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Camino de Santiago
  • Steve Broyles
  • Steve Broyles

Camino de Santiago

Walking to find clarity, seeking the present. Baca lagi
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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara

    The Food, though

    11 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ 🌧 68 °F

    I'm a Camino anomaly in that I think I've gained a few lbs despite walking so much.

    The food here is amazing. Just.... Amazing.

    I would like to eat 5 meals/day.

    Also notable: the churches. I suppose that being on the oldest religious pilgrimage in Europe I should expect an abundance of churches... But even the "not an official stop" towns have these massive/opulent houses of worship.

    I'm enjoying the artistic beauty very much.

    Navarette is home to Don Jacobo organic wine. We had a bottle of their 2019 crianza tonight.... Wow! And in a fancy restaurant the two of us enjoyed a 3 course meal w wine for 65€.

    Delighted. I am delighted.
    Tomorrow I plan to visit a meadery en route to a comfy peivate room. It's important to take the occasional self-care night.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara

    Nájera from Navarette

    12 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    Today's walk was brief and fairly flat;
    the weather mild.

    I met Kristan along the way and enjoyed hearing about her journey to get here. We tried a brief detour to find a coffee, but were not successful. We did, however, manage to manifest a bedding store where she bought a sheet to make albergue life more comfy. That was a fun win!

    After finding our lodging and cleaning up a little we met down by the river to eat a snacky lunch of chorizo w bread, apple, and tomato. Yum.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara

    Pasomalo was bueno

    13 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    I felt some trepidation this morning as there were several warnings online that Pasomalo, the trail from Nájera to Badarán is prone to landslides and is impassable when wet. It rained a bit last night and the forecast was for rain today at 11am. But A) the weather forecast has been wrong every day this month, B) I felt lucky, and C) I really want to see the UNESSCO world-heritage sights at the end of this Camino detour....

    And so I decided to give it a go.

    Yesterday, in chatting with Kristan, I confessed that I am not much taken with the phrase 'everything happens for a reason' and after walking with her for a few hours she told me... "You know, I think you might believe that things happen for a reason a lot more than you think you believe it"....

    And that has really stuck with me today. She might be right. Because as I entered a spectacularly beautiful valley full of dew-sparkling grapevines growing from deep red clay, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'm here for a reason. Maybe that reason is just to enjoy one of the most places I have ever seen. Maybe the reason is not yet apparent.

    One thing I know: as I stood, smelling grapevines, mud, wheat, and flowers; smiling at the sunshine sparkling on the hills; and watching birds soar and hop to their own sounds.... I couldn't think of anywhere else in the world I should or would rather be.

    And there's a heckuva lot of peace in feeling like I made an excellent decision.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara
    112

    Suso and Yuso

    13 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    I took a detour, strolled 20km through tremendously beautiful terrain, and found myself booking a room in a 4-star hotel that is located within the walls of a 14th Century Monastery. ....and costs less than a motel 6 in SF. This is a UNESCO world heritage site, and I can see why!
    https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/805/

    There is another, 11th Century, ruin here (Suso) that is considered the birthplace of the Castillian (Spanish) language. It is where the oldest written Spanish text has been discovered. The cave/temple/church/mosque/tomb (hey... 1,500 years is a long time) is where the hermit-saint San Millán lived. It also may well be the 1st monastery in Spain.

    Pretty cool... and very eclectic for all the remodeling that has happened to it. I was particulaly interested in the 14th century mosaic floors made by Muslim occupiers.

    Inside the larger Monastery (Yuso), there's an impressive pipe organ and they have original, well preserved, 140lb hymnals that are written on calf skin and date back to the 17th/18th century. Neat stuff.

    The walk up was fantastic. Fields of fragrant flowers, wheat, vineyards, tree plantations, a sonorous river, birds, a little rain, and picturesque vistas kept me company. I did not see a single person on the trail all day, which is odd but was nice for the opportunity to be present and introspective.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara
    1
    111

    GPS is good

    14 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    I'm enjoying this path-less-travelled

    And deeply grateful for gps technology. There have been sections where I would have missed the right path entirely.

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara
    "Main Street"

    Cirueña

    14 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    Very small town, slow. I probably wouldn't recommend staying here.

    But I'm enjoying good people at the dinner table: we have Korea, Netherlands, France, Italy/Morocco ,USA (me), and Germany.

