The Lush Green Mountains and Hills of Galicia

The walking thru Galicia on the Camino has been splendid, delightful and lovely. A bit like England I´d say ! Yesterday I walked to Sarria the long way via Samos. The Camino between Samos and Sarria was especially nice. I saw no other walkers on that section. Most pilgrims stop at Samos to stay a night at an albergue located within the monestary there. I debated staying but it was early and the walking pleasantly splendid. Like I said, a bit like England ! By time I arrived in Sarria I took my time looking for a place. I visited 5 different albergues before deciding on one. Travel Guru Rick Steves says if you have the time and opportunity you should always look at 3 places before deciding on one. Anyway, I was happy with my choice and 7 Euros is within the budget. I then set out for a meal. I often try to find a menu de Perigrino for dinner. It´s usually a pretty good deal with some sort of pasta or salad, entre, desert and a bottle of wine. Water if you do´nt want wine. It usually runs between 8 & 10 Euros and I´ve always been satisfied except for one occasion. Anyway, I stumbled into a place and noticed a Brit I´ve seen here and there over the last few days. He was sitting alone so I joined him. He had just ordered so I got my order in quick and we each began drinking our bottles of wine. His name is Clive and he´s 52. He works only 12 weeks a year and spends 6 months of the year living in Goa, India. While in India he gets around on his Royal Enfield 350 motorbike. He warmed up quite abit when he found out that I know a little about the joys of a riding Royal Enfield in India. I´ve never riddin one but I know a little about the culture of owning one. They break down often and in India that´s part of the fun. We swapped stories as we finished off our bottles of wine and headed back to the albergue I was staying out for a glass of grappa. I then played guitar for a group of Pilgrims sitting by fireplace while I sipped my drink. It was nice evening... How did I feel in the morning ? Remarkably well actually ! Go figure. Bread and cheese all day. Pasta, greasy chicken and fries for dinner washed down with a bottle of wine and a shooter of grappa before bed. Fuel for the furnace I suppose. I burn alot of Calories walking the Camino and sometimes thats just what the body needs !.... This morning the hills and fields were full of fog and mist. Alot like England! I was feeling quite grand and thought about my final days of walking to Santiago. I´ve decided to slow the pace and just enjoy the Camino to the fullest...I figure I´ll reach Santiago on Friday. With less than a 100 km to go there are two kinds of walkers. Those racing to the finish and those who slow it down. I´m slowing it down. I made 3 lengthy leisurely stops today at three different bars. First stop cafe, Second stop tuna empanada, Third Stop Lentil soup, rice and beer. The villages were frequent today and I took advantage of what they had to offer. By noon the sky was all blue and full of sun. The 23 km walk to Portomarin was fine with me so I checked into an albergue for the night......On a another note I´d really like to thank everyone who has been following my blog and have posted comments. Unfortunately I´m not able to respond directly to all who have posted. I do not recieve a return email address for anonymous posts. You can email me direct at: worldtravelerandthinker@yahoo.com .. David Petersen ! Yeah man ! Send me your address.... Cheers !

Into The Mountains - Galicia - Camino de Santiago

I´m now in the Region of Spain known as Galicia. Lush green moutains and hills full of Celtic history. Villages here are more accurately described as hamlets and don´t be suprised if the local bar is playing dulcimer bagpipe music.....The weather has been superb and my enthusiam for mountain walking has me moving faster than I ought to be. I´ve been feeling really good but today I must admit I felt a little tired. Yesterday I walked all the way to La Faba. I took the high route out of Villafranca del Bierzo up along a moutain ridge and then down to a valley for some road walking. After numerous kilometers of walking thru small touristy villages I finally climbed out of the valley and up into the village of La Faba where I set up camp in a park next to an albergue for the night. I then got washed up and set out to find the local bar for a meal. That was when I caught up to the Swiss gang once again! They had checked into a smaller more esoteric albergue. The place is run by a charismatic healthy looking 50 ish year old German man named Marcel. The albergue, housed in an ancient building, is decorated with all sorts of eastern art, statues, etc., with mystical music playing in the background. Very interesting atmosphere. Marcel is a vegetarian and offers a veggie dinner. The Swiss were in so I joined them and a few other pilgrims. I must say it was the most healthy meal I´ve had in Spain. My staple diet has consisted mostly of bread, cheese, ham, apples and, for better or worse, high fiber cookies. There were 8 of us at dinner and everyone spoke German except for me so the language of the eveing was German. Fair enough. Marcel sells jewelry, has a garden, runs the albergue etc. etc. He gets help with the place by offering pilgrims room and board if they´d like to stay for awhile. Micah loved the place and has decided to stay. How long ? She does´nt know. I´m sure it will be an interesting experience and I wish her well...... The nice thing about camping is that I don´t have to be out of the albergue by 8 am which is generally the rule. Today I got a nice leisurely start at 9:45 and caught up to Mark and Simon around lunch time. We walked together until Triacastela where I decided to call it a day. They continud on a little further. The large open grassy area surrounded the municipal albergue in Triacastela is great for camping and that´s where I´m at for the night...........

