More from Santiago

Today we attended the Pilgrims´Mass at Santiago Cathedral. The names of the countries of origin of pilgrims who have arrived in Santiago the previous day were read out. While we Canadians get grouped with Americans and called Norte Americanos, it was still great to hear Norte America read out.

The mass was actually very nicely done. A nun with a wonderful soprano voice sang several hymns and engaged a multilingual audience in the singing. A priest welcomed pilgrims with a short welcome in five different languages. It was quite an experience to experience the interior of a gothic cathedral with a mass going on. One can really understand the awe that medieval pilgrims must have viewed the magnificence of the Cathedral!

After the pain in our feet subsided and we had a day to rest we are already thinking of our next walk in two years time. We think we will forego a trip to Finnestre by by bus and instead walk it as part of our next trip. While we are not sure which part of which road we might do in two years, but Jim is leaning to he southern route that begins in Sevilla.

We purchased our train tickets for the 11 hour train ride to Bilbao on Wednesday.. Given our experience with the volcano ash cloud and our flight to Bilbao as our trip began, we decided to take the train to Bilbao instead.

Looking forward to home, family, friends, and pets!

All our best,
Jim and Wendy

The Final Day to Santiago

Yesterday morning we set out at 6:30 a.m. to walk what was traditionally pilgrims ´last leg´ to Santiago, a distance of 40 kilometers. A hotel reservation and the desire to finish drove us on. Some notable highlights of of final day included:

The first day in four where the sun came out and stayed out all day. It was glorious after the steady downpours!

A Spanish woman eating the largest meat boccadillo we had every seen, washed down with beer and two espressos.

A sense of poignancy walking 10 of the last 20 kilometers with a huge group (100 to 150 people) of deaf and hard of hearing adults (some with multiple disabilities). They were supported by a dedicated group of volunteers so they could walk at least part of the Camino. Someone we met today said they walked in later yesterday. Wendy knew that waving her hands was the deaf sign for applause. She and I were a big hit with the deaf and hard of hearing walkers as we waved our hands as they went by us at lunch today!

We walked into the plaza where Santiago Cathedral is located at about 4:30 p.m. We Both of us were pretty tired after 40 kilometers and our feet ached. It was surreal to finish in the square which was filled with tourists taking pictures. For both of us, arriving was less important than the process of the journey that took us 455 kilometers together through approximately 60% of the Camino Frances.

Once we arrived in Santiago, both wondered what to do next. A woman approached us who had finished her walk yesterday. She said she felt just as stunned when she walked in at 40 kilomters the day before. She recommended getting some rest and coming back to the square tomorrow to see the cathedral and get our compostella(certificate of completion).

This morning after a great sleep and brunch we cabbed it back to the square. Santiago Cathedral is impressive, but we both agreed that Burgos cathedral is more magnificent. We lined up with other pilgrims and received our certificates of completion which are printed in Latin. While Wendy´s name is the same, my Latin name is ¨Jacobam¨.

After getting our certificates for completing our pilgrimage, we visited Santiago Cathedral and watched part of the Sunday mass. It was interesting to experience the mass and the church interior at the same time.

Now that we have finished our journey, we become tourists for the next five days. We will spend the next few days exploring Santiago. On Wednesday we will take the train to Bilbao and spend Thursday checking out the Guggenhim Museum. On Friday, fingers crossed that the volcanic ash cloud does not interfere, we will fly home via Munich.

We look forward to returning to family, friends, and our pets. We look forward to sharing our adventures with you accompanied by a reasonable number of pictures!

All our best wishes,
Jim and Wendy

A Pulpo Party and then on to Azura

Our extra day in Melida allowed us to attend a pulpo (octopus) party. A restaurant that seats 200 people with lines of picnic tables where the staff bring you a tray of octopus (yes, all parts of the octopus)coated with Spanish paprika, sea salt, and olive oil. Accompanying the pulpo is a basket of peasant bread to soak up the juices. A local white wine is also a feature of the meal. Wendy had a salad and watched as Jim consumed the entire pulpo portion (designed for at least two persons). The pulpo was succulent and did not at all smell fishy. It was interesting to see that the Spaniards also ordered garlic potatoes and red wine or Gallician beer with their pulpo. The Spanish pilgrims had no hesitation in ordering second and third botles of wine. Obviously they were not intending to continue their journey that day.

Today we thought we had ¨missed the memo¨since the Camino was devoid of any other walkers other than the two of us for at least an hour. We then realized we had stayed at the far end of Melida so had a 20 - 30 minute head start over the other pilgrims. They soon overtook us, but for that hour it felt like the early days of the Camino when there were very few of us on the trail.