    Also, I finally paid for machine-wash laundry. Everything smells clean and fresh. I'm delighted.

    The walk down the mountain wasn't bad. The views were amazing.
    Changing out of wet socks into fresh ones felt fantastic. I may just swap more often.... Fresh feet are happy feet.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara

    Sunrise Peace, and a Dog

    15 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    Somewhere in this, is a lesson.

    I woke to a colorful sky and jumped out of bed to get some sunrise stretchies in.

    I was glad for the puffy jacket, sunrise temps were very cool-feeling (maybe mid-50s?) with an Eastern breeze.

    As I walked up a small rise, in front of a ruined building, to catch a better vantage I thought... "Perfect! Quiet, cool." And I dropped my phone and water to begin sun salutations.

    That's when the enormous-sounding dog in the 'ruin' woke and told me in no uncertain terms that (s)he was not ok with me standing there.

    So I moved. Not far, sunrise waits for no man after all. But far enough to restore some tranquility.

    It's often very easy to make a small change to find tranquility.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara

    Grañon from Cirueña

    15 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    I intended to take a detour but bumped into Kristen (we met in Pamplona) and I decided to walk with her instead. After a few days solo I'm craving company and hers is delightful.

    On that line of thinking, I stopped in Grañon because it has a famously social albergue that is all about a warm familial environment.

    ...and I immediately opted to sit in the shade of an umbrella on the plaza to read! Sometimes my own mind surprises me, but I guess I need a little me-time before the socializing. Okay, then.

    The tortilla here was delicious and watching the hubbub is always a pleasure.

    Before Grañón, strolled through Santo Domingo de la Cruzada and enjoyed a fantastic tour of the Cathedral. Their collection of treasures is remarkable. Some was truly beautiful.

    My favorite part of the Cathedral is the enclosure *in* the main part of the church that houses, I kid you not: a live hen and cock. They are white and they look pretty darn bored in their little chicken prison. I am told that they swap the poultry out weekly. I don't know what happens upon retirement.

    Ok, my *other* favorite part of the self-guided tour was finding a door that took us up into the battlements (defenses) it was like being a kid scrambling through secret passageways. Very fun.

    The walk was not particularly remarkable beyond Santo Domingo. It felt easy, not very much up/down and nearly all of it was decent quality gravel.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara

    Hospital de Grañón

    15 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Spending a night in a donation based, volunteer staffed hostel was a delightful contrast to the 4star experience of a few nights ago.

    I enjoy both, for very different reasons.

    Highlights include a family style dinner for about 40 people with pasta made by Italian cooks, salad made by Americans, a lentil/nettle stew made by Spaniards and French people, along with wine and bread. Conversation flowed in a mashup of European and hand-gestures and smiles.

    The Camino has a tradition of getting stamps in a "Credential": A paper passport. This Hospital (from the word hospitality) offers hugs instead... It had a distinctly sedate Burning Man feel to it in a nurturing inclusive way. The evening culminated in a candlelight ceremony in the choir section of the church (Cathedral? Big place for a town of 250 people) where we were seated in the hundreds-years-old choir stalls, sharing a bit of insight into our journeys. It was moving.

    I am glad that I stopped and feel richer for it.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara
    3

    Tosantos. Donativo

    16 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    I passed up the chance to play in a swimming pool, choosing instead to sleep on a thin mat on the floor again.

    I really enjoyed yesterday that much, and this type of experience is not available every stop.

    Also
    Today marks a year since my brother, Marty, died of a brain tumor and I feel conflicted about the relative merits of playing vs. being more spiritual. I am sure he would say "play!" but equally sure that my inner sense of self is clearly telling me that I feel less celebratory and more somber. I will celebrate him, plenty, but I haven't tapped into a feeling of joy enough to ignore the feeling of sadness. It all comes and goes in waves.

    That said, I did pause in a dappled-shade garden with geraniums on the wall and enjoyed a delicious glass of sangria. He would have liked that. I sure did! Low-80s temps, light breeze, an amazing watermelon... All things of which he and I are both quite fond.

    Besides the thoughts of him, today's 24km walk included: a beautiful cool morning with some pre-walk yoga (missed sunrise), passing from La Rioja into Castilla y León, rolling hills, a fresh-from-the-oven chocolate croissant, many wildflowers, too much near-the-highway, a great commencement speech in my ears ("This is Water" by Wallace), butterflies!, plenty of sunshine, some cool murals, ripe cherries plucked from a tree, several fun fountains, some kind and caring inquiries from fellow pilgrims who have heard me mention the significance of today, a visit to a 6th century hermitage bored into a mountain (renovated in the mid-1600s), and some pleasant conversations with new friends staying here.

