Day Twenty Six: La Faba to Triacastela

Apparently the farmers around here have been praying for rain (obviously counter acting the pilgrims' prayers for sunshine), because it poured buckets all through the night and continued to rain as we prepared to leave this morning. This brought us to the first challenge of the day: waterproofing our bodies and our belongings for the soggy hike ahead. What is the first line of defense for pilgrims against the wet? Trash bags. And so ready to face the rain, Vera, Gosia, Jarek, and I trudged (yes trudged -- even normally enthusiastic pilgrims are a little less chipper when it is cold and wet!) out into the mountains. 

Even under the steady drizzle and thick fog / mist, the mountain view was amazing, maybe even more so because there was an added sense of mystery about it. After about an hour and a half of walking, we arrived at a cafe where we stopped for breakfast / something warm to drink. Let me tell you which of my "waterproof" belongings are actually waterproof (since everything on my body had a tag on it when purchased stating it was so) -- pants: no -- definitely not. shirt(s): no. socks: no. boots: yes! backpack: no. rain jacket: mostly ... There is no escaping the chill that accompanies the wet wind that blows through the mountains, even with warm drinks and food. Yesterday while I was sitting alone in the church, the song "Oceans" popped into my head, particularly the part that goes: Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me ... And today all I could think as I walked through puddle after puddle, stream after stream was: I didn't REALLY mean I wanted to walk on water.

When we had stalled long enough, we headed back out into the wet and continued our journey. No one ever said that the pilgrimage would be easy or fun all the time, and I think today proved that. Don't get me wrong -- I am loving this adventure, even when I have to channel my inner duck to get through, but today was a challenge, not just physically but mentally. I put myself on this path. I make myself get up and walk every day. No one is forcing me to be here or to climb mountains in the rain -- there are taxis and busses that would happily take me to the next Albergue where it is warm and dry and I can wait out the storms; but my patients can't escape their injuries, my campers can't stop their seizures, the poor can't make themselves rich, and Christ didn't put down His cross ... so a little rain and wind will not waver my strength -- I am so determined to take every step, even through the mud, to get to my goal. 

After another two hours of walking we stopped for lunch. It didn't matter how warm that bar was -- my clothes were soaked and I was not getting warm. We left with full bellies to continue our climb. And then, about an hour after we had started again, the sun came out. I could feel an immediate shift in my mood and in my walking. I was back to my happy pilgrim self; the joy of the pilgrimage had returned. 

We continued our now sunny walk and arrived in a small town where it was apparently time to move the cows from their pasture to their shed. This was done by the farmer in a jeep driving behind the cows, honking as he directed them straight through town. This was quite a spectacle and soon we had joined the cow parade, walking slowly behind the jeep since passing was impossible. 

And finally, after rain and wind and cold and sun, we arrived to Triacastela, our destination for the night. By the time we arrived, my pants were splattered with mud from toe to tush (one pilgrim even asked if I had fallen ... nope - just jumped in too many puddles). We checked into our Albergue, rested for a bit, showered, then went to find dinner -- what else but the pilgrim menu: noodle soup, steak and fries, ice cream, bread, and wine. And now we are back in our sleep room where there are quite a few very loud pilgrims -- I hope they chill out soon! 

Here are a few pictures from today: 

Waterproofing at its finest! 

Still pretty, right? 

Bring on the rain!! That trash bag did a fabulous job of keeping the rain out of my pack (and Jarek did a fabulous job of keeping the trash bag on my pack!). 

A little cold, a little soggy, but ready to continue. 

Rain, rain go away ... 

The sunnnnnnnn!!!! 

Now that is a path I wanna take! 

Are mud bathes only effective if the mud is on your skin? 

It only takes a minute of the wonderful to make me forget all of the not so wonderful. 

Soooo soooo pretty!! 

Just one more -- sorry for the mountain picture overload! (This is only about 1/8 of the ones I took -- get excited to see them all family!!)

And my bed for the night. 

I. Am. Exhausted. I will definitely sleep well tonight. We are still in for some rainy days ahead, but that's okay -- I'm ready to take my stormy days with my sunny ones. I think without the stormy days, I may forget how blessed I am when the sun shines. 

Buen Camino. 

