Day Twenty One: Vilar de Mozarife to Astorga

Our Albergue was a sad one this morning with one pilgrim heading to the hospital with a painful knee, most likely unable to finish her Camino. She came all the way from Austrailia, so to be unable to finish on this attempt is really devistating for her. I shared with her the words of the wise Dutch pilgrim (Colette), that your Camino is not about reaching Santiago but rather about the experiences you have along the Way -- and if her Camino ends now, it is not a failure but rather she should take with her the experiences and friendships and lessons she has learned and made this far. 

On a happier note: we are excited to report that we were successful in our attempt to wake up before seven and leave early -- we were up, packed, had eaten breakfast, and were on the road all by 7:30. We quickly made our way to the first town where we had a small rest and then kept walking -- if you're going to get in more than thirty kilometers in a day, you have to keep moving! The next town we came to was Hospital de Ortega (or something like that) that has a bridge that has been standing since the year 400. (And next to the bridge was this huge wooden structure that we are 98% sure are not gallows ... but really look like gallows ... )The town was so pretty and quaint -- many pilgrims were staying over here (and I could see why!) but it was only our half way point for the day, so we bought some fruit and cookies at the store and continued walking. 

The next stretch was a little boring along the highway, but the mountains were in view (and keep looming closer and closer) and so they were pretty to look at. I keep analyzing them, some with snow and some without, and wonder which it will be that we will soon be crossing. This is where we took our first "accidental detour" (which is completely different from being lost). We went about two to three kilometers out of our way into a little town that was not on The Way. We were greeted into the town by a team of dogs that barked the entire time we were in their site and soon realized that this town had two problems: one, there was no cafe for us to eat at, and we were starving, and two, there were no yellow arrows. So we sat down outside the church and consulted the guide book and saw where we went wrong; and then trudged back to the path where a huge hill was waiting for us. After a pretty stretch of walking away from the highway, our destination was in site. By this time it was half past two and with every step we were thinking about food, so we stopped an hour outside Astorga and ate lunch. 

An hour or so later (around four o'clock) we arrived in Astorga. Astorga is so pretty and our Albergue is so nice -- and big! I think it houses almost 160 pilgrims. We checked in and dropped off our packs (and took a nap) and then headed out to check out the Chocolate Museum and the Gaudi Palace. The Chocolate Museum was nothing too exciting, but there was chocolate tasting at the end, which made it worth our time. It was really neat to see the different molds that they use for the chocolate and to see how the chocolate business in Astorga has been passed down through certain families. 

Next we went to the Gaudi Palace that also serves as a Camino Museum -- now the question is: How will I explain to my future contractor that I want my ceilings to look exactly like the ones in the Gaudi Palace?! A little history: In the late 1880s the bishop of Astorga's house (and by house I mean palace) burned down and so he asked Antonio Gaudi to build a new one since Gaudi was from the same hometown as the bishop. He started construction in 1889 and worked until 1893 when the bishop died; at this point Gaudi stopped construction and it was up to another architect (who used Gaudi's original plans) to finish the job in 1913. Though the palace is equipped with such rooms as a kitchens and bedrooms (that are not on display), no one has ever lived in the palace. It has only ever been a museum filled with religious art and Camino artifacts. Let me tell you: this place is amazingly beautiful. None of my pictures will do it justice. Inside I viewed many religious carvings and paintings as well as the intricately designed crosses, monstrances, and crowns used by various bishops from the last three hundred years. The basement of the palace houses ancient Roman artifacts including a few tombs, pottery, and coins. I think we could have stayed there for hours ... but we didn't. 

On our way back to our Albergue we ran into Jarek and Gosia who were watching a futbol match (we ran into them a lot today -- we were moving fast!). And now I'm resting in bed, telling my feet how well they did today and that they will need a repeat performance tomorrow when we will walk just as many kilometers, but in those snowy mountains. 

Here are a few pictures from today: 

This is what a bridge that has been standing since the year 400 AD looks like! (And apparently also what a Spanish wading fisherman looks like ...) 

And this is what Vera and I look like standing on a bridge that has been standing since 400 AD!! haha 

Getting artsy with the sign, the path, the poppies, and the mountains ... 

Today's weather couldn't have been more lovely! The views had their moments, too. 

