature scallop shell of the Camino. 

April 9, 2016 - Preparing for our Camino

This is a practice blog to get us used to the new blog and give our readers a chance to find their way here and decide if they want to be on our notification list.

Chris and I have been training 2 or 3 times a week, 8 to 10 miles a day, carrying about 10 pounds (Chris) and 15 pounds (River). But yesterday we went over our lists and repacked our backpacks only to discover that Chris's weighed in at almost 12 pounds and River's over 17. We haven't been training at those weights and they felt dauntingly heavy -- and we only have 4 or 5 more training opportunities before our departure April 20.

So...we started ruthlessly going through our packs. Chris gave up quite a few things that she really wanted to take (like nail scissors, nail clippers, and half of her suntan lotion) and River replaced her fleece pants and top with very lightweight merino wool long underwear. But that only gave us a few ounces. River reluctantly decided to leave her beloved 12 oz battery recharger for her iphone behind. Then we went to the internet. River ordered some sandals that are half the weight of her hefty (2 pounds+) Chacos. We ordered a much lighter pack (about 1 1/2 pounds compared to almost 3 1/2 pounds) that we think will work for Chris. River decided to swap her convertible pants for a second hiking skirt (stay tuned for more about wearing skirts "commando" style -- no undies -- for relatively discrete peeing when toilets are not available!) saving at least another 5 oz.

Today we hiked our first "flat" training hike (barely 1200 ft gained and lost in a 8 1/2 mile hike, unheard of in our Moran Park) with lightened packs based on our hoped for internet shopping outcomes, and had a great time.

We were almost ready to give up the whole walk, now we are full of hope again. The Camino may be flatter than the Pacific Crest Trail, but our moods go up and down just as dramatically.