Camino Day 24 - September 30

Today, we walked from Leon to Villadangos del Paramo. It was just over 20 km. It was the warmest morning we´ve had in a while, and it got to be quite hot by the afternoon. The first part of our morning was spent walking through Leon. Leon led right into neighbouring communities. We stopped a few km out - at Virgen del Camino -  for breakfast.  As we were leaving that community, the Camino split into two paths. One choice was the principal route, which is a little bit shorter, but runs mostly alongside the highway. The other choice was an alternate route, longer, but farther from main roads and more scenic. Both routes passed through various communities, and the two routes will meet up sometime tomorrow.

 

We had already chosen to go the principal route. We walked mostly on a dirt path close to the main highway, so there was a bit of traffic smell and noise.. But it was really quite fine. We had thought of carrying on to the next community beyond here (about another 6 km), but we were both feeling a little weary and ready to stop.

 

One of today´s highlights had nothing to do with the Camino.. We are staying at the municipal albergue here in Villadangos. Out front, there is a patio and lawn area with tables and picnic benches. Several of us were sitting out there after showers and laundry. There is also a large chestnut tree in the yard, and chestnuts all over the lawn. A small orange and white cat came by, and stayed quite a while. It was sort of friendly, but super playful.. It started playing with the chestnuts, batting them around, and chasing them. Rob spent probably half and hour tossing chestnuts at the cat, and the cat went nuts chasing them. It would chase for a while, then pick up a chestnut in its teeth, carry it under a table or near a tree, flop down, and play with it some more. It was hilarious to watch. Great entertainment for all of us after a long, hot day..

 

Hope you´ve had moments of delight in your day, as we have in ours.

 

Blessings,

susan

 



Camino Day 23 - September 29

Today, we stayed in Leon. This was a rest day, and just our second rest day so far this journey.. It was a pretty low-key and relaxing day.. One big highlight is that we took all of our laungry to a laundry service.. It cost a little bit, but we were prepared to pay to have our clothes properly cleaned and dried.. Most days, we hand wash our walking clothes in a sink - either a designated laundry sink, or else in the bathroom sink if that is the only option.. There is a phrase I´ve been using a lot on this trip, and particularly with my long-sleeved shirts, which I wear occasionally in the mornings and the evenings. When I pull them out of my pack, I often say, ¨This smells like bag..¨ And trust me, it´s not the most pleasant smell in the world to be wearing.. Mostly old and stale smelling.. So imagine my delight when after having our laundry properly done, my shirts no longer smell like bag.. They will soon, but for now, they just smell clean!

 

We also took some time to wander around Leon. It is a really beautiful city. Lots of old buildings, old fortress walls, fountains, sculptures, and statues. It has a lot of character. And in this city, as in many other places we´ve visited, the streets come alive at night. The Spanish schedule is  quite different from what we´re used to. Stores, bars and restaurants are open until 1 or 2 pm, and then closed for the afternoon siesta. Things open again around 5pm, and restaurants usually start serving supper around 7. The pilgrims and tourists eat on the early side, and the locals eat around 8:30 or 9 pm. And in those mid-evening hours, the streets are jammed with people, and full of noise. Sometimes the streets are so busy, it is hard to move through them. It is not unusual to see children running around and families visiting at 9pm or later.. In the cool of the evening hours, the city really becomes vibrant and loud and full of life.. 

 

It was a great stop in Leon, but now we prepare for another two weeks of walking. If all goes according to plan, our next rest days will be in Santiago, which is our end destination..

 

As always, many blessings to you all,

susan

Camino Day 22 - September 28

Today, we walked from Mansilla de las Mulas to Leon. After walking 26, 23, and 26 km the last three days, this walk of 20 km felt short. We also connected again with our friends Bill and Jo, and walked a fair part of the distance with them, chatting as we went.. That seemed to make the time pass more quickly.