Why do we not have palaces in the Unites States?! (I mean, I get why ...) Palaces are just so fascinating! 

So big!! 

Can you imagine having a ceiling like this in your kitchen? Or bedroom? Or living room? So gorgeous!!! 

These crosses were used in the processions of bishops. 

And another one of the ceiling -- seriously, I'm in love. 

The Pieta. 

Aaaaaaaand me with the amazing ceiling ... (I swear this is the last one.) 

This would have been the chapel had the home ever housed a bishop. My iPhone didn't capture it super well, but my camera did. 

I totally identify with the depiction of this pilgrim. 

The many crosses and crowns of the bishops. 

Ancient Roman tomb ... also hat pilgrims look like at the end of the day. 

And my bed for the night. 

We were going to go back out tonight, but Vera is so tired and I don't want to leave her alone in the Albergue, so we are both getting a little extra rest tonight (which is probably good for both of us!) Although our Albergue does have a really nice little chapel, so I think I'll go pray for a bit ... 

Please pray for all the pilgrims who are making the journey up the mountain tomorrow, both from Astorga and from St. Jean. Also pray for the pilgrims whose journeys have been cut short by injury (and pray that I nor any of my friends become one of those). 

Buen Camino. 

Jena 

Day Twenty: Leon to Villar de Mozarife

I slept so well last night - but was abruptly shook from my sleep by a man who worked at our Albergue who wanted to open the window that was behind my bed. Humph. Good thing he also had coffee! Today was another lovely day on the Camino de Santiago (after we got out of the bustle of Leon -- it's fun to be in the city; it is not fun to have to walk three kilometers through busy dirty streets to leave the city). There was a bit of sadness this morning: Olivier (the French pilgrim) has a leg injury and is staying an extra night in Leon to rest and mend; I will miss seeing him every day! Hopefully we will see him again in Santiago since we will be there a few days. We stopped for some breakfast before leaving Leon and then were on our way. The first town we arrived to was about six kilometers outside Leon. There we ran into Carol, Liz, and Murial -- our favorite UK ladies! (They are now referring to Vera and I as "our darlings" haha) We sat down for breakfast (yes, another one -- you walk twenty miles a day and see how hungry you are!!) and then continued on. 

We had a very small climb, and once we reached the top, the view and the weather became absolutely wonderful. I know I say this a lot, but I could have stayed there all day! The sun was warm, the breeze was cool, the mountains were in site (but not too close) and covered in snow ... The world really can be a most perfect place. Walking doesn't seem such a chore when you are walking in such lovely surroundings. We came across a man selling fruits and chocolates and drinks and tissues (all for donation -- no set prices) so of course we purchased some fruit and took a rest. A little while later, we came across a town where we could have eaten lunch (had we not already eaten two breakfasts and fruit) so instead we had a frozen icee and some tea. And finally, after many breaks and rests and soakings in the sun, we arrived at our final destination. 

We stopped at the first Albergue we saw, and luckily they still had beds available. The path is becoming thick with pilgrims, but not pilgrims who get up everyday and put on their packs and walk, but rather pilgrims who pay to have their bags transported for them or who take taxis from town to town or who make reservations ahead of time, leaving those of us who started weeks ago searching for beds and fearing we will have no place to stay / will have to walk to the next town. (Disclaimer: The Camino is different for everyone, for every pilgrimage is as different as the pilgrims who journey; in no way do I judge those who choose routes or means of transportation that are different than my own.) Plus: these pilgrims are fascinating to talk to! I suppose that if we were really concerned, we could always call ahead and make a reservation, but this seems to contradict the spirit of the Camino, or at least the spirit of my Camino. My Camino is a journey to sort out uncertainties, to discover God's plan for me and to embrace it wholeheartedly; I am not the maker of the plan here, God is -- to plan my Camino with reservations and set in stone destinations would be to take back the control, and God is in control of this journey. 