Tomorrow we are doing a marathon distance to finish the Camino. Literally, it is about 40 kilometers to Santiago. We are ready to finish and want to finish- tomorrow.

We witnessed an interesting altercation in the local restaurant today. A Spanish man complained about his black umbrella being stolen. Another man came in at that moment with a grey checkered umbrella and apologized for taking the wrong umbrella. Great hilarity ensued as no one could figure out how you could possibly take a grey checkered umbrella in place of a black umbrella! Our theory is that it is too much red wine consumption that caused this alleged crime. Oh how exciting life is in a town of 6,000 people!

Here Comes the Rain, Part 2

Yesterday we slogged through 16 kilometers of a constant Gallician cloudburst. We arrived in Melide soaking wet and covered in mud. Around us was beautiful rural countryside. However, it is difficult to stop and appreciate it while traversing muddy paths and having rain water dripping down your back!

With just fifty kilometers to go, we decided to dry off in a hotel and finish off the remaining miles over next two days. This decision was easy to make since it is still raining today.

Melida has the distinction of being the octopus capital of Gallicia. ¨Polpo¨ is served with Spanish paprika and sea salt. Jim is looking forward to sampling some while Wendy will watch in horror. One of the women we were talking to yesterday asked if they served the octopus with their suckers still attached. Jim´s experience was, yes, indeed, that is exactly how they are served and they are yummy!

We are both looking forward to just one final alburgue stay before we conclude our journey in Santiago and begin a four day stay in a luxurious four star hotel. One can only take so much group togetherness and the growing competition to race for a bed, shower, toilets, coffee, etc. etc. etc.

Here Comes the Rain Again

Our first day of rain in the whole trip. It started as a drizzle and luckily, by the time it came down in buckets we were already in Palais del Rais. We are still walking through forested area which helped distract us from the rain. We also had a chance to use our raingear for the first time in nearly a month. The taxis were busy running wet pilgrims down to town all morning.

Would you believe the Spaniards were getting ready to leave this morning before 5 a.m. this morning? Then, for some mysterious reason, there was no light in the kitchen so they ate their breakfast outside the sleeping area. They laughed, they sang, they woke up everyone.

Pailais del Rais is a really boring place that has absolutely no monuments of any note. We spent the afternoon snoozing on our bunks in the alburgue. We can happily report that we booked a hotel in Santiago for four days, beginning with our planned arrival on June 12th. As of today, just 66 kilometers to go to Santiago.

Tomorrow we go to the octopus capital of the Camino. Jim intends to consume a full tray of octopus ¨polpo¨ while Wendy will be several kilometers away to avoid the stench!

The Hills Are Alive...With the Sound of Pilgrims

After a strenuous climb out of Sarria this morning, we found the roads increasingly full with a Japanese tour group and a Spanish school group. The hills were alive for a while with the sound of music as these youngsters could really wail!

We passed a major milestone today: the 100 kilometer marker until Santiago. Everyone was having their picture taken there. Jim took at least five photos for various groups of pilgrims and, in turn, one of them took our picture.

The scenery today took us through woodlands, pastures, and a series of small hamlets made up of anywhere between six and 12 people. We have arrived at the town of Portomarin, which was actually moved in 1950 to make way for the flooding of old town for a reservoir. The church was actually numbered brick by brick, moved to the new town site and reassembled.

Once again, our entry into town involved a long climb up a steep set of stairs. Just what you want after walking for six hours! Portmarin is a larger town of 2000 people that can truly is a tourist town. One sees tour buses and people walking around in large groups looking at the few local sites of interest. Lots of souvenir shops and even a pizza joint.

We now have 90 kilomters till Santiago.

Running with the Bulls

Today Jim lived out a long time dream. He ran with the bulls. Well, no they were actually cows and he didn´t run, he walked with a herd of some dozen cows that came onto the Camino this morning. So did Wendy and another half dozen young Spaniards. The cows were well behaved and no one was gored.

We walked in overcast, muggy weather today from Triacastela to Sarria through thick forested area, a distance of about 24 kilometers. When we arrived in Sarria just after noon, there was a line up of some 30 backpacks of pilgrims waiting to getting into the main alburgue. We added ours to the lineup and were among the lucky 42 people who got a bed. There are at least five other alburgues in this town. However, it shows you the bed space in the alburgues is filling up a lot earlier as we get closer to Santiago.

Sometime tomorrow morning, we will pass the 100 kilomter mark left in our journey until Santiago. You can see the growing relief in people´s expressions as they realize they will be finishing their walk sometime later this week. No doubt they see the look in our faces.

