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Published: September 23rd 2016
Please read my previous blog at
Camino de Santiago - Navarre - Getting to Know You before reading this blog as the story of my Camino begins there.
12 September 2016 Monday. Weather: Hot Distance from Villatuerta to Logroño: 0 as I took the bus from Estelle to Logroño, skipping Los Arcos and Viana.
When planning my trip, I had scheduled my departure so that I would arrive in Logroño to participate in the Fiesta de San Mateo, a wine festival featuring grape crushing. I based arrival date upon the 2015 dates as the 2016 dates weren´t published until four months after I had to book an airline ticket using my frequent flyer miles. However, once the schedule was published in March 2016 the wine festival turned out to be a week later. Oh well.
Today would be my day of rest...relatively. I had entered the winemaking region of La Roija. Arriving in Logroño I checked into the Marriott AC Hotel La Rioja. This was a far cry from being a True Pilgrim! I spent the afternoon relaxing in air conditioned comfort and trying to figure out how to access my blog so that I could write and publish my blogs about Barcelona and
my first week on the Camino. It took two hours to access my blog (using Chrome helped), but finally was able to write my previous two blogs, but only sent the first before being kicked off.
By 7 PM I was hungry so walked to the old part of town to find a tapas bar. On the way I was worried about how I would be able to send my backpack forward as the transport service likely didn´t stop at first class hotels. The problem was soon solved when I passed an albergue. They told me to leave my bag there the next morning by 7 AM. I countered with 8 AM, and they said OK. Then I had to find an ATM to replenish my cash. I tried two or three banks and was rejected by all. This meant I would have to wait until 9 AM the next morning when the banks opened to get cash from a teller; and probably miss the bag pickup.
I didn´t end up with tapas, but with a three course dinner with filet mignon with a bottle of Rioja wine for 16 euros! I then walked back to the hotel
and turned in for the night.
Lesson learned: A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
13 September 2016 Tuesday. Weather: Warm with a cooling breeze...perfect weather for a walk. Distance from Logrono to Navarette: 12.6 km or 7.8 miles.
I was able to get cash from an ATM at 9 AM and drop off my backpack at the albergue before the baggage service picked up the backpacks. I had brunch, a fruit drink and bocadillo, with four pilgrims from Ireland. Then I was off. This is when I discovered I had left my walking stick behind at the hotel. Fortunately this day I wouldn´t need it.
The Camino leaving Logrono is wonderful; going through a long park with trees lining the path and benches every fifty meters or so. For the first time on my Camino I walked with someone going my pace; Lisanne from Leipzig, Germamy, who I met on one of the benches. This was her first day on the Camino so she was taking it slow. Being able to talk to someone took my mind off the steps, so it was much easier although my ankle
was still in pain. We passed a farmer harvesting grapes and he gave us some. We covered the 12.6 kilometers to Navarette in about four hours so my pace was improving slightly from 2 km/hr to 3 km/hr. Lisanne continued on, and I checked into the Casa del Perigrino, took a shower, washed my clothes and hung them to dry, and took a siesta. About 6 PM a thunderstorm arrived so I took my clothes down from the clothes line and went looking for dinner. On the way to the town square I went into the Iglesia de la Asuncion, which has a magnificent retablo made of gold from the Inca Empire. I paid the one euro to turn on the lights and was astonished at its blaze of dazzling gold.
Last year, fellow TBers Harland and Karen (
subman) promised Begonia and Antonio, who own a local restaurant, to send them a postcard of Las Vegas. They knew I would be passing this way so mailed the postcard to me for hand delivery. I found the restaurant closed. This meant I would have to wait until it opened the next morning, which could be anytime after 11 AM. I
found another restaurant and shared a wonderful pilgrims menu with Jan and Mike from Littleton CO. I then returned to the albergue and went to sleep.
14 September 2016 Wednesday. Weather: Sunny and cool with late afternoon thunderstorms. Distance from Navarette to Ventosa: 6.8 km...I knew by now that I couldn´t walk the full 17 km to Najera as originally planned. My daily limit after I sprained my ankle couldn´t take anymore than about 10 - 12 km.
