A pefect day

Sunday, Oct 7  - Vilacha to Palas de Rei  - 26km and 72 to go

Today was another glorious day, with lots of shade and breezes, and about 27´ . I walked in a short sleeved t shirt and shorts most of the day. As usual, it was a lot of ups and downs. I slept very well last night, so I didn´t get on the road until 9am! I just checked into the municipal albergue in Palas de Rei at 5:30 pm and I got the last of the 60 beds! It is much nicer than I remembered - only 2 bunks in my room, with an ensuite bathroom with shower, and since I was the last one in, no one else was waiting to use the shower. However, there was no hot water left, so the shower was quick.

So I walked most of 9.5 hours. How did that go, you ask? Well, what made it not only bearable, but fun, were the people I walked with. A couple from New Brunswick.  A young woman from Portland Oregon, who was on her second day, and suffering. A retired midwife, who has worked all around the world, including a stint at obstetrics at Central Hospital in Toronto. I think it is now closed. 3 women from Calgary  that I met yesterday, who started in Sarria. I walked with them most of the day and had my 2 breaks with them. First break was lunch, about 12:45, and I had the rest of my cheese, a large apple, 2 rice cakes and a piece of chocolate. The second break was around 4 pm, and I threw caution to the winds and had half a glass of beer, with half a glass of lemonade. I asked my walking friends to monitor me for staggering, but I was fine, and I am sure the alcohol burned off fast in the heat. I also snacked on almonds and dried fruit.

So it was an uneventful day, full of the joys of the Camino, prefaced by a wonderful evening and sleep at Casa Banderas.

Tomorrow I will be in Melide around noon, and it is famous for octopus (pulpo), so that is what I will be having for lunch, instead of eating out of my pack. Then perhaps stay at Ribadiso, another municipal albergue with a perfect pastoral setting. I can´t believe I could be in Santiago in 3 more days!

Have  a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, if you live in Canada.

Darlene

Wine and whining

Sat, Oct 6 2012 - San Mamed to Vilacha - 25 km

A delightful day through small villages in Gallicia. Most of them didn´t have the name posted, so it was hard to keep track of where I was, though Gallicia has concrete signposts every 500 km, with the supposed distance to Santiago. Yesterday, from one post to another, they added 5 km ( very disturbing!) and they still are not correct, according to my guidebook, so I expect another correction soon.

In order to get a compostella, one needs to have walked at least the last 100 km, so there were many pilgrims starting today in Sarria. I saw one group leave the Hotel Alfonzo at 9am, with their teeny backpacks. But even though they started out in a group, they soon disperse, and the road was no more crowded than usual. I walked the last 2 hours with a group of 4 women from Calgary, who had just started their Camino. It made the last 8 km much easier to bear. It seems after lunch, the body just plows on, like a machine, but it is tougher going than when I am fresh in the morning.

 I saw a group of young men today that I have seen many times. They sometimes stay where I stay, and are walking about the same distance as me. Of course they walk much faster than me, but I keep catching up, and finding them drinking beer at the roadside bars. I don´t drink the beer, as I can´t walk with alcohol in the system, and it is possible to consume a lot of calories in beer, if it is your primary hydration method.

Speaking of alcohol, I am sitting in Gordon´s beautiful  2 story, log ceiling salon/dining room, sipping a glass of very local wine. Apparently he likes the new wine, which is consumed within a few months, and is made in stainless steel rather than oak. He prefers to avoid the oak taste. Plus, as it is not made to keep, it has no sulfites, so if preferable. I am not a conniseur, but I am enjoying this wine with my blogging. Please blame any mistakes on the wine. He is making chicken paprikash, with local red peppers. I can hardly wait!

I met Gordon on my first Camino in 2007. At that time he had bought his place, and named it Casa Banderas, for the flags he hung outside. It has taken him 7 years, from purchase to the first paying pilgrims in April of this year. The dorm is lovely, there are disposable sheets, and the shower is totally amazing! I has a choice of 3 water streams: a regular handheld, a rain shower head in the ceiling of the shower stall, and a seat with jets that pulse on your back. And it is painted an amazing red! And there is a clean bath mat! It might never get better than this, at least in an albergue. There is a roof over the drying area! And I was met with a warm welcome, as we are facebook friends.

So I sign off in a very happy haze (already!)

Have wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends, with many blessings

Love Darlene

PS bodyspeak
Stomach: I think the meusli supplied by the albergue this morning was mostly wheat flakes. I ached most of the day, but am better now - is it the wine?

