Day 12, May 7, Cacabelos to Vega de Valcarce

Day 12, Saturday, May 7, Cacabelos (mile 362.7) to Vega de Valcarce (mile 379.7). Walked 17 miles -- maybe. (Hard to know, we took a slightly shorter alternate route in one part, then wandered off and got lost in another, but the official Camino distance per Riv's gps app is 17 miles. 

The diarrhea saga continues (Chris doesn't want to write about it, but River does and guess who does the typing?) After a visit to a local pharmacy in Villares (May 3, day 8) River got some large pads to masquerade as adult diapers for Chris. Of course Chris had so incident since, but River arrived after the long hike down the mountain to Molinaseca not only with muscles aching all over her body but also smelling like her pants were full of poop (which they were). Tired though she was, showering and washing out all her layers of clothes seemed imperative. After that she also donned the diaper-facsimile, with no incident since, except exhaustion, odd feelings of rapidly oscillating chills and fever (but only briefly after walks) and a precipitous decline in appetite that makes River (a usually voracious eater) barely recognize herself. Meanwhile Chris' appetite has recovered completely and for the first time in our marriage Chris can eat more than River can. 

Back to Day 12. Today we got lost for the first time although not seriously -- it may have cost us a kilometer or but it blessed us with some beautiful views of vineyards and sloping hills. Photo 1 shows the approach to our first rest stop where we met up probably for the last time with Sara and Christina our roommates in Cacabelos. 

We deliberately chose a less challenging road walk over a more scenic and demanding route, only to discover that it was a beautiful walk along a river (photo 3). 

We arrived at our albergue before 2pm. Some time during the morning Chris realized she might have left her credit cards back in Cacabelos. What had happened was that the day before she had mistakenly worn her waist pack outside her rain jacket and it, and its contents, got quite wet. So while the waist pack was drying she temporarily transferred its contents to a ziplock bag. Somehow in the dark as we were getting ready to leave this morning, when she was transferring all this back to the waist pack, the credit cards didn't make it. We are very lucky that two quite simple phone calls took care of it and we do have River's cards. 

We also discovered that River had left her sun hat behind a day earlier (she hadn't noticed it missing in the rain). Fortunately Chris has a sun hat she never wears that she is willing to loan to River.   

We have actually been very lucky this far with the rain. Yesterday a light all-day Orcas-style drizzle, today none at all. Tomorrow sounds a bit more dire but we plan to take our first really short day.  

Some of you may know that Chris' sister Hanna has just started on her third Camino, the one that runs along the Portuguese coast. Unfortunately, she'll be reaching Santiago later than we. If you would like to see her blog, go to 

http://www.hannawalks.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much for walking with us. 

Day 11, May 6 - Freud's Birthday! - Molinaseca to Cacabelos

Day 11, Friday, May 6, Happy Freud's Birthday, Molinseca (mile 348.9) to Cacabelos (mile 362.7). Walked 13.7 miles.  We traditionally celebrate Freud's birthday by reading aloud his essay on trasience. If you'd like to join us, here is a link:

http://www.freuds-requiem.com/transience.html

We stayed for breakfast and it was already raining when we began walking at about 7:30am. Photo 1 shows us with our rain gear protecting both our bodies and our backpacks. 

It rained all day, fortunately lightly but enough to get us very wet and to decide to stop before 1 pm. 

Figure 2 shows a stork's nest. We usually see this on church steeples but this is the first time we managed to get a mother and baby stork into the picture. 

Photo 3 attempts to show the colorful parade of pilgrims in rain gear. 

We were very happy to arrive at our albergue and hang up our very wet jackets, socks, backpack covers, etc. to dry. Photo 4 shows our room and our makeshift clothesline. 

Photo 5 shows the proprietor of our small albergue and the bar below it (with exceptionally good food). His English is excellent. His father from Spain and mother from Mexico met in London where he was born and raised until he was 15. Then they moved to Spain and his parents started this business which he has been running since they retired 24 years ago. A very warm and engaging young man (believe it or not, he has teenage children, 14 and 18. People keep looking younger to River). 