Today I decided to carry my backpack and send all the heavier things in my carry on bag. The advantage of using my backpack was that it had a waist strap that concentrated the load on my hips rather than my shoulders.
I waited around Navarette for the restaurant to open so I could deliver the postcard. I visited their weekly market and then had a cafe con leche and a croissant with four Irish pilgrims...not the ones from Logrono. Then I noticed a lady walking towards the restrooms. From behind it looked like Michelle who I last saw in Cizur Menor. It was! We had a great reunion and talked about giving and receiving blessings before she and
another woman moved on. By 11:30 AM Begonia arrived at the restaurant so I was able to give her the postcard. Then I was off.
My next Camino angels were Poul (with an o) and and Sonia (with an i) from Vancouver BC. My shoelaces had become untied, and I couldn´t bend over to tie them without falling over, so I asked if one of them could tie my shoes. Sonia volunteered! We then walked together for an hour until just before arriving in Ventosa. They went looking for an albergue or hotel. I had my bed reserved at the albergue San Saturnino, so stopped first for paella at a restaurant. I then checked in at the albergue, showered, washed my clothes and hung them to dry. There I bumped into Michelle again, along with many others who I met earlier along the Camino including Draza from Manuru. Soon an afternoon thunderstorm arrived so I took down my clothes from the line and used their clothes dryer. While waiting for my clothes to dry I met Guido from Belgium who was celebrating his 60th day on the Camino. He walked all the way from his home north of Brussels
to this point so we had some wine and toasted the occasion.
After drying my clothes I hung around the kitchen table where others had gathered to talk. One lady had made an excessive amount of baked beans so she shared some with me. I talked to Michelle and Dane, a brilliant savant, for most of the evening.
Lessons learned:
1. Hang around the kitchen. The conversation around a kitchen table is always the best...and you might get some food.
2. Walking this portion of the Camino was intended to prepare me for the last 100 km by learning lessons from other pilgrims and the Way, by preparing me physically (although actually impairing my physical with my ankle injury), and by understanding my limits. I learned that by walking further than my daily limit my ankle would be in great pain, and I would arrive at a historical town with no energy left to explore. I learned that I must take a bus to these historic towns so that I would arrive early and with enough energy to see important places. I had to balance my walking with the other reasons I was on the Camino.
3. Most importantly, I was starting to bump into pilgrims I met earlier; and these reunions were such a blessing with the sharing of stories of each others experiences and the continuation of deep conversations about blessings received and given.
15 September 2016 Thursday. Weather: Partly cloudy and cool. Distance from Ventosa to Najera: 10.2 km or 6.1 miles, which I figured was my daily limit until my ankle healed.
As I was leaving the albergue, I met my next Camino angel...Ute, the hospitalerio. She noticed I was missing a walking stick so gave me one left by a previous pilgrim. I would need it as there were several rocky uphill stretches!
About an hour walk beyond Ventosa I arrived at the location where the battle between Roland and the giant Ferragut took place, which is similar to the story of David and Goliath or Achilles at Troy. In this case, Ferragut challenged Charlemagne to send a champion to fight him one on one. Roland accepted the challenge, and the fight lasted for three days. During the "time outs" they would talk, sharing each others faith, and Farragut reveled his only weakness, his belly button. You
can guess what happened next.
Today was full of Camino angels. I was walking along and saw a yellow arrow indicating a left at the intersection. I walked that way for about 50 meters when I heard someone yell "Wrong way." I turned around and it was Ann from Ireland, who I had last met in Villatuarte at the Casa Magica. How she was there at that critical moment was a miracle...the kind that the odds are greatly against. We walked together discussing her past relationships and destructive behaviors and really had a meaningful conversation. I hoped I was a blessing to her just as she had been to me. She continued on when we got to the outskirts of Najera.
I checked into the Albergue Puerta de Najera at about 1 PM. I shared a room with an American priest, Paul, and a teacher, Laurie, both from Nevada, and a friendly Spanish man from Cordoba who didn´t speak English. After taking a shower, washing clothes, and hanging them to dry, I went for lunch and had another excellent pilgrim meal. Many pilgrims get tired of these meals, but I haven´t. You get three courses, and each course
has five or so choices, so there is plenty of variety, although I usually have the flan for dessert.
