So why do you do it...?
So why do you do it...? A question I have been asked quite a lot the past 3 weeks. The same 3 weeks I have been "suffering" the post Camino... it is always quite difficult for me "to land". It is alway difficult for me to get back to "daily life".
So why do you do it...? a question my friends and co-workers have asked me. And there is no easy answer... at least not one that will keep them interessted for more than a few seconds... as I can quickly see in their eyes as they cannot follow me at all.
So why do you do it...? I have learned to answer shortly and "distant": "Because it is a good way for me to relax and disconnect..."
...It is not a lie, it is a good way for me to relax and disconnect. But there are so much more to it.
If I tell them, that I love waking up in the morning and put on my boots and my backpack... and start walking not knowing where I will spend the night... They shake their heads with a smile and tell me that I am crazy...
If I tell them that every time I do "The Camino" I get closer to myself and I get deeper and deeper into myself... I loose them. I caan tell by the looks in their eyes ...They do not understand... (what is this woman talking about...??)
If I tell them that, walking "El Camino" is a process... it is a feeling of freedom... a feeling of power and a feeling of strength... again, I loose them...
Yeah... But WHY do you do it... ?? What can I say... ? it is just the way I love to take my time off... - "But you can relax on the beach", I am told... No... I cannot relax on the beach... I get VERY restless on the beach.
I have now done the Camino 4 times... Every time it is different. EVERY time. This time I got even deeper into myself. I learned more about who I am... and (un)fortunately I found something I am not proud of... Someting I would like to change... - I didn't like the feeling, but I am glad I found it - so now I can change it... or at least the reaction I have when "this thing" shows...
Why do you do the same route every time...? Well... I haven't exactly done the same route EVERY time... but my reason for walking this route is I do not need to think. I can follow the yellow arrows and leave all the "thinking" to the body... the explorations... the feelings and emotions... My caminos have become more and more an inner journey. I am not affraid of what I might find... I might like it or I mind not like it... but it is there... and I have to accept it. It is a part of me... and ONLY I can change it... (if I want to).
So why do I do it...? There are so many reasons... but basicly it is about an inner journey... as my walking almost always becomes very meditative... I love it.
The landing this is a hard but necesary part of the journey... and I get do decide how I land. I still have some landing to do... but I am slowly getting back.
Last hours in Santiago...
...my flight leaves for Barcelona in approx. 4 hours.
Yesterday and this morning I have been meeting almost everybody I have met along the way and now I am getting sad that I have to go home. I could easily use a few more weeks. A few more weeks of walking, a few more weeks of the camino-life which is so special. I already miss getting up in the morning putting on the boots and my backpack and just start walking, not knowing where my next bed is waiting.
The Camino life and the pilgrim fellowships is very special and it always touch me deep. The people I meet, the stories I hear, the experience I get every time. Every time I walk I get deeper and deeper into my self. I learn things about my self and others... and though I have been walking this camino in it's full lenght twice before it has been a very different journey.
Starting in Burgos was one thing that was quite different. I felt the pilgrims I met already knew each other well... I felt I was already missing a part of the journey... I would love to have had more time... so I could have done the whole thing... but 500km is also something.
The day I arrived in Finisterre by bus, the famous writer Stephen Hawkins also arrived in his wheel chair. As I have not followed the news I was told that he had done the Santiago - Finisterre in his wheel chair (but I am not certain).
Tomorrow I will be back behind my desk at work... the daily routines are waiting... - There will probably in the next few days be a follow-up when everything has started to settle in my body and mind.
I only wish I had more time...
Finistere and Muxia...
...and now back in Santiago.
Thursday morning I went by bus to Finisterre... where I shared a hotelroom with Lise. I already knew that it would be inpossible to sleep at the albergue since I didn't walk there...
As the tradiotion says... I burned some of my clothing... I went "swimming" in the atlantic ocean, which was freezing cold, so it only lasted for a few minutes... and finally I went up to the old lighthouse with Lise who had also arrived to Finisterre to see the amazing sunset...
Yesterday I was picked up at Finisterre by Judith and her husband, and they took me to their home just outside Muxia... but first we had a good tapas meal of seafood.... pulpo galego, nevajas, calimares... Uhhmmm.... Again I went swimming in the atlantic ocean, this time with judith and this time for 10 minutes... or may be 15... it took me a while to get use to the VERY cold water... but at the end it was a good experience... and leaving the water my fingers and toes were "numb". - We went to Muxia to see the sunset... and I must say.... Muxia is far more beautiful than Finisterre for a sunset. WAUW.