We are sharing our 4-bed albergue room with two young woman (22 and 26), one Danish and one German, whom we first met in Leon. 

River's been feeling too sick to write about how sick she's been feeling, but she's managed to enjoy the Camino anyway and this particular bar has excellent homemade chicken broth. 

Day 10, May 5, El Ganso to Molinaseca

Day 10, Thursday, May 5, El Gonso (mile 328.1) to Molinaseca (mile 348.9). Walked 20.8 miles. AND an extra mile to retrieve Riv's dropped mitten AND about 2000 feet up and then down. AND the steep downhill with loose rocks by far the most challenging trail tread so far.  

We set off in the dark and were treated to an exceptional sunrise (photo 1) reminding us that cloudy days can be the most beautiful at dawn and dusk. 

River has been watching the weather reports with real forboding seeing a week of rain predicted and knowing the mountains an be cold as well treacherous downhill terrain that really becomes dangerous when wet and muddy. Today the rain was predicted for afternoon if at all, and River was determined that we climb to the highest point on the Camino (almost 5000 ft) and make the descent before the serious rain started. 

In addition to being the most arduous day so far, it was also the most beautiful. Photo 2 shows the trail side shrubs in bloom -- Chris calls them pink, River calls them purple. 

Photos 2 and 3 show an amazing young  Brazilian man Enzo we met at our first rest stop. He is a fireman, and studying English and loves the chance to practice. I asked about his tattoos and he explained they were the gods. Not the gods of only one religion, but all the gods -- Hindu, Christian, indigenous. One was a painting by Blake. There were quotes from Dante and around his wrist words he could not quite translate that seemed to suggest "within the boundaries of any small part, the mystery of the whole is contained. "

Photos 3 and 4 show Enzo taking great pride in his very meaningful tattoos. 

We loved the snow-covered mountains on the distance ( which the iPhone cannot do justice to, but if you make then bigger, you may see the mountains). Photo 4 shows the view from near the summit, photo 5 shows white blossoms in the foreground, snow-covered mountains in the back. 

It's hard to communicate the precarious terrain,very steep trail and loose rocks. Photos 7 and 8 were best we could do. 

We stopped for a very brief rest at a stand that was a bit reminiscent of David (not free, though). River noticed the young man and woman who run it leaning into one another with very tender love and they saw her noticing and smiled. This led to their taking our photo and our taking theirs (photos 9 and 10). After we told them we were a married couple together more than 30 years, the young man said "We have history too. " He walked the Camino in 2008 and then worked as a hospitalero (volunteer) at an alburgue, and one day this beautiful young woman walked in. The rest is history. 

We made it to Molinaseca before the rain began, a challenging day but well worth it. 

Day 9, May 4, Villares de Orbigo to Rl Gonzo

Day 9, Wednesday, May 4, Villares de Orbigo ( mile 311 ) to El Ganso (mile 328.1). Walked 17.1 miles. 

We stayed for breakfast as we had said we would, so didn't set out until 7:30am. We were delighted when we came to the top of the hill that David was still there with his wonderful caravan of free food. He now has a girlfriend (met on the Camino), extensive gardens and seems very happy. This is his 7th year there. Photo one shows his caravan. 

We had at one time fantasizes taking a rest day on Astorga.  Instead we sped through stopping only long enough to buy two pairs of socks.  

The day was really just walking, which is what we are here to do and what we are loving. 

Photo 2 shows the approach to El Gonzo. 

We got ourselves settled on two bottom bunks at some distance from each other,and then River spied a double bed tucked into a secret corner under the stairs. We asked if we could change and the alburgue owner seemed as pleased as we were and said "si" on a wonderful tone of voice I hear a lot here that seems to convey "yes of course, how wonderful" in one little syllable. Photo 3 shows our little magical honeymoon bed as we got ready to leave in the morning. 

Day 8, May 3, Leon to Villares de Obigo

Day 8, Tuesday May 4, Leon (mile 287.1) to La Virgen de last Camino (mile 292) via bus and then by foot to Villares de Obigo (mile 311). Walked 19 miles. 