Najera has an interesting legend. King Garcia III was hunting and came across a cave with a statue of Mary, with a crown of jewels. One of those jewels, the Black Prince ruby made its way to England's coronation crown. I had timed my arrival in Najera to coincide with the San Juan Martir y Santa Maria la Real festival which commemorates this event. I had timed it right. The festival was mostly parades of musicians and a band in the city square. Fortunately my albergue wasn´t near the square, so all I had to put up with was the bands marching past the albergue until the late hours.
I sent Happy Birthday emails to son Will and grandson Liam. I learned from Will that he was offered a job as an Intellectual Property lawyer in Laguna Beach, California, and will be moving there in March 2017 after taking the New York bar exam. I guess Linda and I will have to add California to our list of destinations.
Lesson learned: Meeting old and new aquaintences is the
greatest blessing on the Camino. I was forming an extended family!
16 September 2016 Friday. Weather: Rain and cold. Distance from Najera to Santa Domingo de la Calzada: 0 as I decided to avoid the weather by taking the bus! Why should I treat my backpack better than me...and it costs 5 euros to ship my backpack and only 1.6 euros to ship me and both backpacks by bus! And besides, I had learned the lesson to take a bus when I needed my energy to visit a historic town.
When I arrived in Santa Domingo, I looked in my backpack for my guidebook to see on the map of the town where my hotel was. I couldn´t find my guidebook! I must have left it back at the last albergue where I used it to help a German cyclist find directions out of town on paved roads (I guess I was his Camino Angle). I took the next bus back to Najera. There I found a 2 euro coin on the ground that helped pay for the bus fares. The albergue was closed until noon, so I sat on a bench and proceeded to empty by backpacks
Michelle and Olympia at chance meeting in Navarette
I met Michelle the first day. She had the single bed next to mine. She was one of my extended Camino family.looking for the guidebook. I soon found it, so took the next bus to Santa Domingo. Rather than having a hassle finding the hotel, I caught a taxi even though the taxi driver told me it was just a short distance. It turned out to be around the corner...about 200 meters.
My hotel, the Hospederia Cistersciense, is run by Cistercian nuns. I must be loosing weight because, as I crossed the lobby, my pants fell down to my knees! I was sure the nun wasn´t going to let me stay there. Anyway, she gave me the card to room 106 and I headed in that direction. I passed a room with the door open and nicely made beds. I was so tired that I went in, dropped my bags, flopped on the bed, and immediately fell asleep. After awhile I got a phone call from reception. The nuns were in a tizzy. I went down to see what the problem was. It tuned out I was in room 101, the wrong room. I told them that I hadn´t used anything. They accompanied me to the room where I fluffed down the bedspread and moved my bags to 106. Now
I knew why I had booked a hotel months ago rather than an albergue even though I wasn´t due for my weekly day off in a nice hotel. God knew months earlier I would need sleep on this day! Then it was time for lunch and touring. Arriving back in the lobby I met the two women who were supposed to have room 101, Nicki and Dee from California. I explained the mix up and they were very understanding!
Santa Domingo de la Calzada has its own legend; this one involving chickens. A German family, the son whose name was Hugonell, were on pilgrimage. This night they stayed with a farmer's family. The farmer's daughter...perhaps this was the original farmers daughter legend... attempted to seduce Hugonell. He rejected her advances, so she became angry and hid some silver items in his pack. After the family departed she notified the authorities, accusing him of theft. Hugonell was arrested, tried, found guilty and hanged in short order. The parents continued on to Santiago and on the way back stopped to see their son hanging from the gallows. The son was still alive, claiming that Santiago had held him up. The parents
went to see the magistrate to ask that their son be cut down as this surely was a sign he was innocent. The magistrate, who happened to be eating chicken for lunch, replied "Why, he is no more alive than this roasted chicken," at which point the chicken stood up, sprouted feathers, and began to crow. Descendants of this chicken still live in the cathedral. This I had to see.