Now - I am back in Santiago. I've just checked in to a small pension... and I will now enjoy my last day here. Tomorrow I go back to Barcelona... and on Monday I am back at wo.... wo... wor.... I can't even say it... Anyway Tomorrow around 14:40 I leave Santiago an fly to Barcelona.
I have so many ideas and thoughts I now need to preocess... which means it is now the camino begins...
I am still in Santiago...
...which means that I will go to Finisterre by bus.
I have been coughing and sneezing all night and I've decided it is better that I get this cold under control than walking further... (though I would really love to walk the last 3 days).
I have now checked out of my 4 star "albergue" where I have enjoyed both the bed and the bathtub. - I need to find a new albergue for tonight... and I think I might go to finisterre by bus this afternoon. (?) or tomorrow morning.
Though this journey was very different from the others (aren't they always) I have really loved every step... even those with a swollen ankel. I have enjoyed the nights in the albergues (bedbugs or no bedbugs... they never bit me). - I also enjoyed Severinos cooking - the Italian gu who cooked for me the first time in El Burgo Ranero. He can really cook - with very little ingredients. Uhhmmm.... I haven't seen Severino for several days now.
Another Italian guy, Luca... smart and quite handsome also fell behind... I wonder what happened to him.
Cleo (very smart young girl from Belgium), that poor girl, had an accident walking down to Molinaseca and arrived to the Albergue in an ambulance as she could not walk. I hope she's fine and has recovered.
I have during this journey met a huge number of danish pilgrims. Too many if you ask me. A lot of them complaining about everything. The food, the albergues, the spanish people not understanding them... the camino is going through an industrial area... (my advise to people who want to do this journey is... look into your self first and ask your self - are you ready to let go and just take what is...??)
Because I have met so many complaning danish people it took me a few days to actually show my danish nationality to 3 Norwegian men who was walking for only a week. They walk for one week every year and this was their 3rd or 4th time... - All very nice and they seemed to enjoy the caminolife.
I can feel I take a huge distance to negativity on the camino. I do not want to deal with it. I can't change what people are complaing about and I do not want to listen.
I have loved walking on the Meseta... with the wheatfields as far as the eye can see... I loved walking in to Galicia... see the scenery change... all very green and very different from the Meseta. Walking in the mountains is asking more of your body.
I must say as already written a few times before. This is the coldest September Camino I have walked so far. We have had plenty of REALLY nice days with sun and blue sky... and I have a good nice tan. We have had very few hours of rain... but the cold days has been cold. I needed to go shopping in León.
Again I had som many things I wanted to tell you, but as I sit here writing I forget half.
I met an elder man along on my journey, who had taught him self one spanish word. Ultreia!. This word is used among pilgrims to motivate... and means "forward" - This man used this word Ultreia as a respond to everything anyone said to him. If you said good morning, or good appetite... or "Buen Camino" (another motivation) or How are you? he would say Ultreia... - I haven't seen him for a week... Well, I sit here at the internet café coughing my lungs out... I'll go and get some hot tea and figure out when the bus leave for Finisterre... I'll tell you more later.Santiago de Compostella...
...was further away than I remember.
The last 3 kilometres seemed like forever and my footsteps were really heavy.
When I finally arrived at in front of the huge catedral I decided that I would treat myself good. Really good. So I have checked in to a **** "Albergue" - with a huge bed, a big bathtub... I also signed up for a VERY good massage which was done by Toni. Also tomorrow there will be a huge breakfast... (buffet - with EVERYTHING).
All day I have been in an arguement with myself. I cannot decide wheter I should continue on foot to Finisterre or if I should go by bus. A part of me really want to continue on foot, another part of me says "enough". But of course, I cannot stay in my 4 star "albergue" as this will empty my bankaccount completely.
By the way, I went to the pilgrims office to get my compostella. Now I have 4 of them. My name in Latin Annam (I think it used to be Annem!?).
In a second I wil go get something really healthy to eat, as I am hungry and I loooong for something really good. (besides Pulpo Galego). So I only hope that the restaurant I have in mind have a table for me... as I do not have anyone to eat with tonight... there is no one here I know, they wil all arrive the next couple of days.
