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  • VoyageurWalking the Camino
    111
    Jour 21

    Astorga

    21 juillet 2022, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 93 °F

    Wanderer, your footsteps are the road, and nothing more; wanderer, there is no road, the road is made by walking. - Antonio Machado

    Day 21 on the Camino- we hit 320 miles. It seemed like a good time to reflect on walking: Becoming one with a pack that is now finally adjusted, balanced, a comfortable back hug that carries what I need and provides insulation from the searing Meseta sun; In one day, seeing biome change from endless fields of agricultural products, to oakforest, to farmed pine and into the mountains; In one day, seeing the color of the soil change from limestone white, to pink, to red, to fertile brown; Visiting small, remote villages that visitors rarely see; Boosting the economy of small, rural towns through albergue and shop owners; Getting to personally interact with the local people- receiving well wishes, unsolicited directions and instructions, willingly answering questions, looking up to notice them staring in wonder, then quickly turning their heads, wishing us a Buen Camino even when we are not carrying our packs, (what gives us away?); Sharing stories with a friend as you match each other's stride, or just sharing space in your own thoughts, walking silently; Seeing the colors gradually changing and shadows appearing as the sun emerges from behind a mountain; Viewing the top of an ancient church, in the distance- a landmark that signals the next small village that we will be passing through; The meditative state that comes from just putting one foot in front of the other- providing time and space to consider the small things like the thick wool socks hugging and protecting my feet, the shower at the next albergue that will wash the trail down the drain, to the most important people and things in my life- considering how grateful I am for my family and friends, my home and my community. Walking brings you all to me, as I continue down the road. ❤️ Photos- hops; compost spreader; random rock carving; a cat walks the labyrinth; a roadside vendor; rivers and gardens; less than 300 kilometers to go; a duck points the way; sunflowers lead us to Astorga. Love to you all!❤️En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurWalking the Camino
    Jour 20

    Hospital de Orbigo

    20 juillet 2022, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    We trekked 20 miles today- cooler weather, feet are little achy, good time to put them up and blog. A little background about Orbigo: in 1432 a woman snubbed a knight. In order for him to be released from his prison of love and restore his honor, he had to joust and break 300 lances, near the Orbigo bridge. He succeed in his task, his honor restored, (get over it, already), and the old Roman bridge still stands, today. Signs seen along the way, since the beginning of the Camino: Castilla is crossed off many signs, signifying Leon's desire for autonomy; cute gender neutral shower/ bathroom signs; art in the park; two who met their demise in the Pamplona, Running of the Bulls; an invitation to my quilting sisters; good rules for any household; mural outside of a school; outside pooping area instructions for humans, you dog owners know the drill 😂; Socrates was right- the second bar WAS better😁; Just check out the name of the second bar!; Isn't it a shame that the free parking is perpetually Full? Oh wait, Full is the name of the hardware store!; An example of how the Basque language is so different from Spanish. I'll SIGN off for now. Love to you all!En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurWalking the Camino
    1
    Jour 19

    Leon

    19 juillet 2022, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Leon- only a 19K trek, (we got to sleep in until 5am), the temperature dropped to 25C with a cool breeze, beautiful city, it was like being on vacation! We dropped our packs at the albergue at about 10am, after our arrival, and toured the city. Something new; ancient; and fascinating to see around every corner, (including a tattoo shop where Marjory had to get some gage earrings- too many pictures of needles,😳, but nice guys; greeting other familiar pilgrims with yells and hugs, and really taking time to enjoy ourselves. When we returned to the Albergue, Daniel, from Germany, made a big green salad with muscles, and invited us to join him. Great conversation and delicious food! After our daily routine of showers, laundry, etc, back to the city central for dinner- burritos, salad, and churros con chocolate. Connected with several more familiar faces, several of whom had family members join them to finish the Camino!❤️ Many are spending an extra day in Leon to take a rest day and enjoy the city. Tomorrow, we will have a challenging 32k trek. Fingers crossed for continued cool weather! Side note- last evening, a BIG man from Germany decided pants were optional, and paraded around the albergue in his tight red chonies, including squeezing around people to sit at the dinner table.😨 Two women from Spain were especially horrified! This morning, as we headed out, into the silent darkness, I asked them: " Donde esta tu amigo? El no esta caminando contigo." We all started laughing uncontrollably, reminded of the crazy situation of the previous night. Marjory- "Pants are not optional- I may have to sit in that chair!"😂En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurWalking the Camino
    1
    1
    Jour 18

    Mansilla de las Mulas

    18 juillet 2022, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 95 °F

    On our trek to Mansilla, the meseta is transforming from endless dry wheat fields, to irrigated corn and cattle production. Photos: trees wrapped in afghans along the route, hug back!; Remnants of the old Roman wall fortress that surrounds Mansilla has been reinforced over the years and is 10 feet wide in some parts- 75 percent of the walls still remain; the arch that is the entrance to the city; tower that provides for the city's running water system; another church at daybreak. Finishing the evening comparing feet with a man from London and a woman from Italy. Their feet included bloody infections and blisters with threads running through them to help with drainage. I had nothing to compare to the carnage. So grateful for my strong, healthy feet. We trek to Leon, tomorrow, with the promise of cooler weather. Ojala.😊 Love to you all!En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurWalking the Camino
    Jour 17

