Two Mountains

   This past weekend I had the opportunity to climb two mountains... and had two very different experiences.  I thought the first mountain on Saturday would be the easier one and would prepare me for the larger O´Cebreiro on Sunday.  I couldn´t have been more wrong.  Yes, the first one was not as high, but the climb was a huge challenge for me.
   I´ve been thinking about these two mountains.  How could two experiences be so different?  One difference certainly had to do with expectations.  The first was the middle of three options:  we could walk along the highway (and would still have to climb), we could take option 2, climbing one mountain and enjoying the beautiful views, or we could take option 3, climbing... I think, 2 mountains before heading to O´Cebrieiro (I did not even consider this one).  But because the mountain did not look to bad, and because the guidebook said it would be challenging, but come on, you´ve walked this far - you can do it, and because I wanted to see the views.
    So I made it to Triacastle and stopped for breakfast, then headed up the mountain around 10AM.   I should have had an inkling of what was to come when I turned onton the street leading to the mountain - it went straight up!  And up.  Then turned to a gravel path, and continued to go up.  Yes the views were wonderful, whenever I finally found a level place I could stand.  But the path just seemed to go up and up.  Every so often there would be a short level area and I´d think, yes!  now I can enjoy this.  But it would be shortlived as we would turn a corner and go up yet again.


I didn't need the arrow to tell me I needed to keep going up!



Yes, there is always a great view sooner or later!

    But be careful what you wish for.  At every turn I hoped we would start down, and finally we did.  And the descent was cruel.  It went down in the same way we went up.  I think I mentioned this is my last blog, but it really felt like we were going to descend right into hell.  By the time I reached the little town at the bottom I was done in.  And by the time I reached the Alberque a couple more towns over I was having doubts about even climbing O´Cebreiro.  Thank goodness for the angel of a hostess named Joanna.  She is from Holland and has been to Brazil a number of times so she is volunteering at "Do Brazil" an alberque sponsored by the confraternity of Santiago of Brazil.  I mentioned to her my long day and my concern about O´Cebreiro.  She told me she had hiked the mountain I just came down from and it is much harder the O´Cebreiro.  Oh?  Please tell me more.
    She drew me a picture.  She showed that I would walk about 4 or 5 km on level ground (that was good as it is always dark when I start).  Then I would have a very serious upward climb to La Faba, the first town.  But that was only one-third of the way.  Then I would have to continue to climb, but it would not be so intense, with some level places, really steep short places, then long, slow climbs on to the second village.  Then the climb would continue, but at the slow steady incline.  I hoped she was right.
   And she was!  The walk on Sunday was grueling on that first incline, but over all it was delightful.  I reached O´Cebreiro about noon and realized I still had energy to walk on.  The landscape, though was also changing.  While climbing I left the region of Castilla Y Leon and entered Galacia.  I was constantly hearing water as small mountain streams gushed by or water dripped right out of the mountain to the side of me.  I would come up to amazing vistas looking out over fields of many shades of green.  The air started to feel cooler and as we reached the peak there was a very cool breeze blowing.  But it was sunny and gorgeous and invigorating.
    We all have our ups and downs, but all mountains are not the same.   I continue to walk up and down as I move through the mountains of Galicia.  More about this region and its Celtic influence.  I´d add pictures, but there´s no adaptor here.  Hey - I´m glad I finally found internet!
   May your mountains be manageable and bring about wonderful things!  Bueno Camino!

Harvests and High Places

    Yesterday I was thinking about harvests.  It was a lovely walking day - about 16 miles, mostly flat.  That was great as there was a long tedious, rocky descent the day before.  All during the day I saw signs of harvest.  The grapes that I have been seeing in the vineyard all along are now being picked.  Tractor after tractor pulling trailers full of grapes went by yesterday.  I walked by a couple of bodegas where they are taking the grapes to start the process of making wine.

