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Apr – Jun 2023

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  • Landry caminoCaminoTraveler

    Day 24. El Burgo Romero

    May 22, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Today was a transfer day, where I started at a hotel, walked the designated distance -18 km - then got driven back to the same hotel I started from. Tomorrow morning, a taxi will return me to the place I reached yesterday, where I will continue on. There are few places with accommodations between here and Leon, the next big urban centre.
    Today‘s journey was largely flat, nondescript; the biggest feature were the groves of poplar trees along the way.
    I met Philippe , from Montreal, who did find the passport he had left behind at the auberge. Philippe is getting run down from carrying a backpack weighing close to 30 lbs. Mine weighs about 10 lbs. He suffers from sleep apnea, so carries a 10-lb portable device to deal with it. He has decided to ship the device ahead to the auberges he has booked before he gets there. Also, I found out that the German girl who lost her mother last year, will be continuing. Tomorrow, she plans to take a taxi to Leon, where she had planned on spending two rest days, then continue on to Santiago.
    Many people with injuries, and on a flexible schedule, slow their pace, while others on more definite schedules walk as far as they can, filling in the gaps with taxi rides.
    I picked up my Halfway Certificate in Sahagun when I returned this afternoon.
    I do meet many pilgrims older than I am, some considerably older - if that’s possible - journeying by themselves, with backpacks weighing 20 lbs or so. They all walk at a slow pace, that invites a deepening of the experience. I enjoy my chats with them as they convey a sense of peace and purpose.
    I am looking forward to connecting with Cathy in two days. What has, up to now been My Camino, will become Our Camino.    Read more

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    Day 25. Mansilla de Las Mulas

    May 23, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    There was a bit of a spiritual revelation on this morning’s walk. I had pretty well given up on trying to phone home in Yellowknife. I had tried using the 00 access code, then I used eSim called Airolo, then I was assigned another number using a Spanish SIM card that I could not get to work, so resigned myself to life without phoning. But all that changed on this morning’s walk. After putting my phone back in my pocket, I suddenly hear Cathy whisper “Gerard.” At first, I thought it was an angel, then realizing it came from my pocket, I pulled out my phone recognizing we had inadvertently connected through FaceTime. I don’t know how that happened; some may attribute it to divine intervention, especially when it happens on the Camino. We did have a good chat, despite the 1:30 am Yellowknife time. If it was a spiritual force, there was likely something Catholic about it because Cathy was able to see me while I was walking, but I was unable to see her in bed.
    I’m not a big fan of these transfers. I had finished breakfast by 7:30, ready to get going, but had to wait for the shuttle to take me back to the place I reached yesterday. The vehicle did not show up until 9:00, and driving 130 kms/hour got me there 10 minutes later. A 19 km walk today in cloudy, windy conditions, but I did connect with a few friends. Much of the path was lined with trees, but a British lady clarified that the poplar trees I saw yesterday were actually London plane trees, further describing how they are trimmed, creating knobs, “pollarding” them. She was a wealth of knowledge, especially relating to plants and vegetation.
    I’ve included some photos of my hotel room, restaurant, and entrance along with shots of the villages we went through today. A lot of open farm land, no houses, and few places to get water. As we approach Leon, I see mountains in the distance; we’ll be climbing again soon.    Read more

