Return to the Camino 2016

My next Camino - but not my last, I know, will be in August of 2016.

My grandson Cy and I have chatted about doing the Camino together, but this winter Meghan, his mom and my eldest, came to me with the idea of the 3 of us walking in August of 2016 - and my answer? SI!

No details have been worked out, but I have a rough plan.

 Astorga,with a visit to the Museo del Chocolate
 http://www.travelbelles.com/2011/02/chocolate-castles-astorga-spain

Museo de Chocolate, Astorga
 

 Rabanal, Refugio Gaucelmo, where I volunteered for 2 weeks in 2012, and will again in Sept 2016
https://www.facebook.com/RefugioGaucelmo



 Refugio Gaucelmo, Rabanal

Ponferrada has a Templar Castle - we'll stay here for sure - who wouldn't want to visit a Templar Castle?
















It is still another 200 km or so to Santiago - too soon to make definite plans, but I have more ideas.

After they return home for school at the end of August, I'll walk to Finisterre, bus back to Santiago, and on to Ferrol, in order to walk the Camino Ingles.




Then, back to Rabanal for another 2 weeks taking care of pilgrims.

So, I'll be busy this year, training, planning and dreaming!

In Rabanal again

Day23 Astorga to Rabanal, 21 km


I awoke excited. As I left Astorga, almost every step, every vista, was familiar. We stopped at Albergue Las Aguedas in Murias de Rechivaldos, and sat in their dining room and had breakfast, family style, as I had in 2012, and the hospitalero was the same one who had tried to help  me with my backpack then.  Then along the familiar path to the Cowboy Bar in El Ganzo, where we had a cafe con leche. Then 6 more kms along a gently sloping upward, stone strewn path to Rabanal. There was Father Pius, working in the garden. He had made great progress, and there were benches and tables for passing pilgrims. I introduced myself. He didn´t remember me, but we saved jam jars for him and he gave me a jar of elderberry preserves when I left in 2012. 
Then into the Refugio, with only one person ahead of me, as it was only noon. The gardeners, who come out from England to plant and do maintanence each spring were there, and just leaving to do the same job in Miraz. The herb garden is wonderful. I went to sign in and was greeted by Julie, who is the contact person for the hospitaleras. She is finishing her 2 week stint tomorrow and returning to England tomorrow. We had spoken on the phone, but never met. They now provide cotton pillowcases, made by Alison Raju, and wash the used ones every day. When I was here we gave out disposables.
I settled in, showered and did a big laundry, as they have a spinner, and the clothes dry in the garden in an hour. It was safe to wash the walking pants and both pairs of socks!
I checked out menus at Antonio´s and Gasparo´s, and Gasparo still has a better menu - maybe it is the chocolate mousse that calls me!
I went over to see Isabel at El Pilar albergue. It was quiet, as I think many pilgrims are going on to Foncebadon, which is 6 more steep kms. I think the town is hurting.
But for me it feels like my home away from home. I look forward to vespers with Gregorian chanting, and then dinner, and a wonderful sleep before tackling the mountain tomorrow.

Refugio Gaucelmo in Rabanal

A day without pilgrims

The albergue was fumigated when I got back from blogging yesterday. Then the plumber/gas guy arrived. Dave has been waiting since we arrived for him to show up. He will send an estimate to fix the instant gas hot water heater manana. Then the builders who want to erect a scaffold in our huerta (garden) to facilitate the building next door showed up with the priest, so that everyone was clear. Then the roofer showed up - they had been waiting for him since the spring rain. He said he would check and fix the roof in the winter. So by the time we got away to Astorga it was 5 pm, and we met Dick and Liz on the road and we pulled over to chat. They are taking over for us as hoapitalero/as, and we planned to go to dinner once we returned from Astorga. But as they pulled away we realized that we hadn´t told them not to go into the fumigated dorms, so we reluctantly turned around, and returned to Rabanal. We went to vespers together, then the 4 of us had dinner together. That was a novelty, as Dave and I have been going in shifts.

I slept until 6.30 am - what a treat! Shower, laundry, breakfast, then Astorga. I shipped my excess to Santiago for 4 euros, got cash and more dark chocolate with almonds, and more oats. I am going through a lot of them since both tea items use oats. Then the hardware stores. Since there is no Canadian Tire, with everything you might need, we were in 5 different stores getting keys cut, squeegies, pens, and vaccuum bags.

We had lunch, set up the dorms, and I ran off to blog. There are already about 10 people outside, and we will let in everyone who arrives by 2 pm. Dick is the chair of the Rabanal committee, so we discussed this very subject last night at dinner. There seems to be no rule that is fair to everyone. Dave and Dick are rewriting the Handbook, and will call it guidelines rather than rules, as we must use our discretion so many times. I pray there are no cinchas (bedbugs) today hitchhiking in with the new arrivals.