The last post I did was for Monday the 20th of July. Today is Friday the 24th of July. We are spending the night in Torres del Rio. We calculate that we have walked over 100 kilometers. Only 690 or so more to go.
More details about the past few days will be filled in as I find the time to write.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Pamplona to Cizur Menor Part Three
As you arrive at an albergue, you present your pilgrim´s passport and identification. After everyone in your group checks in, you are given the house rules. At Maribel´s albergue, as we checked in, we were telling jokes and it wasn´t long before she was chastising us to pay attention to the rules. We should have heeded her but more about that later. She told us that she had been born in the house where we were staying. The house rules are pretty much the same at every albergue: directions to your beds, showers, kitchen and laundry area. Doors close at 10:00 and do not open until 6:00 in the morning. Be respectful of the quiet time so that other pilgrims can sleep. Leave the place as you found it. We started in our chores, which was to shower and do laundry by hand, hang to dry, check your backpack and then, of course head out to buy food and have an ice cold beer.
We returned with our groceries, some wine, chocolate and even some cogñac and Maite and Jose prepared the most incredible meal of spaghetti with a tuna sauce, that sounded at first, not so appetizing. But once we tasted it, our mouths stopped with the jokes and there was silence while we devoured our dinner. Actually, it was a late afternoon lunch. We headed for the garden for some relaxation. As the afternoon passed away into the evening, we could not believe we were actually hungry. We decided to go out for another beer and some food. (Are you starting to get the drift of our bonding?) We headed out and found a restaurant-bar a block or so away. I though we were only having a small tapa and a beer but we ended up in the restaurant. Maite and I just had a small snack, the other´s a pilgrims meal. Once again, we found ourselves consumed with laughter and camaraderie. All of sudden, we realized it was a little after 10:00 pm. We quickly asked for the bill but we all thought that a few minutes couldn´t possibly matter. How wrong we were. When we arrived at the albergue, the large wooden door was shut and locked. We dissolved into a fit of the giggles. There was a large brass bell hanging next to the door and we started pointing at each other to see who would earn Maribel´s wrath by arriving past curfew. Jose took the challenge and rang the bell. After a few minutes, we realized there was no wrath because Maribel wasn´t going to answer the door. We stopped laughing, looked at the 7-foot tall ivy-covered wall and immediately dissolved into another fit of the giggles. However, pretty soon we realized we might be sleeping between a rock and a hard place.
Tom suggested that we might be able to climb over the back wall around the corner, which wasn´t quite as high as the front one. He and Jose took off, while Maite, Denise and I continued giggling like naughty school children. Roger started to take umbrage at the fact that he was 65 and should be treated the way he was being treated. Denise replied he wasn´t being treated in any particular way, other than the way one is when one breaks house rules and quit taking it so personally. After translating for Maite, we dissolved into another fit of giggles. Suddenly the door opened and there was Jose standing there with a big grin on his face. We quickly rushed in, shut the door behind us and ran quickly to our rooms, certain that Maribel was going to be standing in front of our room to kick us out. It didn´t happen but the thought of it was enough to send us all into another round of laughter. A great way to end the day.
We returned with our groceries, some wine, chocolate and even some cogñac and Maite and Jose prepared the most incredible meal of spaghetti with a tuna sauce, that sounded at first, not so appetizing. But once we tasted it, our mouths stopped with the jokes and there was silence while we devoured our dinner. Actually, it was a late afternoon lunch. We headed for the garden for some relaxation. As the afternoon passed away into the evening, we could not believe we were actually hungry. We decided to go out for another beer and some food. (Are you starting to get the drift of our bonding?) We headed out and found a restaurant-bar a block or so away. I though we were only having a small tapa and a beer but we ended up in the restaurant. Maite and I just had a small snack, the other´s a pilgrims meal. Once again, we found ourselves consumed with laughter and camaraderie. All of sudden, we realized it was a little after 10:00 pm. We quickly asked for the bill but we all thought that a few minutes couldn´t possibly matter. How wrong we were. When we arrived at the albergue, the large wooden door was shut and locked. We dissolved into a fit of the giggles. There was a large brass bell hanging next to the door and we started pointing at each other to see who would earn Maribel´s wrath by arriving past curfew. Jose took the challenge and rang the bell. After a few minutes, we realized there was no wrath because Maribel wasn´t going to answer the door. We stopped laughing, looked at the 7-foot tall ivy-covered wall and immediately dissolved into another fit of the giggles. However, pretty soon we realized we might be sleeping between a rock and a hard place.
