Day 17 Carrion de los Condes

Finally found a bar with internet access and a computer, and of course cervesza limon. We are about halfway!!!  Difficult to believe.  Here is a summary of the past couple of days:

Day 14 - Hornillos.   We left Burgos in the dark, Richard still suffering from his cold.  We are taking large doses of vitamin C now in the hopes that it will help both of us.  We encountered a new wave of pilgrims with clean shoes and great energy, passing everyone.  They will learn!  Walked across the flat meseta with wonderful panoramas of sky.  I have become a great watcher of the sky since starting the Camino.  And I always know the phase of the moon. We had arranged to stay at a Casa Rural, which we were to phone upon reaching Hornillos.  I sat down on a bench, up pulls a small car and a woman hops out asking El Molina?  We got in and drove 8 km or so to a refurbished mill house with resident dogs, chickens and peacocks!  I think some of the movie The Way was filmed on the grounds.  There was a large poster signed by the cast and several photos.  And later we (all 20 of us) were treated to a fantastic home cooked dinner eaten en famille.  We finished with liqueurs and went to sleep immediately.

Day 15 - Castrojeriz .  Awoke to rain, had breakfast and piled into van for the trip back to town.  There were 12 of us plus packs in a van with 8 seats....cosy.  More trekking across the meseta in the drizzle.  We decided to stay in rooms above a small bar.  After getting settled and having a long lunch of bean soup and eggs we felt much better.  We also felt much better after finding a bank machine which  spit out money.  We are finding that we need more cash than we had planned on because many places accept only cash.  Over lunch we learned that there had been theft in a nearby albergue the previous night, with about 1000 euros stolen from backpacks while people were asleep.  We rested then had dinner at the bar below us, rediscovering our new Irish friend, to replace our old Irish friends who have returned home.

Day 16 - More drizzle. And relentless head winds. The meseta instead of being hot and dry is cold and wet.  It was a tiring walk, fighting the wind all the way to Boadilla where we stayed in a really nice albergue En El Camino, run by a local family.  Dinner was at long tables and very good with lentils, chick pea soup and chicken....lots of it.  Food is definitely one of the high points of the day, and we are always hungry for dinner.  We also spent spme time planning the next week or two, as we are booking ahead, so avoid the stress of finding no room at the inn. We   have heard via the Camino grapevine that this September is particularly flooded with pilgrims because the spring was so very wet and many people postponed their trips. 
Also learned that there is a 91 year old man walking the Camino solo....so the pressure if off Richard, whose cold is much better.  The problem now is shin splints.

Day 17 - Carrion.  Awoke to guess what, more drizzle and rain.  But we are getting the drill down and just deal with it.  Started again in the dark, walking along the canal system that irrigates this agricultural area.  Needed the flashlight to avoid puddles.  Lots of pictures of sky again.  The wave of pilgrims is getting dissipated - a blessing!  We have been very fortunate to this point.  Our bodies are holding up pretty well and our spirits are good, for the most part.  We have decided that you really have to be a little bit crazy to walk the Camino.  And you also have to be quite driven.....even if you are walking in a relaxed manner.  The days are long and we are asleep by 9:30 most nights.  Actually the days are getting noticibly shorter.  We are already looking forward to a second rest day in Leon.

Adios....Hasta pronto....and Buen Camino!  and perhaps a second cervesza before dinner.

The Next 2 Days / Burgos and a day of rest

Yesterday we had our packs transported and began the day with a quick bite in our room and then off in the dark uphill.  Richard awoke with a very sore throat and cough, feeling awful, but wasdetermined to walk, even though it was a gruelling day.  We took it slowly.  After 12 km we were rewarded with coffee, one of the real high points of any day. On  through the woods and hills with the company of lots of birds and butterflies including some beautiful small blue ones.  And no pilgrims.  by mistake we took one of the alternate routes  / longer !/ .  By 330 we were on the ugly outkirts of Burgos, and made the decision because Richard was struggling and the traffic was horrendous, to take a taxi to our hotel.  We have stepped outside one pilgrim world and entered another....luxurious.....for a day.  A welcome break and Richard can sleep.
Today I shipped 3 kilos of excess stuff to Santiago.  We are very stripped down now in terms of what we will carry.  A weight off our shoulders.  Burgos is beautiful...fantastic!!!! Tour of the cathedral thei pm.  Adios for now...out of minutes on the computer.

