Paul has been reading these posts after the fact. As such, he wants me to put a disclaimer that if he had been posting, some of the entries would have a decidely different tone, especially those regarding him. My reply...to the blogger goes the history.
I feel there is so much I am leaving out, I hope to add later memorable moments that due to time I haven´t included.
For instance, one image that I will remember always....we were riding into an extremely small village. There was a rather overgrown park with a children´s slide. On a bench in this park was a tiny, older Spanish couple. He was dressed in what looked like his best wool jacket and vest and she had on her dress. At her feet, lay a dog. As they sat on the bench, she was lovingly combing her husband´s hair. How long had they been married? How many times had that same scene played itself out? I´ll never know the details, but I really didn´t need to.
Again, I hope to add many more of these plus, I´m sure many that Paul has as well.
Until later,
Cristina and Paul
Saturday, June 19, 2004
What a Hard Day!!!
Last night, after we arrived for our night´s stop, Paul immediately headed to the bike shop. He had been having trouble again. At the shop, they had to replace nearly all the spokes on his back tire. No wonder he struggled yesterday. The repairs were crucial as we faced our biggest challenge the next day.
Today was probably our hardest day of biking...or rather I should say walking. We climbed over the mountain into Galicia, the last province we will be crossing before we arrive in Santiago de Compostela.
The day started overcast and slightly windy, but we were encouraged that our ride, although climbing, seemed easy. We knew that would change. As we wound our way through the various villages, we passed many pilgrims who were also starting out to the top of the mountain. As we looked up, the tops of the mountains were cloud-covered.
We enjoyed the first part of the day´s ride and stopped to take quite a few pictures. This was fortuitous. As Paul was taking one photo, a few pilgrims were walking by. I like to ask where people are from. One woman answered she was from Barcelona. The next woman looked at me and said she did not understand spanish, so I asked in English and she became very excited! She said she had heard very little English on her journey. When I asked her where she was from, she said Michigan. I told her Paul and I lived in Michigan for a number of years and asked where in Michigan. As one of those small world moments go, it turns out she hailed from Ann Arbor as did we for many years. We spent quite a while talking to her and marveling that we passed her home on a daily basis and many time while riding bikes with the kids downtown. We probably attended the same church and yet here we were next to a field in the middle of Spain and just now meeting. Quite an incredible experience. We wished her well on her journey, she expected to take another couple of weeks to her journey´s end, we hoped to finish in a couple of more days.
As we headed up the hill, the climb started to get harder. I told Paul I would meet him at the top and off he rode. It became apparent that I would be walking up and pushing my bike. The grade was too steep and I could walk faster than I could bike. At some point, the walkers took a different path. I continued on the road and soon found myself alone with my thoughts. Since I´d been listening to myself for quite a bit on this trip already, I decided to pull out my cd player and listen to some music. I brought along some Led Zepplin to help on the expected arduous climbs. Unfortunately, my batteries were dead. Back to my own thoughts.
I took my time pushing up the hill. At one point, I was passed by a couple peddling up the hill. They waved, wished me a "Buen Camino" and promptly disappeared up the road. There were many memorable images as I climbed....passing a cow by the side of the road. She willingly posed for a picture next to my bike. Looking back and watching the valley disappear gave me some hope the top was just around the corner. Several kilometers later and I was still pushing.
As I climbed, the temperature was dropping decidely. It was an interesting constrast. I was extremely hot and sweaty and yet it was getting colder and colder. I finally reached a point where the road was starting to disappear into the mist of the clouds. Probably a low moment for me because at that point, I didn´t know how much higher I had to push. At one section, I could not see the road any further than twenty feet in front of my bike. I felt like I was in Brigadoon and when I came out through the mist on the other side, my bike would turn into a donkey and I would be in medieval times doing the Camino. (Perhaps you can surmise now why I would rather listen to Led Zepplin than listen to my own thoughts.)
Anyway, the climb eventually ended. The cold did not. It was a bone-chilling mist. At the top of the mountain is a very old village that must be quite beautiful in good weather. I found Paul in a nice warm bar and he told me he had to walk up as well. We stopped for a short while and then wanted down the mountain as quickly as possible to some warmer weather. That is a double-edged wish. To get down the mountain quickly is to experience frigid wind-chill. It was horribly cold.
We have arrived at Samos, our destination for the night. While it was probably one of our more shorter journeys, it was also our most challenging. It is time for dinner and then off for a good night´s and well deserved rest.