Tom suggested that we might be able to climb over the back wall around the corner, which wasn´t quite as high as the front one. He and Jose took off, while Maite, Denise and I continued giggling like naughty school children. Roger started to take umbrage at the fact that he was 65 and should be treated the way he was being treated. Denise replied he wasn´t being treated in any particular way, other than the way one is when one breaks house rules and quit taking it so personally. After translating for Maite, we dissolved into another fit of giggles. Suddenly the door opened and there was Jose standing there with a big grin on his face. We quickly rushed in, shut the door behind us and ran quickly to our rooms, certain that Maribel was going to be standing in front of our room to kick us out. It didn´t happen but the thought of it was enough to send us all into another round of laughter. A great way to end the day.
Pamplona to Cizur Menor Part Two
Outside the albergue in Pamplona, Tom and I decided to join our Spanish traveling friends Jose Luis and Maite. They introduced us to Roger and Denise from England. Both couples were happy to meet us, primarily because Jose Luis and Maite did not speak English and Roger and Denise did not speak Spanish. I quickly became translator between the two couples and as I soon discovered, it was mostly translating jokes. Jose Luis and Roger were already doing a good job at pantomine a la Charley Chaplin but now, with me along, I could add dialogue. It was not long before my stomach muscles were hurting as bad as my legs. These two loved to have a traveling dialogue of humor and slapstick. Denise and Maite loved to chime in. As we left together, I joked we were like the herd in "Ice Age". That got everyone laughing and trying to figure out who was which character.
We all knew we carried too much weight in our backpacks. So, I told them we wanted the post office because we were going to send our not-needed and heavy items to my aunt in Southern Spain. Both couples thought that was a great idea. Roger and Denise were going to send things home to England, but I let them know that was too expensive. They could send them ahead to Santiago in care of general delivery and their things would be waiting for them. Jose and Maite sent their extra weight home to Valencia. We sat outside the Post Office waiting for it to open, pulling items out of our backpacks that we felt we no longer needed. Both Jose, Maite and I were astonished at what Denise and Roger had been carrying. They were geared up for camping so they had a tent, pots, pans, and assorted heavy items that boggled the mind. Jose said he tried to pick up Roger´s backpack the night before and nearly pulled his arm out of its socket. Denise´s bag was equally as heavy. They love the outdoors. Denise had just completed a 200 kilometer walk across Scotland this past May. Roger explained she had done it with a broken toe that was not discovered until she had returned home. Roger was to have walked with Denise but he had been hospitalized with a nosebleed that would not stop and required a transfusion of nearly 10 pints and surgery to fix the problem. Here he was walking the Camino. I felt I had no right to complain about my sore knee.
Anyway, as we sorted our things outside the post office, we got to know each other and felt we all hit it off very well and made quite an interesting "herd". By the time we were done at the post office, Tom and I had divested ourselves of over 5 kilos, Jose and Maite - 4 kilos and Roger and Denise, more than 8 kilos. That was quite a bit of extra weight we were carrying.
We did a quick tour of Pamplona and then headed out of town to the next albergue 5 kilometers away. While we took a quick stop at the bus station, where Tom and I had been just a few days earlier, Jose went in to buy a Spanish guide of the Camino. Outside the station, an older Spanish gentleman told us he had completed the Camino some 20 times. He directed us to an albergue in Cizur Menor run by a woman named Maribel. He said to make sure not to stop at the first albergue but rather the second one. We said our goodbyes, thanked him for his advice and headed off for Cizur Menor.
Our walk was rather quick and we arrived at Cizur Menor for a long-needed day of rest.