We started with a bus ride that saved us 5 miles on hard pavement, following the good advice of River's healer from 2012.  Our plan was to catch the first bus st 6:15am. We allowed a full half hour to make our way in the dark, only to find that we were locked into our very Catholic alburgue (in a Benedictine monastery) and that the door officially opened at 6:30. There we stood in the dark with 45 minutes to wait. Luckily the priest showed up at 6am and after a moment's hesitation unlocked the door for us. Amazing flexibility actually for an organization that has survived by rigid adherence to hierarchy and tradition. We sped to the bus stop and caught our bus. 

Then began a lovely walk through the countryside. Photo 2 shows the predawn crescent moon. 

Photo 2 shows one of many gloriously bright yellow fields of mustard. 

Photo 3 shows a place we found a relatively discrete pee among the otherwise level fields. 

And photo 4 shows frogs floating in a ditch. They were making an incredible racket and when she saw th floating there River couldn't thinking of her recent journey through Dante's Inferno where in one of the circles (maybe the fourth, the materialists) where the souls float in hot pitch like frogs and the demons harass them. 

Chris had her heart set on making it all the way to Villares de Orbigo, her favorite alburgue from our 2012 walk. It was a stretch but we did make it.  To her disappointment the beautiful young couple that had run the alburgue back then had sold it to a middle-aged Belgian woman. Transience, as Freud tells us, is an inescapable part of human life. As it turned out however the alburgue was still very special.  We enjoyed the communal evening meal and her excellent home cooking quite different from the usual meals. Leek soup and quiche and salad for dinner and apfelkuchen for dessert (though she made a special gluten free baked apple on a traditional Belgian way that her grandmother had used, using coffee and brown sugar -- it was superb.)

So we decided to stay for breakfast which meant fresh homemade whole milk yogurt which River loved, homemade jam, real butter, good toast and coffee -- and that we didn't leave the alburgue that day until the scandalously late hour of 7:30. 

Day 7, May 2, Reliegos to Leon

Day 7, Monday May 2, Reliegos (mile 272) to Leon (mile 287.1). Walked 15.1 miles (for any number obsessives like River, we passed our 100 mile mark at 7:30 at our first rest stop.)

We got up early as usual. The morning tiptoeing around trying not to wake other pilgrims in the shared alburgue room reminded River of being a teenager sneaking out without waking the parents. Both of us felt quite a bit better, and River's injured foot was able to walk the full 15 miles (a very auspiicious sign). She discovered that walking while listening to music reduced stress on the foot, probably because she dances a little and it makes her gait and footing more varied and playful. Taking exactly the same steps again and again creates repetitive motion stress injury. 

River was worried that if she listened to music Chris might feel abandoned. As it turned out, Chris was relieved to have time to sink into reverie with no talking from River. It sure helps to communicate. 

Photo 1 shows some of the parallel planted trees River admires, in the early morning light. 

At our first rest stop Chris asked River how long she wanted to stay. River said 30 minutes. They stayed 30 minutes. A miracle of clear communication. At our second rest stop, the miracle repeated itself. (And the orange juice, fried eggs, potatoes, and chorizo were good too. )

Photo 2 shows our approach to the small village where we enjoyed our second rest stop. If you look closely you will see cows in the field to the right. All morning especially in the dark when we are really aware of smells Chris kept asking "There's all this manure - but where are the cows?" So River was very pleased to point out the cows who must be the source of the manure whose fragrance we had been walking through all morning. 

We arrived at Leon a little after noon and got settled in at our albergue in an old monastery. We showered, washed and hung up our laundry, and found a sunny table in the Santa Maria square opposite our monastery wehrre we had beers and a very good lunch. Then we strolled around the city, visiting the Gaudi bank building we both love. Photo 3 shows the sculpture of St. George killing the dragon (above the door), which has more impact after being in Catalonia,  Gaudi's home, for the celebration of St. George's day. I love that the custom of giving roses on St. George's Day begins when St. George slays the dragon to rescue the damsel in distress. The blood of the dragon becomes a red rose that he hands to her. So lovers are metaphorically skating dragons for their beloveds every time they hand them a rose. But why over a bank door? Maybe Gaudi wants to suggest that our deeds in the mundane world of economics can be motivated by love and therefore be as romantic as St. George slaying the dragon. 