It is fun to watch people reconnect with those they met earlier on the route. The atomosphere here in Sarria was made more festive by a local celebration that was concluding as we arrived. The mainstreet was lined with a carpet made with flower petals. Under the petals are lines of gunpowder which are ignited and blow the fours into the air. We missed seeing this occurrance but did hear it quite well!

Over the Mountain Via Taxi

The spirit was willing but our flesh was weak. What was apparently food poisoning with Wendy turns out to be a flu bug affecting both of us. We decided rather than sit out another day and wait for our stomachs to improve, we would take a cab over the mountain. This morning we drove from Villafranca to Triacastela, a distance of 39kilometers. The views along the way were pleasant, but somehow it felt better knowing we did not have to try and make it over the mountain and down again.

Our taxi driver was part tour guide, providing information about the towns we passed through and stopping so we could take pictures. We entered into Galicia proper today and the weather is cooler and overcast, a nice change from scorching heat. The Galician accents and vocabulary are also different, so we don´t always understand it the first time we hear it.

We are now settled into an alburgue in Triacastela and have about 139 kilomters left to Santiago. There is little in this town of 900 inhabitants that is worh seeing. We have noticed quite a few pilgrims who walking wounded and have taxied or bused here.

We are hopeful that we will both feel well enough tomorrow to resume our travels.

One Can Never Start Walking Too Early?!%$

The alburgue was awash with zippers zipping and plastic bags rustling at 5 a.m. this morning. People were obviously anxious to either make it to the top of the mountain at O Cebreiro, some 30 kilometers away from Villafranca. Still others were planning to make it to the town before the hill.

There is an intensity to the pilgrims that was not evident when we began our walk in mid-May. Everyone is clearly tired, stressed by the heat, and injuries to legs and feet are appearing more commonly. This makes people more intense and cranky. There are fewer alburgues (and therefore fewer beds) to accomodate all those who are on the road. We are fortunate to have the option of private hotels or hostels, so we can escape the almost frenetic push being made daily for the next, best alburgue.

The locals continue to comment about the heat in every town and village we pass through. We are starting to hear Galician which is roughly the same as patois is French. It is still recognizable as Spanish (but just).

We walked 15 kilomters today to position ourselves for the push up the mountain to O Cebreiro tomorrow. This will officially take us into the region of Galicia.

Unexpected Break in Our Walking Schedule

We took two days off in Ponferrada: one for both of us to get a rest and a second day for Wendy with what seemed to be food poisoning. She spent a quiet day at the hotel watching Spanish television while I did a little food shopping and went for a few cafe con leches. Wendy is doing much better today and was able to walk.

We chuckled at some of the big news items on Spanish television. One item that received big coverage was the story that broke the news that people were not going to the beaches or the local fairs because the temperature was in excess of 35 degrees Celsius. A follow up to this big news item was a cloud of mosquitoes that had bitten people in Mallorca. Several people were interviewed showing as many as three mosquito bites on their arms and legs. One of the interesting aspects of Spanish news is that the commentator tells the story quite quickly and then the reporter interview at least five eyewitnesses to give their perspectives. One does not need too much Spanish to realize the perspectives are often dully similar!

We headed back out on the road today and walked 26 kilometers to Villefranca. We got started before 7 a.m. which was good. By noon, it must have been in the high 20s and it was hottttt! We took an alternative route for the last six kilometers which was, as always, scenic but tougher walking with many climbs and descents.Both of us had sore tired feet by the time we rolled into town. We had a great lunch at a modern restaurant that seemed almost out of place with this town of about 3,300 people.
As of now, we have walked a little over 300 kilometers with another 186 kilometers to Santiago. We are now aiming to be in Santiago on June 13th, a day later than we originally scheduled.

An Easy day...Until the Temperature Soared

Everyone was commenting on how great it was to be going downhill on a short day of 17kilometers. That opinion changed as we walked for 8 kilometers in 30 degrees Celsius. Needless to say the beer vending machine is doing a booming business!

We are in Ponteferrada now. Several pilgrims thought it would be nice to have a break from the 180 bed alburgue and stay at a private alburgue or hotel. Hah! As they so often say, there was no room at the inn. We are now staying with 178 of our new closest friends at the municipal alburgue. Actually it is quite nice. It has a garden, a fountain, and a beautiful view of the snowcapped mountains. In some ways, it feels to both of us like staying at a conference hotel where everyone is attending the same conference.

We are spending tomorrow at Ponteferrada to explore the Knights´Templars castle and the local art gallery. So far, we have covered 270.5 kilomters on the Camino. We have 211 kilomters to go until Santiago. Today over a drink or two with an Australian acquaintance, we all admitted freely that we will never do the Camino again. Once, as they say, is enough.