Jena 

Day Twenty Five: Villafranca to La Faba

I am one soggy pilgrim -- and not a warm soggy pilgrim, a cold soggy pilgrim. But I am channeling my inner duck and praying for sunshine (or at least breaks in between downpours). This morning was one of those mornings that you just want to stay in bed: it was overcast and rainy and warmer under my covers than outside of them; but after a self pep talk I got up, packed my bag, put on my raincoat and booted my feet ... and went in search of breakfast. There were three routes available today. The first was 40 kilometers in length with multiple steep climbs in secluded passes ... maybe. The second had a few big climbs but intertwined through villages and was not so remote ... that sounds better. The third  also had a bit of a climb (though only eight hundred meters opposed to 1300 opposed to 1950) but was mainly along a busy road with only a few parts through nature areas ... blech. However, thanks to the buckets of water falling from the sky and the threat of storms, we decided to err on the side of caution and take the safest route along the road. 

The road route actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be -- it turns out you can't really go wrong when you're walking through mountains! The road kind of weaved through a valley between the mountains; at one point, I felt like I was in a scene from Jurrasic Park -- had a T-Rex popped out from the thick of the trees, I wouldn't have been surprised. When we are climbing mountains and get to the top, I always feel so tall and powerful and strong. Today being surrounded by towering mountains and forever tall trees made me feel so small and vulnerable -- it is amazing how your surroundings can have such an influence on your perception of self. The rain made Vera and I walk very quickly, and in ninety minutes we had already marched ten kilometers where we stopped for a cafe con leche and a snack. We were not the only pilgrims trying to escape the rain under the excuse of a snack break -- the cafe was packed! 

After sitting for an hour and enjoying our warmth, we decided it was time to swim on, so we redressed in our rain gear and headed back out. Just before we reached the edge of town, we saw a church that was actually open! So we stopped in for a moment of prayer before continuing on our way. We splashed our way for a little over an hour more until we reached a little town where we stopped in for another warm drink (also to check the guide book to see how much further we had to go). Here we also met a cat who, much like pilgrims, was not a fan of the wet weather; she sat at my feet until I picked her up and then purred in my arms. The guide book told us that there were only seven more kilometers to go until La Faba, our final destination, so we psyched ourselves up and set out once again. The last part of the walk was the climb; again: not too strenuous, but at this point we left the road and went to a forest trail, so the mud was a big contender in the speed of our progress. Finally as we entered the protection of the trees, the rain slowed and the walk became more enjoyable. (Although even in the rain I couldn't help but enjoy the beauty all around me!) 

As the walking day was winding down, so was my speed; but Vera moves so much faster when she knows she is close to the end! So we ended up reaching La Faba about fifteen minutes apart -- just enough time to put us in separate sleep rooms (but that's okay: my sleep room only has four of us in here and currently I'm the only one still awake and I hear no snoring!!). After I dropped off all my stuff and worked up my nerve to take a shower (it is so cold and though the hot water sounded so good, the thought of being cold and wet was not appealing -- but the thought of being clean won out) I went to find Vera ...who was   napping. I'm not sure why I haven't been more tired in the afternoons, but I can't seem to sleep when I try to nap, so instead I ventured over to the little church near our Albergue. What a beautiful place to sit in silent prayer! I sat undisturbed for nearly an hour before hunger interrupted and I went to wake up Vera. We threw a load of laundry in the washer and made arrangements with the lady who runs the Albergue to switch it to the dryer for us and then joined Jarek and Gosia for a short (wet) walk into town to find dinner. Dinner was delicious (soup, pork, potatoes, bread, wine, and tart de Santiago) and warm -- just what we needed after a chilly day. 

And now I am back in the Albergue, laying in bed listening to it rain. I am sharing my room tonight with a pilgrim from Hungary (but who lives in the UK) who is a photographer who "likes to make a statement" -- it is interesting to hear him talk about his work and his wife and his thoughts on this rainy weather (I didn't have the heart to tell him my weather app says rain until Saturday.) and also with a pilgrim from France (who is living in New Jersey) who runs a (self proclaimed) failing skin care product business and has had three new pairs of shoes and two new backpacks since beginning her Camino twenty days ago -- it is interesting to hear her talk about her Camino experiences as well. 

Here are a few pictures from today -- again, my camera spent most of its day in a waterproof bag, so photos are slim pickings ... 

Warmth in a mug! 

Puddle. (You're lucky I didn't just post twenty pictures of puddles!!) 

Even rainy mountains are beautiful -- and everything is so green!! 

I'm not thrilled with the rain ... but I do really like my rain jacket! 

A sanctuary from the storm ... literally. 

Just lovely. 

I knew there would have to be a rainbow eventually!!! And right over the church. 