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    Day 26. Leon

    May 24, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    This is the day that Cathy and I reconnect. After a 7:30 am breakfast, I set out with Francesco, who I had arranged to meet at 8:00 am and his friend, Luis Miguel. Francesco, the agronomist from Chile who I met on and off for the past week, linked up with Luis Miguel, from Palentia, a province in Spain. Francesco, who speaks very good English, translated Spanish to English for me, while Luis Miguel only spoke Spanish. We set off from Mansilla de Las Mulas together headed for Leon. I had expected Leon to be a city of 1.2 million people, but Luis Miguel clarified that it was actually a city of 120 000 people, smaller than Burgos.
    I’ve felt that while here in Spain a responsibility to act as an ambassador for Yellowknife. Even in Canada, when I mention that I’m from Yellowknife, many people immediately have visions of cold weather, but many are attracted to its openness and adventure. My sense was that Francesco and Luis Miguel were intrigued with Yellowknife, eager to know more about it, and when we met a couple of fellow Canadians from Kelowna and Prince George, raving about Yellowknife, they were intrigued even further. Francesco had even done some research on Yellowknife. However, all the pride I felt about Yellowknife was abruptly squashed when we met Eduardo. a Spanish engineer who had worked on the Deb Cho bridge in Fort Providence, 14 years ago. His memories of working in the North were not endearing. He was there in the hips of winter: -35 degrees with strong winds, they were working “on the ugliest bridge I’ve ever worked on,” the wind chills were unbearable. Everything I had done to praise and promote Yellowknife in the past 7 days, evaporated in 3 minutes. Then, when I mentioned it was nice during summer months, he rebutted with horrifying stories about mosquitoes, followed by encounters with largest, fiercest horseflies known to man. Whe Eduardo was finished talking about his northern Canada experience both Francesco and Luis Miguel admitted that their desire to visit Yellowknife had waned and would likely be limited to Google.
    Today’s 22 km walk brought us into Leon mostly following a path that ran parallel to a busy highway. Cathy arrived at the bus station at 6:45 on and it feels great to be back together. Tonight, Francesco, Luis Miguel, Cathy and I went out for dinner together. Francesco and Luis Miguel continue on. As we came out of the restaurant at 10:15 the city was coming to life, streets filled with people during the middle of the week. Tomorrow, we will spend the day in Leon exploring the many treasures this city has to offer.    Read more

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    Day 27. Rest day in Leon

    May 25, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We are staying in central Leon, close to the Gothic cathedral on the Camino trail. Construction of Leon Cathedral, begun in the 13th century reflecting one of the greatest works of the Gothic style. From an engineering standpoint, this cathedral was the first to use thinner walls , allowing for a wider span, replacing those walls with more impressive stained glass. This church has nearly 1800 square meters of stained-glass windows dating back to the 13th century. Leon Cathedral, along with the Burgos Cathedral and the one in Santiago de Compostela are the three most significant cathedrals on the Camino.
    The Basilica de San Isidoro is a church located on the site of an ancient temple. Its Christian roots can be traced back to the early 10th century when a monastery of St John the Baptist was erected on the grounds. In 1603 the basilica was rededicated to St Isadore of Seville. As Doug has mentioned this is representative of the best in Roman structures. Unfortunately, indoor photos were disallowed but we did see royal crypts and striking medieval wall paintings (frescoes).
    We spent much of the afternoon at a cafe people watching, nothing the many pilgrims who set off today. Last night, we ate some traditional Spanish food: tortilla espanola (onions, potatoes, egg cooked in olive oil), tapas, morcilla (blood sausage in spices), paella, and calamari. We ate too much last night, so we stuck to plainer rice and vegetables today; however, we did allow for an ice cream and pastry treat.
    Cathy has adapted amazingly well to the 8-hr time difference - or perhaps she’s just happy to see me - between here and Yellowknife. We’re hitting the sack early, hoping to start shortly after 8:00 am breakfast. Cathy’s first day on the Camino- stay tuned tomorrow to find out how she does!    Read more

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    Day 28. Vilar de Mazerife

    May 26, 2023 in Spain

    Awoke at 6:00 am after a restless night to loud singing and carousing that sounded close to our window. Cathy, who had not slept well, said it had gone on all night. I guess I must have gotten more sleep than she did because I hadn’t heard a thing to that point.
    We went to 8:00 am breakfast where we met the same people who were there yesterday: three Canadians and a British couple. The camaraderie we had created yesterday just continued from where it had left off. In fact, one of the ladies, Laurel, who has worked at Plumber’s Lodge , out on the east arm of Great Slave Lake, told us the receptionist complained about noise made by loud “Americans “ at yesterday’s breakfast.
    It took us over an hour to get out of Leon encountering many parents walking their children to school. We had to pay close attention to follow the Camino signs - yellow arrows and shells - competing with the many other signs in a busy city. There was a fork in the path allowing us to continue following a direct route along the highway, but we opted for the more scenic, and longer, rural route next to the open scrubland paramo. Once we got past Virgen de Camino, a Leon suburb I assume, there were no facilities open right up to Mazarife. Despite being her first day, Cathy held up well on this 21 km walk.
    On today’s walk, we reconnected with Jim, from California/Mexico who was recovering from having had imbibed too much the night before. His pace was down to a crawl, but Raymond, from Germany, tagged along to keep him company. We also met Jack, from Boston, on the Camino without his wife, because “ she’s not cut out for this.” He had hoped to be further than this, but was laid up with the flu for over a week, staying in hotels rather than auberges. He relented into taking a bus from Burgos to Leon. Jack shared with us that he “ suffers from knowing what others should be doing.” I guess we all suffer from that to varying degrees.
    Overall, though a great start for Cathy, but it doesn’t get any easier; tomorrow’s 31 km challenge will be another test.    Read more