Camino de Santiago - Mas Photos

Murias - Ponferrada - Villafranca & Amazing 11 Year Old

It´s Friday morning and I´m in a smokey coffee bar in the village of Villafranca del Bierzo. I started from Cacabelos earlier this morning and enjoyed a nice walk across hilly vineyards as workers were setting out to harvest grapes. It´s a cold morning today and my hands are just now warming up enough to type.... I never drink coffee but somehow I picked up the habit about a week ago. I like a cup of tea every now and then but men who drink tea in Spain are not considered real men. I consider myself a real man so I guess I´ll be a coffee drinker while in Spain. Not to mention, it enhances my hiking pace !... ..Where Have I been the last couple of days ? Well, I´ve been walking quite a bit. I definitely have my hiking legs back and aside of cold nights the weather has been fabulous. The last time I posted I was in Murias de Rechivaldo. The terrrain has really changed. For days on end I´d been walking across relatively flat and rolling agricultural lands but now it´s hills and mountains. From Murias I walked to Acebo and passed thru the mtn villages of Foncebadon and Manjarin which appear to be revived by alternative hippy types. Really interesting places. I then continued over Cruz de Feero where I tossed a rock that I´d been carrying for days. It landed atop apile of stones that have been tossed by pilgrims for god knows how long. The site is marked not only by the rock pile but by a tall pole with a crucifix atop of it. I think I´ve been frogiven of more sins for doing so. That night I camped in a courtyard behind an albergue for the night. Yesterday I set out from Acebo thinking of a short day to Ponferrada but just felt like walking so I continued to Cacabelos where I checked into a very nice albergue. Only 2 beds to a room and I had a room to myself. Not bad for 5 Euros. Also, I once again caught up to the Swiss gang of Mark, Micah, and Simon at the Cacabelos albergue. Micah greeted me with a big hug. Ah yes ! Another great reunion!.....Now for something more interesting. The place I camped at in Acebos is a private family run albergue, hotel, and restaurant. Naturally, I ate at the restaurant. I joined a mother and daughter from Australia for dinner. The mother is probably 40 something and her daughter is 11. They started in France on September 2. When asked why they were walking the Camino her daughter informed me that her father died last year and her mother said they were doing the Camino as a way to help them get on with life. The mother is an artist / circus performer and her daughter Zebbidi is quite impressive. Very athletic and sharp as a tack. Zebbi, as I´ll call her, is the driving force behind this mother daughter hiking team and a true purist. She is walking every step and the 40 km she hiked on the day I met them did´nt seem to phase her. The guide book they are carrying is very poor. Zebbi asked to barrow my book and maps after dinner because she wanted to plan another 40 km day. By her mothers expression Zebbi is clearly the one dragging mom along the Camino. Quite an amazing role reversal if you ask me. Yesterday I walked around 35 km. Zebbi and mom went further and did around 42 km. I seriously doubt I´ll see them again.... Another impressive walker is a man walker is a man I met just a couple of days ago. He´s an 80 year old Frenchman who started in France and is walking over 30 km a day. I just saw him again this morning. I was really interested in asking him what it was like when the Germans occupied France during WW2 but he only speaks French.... So many interesting people on the Camino.... Today I´ll continue for another 20 km or so. Its another beautiful day and the coffee has kicked in !... Wonder who I´ll meet today ?... Buen Camino !

