Day 41

Day 41: Rest day in Acebo - 0 kilometers!!

Today was the first true rest day I have taken on my journey.

Yes, Randy and I took two "rest" days, one on Day 11 in Estella and another on Day 21 in one of the many Villafrancas ("home to the Franks") we passed/will pass through. But in Estella we walked 10 kilometers roundtrip to the wine fountain, and on Day 21 we hiked out to a gorge, climbed a dam, and scaled a mountain just to have a picnic in a cave.

Not exactly a "rest" as far as my body is concerned.

So today I decided (actually my foot decided for me) that I deserved a day of no walking.

I am staying in a "bbb" (a bed above a bar that serves breakfast). And I have literally stayed in bed (or on my balcony) all day, except to go downstairs for breakfast (coffee and toast), lunch (a ham and cheese sandwich), and dinner (salad, steak, and a bottle of wine).

Making the decision to take a day off of walking was a difficult one for me. Even after all the sympathy I received yesterday from the pilgrims who passed me on the trail as I limped my way up and down the mountain pass. (I'm especially grateful to the Javier Bardem lookalike who told me walking the road would be better for me than taking the path. "Los piedras estan muy mal por sus pies." He was right!!)

Every day I am getting closer to the end of my time here. And yet there is still so much to see and do. I don't want to waste it resting.

But I don't want to be stupid either. If resting today means I'll be able to enjoy my walk tomorrow, then it is worth it.

It's all part of the journey...

To make myself feel better about resting, I pulled out my map of Spain and blacked out the path I have already traveled: 558.2 kilometers. With just a little over 200 kilometers to go to get to Santiago.

Maybe I do deserve a rest!

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." James 1:2-3 NLT

Day 31

Day 31: Carrion de los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza - 16.1 km (in the cold, wind, and rain)

We knew today would be a challenge. The trek from Carrion to Calzadilla is one of the longest of the entire Camino with no stops along the way. Even longer than our treks across the Meseta. Literally nothing but an occasional barn, pilgrim, and rain shower to keep us company.

Add to that my waking up with flu-like symptoms and you get a less than fun afternoon.

Ironically I had just told my parents on the phone the night before that I haven't felt sick at all on this journey. And the only ones we have really met along the way who have been ill were two Canadian teenagers we had been with the last couple days, who said their dinner with the nuns didn't sit well so they were taking the bus into the next town in order to stay on schedule.

Luckily we had stayed at a hotel in Carrion so we didn't have to check out until noon. Meaning I had time for a morning nap before heading out into the rain and the straightest road I have ever walked.

I could have stayed another day in Carrion, but I stubbornly did not want to waste a rest day being sick. And since I didn't feel like eating it didn't matter that there was nowhere to stop for lunch between here and there.

As the hours passed my stomach started to feel better. Just in time for the wind and rain to pick up. And our bodies to begin to ache because of carrying ourselves and our packs differently against the cold.

We tried to keep our minds distracted by talking about some of the ways Spain is different than the U.S.

• The toilets have buttons on top of the tank that you either push down or pull up in order to flush.
• Their Pat Sajak wears jeans and a t-shirt, and their Vanna White the shortest shorts you could ever imagine being allowed on daytime television.
• Dogs and children are regularly seen in bars. And people feel free to throw their trash all over the bar floor. 
• No one tips. And if we do tip our bartender we usually end up with more food and drinks, or them not charging us if we come back later. 
• Everyone says hello and good morning (all day long) to each other.
• Yogurt is the most common dessert. Followed by a shot of the local liquor to "aid in digestion".

Despite this entertaining conversation we were never so glad to see an (heated!) albergue as we were entering the 60-person town of Calzadilla. 

After a short nap we ventured to the one bar in town for dinner where we met John from Australia. 

Actually we met two Johns. "Uncle John" (from London, living in Spain) was driving an RV from town to town, carrying the backpacks of his niece and the 7 elderly pilgrims she was leading to Santiago. He could only be described as a "character", and not one you wanted to spend a lot of time with. I can't quite pinpoint what it was about him. He was cheery, despite having the look of a character from Grumpy Old Men. But he seemed more interested in telling us how we were going to experience the Camino (and he would know, because he has done it 3.5 times), than engaging in the experience with us.

John from Australia, however, was a true delight. Despite not wanting to divulge the reason for his Camino (which I totally respect), I left feeling like we knew each other in a way perhaps only those walking the Camino together for the first time can. 