FAQ

Fonfria to San Mamed - 24 (I´m sure it was more!) km, 9.5 hours from start to finish

Today was very hard - why is it so difficult this time? The blisters are ok now, but the road is hard. The first 3 hours were downhill all the way, though not as hard on the feet as the descent from El Acebo into Molinseca. Then I took the shorter route, not through Samos. It was up and down and down and up, constantly. The views were spectacular, but a lot of the route was through very rough ¨roads¨, more like cow paths, with the smells and cow patties  and cows to prove it. Sometimes the path looked like the bed of a stream. Good thing there hasn´t been any rain, or most of the road would have been mud and boulders.

I am in a lovely albergue. 4 people to a room with our own ensuite bathroom - unbelievable! We are just outside Sarria, so I expect the crowds to start tomorrow, especially since it is the weekend. All those who will just walk the last 100 km for the compostella. Dinner will be vegetarian - yeah!! and my tummy is rumbling, as I have really just snacked all day. It is too hard to walk on a full stomach. Even a bowl of oats with hot milk is challenging to walk with.

Now for the FAQ ( I am making them up - nobody is asking!)

Flora and fauna - see any? Yes, hawks today, and a salamander. Total of 3 snakes, and lots of grasshoppers and yellow butterflies.. Blackberries always, and fall crocus, figs, saffron flowers? fall asters, and a dandelion!

What do you wear? Long underwear bottoms and long pants, short sleeved merino, long sleeve merino on top, then my merino hoodie with the hood up, then gloves. I lose the layers as I go along, as I am sure it was about 25´today. Right now I am in my checked capris, as it is still warm.

Why are you doing, this - are you crazy? Well, for lots of reasons. Red wine, cafe con leche, fresh orange juice - just squeezed , in the bars, for the solitude, for the camraderie of people from around the world, for the challenge, for the fun, to be in my body rather than my head, to have time to think, for the opportunity to focus only on my own needs, because I am crazy.

Oh what a beautiful morning!

I did ship my bag, and it was here when I arrived. Yeah! It made a terrific difference in my ability to enjoy the climb. We started off before the sun came up, but it was light. I walked with Brunie for a while, then with Jude and Roz for the rest of the day. The views were so incredible! It could not have been a more glorious day. Often O Cebreiro is foggy, and it is difficult to see the views, but today the sun shone all day, and it was about 17´though that varied according to whether we were in the sun or the shade. It might have been difficult for anyone with a fear of heights, because often the hill dropped away immediately, and the view went on forever. We walked up for about 3.5 hours from Ruitelan ( where we were awakened by Ave Maria and Nessen Dorma (sp?).Then we were at the top, or so one would think. But from O Cebreiro to Fonfria, where I am sleeping in a large dorm, there was very little flat walking, and we continued to go up and down. Sometimes the up was very steep! I was grateful, when walking near the edge, that my daypack was so light, as sometimes the large backpack can make me feel unbalanced. So it was a successful experiment, and I hope to carry it the rest of the way, without shipping it again.

The prices in Spain are so low! For instance, last night the bed was 5euros, with clean sheets and pillowcases. And for 7 euros, the dinner was the same as 5 years ago: carrot soup, best ensalada mixta I have seen, and exactly the same as my picture from 2007. Then he made me rice carbonara, while the rest had spaghetti carbonara. Dessert was a custard like pudding, made with eggs and rennet, I think. Plus all the wine you could drink, and bread, all for about 9 canadian dollars.

Today I had a cafe con leche in La Faba - like a latte, but with less milk, and it came with a little chocolate biscuit. Almost the same size as a mug at home and it cost about 1.30 Canadian, and it was delicious!

When I arrive at an albergue, I have felt exhausted, and young people wonder what I think I am doing, trying to walk to Santiago. But then the next day, they are astonished to see that I am at the same location as them! It is very satisfying to see the astonished look on their face. Today I didn´t even need a nap. It gets better every day!

Hasta luega
Darlene

A dilemma

Wed Oct 3 , Cacabelos to Ruitelan - 27 km

I´ll admit it - I was absolutely wasted when I arrived in Cacabellos yesterday at 2 pm, and the municipal albergue was not too welcoming. I could barely speak, and dragged myself to the showers and laundry. But with a nap I was able to wander the town looking for internet - couldn´t find any, so yesterday´s post got done today.

In contrast, today felt better, though the blisters are speaking, and so are the calves and thighs. I walked until 4 pm today. I took more breaks, and ate and drank more, and changed into my sandals half way through the day - all these elements helped. Plus, I walked with a few people and chatted, and it helps the kms to go faster.

I am at a favourite albergue in Ruitelan, and the meal is here, and they will make rice for me instead of spaghetti carbonara, and they have meusli for breakfast, so this is a fine place.