I will write more about the journey later. Right now I just wanted to check in and let you all know that I am here... I feel good and also tired.
Now to the restaurant.
A good laugh...
...is what I had today.
After a break in Melide where I had planned to get Pulpo Galego... but ended up having the BEST tortilla de patatas I have EVER had... just because the Pulperia was not yet open...
And then I was walking out of Melide.
Just as I walked out of Melide I got my laugh. And I laughed for a loooong time. I start to understand the concern some women have of walking alone. I was greeted by a man who had his trousers down at his ankels... he was holding his ...Biiiiiiip in his hand... and he asked me if I was interested in him helping me getting a Buen Camino...!! - But this man is harmless... I was told later by other pilgrims when a man passes he pretends to pee and when a woman passes she gets the same offer I got.
Today I succeded avoiding the crowds of "high-maintenance pilgrims" who walk the camino with only water and maybe a sweather... There are so many of them here on the last 100km's. Also you can tell who have been walking for a long time and who is only here to walk the last 100. I do not mean to be jugdemental... not at all... but the camino changes and some get really loud and it becomes an antfarm the last 100. Some pilgrims talk about a bedrace... I believe this is what is happening the last 100km.
Tomorrow I will walk the last 36-40 km into Santiago and then the day after tomorrow start my journey to the end of the world. I cannot believe that this journey is almost over. Only 4 more days of walking.
Tonight I am sleeping in a small pension as the albergue was "completo". this is the 2nd time on all my Caminos that I have met an albergue completo... at last time was in 2004 also here in Arzua. There were 4 private albergues just as you enter Arzua... but I didn't want to walk back... also my pension is only €20... with my own bathroom.
I have gotten my self a cold. I am sneezing and sneezing... and while I sit here and write the bartender have just brought me a few napkins so I can blow my nose. I guess it is due to the weather. walking with your backpack you get all sweaty and when you sit and eat or have a snack you are still wet and then you get cold... especially on these cold days.
This september is the coldest I have been walking so far. There are plenty of hot and sunny days where I have to remind my self added sunlotion all the time... and then there are the cold days... and they are really cold. 10-12ºC - I am no longer used to these cold days. I am now addicted to the Barcelona clima.
Well I am almost certain that there will be a new update tomorrow when I have arrived to Santiago... and had my shower. I have not yet decided if I am going to the pilgrims office to get my compostella... (I already have 3). The credential with all the beautiful stamps is much more important to me than the compostella. But we'll see and I'll let you know.
Hasta mañana
Getting closer...
...and closer.
First I must apoligize for all the spelling mistakes and missing words. I am eager to tell about my adventure and sometimes the fingers are just dancing to fast over the keyboard.
A few days ago when walking in the morning I had a weird experience. It is normal for me here on the Camino that songs pop into my head for what ever reason. It can be songs that has a meaning to me or songs I haven't heard for a very long time... but this morning (a few days ago) my head just could not find the song. There were no clear signal. Imagine you are trying to tune in an old FM radio to the right station and you hear a bit of different song and a lot of scratcing... that's how my head worked the other day. It got better as the sun rised higher up on the sky... and I was walking down the mountain... It was down down down the whole day... a little hard on the knees.
Yesterday I walked from Samos to Portomarin. We (Lise and I) had a Loooong break in Sarria. 2 hours... and may be a little more. I had to get my self a new cell phone as the old one died on me... (I still have the same number). - We got a little something to eat... and and a good time. Talked to many of the pilgrims that were going to stay there... said goodbye to a few who had to stop... (as they have no more vacation time). Also I got a marrige proposal... the bartender across from the albergue asked me to be his wife... unfortunately (for him) I had to turn him down... He said I was dreaming of a scandinavian wife to shut up his friends...
We had another loooong break in Ferriros where we had a huge meal... at 20:30 we arived in Portomarin and had already decided that we wanted to share a hotelroom as we needed no curfew tonight... but a shower... and a beer.
This morning I said goodbye to Lise. It was time for me to walk alone again... I really love walking alone. But for some reason today I was in such a hurry... I have been walking fast... without my usual breaks... and I found that I was trying to outrun the crowds... As many pilgrims only walk the last 100km many have started out in Sarria... and have now also gotten to Portomarin where they started out this morning like me. What I didn't like today was to find these high maintenance pilgrims... who only carry their water and maybe a sweather... and have the rest of their luggage transported by bus... A huge German crowd, a huge english crowd and a huge spanish crowd was walking today. And they are soooo loud.
