Just past the midpoint of the Camino in Sahagún, on April 14, Day 27 of our walk, we continued another 18 km. on to reach El Burgo Ranero, a town in the Province of León, in the Junta of Castilla y León. Family matters back in the States had changed our priorities, so we caught a bus to León, rearranged our plans, and by April 18 we were back in DC.
We came back to find Chris having taken beautiful care of the house and dogs, and Jonny on a break from his Kennedy Center road show, and were treated to a welcome home meal.
It gave us the opportunity to begin to share our story in person. And telling the story brings back those parts of the trip that meant the most to us.
***
On our last night of the pilgrimage, before heading to the train station in León, we had an impromptu despedida at the Vinos Grifo bar and restaurant in the Plaza Santa María del Camino, with Pepe (seated on the right) serving us some very fine wine and cheese.
The Vinos Grifo is located precisely in front of the Albergue del Monasterio de las Benedictinas (Sta. María de Carbajal), where Isabel serves as the hospitalera with a mixture of discipline (you do not put your backpack under your bed, or move to another bed from the one she assigned to you) and love: she took such compassion on Martha Luz‘s aching feet that upon our arrival at the Albergue she bathed them in warm water, sea salt and vinegar, and as we were leaving the next day she insisted on coming out to say good bye to her.
One of the attractions of the Camino is that long stretches of the peace, quiet and simplicity of the countryside and small villages and towns are occasionally broken up by cities with their historical centers marked by narrow wandering streets lined with bars and restaurants, filled with a sense of festivity and friendliness that we found characteristic among pilgrims and local citizens alike, and some of the most iconic Romanesque and Gothic churches and cathedrals of Europe. The following is of Santa María de León; for more, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/León_Cathedral.
Serendipity is defined as “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way,“ which is a most appropriate description of much of life on the Camino. Meeting the young German pilgrim Simone and her dog Adani on the road out of Itero de la Vega on the morning of Day 22, April 9, was just such an occurrence.
Simone was very ambitious, carrying over forty pounds on her back, including food and water for Adani; the latter was less enthusiastic, all he really wanted to do was lie down and sleep. But Simone was persistent; we met up with her again quite by chance, a week and more than 130 kilometers later, in front of the Cathedral in León. We caught up on how Adani was doing - he had been driven by car into León as Simone had walked the route - and we watched as she coaxed her pet to finish yet another leg of the road before evening.
Ulrica - "Pippi Longstocking" to Martha Luz - was another young German pilgrim we met several times along the way. This is she with Martha Luz in León, in a study in red and blue.
In contrast to Simone, we found Joy Lewis from North Carolina, with her fanny pack; that was all she was taking on the Camino.
The last stretch that we walked on the Camino was from Sahagún to El Burgo Ranero on April 14, one that was no different from all the others in Castilla y León in offering plays of color and light on the fields of grasses and grains against what were almost always clear blue skies.
The walk was not without its moments of humor, some of which involved attempts at translation. This was one of our favorites. The Spanish actually reads: "Attention Pilgrims, roadwork zone, for your own security do not leave the trail."
The Camino is managed by a citizens's group of "Amigos" that generally does a fine job of improving and maintaining the Way. This is the Camino out of Sahagún.
Sahagún is indeed half way between Roncesvalles and Santiago de Compostella and the town has taken advantage of that fact to mark the 385 kilometer spot and provide the inevitable photo opportunity.
An apparently well known pilgrim, "José Portugués del Camino," as he says he is called, was laid off work more than three years ago, began walking in November of 2008, carries a collection of credentials of his travels that he proudly spreads out to you like so many cards in a deck, and has covered more than 14,000 kilometers, dragging behind his belongings in a home made cart.
On the Camino it sometimes helps to be innovative, as when your laundry of the night before still needs drying.
Another beautiful morning in Castilla y León, on the way from Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagún on Day 26, April 13.
In Calzadilla de la Cueza, on Day 25, April 12, we decided it was time for a break from dormitory life, so we checked into La Corte, a small hotel in front of XII Century Church of San Martín, and enjoyed a rather spectacular meal.
The Picos de Europa to our north, on the road from Carrión de los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza. The highest peak is the Torre de Cerredo, at 2,648 meters.
This gentleman, whom we came across on our way from Frómista to Carrión de los Condes on Day 24, April 11, had trouble convincing most that all he wanted to do was to greet pilgrims with some candy and well wishes, that he really was not going to charge for his hospitality. He is representative of the vast majority of Spaniards we saw along the way that would wave, stop their cars for us at intersections as soon as they saw us near the curb, and voluntarily offer directions on how to find the route when we sometimes wandered off or could not see the yellow arrows.