The Albergue we are in tonight is very nice: clean with plenty of showers and a communal meal (and free wifi!). At dinner, we met a really nice couple from Holland who have been training for their Camino for three years; they are currently in week fourteen of their journey, but they started their Camino in Holland. The wife told me that for twenty years it has been their dream to do the Camino, but that they were raising their children and then their grandchildren; finally now they have time. I'm sure it is impolite to ask how old they are ... but she told me that they celebrated their sixty-eighth wedding anniversary, so I would think that puts them at least in their eighties. We won't see them again -- they don't do more than twenty kilometers a day; but it was a lovely dinner with them! We were talking about the rest of our walk, and we said how bittersweet it is to reach Santiago, the goal, but then be leaving the Camino. She shook her head and said that this pilgrimage isn't really about getting to Santiago -- it is all about the walk: the people you meet and the experiences you have and the things that you learn; and that doesn't stop in Santiago. I couldn't have said it better. 

And now I am sitting at an outlet, charging my phone so as not to disturb the others in my sleep room. Here are a few pictures from today (and per Jolene's request, there are lots of pictures of food!!): 

Breakfast number two (because I didn't see the request for food pics before I ate breakfast number one): tortilla and zuma de naranja -- or egg, potato, pepper casserole with freshly squeezed orange juice. I am a little afraid I will have withdraw when I come home -- I am an orange juice addict! 

Hello, little pilgrim! 

Horse!!! (No, Becky; I didn't steal it to ride it ...) 

Going up!! 

Selfie on top of a hill : ) 

Tell me you don't want to walk that path! 

I see mountains!!! 

Lunch!! (I know, I know -- this isn't what you meant by show me what you're eating. haha I did spare you the pics of our candy though!) 

I can't even imagine how many years it is going to take for me to get rid of these tan lines. Nobody get married for the next three years. I'm serious. (For those of you wondering why in the world there is a sun free strip across my knees, I wear kinesio tape instead of knee braces when I walk -- it helps to keep my knees in line and pain free!) 

Dinner!!! Salad with raisins and sunflower seeds and an amazing drizzle of poppyseed dressing. And I'm pretty sure there was clover in my salad. Like, 100% sure. (And Jarek -- Vera ate her ENTIRE salad. And every bite of every course for that matter!) 

Pumpkin soup!! Yum yum yum yum. 

Vegetarian paella! Peppers and peas and cauliflower and beans -- so so yummy! 

Chocolate crepe with strawberries and whipped cream!! Allow me to waddle away from the dinner table ... (Except not really because pilgrims can really pack away the food -- you'd think that we are fasting all day whilst walking.) 

My second passport is filling, too!! That colorful star is the one that was given to us by the sisters in Carrion -- such a special "stamp". 

And my bed for the night. No, that is not a double bed, it's two bunks pushed together to save space ... getting cozy with my fellow pilgrims! There is one big room with 48 beds. 

And now it is time for sleep. Vera and I are really REALLY going to try hard to wake up before seven to get an early start -- I'm setting an alarm (aka We mean business. Tara: If it wasn't so ridiculously expensive for me to get phone calls, I'd make you call and wake us up!) Tomorrow we have a long walk ahead of us (thirty one kilometers) and then we will be in Astorga where we want to explore an ancient castle and eat lots of chocolate. haha 

Buen Camino. 

Jena 

Day Nineteen: Mansilla to Leon

Without the Canadian couple in our Albergue last night, Vera and I again reclaimed our title as the last ones out of the Albergue. We were up, packed, and had breakfast all by eight fifteen, one of our personal bests. In fact, Olivier (the French pilgrim) saw us leaving Mansilla this morning and commented that we were earlier than normal! We walked quickly today because we knew that 1. We only had eighteen kilometers to walk and 2. We were goin to be in Leon tonight!! The walk today wasn't the prettiest -- in fact, it was almost as bad as the walk into Burgos, but the beauty of the cathedral helped us to forget. 

Upon arriving to Leon, we were stopped by (who we thought were) the police, asking us for our passports and if we were pilgrims and where we were stating. In the end they just wanted to give us maps and stamp our credentials, but for a moment we thought it was "arrest all the pilgrims" day -- thank goodness it was not. After making it through the checkpoint we found our Albergue that is run by the Benedictine Nuns. This Albergue is different in that they separate the men and women into different sleeping rooms. While standing in line to be assigned a bunk, we were found by Gosia and Jarek and made plans to meet them for dinner. 

Vera and I were led to our sleep room where we dropped our stuff and went to find lunch -- we actually made it to our final destination before lunch time!! We ate some delicious tapas at a nearby cafe and then went to find what we were eager to explore: the cathedral. 