We all knew we carried too much weight in our backpacks. So, I told them we wanted the post office because we were going to send our not-needed and heavy items to my aunt in Southern Spain. Both couples thought that was a great idea. Roger and Denise were going to send things home to England, but I let them know that was too expensive. They could send them ahead to Santiago in care of general delivery and their things would be waiting for them. Jose and Maite sent their extra weight home to Valencia. We sat outside the Post Office waiting for it to open, pulling items out of our backpacks that we felt we no longer needed. Both Jose, Maite and I were astonished at what Denise and Roger had been carrying. They were geared up for camping so they had a tent, pots, pans, and assorted heavy items that boggled the mind. Jose said he tried to pick up Roger´s backpack the night before and nearly pulled his arm out of its socket. Denise´s bag was equally as heavy. They love the outdoors. Denise had just completed a 200 kilometer walk across Scotland this past May. Roger explained she had done it with a broken toe that was not discovered until she had returned home. Roger was to have walked with Denise but he had been hospitalized with a nosebleed that would not stop and required a transfusion of nearly 10 pints and surgery to fix the problem. Here he was walking the Camino. I felt I had no right to complain about my sore knee.
Anyway, as we sorted our things outside the post office, we got to know each other and felt we all hit it off very well and made quite an interesting "herd". By the time we were done at the post office, Tom and I had divested ourselves of over 5 kilos, Jose and Maite - 4 kilos and Roger and Denise, more than 8 kilos. That was quite a bit of extra weight we were carrying.
We did a quick tour of Pamplona and then headed out of town to the next albergue 5 kilometers away. While we took a quick stop at the bus station, where Tom and I had been just a few days earlier, Jose went in to buy a Spanish guide of the Camino. Outside the station, an older Spanish gentleman told us he had completed the Camino some 20 times. He directed us to an albergue in Cizur Menor run by a woman named Maribel. He said to make sure not to stop at the first albergue but rather the second one. We said our goodbyes, thanked him for his advice and headed off for Cizur Menor.
Our walk was rather quick and we arrived at Cizur Menor for a long-needed day of rest.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Filling in the Blanks
From Roncesvalles to Zubiri
After leaving our extremely challenging walk over the Pyrenees, the next day was much better. We got off to a late start, around 8:00 am and spent a morning getting coffee and a coke before heading off to the next little town. The path winds its way past a sign saying 780 or so kilometers to Roncesvalles. It´s a beautiful walk through a grove of trees. We stop in the next town, Burguete, to pick up food for the day: a baguette, some meat and cheese, olives and a chocolate bar. We head off feeling sure that the day will be better than the previous one. It is. Other than some tendinitis that is starting to bother my knee, it is a beautiful day of walking. We are almost alone as most of the other pilgrims left hours before we did. The camino winds its way through farms and fields with gorgeous vistas off in the distance.
Our goal is to finish the stage in Larrasoaña 27 kilometers away. It´s a mostly downhill walk along a very narrow uneven dirt path. Trying to keep one´s balance while carrying a heavy load on the back really starts to affect the legs. Although the walk is relatively easy compared to the day before, the exertion begins to bother my knee. While we are walking along, we are passed by quite a few pilgrims, but we notice they are well-dressed and not carrying very much on their backs. One of them stops us to inquire about my leg since I am limping noticiably. I tell him that I think I have tendinitis. He explains that he is a chiropractor and masseuse and that I need to stop and rest my leg, put ice on it for 20 minutes or so and then take a rest day. He also offers to exchange backpacks with me. His, he says, weighs only 2 kilos and mine is very heavy. I thank him but do not feel comfortable letting him carry my load. He urges me to rest my leg so that I can finish the camino. He explains he is part of a group who is doing the camino but their gear is being carried by a bus and they are staying in hotels along the way. That sounds very tempting at this point but Tom and I came to have an authentic pilgrimage and his way sounds like a short-cut. But I also realize everyone´s journey is different and this is how I chose to do mine.
Because my leg is bothering me, we decide to stop for the day in Zubiri,about 5 kilometers short of our goal. The first albergue we reach is filled. We are directed to the municipal albergue a few blocks away. When we get there we are told that their beds are also full, but if we don´t mind, they have a gym with mattresses available. As I am not in the mood for walking any further and I don´t have to sleep directly on the hard floor, I am happy and greatful. We pay 4 Euros each. Our accomodations include communal showers, a place to wash and hang our clothes. As we set up our beds, we find we are joined by one of the couples we spent the night with in Roncesvalles. We say our hellos and then Tom and I head off for some food before turning in. All in all a good day.