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    Day 29. Astorga

    May 27, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    I did send some written text with yesterday’s photos but it appears it did not go through, so here it is again.
    Because of a late transfer and a wrong turn by the driver, we didn’t get going until we’ll after 9:00 am, a bit late for a 31 km walk. Also, we were travelling with another couple, Doug and Jean, from England, and Jim, from New Zealand. Jim had just started two days ago, from Mansilla, hoping to finish a Camino he had started five years earlier and continuing from where he left off last time. It was evident Jim was struggling from the outset, so he opted to lag behind us, going at his own pace.
    The majority of this section was solitary with few villages along the way; however, there were a few attractive sections with trees for shade. The weather forecasted possible thunderstorms, but we just got a bit of rain, then a sunny day.
    The first 15 kms, relatively flat and easy walking,brought us to Hospital de Orbigo, where we walked on the Camino’s longest bridge. It was impressive, built in the 13th century, and built over an earlier Roman bridge. It’s myriad arches carried us over the rio Orbigo vía the passage of honour Pasa Honroso so called because of the famous jousting tournament that took place here in the Holy Year 1434. I’ve included a photo of a poster promoting a jousting tournament slated for next weekend. Hospital de Ortigo was a beautiful village where we stopped for lunch.
    We arrived at Astorga a little after 6:00 pm exhausted after a long day’s walk. We knew our hotel was directly across the main Cathedral which we spotted what we thought was about 2 kms away. Unfortunately, it took us through a more than 4-km circuitous route to get here.    Read more

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    Day 30 Rabanal del Camino

    May 28, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Doesn’t appear that photos and writing can be sent together for some reason so I will now send separately
    If I were to go on this trip again, I would spend more time in the attractive city of Astorga, to visit the Santa Marta Church, the original Roman walls, and the Cathedral museum. It’s a city set atop a steep ridge with a wide array of of historic buildings tightly packed inside its medieval walls.
    Today, we set off on a 20 km jaunt towards the mountains and tomorrow we will be climbing to the highest point of the entire Camino. Overall, we had a good walk today, a gradual climb in some of our hottest weather so far (25-26 degrees). We’ve been warned that the weather here is unpredictable, but we’ve been lucky so far.
    Twenty minutes after arriving at today’s hotel it poured raining.
    Cathy anI have continued walking with the same couple from England today. A group of us are travelling with Mac Adventures, the company that arranged our hotels and baggage transfers, so I assume they use the same hotels from year to year.    Read more

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    Day 31. Molinaseca

    May 29, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    A 25.6 km walk today after a 7:30 am departure. The first 10 km involved a 10 km ascent to the high point of the Camino at Cruz de Ferro where we placed small stones Cathy had taken here from Yellowknife at the foot of the highly recognizable cross. It was a poignant moment for the many Christians on the Camino. The 800m descent, on sometimes treacherous terrain brought us to the village of Molinaseca 15 kms beyond the cross.
    On today’s journey, Cathy and I spent most of the time by ourselves, but we did connect for a while with Sandy and Diane from Arizona and California. Also, another Cathy from near Vancouver and Laurel from Calgary, intersected paths with us a number of times. Laurel changes her socks at the midpoint of every walk , so we were there to witness that exciting moment today. There are a few pilgrims who have shared “heavy” stories with us, like the guy who was on this Camino with his wife five years age. They got as far as Mansilla, a village we were at five days ago, when she died there. He started from that village on the 23rd and, understandably, has been struggling both physically and emotionally. Many people do this Camino to deal with loss.
    Cathy continues to do well- no blisters yet. She says using lots of Vaseline in the morning and putting her feet up against a wall for 15 minutes ( Wilma’s advice) after we finish is the magic formula.    Read more

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    Day 32 Villafranca del Bietzo (written)