The cathedral is a gothic style cathedral, much like the one in Burgos; but unlike the cathedral in Burgos, this one was much less expensive to explore, especially after my student discount. I entered the cathedral and was struck by its immensity. The pillars are massive, the ceilings forever tall, and the pipe organ took up the entire center of the church. Surrounding the main church are side alters that serve almost as shrines to different depictions if the Blessed Mother and a few saints. I viewed each side chapel, one more beautiful than the next, and took my time observing the scene and soaking in the beauty. As I explored every nook of the cathedral, the pipe organist played soft music in the background, adding to the atmosphere. After I was sure I had thoroughly seen each side chapel, wall hanging, and sculpture, I made my way to the center alter where I knelt down in prayer. You know how sometimes you start to pray, and everything and anything becomes a distraction? The sound of your breathing, the feel of your sleeve on your arm, thoughts of work and schedules ... Well I had the opposite occur: in the midst of that noisy, tourist filled, bustling cathedral I was able to tune out the world and share some quiet time with God. The Camino has inspired me to pray in new ways -- not new prayers or new prayer styles, but in the way I talk with God and the way I ask for things and tell Him things. After quite a bit of time, I knew I needed to leave the cathedral, so I quietly exited and rejoined the busy square outside. 

I returned to the Albergue for a short rest before heading out to dinner with Jarek and Gosia and Vera and Tim and Joanne (the couple from Canada); we were also joined by a lady from New Zealand. We started at a pub for drinks whilst waiting for a restaurant to open and then went to the restaurant where we had the pilgrim menu. The conversations and laughter that take place at dinner fill my heart with joy -- whether we be teasing Vera about not eating all her food or discussing global health care, there is never a dull moment. Speaking of not so dull moments, we were about to get our deserts when I happened to look at the time -- ten ten. This would be no big deal if it wasn't for the fact that our Albergue locks its doors at ten thirty! You have never seen four pilgrims move so quickly as when faced with the reality that they may have to sleep outside in the street without their belongings. We tore through the city (although Jarek took a small break to take a picture if the cathedral at night -- which was very lovely if we weren't in such a hurry) and made it back to find two closed doors ... Luckily when we tried unsuccessfully to open them, our attempt was heard by a sweet Spanish lady who opened the door and let us in, smiling and laughing and scolding us for cutting it so close -- though we could tell she was only joking. The Fench man was sitting just inside the door with another pilgrim and was laughing, telling us he knew we'd be the last ones back and that he had positioned himself near the door in case we needed to be let in. haha 

And now I am all tucked into my bed, ready for some much needed rest. Here are some pictures from today: 

Pretty sites in the early part of our walk this morning! 

Safari selfie!! 

The cathedral!!!! We are waiting for it to open so we can go inside. 

Ice cream helps us wait more patiently ... 

At the door ... Please let us in!! 

And inside we go. Look at those monstrous ceilings and gorgeous stained glass!! 

Madonna and Christ surrounded by depictions if all the saints. 

The nativity. Isn't the carving beautiful?!

This rosary sure is getting a workout! 

The main alter. 

Coming in for the photo finish!! 

And my bed for the night. Again -- ridiculously close to the bed next to it!! But Vera is in the bed next to it, so that will be okay. 

Tomorrow we leave Leon -- then less than two weeks until we reach Santiago! 

Buen Camino. 

Jena 

Day Eighteen: Bercianos to Mansilla

Buenos Noches (o Dias for you) from the Camino!! I keep waiting for the blog entry where I have to admit that it was a terrible day, but that day was not today -- another gorgeous day here!! This morning we were NOT the last ones up or the last ones out the Albergue door (thanks to our new Canadian friends), a small victory that we will take whenever we can. We enjoyed a small communal breakfast of toast and juice before starting our walk. The first town we arrived to was very tiny, so we marched right through to the next one. The next town was about thirteen kilometers away and was actually the town we intended on staying at tonight ... but upon inspection we decided that it would be an okay place for lunch, but definitely not staying over material -- to small and too early in the day. So we ate lunch (croquetas -- my favorite!!) and then walked six kilometers more to Mansilla where we are now. It's a good thing we were both motivated to move today, because we got the last two beds in the Albergue. Well, in the municipal Albergue ... I'm sure there were still some spots left at the privately owned ones. (At least I hope there are, because the Canadian couple was still a ways behind us and I'd like to think tey found a place to sleep for the night!) 