As I was crossing the plaza in front of the cathedral and passed the Parador de Santo Domingo de la Calzada, I asked a couple sitting there where the chickens were. They pointed the way and then asked me to join them for breakfast. Juan Paul and Andrea, and a little boy and girl with another on the way, live in Leon where he is a doctor. They will move soon to Boston where he will take some courses in pediatric medicine. While we were talking, a couple Andy and Maria, who I had met in Uterga just after spraining my ankle, saw me and stopped by...introductions all around. Then I joined Andy and Maria for a pilgrims lunch where we had a long meaningful conversation about our spiritual
On the outskirts of Navarette
The town is known for its pottery walks, at one point leading to tears in Andy and my eyes. Maria took this all with equinimity. Andy shared that when he saw me walking with all my pain that encouraged him to walk on too. So learning that I had blessed someone was a double blessing for me as we had met again so coincidentally and he told me about how I had been a blessing to him. So Andy and Maria were my next Camino angels.
We parted ways with Andy and Maria planning to stay another day for the blisters on his feet to heal, and with me going to the cathedral to see the chickens. In the cathedral learned that Santa Domingo is the patron saint of civil engineers, which I am, due to his work improving the road and building bridges to make the Way easier for pilgrims.
I then went in search of the sweet almond pastries shaped like little hanged men (
Ahorcaditos) for which the town is famous. The bakery also had cakes shaped like chickens. On the way back to the hotel I got a shave and a haircut, which turned out much better that the one I received
in Xiahe, China where the Tibetan barber misunderstood my sign language and shaved off both my mustache and beard (see my blog at
Side Trip to Labrang Monastery).
Later I walked around the town looking for wifi as the one in my hotel didn´t work. I send emails to my family every day so that they would know how I was doing with my ankle and where I was. I went back to the parador and got their user id and password and it didn´t work either. While sitting there I met two couples from Dijon and Nancy, France, who invited me to share with them a bottle of wine with bread and thinly sliced ham. Our mixed French (which I tried to speak) and English (which they tried to speak) conversation was pretty coherent!
Back at my hotel the wifi finally worked so I was able send email to my family before going to bed. Before falling asleep for ten hours I debated whether to keep walking or take the bus the next morning.
Lesson learned:
1. During the night I had a nightmare...first time getting to deep sleep. I learned that the conditions we experience on the Camino...lack
of sleep, dislocation from time and place, sore body, etc were similar to someone being brainwashed. Not a good comparison, but it revealed to me why pilgrims are more open to spiritual messages. I prayed for protection from evil spiritual forces.
2. Santa Domingo de Calzada was my favorite Camino town thus far...and would remain so.
17 September 2016 Saturday. Weather: Raining and cold. Distance from Santa Domingo to Belorado: 0 as I took the bus, answering my concerns from the previous night.
I learned from fellow pilgrims when the next bus was leaving in the direction of Burgos. When it was time I walked the couple hundred meters to the bus station to wait. Who should I meet there but Sharma and Colette from Cizur Menor!! Both were suffering leg injuries. We boarded the bus and Sharma brought me up to date on the rest of my Camino family. She asked me if I was a pastor. I told her I´m an engineer and asked why she asked the question. She told me that Michelle thought I was one by my quiet and cheerful attitude and my interest in discussing spiritual insights gained along the Way.
Wow...the Lord really is changing me! Sharma got off at Villamajor del Rio, five km short of Belorado, with the intention of walking from there to Villafranco de Montes, about a 17 km walk. Colette was continuing to Burgos. As I got off the bus in Belorado, Poul and Sonia, who I had previously met between Navarette and Ventosa, were getting on. Poul´s leg was really hurting so they were also going to Burgos for medical attention.
I was stopping in Belorado as I wanted to see this historic town, and it had Sunday bus service, the only town between Santa Domingo and Burgos with the service. Belorado was founded by the Romans. During the Middle Ages it became a market town serving the entire region. It had pilgrim hospitals and refugios and a historic church, which was closed. It also became known for its leather goods, although I didn´t see any. But that wouldn´t have mattered as I have no room in my backpack to carry any purchases.
I got into line to sign in at the Albergue Cuatro Cantones, and who should get in line behind me but Ann from Ireland who I first met in
Villatuerta and then on the way to Najera.. Another amazing coincidence and reunion. However, even though we were in the same albergue, somehow I didn´t see her again...either that evening or the rest of the time on the Camino.