    Berciamos

    17 juillet 2022, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 100 °F

    Again, we beat the heat, arriving in Bercianos before 12. It was a comfortable walk, but the last 2k seem to take forever. We continue to see many little houses dug into mountain sides. The sign explains how they are used. I guess I can stop looking for Hobbits, along the way. 😁 My picture is at the end of our walk, where I took a nap on the cement, until the albergue opened an hour and a half later. We are staying at a Parochial albergue, run by volunteers, that do not charge, but accept donations. They do not have wifi, so we are sitting in a bar, using their wifi, l enjoying a beer, and watching the Tour de France on TV and locals playing lively games of dominos. Lots of slamming on the tables, and observers yelling. I guess I've been playing dominos the wrong way all these years!😂I've been able to keep in touch with Cyndee- she has been doing some site seeing, plans to continue to bus ahead to Sarria, then walk 10k a day until she reaches Santiago. So glad she is doing the Camino her way.❤️En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurWalking the Camino
    Jour 16

    Terradillos de los Templares

    16 juillet 2022, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 93 °F

    Terradillos is a tiny farming community that is a great example of combining the old with the new: structure that is 100s of years old with a modern tractor parked next to it; ancient building made of beams, straw cob, and brick, with a modern structure built onto it, made of plaster with a corrugated metal roof. This ancient gate is the entrance to an ancient church, ( okay, those two match😄); the albergue we are staying at is a mix of the old and the renovated, although we have yet to stay in a place with air conditioning. Our walk today, 26k, was comfortable, although the last 2k always seems to stretch on forever! We arrived at 11:30am, after just under 6 hours of walking, and beat the heat. The thermometer on the side of a building registered 48C- really hot! Shared dinner with Jason from Scotland, who spent time on the Highlander series set. He talked about the props, people walking down streets in full costume, and the authenticity of the set. You would have loved it, Cyndee! Such interesting people on the Camino! Love to you all and Buenos noches.🥱En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurWalking the Camino
    Jour 15

    Carrion de los Condes

    15 juillet 2022, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F

    Today we hit the 230 mile mark, and are nearly half way through the Camino. We're feeling strong, eating like horses, and although our feet are aching at the end of our walk each day, they are fine and ready to go in the morning! Still seeing interesting sites along the way: a random 20 foot long hand and arm laying in front of a house; door knockers shaped like hands on many doors; and the medival churches that tell dark stories. In Carrion, many of the carvings on the churches are missing their heads. In addition, for a period of time, the Moors demanded 100 Christian maidens be relinquished to them each year. No stories are told about what the Christians did to the Moors...hmmm. So much blood shed in the name of religion. Better get some sleep- love to you all.En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurWalking the Camino
    Jour 14

    Boadilla

    14 juillet 2022, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 99 °F

    Photos: 5am start time- selfie with the moon; Boots lined up outside of the albergue; Ancient churches seen in every town we cross; skull and crossbones on the side of a church- no Moors in perpetuity; landscape at the top of a steep grade; another house built into the side of a hill; another cross in the middle of nowhere.
    Communication on the Camino: a French woman mining a headache and vomiting lying on the bed across from me🤮; an Italian man, not able to speak the English conversation around the table, smiled and served each one of us paella and wine; in the cities, a honking car is a positive sign on the camino. It is usually followed by a waving hand, pointing the correct way, opposite of the direction we are traveling. We have never been more than a block off of our path before being redirected by the locals; finger shaking, then "no mijas" then pointing across the street; another Italian man with little English directing another Pilgrim with a question to Marjory and me, referring to us as "The Teachers; listening to two men arguing in Italian about whether DaVinci painted the Mona Lisa in France or Italy; listening to two German men discuss different types of beer, including one variety that is meat flavored, and that it should be served at room temperature; a young Brazilian woman aptly describing the hunched over limping gait seen by people after a long trek as the "Pilgrim walk"; our friends from Korea yelling across the street excitedly waving both hands with big smiles; a woman from the states yelling "Hey Peace Corps",noticing the patch on my pack. She had been stationed in Georgia before being evacuated. We all seem to find a way to communicate!    En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurWalking the Camino
    11
    Jour 13

    Hontanas

    13 juillet 2022, Espagne ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Before leaving Burgos, we had a communal breakfast with friends from France and Chile. Next, we headed into the high Meseta-, 32K, some steep elevation gain, no shade, with temperatures in the high 90's. There were wheat fields as far as the eye could see, along with this small oasis of trees, and a dwelling cut into the side of a mountain. At one point, a car came driving up from nowhere- it was a team of bombaderos just checking up on pilgrims, offering water and assistance. We were doing ok, but thanked them for the offer! Even though we made it to Hontanas by 1:30, (7 hours of walking), the heat and distance made this one of our toughest days yet. Marjory and I had a beer and toasted our arrival in Hontanas. Later, we had a communal dinner offered by the albergue- salad, paella, and cheese cake- delicious! We met new friends from Denmark, Germany, and Italy. After dinner, we strolled around this tiny town and visited the church and this little structure cut into the side of a hill. What do you think is behind the blue door?! We will be starting our 27K trek, in the same type of terrain, at 5am tomorrow, to try to avoid the heat. We're learning!En savoir plus

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  • VoyageurWalking the Camino
    Jour 12

    Burgos

    12 juillet 2022, Espagne ⋅ 🌙 82 °F

    Today our trek ended in Burgos. We traveled through the industrial part of the city, got a little lost trying to find our Albergue, but found our way, thanks to the helpful folks who live here. Today, one man who helped us, dubbed us "Las Tres Valientes!" We decided to keep it. 😄 Burgos is a large city, 180,000 people, with amazing cathedrals and churches, as well as old world charm. Today was Maria's last day on the Camino, before she joins her family in Mexico. To honor her last day, we stayed at a beautiful Jesuit albergue. We went to a short mass and were brought to the front receive a pilgrim's blessing by the priest. We were then served a communal meal, and had dinner conversation with new friends from France and Chile. Tomorrow, Marjory and I tackle a 31K trek, across the Meseta- it's supposed to be a hot one... Better get some sleep. Love to you all.En savoir plus

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