Day #4 cacabelos

Vineyards in the spring

View from Camino 

These Storks are frequently seen sitting in their massive nests on the top of poles in the center of villages. 

Houses for sale along the Camino in a small village. Location, location, location!

For Sale: "Quaint little cottage.  Needs love"

Lunch break!

Hey. We walked our 9.1 miles today to reach our hotel in cacabelos in 4.5 hours. We took our time with a picnic lunch and break. It's so much more relaxed knowing we have a hotel reservation. Ahhhhh...

We met some people from San Diego and they recommended a restaurant for dinner. At dinner we met a women from Holland and a couple from Australia. It's always fun to try to guess where people are from by their accents while you're ease dropping on their conversations ( they were at the table across from us). After the meal I asked them where they were from and that led into an hour conversation. It was so interesting. The Camino gathers people from all walks of life.  I'm sure we will see them again On the Way. 

But I wanted to share with you that the Australian women, Ruth, who was born a Canadian until she was 17, had a very thought provoking story. She was married with 2 daughters for 30+ years then her husband, Matt, had a devastating accident that left him a quadriplegic. A while afterwards, she met the guy she's with today , Ben.  Now they are together with her husband's approval--not divorced. They all get together for holidays. Matt has met another partner, too. Unusual , but It works for them. 

The Dutch woman is divorced and travels around the world on her own. She loves meeting new people and traveling. Her English is very good like most of the Dutch since they learn it in elementary school. 

Well Sam is asleep already, so I better sign off, too. We are walking 9 miles tomorrow and staying in a municipal hostel that has 30 beds in 3 rooms. It's the only accommodation in the city and we don't have a reservation. So that means we wake up and hit the road early to make sure we get a bed tomorrow night. 

We have noticed a lot less pilgrims at this time of the year. At first I thought we must be going the wrong way because where are all the other hikers?  We are alone most of the way!  The weather is beautiful at 70 degrees, sunny with no humidity. Perfect hiking weather. 

Oh, BTW. If you are ever in Cacabellos, Spain, DON'T go to the archeology museum...not worth it!  Nothin' but one room of broken pottery bits and pieces. We Learned that the hard way. 

Tomorrow we will walk to the village of Pereje. Thanks for going along with us!

Buenas Nochas. 

M & S

Day 3: Ponferrada

View from Templar Castle

Ponferrada's Sil River with castle 

Castle entrance over moat --drawbridge is gone now

   Book from castle library written @ 1400

   Amazing clarity and colors. 

We took a 3 hour train ride from Palencia today to reach Ponferrada. We start our Camino tomorrow morning. We plan to walk 9.1 miles tomorrow. (Jade will take the backpack taxi). 

We had time to tour the Templar Castle that dates back to the 12th century. It is a massive structure that was recently reconstructed as a historic site. The coolest thing about this castle was the medieval book library. I never knew castles had specific rooms designated as libraries!  The books are all under glass so pilgrims don't get chocolate all over the pages. Beautifully bound books written on religion, natural science, maps and feudal life. 

Another unusual fun fact is that castles along the Camino de Santiago (French Way) are rare. It's common to see medieval cathedrals, churches, monestaries, & wineries, but no castles. 

We are staying at a replica of a castle called the Temple Hotel. (The lobby pictures are below). I still wish we had brought that suit of armor back from England!  

We are jet lagged and tired so signing off for now. 

Lobby in hotel

Sir Drinks-a-lot, the second

Day #2: Twenty-nine hour journey back to Spain!

Hello from Palencia, Spain!

No, it wasn't on the itinerary but we are here anyway!

We had planned to be further down the road on the expected second 2.5 hour train trip across the west of Spain but it just didn't happen. We had booked a hotel tonight in Ponferrada, but planes, trains, delays and cancellations prevented us from making our goals. So we had to pay for a second hotel for tonight. But after being awake for 30 hours, we don't mind  camping out here. Well, it's not exactly camping out...it's a Marriot. Nothing says "welcome back to Spain" like Señor Marriot. 

We found out Tuesday night that our Wednesday afternoon flight from Detroit to Newark, NJ was cancelled due to weather. We called United and booked an earlier flight. Thank you to my wonderful nephew, John, for being so flexible and changing his schedule to accommodate being our chauffeur to the airport. Then that flight was delayed until 8:00pm and we would miss our connecting flight in jersey to Madrid, Spain. 

Fortunately the good people at United airlines diverted us from going to New Jersey to going straight to Paris, France!  Needless to say, we missed that bad weather in Jersey!  From Paris we had a 2 hour lay over to Madrid.  When we got to Spain we found out that today is a national holiday (like Labor Day but without the parades). All the trains to ponferado were sold out. Bummer. 

Luckily, there was one pokey slow train that the Spaniards refuse to ride so we boarded that half empty train for 4 hours (normally a 90 minute trip) to reach this town of Palencia. I've noticed that there are no Americans here and even less tourists. 

So we checked in and went across the street to get some dinner. It was a busy bar with friendly locals. A nice lady saw me taking pictures and offered to take our picture. So here we are celebrating our safe arrival back to the Camino. 

Tomorrow we have train tickets to Ponferado where we will start the Camino trail on Saturday morning. 