After checking in I ate a pilgrims menu and then washed clothes and hung them to dry, but the weather was bad so I hung them over the end of my bunk bed. I discovered that I was missing 150 euros! I looked through everything. I kept the money with my passport and credential in the pouch around my neck, so didn´t know how it could have gone missing. I prayed that whoever found the money would need it more than I did. I then walked around town to find an ATM, which successfully spit out 150 euros. I saw the sights and in the process met Erhard from Germany, who was trying to open the locked door of the church. We had some cafe con leche and a mixed German and English conversation for an hour or so. I was getting more practice speaking French and German than learning Spanish. I then hung around the albergue for the rest
of the afternoon...but no Ann.
Most of the other pilgrims ate their big meal that evening. I just had something light at a café as I had the pilgrims menu at lunch. I then turned in early. This was the first night on the Camino that somone snoring kept me up all night. I was ready to take the bus to Burgos two days early to have an extended rest period and to finally take care of my ankle.
Lesson learned: ´
1. By now I had learned that my destinations would have to be determined by towns served by public transportation. This was hard to find out as bus schedules are not published to the degree required to determine which busses are express, stopping in only the larger towns, and which were local. And the schedules often showed when the bus left the large city, but not the arrival and departure times in the following towns.
2. I learned that if I was going to complete the final 100 km of the Camino to Santiago, I was going to have to take the necessary actions; like seeing a physical therapist for my ankle and revising
my schedule for the rest of the trip to leave ten days rather than seven days for the final walk. For this reason I decided to go to Burgos two days early to see a physical therapist and rest. I also totally revised the last ten days of my schedule, leaving the schedule from Burgos to Leon to Astorga to Ponferada intact. After Ponferada I would skip the walk to Villafranco de Bierzo and from O Cabriero to Sarria, to save three days, and go directly from Ponferada to Lugo by bus.
18 September 2016 Sunday. Weather: Overcast and cold. Distance from Belorado to Burgos: 0 as I took the bus.
I learned that the only bus to Burgos this day was at noon. So I joined Anke from Germany, Christian from Denmark, and Robin and April (mother and daughter) from Australia at a warm cafe for cafe con leche and croissant while waiting for the bus. We had a wonderful three hour conversation. Then it was time to join a dozen or more other pilgrims at the bus stop. The ride to Burgos was quick. I felt sorry for the pilgrims in the other towns along the
way who were waiting for this bus which never stopped...I know how I would feel after waiting for hours at a bus stop: the joy to see one coming followed by emotional devastation as it drove past.
Upon exiting the bus station in Burgos I bumped into Guy and Colette, the first two pilgrims I had met in Cizur Menor! At the time I could sense some initial attraction between the two, but now I saw full blown love. What a blessing to see this relationship bloom from the initial meeting to hugs and kisses. Again, the odds of my meeting them here were highly improbably; another miracle. I guess this makes them my next Camino angels!
I walked the couple hundred meters to the AC Hotel and use a few more Marriott reward points to book two additional nights. I then walked around town and bumped into Anke. I had lunch with her before she caught her bus to Santander. This was also that last day of the Burgos Arts Festival so I watched some street performances. I then ran into Poul and Sonia, who I first met on the Camino to Ventosa and then again in
Belorado, in the cathedral square so we watched more street performers together. The next time I heard from them was to wish me a Merry Christmas on Dec 25, 2017. Sonia sent me a picture of Poul and me talking on the Camino before Ventosa. We are now Facebook friends.
My time in Burgos and following is in my next blog which covers the next phase of my Camino...enjoying history, art, and architecture in Burgos, Leon, Astorga, and Ponferada, before resuming my walk along the Camino from Lugo to Santiago.
Lesson learned; Take care of my physical needs, too!
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taracloud
Tara Cloud
I like your style!
Delicious food, stays at the Marriott, lots of wonderful conversations with other pilgrims and good lessons--well-done! So glad you found your guide book and were given another walking stick. While I loved the walks to, and the towns of, Villafranco de Bierzo, O Cabriero and further on, you're wise to leave them since they are in the mountains and not on the highway for buses (the reason liked them). Hope your ankle is feeling better, and I look forward to your upcoming blogs about some of my favorite towns. Buen Camino, pilgrim!