He encouraged me to try to catch up to Anna, a woman who literally woke up one morning and just started walking. With no premeditation or preparation. She simply walked away from her medical practice and onto the Camino. And she wrote a book about it! 

Perhaps I will catch up to her, one of these days, now that my stomach is back where it should be!

Day 29

Day 29: Boadilla del Camino to Villalcazar de Sirga - 20.9 km

"Pace" has been a regular subject of conversation over the last several days.

Simon from England says that walking the Camino with someone is like being in a relationship. It doesn't feel like compromise in the beginning because you are having so much fun. But then comes a day when you want to stop, but the other person wants to press on. Or you want to press on, and the other wants a day off. And you have to have that difficult conversation about parting ways in order to stay true to yourself and your Camino.

I walked 4 or 5 kilometers with David from Australia recently who was trying to catch up to his "Camino family". He fell behind when he took a rest day back in Burgos. But he was committed to finishing the Camino with them, even if it meant a 30 kilometer day to catch up. His only complaint about the family was the American who wanted to take frequent breaks and pictures, which he felt slowed the pace of the whole group. I only walked those few kilometers with him because he was way too fast for me. At least if I ever thought about a day of 30k.

Even though Randy and I get teased by our fellow pilgrims about our slow pace, I read back to our first encounter and was reminded that setting our own pace was one of our goals for the journey. To not be pressured by anyone or any standard that says we should go faster or longer or come home sooner. But to listen instead to our bodies, minds, and souls to know how far and how fast to go.

Today we were also reminded about how much we would miss if we were racing through the Camino.

In the tiny town (population 150) of Poblacion de Campos, we stopped at a hotel around 1:30 p.m. and asked the matron if we could trouble her for a cup of coffee. She put on a pot for us and showed us to a leather couch in the lounge, where we promptly fell asleep. Embracing the national tradition of the siesta.

I can't imagine anywhere in the States where my backpack and I would be invited in, after walking 10k in the rain, and allowed to sleep on a hotel couch. But this lady acted as if we had paid her way more than 2 euros for coffee.

After some time we decided we better get back on the road if we were going to go another 10k before calling it a day. As we were starting to gear up she gave me the most pitiful look and said surely we could stay for an authentic Castillian meal.

"It's tradition," she said.

She spoke no English, and I didn't understand 90 percent of what she was saying, but I could tell that she felt it was her calling to care for us, and would be more hurt by us leaving without lunch than by anything else that could go wrong in her day.

Hollering out into the courtyard, she invited her brother's nephew to join us. And the four of us sat down to a bowl of soup.

We've been eating sopa de ajo (garlic soup) for about a week now, a typical dish in this region. But she made the dish "special" by adding garbanzo beans. And it was delicious. And filling. Especially since we'd just had a bocadilla (sandwich) in Fromista, just 3.5 km ago.

She took the soup away and we wondered how we would ever walk 10 kilometers on such full stomachs. And then she came back with a bowl of chicken and vegetables. Which she insisted we try, even if we just took un pocito (a little bit). By the time she offered us ice cream and fresh fruit for dessert we were way past saying no.  

When she finally did let us leave two hours later, refusing any sort of compensation, she thanked us for our presence and gave thanks to God, saying that it is important to care for those on the journey to Santiago.

Not every pilgrim would take this kind of "time out" in the middle of the walking day, but I'm sure grateful that we did.

During our even slower pace into Villarmentero de Campos, where we had a drink with the hosteleria, and on to Villalcazar de Sirga, where a bartender agreed to open a bunk house for the 6 of us so we wouldn't have to walk any more in the rain (we met up with two Koreans and a couple from Holland along the way), we saw a snail, fed two donkeys, watched a train of caterpillars, and witnessed the most beautiful double rainbow.

All reminders that beauty, compassion, and the journey have nothing to do with speed.

Day 8

Day 8: Pamplona to Uterga - 17.4 km

Are you keeping track? We walked over 88 kilometers our first week!

Which actually puts us a little behind schedule. But I'm not worried.

They say the Camino is a 3 part journey. The first two weeks are about the physical. The second two weeks challenge you mentally. And the final two weeks are when spirituality really comes into play. 

So I think it is perfectly acceptable to ease our way into walking during these first two weeks of the physically challenging part. Adjusting to the weight of the pack on my shoulders. The up and down terrain. Sweating regardless of whether it is 35 or 65 degrees.

I actually felt really good on yesterday's walk. Which I attribute to resting most of the day in Pamplona yesterday. As well as eating more during the day.