Zubiri to Pamplona
Today´s destination is Pamplona. Once again the walk looks like a good one, mostly downhill and we head off. This time my knee is really complaining about the weight on my back and the uneven steps I am taking. However, I really want to reach Pamplona so we push on. During the day´s journey, we once again run into the chiropractor from the day before. He gently chastises me about taking care of my knee. I agree to put ice on it when we stop for lunch. Since we run into him and the group he is traveling with, he holds me to my word. After Tom drinks his soda, I take the ice out and wrap in my bandana and ice my knee. It does help and we are able to push on to Pamplona. We can feel the heat start to rise as we make our descent from the mountains. By the time we reach Pamplona, I am very hot and tired and I just want to get my backpack off and rest my legs. We search for the albergue and run into a young woman from Holland who directs us to the albergue personally. She is starting her camino tomorrow and has just arrived after a forced layover in Biarritz. Her bags were lost and she had to wait three days there for them to be found. She was anxious to get started on her journey. We checked into to a beautiful, newly refurbished albergue where we were directed to our bunk beds. Once again, we performed the evening routine of showering, washing and hanging clothes to dry and checking the feet for blisters before heading off to dinner. It was still early by Spanish standards for a meal and Tom was starving. We found a bar that had some wonderful tapas in the window. A thirst-quenching Sangria for me and a coke and Spanish hamburger (it´s topped with an egg and bacon) for Tom. Filled, we headed back to the albergue for our night´s rest.
Pamplona to Cizur Menor
Tom and I awake somewhat refreshed. Since I have never lived in a dorm, it takes some getting used to. There is a lot of noise in the night: snoring, people getting up to use the restroom, nightmares, talking etc. Thankfully, I have my Ipod Touch and I plug in my earbuds and listen to white noise all night blocking out most of the noise. People start to rise at 5:30 to start their day´s journey. Tom and I are moving a little more slowly. As a people watcher, I enjoy watching the couple next to us try to move on. I think they are Italian, but I am not sure. They are in there early 20´s and clearly not married. As she lays in the top bunk, he is loading up their backpacks. He gently and quietly urges her to rise and shine as they must get on their way. In a sweet and honey dripping voice, I can hear her high-pitched tone saying something along the lines of "I´m so tired, I can´t, I don´t want to." Again, he gently urges her to try while gently rubbing her feet. This dance of no-yes, no-yes goes on for the next 20 minutes while Tom and I are trying to pack in between the two bunk beds. Finally, the loudspeaker announces that everyone is getting kicked out in 10 minutes and his patience runs out. He barks at her to get up and in a little girl voice, she convinces him to help lift her out of the top bunk. Clearly, he is smitten enough to give in and help her. They hug and kiss and then finish packing. I do not understand what language they are speaking, but it is not necessary to understand the courting ritual that is being danced. It makes me chuckle! They are so young.
As we leave the albergue, we run into the Spanish couple we have been seeing since our first night´s arrival in Roncesvalles. They are standing next to an older couple. We say hello and ask where they are headed that day. The Spaniard, whom I find out later is named Jose Luis, explains that they met up with the English couple and they have decided to take a short day so that they can explore Pamplona and then rest their legs a little. Tom and I decide that is a good idea and ask if we can join them. They think this is a great idea since they speak no English and the other couple speaks no Spanish. Thus, an alliance is born.
After leaving our extremely challenging walk over the Pyrenees, the next day was much better. We got off to a late start, around 8:00 am and spent a morning getting coffee and a coke before heading off to the next little town. The path winds its way past a sign saying 780 or so kilometers to Roncesvalles. It´s a beautiful walk through a grove of trees. We stop in the next town, Burguete, to pick up food for the day: a baguette, some meat and cheese, olives and a chocolate bar. We head off feeling sure that the day will be better than the previous one. It is. Other than some tendinitis that is starting to bother my knee, it is a beautiful day of walking. We are almost alone as most of the other pilgrims left hours before we did. The camino winds its way through farms and fields with gorgeous vistas off in the distance.