Here's Chris hanging out with the Gaudi sculpture on the bench facing the building (photo 4). There was a charming young couple there at the same time -- the man was an architect and posed leaning into Gaudi and pointing at his sketch pad. "I'm  telling him everything that's wrong with his blueprint," he said. 

And in photo 4 River (who has been strolling around lovely Leon hoping to find a camping store where we could each get an extra pair of socks-- in preparation for the predicted week or more of continuous rainy weather starting Thursday or Friday, we thought an extra pair of dry socks would do no harm) approaching Chris on the Gaudi bench. 

River found the camping store but like most other stores it was closed because May 1 (which appears to be both Mother's Day and Labor Day) having fallen on a Sunday, Monday was a national holiday. 

We spent the evening sitting at a sidewalk cafe on the walking street that extends from the Gaudi bank building to the Carhedral. We loved watching people -- mostly locals we think -- strolling, bicycling, roller skating, walking dogs, pushing baby carriages, many of them quite dressed up for the holiday. 

Enough for May 2.  

Day 6, May 1, Sahagun to Reliegos

Day 6, May 1, Sahagun (mile 253.2) to Reliegos (mile 272). Walked 18.8 miles. 

Chris was lots better this morning and we woke up early naturally and still were on our way by 6am.  It's been cold every morning and our packs are light because we are wearing everything -- puffy jackets, fleece top and pants, mittens, wool beanies. This morning there was even frost. So we very happy as the sun gradually rose and began very slowly to warm up the day. The transition from cold to warm is in its way as moving as the transition from dark to light. 

At our first rest stop we met a young man named Corey from Sometset England who is the first we have met who regularly likes to start walking in the dark and watch the day dawn. He lit up so radiantly when he talked about walking through dawn I had to take his picture (photo 1). 

We cut our rest stop short because we were looking forward to fresh orange juice and a Spanish tortilla (a delicious version of an egg, potato and onion frittata) and a longer rest an hour and a half later.  We were, however, fearful that nothing might be open given that is Sunday and we were told it was some kind of important festival day (saint's day and/or Mother's Day). 

So we were pleased to see two small bars but Chris was really hoping for one with outside tables in the sun. River who was nursing a hopefully temporary foot pain and possible injury just wanted to sit down, but we walked on and left the Camino in search of a place in the sun. We found a small store with a sunny plaza and benches, but it didn't have tortillas. It occurred to River we might settle for fresh oranges in the sun but it didn't occur to her to suggest this to Chris, who hadn't actually noticed the oranges. Chris suggested we go back to one of the open bars and River turned into a little donkey and dig in her hooves and said "I don't like to go back." So we went forward but alas there were no more bars and we found ourselves  at the far end of town with no rest, no orange juice, no tortilla. 

Some miles later we stopped at a rest stop with benches in the sun, beside a stream and trees just beginning to bud. Chris sat in the sun and closed her eyes. River lay on the ground and put her feet up against a tree. Photos 2,3 and 4 hope to show how peaceful that hour was. 

We reached Reliegos before 2 pm and decided to stay in a private (and for an alburgue, upscale, 9 eu per bed instead of 5, no upper bunks, only 6 beds per room) and finally we got our fresh squeezed orange juice and our tortilla and a table in the sun. 

We napped and showered and wrote this blog, scouted our morning route, and found a store for a little cheese and fruit for breakfast. Now we are almost ready to go downstairs for our evening meal. Tomorrow, Leon, a city we both remember with great affection (In 2012, River found a healer there who was able to get her back on the Camino after riding taxis in daily chunks the whole distance from Burgos to Leon with other wounded pilgrims because of shin splints. It's also where River saw her first Gaudi and first fell in love.) It will also complete our first week on the Camino this year. 

Thank you as always for walking with us.