Cristina and Paul
Today was probably our hardest day of biking...or rather I should say walking. We climbed over the mountain into Galicia, the last province we will be crossing before we arrive in Santiago de Compostela.
The day started overcast and slightly windy, but we were encouraged that our ride, although climbing, seemed easy. We knew that would change. As we wound our way through the various villages, we passed many pilgrims who were also starting out to the top of the mountain. As we looked up, the tops of the mountains were cloud-covered.
We enjoyed the first part of the day´s ride and stopped to take quite a few pictures. This was fortuitous. As Paul was taking one photo, a few pilgrims were walking by. I like to ask where people are from. One woman answered she was from Barcelona. The next woman looked at me and said she did not understand spanish, so I asked in English and she became very excited! She said she had heard very little English on her journey. When I asked her where she was from, she said Michigan. I told her Paul and I lived in Michigan for a number of years and asked where in Michigan. As one of those small world moments go, it turns out she hailed from Ann Arbor as did we for many years. We spent quite a while talking to her and marveling that we passed her home on a daily basis and many time while riding bikes with the kids downtown. We probably attended the same church and yet here we were next to a field in the middle of Spain and just now meeting. Quite an incredible experience. We wished her well on her journey, she expected to take another couple of weeks to her journey´s end, we hoped to finish in a couple of more days.
As we headed up the hill, the climb started to get harder. I told Paul I would meet him at the top and off he rode. It became apparent that I would be walking up and pushing my bike. The grade was too steep and I could walk faster than I could bike. At some point, the walkers took a different path. I continued on the road and soon found myself alone with my thoughts. Since I´d been listening to myself for quite a bit on this trip already, I decided to pull out my cd player and listen to some music. I brought along some Led Zepplin to help on the expected arduous climbs. Unfortunately, my batteries were dead. Back to my own thoughts.
I took my time pushing up the hill. At one point, I was passed by a couple peddling up the hill. They waved, wished me a "Buen Camino" and promptly disappeared up the road. There were many memorable images as I climbed....passing a cow by the side of the road. She willingly posed for a picture next to my bike. Looking back and watching the valley disappear gave me some hope the top was just around the corner. Several kilometers later and I was still pushing.
As I climbed, the temperature was dropping decidely. It was an interesting constrast. I was extremely hot and sweaty and yet it was getting colder and colder. I finally reached a point where the road was starting to disappear into the mist of the clouds. Probably a low moment for me because at that point, I didn´t know how much higher I had to push. At one section, I could not see the road any further than twenty feet in front of my bike. I felt like I was in Brigadoon and when I came out through the mist on the other side, my bike would turn into a donkey and I would be in medieval times doing the Camino. (Perhaps you can surmise now why I would rather listen to Led Zepplin than listen to my own thoughts.)
Anyway, the climb eventually ended. The cold did not. It was a bone-chilling mist. At the top of the mountain is a very old village that must be quite beautiful in good weather. I found Paul in a nice warm bar and he told me he had to walk up as well. We stopped for a short while and then wanted down the mountain as quickly as possible to some warmer weather. That is a double-edged wish. To get down the mountain quickly is to experience frigid wind-chill. It was horribly cold.
We have arrived at Samos, our destination for the night. While it was probably one of our more shorter journeys, it was also our most challenging. It is time for dinner and then off for a good night´s and well deserved rest.
Cristina and Paul
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
We are Passed the Half Way Point!!!
It is absolutely incredible. We have reached the halfway point of our journey. Paul and I are enjoying two much needed days of rest in the city of Leon. We are staying within the old quarters, which is filled with tiny streets, lots of outdoor cafes and bars. The large Gothic Cathedral sits on top of the hill of this section of town and just fills the sky. It is huge.
The above graph was written while we were enjoying a two day rest in Leon. I then spent another hour writing down a lot of descriptions of our trip. As I went to post, it vanished into the ether. Since the locutorio was closing and it was time for dinner, the post was lost until today. I shall try to recreate our impressions, but it is so difficult to remember the many images and impressions of this glorious trip. Suffice to say that it has been one of the most amazing experience we have both shared.
I just re-read what I had posted previously, so to update...last time I posted, we were in Santo Domingo de la Calzado splurging at the Parador. It was a beautiful state run 4-star hotel that used to be a pilgrim hospital and way station that was just spectacular. It is reported that St. Francis of Assisi passed and stayed there on one of his many journeys. My strongest image is of sitting on the bidet in the beautiful marble bathroom handwashing clothes in the tub.