Our goal is to finish the stage in Larrasoaña 27 kilometers away. It´s a mostly downhill walk along a very narrow uneven dirt path. Trying to keep one´s balance while carrying a heavy load on the back really starts to affect the legs. Although the walk is relatively easy compared to the day before, the exertion begins to bother my knee. While we are walking along, we are passed by quite a few pilgrims, but we notice they are well-dressed and not carrying very much on their backs. One of them stops us to inquire about my leg since I am limping noticiably. I tell him that I think I have tendinitis. He explains that he is a chiropractor and masseuse and that I need to stop and rest my leg, put ice on it for 20 minutes or so and then take a rest day. He also offers to exchange backpacks with me. His, he says, weighs only 2 kilos and mine is very heavy. I thank him but do not feel comfortable letting him carry my load. He urges me to rest my leg so that I can finish the camino. He explains he is part of a group who is doing the camino but their gear is being carried by a bus and they are staying in hotels along the way. That sounds very tempting at this point but Tom and I came to have an authentic pilgrimage and his way sounds like a short-cut. But I also realize everyone´s journey is different and this is how I chose to do mine.
Because my leg is bothering me, we decide to stop for the day in Zubiri,about 5 kilometers short of our goal. The first albergue we reach is filled. We are directed to the municipal albergue a few blocks away. When we get there we are told that their beds are also full, but if we don´t mind, they have a gym with mattresses available. As I am not in the mood for walking any further and I don´t have to sleep directly on the hard floor, I am happy and greatful. We pay 4 Euros each. Our accomodations include communal showers, a place to wash and hang our clothes. As we set up our beds, we find we are joined by one of the couples we spent the night with in Roncesvalles. We say our hellos and then Tom and I head off for some food before turning in. All in all a good day.
Zubiri to Pamplona
Today´s destination is Pamplona. Once again the walk looks like a good one, mostly downhill and we head off. This time my knee is really complaining about the weight on my back and the uneven steps I am taking. However, I really want to reach Pamplona so we push on. During the day´s journey, we once again run into the chiropractor from the day before. He gently chastises me about taking care of my knee. I agree to put ice on it when we stop for lunch. Since we run into him and the group he is traveling with, he holds me to my word. After Tom drinks his soda, I take the ice out and wrap in my bandana and ice my knee. It does help and we are able to push on to Pamplona. We can feel the heat start to rise as we make our descent from the mountains. By the time we reach Pamplona, I am very hot and tired and I just want to get my backpack off and rest my legs. We search for the albergue and run into a young woman from Holland who directs us to the albergue personally. She is starting her camino tomorrow and has just arrived after a forced layover in Biarritz. Her bags were lost and she had to wait three days there for them to be found. She was anxious to get started on her journey. We checked into to a beautiful, newly refurbished albergue where we were directed to our bunk beds. Once again, we performed the evening routine of showering, washing and hanging clothes to dry and checking the feet for blisters before heading off to dinner. It was still early by Spanish standards for a meal and Tom was starving. We found a bar that had some wonderful tapas in the window. A thirst-quenching Sangria for me and a coke and Spanish hamburger (it´s topped with an egg and bacon) for Tom. Filled, we headed back to the albergue for our night´s rest.
Pamplona to Cizur Menor
Tom and I awake somewhat refreshed. Since I have never lived in a dorm, it takes some getting used to. There is a lot of noise in the night: snoring, people getting up to use the restroom, nightmares, talking etc. Thankfully, I have my Ipod Touch and I plug in my earbuds and listen to white noise all night blocking out most of the noise. People start to rise at 5:30 to start their day´s journey. Tom and I are moving a little more slowly. As a people watcher, I enjoy watching the couple next to us try to move on. I think they are Italian, but I am not sure. They are in there early 20´s and clearly not married. As she lays in the top bunk, he is loading up their backpacks. He gently and quietly urges her to rise and shine as they must get on their way. In a sweet and honey dripping voice, I can hear her high-pitched tone saying something along the lines of "I´m so tired, I can´t, I don´t want to." Again, he gently urges her to try while gently rubbing her feet. This dance of no-yes, no-yes goes on for the next 20 minutes while Tom and I are trying to pack in between the two bunk beds. Finally, the loudspeaker announces that everyone is getting kicked out in 10 minutes and his patience runs out. He barks at her to get up and in a little girl voice, she convinces him to help lift her out of the top bunk. Clearly, he is smitten enough to give in and help her. They hug and kiss and then finish packing. I do not understand what language they are speaking, but it is not necessary to understand the courting ritual that is being danced. It makes me chuckle! They are so young.