  As I walked I saw a man with a wheelbarrow picking apples, then a woman picking beans.  There were gardens with ripe peppers, tomatoes and many fields of melons.  It is that time of year and it made me think of Trinity UMC and our theme for this year, the scripture verse: "I am the vine and you are the branches."  We started with Vacation Bible Camp focusing on the fruits of the spirit and next year´s mission trip through the Society of St Andrew will have the harvest as it´s theme.  As I walked I was thinking about what I will harvest from my time on the Camino.  It is getting to that point - right now it looks like I will reach Santiago de Compostela next Sunday or Monday.   Time to reflect on what this journey has meant for me.  I´ll share some of my reflections later this week.

    One thing I´ve noticed is that we go back and forth from good days of walking to difficult days.  I mentioned the steep descent into Molinesca that was so difficult.  There was also a day when I was walking the Via Romana over large rocks, in full sun, no shade on the path.  The flies and gnats were so bad that for a mile or so I tucked my white handkerchief into my hat and had it fall over my face.  I was able to make out the road pretty well, but pulled it up every so often just to make sure I hadn´t wandered.

   Yesterday was a lovely, easy walk.  Today I went up a mountain.  I thought it was a small mountain, but this thing just kept going and going.  And going and going... and going.  I have to admit, the vistas were beautiful.  I even enjoyed some of the walking across the more level areas at the top.  But then the descent started.  It wasn´t as rocky as going into Molinesca, but it was much steeper at times - and it went on and on.  I was heading into the town of Trabadelo, but as I went down, down, down, I still couldn´t see the town.  There were very few of us on this option (many apparently took the route that followed the road).  I saw 4 other people.  I was by myself for the entire descent.  And I finally decided that I must be descending right into hell.  This was confirmed as I continued downward and the banks of ground on one side soared up into the air about a story and a half.  It really felt like I was about to go completely underground when I finally turned a corner and there was the fountain in Trabadelo.  I finally found a shady bench in town, collapsed and ate my cheese and apple, changed my socks, and headed out of town. 

    The reward at this point was a lovely (fairly flat) walk back and forth over the Rio Valcarce.  It was lovely, shady, and truly renewed my soul.  Today was a good preparation for O´Cebreiro tomorrow.  The guide book says allow 3 hours for the climb, but the hostess at the alberque assures me that while 1/3 is pretty steep the rest is more gentle -- and the descent is much better than todays!  I sure hope she is right.

   As I reach the peak of O´Cebriero I will enter into Galicia, the last of the regions covered by the Camino.  Tomorrow...  a new mountain, a new region, a new day.  Bueno Camino!