Thanks for following our blog. It's really fun to know our friends and family care enough to go on this Camino with us. 

Buenas noches,

Mary & Sam

Day #1 (again) Going back to finish the Camino!

Sam & I leave tomorrow, Wednesday April 30, to fly back to Madrid, Spain to finish the 130 mile walk to Santiago. We will pick up where we left off at Ponferrada (the Iron Cross). Now a couple of our friends have suggested that we should go back to the start of the Camino since we failed the in first attempt to reach the "finish line".  Very funny. 

So please follow our 3 week journey On our Camino. I will write every day. We are planning to walk an average 8 miles a day. We are smarter pilgrims now and have booked our hostels and small hotels ahead. It is the true pilgrim that believes the "universe" will provide a bed at night and food along the road.  But it was very stressful and distracting to worry if we were going to sleep on the street or church floor every night. So Sam has booked a variety of accommodations for a journey.  Yahoo!  

Adios!

Mary & Sam 

Day #24. 10/3/13. Turn of Events

Dear Family & Friends,

Yesterday while walking to the "Iron Cross" I twisted my ankle in a rocky hilly area of the path. I believe that it is a bad sprain. We stopped and stayed in a hotel last night and I wrapped it with an ace wrap and elevated my leg, but it has continued to swell. (There was no ice available).  Long story short, I cannot walk on my ankle right now. 

I called Jade's taxi service and asked them if I wore the pack and sat quietly and didn't talk could I please go with her in the back of the van.  "No, Señora!"

So, we are ending our Camino today with  plans to return next year and finish the camino to Santiago. 

We have been on the camino since september 10th. We have walked 170 miles in the rain, cold, heat and perfect weather. It has been an awesome trip of a lifetime.  

We are making plans to go home right now. Sam is an awesome travel agent, as well as navigator, so he is working out the planes, trains and automobiles to get us back to the good old USA. I told Sam he can go on without me but he wants to wait and go together next year. Ahhhhhh. 

Hey, since we have had to contact civilization today, we hear for the first time that the national government has shut down services!  Pilgrims don't watch TV so we've  not seen any news. We didn't miss it either. 

I will probable post one more blog from the airport before I sign off. Thanks again for all your support and encouragement. Your energy put giddy-up in my gallop. 

Jade got a seat on the train back to Madrid.  

Day #23 La Cruz de Ferro

There is always a rainbow after a storm. This is the view from our hostel in Foncebadon   

Mary by the cross on the right. 

This simple iron cross sits on top of a plain pole and marks the highest elevation on the Camino at 4934 feet.  As per tradition, Pilgrims bring stones or some meaningful item from home to leave at the foot of the cross.  Pilgrims believe that sins will be forgiven here and blessings will be bestowed if you stop here and reflect on your life. 

I brought Gary's ashes and spread them at the base of the cross. Then I sat down and had a good cry. 

Sunrise today

 

View from the Iron Cross

The Camino 

Sam by the cross 

Private hostel "convento" in Foncebadon where we stayed. Dormitory got a Force Rating of 0.5. 

Day 22 - October 1 - Our Big Climb

Today was a tough day on the Camino.  We knew it would be challenging since we were scheduled to walk 8 miles while climbing 1500 ft in elevation.  What we were not expecting was the worst weather we have had so far.  It was steadily raining or drizzling almost all of the 4.5 hrs we were on the trail today to reach the mountain village of Foncebadon.  

Conditions were sloppy but our spirits were high!  Mary handled it all like a real trooper.  We arrived at noon and since our hostel was not open yet headed to the bar for a Bailey's (Mary) and a cerveza (Sam).

This is the only picture from today because it was raining too hard. 

Yesterday:  there were only two places to eat in our village. We had drinks at this cowboy bar but lunch and dinner at the other restaurant that was 10 feet away. The population of this village was <50 people. 

 Spanish foosball players have their arms out. 

Last night we had a pilgrim dinner with 2 German brothers (Dominic & David-in their 20s) and a British 70 year old lady named Margaret.  Margaret was traveling by herself and started the Camino in Leon. Dom and David started in St Jean, France just like we did except they drove there from Germany. They have walked the entire way without buses or train rides.  

When we are at dinner with Pilgrims, the conversation naturally turns to "why are you walking the Camino?"  The boys said they had finished their masters (education) and bachelor degrees (architect) and were taking a break before getting a job.  They feel the Camino is a good place for reflection and making life decisions. Margaret lost her husband 3 years ago and has wanted to do this Camino for the past 2 years. She knows people in England who have done it.  She couldn't find anybody to walk with her so she decided to go alone. Her six children were very upset that she was going solo. I give her a lot of credit for being 70 years old and walking to Santiago from Leon alone.  You go, girl!

It is a common theme to hear pilgrims say, "I couldn't stop thinking about the Camino. I had to do it!"  That explains how Sam & I have felt over the last 18 months. Last night We all discussed having felt a calling to walk the Camino.   Before this trip, Sam & I found a great deal of meaning in this quote:

"Before a new chapter is begun, the old one has to be finished. Stop being who you were, and change into who you are. "       

         Paulo Coelho

Adios.