Our guide book by John Brierley tells us that "Frómista is best known (and visited) for the beautiful 11th century Iglesias de San Martín (consecrated in 1066) and reputedly one of the finest examples of pure Romanesque in Spain." As in so many cases, the albergue we stayed at on Day 23, April 10, was strategically located in front of the church and made a visit very easy. But we found the natural architecture almost as interesting as the manmade. These trees' branches reach out to each other and the sky like so many ET fingers.
The Canal de Castilla runs for some 207 kilometers through the Provinces of Burgos, Palencia and Valladolid in the Autonomous Community of Castilla and León and provides one of the most beautiful stretches of the Way, for hikers as well as cyclists. In this particular part of the Way we felt a deep connection, as the Canal de Castilla reminded us of the C&O Canal along the Potomac River that we have walked, run, hiked and skied for many years.
Approaching the Canal de Castilla ...
The hospitaleros of some of the privately run hostels integrate their family life with their attention to peregrinos, as was the case in the Albergue En el Camino in Boadilla.
And as was also true in so many bars and bistros along the Way, the average table wine
was as fine as the better wines one pays for dearly in the United States. Begoña shows us this 2010 Tempranillo from Rioja Antaño that we were served.
Albergue En el Camino also provided Adani with another rest opportunity.
Occasionally we would try to get a very early start, as we did leaving Hontanas on Day 22, April 9, for a 21 kilometer walk to Itero de la Vega.
Day 21 (April 8) of our walk involved a 100+ meter climb out of Hornillos del Camino, an easy stroll along a meseta of softly variegated green of barley, edged by the wind turbines that we saw throughout the Camino ...
... then a steep descent into the town of Hontanas.
And a well deserved caña in the small plaza ...
... that we could see from the window in our room in the Albergue El Puntido.
Day 20, April 7, began with a pre-dawn start out of Burgos that 20 kilometers later took us into Hornillos del Camino, with a break at the Fuente de Praotorre and our encounter with the "Bomberas Ibicencas." We found them pumping fresh water for fellow pilgrims at a rest stop ...
... found out that they were from Ibiza, and thus baptized them.
One of the better pieces of graffiti we found along the way ...
April 7, Day 20, was unusually warm for early Spring in northern Spain, over 30 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, so the fountain in Rabé de las Calzadas provided a welcome break.
We discover that "tapas" in Burgos means something quite different from what we get in the Jaleo in Bethesda; one alone is a meal for two, for about $10.
Burgos becomes a two day stop (Days 18&19, April 5-6), to provide some rest for Taluz's knees and buy her some Salomon shoes ...
... and explore the city's historic district, from its imposing entrance through the Arco de Santa María
... to its trees reaching out their extraterrestrial fingers
... along the banks of the Arlanzon River
... to the Nuestra Señora de Burgos Cathedral lifting her Gothic spires in the early morning sun over the Plaza Alonso Martinez.
Andreas was another German pilgrim that we came to know early in the trip and joyfully crossed paths with several times throughout the trip, in this case in Burgos. He, like many, was on a search not quite sure of his purpose.
It was not unusual to see Spaniards strolling the streets and shopping in the company of their dogs, occasionally to the point of some exaggeration ...
Not all of the Camino was that easy on the senses. There were sometimes long stretches that provided little of interest.
But we grew to expect that over the next hill, around the next bend, there would be an Agés, with its bar and restaurant, a cold beer and a pintxo of egg and potato.
Or steep climbs through misty forests such as those of the Montes de Oca
... with equally sharp descents on the other side, to bring us to the haven of San Juan de Ortega on Day 17, April 4.
And the adjoining Bar Marcela, with the warmth of a fire, good wine, and an opportunity to try morcilla de Burgos, a dish not advised for anyone's arteries.
We quote from John Brierley: "San Juan was a disciple of Santo Domingo and like his mentor became known for his great works to serve the pilgrim to Santiago. He built bridges, hospitals, churches and hostels throughout this region. Here, in this wild and isolated place (ortega is Spanish for nettle) fraught with danger and difficulty, he founded an Augustinian monastery in 1150. The chapel is dedicated to San Nicolás de Barri, who allegedly saved San Juan from drowning on his way back from pilgrimage in the Holy Land, and is constructed in such a way that at each equinox the rays of the setting sun strike the Virgin Mary in the scene of the annunciation."