Jim and our English walking friend Sue had their maladies looked at today by a medico here at the alburgue. He was not too impressed with Jim´s blisters and gave him only a mecuricrom swab and bandage. Sue got the full meal deal, including a compression stocking.

One of the wonderful moments today was coming down a kilomters long pass to arrive at a fruit stand with fresh cherries. We gobbled them down!

Up and down, down and up, then down

Today was a series of hills that took us up into the mountains, then down, then up again. Beautiful views of mountains and hillsides along the way. Finished up with a loooong downhill that will continue for another 17 kilometres tomorrow.

At the end, we shared the trail with motocross and quad riders. It was surreal after so many days of walkers and bicylists!

We stopped today at a small and primitive alburgue in the valley. It had no running water but the staff were very friendly and provided free fruit, cookies and coffee. They also had the friendliest cats and dogs we have encountered in Spain. Most animals tend to be pretty skittish, reflecting the poor treatment they receive. These animals were just like our own. One cat cuddled up to Wendy and stayed there for 15 minutes, purring loudly.

We have hit the half way point of our time on the Camino. Like others, we sometimes find ourselves saying ¨What the hell are we doing out here?¨ However, after slogging along one arrives in a town, gets a bed, has a beer, gets showered, and eats. After that, a good sleep, one finds him/herself back on the trail and doing it all again for another day.

At our alburgue today is a Korean man who is walking the Camino for the third time. He did it last year and returned this year with his wife. The alburgue volunteer had actually walked some of the Camino with him last year, so both were pleased to renew acquaitances.

Wendy climbed her first mountain today ever and is very pleased she survived! Tomorrow we move on to Ponferrada, a city of 63,000 people. We may take a day off since we will have walked almost 110 kilometers in 5 days.

Making Our Way into the Mountains

We left the meseta behind and began to climb into the mountains today. Over the course of 21 kilometers we gained several hundred meters in altitude. We arrived at Rabanal de Camino, a town of 50 inhabitants (but three alburgues!)high in the hills of the Cordillera area of Northern Spain.

We have noticed that the density of pilgrim traffic has picked up since Leon. Early in our travels, we could walk along the Camino for quite a while and only see the odd one of two pilgrims up ahead or behind. Now, when one looks ahead there are groups of 6 to 8 pilgrims as well as an equal number behind. However, in the early stages of the Camino, a number of people were only walking for a week or two. They would finish at any number of points and return home. Now, everyone on the trail is bound for Santiago. This means the coffee bars are more crowded in the mornings and the alburgues fill up sooner in the late afternoon.

Yesterday we passed a village where one of the inhabitants (a man who walked the Camino to Santiago)has set up a tray of cookies and other treats for pilgrims. We actually got to thank him for his generosity personally as he happened to be standing outside when we walked by. Such acts are not uncommon. We are commonly greeted by Spaniards who wish us a ¨Buen camino!¨

How Time Flies!

We were shocked to realize that it has been four days since we last updated the blog. We enjoyed three days off from the Camino: two in Burgos and one in Leon. The time off really helped us get over the worst of our colds. We are both feeling more energetic and coughing a lot less.

Some of our highlights of the time in Burgos included touring the cathedral and taking in a pretty good museum. We also encountered the only vegetarian restaurant we have seen in Spain so far. Wendy was in heaven!

We travelled by bus the 180 kilometers or so from Burgos to Leon. We walked around the city centre a bit and saw the exterior of Leon´s cathedral. Pretty impressive, but not as grand as the one in Burgos.

As always, it is people we encounter along the way that are of greatest interest. Here are a few vignettes:

Overheard on the Burgos to Leon bus from one women: "I just lost in one hour the two people I had been travelling with for the last two weeks."

A Dutch man from near Rotterdam who began walking in early March and, when he reaches Santiago on June 10th will have walked 2,600 kilometers. His wife is joining him for the last 100 kilomters into Santiago.

A mother and adult daughter from the Czech Republic who are travelling together on the Camino. Mom pushes her daughter in her wheelchair about 15 kilometers each day.
We had a delightful dinner with them yesterday in a tiny town called St. Martin of the Camino. The daughter is a translator and speaks excellent English. She effortlessly translated between English and Czech when needed.

Tonight we are in Astorga, having travelled about 50 kilometers in the past two days since Leon. This part of the camino is very dry, the Spanish call it the meseta. Leon to Astorga is the last remnant of the meseta before we head into the mountainous Cordillera area, starting tomorrow.