Day 11 - Villafranca

No dinner last night at the truck stop, but they did have great hot chocolate and we had a peaceful nightś sleep.  Breakfast was coffee at the bar with the truck drivers.  We started walking early to get a few kilometers in during the cooler temperatures.  And love the walking as day is breaking - the light is fantastic, and there are very few pilgrims on the road.
We passed through a succession of small villages, stopped for morning coffee in one of them, then walked on through rolling hills of farming country.  Much of the day was  spent near the busy N120, so it was fitting that we began the day with truckdrivers!  We are now in Villafranca and have decided to have our packs transported tomorrow as we are aiming to get to Burgos 36 km over some significant hills.  We are really looking forward to a day of rest in Burgos.
What we have enjoyed recently is that the initial torrent of walkers has spread out and we have plenty of solitude.  That having been said, it is really nice to reconnect from time to time with folks from earlier days.

Buen Camino!!

Day 10 - Castildelgado

I am sitting in the bar of  a small hotel by the highway in this very small town, basically a truckstop, but this is where we are spending the night.  We had another short day of only 18 km.  But the day had a wonderful beginning with breakfast in the kitchen of the Casa Rural where we spent the night.  It was such a nice way to start the day with some other pilgrims.  However the days are getting quite warm (31) with limited shade, so tomorrow we will try and be on the road before 7 when the temperatures are very pleasant for walking.
When we get to Burgos on Wednesday we will be lightening our packs, sending the excess on to Santiago or Auberge Hunziker.  One of the universal truths of the Camino seems to be that despite being told to pack very light, everyone brings too much stuff...us included. We have been travelling off and on with two sisters from the US and earlier ran into Irish Damien who had travelled by bus while his wife went on by foot.
Things are going well, but we are looking forward to having a day of rest in Burgos.  We have walked 250 km.  The dining room here has closed for the season, so it will be a sandwich for dinner - very good ham here.

Day 9 Ciruena

We are still alive and well.  Yesterday we walked 40 km, again without packs, to Najera.  It was a killer day, as we departed Viana at 6:45 in the dark, and did not arrive until 11 hours later.  We had breakfast in Logrono which smelled like a giant pissoir after the revelries of the wine festival.  We walked on and on through the Rioja - fantastically beautiful countryside - but   towards the end it was just a matter of putting
one foot in front of the other.  Richard developed shin splints during the afternoon.  But our bags were in our room, and we were greeted with a bottle of vino tinto.  Amazing what a glass of wine and a shower will do to improve your spirits!!! Dinner by the river on Saturday  night with young punks throwing giant firecrackers out of cars, but the police put a stop to that.  Back to the hotel in the backstreets where the ladies of the  night were just beginning work.
Today a short day to Ciruena, carrying packs, and the bodies are not complaining.  Wonderful weather, brilliant sunshine, and everyone seems to be settling into a rhythm, or maybe just getting tired.  I am sitting in the bar near the casa rural, stuggling with the keyboard, and watching a car race in Singapore.  I have several technical difficulties, including an almost broken bootlace, a problem with wear on one part of a boot and a camera which is not reliable.  Now using my i phone and keeping a close watch on my boots.
Irritants - everything is Complet (Full) and the kleenexes on the Camino are the best route markers, sadly.
Joys - the warmth of the sun as it comes up each day and takes the iciness out of the air and my feet are in great shape after 230 km.