The menu said this was lentil soup ... But it was very green and hammy ... so my expert taste buds say it was split pea and ham soup -- my favorite!! 

Tart de Santiago! Apparently this is sold everywhere in Santiago, so we are preparing our taste buds for it now. It is delicious with an almond flavor. 

The blue skies tried really hard to come out! 

And my bed for the night. 

I can't wait to snuggle into my sleeping bag and shut out the chilly air! Such a peaceful lullaby of raindrops to send me right to sleep ... 

Buen Camino. 

Jena 

Day Twenty Four: Pomferrada to Vilafranca

Today started a little earlier than normal thanks to the albergue's "get out" time of 7:30 am; so we rolled out of bed, packed our bags, put on our boots, and headed across the street ... for breakfast. This morning's accomplishment: we left the Albergue before Gosia and Jarek! (Only by five seconds, but first is first.) After breakfast we started to make our way out of the city, but soon couldn't find any yellow arrows or signs that told us which way to go, so we were at the mercy of the kind woman who pointed and waved and motioned us forward and towards the way. Once we found the signs, we were set and had no further problems -- other than the weather. Is it raining? Is it sunny? Is it cold? Hot? Windy? The answer is yes. Yes to all of the above, which made deciding what to wear and what to keep wearing tricky. (Tomorrow it is supposed to rain again, so I will try the whole praying for sunshine thing a little harder.) When the first raindrops began to fall Vera and I decided to stop in at a cafe for coffee, but soon it was obvious we couldn't do that all day, so we toughened up and adorned our rain gear and soldiered on. 

We stopped a few times today, once being at a lovely church. They were cleaning today which meant all the pews had been moved out (apparently the pews are not attached to the floor as they are in churches at home) but I was still able to go inside and enjoy the statues and devotional areas and spend some time in prayer. At lunch time we stopped in a cafe and had (what else) croquetas and patatas Ali oli! I promise eventually we will expand our culinary adventures, but the other items on the menu were scary (like octopus) so it really was better this way. 

After lunch we took to the mountains, hiking our way to our resting place for the night. I wonder if the people who live in these mountain villages wake up every morning and stand in awe of the beauty the way I do every time I encounter a new view. I can't wait to make my family watch the slide show of the five thousand mountain landscape pictures that I have surely taken. haha I will probably eat my words tomorrow because we have a really steep climb ahead of us, but I am so impressed at how well the climbs are going -- three weeks ago we would have had to have taken breaks while walking up such steep hills, but now we are able to power through it. We kept searching for rainbows today since the sun kept peering out through the rain, but we were unable to see any. However, the beautiful site of all the grape vines have returned -- the hills are covered in organized rows of grape vines and olive trees. (They look just like my notecards: organized, orderly, and color coordinated in greens and browns.)

Around four o'clock we arrived at our destination: Vilafranca. The town isn't too big, but that's okay -- I have decided I like the quaint villages better: less tourists and more pilgrims. We checked into the municipal Albergue and then went to have a rest. For some reason I wasn't tired, so I took a shower (there was no one else in the bathroom so I had the whole space to myself!) and then went down to the dining room where Jarek and Gosia were cooking dinner (croquetas of course!!). Vera was sleeping, but when she woke we all headed down the road where Vera and I ate dinner. The owner of the cafe had a young son who made appearances throughout our dinner -- he was so precious!! And now we are all back at our Albergue enjoying sangria before it is time for bed. 

I have been thinking a lot about the pilgrims that we haven't seen in a while -- the ladies from the UK, the man from Sweden, the German couple, Olivier from France ... I hope they are all doing well and that we see them when we reach Santiago. At the same time, I am having so much fun with the pilgrims I am with. I am so blessed to have found such wonderful people to accompany and be accompanied by on my Camino. 

Here are some pictures from today (they are limited because my camera spent much of the day in a waterproof bag so as not to be ruined ...): 

Oh hey -- a castle! This is still in Ponderrada as we were trying to find our way out of the city. 

Today's selfie is with the castle! 

We have decided that storks must be very holy birds -- every church had at least one stork nest lurched atop its bell tower. 

Yet another beautiful depiction of Mary and Christ. 

Cloudy mountain view -- but still beautiful. 

Alycia: I have finally crosses to the dark side ... I like mayonnaise on my fries. (Or as they call it: patatas Ali oli.) 

The sun came out for a bit -- just long enough to trick us into taking off our rain jackets. 

Lentil soup for dinner -- perfect in this rainy weather. 