As we leave the albergue, we run into the Spanish couple we have been seeing since our first night´s arrival in Roncesvalles. They are standing next to an older couple. We say hello and ask where they are headed that day. The Spaniard, whom I find out later is named Jose Luis, explains that they met up with the English couple and they have decided to take a short day so that they can explore Pamplona and then rest their legs a little. Tom and I decide that is a good idea and ask if we can join them. They think this is a great idea since they speak no English and the other couple speaks no Spanish. Thus, an alliance is born.
From Estella to Villamayor de Monjardin
After settling down in the church in Estella, Roger and Denise and Tom and I set out to get some dinner and a very cold beer! Nothing tastes as a good as a cool beer to get rid of day´s dust in your throat. We found a lovely outdoor tavern and parked ourselves down for a bit. The city was having a fiesta (we never did determine why other than it had a medieval theme). While we were having our drinks, a marching band made up of local youngsters stopped near us, dressed in costume and began playing. It seemed a fit way to end our day. Our meal was excellent and we headed out to buy provisions for tomorrow´s walk. Unfortunately, due to celebrations, everything closed before we could doing any buying. We didn´t count on Jose Luis though. He had already set out and bought fruit, bread and meat and joined us for a quick beer before we headed up to get a well-deserved night´s sleep. However, the heat of the day permeated our room and it was very hard to get comfortable. While we were happy to have beds, our night was anything but restful. In addition to the heat, our parish room overlooked a plaza where young children had gathered to play in the evening´s cooler air. Evening in Spain means early morning so it wasn´t until about 3:oo am that things quieted down.
My alarm went off at 6:00 but there was no hurry to leave. After yesterday´s very hot walk, we decided to do a much shorter walk today. Our goal was Monjardin, some 9 kilometers away. Although the day was cloudy and cool when we awoke, it didn´t take long for the sun to start heating things up. We headed over to the albergue for coffee and toast before heading out at 8:00 for our walk. We found out that once again we were the last ones too leave. It didn´t take long for our bodies to loosen up and we started making a good pace.
Well-wishers from the village would urge us to have a ¨buen camino.¨ We arrived at our
destination at 11:00. It was great to have our walk over, but the albergue was not open yet. The gentleman in charge was still cleaning up from the night before and was heading back into Estalla to pick up provisions for the day. He would be ready to open at 2:00 but he allowed us to leave our heavy backpacks inside while we waited, where else, at the village bar! We are having a bite to eat before turning in early tomorrow. We hope to start at 5:00 tomorrow morning to beat the heat and to get to our destination some 23 kilometers away.
My alarm went off at 6:00 but there was no hurry to leave. After yesterday´s very hot walk, we decided to do a much shorter walk today. Our goal was Monjardin, some 9 kilometers away. Although the day was cloudy and cool when we awoke, it didn´t take long for the sun to start heating things up. We headed over to the albergue for coffee and toast before heading out at 8:00 for our walk. We found out that once again we were the last ones too leave. It didn´t take long for our bodies to loosen up and we started making a good pace.
Well-wishers from the village would urge us to have a ¨buen camino.¨ We arrived at our
destination at 11:00. It was great to have our walk over, but the albergue was not open yet. The gentleman in charge was still cleaning up from the night before and was heading back into Estalla to pick up provisions for the day. He would be ready to open at 2:00 but he allowed us to leave our heavy backpacks inside while we waited, where else, at the village bar! We are having a bite to eat before turning in early tomorrow. We hope to start at 5:00 tomorrow morning to beat the heat and to get to our destination some 23 kilometers away.
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