Day Seven - Viana

Here we are in Viana, after walking 30 k sans packs.  We decided to treat ourselves to a hotel night, and the only hotel we could find with vacancies was here.  So, we had our bags transported and we walked. 
But it was still a long day.  Fantastic scenery in the morning with rolling hills, small villages and ancient fortified towns.  By late morning the wave of rapidly moving walkers passed us and we were walked most of the afternoon with nobody in sight, and that was a treat.  It was also nice to know that we had a place to sleep, so no need to rush.  Last night a dozen people were forced to sleep outside - no space in the albergues or anywhere else and they were too tired to go on.  It was very cold.  Our albergue was run by a Dutch reform church and the hospitaliers there were very kind and let these folks use the bathrooms and lent them sleeping bags and mats.
We are looking forward to a night with no snorers, but will be up early tomorrow as we have another long day, and will walk again without packs.  My back and Richard´s legs will appreciate it.  We walk through Logrono which is celebrating a wine festival.  We are in wine and olive country now.
Off to eat and I am starving!

Monjardin - Day Six, I think

A short day of walking and here we are in Monjardin, near the top of a mountain, in a Dutch-run alberge.
We have a bed and will be registered at 4 pm.  We are rejoined by our Irish friends with whom we crossed the Pyrenees, and Philip from California, with the blisters.  Our plan to stay in smaller villages seems to be working better for us.  Today it is a mix of sun and cloud, and lots of wind.  Good walking temperatures.
And lots of beautiful views.  I am in a small bar next to the alberge, uning one euro worth of public internet to stay connected with the world outside the Camino.
My wisdom for the day is to remember to look backwards - the views can be awesome and are not to be missed.
Tonight we will eat the pilgrim´s meal in our alberge and find out how many snorers there are in our room of six people.  Tomorrow we plan to walk around 30 km (mostly flatish), but the reward is that we will be staying in a hotel and so we do not have to worry about finding a bed elsewhere.  There are lots of people walking the Camino and we are told that last night here a number of folks slept outside the church, and it was really cold.  The worry about finding accommodation does detract from the spiritual comtemplation the one would hope to experience.  It is so windy that the tables, glasses and chairs outside just blew all over the square.
Adios for now

Day Five Villatuarte

We have revised our strategy, and will try and not spend the nights in places that are typically the endpoints of the stages published in all the books.  So here we are  in Villatuarte, just east of Estella. The Albergue is wonderful, very homelike with no bunks, all single beds, 5 to 6 per room.  We arrived early after an easy walk of only 17 or so km. and not too much uphill.  We are slowing down and I think getting into the spirit of the Camino.  Folks who are rushing around really seen to irritate me. We have been fortunate with the weather, no rain, and rather cool, which has been great for walking.  Our major tasks of the day, aside from walking, are getting the laundry done, and shopping for lunch, and of course looking for a computer to update the blog. There are two German girls walking the Camino with their three dogs and we saw them here passing through town, much cheerier than several days ago.  And the dogs seemed very happy.
Life has become simple and quite pleasant and the days are falling into a rhythm. The woman running this Albergue says that we are starting the "child" stage of the Camino, just having left the "baby" stage.  We are moving on.
Adios for now

DAY 4 September 17 Puenta la Reina

We are progressing along the Camino.  We have been so busy and tired that there has been a gap in communication.  Here is the summary of the past couple of days.

Day Two we arrived in Larrasona late, around 5 pm, only to find that the Albergue was complet (full), so we were directed to a Pension, where we had a small room to ourselves, but very cramped.  However it ws antiseptically clean, and we were able to wash ourselves and our socks, before heading out to a pilgrim´s dinner.  Here we met a very interesting Australian couple who may stay with us for a day or two when they visit Toronto in November. We were exhausted by the end of the day and my back was hurting....but not too badly. 