During the past two days, we have had the option of travelling one of two different routes on the Camino. The original Camino route travels parallel and usually just a few metres from the main highway. The purists take this route because it is the original Camino route. It is also somewhat more direct. The second option is the more scenic route that winds its way through rolling hills. We have experienced both routes. We found the route tracking the highway to be ok with relatively light traffic noise. The scenic route had rolling hills that made it more demanding while offering less scenery than we might have hoped.

We are hoping to see a Gaudi designed church here in Astorga, if we can stir ourselves to keep moving. Not always easy after a day out on the Camino!

Taking A Few Days Off

Both of us are now down with colds. We walked five kilometers to Belogrado yesterday and got a hotel room for the night. This morning, we jumped the bus to Burgos, about 50 kilomters away. Buses here are ridiculously cheap - just $2,80 Euros each to ride in a brand new, air conditioned bus.

We are staying at the Hotel Cid which is only 100 meters from the fabulous Burgos Cathedral. We spent several hours touring the cathedral and could probably go back for several more. It is one of the most outstanding cathedrals either of us have ever seen.

Today we ran into several people we first met in the first day or two of our travels. One often assumes everyone else is further ahead and we´ll not see them again. In fact, everyone takes time off here and there, so we end up becoming reacquainted again in yet another town on the road to Santiago.

We intend to stay here another day to rest and see the many sites. The day after that we will bus 180 kilometers to Leon, where we will start the second leg of our trip: the 300 kilomters to Santiago.

Wendy is thrilled to find an actual vegetarian restaurant in this land of meat lovers. This is especially fulfilling as those of us waiting for this morning´s bus ride got to witness the local butcher unload pig carcasses off this truck for about 10 minutes! Jim almost turned vegetarian himself after that.

Top Ten Things We Thought We Knew about Walking the Camino

A hot one today- we travelled about 20 kilomters in 30 degree temperatures, mainly along roads or roads under construction. We´re staying at a delightful little place between Belorado and Najera. It has just five of us staying here and we had a communal meal together.

We thought we´d give you the ten top things we have learned:

1. The walk is fairly flat. Hah! Up, down, around, then up and down again.

2. People are always sensitive to the needs of others. Hah! Tell that to the two women who tried to kill Jim in Najera with the obnoxious toxic linament they rubbed on their legs just before they closed the alburgue window and retired for the night.

3. We all believe in lining up. Hah! Men and women bowl their way to the front of the line, cut you off, and then order 15 different items while all you want to do is pay your bill.

4. Everyone tips for good service, don´t they? Hah! Don´t try this in Spain, they have no idea what you are doing. Tips are included in the bill as a tax.

5. When the instructions say, do not leave the alburgue before 6 a.m., people will follw them. Hah! People get up at and start packing at 4:45 a.m. using their high beam flashlights while loudly whispering in some guttural European language so as not to disturb (hah!) those of us who are by now fully awake.

6. We are in Spain, so everyone will at least try to speak some Spanish, right? Hah! Germans expect everyone to understand German, the French expect the same. We are freaks as we both try to speak and understand Spanish.

7. You can pick your own fruit at the local market. Hah! Do not touch the fruit. No, no! You tell the fruit lady how many oranges you want, she picks them, weighs them, wraps them, and then.....you pay for them. Only then is fruit touching invoked.

8. Vegetables and fruit are plentiful and in abundance. Hah! The potato is Spain´s national vegetable followed by the olive. White aspargus is really exotic and we have observed Spaniards eating them. Wendy has been served meat every day she has been here, despite being a vegetarian. Iceberg lettuce has become a new candy for her!

9. Spanish people are incredibly kind, understanding and helpful. No hah here. They are just that. They don´t even laugh at our Spanish (at least until we leave).

10. People on the Camino are incredibly interesting and come from all walks of life and experiences. Again, no hah. Every day is an opportunity to meet someone new, interesting, and enjoying the experience of walking, whether it is for two weeks, a month, six months, or more.

Beginning Week Two on the Camino

Today was our eighth day on the Camino. We walked 21 kilomters from Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzado. As of now, we have walked 142 kilometers in total.

Our walk today took us past vineyards and crops that are watered by gravity flow aquaducts. These semi-circular concrete pipes are situated so that water flows down hill to water the crops. Jim took waaaay too many pictures of these things. He promises to thoroughly edit these down to a few aquaduct photos to show to interested friends and family members!

We met a Canadian couple today, one of only a handful of Canadians we have met on the trip to date. Mike is riding a bike and Suzanne is walking. They travel together and he rides beside her at a walking pace. Mike was originally training to walk the Camino but developed heel problems that could not be treated. He switched to biking and they are doing the Camino that way.