I had an urge today of skipping these last 100km as the camino really change... and just start walking the stretch from Santiago to Finisterra. But somehow I escaped the crowd and was able to find the peace again. I worry about what will happen to me when I return to Barcelona as this is a non-sleeping and always noisy city... Will I "survive"?? anyhow... I am now enjoying my evening... feeling tired. probably from the long days yesterday... due the the VERY long breaks...
I always get amazed when I walk the camino... I always meet someone who really has what it takes... no weining. Today I saw a man and his son walking the Camino together. They are Spanish. The son was walking really slow next to his father who was walking slow as he has an artificial leg. They have started out in Pamplona... walking all this way on an artificial leg... and others are complaining about sore feet or blisters...
Today I am in Palas de Rei. Only approx. 65km from Santiago so I should be there on 2 days... if I stick to my "plan". It was raining a little today. I actually love walking in the rain. It is so refreshing, as long it is not raining really hard. - They say we will have more rain tomorrow. I say let it rain.
As for the bedbug report... I have still not been bitten. I check every morning my sore body for bites... and none... only a huge black insect got a taste of me... and that was no bedbug... it was to big... it had wings... and it feasted on my while I was having my lunch.
I will now go and have a cerveza. I have deserved it. give my feet a good massage... and talk to some of the new faces I have seen today. I am ahead of all "old" familiar faces... some have left... some have more time or are walking slower or shorter distances.
There are always so many things to tell... and I always forget half when I sit here with only a little Internet time... but of course there will be a new diary at the end... it will only take a little while for it to be translated into english.
I hope you enjoy life out there as much as I enjoy my life here.
Un abrazo a todos ;-)
I Feeeeeel Gooood...
...Nananana... I knew that I would, nananana.... I Feeeeeeeeeeel Good..... Nanananana.......
Walking in the morning-mist this morning from Samos where I slept in the beautiful old monastario... I love these mornings... well the afternoons too... I love being on the Camino... I love the simplicity... Yesterday another pilgrim said to me... "You shouldn't go to Samos because in the albergue there is only one big dormitory... and you slep 70-80 pilgrims together..." - My answer to that was great... I think I'll go to Samos" - I don't mind... 4 or 70 as long as I have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in.
Now we are having a small break in Sarria... I needed to buy a new cellphone as my broke yesterday... . there is no light in the screen... I cannot turn it on. - So now I spent 29 euro on a new temporary cellphone... I'm glad I didn't bring the expensive one on this journey.
I am only a few days away from Santiago... and after Santiago I will continue to the coast... The end of the world... I do not want this to end. I and addicted to this journey... waking up in the morning... putting on my boots, on with the backpack... and on my way. Every night a new pueblo and eery night a new bed. New faces and sometimes we have to say goodbye to old smiling faces.
I have just said goodbye to a few who had to end their journey... I am am ahead of others I've met along the way... but new faces will turn up... new stories. Every pilgrim have their story, and their reason to walk the camino.
I am still blisterfree... and still no bedbug-bites though I've seen the little bloodsuckers now a few times. I've even killed a few.
It's quite funny, as sometimes after having a break I feel really old as the muscles a getting cold and stiff...
This very moment I am only 112 from Santiago... and tonight I plan to be only 90 kilometres from Santiago (as I will sleep in Portomarin).
On the top of O'cebreio I had Pulpo Galego... which I love so much, and I had introduced this delicious meal to 3 Norgewians and Lise who is Danish but lives in Sweden... unfortunately I was not even hungry... I only ate a tiny bit... I will order them again along the way... as Pulpo Galego is really really good... May be I will make a pitstop in Melide where this is a huge speciality
Well, I must go on. I am hungry and the Camino is waiting. I still have approx. 20 kilometers to walk before I am in PortoMarin.
Hasta Luego and be good ;-)
Footmassage...
...was received this afternoo after my shower.
Victor an elder spanish man who had come to give pilgrims footmassage and cure their blisters (of which I have none)... It was really good. I looked into my swollen ankel... and I will just have to continue to tape it up in the morning when I walk up or down... - I do not feel it much... but I also try to keep it calm.