Day Three:  We were up at the crack of dawn to the smell of coffee, had a quick bite to eat then departed in the frosty cold to the crowing of roosters.  At our stop for coffee along the way, we chatted with our Irish friend Matt.  We decided to walk through Pamplona, but had a picnic complete with wine in the main park.
We rejoined Matt, by  accident and walked with him to Cizur Manor, where we decided to stay the the first Albergue we found, a small one run by the Knights of Malta.  We had hot chocolate in the bar in town and found our Australian friends, laid low by blisters.  It is true that you do keep bumping into the same folks.  Another pilgrim´s dinner with Matt and another Irishman who was feeling lonely because his daughter, who had been walking with him for the first three days, had returned home (work).

Day Four:  Not the greatest night´s sleep, due to two ladies on the bunks above us, suffering from coughs and sniffles.  Awakened to the sound of Gregorian chants, had a quick cupof coffee and a piece of bread, then off in the semi-light.  It was a damp drizzly day and the first stop for a more complete breakfast, was very welcome.  We mounted to Alto de Perdon, descended and wandered slowly onwards.  Needing a bathroom we ended up in a small bar/restaurant and decided to have lunch.  We were joined by a rather disgruntled gentleman, the only other patron in  the place.  After a beer his spirits improved and he also had lunch.  He proved to be very interesting and he and Richard compared notes extensively on walking the Camino at ages 82 and 83.  Then the footrace to find accommodation.  That has been the only real downside to our travels.  Anyway, we are in the large albergue on the way out of Puenta la Reina.  It is huge and rather impersonal, but we do have our own cube, with a door, so it feels very luxurious.

Overall we are doing well.  Our bodies are holding up remarkably well, despite our having set a fairly aggressive pace, because once you get in a rhythm, it is easier to keep going for a while.  No blisters.
We have met some very interesting people, all with their own stories and reasons for walking.

Off now to shower and wash a few clothes.  Buen Camino.  I think we have walked about 100 km!

Roncesvalles

Hola,  Greetings from Roncesvalles!!!  We made it, and after una cervesza  (sp?)  we are feeling very good.
We started at 7am, bought a baguette on the way out of St Jean, then started to climb.  After about one hour I thought I would throw up, but then things got easier.  But it was a VERY long day; we arrived in Roncesvalles at 4pm.  The weather was perfect....no fog, sunlight all day and we shared the path with sheep and cows and watched the birds ? eagles, hawks or vultures drift on the air currents.  At our hotel in St Jean we met a lady from Nanaimo and we have already re-encountered her here in Roncesvalles.  We also shared part of our travels today with a couple and their daughter from Australia and an Irish couple.  It was a very upbeat day, and I think the fantastic weather had a lot to do with it. 
Of course you could argue that we are not "real pilgrims" because once again we are staying in a hotel. However I have to tell you that the bathtub in our room looks very good.  We will  eat the pilgrim´s dinner, and plan tomorrow´s walk.  Now, there are clothes to be washed.

St Jean Pied de Port

This is our day of rest prior to starting The Camino, otherwise known as  Grandmas Walking Challenge.  So far things have gone very well with air travel, connections, weather, helpful people.
We are excited and nervous, and hoping for good weather tomorrow, when we will start walking the first day of a journey that began almost a year ago with the purchase of airline tickets and continued with Darlene's pilgrim training throughout the year.  Lots of pilgrims milling around, all contemplating their own journeys.  OK....off to write postcards! 
Buen Camino!!!  Roncesvalles is next, over the Pyrenees!

Two more days

September 8, and the pack is ready, more or less - 15.5 pounds, with no food or water.  Heavier than I wanted, but......we'll see.   I have practiced with that weight, so hopefully it will not be too heavy.  We take Mandy off to Campbellford today to stay with Mikey.  She knows something big is up.

Map of the Route from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostella

one more week

It is September 4th, six days before I depart for Spain, and ten days before I actually start the journey from St Jean pied de Port to Santiago de Compostella.  It is long, 800 km.  I am trying to get the blog set up at the moment and it is not going well.