In all these small villages, Paul and I enjoy arriving, washing off all the dust from the day´s journey and heading to the plaza for a cool drink. I think it is our favorite time of day. Paul says any future vacation, doing the same thing will pale in comparison after this trip because we won´t feel like we earned that drink! We definitely find it to be so enjoyable and relaxing after a hard day´s ride.
At this point in our journey, we started traveling on the camino itself, often a dusty backroad filled with stones and rocks. It makes the traveling more challenging, but we have also started seeing more and more peregrinos (pilgrims). Most of them are walking, but we have also started meeting others who are biking like we were. As Paul is in better shape, he tends to ride on up ahead and it´s nice to travel where there are others. This is helpful especially when I´ve had trouble with my bike. Leaving Santo Domingo, I stopped because I had dropped my ring. Of course, my bike fell over. After I picked it up, something was wrong and I couldn´t get it moving. As I was fiddling with it, two young men stopped and asked to help. They determined that the brake lines were all messed up and had frozen the brake on the wheel. The problem was quickly fixed. It turns out they were Brazilian and also biking the Camino. They rode up ahead and told Paul and I soon caught up.
There are many nationalities along the camino. We have met people from Holland, Scotland, Australia, Germany, Japan as well as many French and Spaniards. It is fun to stop and try to chat with people, most of whom speak very little English or Spanish. Most of the time, it becomes a wave of the hand and a "Buen Camino".
During this part of the journey, Paul and I had a miscommunication that caused us to get separated....he kept on going up the hill, I thought he was waiting for me in the next village. As I waited down below, he was waiting at the top. I finally started pushing my bike up the hill...it was a steep grade with very little shoulder and lots of fast moving trucks. At the start of the climb, there had been an accident earlier in the day...a truck lost control and plowed over the guardrail, spilling its entire load of fruit into a ravine. Needless to say, I was not thrilled about walking 3 kilometers up hill, but the camino path was even more arduous, so up I pushed and I figured Paul and I would connect somewhere. At the top of the hill, the camino path was just off the road so I quickly rode to join the path where I knew I would see people. As I was taking a small break, two Spaniards rode by and stopped to ask if I was okay. I explained I had lost my husband somewhere. One of them looked at me and shrugged and said, ¨that might be a bad thing or it might be a good thing!" That gave me a good chuckle. We started riding down the trail, which was just spectacular. They soon outdistanced me and I traveled down the path alone. As I was passing a walker, he turned and asked in halting English if I was Cristina. He then explained that Paul was up ahead on the trail and would meet me at the next stop. As I rode along several people did the same thing. Paul and I met up at a tiny little way station with a bar. He determined that while I was waiting for an hour at the bottom of the hill, he was waiting at the top. In any case, all ended well with a quick beer.
Our journey´s end for the day was in Burgos, a wonderful city that we had visited before. On our way into the city, we met up with the Brazilians again and traveled together. They liked to chat with us, which Paul and I found funny because we told them we didn´t understand Portuguese. That didn´t faze them in the least. They kept right on talking...in Portuquese. Somehow, we found our way to the center of town. Paul wanted to by them a beer but they were going further on. Perhaps we´ll see them in route to Santiago.
After our miserable second day, traveling could not have been any better. The winds were at our backs, it was terrific cycling weather...cool enough but not too cold. As we left Burgos, the scenery started changing. The verdant wheat fields waving as the wind whispered on them started turning amber and honey-colored, the ground ochre and rust-colored. The hills started to vanish and everything flattened out. Because the riding was so good, we changed our plans. Instead of taking three days to reach Leon, we did it in two. We spent two days covering more than 200 kilometers.
Our midpoint to Leon was a tiny little town called Carrion de los Condes. There were ran into another couple we had been passing on the road, Juana and Antonio. They were a lovely spanish couple who was doing the camino for the second time. The first time, they did the route called the Via de Plata (or the Silver Route) which comes up from the south. They started their journey some 500 kilometers before Paul and I did and were mountain biking the entire camino. That night in Carrion, we shared a wonderful dinner of local specialties and great bottle of wine. After dinner there was a small argument because they insisted on paying for dinner. Paul and I argued to no avail. We asked them to join us in Leon for dinner, our treat. Juana said we should not feel obligated to return the favor. I explained it was their obligation to allow us to entertain them. Unfortunately, we did not see them once we got to Leon, but we hope to somewhere along the road to Santiago.