    May 30, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We were told that if you are going to Villa del Bierzo today - 31 kms away - you best leave early ( we left at 8:15 after breakfast) and it was a long walk, but we experienced beautiful scenery. We passed the ruins of the Templar castle in Ponferrada , a lovely medieval city, where there were lots of cafes along the way. Some of the terrain we encountered, with its many vineyards reflected what I would attribute to the best of what one would see in Tuscany, rolling hills, in the middle of valleys, rivers running through, with such beautiful greenery. We did not have an encouraging weather forecast this morning, anticipating rain by midday, but no rain, a slight breeze with generally sunny skies.
    We, again, travelled today with Jean and Doug , a couple from England, near London, who we’ve gotten along with. They, like us, enjoy the physical demands of the Camino, have been fortunate to avoid injury, and relate to the struggles some people may be going through. When you combine the people they have met and the people we have met, it adds up to a lot of people. And interacting with most of them is a formula for slow progress, but worth it. As a result, we did not reach our destination until 6:15 , and at the end of the day we did not have a lot of energy left.
    For 7:30 pm dinner tonight we ended up sitting at a table with the guy who lost his wife five years ago, and we did feel privileged that he would share his story with us, but it was a lot to take in. He did make the comment that life is 10% what happens and 90% how one responds to it, so he is aware of his struggle and cognizant of the challenge that lies ahead.
    Along the way, we met Susan and Nancy by, a couple from Minnesota, who I had met a few weeks ago. I was particularly excited to see Susan again, the University of Minnesota librarian who knew so much about literature. This is what happens on the Camino, people in and out of your journey as you strive to move forward. We also reconnected with Raymond, from Germany, Richard, from New Jersey, and the other Jim , from Baja, California. Doug, the person I’ve spent the most time with is an atheist, but a strong supporter of his wife, Jean, who recently got baptized. He’s not sure why, but he’s there to support her. Also, he’s skeptical of the spiritual element aligned with the Camino, but tolerant enough to try to understand why some people are impacted that way. It’s a contradiction that both intrigues me and lies at the foundation of how many of us may feel. I’m intrigued to see how this will play out for Doug.    Read more

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    Day 32. Villa del Bierzo (photos)

    May 30, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
  • Landry caminoCaminoTraveler

    Day 33 Las Herrerias (written)

    May 31, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    As we continued our Camino journey through the farming communities of the El Bierzo valleys we were given the choice of taking a high-level route or a low-level one, determining that the view would likely be better from the higher level, so we spent much of our morning in the clouds. Once again, we were treated to stunning views. The valleys are steep, narrow and where they are not wooded with pine and chestnut trees, there is rich farmland. In the mornings we often hear cocks crowing, chickens clucking and cow bells ringing.
    We left Villafranca, a lovely town of 3500 residents, this morning shortly after 8:00. I should explain the yesterday’s photo of Cathy and the two ladies because some of you may have interpreted it as Cathy with two pilgrims. Actually, they were two Villafranca residents who went out of their way to help us find our hotel. Shortly after I asked the younger girl for help finding our hotel, her aunt, after recognizing that Cathy was Canadian, excitedly hugged Cathy while explaining, in Spanish, how much she liked Canada. Her niece, speaking to me in French was able to communicate where our hotel was and the reason for her aunt‘s excitement. That incident reflects much of the hospitality we’ve received here from both Spanish people and fellow pilgrims.
    Shortly after we arrived in Las Herrerias this afternoon it poured raining with thunder; we’ve been fortunate with weather so far. Our walk this morning as we climbed from Villafranca was incredibly steep, over 500 additional meters in elevation, then a 400 m descent before climbing again. At one point we did take an unplanned, alternate route to a cafe in a small village, but we were treated to a charming auberge run by a lovely couple who made us feel like family while being entertained with a litter of kittens.
    We arrived at today’s hotel by 4:00 pm. It’s a large house with eight rooms, each with separate bathrooms and a shared lounge for guests. There’s a blacksmith room from original building with anvil, forge and bellows reminding me of grandpa. It is now 7:00 pm , waiting for the rain to ease before we set out finding a place to eat.    Read more