Getting used to the altitude and the time change meant not eating or sleeping much those first few days. But now I'm back in the rhythm of things. And the food is so good!

"Picnic" lunch.

The highlight of yesterday's walk was climbing to the top of Alto de Pardon, the hill of forgiveness, which is featured in the movie "The Way". To have seen it in the movie and then to be standing next to the metal art, the wind turbines, and look down over the valley we had just climbed out of was a joyous moment. Though everyone who reached the peak said the same thing about the metal art: "I thought it would be bigger." LOL. Regardless of its size, it didn't take away from the fact that the view was breathtaking. And we picked up new friends, a 22-year-old woman from Paris and a 70-year-old man from Ireland, who we shared dinner and drinks and raucous laughter with until way past our bedtime. 

Alto de Perdon

Upon arriving at the albergue, one of the first persons I saw was Romy, a woman I had met several days before. We reunited as if we were long lost friends. Romy told me back in Zubiri that being here was a "God thing". Her daughter had told her about the Camino 10 years ago and said they should take the journey together. Romy put it in the back of her head as something she would always love to do but would probably never get around to. But last year a friend of hers came into a large inheritance and asked God what she should do with her tithe. She felt God lead her to give it to Romy, who lives on a pension in New Zealand. Romy decided to use the money to walk the Camino. She would need at least two months, because she is in her 70s and doesn't want to walk more than four hours a day. She says she doesn't know what it means that this is a "God thing" (she has no interest in visiting the churches or Cathedrals, but God speaks to us all in different ways!), but maybe she'll figure it out on the way. 

Romy also updated us on our other friends. 

Jim from Philadelphia passed through here, who we met in Pamplona. He is also walking the Camino for Lent and is giving free foot massages as part of his experience. He looks like he walks the Camino every day when he is home in the States, so he is never too tired to give. 

Sheila from South Africa took a nasty fall and ended up in the hospital getting x-rays. But she is okay. And the Frenchman she befriended on the Way stayed with her to make sure. They plan to get up in the morning again and walk.

Just like the rest of us.

Day 7

Day 7: Arre to Pamplona - 4.6 km

Today was a deliciously short walk. So short I didn't have time to think about my feet or my pack.

We started the day at a coffee shop. Four of us enjoying espresso and bocadillos. My morning sandwich today contained ham, egg, and sweet chili peppers. We took our time. Skipping the small talk for real conversation. Conversation too personal to share here. Why we walk. What we carry with us. Challenges and tragedies that made us who we are. Things only privy to those who walk together on The Way.

The walk to Pamplona was easy. Through city streets all the way. Even across the busy road people would shout to us "Buen Camino!" Have a good journey.

We happened upon a man who claimed to be a pilgrim, walking in the opposite direction. He had a pack and all the credentials, but claimed the bank cut up his credit card and he had no way of getting home to Germany. Two of the guys with me gave him some money. Talking about it later we all agreed we didn't know if he was scamming or if he was legit. But it wasn't important. When you see someone on The Way who needs help, and you can help, you offer it. No strings attached. No questions asked.

Entering Pamplona we visited the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Real. This Gothic structure was absolutely breathtaking. We spent an hour, if not more, soaking it all in. Touring the museum, examining the details, pausing to pray.

I then went to the Plaza del Toros, where the running of the bulls takes place in July. I was unable to go inside, but the outside reminds me of a baseball stadium. With a bust of Ernest Hemingway out front. So cool to imagine how this university town must be transformed for the one week a year devoted to celebrating San Fermin and the running of the bulls.

The rest of the afternoon was spent writing and drinking espresso at Cafe Iruna, the perfect way to experience Pamplona in my opinion. Despite it being the hours of the afternoon siesta, so many people were at outdoor cafes, enjoying one another and the beautiful day.

By 5:30 it became obvious I wasn't going to walk any more today, so I located the local albergue.

I thought it would be a challenge to sleep in a different bed every night. But so far it has been a joy. Meeting new people. Experiencing the rhythms of living in community. Being offered hospitality and a place to rest my feet and head. And so far, lots of opportunities to do laundry and take hot showers.

The first night I was in a bottom bunk in a co-ed room of 20. The second night in a tent on a mountain. The third night in a room with two double beds and a private bathroom. The fourth in my own apartment. The fifth in a girls only room of 8. The sixth in a bunk bed in a church. And the seventh in a long row of bunk beds with 30 of my newest friends, sharing showers and toilets and nighttime noises.

This, how and where we sleep, is as much a part of the Camino as is walking.