Speaking of biking, there are a number of people doing the Camino by bike. They are riding mountain bikes with thick tires and carrying saddle bags. Everyone wears bike helmets which is quite a change from when Jim bike toured in Europe during 1983. At that time, no one wore them. Jim actually caused a Dutch woman to break into whoops of laughter at seeing him wearing his bike helmet!

Talk about what a difference a day makes. Last night, we spent with 93 of our new friends in an alburgue that resembled something out of U.S. basic training movies. You know the one, with about 50 bunk beds lined up along each wall and one down the centre of the room. As one Norwegian fellow said this morning,¨It was so hot last night, it felt like a sauna, but not a good one, a smelly one!¨

Tonight we are at the Hilton of alburgues. Thoroughly modern with beautiful clean rooms, open windows, and just 12 people each to a large sized room. It has tables to sit outside on a patio, a modern kitchen, and plenty of showers and washroom facilities for everyone. This place actually has a capacity of 130 people. However, it feels so much more roomy and comfortable because it is spread over two stories.

We are really enjoying Spain and thinking that it would be fun to come back sometime and rent a place and stay a few weeks, perhaps in Barcelona. This would also be an incentive to keep learning Spanish after this trip is over.

The Long Road to Najera

Today we walked 21 kilomters from Navarrete to Najera that started with vineyards and mountain views. It ended with a long slog through industrial and commercial areas. We overshot the albergue and a kind Dutch woman helped us find our way back.

We are encountering all sorts of characters on the camino. One of them we have given the nickname ¨Dino de Camino´. Dino is in his late 50s and looks quite fit. We first saw him yesterday morning when he was making new friends at the local outside bar. As we were waiting several hours for the albergue to open, we had the chance to watch Dino in action. He is very skilled at waiting just long enough for someone else to pay for his drinks.

Dino became notorious after last night when four couples, including ourselves, were blasted by his snoring, accompanied by bouts of yelling out in Spanish and flailing around. Dino wins Jim´s award for the overall loudest sleeper ever. By morning, we all wanted Dino dead.....

Dino must have known we had thoughts of killing him because he left quickly upon rising. We next saw Dino at the first cafe bar on route. While everyone else was ordering coffees or tea, Dino ordered his first red wine of the day. And then his second. Oh, did we not mention it was only 9 a.m.? Dino is in our alburgue tonight but thankfully he is at the far end. We feel very sorry for whomever is unlucky enough to be trying to sleep in his immediate vicinity tonight.

For our art history lovers, we can tell you that in Nvarrete we saw in the local church what is reported to one of the finest Baroque retablos in Spain. It was breathtaking in terms of the gilt and frescoes that comprised it. We only hope the photos taken will do it some justice!

Respite in Locarño before on to Navarrete

We stepped off the camino for the first time yesterday, to catch a bus to Locarño, a bus ride of about 10 kilomters. Wendy was fighting a cold and feeling very tired. We took a hotel, Wendy slept, and I explored the major Rioja region city of apprxokmately 150,000 people. There were expansive walkways and sidestreets where cars could not travel. Saw a Michelangelo Pieta in one of the major churches. Also saw a monument to victims of the Madrid terrorist attack in 2006.

Wendy was feeling much better today after a day of rest. We walked 13 kilomters to Navarrete. We arrived about 11 a.m. and had a leisurely breakfast and snacks while waiting for the aubergue to open at 2 p.m. This centre is known for its pottery as well as the caves where its mushrooms and wines are stored. The weather has turned very pleasant in the past two days with highs in the low 20s. It has still been cooler for walking in the mornings, which is great. After walking, we can sit in the sun at the local bar and enjoy our coffee/tea.

Today we hit a total of 100 kilomters walked so far. We have met others who have walked much further, some of whom are doing 30 kilometers a day. They start later in the morning than we do, and tend to take several 45 or 60 minute breaks, arriving at their destination in the early evening. We think our pokey 20 kilomters a day that has us finished by 1 p.m. gives us time to explore the towns and rest our bodies for the next day.

We have had several requests for photographs on our site. Unfortunately, we are dependent on using internet cafes that do not allow us to hook up our camera and download photos. However, upon our return, we would be pleased to show a sensible number of slides to any and all who are interested.

Arriving in Viana (not Vienna)

No, you are not seeing things! It is Viana we arrived in today, not Vienna. We were joking about this with an Austrian couple we met yesterday who are from Austria.

This is Day Five in our journey and we have now covered approximately 90 kilometers. We had a long walk through vineyards with approximately 10 kilomters between centres. This can be somewhat challenging if food gets short, as there we often are in the middle of nowhere. It forces us to think ahead about what we need to keep our energy up.