I am now in the mountains... or at least today I have spent the whole day walking down. My old basketball injury have come to live and my left knee was really teasing me... now it is fine.
This morning I left my stone at Crus de Ferro... and I left the one I carried for Tom as well... Continued on to Manjarin where I spoke to Tomas... (the "last" temple knight...
I am really enjoying this. I love the walks.. the views... and the sunrise this morning was absolutely amazing.
Now I am opff to bed... as there here on the albergues is a curfew... We have to be in bed at 22:00 or here in Ponferrada light will be off at 22:30.
The most amazing thing I have found on this Camino is that... most pilgrims stay in bed until 07:00 - only twice I have heard an alarm fo off at 4:45 and this couple I met 20km further ahead... waiting to be let in to the albergue at 16:00 (Stupidity if you ask me).
Anyway... I most go. Out with the contact lenses... I have to brush my teeth... (I have strong garlic breath right nowe from the amazing itialian pasta meal I had tonight...)
Every morning...
...get out of my sleepingbag around 7am... slowly get ready... I have a little breakfast... I put my only true companion on my bag (backpack)... and off we go.
I love the camino the most when I can avoid the crowds... especially when I walk an a dusty road and I see no one in front of me and no one behind me... I am alone... Alone with the crickets... the birds singing... the sound of my own footsteps... and my thougts what ever they may be. And the best thing is I get to do it again tomorrow... and the day after tomorrow... and...
I love it when I take a break meeting up with all the different nationalities... having a drink, something to eat and a talk about the day... are we staying or do we continue.
Today I have found my way to Foncebádon... and for the first time in all my Caminos I have changed albergue after I checked in. - Where I checked in were absolutely to my dislike. The albergue was placed in a cellar... no light... no air... I cannot sleep there... Usually all I ask for is a bed and a roof over my head... and I had that there... but even the coldness of the hospitalera made me go away. I would rather walk another 4 or 11 km to get a place to sleep than sleep there.
Cleo, the belgian girl have cought up with me again... though she today is staying in Rabanal del Camino. And here are many familiar faces...
I have now ripped my danish flag of my backpack. I am really tired of being recognized as a dane as there are REALLY many danes here at the moment... and most of them complaining... Enough!!.
Well... I will now go outside and have a well deserved beer. Tomorrow morning I will walk to 2 km up to Cruz de Ferro... and leave my stone and also the one I carry for Tom.
Hasta Luego ;-)
Is really in need of...
...A shaving her of legs... a VERY good moistrorizing cream... and a really good massage.
Also I can inform that today (due to sunny) weather is really cold. I am just wainting for my trousers to dry... so I can warm my legsa a little... otherwisae I will have to hide in my sleepingbag already.
Tomorrow I plan for 35 km. that is if my right ankle will work with me. Turns out it is quite swollen. I'm guessing this is why I had a pain today. Tomorrow I will wrap it up in some tape... walk a little slower... stretch the shine a little more... Put m,y stuff in someone else's bag... (hehe) like they did with me today... (or at least what it felt like today).... and hopefully I will recover from this injury soon. Who the f*ck want an injury while walking on the Camino?
I won...
...(Or did I?)
Yesterday I walked the almost 40 kilometres from El Burgo Ranero to León. Almost at the end I started very suddenly to get really really tired. No sneaking tiredness... No... it was BANG...!! Tired. - I promised myself that I deserved a taxi the last 8 kilometres... But of course I was not looking for one an no taxi passed by as far as I knew. - Entering León I was offered 3-4 rides to the albergue.... and of course I turned them all down. I have been walking this stretch before... and of course I could do it again.
Arriving at the Albergue (Monostario) the hospitalero greeted me welcome... asked me how come I could look so rested at arrive so late... (this was until he saw my credential)... as for the happy and rested remark... I hope he was joking... for I was (really) tired... and my legs was sore... (I hate this new way into León... - Why do pilgrims have to cross a busy road??)
By the way... due do visible bedbugs in the albergue in El Burgo Ranero... and due to spaying all the bunks with bugspray... and due to 5 of us pilgrims went to the pharmacy to by "protection" for those little bloodsuckers... All got bitten by these little....·$%&·"!! EXCEPT from me! - I believe they do not like my blood. I can with a smile on my face say... I am happy they do not like me!