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    Day 34 O’Cebreiro

    June 1, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Although a short, 8.2km day, the steep climb (626m) through the valleys and mainly chestnut woodland made the arrival of the picturesque village of O’Cebreiro a welcome sight. Prior to leaving Las Herrerías at 8:30 am we were given weather warnings for the area from our travel company, but we experienced beautiful, sunny temperatures most of the day, until arriving in OCebreiro, close to 2:00 pm.
    We entered the province of Galicia today. When the westerly winds across the Atlantic hit these mountains, you can expect an immediate change in weather with frequent rain showers and thunderstorms, and we experienced all of that today.
    This is farming country that includes horse riding up the trail, dairy cattle, sheep, chicken, pig, geese farming, and donkeys grazing. We witnessed some of the most beautiful scenery on the Camino today. And all small, family farms with lush, pastures and intimate fields. The country side is reminiscent of what we would see around the Cabot Trail without the ocean. I have included photos but unsure if they can do it justice.
    Today’s walk was essentially an 8 km steep climb with three small villages along the way. We stopped at was once a monastery at La Faba, at Iglesia San Andre where monks, even now, on occasion, wash people’s feet at certain times of the year. At the cafe there, we were greeted with whistling sounds in the back room, reminding me of Denis Alain, when, all of a sudden out pops the waiter, the spitting image of Shea, Denis’s son. Another Canadian couple , Val and Jamie, from Collingwood, Ontario shared an experience they had yesterday off the beaten track, when an elderly, Spanish couple invited them into their humble home for a piece of chestnut cake. There is a striking contrast here between the simplicity, poverty even, of the people’s existence and the richness of their lives. It seems like they would give their last bit of food just to make others happy. Val and Jamie had a bit of an encounter with wild boars, a sow and her piglets, on the way back to the trail but nothing of any consequence. As Jamie was telling me the story of the sow, he noticed my Blue Jay reminding him of a statement from a guy last week who said, “Have you seen the Canadian guy wearing the Blue Jays hat?”
    Tonight we will be joining our friends, Doug and Jean and Kathy and Laurel for a 6:00 pm dinner reservation, the first time we’ve been able to get one so early.    Read more

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    Day 35 Triacastela (photos)

    June 2, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
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    Day 35.

    June 2, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today we walked 21 kms through a few very small villages before arriving in Triacastela , the town of three castles, but, unfortunately, none remain today. Walking through these farming villages takes me back about 60 years when we had chickens, a few cows, pigs, when one of my grandfathers had a horse and the other had a forge. I’ve seen all of that on today’s walk. As we walk through these villages there is manure everywhere in the streets, and can attest that Spanish manure smells very much like Louisdale manure did 60 years ago.
    After yesterday’s 8 km , arduous climb, today’s 21km felt much easier, with much of it downhill; however, the steep downhills require cautious, slower steps to avoid injury. The weather was cool this morning, but our 7:30 departure had us arriving at today’s destination before 1:00 pm. Cathy and I were by ourselves for the first two hours, then we met Luis from Puerto Rico who wasn’t much more than four feet tall, but he was a fast walker and a bit of a social dynamo. We thoroughly enjoyed his company as he shared his family stories, cooking recipes, his exploits travelling the world as an accountant for Coca-Cola, and how his wife rules their house while being a pharmacist with her PhD. He’s the ultimate extrovert - funny, friendly, with loads of energy. Cathy calls him “the little leprechaun “ because he has such a positive attitude, so ready to help anyone. He stayed with us until Triscastela, then after we registered at our hotel, we joined him again for a beer.
    Today’s walk had us walking through more gorgeous Spanish farmland. The weather, once again, started cloudy, with some threatening skies, but the sun eventually peered out providing perfect walking conditions.
    While Cathy is washing clothes right now, I’m writing this blog. We plan to join Jean Ana Doug and Laurel and Cathy later for dinner. After dinner last night, Cathy and Jean went to the pilgrim’s mass at the church next door. Cathy said there were well over one hundred people there, and the pilgrim’s prayer, at the end was read in seven languages, and Cathy read the English version.    Read more

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    Day 36. Sarria (written)