Our days have now evolved into a routine. We are up by 6 a.m., eating breakfast on our own or having something at the aubergue if they serve breakfast. We then walk for about 90 minutes before getting cafe con leche and tea. After that we walk for another two hours before having some lunch. After that, it´s another hour walk and we arrive at our destination (usually between 12 p.m. and 1:30. After that, its getting set up at the aubergue, showering, getting a small bite to eat or a drink, reading (or sleeping), until about 7 or 7:30 p.m. when we go for dinner. Pelegrin dinners tend to be fairly inexpensive three course meals that include pasta, meat, dessert, bottled water and wine. They don´t vary a lot but so far we are not bored with them and they are filling. We are usually all in bed, asleep by 9 or 10 p.m. I have found my ear plugs work wonders for getting a sound sleep!

On to Los Arcos

Tonight we are sipping red wine after dinner at our alburgue in Los Arcos (another site visible on our blog). We completed about 18 kilometers, climbing 250 meters in about 1.5 kilomters. We visited a simple Romanesque church in Villamayor de Manjardin that had an ambience that was as powerful as one could find at the finest cathedral.

Once again, the Germans have shown that they are the world´s greatest travellers. The alburgue is full of them. However, they are good company and always willing to have some fun We shared a good laugh about someone using a ringer washer here at the alburgue. All of us of a certain age knew how a ringer washer worked. One poor guy did not and he created his own sketch comedy routine by trying to use it (backwards, sideways, upside down, etc.).

We had a an expensive but amazing pellagrino(pilgrim) dinner tonight. These are three course meals that include wine and dessert.

It is unseasonably cold here in northern Spain. The Spanish go around in scarves, gloves, and winter coats while we wear shorts and sandles. We´re not saying it´s not cold, it´s just that we are Albertans, so we always wear shorts anytime after April 1st!

Tomorrow we are off to Viana, no not Vienna. The views of the broad beautiful valleys with vast vineyards continues. There are opportunities too numerous every day for photos. Basically you turn a corner and there is another picturesque scene.

Life in Irache

Today was a lower mileage day. The third day of walking with packs created some tight hamstrings and quads.The terrain has been varied and with the rain, the mud was added weight. We are finding that while it is all fine in theory to talk about walking 25 kilomters a day, the reality is quite different. Weather conditions, terrain, and availability of albergues and hotels means one needs to be flexible about your walking plan. We have now concluded there is no way we can walk the entire distance in the time we have allocated. Our plan now is to be flexible and identify the least interesting upcoming terrain to bus through. This will also give us time to explore the larger cities such as Burgos and Leon.

Last night, in Lorca which was established in 982 AD, we joined in the local festival celebrations for about 20 minutes (who knew Jim could polka). Thanks to earplugs all at the albergue slept well. The torch light parade started at 1:00 a.m.(after the band finished) and the last celebration started at 5 a.m. The staff at the albergue left the second floor door open so we would not disturb them when we left this morning at 7:30 a.m.

The big event for today was the WINE FOUNTAIN at the winery in Irache. Free water and wine was readily available at a dispenser attached to the winery. You could even use the webcam to link to friends on the Internet.

We are staying in Irache (population of about 100 or less). Right now we are being serenaded by revellers in the hotel parking lot(and it´s only 7 p.m.). Needless to say the Spanish live life to the fullest and love to party. There is currently a dance party going on at the hotel. Who knew that ¨Delilah¨by Tom Jones was still a hit?

Walking On Ancient Roman Road

Today we left Uterga at about 7 a.m. and, with a 30 minute break for breakfast, we walked 21 kilomters to Lorca, finishing at about 2 p.m. The walk into Lorca featured travelling over the remains of a road constructed by the Romans as well as two Roman bridges.

Today was not as tough a walk as yesterday, however, there were still two major climbs. The weather was unsettled, requiring us to make numerous changes as the sun came out or clouded over. Beautiful scenery, however, with broad green valleys, vineyards, and almond trees. Picturesque towns with red roofed buildings sit on hills.

We have found another great alburgue or hostel to stay tonight. They even have washers, dryers, and a local massage therapist on the payroll. The village of Lorca where we are staying is having a major festival tonight. There will be music, singing, dancing, and, we suspect, the odd drink or two. We were warned about this when we checked in, in case we wanted to avoid the noise and move to the next town. We decided to stay, thinking we will probably be asleep by 10 p.m. anyway, no matter how loud the festivities are.

We are meeting all types of pilgrims who are travel for a wide variety of reasons. Some are walking as part of their religious faith or spiritual reasons. Some are here for the physical challenge of walking hundreds of kilometers. Still others are interested in viewing the ancient churches or other buildings found in every town we go through.

Tomorrow will have us finally moving past Estella on the map we posted on the blog.