Lucky Man

So, What goes on in the mind of the self proclaimed, ¨World Traveler and Thinker¨, while walking the Camino? Just about everything and nothing. Today as I walked, the Elton John Song, ¨Levon¨, rolled around my head for hours.... I Intend to share a bit of my thoughts but first I´ll fill you in on the last couple of days. Yesterday I left Leon and planned to stay in Mazriffe but found the walking to be quick and easy despite clouds and rain so I continued further. I walked with Ave most of the day. She had some good stories. My favorite was her story of the summer she ran off with the Circus as a dancer. Not sure what I´ve mentioned about her but she´s from Estonia and attends University in Liverpool England. She´s a language major and speaks Spanish better than most Spaniards. During the afternoon we were suprised to catch up again with the Swiss gang of Mark, Micah, and Simon.  In the evening we all arrived together in the village of Hospital de Orbigo. The Swiss gang went one way looking for a camp ground and Ave and I went straight to an albergue. It was cold and rainy. At the Albergue we caught up to Petra and another Czech by the name of Anna. Petra and Anna fixed an incredible meal that included salad and pasta. They were very impressed that I was impressed so Petra jokingly asked if I wanted to marry them. Wow! I´ve never been proposed to before!... This morning I set out alone and met up with the Swiss gang that unknowingly stayed at an albergue right across the street from where the rest of us were! Today I walked with the Swiss until Astorga. In Astorga I contemplated staying at a hotel for a change but decided to push a little further later in the afternoon. The rain had cleared and it was sunny. I had a feeling that the albergue in Murias de Rechivaldo might have good camping. Right I am. Tonight I´m camped in a grassy back yard with young fruit trees. Very nice an peaceful.... Everyone else pushed on to El Ganso.......Ok, I find it ironic that I entitled this post lucky man when I just found out that I´ve lost my camino journal with notes. I was behind by a couple of days so I must have left it in Leon. Oh Well. Good thing I´ve been blogging !..... Anyway, a common thought that has been on mind while walking is how lucky I am. For me being lucky and being blessed are one and the same. Like anyone I´ve had my share of up´s and down´s, in´s and out´s, triumphs and dissapointments. No matter how things may have seemed, either good or bad, I´ve been lucky all along.  I can think of many dissapointments and let downs that actually led to greater things.  Sometimes the best lessons are learned out of adversity.  For the most part I think I´ve made pretty good choices througout life but even the bad choices have made me a better person for the lessons I´ve learned.  I guess you can say I´ve been especially grateful while walking the Camino. Not to mention, I feel extremely lucky and/or very blessed....

Camino De Santiago - The Middle Miles - Photos

Camino de Santiago Photos ! Every Picture Tells A Story..

Mi Camino Amigos !

Front row: Javier, Ave, & Simon

Back row: Myself, Micah, Petra, and Mark

Reunion in Leon & God Is Leading - Man Is Thinking

The blarring Latin techno dance fusion music in this internet cafe makes it a little hard to write about the Camino and a spiritual theme but I´ll give it a shot. I´m currently in Leon. I arrived around 1 pm with Javier and Ave. Javier had to leave the Camino and is on his way back to his home in Madrid. Ave and I are checked into an albergue at a monesatrio run by Benedictine nuns. It´s located in a quiet location right in the middle of Leon. We also met up with Petra who we recconected with upon arriving in Mansilla yesterday...... The word on the Camino was that Mark, Micah, and Simon would be in Leon today. I assumed we would find them drinking cafe in a Plaza. Javier had sent them a text message and their response was,´´Meet us at the cafe in Plaza Mayor¨. We found them around 2 pm and a glorious reunion it was ! We were all really happy and gave each other hugs. Javier then, very generously, treated us all to beverages and tappas. It´s was a very nice afternoon amidst good friends but one that was sadly followed with parting once again. Petra, Ave and I are staying in Leon and the others have left town. Hasta Luego ! Not sure when I´ll see Javier, Mark, Simon and Micah next but on the Camino one thing is for sure, you never know...... Now, onto a spiritual theme and the Camino. As I´ve said before people walk the Camino for many reasons but I think it is hard not to be touched in some way by the spirituality of the Camino. After all the Camino is an ancient pilgrimage route to visit a place that is believed to hold the remains of one of Jesus 12 original apostles, St. James. Occasionally I´ll ask someone why they are walking the Camino and rarely do I hear that its for religious reasons. I have noticed some pilgrims attending various church services and I do know of 2 young Polish women that are very much moved by a religious interest in the Camino. Javier prayed with them in Latin one day and said it was very special and quite moving. Until I met Javier I had´nt really felt particularly spiritual lately other than recognizing the history of the Camino. Wether a person considers themself to be spiritual or not walkers learn alot from each other on the Camino. Let me relate a recent experience.... After my last post from Sahagun we walked on to Calzada de Coto. The albergue was kind of rough but adequate and the town was nothing special with little to offer. It smelled like sheep dung. About an hour after our arrival a shepherd marched his flock thru town so that answered that question. Anyway, a few other walkers showed up and and we all made the most of the situation. Actually, it was ok. Then a walker showed up that did´nt really look like a pilgrim. Then again, what´s a pilgrim supposed to look like? My honest first impression was to kind of brush him off as some vagrant traveler off the nearby highway. Lesson 1 - Don´t be so quick to judge. Where´s I could´nt be bothered Javier took interest. Everyone has a story. The mans name is Antonio and he shares the same last name as Javier. He is divorced with 3 sons and had worked steadily until the age of 54. He then had to care for his mother with Aulzheimers for 2 years until it became too much. He´s obviously depressed but was nontheless walking the Camino from his home to Orense to get a job harvesting grapes. He has very little if any money. He was´nt walking for fun or calling himself a pilgrim. He was honestly just trying to get to a place where he could get some work. He did not ask for anything and was´nt interested in sleeping in the albergue. He may be poor but he´s not about to give up the one thing he still has, dignity. Javier really connected with Antonio. He then went to the local store and bought some food for him and Antonio. Anotonio was very shy at first but slowly opened up with Javier. What I saw was true compassion in action. The kind that Jesus talked about. Javier decided he wanted to walk with Antonio the next day to just kind of encourage him. As I said before, the man is obviously depressed and Javier felt good helping him.... The next morning I awoke anxious and ready to walk. The day offered two different routes to Mansilla de las Mulas. One is a little shorter and passes thru villages. The other and little longer and more remote. The longer more remote appealed to me. I packed and got ready to leave. Consumed by my own desire to walk for myself. Javier was´nt sure exactly what he wanted to do. I was ready to go so I went. I walked out of town at 7 am and it was still totally dark. I´m very good at directions, maps etc. but I´ll be damned if I did´nt get lost !. I retraced my steps and went back to the albergue. By that time the sun was rising and Javier was still there. Javier had decided to give Antonio money for a train ticket and said he would like to walk with me but needed about a half hour. I reminded myself that theres god way and theres Todd´s way. I tend to get too caught up in Todd´s way, my way. We then headed out of town and easily found the way. A different character who had stayed at the albergue then joined us. Again this guy looked a little questionable. His name was Avillio. I pegged Avillio as being a harmless street wise kind of charcter who lives on very little and knows how to get a hand out. Javier accepted him differently. Avillio liked to talk and Javier was willing to listen. Avilio is 44 and walks with a big pack and a big dog named Breogan. Avillio came from a rough upbringing and spent time in a reform school. He became a heroin addict and after watching several of his friends die he had enough sense to kick the habit. He now walks for months on end and works here and there. He´s a little guy but a very strong walker. Javier invited him to join us for breakfast when we stopped in the village of Calzadilla de los Hermanillos. It was then that I realized Avilio is not a bad guy. He´s just adapted to different way of surviving. After breakfast Avilio walked with us a while longer then pushed on ahead, fading into the blue sky distance... Needless to say Anotonio and Avilio are not common on the Camino but by meeting them and walking with Javier I´ve learned some lessons that felt very spiritual to me..... Mark made a statement a few days ago, ¨God is leading, Man is thinking¨........... As I said before, walkers learn alot from each other on the Camino and to me there´s something spritual about it....