    June 3, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We had two options leaving Triacastela today: the longer 25 km route via a Benedictine monastery at Sarros, or the shorter, 18.2 km , hillier, and more scenic route via San Xil. We chose the shorter, more scenic option. Sarria is the place where there will be an influx of new pilgrims just starting their way to Santiago. Today’s route had more of what we’ve seen the past three days, splendid views and beautiful, shaded, woodland paths. It appears the vast majority of pilgrims chose the same route we did.
    We chose to join Doug and Jean again today since this may be the last day we’re together. They have a planned rest day in Sarria tomorrow, but we’ll be moving on. Howe, we do hope to connect with them in Santiago. We’ve developed a great friendship with them.
    Another group we connected with today were Leo, Declan, and Barry three retired policemen from north of Dublin , near Northern Ireland border. When Cathy mentioned to them that she was of Flanagan ancestry, Leo responded, “Here again, gone again , back again, Flanagan.” Barry then chipped in, “We’re a little mad, but we’re not bad.” We had great laughs with them and enjoyed their company. They were all policemen together and all retired for five years. Since then, when they were able to, they’ve been doing the Camino in 100-200 km segments. This time, they were going as far as Sarria, then taking a bus to Santiago, before returning home. Next year they hope to fly back to Sarria in order to finish the final segment.
    Once again, we’ve been fortunate with weather. Sunny and warm until 3:00 when we had a downpour, but we were in our hotel by then. We have made plans to go out for a 7:00 pm dinner with a group of friends.    Read more

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    Day 37 - Portomarin (Written)

    June 4, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌩️ 22 °C

    A 7:30 start with Diane and Sandy, from San Diego and Arizona, who joined us from our hotel in Sarria. The 24 km walk had us winding through small farming villages with panoramic views from Peña dos Corvos, an area in Galicia, the Spanish province we are now hiking. The first thing we noticed this morning was the vast increase in pilgrims, with a much younger demographic. We saw bus loads of people dropped off ready to begin their Camino. It’s great to see vast numbers of people enjoying the Camino, but these large groups do make it less intimate. Also, there were many more people walking in groups, sometimes as large as 10 people. The groups were young, energetic and appearing to be having fun.
    The small farming communities we went through blended into one another. There were lots of cafes along the way; however, the increased numbers meant longer lineups, and longer waits for food, drinks , and washrooms. The pathways were great. Someone commented that because of the excessive use of these paths the Spanish government is pouring money to develop them, and that is evident. Much of the terrain is along forest paths and tree-lined lanes providing shade and protection from sun. Despite a forecasted 70% chance of rain we only got sun, but the skies are getting gloomy and I wouldn’t be surprised to get a downpour soon.
    Cathy and I did spend some time together, but most of her day was with Diane, then Sandy joined them. I was happy to set my own pace having a few short chats    Read more

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    Day 38 Palas del Rei (Photos)

    June 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
  • Landry caminoCaminoTraveler

    Day 38. Palas del Rei

    June 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    The operative word for this morning’s walk was “fog,” a heavy fog that lingered for three hours. Our 7::00 am breakfast was two blocks away from the “pension “ we stayed at last night, so we left from the cafe at 7:40 with Jim from New Zealand. Today’s 25 km trek had us going through a variety of terrain, climbing 400 m for the first 15 km, then descending 100 m to Palas del Rei. Once again, we were presented with two options: the longer, more scenic route or the shorter one along the highway. We chose the former.
    I spent a bit of time with the guy who lost his wife five years ago while on the Camino, and his spirit has improved measurably the last few days. The medication he is taking for ankle pain is working, and he is much more positive; in fact, he commented, “ I can’t see how anybody could see this Camino as anything but a positive experience.” He continues to talk about his wife, and how much he misses her, but he’s generally happy, sharing jokes, and getting stronger. I, also, connected with Tony, an Australian fireman, who began planning this trip immediately after seeing “The Way.” Tony revealed that 12 years ago he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had robotic laparoscopic surgery, just like I did 16 years ago. He has also been dealing, more recently, with seizures. I also met Michelle from Germany and Dubrogo from Croatia, chatting with them for over an hour.
    Cathy and I just returned from a 6:00 pm dinner where we had the unfortunate encounter with two Canadians from Toronto who came up against bedbugs ( the female did but not the guy) , so Cathy is now in full-blown alert for bedbugs, researching them on the Internet and checking every nook and cranny in our bedroom. Cathy does have ONE bite from last night’s stay, has scrutinized it thoroughly, comparing it with the 55 or bites on this other lady, nervously wondering if we may have had a bedbug visitor.
    As we near the end of our Camino, many of us are making plans to reconnect in Santiago with people who have shared their journey with us in open, honest, and meaningful ways. We’re already sensing that while we’ll have a sense of accomplishment, there will be much sadness as we go our different ways.    Read more

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