Finally Walking the Camino!

Spent the early evening touring the old city centre of Pamplona. Jim saw the street where the running of the bulls occurs. This killed the last vestige of any desire he had to run with bulls in such narrow confines. The old fortified walls of Pamplona are still well preserved. Jim has not seen more formidable forticiations of a European city other than Luxembourg City.

We went to dinner after that and met a group of Irish couples who are travelling the Camino in style. They are walking for the next week, carrying no packs. They then stay at a nice hotel at the end of each day. Wendy and I are wondering why we didn´t come up with this idea ourselves. Just kidding!

We began our walk out of Pamplona this morning at about 7:30 a.m. Within a minute, we came upon a couple from Ontario who were starting their fifth day on the Camino. From there, it was passing or being passed by 30 walkers during the morning. All ages, all sizes, all languages (well, German, Spanish, French, Korean, English, and Italian). The universal greeting regardless of language is usually "Buen camino"! (have a good camino walk). There were also cyclists riding heavy duty mountain bikes.

It was a challenging first day. We climbed roughly 300 metres over 4.5 kilometers, The views were amazing, however. We could hear wind turbines turning from the top of the hills we were climbing. During the last few kilometers today, we descended a very steep and rocky pathway. By the time we reached Uterega, almost 17 kilometers from Pamplona, we decided it had been a first day of walking and booked into the local auberge.

The facilities are very modern and comfortable. We have a bunkbed in a dormitory with about 20 people. Most of our room mates are German.

on the train, again...

We spent a quiet day in Irun (just across the French border). The trains are very busy due to the volcanic ash cloud wreacking havoc on the flight schedules. Those who are trying to get home are rather stressed.

Spent the day reading reading signs and ordering food, groceries, etc. in Spanish (well Jim is speaking Spanish). Wendy is listening to Spanish, translating it to French, then English and confirming understanding with Jim who then is brave enought to speak Spanish.

On to Pamplona by train and then on the Camino tomorrow.

Train to Spain via Paris

After a third unsuccessful day, we missed out a chance to get on standby and two more flights were cancelled due to the volcanic ash cloud. By all accounts, the cloud seems likely to settle in on Spain for the next few days and all flights to Bilbao are fullz bookedwere offered the chance to take the train. We accepted. We are leaving tomorrow morning for Paris, where we will spend a few hours before catching a second train to Spain. We are headed to Irun, which is just over the Spanish border. We will spend the night there, before moving on to either Roncesvalles or Pamplona, depending on connections.

Frankfurt Day Three

Our flight to Bilbao was cancelled last night with less than 10 minutes until boarding. Volcano ash cloud has moved into Frankfurt area. The ash cloud is huge: it extends from the Atlantic Ocean as far as the Mediterranean, covering a huge geographical area. Strangely, for such a dominant phenomena, the media has not yet come up with a catchy name for the cloud.

We are lucky that European airlines feel a sense of responsibility for their passengers. We have been put up at hotels and fed at their expense.

So far, we are well-rested, well-fed, and maintaining our sense of humour. Unlike many of our fellow passengers, we have no pressing appointments or obligations. While we do not have our backpacks, our quick dry clothing can be washed nightly and is dry by morning. We are making the the best of the situation, however, one can only read so many free newspapers and drink so many free coffees and hot chocolates!

Jim is rediscovering his German language skills while Wendy is picking up a knowledge of key words and phases: danke, rot wein, and annulieren (cancelled).

We are on standby for three flights to Bilbao today. Hopefully this will be the day we move on.

Another day spent waiting to fly out of Frankfurt. Spent evening at hotel that Lufthansa paid for. Wendy was the last person who could have gotten out earlier this afternoon on standby. We decided to stay together and get seats out on tonights 9 p.m. flight. The volcano cloud has now moved into southern Germany cancelling flights to Munich and Zurich. Hopefully, the cloud stays put so we can get to Bilbao tonight.

Not there yet

Just like the amazing race. Still in Frankfurt due to volcanic cloud hanging overBilbao. Smoking cubicles are very busy. Lots of pets travelling too! Coffee and hot chocolate is terrific! Hoping to get out to Bilbao later tonight.

Welcome family, friends, and those interested in our Camino trek. Wendy and I will share with you our experiences as we trek over a six-week period from Roncesvalles to Santiago, a distance of 750 kilometers. We hope to find Internet cafes along our route to keep you updated.

We leave on May 7th and fly to Bilbao. We are looking forward to taking in the Guggenheim Museum during our day or two there. From there, we plan to take the train east to Pamplona and a bus to Ronceville where our Camino walk will hopefully begin on May 11th.