Walking with a Frenchman

    Yesterday after I posted I walked out into the courtyard of the alberque and who do I see but Danielle!  She´s a Frenchwoman who speaks very little English, but is delightful.  I met her at an alberque the third night of the Camino and have not seen her since.  We had a wonderful reunion.  She also let me know that she had Polly´s information so I love that she was able to help me to connect to Polly - even if we do not see one another again on the Camino.
    So today I headed out about 7AM.  Orion in the sky, Venus, I turn around every so often and watch another amazing sunrise.  The walking was easy in the coolness (luckily not as cold as the two nights before).  Stopped at the first town, then headed to the next.  I had now completed about 5 miles when a young Frenchman asked me if I knew the time.  I told him I didn´t and he noted that he had just posted a letter and it said 9:30 pickup so he wondered if it would go today.  Then he shrugged and said that it didn´t matter anyway - he´s on the Camino.
    We walked together the next 5 miles to Rabbinal and he talked the entire time.  He was very cute.  He told me he had started the Camino in Lourdes France and walked the Camino Avillia(sp?) which wasn´t very crowded, then it joined the Camino Frances.  He´s been walking for 4 weeks.  I asked him why he was walking the Camino and he told me, "Well, that is a very long story... I will try to tell you."  And the story began.
    Reason number 1.  For Adventure.  He loves the idea of adventure and so he has decided to just go whereever whenever.  He said "Sometimes it says the Camino is there... so I go there instead... a little adventure."  He said that if he doesn´t eat for 24 hours he´ll survive.  There will be a village with a market at some point.  If he has to sleep outside, that´s okay.  He likes sleeping under the stars.  He also said he enjoys seeing new places.  Plus he noted that he only knew a little Spanish, could not put together sentences, but he asks people words and is now speaking Spanish quite well.  Everyone who walked by who was Spanish seemed to converse easily with him.  He noted that many French do not bother to speak spanish, but since he is in their country he thinks it is nicer to speak their language, or at least try.
   He also noted that he has his cell phone, but put a message on it to not leave a message unless it is an emergency.  He checks every 4 days or so in case something has happened with his family.  He told them, to not expect him to call.  He did not bring a camera, instead if he sees something of real interest he is taking the time to draw it.  He said something like drawing is not efficient, but I´m on the Camino and it is not about an efficient journey.  He intends to take the time he needs to record his journey by drawing.
   Reason Number 2.  To step back and take time.  He had heard about the Camino before.  Then his grandparent died a few years ago and one of his uncles suggested the family walk the Camino de Puy (in France) one week each summer.  He went last year and really liked having that time set aside.  He added that he was a "Chief" at Boy Scout camp this past year and the training was at a monastery where they had time for training, but also for prayer and personal time.  He really liked that.  And he was at a place where he had time to do this "stepping" back.
   He talked about liking one aspect of the job he has had in Paris the last couple of years.  So he left his job and when he returns he wants to return to the aspect he liked.  He spent some time in the Monastery thinking about his work and got some clarity about what to do, so he thought, perhaps the Camino would also help bring some clarity.
    Reason number 3.  Hopes to reconnect to God.   He said he was raised in a Catholic family that is very involved with the church, but as he turned 21, 22 he started questioning and not taking it as seriously.  Now at 25 he feels very strongly that it is important to have God rather than for each of us to believe we are in total control of our lives.  I asked him about how he would describe God.  He thinks of God as a loving parent, someone who guides, but does not get upset if you go another way.  God is always there.
    In between the lines he explained and told stories that were great - like his mother has 9 brothers and sisters and each has 6-7 kids so he has over 50 cousins.  He made reference to a number of family meetings.  He talked about his grandfather who cared for acres of forests (he felt he should care for God´s creation), and now after his grandfather´s death how others in the family are stepping in to care for the land. 

Marc stops to help another French peregrino

One of many interesting cairns on the Camino

A Sheep dog earns a cool reward

A shepherd waits for the dogs to lead the sheep to him.

    So as we reached Rabbinal we parted as I stopped to eat my lunch.  We exchanged names. his in Marc.  I told him how much I enjoyed visiting with him and he said something like... "Yes, I know I really talked a lot."  But it was delightful, Marc.  May God be with you on your Camino.  Bueno Camino!

The temptations of half way - and I found the USB!

    Star log, Day 25.  I left the lovely alberque in Villares de Orbigo around 7:00AM.  I could still see the stars and just the very first hint of light.  Traveled on a lovely path over a hill to the next village.  I was going to show you pictures of this day, but this computer does not have a usb connection.  I´ll add them next time a computer does.  So here, imagine a picture of a thin red line of red sky showing through the church bell tower looking back at Villares.

   The walk was lovely, except people kept passing me.  It started bothering me.  I think that now I´m over the half way mark I´m more conscious of just how much time I have left.  In the evening I go through possible scenarios for day to day to see when I might get to Santiago.  In my sermon before I left I talked about my granddaughter continuously asking "How many more hours" as we traveled to Maine for clergy camp.  Now I´m asking, "How many more days to Santiago."  Time to get back into the journey.