    A fantastic day.
    It is warming up. I love it, so far.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara

    Grief, Release.... Repeat

    17 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    For those following my emotional meanderings....

    We had a prayer after dinner at the donativo* which includes reading notes left by previous pilgrims who request prayer/support.....

    Tip: if you're dancing with emotional pain/grief, sitting through a dozen tales of woe and suffering is a great way to get some of your own juices flowing. Mine all tried to flow out my eyeballs.

    I wandered off to a wheat field, had a sobbing good cry, a few laughs when a kitten came to check on me**, then spent a moment thanking those who have been so amazingly supportive.... and slept soundly on a thin mat in a room of 10 people with one window.

    All in all, a very painfully good process.
    I do wish I had unpacked this ~11 months ago.... Glad to be doing it now.

    Best to you all!
    Thanks for the messages of support.

    *A donativo is a donation based (religiously subsidized) hostel that is very true to the origins of the pilgrimage aspect of The Camino.... No frills, community meals, simple. Inherently, they have religious overtones that do not mesh naturally with my own belief system, but stepping outside my views is important to me and I am learning a great deal.

    **The kitten came back to check on me this morning as I was getting ready to depart; brought me a mouse. It's gonna be a good day.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara
    It's more bustling than this seems, I swear.

    Rain. Agés

    17 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ 🌩️ 73 °F

    I'm sitting in a bustling bar where they serve the hipsteryist hamburgers I've seen since Oakland. Good beer, too.

    It is pouring Wolves and Tigers outside with violent blasts of lightning and thunder. Fabulous! But certainly deters my urge to explore. I may just brave it.... After 2 days of monk-style living I want something shallower.

    I'm feeling very aware of time-dilation. Can't quite wrap my head around the fact I left SFO just 18 days ago. It feels like so much more! And yet, that my life kind of crumbled out from under my feet about 3 months ago still feels recent. Strange. Let's not even unpack what happened a year ago. Time.... It is a slippery beast, that one.

    And so I sit, waiting for a break in this savage storm (no exaggeration, this is a doozy) and debating between a 2nd beer or getting soaked to see what else (and who) is out there.

    Among the fun aspects of this particular journey is how quickly people bond. An hour of chatting on the Camino, I know some people better than others with whom I've had casual connection for months, at home.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara

    Agés from Tosantos

    17 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    The walk today turned unexpectedly sporty, but pretty.

    We strolled flat wheat fields until Villafranca then started climbing into pine hills with black flies and little breeze.

    It was pretty and challenging.

    The path eventually sloped back down into a cute church and then some fields full of enormous cows before we arrived to Agés... Just before a tremendous storm.

    I braved the tempest to find good food, beer and company (another post) then wrapped up the evening watching a stork and a church in late evening golden rain sparkled beauty.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara

    Rest Day 2nd Breakfast

    19 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    My feet suggested I take a day off, so I am (this is the intention).

    I love the simplicity of this experience.

    So I walked a few meters and enjoyed my 1st breakfast of the day (a much better pan de chocolate* vs yesterday).... Then had the pleasure of meeting a fellow pilgrim, Ping, who took it upon herself to force me to take some pics of each other w/ the sights. A fine idea and fun, too. I like fun.

    She also told me about how I can stow my pack for the day while I explore, which is a tremendous improvement in my experience and I'm so grateful!

    And now we sit swapping travel stories under luscious green trees having churros for 2nd breakfast.

    Happiness abounds.

    *Local name for choco croissant is "Napolitano" often abbreviated to "un Nápo" and knowing this I get better vibes from the person behind the counter. I feel like I've levelled up my pastry game.    Baca lagi

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  • Steve BroylesCamino de SantiagoPengembara
    1
    1

    Rain Got Me

    20 Jun 2023, Sepanyol ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Bruce and I got caught just outside Hornillos Del Camino in my 1st real deluge on the trail and I gotta say.... Not a big fan of walking on open plains with lightning.

    I am a big fan of when the rain stops and the sparkling sunshine begins.

    If that's not a metaphor, then I'll just stop looking.    Baca lagi

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