Leon is a larger city (around 180,000, I think), and is full of beautiful, old buildings, and lots of history. And guess what we found when we arrived? A fiesta! People were dressed in traditional costume, and there was music, dancing, and parades through the streets. We went to the tourist information office to inquire about a place to stay, and the man there said it was lucky we didn´t arrive the day before, or everything would have been full.. He contacted a hostal for us, who said they had rooms available, so we checked it out and stayed there. We have a lovely view of some of the old buildings right from our window.

After settling in, we went in the later aternoon to see the Leon Cathedral. This one didn´t seem quite as big as the cathedral in Burgos, but still very large, and stunning in architecture and design. This particular cathedral is known for its stained glass, and has about 1900 square metres of it! A huge amount of glass.. All of the symbols and pictures in the glass have particular meanings, and the narration we heard through the portable device was very clear in explaining the history and meaning of the details in the building.

We also toured the museum next door to the cathedral, which has all sorts of sacred Spanish art and artifacts.. It is amazing to see icons and crucifixes and other art dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries.. It´s interesting to see what is different and similar between those and modern images..

We are taking a rest day tomorrow, and ready for it. We´ll spend more time touring and exploring the city, will run some errands, and will generally relax and prepare to start walking again..

More from me soon..

Blessings,

susan

Camino Day 21 - September 27

Today, we walked from Bercianos del Real Camino to Mansilla de las Mulas. It was 26.3 km, our second 26 km day in three days, and it felt like it.. I was pretty tired by the end of it.. It was pretty easy walking again, though.. A big open stretch (about 12-13 km) without any villages, but very little climbing, and easy terrain to navigate..

Not too much of particular interest about the day, so I thought I´d talk a bit about some of the symbols of the Camino. The two main symbols are the scallop shell and the yellow arrow. The scallop shell, which we see in various artistic representations, is thought to be connected with the sea in this area, and particularly with the town of Finisterre at the coast, which is the very end of the Camino (we are not walking quite that far). Many people, including us, have scallop shells attached to the outside of our backpacks. This marks us as pilgrims. The scallop shell can also be seen on many of the signs marking the way, and often along the ground through cities or towns, marking the route we are to follow. Many of the old statues of pilgrims show them wearing or holding the scallop shell.

The yellow arrow is the primary symbol we follow to know we are going the right way. The whole route is marked with them. Some arrows are easier to see than others, and some areas have more of them, while some cities seem to have relatively few. They are painted on the roadways, on rocks, on the backs of signs, on the concrete pillars marking the way as well. The tell us which way to go, when to cross the street etc.. If we haven´t seen a yellow arrow for a while, it is a sign that we might have gone the wrong way.

Of course, both the scallop shell and the yellow arrow are available on countless souvenirs. Both are signs and symbols of the Camino, of pilgrims, and of the pilgrimage itself.

With blessings,

susan

Camino Day 20 - September 26

Today, we walked from Terradillos de los Templarios to Bercianos del Real Camino (Do you see why I´m having trouble remembering the right place names, and in the right order?). It was about 23.8 km.. It was a chilly morning and a hot afternoon, but a pretty easy and straight-forward walk.. When we arrived in Bercianos, we followed the signs to one of the albergues (hostels). It was a fair walk, and we found ourselves at a building that looked big and old, and a little rough. I think this is what they call a parrochial albergue. We ended up staying there. The hospitalero (volunteer staff) who checked us in told us that the building was 400 years old, but renovated, and used to be run by the church of that community which no longer exists..

This turned out to be a lovely place.. Not the fanciest albergue we´ve stayed in, but such a good atmosphere. There were three hospitaleros working there. One greeted at the door, one did the cooking, and the third was doing odd jobs and helping people with various needs. Three men - one from Germany, one from Majorca, and one from the Canary Islands..

At this albergue, we shared in our first communal meal. I have usually avoided these, because of my food restrictions. But, the menu for this night was Spanish tortilla (eggs, onions, and potatoes), and a mixed salad, plus bread, and melon for dessert. It was a simple meal, but plentiful, and really tasty. It felt a bit like camp, waiting for the dinner bell to sound, and then piling onto long benches at long tables. We enjoyed the visiting over supper as well as the meal.