In Leon, we spent a much needed day of rest. It was nice to be able to sleep in and not have to jump on a bike. On our first night, we shared dinner with two American couples we also spent time with in Burgos. Paul had been sharing emails with Charles regarding our journey and we found we would be along the path at the same time. Charles was traveling with his companion, Anna, and friends Dwayne and Mina, who were on their honeymoon! The next night, Paul and I had the most wonderful dinner in a little plaza in the old gothic quarter of Leon. As hard as we try, we never seem to be able to start our dinner before 9:00 at night. Rested up, we left Leon with the realization that we were starting our most challenging part of the journey.
As we left Leon, the amber fields started to change to back to rolling hills that were untilled. The wind was not so favorable and the heat was starting to rise. The day´s journey was shorter than previous days but definitely starting to get more challenging as the road started to climb. Many of the people we started our day with finished in Astorga, but Paul and I pushed on to Rabanal del Camino, a very tiny village at the base of our first long climb into Galicia.
We continue to be amazed that people actually live in some of these villages. Many of the houses look abandoned or on the verge of collapse and right next to them, you will find a home that looks lovingly cared for with a new door and flowing flower pots on the balcony.
Rabanal del Camino is a very tiny village with not much more than two hotels and a hostel for Pilgrims. It is very easy to see how it is a way station along the way for pilgrims. The first set of mountains looms over the village. Our hotel was quite striking, but it seemed almost cruel that after a long day of climbing, our room was on the third floor, with no elevator. Once we got to our room, we discovered that it right under the roof and we had to watch our heads or we would bump them into the sloping ceiling.
This morning, we started our first challenging climb up the mountain. The tilled fields are no more and instead, there is lots of scrub brush and wizened trees covered with lichen. I gave Paul permission to head to the top, I would get there when I could. Off he went with a group of other cyclists to the top of the mountain. I, in turn, took my time up the road. There were many pilgrims who left from Rabanal that morning and I passed them on the road. I stopped to walk with an older German woman we met the day before. This was her second time walking the camino. She said the experience was much different this time because her chakras were in orange and red and that meant she was much more grounded. I just found it amazing that she would walk it twice!
The ascent was gradual so I was able to ride up almost the entire way, which surprised me. Paul discovered once again that he had bike trouble. For the second time, he had broken a spoke and his brake had been rubbing the wheel the entire time up. Because we were headed down, he didn´t want to fiddle with the brake, but definitely needed to have it fixed before our really big climb tomorrow.
At the top, we spent time enjoying the view and a rather post with an iron cross at the top. Tradition has it that you leave rocks at the base of the cross with your names or wishes for good luck. Paul and I left four sandstones with Jack, Leigh, Tom and Peter´s names etched into them. After a few pictures, we heade down the mountain. Many people urged caution as the descent was steep and winding.
After the hard climb, it was exhilirating to fly down the mountain. We stopped along the way to take lots of pictures, the scenery was just breath-taking. We passed through some more beautiful villages, stopped for a beer and a snack and finally ended our trip in Villafrance del Bierzo. It´s a beautiful village at the base of our next climb. It reminds me almost of a swiss village. Many of the houses look like chalets. Right on schedule we arrived in time to shower and head down to the plaza for some cool refreshments. Tomorrow could be a challenge, it´s an 11 kilometer climb. Hopefully, at the end of the day´s journey, I´ll find a ciber-cafe so I can post again. Until then,
Cristina and Paul
The above graph was written while we were enjoying a two day rest in Leon. I then spent another hour writing down a lot of descriptions of our trip. As I went to post, it vanished into the ether. Since the locutorio was closing and it was time for dinner, the post was lost until today. I shall try to recreate our impressions, but it is so difficult to remember the many images and impressions of this glorious trip. Suffice to say that it has been one of the most amazing experience we have both shared.
I just re-read what I had posted previously, so to update...last time I posted, we were in Santo Domingo de la Calzado splurging at the Parador. It was a beautiful state run 4-star hotel that used to be a pilgrim hospital and way station that was just spectacular. It is reported that St. Francis of Assisi passed and stayed there on one of his many journeys. My strongest image is of sitting on the bidet in the beautiful marble bathroom handwashing clothes in the tub.
In all these small villages, Paul and I enjoy arriving, washing off all the dust from the day´s journey and heading to the plaza for a cool drink. I think it is our favorite time of day. Paul says any future vacation, doing the same thing will pale in comparison after this trip because we won´t feel like we earned that drink! We definitely find it to be so enjoyable and relaxing after a hard day´s ride.