I am mulling over a decision. I think I will send my bag on tomorrow. It is a very challenging climb, and my bag still weighs about 11 kg - about 25 lbs. I think it is the food I am carrying, which I wouldn´t need if I could eat the bread. On the one hand, I prided myself on walking and carrying every step of the way last time. So I already proved that I could, so perhaps it is ok to send it up this time. And it will save my feet - it should be a pleasure to do the climb tomorrow, not weighed down. On the other hand is it cheating? Who am I cheating? I don´t like to see others walking with daypacks. But maybe they are doing it the only way they can. Oh well, I will give it more thought. Tomorrow I hope to stay in a recommended albergue in Fonfria, and it is about 20 km, including climbing for 8 kms

The body speaks

Tues Oct 2 - Molineseca to Cacabellos  23 km

It is said that the first week on the Camino is all about the body, so it is my turn to speak.
Here is what the body parts have to say:
Thighs, calves and shins: Going down yesterday, we spoke to her at every step, and today we can´t shut up, especially as there is sidewalk walking, and those curbs are brutal! She had the sense to do the zig zag for part of the way, and that helped, as the descent isnt as steep that way.
Feet: We produced blisters on both buniomns, and between 2 toes. - she should have listened to us and changed her socks, or just stopped sooner!
Eyes: lots to see - half the time was through the old city of Ponferrada, the newer part, and suburbs. Then vineyards - and rolling hills. Some of the vines were wired up, and some just slumped on the ground. They were ripe, and there was harvesting going on
Stomach: What does she think she is doing? Hard to discern a pattern here. Breakfast was oats with hot milk and jam - not bad! She is a great forager, and fed me blackberries, an unripe fig, and something like a high bush blueberry with a stone. Pineapple juice at a winery - good thing too, as I refuse to move on with wine in the stomach - it is hard enough to get to bed after 2 glasses. Hot chocolate in Ponferrada, and a very small chocolate bar on completing. Then dinner - chips, fried egg, small salad and chicken, with wine. Not sure she is doing a good job fuelling the journey.
Ears: today´s earworm was Always look on the bright side of life.
Bowels; moving - enough said.
Posted one day late by the boss, Darlene

I will go on with joy, and gratitude

Foncebadon to Molinaseca 20 km

Today was soooo hard. Up at 6, and out the door at 7.30 with my headlamp on.  Up to the Iron cross, where I left stones for Judi, Peggy and myself. The sky was spectacular as the sun rose. I could see, at various times, the lights of Rabanal, Astorga, and even Leon. Then Manjarin, where I once again used the pit toilets. Thank God they were available. Then up more, then on the level to ElAcebo. From there it was downhill all the way, and the terrain was varied. Molineseca is at 500, so we descended 1000
meters over about 4 hours of walking. It really was brutal. Stone and rocks in various formations on the path.I slipped a few times, but my sticks saved me, and I knew then it was time to take a break.

I am here in a lovely albergue in Molenaseca. They are doing a communal dinner, but it is lentils and spaghetti, and I want something different, so I will walk back into town to eat. When I arrived here, I put my legs up the wall, then took a nap for 45 minutes. Now my laundry id out drying, and I had a shower.
 Hopefully tomorrow won´t be as challenging. Almost flat, with a bit of descent.

So here is my list of joy for today.
Hot oats with apricot jam for breakfast
Walking out of Foncebadon, using my headlamp for the first time, with the moon and the stars in the pre-dawn.
The view of the sky - immense - as the sun rose.
The Iron Cross against the sunrise.
A pit toilet, just when I needed it.
Birdsong in the forest - it sounded like  chickadees but unlikely
Dew soaked blackberries
Blackberries for snack all along the path.
A chat over cafe con leche with Bonnie, from the USA
Lunching on chocolate with almonds
 Vistas of green covered mountains
A body that works
Gregorian chant at Manjarin

And here is my gratitude list:
Heather and Lola for the purse and silk sleep sack
Michael, Ryan and Aislinn for the loan of a great sleeping bag
Keen for terrific boots and shoes and socks
Meg and Arlo, Lola and Cy for the walking sticks ( though I left them at home and bought some to dump here)
Louisa for the red merino shirt, which was perfect for today
Leslie for the gloves which I used for the first time today, and the teal shirt - great for cold days - and the toilet kit
Dave for helping me pick out a new backpack
Judi andPeggy for the stones, which made the visit to the Iron Cross so meaningful
You people reading my blog and encouraging me.
Everyone I have met through Caminoing
The Canadian Company of Pilgrims, Toronto branch
Hikers who walked with me in the winter.
My family, who always believed in me.

Love to you all

Darlene, the pilgrim