   But it was hard.  Maybe I´m not walking fast enough and that´s why everyone passes me.  Maybe I´m not walking far enough each day (10 to 16 miles on average).  And now we´re going into the mountains, so it will take longer to walk each mile.  As I thought about this I found myself tempted with judging those who walked by me "He is walking way to fast...  he should slow down and enjoy the camino...  she´s rushing just like in real life".   And on and on.  Time to stop judging how others walk and pay attention to my own walking.

   About 9:00 I stopped and spread my poncho on the ground and enjoyed a breakfast of cheese and bread.  Traveled a little further and I saw a little place that my hostess last night told me about.  She said to watch for a guy about 8km away who would have coffee, juice, tea and a place to take a break - all for donations.  He also had a stamp (sello) for my pilgrim passport.  And there he was greeting everyone with a smile and an invitation to rest.  (picture next time)

    I moved on and arrived at the cruce above Astorga. (got a nice pic of that also with Astorga in the distance).  Nice to see where I´m going, but still another 45 - 60 minutes to walk.  Finally made it to Astorga and saw Steffie from Germany.  She was will us a couple of nights on the Meseta and is now taking two days in Astorga to let her leg rest as it has been painful.  I take heart in the fact that some much younger than I also have things to deal with.  She was disappointed (and maybe a little concerned that her leg might not get better).  We left with a hug and I gave words of encouragement.  I think she will catch up with me in a few days.

    On the other side of Astorga I visited the peregrino museum and the cathedral.  The museum is in a Gaudi building and it was nice outside, but spectacular inside with vaulted ceilings lined with tile, stained glass windows, and beautiful artwork.  The cathedral was also lovely, but after Leon... well...
   Time to continue on.  I got a bocadillo (sandwich), changed my socks, and was ready to walk.  But I had not gone far when my left foot started really bothering me.  I had expected a cool afternoon like the last couple of days (by the way, the morning has been freezing!), but it warmed up.  Not as hot as the meseta, but enough to mess with my feet.  I finally hobbled into Murias de Rechivaldo and got a bed at the lovely  alberque (pictures of it also - next time).  Now I´m recovered and I can see the Camino path right outside my door to the right.  I´ll start earlier in the morning, I´ll make it to Rabanal (in the mountains) and beyond I hope.  And I´ll look for a computer that has a USB so I can add some pictures next time.  Back to the journey, back to the Camino.   Bueno Camino!

Finally - the alberque!

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The courtyard of the alberque

The universe stays in balance

    So this morning Maria from England and I are waiting for the 7:50 bus to Leon.  We have made the decision to walk so we can enjoy Leon since we are not staying an extra day.  And we are talking about how we are working on the inner voices that say we should feel guilty.  The hospitalero told us we did not have to go to the bus station, the bus would stop for us at this plaza.  We saw the 7:50AM bus coming into the plaza, the driver saw us, and the bus continued over the bridge toward Leon.  So we walked to the bus station (plan B) and took the 9:05 bus (kind of 9:25).   Only 1,30€for the lovely 25 minute ride to Leon.
    When I got out at the bus station, my feet thanked me and all was well again.  So I started walking towards the old part of the city where I would find the Monastery Alberque.  All was great until I got into the old city - think Boston with even narrower streets, going in all directions.  I wandered for 45 minutes.  I asked an older man how to get to the Plaza Santa Maria and he helped me walk part way where another older man helped me to walk the rest of the way.  Only thing is they helped me to get to Plaza Santa Isadora on the other side of the old town.  But all was well again when Barbara and Carl for Germany called my name.  They were on the way to get a replacement battery for her watch so I stopped and ate breakfast at the plaza and when they returned they walked me to the alberque.  Wonderful people on the Camino!
    But then... I waited for almost an hour as the line crept very slowly to check into the alberque.  While there Joyce from Virginia arrived - I haven´t seen her in a week.  We visited for a while.  I found myself praying for patience as I could not understand how it could take so long to check in each person (write their name, country, age and where they started the camino).  Perhaps this was pennace for taking the bus?  Or just the universe staying in balance?
    But finally, I left my boots in the hall, put my sleeping bag on the upper bunk (they told me they´re saving the lower bunks for the older women - how could I argue with that?), and headed into Leon.  We had a thunderstorm last night and the air today is absolutely wonderful - sunny, little breeze, not the hot afternoon that we´ve been having this past week.