This is by far the coldest september Camino I have walked so far. With heavy tired legs I had to go shopping in León. For another longsleve (I only carried one) - and a smalle light "windbreaker" (not really a windbreaker but it will work). - This morning leaving León at 07:30 we had 10ºC. The whole day in El Burgo Ranero... 12-13ºC. The first couple of days I was laughing off pilgrims who carried fleeces - "skiing"jackets... an so on... Now I wish I had it in my backpack... Hopefully the weather will warm up a little... (I do miss the Barcelona clima... Warm days and warm nights. Even in September.
I am also starting to believe this camino's water has something in it... The otherday I was guessed 14 years younger... by 3 plgrims... another guessed me to be 10 years younger... - and yet I was given a lower bunk at the monostary in León as these were saved for the elder... !! (may be they did see I was really tired??).
The Camino is these days overflooded with danes. And I must say I really dislike it. Yes I dislike it.) in les than a week I have met 34 danes... This is more than I have met of germans and frenchmen together... I my previous caminos I have met may be 3-4 danes but 34!! Also it seems they followme. - Here in Villadangos del Páramo there are already 8 checked in. (I am taking a slow/short day) my right leg is still tired from yesterday.
Besides from the cold days... the bedbugs... the many danes I am loving this. En El Burgo Ranero Severino from Italy was cooking me a really delicious pasta meal... - Today I met Luca again... young hansome guy from Italy... the 2 Spanish Antonio(s) I haven't seen for a few days... well... Life here is simple... and I love it. (did I tell you that Already??).
Yesterday I was sure I had forgotten something in my backpack... and this morning leaving León it felt like someone had added a few kilos to my backpack... (and no my shoppings in León I was wearing so they didn't weigh anything).
Now I will go and to some serious stretching... (some call it yoga) - as I am sure my body will appreciate it... also other pilgrims are waiting for the Internet.
Hasta Luego.
I swor...
...on my earlier caminos that I would never do what I did yesterday.
Between Carrion de los Condes and Calzadilla de la Cueza there is 17 kilometres with NOTHING. No pueblo, No Fuente (water) no Bar... though now someone has put a shed up with some tables/chairs and a sign saying bar after 10 km. (it was closed when I passed) - I have sworn on earlier Caminos that I would NEVER do these 17 kilometres at "the end of the day". Yesterday I did. I think 20 kilometres a day is not much... when you arrive at 12 or 13.00 what am I suppose to do with the rest of the day?? - So Cleo ( a very smart belgian girl with only 21 years) and I had a good lunch, a few stretches and and we continued the next 17,5... because the name of the town already says... "Carry-On" (Carrion) - We arrived at the albergue somewhat tired at 20pm in Calzadila de la Cueza - got our bed... went straight for dinner and a beer, then a shower... and then climbed up to our bunk. - It was a good day though it started out with pouring rain, thunder and lightning... after a few hours the sun was out and it got quite hot. But 38km was done yesterday. So no wonder we were tired.
I LOVE walking alone (which I did today...) I love the time I have to think and to be... and just to explore what ever may be... these times are VERY precious to me. Today I stay in Sahagún... a day of "only" 23km.
After leaving Castrojeritz, where I had the oportunity to be a hospitalera for a few hours... I passed Hospital San Nicolás where the "priest" was greeting passing pilgrims with nice hot coffee... he was great fun... had a very good hunor... and I must say... knowing spanish really does make a difference when walking the camino.
Today I passed by Rebekah and Patrick in Moratino had a cup of coffee, got a stamp and a lot of love from Murphy (the kitten who had decided to move in with them... ) and also from Tim and Una (their dogs...)...
So far I have been lucky with pilgrims... Most have stayed in their beds until 06:30 before tuning on lights... being noisy... and simply being ignorant. ...Well until today. It makes me a timy bity upset when I see pilgrims get up at 5:30... they turn on the light... start doing their backpacks... and talk loudly... - only to walk 15 kilometres to put the backpacks in a line of an albergue that opens at 16:00... - what is the point. - But not really my problem... I have never yet had an "full albergue" experince neither of my Caminos... I start my day at 07:30 and walk til my body tells me to stop... I have ALWAYS gotten a bed... ALWAYS...!!
I believe that tomorrow will be another long day... but let's see how things go...