Beautiful baby!! He is having tortilla for dinner and was really excited to dig in! 

Na Zdrowie (Polish for cheers). Sangria -- they have really tasty sangria in Spain! 

And my bed for the night. It is a little hard to tell in this picture, but the ceilings are sloped because we are in the attic of the Albergue -- the man who checked us warned me not to hit my head. 

Aaaaaaaand it is time for bed. Tomorrow will be a day of steep climbs -- pray for for good weather and strong legs!! 

Buen Camino. 

Jena 

Day Twenty Three: Manjarin to Pomferrada

Last night was quite the adventure, but I wouldn't have traded it for any other Albergue! Sleep eluded me at first (Tomas has ten dogs that like to howl the visitors to sleep), but once I was asleep, I was out and didn't wake until eight when it was time for breakfast. When I came down from the rafters of my humble sleep room, I found pilgrims who were passing through and had slept in the town before (aka they'd been up for a few hours). They all asked the same questions: You slept here? Where is the bathroom? We were invited into Tomas's home for breakfast (away from the pilgrims who were passing through) and had coffee and cookies. We then packed our bags and started our walk -- where else but straight up. 

You know the saying "what goes up must come down"? Well this applies not only to Newton's theory of gravity but also to hiking pilgrims. Up up up followed by steep down down down. After about an hour and a half of walking we arrived at a tiny village that had a cafe and (more importantly) a bathroom! Have you ever had a completely full bladder and then thought to yourself "I know! I'll strap this twenty five pound pack around my middle and then climb mountains for seven kilometers!"? Well it isn't super pleasant -- but the amazing views helped to distract my mind. I was afraid that this morning would be full of rain, but it held off and turned out to be a pretty day. At the cafe we ordered a bit more filling of a breakfast and charged our phones before heading on our way. 

The walking today left me in awe -- the mountains are just so majestic. The climbing was a little strenuous, but we handled it well. At one point we found a spot under the shade of a few trees where we could rest and soak in the views. We passed through another small town before arriving at a village where we had lunch. From there it was only six more kilometers to our final destination. 

We arrived in Pomferrada a little before four and happily checked into the only Albergue in town (that houses over two hundred pilgrims). The room I am in has twenty bunk beds alone. We saw Gosia and Jarek as we were checking in along with the Hungarian couple we met yesterday. I dropped my bag and took a much needed nap and then an even more needed shower. Clean and refreshed, Vera and I ventured out to find some dinner: croquetas and patatas ali oli. Yum! 

And now I am in my top bunk, ready to get some sleep. It won't be quite the same symphony that lulled me to sleep last night -- I'm sure tonight will be filled with snoring; and there is a water pipe above my bed that seems to be constantly flowing ... but that's okay: pilgrims happily accept the spot they are given. 

We completely lucked out on today's weather: the rain started just after we arrived, bringing with it temperatures in the forties. The forecast calls for rain again tomorrow, so hopefully we can get in all our walking before it starts up again! 

Here are some pictures from today: 

Breakfast for the survivors! 

Good morning, mountains! 

Of all the signs that should be out on the mountain (steep incline, steep decline, loose rocks, slippery when wet, slippery when dry, grazing goats ahead) the signs that are posted warn us that there is a road ahead ... Listen: If I survived that narrow path and didn't fall off the mountain, I'm pretty sure I can look both ways before I cross the street. 

Early morning mountain selfie!! 

In how many languages can you say chapel? 

How we look on the outside while climbing down the mountain (left) and how we are feeling on the inside (right). 

I think I'll put my house (with the amazing palace ceilings) riiiiiiiiiight here. 

I love when we are coming down the mountain and spot a town! 

Just gorgeous. 

Dinner!! It was a good thing Vera and I decided to share the patatas Ali oli and the croquetas -- we would have never finished them on our own! (Of course there is always room for desert!) 

And my bed for the night. 

Tomorrow we march ourselves to Villafranca -- I can't wait to see what the day has in store! 

Buen Camino. 

Jena 

Day Twenty Two: Astorga to Manjarin

It's hard to believe sitting where I am right now that this morning I was in a city center surrounded by buildings and electricity and running water -- are you curious about where I am now? Well I'll get to that in a bit. 