Plaza Mayor market

    First I walked by the Plaza Mayor where they were having a Saturday market.  There were loads of vendors with fruits, vegetables, garlic, you name it.  Also many apparel vendors: boots hanging up, clothing, tons of underwear, scarves and more.  I wish I could have videotaped the plaza as it was packed with people, lots of sounds, smells, movement.
   Later, as I sat at a square Joyce walked up and we got started talking.  She helped a couple of Canadians find their hostal on the map, then we helped another English speaking person with a question, then we headed down the street.  First stop, Gelato.  Mine was Trufa (even I knew it was truffle) and it was delicious.  We continued to walk, made it to a grocery store and picked up food supplies for the walk tomorrow.  Mostly we just enjoyed walking in this beautiful city with plazas, fountains, trees, parks.  It was lovely.
   It was also interesting to be in a large city on a Saturday.  People were out from about 10AM on this morning... markets in other plazas also, bars and cafes open, people everywhere.  Then about 2PM things started to slow down, shops closed, people disappeared and the siesta time began.  Around 6PM tonight people will start coming out again.

The main road into the old part of town

   I went to the Cathedral for only a short time as it closed at 1PM for a wedding.  But the windows were absolutely incredible.  I think I read there are 125 stained glass windows and I believe it.  In fact there are so many that it has collapse twice, once in the 17th century and once in the 19th.  I will return this evening - I want to drink in the light still more.  I believe the designer did bring a little bit of heaven right into the cathedral and it was such a delight after the darkness of most of the romanesque cathedrals along the way.

    I´m taking today as my sabbath and will go to the pilgrim mass at this monastery at 7PM tonight before dinner.  Tomorrow I must walk.  May your sabbath, however you take it, renew your spirit.  Bueno Camino!

One of the many plazas and fountains

The Big Day

   So today was the day I´ve been awaiting with a little dread - it was a 15.2 mile walk on the original Roman road (which means lots of rocks).  There is no shade along the way, no villages to stop in, no fountains, nothing, just a day of walking.  But I was ready for it.  Last night at dinner we heard the weather report and there was a dwindling possibility of rain - so we all hoped for a cloud covered day.

The Roman road less traveled

 This morning I was walking by about 6:45AM and I could see the moon, but also

a number of clouds in the sky - yeah!  There was a beautiful sunrise thanks to the clouds surrounding the sun.  (picture later, no usb adapter at this computer).  But around 8:00AM I started to notice that there was nothing but rain ahead.  I could see the rain shower directly ahead, but to the left was a very, very dark rain...  I kept my eye on it.  I started thinking about how we see trouble ahead.  Sometimes due to the choices we´ve made (did my easy day yesterday mean I´d be caught in a thunderstorm today).  Sometimes we see trouble and we try to avoid it - but when you have 15 miles to walk, you just keep walking straight towards the rain.  There´s no way I was going to add any miles. 

   Funny thing about trouble, as you continue towards it, sometimes you find it isn´t trouble at all.  I watched as this huge rainstorm continued to move in front of me from west to east.  At one point the sun broke out behind me - ahh, look for a rainbow.  Within a couple of minutes I saw the beginning color taking form.  I continued to watch this live slide show unfold as the color intensified, then changed, then arced downward, and finally there was a small part of a think rainbow with vivid colors.  It continued to show for quite a while.

   

Oh yeah - miles to go!