At this point in our journey, we started traveling on the camino itself, often a dusty backroad filled with stones and rocks. It makes the traveling more challenging, but we have also started seeing more and more peregrinos (pilgrims). Most of them are walking, but we have also started meeting others who are biking like we were. As Paul is in better shape, he tends to ride on up ahead and it´s nice to travel where there are others. This is helpful especially when I´ve had trouble with my bike. Leaving Santo Domingo, I stopped because I had dropped my ring. Of course, my bike fell over. After I picked it up, something was wrong and I couldn´t get it moving. As I was fiddling with it, two young men stopped and asked to help. They determined that the brake lines were all messed up and had frozen the brake on the wheel. The problem was quickly fixed. It turns out they were Brazilian and also biking the Camino. They rode up ahead and told Paul and I soon caught up.
There are many nationalities along the camino. We have met people from Holland, Scotland, Australia, Germany, Japan as well as many French and Spaniards. It is fun to stop and try to chat with people, most of whom speak very little English or Spanish. Most of the time, it becomes a wave of the hand and a "Buen Camino".
During this part of the journey, Paul and I had a miscommunication that caused us to get separated....he kept on going up the hill, I thought he was waiting for me in the next village. As I waited down below, he was waiting at the top. I finally started pushing my bike up the hill...it was a steep grade with very little shoulder and lots of fast moving trucks. At the start of the climb, there had been an accident earlier in the day...a truck lost control and plowed over the guardrail, spilling its entire load of fruit into a ravine. Needless to say, I was not thrilled about walking 3 kilometers up hill, but the camino path was even more arduous, so up I pushed and I figured Paul and I would connect somewhere. At the top of the hill, the camino path was just off the road so I quickly rode to join the path where I knew I would see people. As I was taking a small break, two Spaniards rode by and stopped to ask if I was okay. I explained I had lost my husband somewhere. One of them looked at me and shrugged and said, ¨that might be a bad thing or it might be a good thing!" That gave me a good chuckle. We started riding down the trail, which was just spectacular. They soon outdistanced me and I traveled down the path alone. As I was passing a walker, he turned and asked in halting English if I was Cristina. He then explained that Paul was up ahead on the trail and would meet me at the next stop. As I rode along several people did the same thing. Paul and I met up at a tiny little way station with a bar. He determined that while I was waiting for an hour at the bottom of the hill, he was waiting at the top. In any case, all ended well with a quick beer.
Our journey´s end for the day was in Burgos, a wonderful city that we had visited before. On our way into the city, we met up with the Brazilians again and traveled together. They liked to chat with us, which Paul and I found funny because we told them we didn´t understand Portuguese. That didn´t faze them in the least. They kept right on talking...in Portuquese. Somehow, we found our way to the center of town. Paul wanted to by them a beer but they were going further on. Perhaps we´ll see them in route to Santiago.
After our miserable second day, traveling could not have been any better. The winds were at our backs, it was terrific cycling weather...cool enough but not too cold. As we left Burgos, the scenery started changing. The verdant wheat fields waving as the wind whispered on them started turning amber and honey-colored, the ground ochre and rust-colored. The hills started to vanish and everything flattened out. Because the riding was so good, we changed our plans. Instead of taking three days to reach Leon, we did it in two. We spent two days covering more than 200 kilometers.
Our midpoint to Leon was a tiny little town called Carrion de los Condes. There were ran into another couple we had been passing on the road, Juana and Antonio. They were a lovely spanish couple who was doing the camino for the second time. The first time, they did the route called the Via de Plata (or the Silver Route) which comes up from the south. They started their journey some 500 kilometers before Paul and I did and were mountain biking the entire camino. That night in Carrion, we shared a wonderful dinner of local specialties and great bottle of wine. After dinner there was a small argument because they insisted on paying for dinner. Paul and I argued to no avail. We asked them to join us in Leon for dinner, our treat. Juana said we should not feel obligated to return the favor. I explained it was their obligation to allow us to entertain them. Unfortunately, we did not see them once we got to Leon, but we hope to somewhere along the road to Santiago.
In Leon, we spent a much needed day of rest. It was nice to be able to sleep in and not have to jump on a bike. On our first night, we shared dinner with two American couples we also spent time with in Burgos. Paul had been sharing emails with Charles regarding our journey and we found we would be along the path at the same time. Charles was traveling with his companion, Anna, and friends Dwayne and Mina, who were on their honeymoon! The next night, Paul and I had the most wonderful dinner in a little plaza in the old gothic quarter of Leon. As hard as we try, we never seem to be able to start our dinner before 9:00 at night. Rested up, we left Leon with the realization that we were starting our most challenging part of the journey.