And as for the bedbug alert... I personally can report... no bedbugs in Hornillos... Castrojeritz... Fromista... Calzadilla de la Cueza... or at least, I have not been bitten... People who have travelled the same distances as me... slept the same places seem to be fine too... no bites... However... the snores are almost worse... they steal your sleep.... allthough last night nothing could keep me awake.
I have so many things to tell, but yet my mind flies... and I cannot remember a thing... All I can inform right now... is that I really enjoy being out there with my backpack... - I love the feeling of the sore feet... tired legs at the end of the day.. and I get to repeat it day after day for a "Few" more days... Sometimes after a break... when the musles are getting cold... I feel all stiff... and 80 years old... however it helps me remind that I must stretch when I arrive at the end of the day.
Until next time... Hasta Luego.
I am in Castrojeritz...
...and it is a beautiful day.
I will keep my first 2-3 days... slow and short... as I can already feel the sore muscels.
I arived to Burgos after a 3 hour delay (Three hours) Thank you Renfe!! When I left Barcelona friday evening at 22pm it was still 26ºC outside... when I arrived in Burgos saturday morning at 10am... it was only 15ºC and saturday the temp never reached 20ºC. It was windy, cloudy... and looked like rain most off the day... but the rain never showed.
First night I stayed in Hornillos del Camino. And due to bedbugs alerts all over the Camino I can happily inform that the albergue Municipal.. had none... or at least they did not feast on me...
Tonigth I will stay at the alberque at the end of Castrojeritz... to get here I passed 5 other albergues (in Castrojeritz - among them on VERY new). Tomorrow morning I want to be waken up by the chanting of the monks... and Resti will make sure of that. - My reason to stay here... and also I LOVE his rules about no-one leaves before 7am.
...and speaking of no-one leave before... In the Albergue Municipal in Hornillos del Camino - pilgrims are free to leave when ever they like... as long as they leave before 8am... - To my big surprise and especially with my Camino experience... no-one got out of bed before 7... NO-ONE... no noisy pilgrim at 5am... flashing the flashlight... - No noisy pilgrim who has do re-do his whole backpack with all the lights turned on at 5:30... No no no... Everyone stayed in bed until aprox. 7am... and slowly got ready to head on to the Camino today... (I am still stunned).
Today was wonderful... especially this morning. Walking on the Camino alone. Everyting is quiet... all you can hear is the sound of your own footsteps... your breathing... and maybe a few birds... - walking in the morning mist... seeing the sun rise... the mist dissapear... I love being on the camino when I can see no-one in front of me and no-one behind me... I feel I have the camino all to my self... I am alone here... only accompanied by my thoughts...
I am now waiting for the albergue to open... and were looking for something to eat when I came across this internetbar...
I do not know when I update you the next time... time will show...
I feel good... no I feel perfect. I have a huge smile on my face... my fet are a little sore... and my muscles are also a little sore... I still need to do some proper stretching... For no I am fine on money... so no need to send money yet...
Hasta Luego....
...Take off...!!
...Well almost.
Only 5 hours and 40 minutes til the train leaves...
I now need to shower, get dressed for the Camino... clean a little, get some dinner, re-check my backpack though it's already been checked more than Santa Clauses list... and then again... he only checks his list twice... I'ce checked my backpack... more than a million times...
Yesterday or the day before that I happily wrote... 5784 grams... total weight of my backpack... but I forgot about the charger for my camera which I do NOT dare to leave home... I will miss it when the battery run empty... my cellphone charger... as I doubt I will run into people with a charger like mine... - also I am bringing my OLD cell phone... (it has an OLD battery...) and then a long sleve which I did not have in my backpack when I put it in the weight the first time... and suddenly I feel like there must be something there I do not need... Socks? Sleepingbag?... toothbrush....? Sunprotection....? Sandals... OK.... honestly... my sandals weigh 500 grams... they are the BEST sandals... and It feels like walking on velvet barerfoot having them on... I could swap them for flipflops which gives me blisters.... (NOT!!). - They are my priority.... I need my feet to be in the best of shape...
I am not carrying anything I haven't on my other caminos.... So I guess I will be just fine... ;-)
Tomorrow morning it all begins... - My blog here will be updated when ever it is posible and I feel like updating ya'all... ;-)
HASTA LUEGO BARCELONA... HELLO BURGOS, HONTANAS... LEON.... ASTORGA... PONFERRADA... SANTIAGO... FINISTERRE...