So I kept walking, very thankful that the sun was covered more often than not.  Finally about 11:30 I came to the turn to start the final walk into Mansillia de los Muela.  I thought I could see the town way in the distance...  My impulsive brain said "yes!  You´re almost there."    My reasonable brain said, "Don´t get too excited, you have miles to go."   So I have my goal in sight, but just had to keep on walking.  I was thinking about vision and goals that we set for ourselves as I walked.  We see where we want to go, but sometimes we give up before we get there -- does it always take longer than we thought it would?   I remember watching a video of the poet David Whyte and he talked about a woman who told him that she knew what she wanted to do in her life, but she took a job that was of only some interest and in the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed.  Yes, we do have to stay on the path towards our goals if we are going to get there.  And sometimes those paths go on a long time.

    I stopped and ate my apple.  Changed my socks for the 4th time (didn´t want to take a chance on my feet on this long day), then thought I´d be heading into town.  But the road went on and on and on.  At 12:45 I finally made it around the bend, only to see that what I´d thought was the town was actually a little suburb and the town was now another couple miles to the left.  The pathway narrowed and was surround by thistles and thorny bushes.  It looked like it had hardly been used (there´s something called a sendra, a gravel path that parallels the highway that apparently most of the pilgrims had used.)  So I plodded on.  Finally I could see the church steeple and after going through the underpass under the hwy and through the medieval gate into town (the last one in Spain if I understand correctly), I arrived.  My goal was reached, but I have to tell you it was not easy today.   Something for me to consider as I look at what my goals might be for my 70th, 80th and 90th decades of life.

      So stay on the path...    Bueno Camino!

Calzadilla de los Hermanillos

   Last night I indulged.  After walking all the way across Sahagun to the monastery I found that they no longer have just "beds" but only single or double rooms.  So for about $30 I got a single room.  When the door was opened I almost cried - it was such a beautiful sight.  Typical of Catholic retreat centers, it was a tiny room with a desk to the left of the door, then a small twin bed on the right under a window that opened to the terrace.  But to the left was a door to a bathroom, almost as large as the room and there was a BATHTUB in it!  I took a nice long bath and my feet greatly enjoyed soaking for a while.
   This morning I did not leave until 7AM as I found that the monastery has outdoors that had a padlock on them until that time.  But I still had a chance to walk in the cool of the night air as the sun was rising behind me.  It was a short day as tomorrow I have a 16 mile walk with no stops in between - it´s all or nothing!   Today I began walking on the Via Romana, an extensive road built by the Romans and still in amazing condition.  I can only imagine the labor that was involved as the heavy rock foundation did not come from this area.

This is Barbara from Germany waiting at the cross in front of the alberque

    Around 10:30 I arrived in Calzadilla de los Hermanillos and since the alberque would not open until 1PM I headed back to the cafe I passed.  I met up with Maria of England who I've met a couple of times recently and we had coffee and a chance to get to know each other better.  After a while Russell, a woman from Australia came by.  She´d been waiting for the bus for an hour and decided to see if the host at the cafe would call her a taxi (they did) so she could head to Mansilla to meet her two friends.  I had met all of them as we crossed in Castilla y Leon last week and we've been passing one another along the way.  But Russell had blisters form that got more and more serious and she had to have a doctor look at them a few days ago.  She´s traveling by bus and will do so to Leon.  She said they are healing and she hopes to walk once more after Leon.
    She told us about this little community after we said we were staying here.  They had stayed here last night and she talked about the lovely meal they were served at the cafe.  And as happens in the villages across Spain in the evening people all came out and she said that a lady took her arm and invited her to see her garden.  She noted that there are parks and little plazas with benches all over the town.  I went exploring this afternoon and she´s right.

The alberque (bed & breakfast) and cafe where I´m using the internet.  Notice the solar panel on the roof.

The quiet streets at siesta time.  Only an American or peregrino would be out this time of day!

This is in a little park and it shows how the Romans built their roads.  The road bed to the right looks like what I walked on this morning.

Other side of the park with aquaduct and the church in the back.

What a lovely place to hang laundry.