As we left Leon, the amber fields started to change to back to rolling hills that were untilled. The wind was not so favorable and the heat was starting to rise. The day´s journey was shorter than previous days but definitely starting to get more challenging as the road started to climb. Many of the people we started our day with finished in Astorga, but Paul and I pushed on to Rabanal del Camino, a very tiny village at the base of our first long climb into Galicia.
We continue to be amazed that people actually live in some of these villages. Many of the houses look abandoned or on the verge of collapse and right next to them, you will find a home that looks lovingly cared for with a new door and flowing flower pots on the balcony.
Rabanal del Camino is a very tiny village with not much more than two hotels and a hostel for Pilgrims. It is very easy to see how it is a way station along the way for pilgrims. The first set of mountains looms over the village. Our hotel was quite striking, but it seemed almost cruel that after a long day of climbing, our room was on the third floor, with no elevator. Once we got to our room, we discovered that it right under the roof and we had to watch our heads or we would bump them into the sloping ceiling.
This morning, we started our first challenging climb up the mountain. The tilled fields are no more and instead, there is lots of scrub brush and wizened trees covered with lichen. I gave Paul permission to head to the top, I would get there when I could. Off he went with a group of other cyclists to the top of the mountain. I, in turn, took my time up the road. There were many pilgrims who left from Rabanal that morning and I passed them on the road. I stopped to walk with an older German woman we met the day before. This was her second time walking the camino. She said the experience was much different this time because her chakras were in orange and red and that meant she was much more grounded. I just found it amazing that she would walk it twice!
The ascent was gradual so I was able to ride up almost the entire way, which surprised me. Paul discovered once again that he had bike trouble. For the second time, he had broken a spoke and his brake had been rubbing the wheel the entire time up. Because we were headed down, he didn´t want to fiddle with the brake, but definitely needed to have it fixed before our really big climb tomorrow.
At the top, we spent time enjoying the view and a rather post with an iron cross at the top. Tradition has it that you leave rocks at the base of the cross with your names or wishes for good luck. Paul and I left four sandstones with Jack, Leigh, Tom and Peter´s names etched into them. After a few pictures, we heade down the mountain. Many people urged caution as the descent was steep and winding.
After the hard climb, it was exhilirating to fly down the mountain. We stopped along the way to take lots of pictures, the scenery was just breath-taking. We passed through some more beautiful villages, stopped for a beer and a snack and finally ended our trip in Villafrance del Bierzo. It´s a beautiful village at the base of our next climb. It reminds me almost of a swiss village. Many of the houses look like chalets. Right on schedule we arrived in time to shower and head down to the plaza for some cool refreshments. Tomorrow could be a challenge, it´s an 11 kilometer climb. Hopefully, at the end of the day´s journey, I´ll find a ciber-cafe so I can post again. Until then,
Cristina and Paul
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Day Six - Brief Update
If you are waiting for updates...Paul and I are fine. It´s hard to find Ciber-Cafes as they are called here, so this is brief just to say that all goes well. We hope to reach Leon tonight for a two-day rest and will post more on this incredible journey. The fact that I am still pedalling is a miracle in itself. But more on our trip later.
Paul and Cristina
Paul and Cristina
Saturday, June 12, 2004
Days Two and Three on the Road
As we settle in our evening in Santo Domingo del Calzada at the end of our third day of biking, Paul and I are both amazed that we have come this far. Yesterday, we started our second day of biking in Puente La Reina, both feeling a little optimistic that the journey would be not too difficult. That thought was quickly dispelled. Before leaving for the day, we went to the Post Office to forward about 18 pounds of weight. It´s amazing what you think is absolutely necessary when you start the journey, but as you start hauling it the hills, the thought quickly becomes dump it all! We got on the road around 10:00 in the morning as the post office did not open until 9:00. Thinking we should do better with less weight, we crossed the bridge out of town to face a huge climb. Turns out, it was harder than either one of us could manage so we ended up pushing our bikes for several kilometers up the hill. People driving by would shout words of encouragement.
As in Minnesota, this is road construction time and there was a lot of truck traffic. They are building a new highway. At one point, a worker told me to expect a loud noise but to not get scared. What an understatement. They were blasting the hill with dynomite! It´s hard not to jump when you hear the explosion. Every turn, I kept hoping would lead to a flat section or better yet a downhill. As we trudged up the hill, Paul further ahead of me, the sun was already blazing and we were both dripping wet. It was pretty discouraging when this tiny, little and old Spaniard passed me by riding his bicycle up the hill. However, he urged me on and just ahead, he stopped to tell me the end was in sight and the downhill was just around the corner.