I thought a lot about my Kamp K family today. It all started when I began thinking about how far we've walked already and then I thought about how by the end I will have walked more than five hundred miles and then I got the song "Five Hundred Miles" stuck in my head which then made me think of the energizer we do at camp to that song and pretty soon my brain was singing "World's Greatest" and (long story short) 1. My brain needs to be better at focusing and less inclined to jump around, and 2. I feel so honored to have this group of people in my life. The obstacles that they overcome and the pride and ownership that they demonstrate can only be described as amazing. Every once in a while, my mind (no matter how much I try to live in the moment) wanders to the moment I will have to go home -- thinking about kamp this summer helps ease the wave of sadness I feel when I remember that every journey must have an end. 

After Vera and I checked into our Albergue, we went to check out the church because we saw that it was open. It was so pretty inside with so many spaces for quiet prayer. After I had finished praying we went to get some ice cream ... It was our reward for walking quickly, walking further than we planned, and just making it into the Albergue. There we ran into Gosia and Jarek! It is so nice to run into people we know. We took out ice cream back to the Albergue to sit in the sun and enjoy it -- this is where we met Vim. Vim is also from the Netherlands. He is in his second attempt at the Camino; the first attempt only lasted three weeks, but he is determined to finish this time. Vim's wife encouraged him to do his first Camino, but he was reluctant to leave her; she had had many strokes and relied in him for many things. But she told him to go, do the Camino, because it was his dream and she knew he wanted to do it. After three weeks Vim missed his wife too much and knew she was unhappy in the nursing home where she was staying until his return, so he stopped his Camino early. Vim's wife died in December, so now he is walking the Camino in her honor. He wears her house slippers to rest in at the Albergue to remind him that she is with him. He is seventy one years old. I love hearing the stories of the pilgrims, even the heartbreaking ones. I hope to see Vim again in Santiago. 

When we finished visiting with Vim we went up to our sleep room with the intention of gathering our laundry to wash and to shower ... but instead we took a nap. We woke up when Jarek came to tell us that he and Gosia were going to cook dinner tonight and invited us to join. Pilgrims never pass up a meal (and we really enjoy having meals with them) so we accepted ... and them got up to shower and do our laundry. Cooking dinner is always a bit if an adventure in an Albergue, because you are limited by what the small shops have to offer as well as by what the Albergue kitchens have in the way of utensils and cookware. But this did not stop them from making us a delicious pasta dinner! Vera and I provided the desert -- chocolate pudding. We definitely owe them! 

By the time our meal was consumed and the dishes done, it was almost eight thirty: time for mass!! The mass attendance was small, but the ladies of the parish were so welcoming and kind; they had nothing but big smiles and "Buen Camino"s for us. At the end of the mass the priest said: If you are from here, have a good night. If you are a pilgrim, Buen Camino! And still have a good night. haha It feels good to know you are welcome. Sometimes I wonder what locals think of pilgrims -- it is hard to miss us with our monster packs and disheveled looks and distinct aroma ... but we do try to be respectful of the towns we enter and always attempt to leave the place more beautiful than when we came (not with decorations or donations, but from the joy, prayer, and spirit we bring with us and leave in our wakes). 

And now I am tucked into bed, ready for a good night's sleep. Here are a few pictures from the day: 

A gorgeous day for walking. 

It kind of looks dessert like ... 

Oh no. Mountains. Which inspired my btain to sing "I Hope You Dance" for a good portion of my walk ... (I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance; never settle for the path of least resistance ...) 

Today's selfie kind of looks like it belongs on a safari brochure ... 

Our chefs hard at work!! Gosia cooking and Jarek .... eating the food before it is cooked. haha 

Iglesia de Santa Maria -- and of course the pilgrim out front. 

A beautiful place to pray, don't you think? 

There are so many beautiful figures of the Blessed Mother here in Spain. 

And by bed for the night. 

Tomorrow is such a short walking day -- only eighteen kilometers. And there will be no walking longer because we will be in Leon!! I can't wait to explore the city!! 

Buen Camino. 

Jena