David attended a pilgrim's mass and left him with thoughts, some reverent and some perhaps otherwise. "What is it that moves me when I go into this XII century church in the remote countryside of northern Spain, one that has stood the test of time, in structure and in spirit. Those smoothly curved Romanesque arches remain true after almost 1000 years, and a priest continues to hold mass. And this, as a consequence of something that happened another thousand years earlier. Who was that masked man?"
Day 16, April 3, began with Taluz's hobbling out of Viloria de La Rioja in such pain that it seemed the end of the pilgrimage. But her courage and determination pushed her on, and after more than 17 kilometers of rain and mud we reached a bar in Espinosa del Camino, where its owner, Inmaculada, offered a gift that we had recently learned not to turn down, a ride to our destination in Villafranca Montes de Oca, some three and a half kilometers away, where we found the only other pilgrim staying at the upscale Albergue San Antón Abad: Andreas.
There are albergues and there are albergues. And then there is that of Acacio and Orietta in Viloria de La Rioja. A 15 kilometer walk on Day 15, April 2, took us from Santo Domingo de la Calzada to this small town, population 50, the birth place of Santo Domingo himself, who "effectively dedicated his life to improving the physical route for pilgrims and was responsible for building many of the roads and bridges that we pass along" (again, John Brierley). The albergue is not that easy to find, you feel somewhat lost and have to pay attention to the signs painted discreetly on the road, and the entrance is so unassuming that you're not sure you are in the right place. But across the threshold all doubts disappear. You are greeted by the smell of incense, soft Gregorian chants and the welcome of Acacio, who takes your pack, shows you to the dormitory of some ten beds, stokes the fire in the corner, and asks you to put out your laundry so he can wash it. The sign on the wall says it all. Whereas almost all other albergues receive you with the announcement that you must be out by 8AM the next morning, this one tells you to sleep as late as you like, that this is a place of rest. And rest it is. After a shower we are served beer and sit down with Acacio, who tells us the story of how he and Orietta came to discover the Camino, live it and ultimately buy and accommodate this inn. Which included support from Paulo Coelho, a personal friend of Acacio. In one of his earlier experiences on the Camino he had accompanied Coelho on a filming project, during which, at the wine fountain in Irache, Coelho made a commitment to Acacio which later turned into support for the financing of the improvement of this albergue.
By the time Orietta served dinner, which was accompanied by several bottles of fine wine, two other pilgrims had joined us; Acacio said a brief grace and asked that we introduce ourselves and say why we were walking the Camino. Somehow, between a Brazilian, an Italian, a German, a Dutchman, a Honduran and a North American, we all made ourselves understood. We were at home with Acacio and Orietta and were having a family meal. And all of this for a voluntary donation; give whatever you feel appropriate.
Upon leaving in the morning, Acacio offered to take Taluz's pack to our next destination, as he was driving in that direction, gave us each a small stone that we were to leave in Santiago once we reached there, and left us with a number of pieces of advice, not the least of which was:
"The Camino will sometimes offer you gifts. It is up to you to accept or reject them. But remember, they may not be offered again." It was with that advice in mind that we later gratefully accepted the offer of a ride by Inmaculada that got us to the albergue in Villafranca de Montes de Oca before nightfall. And without feeling guilty over not walking every inch of the Camino.
This is Taluz with Acacio and Orietta as we left their home.
A sunny Saturday morning on Day 15, April 2, in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, on our way to Viloria de La Rioja.
 |
| Tres viejos |
Vineyards just outside Nájera, with the Sierra de la Demanda in the southern distance, on Day 14, April 1, on a 21 kilometer walk to Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
Day 13, March 31, brought us to the surprise of Nájera and life along the banks of the Río Najerilla.
And another encounter with Andreas, this time over paella at a restaurant on the plaza along the river.
March 28, Day 10, was a grueling 21 kilometers from Torres del Rio to Logroño with both of us struggling, Taluz on weakened knees and David carrying both packs as they crossed the Río Ebro into town.
Logroño became a point of reckoning and reconnoiter. While Taluz rested at the municipal hostel, David
unwound with a walk through the historic section of the city
... bought some food for Martha Luz and caught some local musicians.
As we were leaving the next morning, the hospitalero, Tomás, stopped us as he saw Taluz attempting to hobble out and gave us some good advice: stay another day in Logroño, let her rest, try to see a doctor, and lessen the load of our packs. This was our second reduction (after one in Pamplona), we separated some ten pounds of clothes, boots and first aid material, and Tomás was kind enough to arrange to have it picked up by the correo and sent to Carolina Trigo in Barcelona. We were less successful in finding a doctor, but at least Taluz did have a chance to let her knees recover somewhat. Tomás was one of the most supportive hospitaleros we were to find on our trip, and he provided his support with humor and common sense.