The downhills are exhilarating! It´s a great time to rest your legs. The sun was starting to take it´s toll and I quickly finished my first litre of water. We took a small break at the Bodega of Irache which is next to a Monestery. The Bodega has kindly put a fountain for the pilgrims. One side has water and the other side has wine. They allow you to drink your fill but not to take any for the road! At the monestary, we met two young French girls who were also biking. Our conversation was in broken English, French and Spanish. After our break we headed off down the road.
We saw very few pilgrims as we were taking the main roads rather than the trails. At the bottom of the downhill ride, we pulled into a village and stopped for a beer. We met two Finnish couples who were walking the Camino for the second time. They were done for the day, we had to push on. We bought more water and then headed once again straight up hill. For the second time in the day we found ourselves pushing our bikes up the hill. At this point the sun was straight up in the sky and brutally hot. I finished my second liter of water by this point. As we trudged into Sansol, Paul was hurting from dehydration. We found some shade and tried to cool off and get some water down. We eventually pushed off, but once again found the climb too difficult to ride so we once again started walking. Then, just to keep things interesting, it all of a sudden started raining. At first, it was sprinkles but pretty soon it was a downpour.
From the blaring sun to pouring rain, with thunder no less, I think we both were wondering what the h*** we were doing.
Once we got to the top, it was a terrific run downhill, but I was nervous about slipping on the wet pavement, so caution was required. We eventually made it to our stopping point in Logrono. As we pulled into the city, I clumsily hit a curb and took a tumble off my bike. No real damage other than a few more bruises to add to my collection, plus the great embarrasment of falling in front of a large group of tourists.
We walked into the old quarters of town and stopped at the Albergue, the hostal for the pilgrims. There we collected our stamp on our passport to show we are making the pilgrimage. We then headed off to our hotel. As we entered the main plaza by the cathedral, a large festival was under way. It had a medieval theme and was just packed. There were jugglers and all sorts of entertainment and food. Apparently, we had the good fortune of arriving in town during a rather special day. The only problem was Paul and I were so exhausted we just wanted to get to the hotel and head in for the night. We did manage to head out for another beer. We grabbed something to eat at the festival, had an ice cream and then called it a night.
Paul had a suspicion something was wrong with his bike, because he exerted alot of energy biking and on the downhills, his bike would slow down considerably. This morning, we went in search of a bike repair shop. We found one open and the owner told us we were very lucky he was in because everyone was on vacation. He spent a good half hour tweaking our bikes. Turns out Paul´s front tire was rubbing on the brake. No wonder it was hard for him to bike. When we asked how much the charge was Chema told us no charge. We were rather embarrassed he would not take payment for his services, but he told us any hand labor was a gift from God and he could not charge pilgrims for the service. He asked us to send him a postcard when we arrived safely in Santiago, which of course we will do. He showed us a folder filled with postcards from all over the world from people he helped.
Today, due to the bike repairs, we got off to a later start than we wanted to but today´s trip was shorter than the previous one. Today, we opted to try traveling on some of the walking trails. It turns out they were not too bad and in fact, the scenery was absolutely beautiful. The trails cut through spacious fields of grape vines, wheat, beans etc. We finally started running into some pilgrims. One was a young girl from Germany. We also met a Spaniard from Madrid. He was walking until he got to Burgos, our next stop, and then he was taking a break to go back to work. He planned to continue his journey in October.
It was nice today not to hear the roar of traffic in our ears. It was peaceful and what we pictured our journey would be. Today was also a much easier journey. There were only a few spots where we had to walk as the hills were too much for us. Once again, I took a tumble off my bike. I think my legs get too tired to release from the clipless pedals. Anyway, over I went and this time I gave myself a huge bruise on my calf. I think people are starting to stare at all my bruises. First, at me and then at Paul. Some of the older Spanish women shake their heads and purse their lips.
Tonight, we ended our trip in a small village called Santo Domingo del Calzada. It´s a quaint town and we´ve splurged and are staying at a Parador, a rather luxurious hotel. We are off to dinner and then rest up for our trip tomorrow, which is a longer trip than today.