This morning we rose at seven thirty, packed our stuff, and went in search of breakfast; we then started our morning march. After a short trek through the city we found ourselves in beautiful countryside spotted with little towns. Just before the first little town we met a cute old man on a bike who greeted us and wished us a Buen Camino -- I guess our responses were too good, because he began conversing with us about last night's futbol match, asked us where we were from, and then told us about his daughter who owned a restaurant up the path. Sure enough, we found his daughter's restaurant, so we stopped there for a drink and a snack before continuing on our way. The next stop we made was in a little town that boasted it had a cowboy museum ... it didn't, but it did have a cowboy restaurant where we had some empanadas. At this point we had hiked just over ten kilometers and had just over twenty more to go. 

The next ten kilometers were through the mountains -- so so so beautiful!! I can't believe how much easier it was to climb the mountains this time around! I mean, the change in altitude was a little less than the hike out of St. Jean, but the steepness was still there! It just goes to show how the Camino creates strong minds, strong spirits, and strong bodies. In the middle of our mountain adventure we ran into a pilgrim dressed in medevil garb with a falcon -- random, right? But he had a stamp and in our book that means you're legit, so we stopped to say hello. 

After a quick rest at the twenty kilometer mark, we set our minds on our next destination: Cruce de Ferro. An uphill climb landed us in a tiny mountain town with a small store where we gobbled down a banana and drank some water before pushing the last three kilometers. We could see it before we reached it: the silver cross perched high in the air, higher than the peaks of the mountains behind it. All around the wooden post it sits on are stones from the homes of the pilgrims who come to visit; stones and pictures and banners and flags and other tokens adorn the ground and the pole itself. Tradition says that pilgrims who pass by on their way to Santiago should bring with them a stone from their home country to lay before the cross. For some, this stone symbolizes a burden they want to let go of or a habit they want to quit or a sin they want to be forgiven; for some it is a symbol of a loved one they wish to remember or simply a piece of themselves to leave behind in the Camino. I left a stone from Red Bud (from my grandparents' front yard) at the base of the cross along with a picture; on my stone I wrote: "It's not always the path you thought you would take, but it's always the path you were meant to be on." This really speaks to me, not only about my Camino journey but my journey in life altogether. We spent some time at the cross, taking in all the other tokens as well as the stones that are no longer intact but rather ground into dust after years of pilgrims climbing atop them. I like this thought as well, that years from now my stone may no longer be intact and legible, but it will become part of the pile, part of the story and history of the Camino. 

Now that we had reached Cruce de Ferro, there were only two and a half kilometers left for the day -- to our Albergue. Let's talk about this Albergue for a moment ... About a week ago, Jarek announces that he heard about this really great Albergue that he wants us all to stay at that is run by this man, Tomas. That sounds good to Vera and I, so we agree. Never agree to something before you investigate all the details, because sometimes the details are omitted from the agreement. After we agree, we find out that there are no showers ... well, that's okay. As the time approaches that we will be staying at this ... place ... its title is downgraded with each mention: Tomas's Albergue, Tomas's Cabin, Tomas's Tent ... Well, it is not a tent BUT there is no running water, no electricity, and the roof has seen better days. However, dinner was excellent and the company is superb (and of course the evening has been filled with lots of laughter and stories). Also: the view is to die for and they don't serve breakfast until eight (which means we get to sleep in!!!) Tomorrow we only have about twenty kilometers to walk, so it will all even out. 

I think I better show you some pictures: 

Next stop: the top of that mountain!! 

Oh hey -- did I mention I got to hold the falcon?! The guy was raising money for childhood cancer. 

Going up! 

There it is -- Cruce de Ferro. Even from a distance it is impressive. 

And a little closer look ... 

That's my rock with the blue writing; and of course that's my picture with my amazing, beautiful, wonderful sisters -- now even though your bodies didn't walk the Camino with me, all will know I carried you in my heart. 

I mean seriously: this is just so gorgeous!! 

This would be Tomas's ... whatever you want to call it. I call it my home for the night. 

Cozy, huh? 

I don't think so ... I'd rather find a bush. 

Our view -- I think despite the lack of ammenities I could stay here forever. 

Communal dinner (and by communal I mean Vera, Jarek, Gosia, and I and two other souls brave enough to stay with us -- Alexandria and her fiancé from Hungary) of chicken stew! 

There is so much beauty along the Camino and within the Camino -- I am in love. 

Jarek and Gosia are ready to bunk down for the night! 

And so are Vera and I -- that's my bed for the night. 

We have had such wonderful weather, but judging by the howling wind and my weather app, we are in for some rain the next few days. Boo. Oh well -- I will pray for sunshine and see what happens. This has truly been a wonderful day. 

Buen Camino. 

Jena