After supper, we went to the chapel service, which was open to anyone interested. It was much less structured than the mass I had attended a while back. There were readings, the passing of a candle with an invitation to share a few words, a song and prayer. It was much like a vespers service at camp, Naramata, Calling Lakes Centre etc.. The meal (which was at 8pm), and the chapel service which followed were a lovely end to the evening!  One of my favourite albergue experiences yet..

I continue to think of you all, and hope you are keeping well..

Blessings,

susan 

Camino Day 19 - September 25

Today, we passed the 400 km mark. Hard to believe. We walked from Carrion de los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios, for a total today of about 27 km. It was a big day, a longer day, and a bit of a challenging one for me. Once we left Carrion de los Condes, we had 17 km of wide open space. No villages, and very little change in the scenery. We passed two small picnic areas, but that was it. It was a bit of a mental challenge for me, and (graphic content warning) a definite challenge for my bladder.. It took us about 4 hours to get to the next community. That is the longest stretch we have walked without a break, and when the first village came into view, I was really ecstatic.. I think everyone was.. The one bar in that little town was hopping, as many pilgrims were seeking a bathroom, a drink, or some food. After a short lunch break, we carried on, and reached Terradillos de los Templarios about 3 hours later. 

There were two possible routes into Terradillos, and we chose the farm track, instead of the highway. That brought us right to one of the two albergues in town. And it was full. So, we and the man who had arrived right behind us (and who had walked further than us today) walked fairly swiftly to the other albergue at the other end of town. And wouldn´t you know it, we three got the last three beds. Talk about good timing.. I do feel badly, though, for all of the other pilgrims arriving after long days only to find the town full.. It only has the two albergues.. No guesthouses or bed & breakfasts or hotels.. 

The other man (from Germany) was so relieved to get the last bed. We are in a room of four, and he is one of our roommates. Our other roommate is from Italy. When he found out we were from Canada, he asked if we knew of some Canadian musicians he really likes - Bruce Cockburn and Serena Ryder.. We certainly know them both.. It´s our kind of music, we´ve heard them both in concert, and Serena is one of my very favourites!

Aside from a long day, we are really fine.. Our feet are always achy at the end of the day, and we only hope that our room for the night is not up three flights of stairs.. Stairs are almost impossible after many hours of walking.. Rob is also dealing with a couple of blisters, but for the most part, we are really well.. Healthy and enjoying this journey.

Thanks for all your good wishes!

and blessings,

susan

Camino Day 18 - September 24

Today, we walked from Fromista to Carrion de los Condes. In the early days of this pilgrimage, I had no problem with the place names, or with remembering where we had been.. Now, it´s a different story.. Many of the place names are a few words long, and I find I´m having trouble remembering where I am, let alone where I´ve been.. Thank goodness for notes, our guidebooks, and my journal..

Today´s walk was about 21 km. There was nothing remarkable about today´s walk. Except, Rob says, that we walked 21 km in 5 hours.. One of our shortest walking days yet. It was a bit of a cooler day, and the way was flat, so we made good time.

When we arrived in Carrion de los Condes, we were met, as we often are, by a woman handing out pamphlets for one one the accommodation options. It was a hostal (not to be confused with an albergue or hostel).. This hostal had private rooms with private bathrooms.. We decided to stay there, and really enjoyed it. As we were looking for the hostal, a man on the street saw me with the brochure, and led us straight to the hostal. Now that´s service! The people there, again, were very kind, and the hostal was just off the main square. 

One thing I haven´t talked about yet is the churches.. In most communities (of all sizes), the church is at the centre of the community - often at the geographic centre, and usually at the main square, with restaurants and shops nearby. The churches also all have church bells. The bells have varied in tone and volume, but they all ring on the 15, 30, and 45 of each hour, and then have a different ring on the hour to tell you the time (6 bells is really 6 o´clock, hence the expression). What I really love is that when it´s time for mass, the bells ring madly about 10 minutes before the service is to start.. In some towns, the bells have been REALLY loud, but still haven´t kept me awake.. I´m getting used to hearing them, and really enjoy the variety of sounds..

Hope the bells are ringing sweetly wherever you are,

susan