Hasta luego,
Adelante and Ultreya,
Cristina and Paul
As in Minnesota, this is road construction time and there was a lot of truck traffic. They are building a new highway. At one point, a worker told me to expect a loud noise but to not get scared. What an understatement. They were blasting the hill with dynomite! It´s hard not to jump when you hear the explosion. Every turn, I kept hoping would lead to a flat section or better yet a downhill. As we trudged up the hill, Paul further ahead of me, the sun was already blazing and we were both dripping wet. It was pretty discouraging when this tiny, little and old Spaniard passed me by riding his bicycle up the hill. However, he urged me on and just ahead, he stopped to tell me the end was in sight and the downhill was just around the corner.
The downhills are exhilarating! It´s a great time to rest your legs. The sun was starting to take it´s toll and I quickly finished my first litre of water. We took a small break at the Bodega of Irache which is next to a Monestery. The Bodega has kindly put a fountain for the pilgrims. One side has water and the other side has wine. They allow you to drink your fill but not to take any for the road! At the monestary, we met two young French girls who were also biking. Our conversation was in broken English, French and Spanish. After our break we headed off down the road.
We saw very few pilgrims as we were taking the main roads rather than the trails. At the bottom of the downhill ride, we pulled into a village and stopped for a beer. We met two Finnish couples who were walking the Camino for the second time. They were done for the day, we had to push on. We bought more water and then headed once again straight up hill. For the second time in the day we found ourselves pushing our bikes up the hill. At this point the sun was straight up in the sky and brutally hot. I finished my second liter of water by this point. As we trudged into Sansol, Paul was hurting from dehydration. We found some shade and tried to cool off and get some water down. We eventually pushed off, but once again found the climb too difficult to ride so we once again started walking. Then, just to keep things interesting, it all of a sudden started raining. At first, it was sprinkles but pretty soon it was a downpour.
From the blaring sun to pouring rain, with thunder no less, I think we both were wondering what the h*** we were doing.
Once we got to the top, it was a terrific run downhill, but I was nervous about slipping on the wet pavement, so caution was required. We eventually made it to our stopping point in Logrono. As we pulled into the city, I clumsily hit a curb and took a tumble off my bike. No real damage other than a few more bruises to add to my collection, plus the great embarrasment of falling in front of a large group of tourists.
We walked into the old quarters of town and stopped at the Albergue, the hostal for the pilgrims. There we collected our stamp on our passport to show we are making the pilgrimage. We then headed off to our hotel. As we entered the main plaza by the cathedral, a large festival was under way. It had a medieval theme and was just packed. There were jugglers and all sorts of entertainment and food. Apparently, we had the good fortune of arriving in town during a rather special day. The only problem was Paul and I were so exhausted we just wanted to get to the hotel and head in for the night. We did manage to head out for another beer. We grabbed something to eat at the festival, had an ice cream and then called it a night.
Paul had a suspicion something was wrong with his bike, because he exerted alot of energy biking and on the downhills, his bike would slow down considerably. This morning, we went in search of a bike repair shop. We found one open and the owner told us we were very lucky he was in because everyone was on vacation. He spent a good half hour tweaking our bikes. Turns out Paul´s front tire was rubbing on the brake. No wonder it was hard for him to bike. When we asked how much the charge was Chema told us no charge. We were rather embarrassed he would not take payment for his services, but he told us any hand labor was a gift from God and he could not charge pilgrims for the service. He asked us to send him a postcard when we arrived safely in Santiago, which of course we will do. He showed us a folder filled with postcards from all over the world from people he helped.
Today, due to the bike repairs, we got off to a later start than we wanted to but today´s trip was shorter than the previous one. Today, we opted to try traveling on some of the walking trails. It turns out they were not too bad and in fact, the scenery was absolutely beautiful. The trails cut through spacious fields of grape vines, wheat, beans etc. We finally started running into some pilgrims. One was a young girl from Germany. We also met a Spaniard from Madrid. He was walking until he got to Burgos, our next stop, and then he was taking a break to go back to work. He planned to continue his journey in October.
It was nice today not to hear the roar of traffic in our ears. It was peaceful and what we pictured our journey would be. Today was also a much easier journey. There were only a few spots where we had to walk as the hills were too much for us. Once again, I took a tumble off my bike. I think my legs get too tired to release from the clipless pedals. Anyway, over I went and this time I gave myself a huge bruise on my calf. I think people are starting to stare at all my bruises. First, at me and then at Paul. Some of the older Spanish women shake their heads and purse their lips.
Tonight, we ended our trip in a small village called Santo Domingo del Calzada. It´s a quaint town and we´ve splurged and are staying at a Parador, a rather luxurious hotel. We are off to dinner and then rest up for our trip tomorrow, which is a longer trip than today.
Hasta luego,
Adelante and Ultreya,
Cristina and Paul
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