Sahagun.... Camino Life - Camino Community.....

The morning after the night walk I was the first to awake and when I left camp at 9 am everyone else was still sleeping. It was cloudy and kind of cold. I walked by myself and when I arrived in Poblacion de Campos, a few km´s past Fromista, I decided to call it a day.  It was around 1 pm.  The Albergue in Poblacion looked to be perfect for sorting myself out. I pitched my tent in a side yardand gathered my thoughts. I very much needed to spend the afternoon doing laundry and cleaning up so that´s what I did. Sometimes when traveling you just got to stop and sort yourself out.  Later in the day the rest of the gang caught up. Mark, Simon, Micha, and Petra were inclined to keep up a little faster pace. Xavier was´nt sure what he wanted to do. He decided to stay, then not to stay, and walked on with the team. Ten minutes later he returned with a few bottles of beer and decided I had a better idea. We drank beer and talked about the Camino.  Xavier lives in Madrid and is an MD who works with children 16 years and younger. He´s very nice, well spoken and good company.  His English is good which is great for me.  When communicating we go back and forth between Spanish and English but pretty much stick to English. One of the most frustrating things for me when I travel in a non English speaking country is that it really limits my ability to connect and get to know the local culture. It´s great to have met Xavier.... The next day (Yesterday) Xavier and I got a good start and stopped in Villasirga to check out ¨Santa Maria la Blanca¨, a church built by the Templers in the 13th century. Quite interesting and impressive.  Xavier, being Spanish and having an interest in history, was really good about explaining and pointing out things I would have definitely missed had I been on my own. Afterwards we continued on to Carrion De Los Condes where we checked out a Romanesque church before buying food for lunch.  On our way out of town we stopped along a Roman road and ate.  We then continued on for another 17 km across wide open agricultural land (mostly cut hay fields) and into the village of Caldadilla de la Cueza........  Last night I pitched my tent in the back yard of the albergue in Caldadilla and was accompained by some other pilgrim´s dog.  This morining Xavier and I set out with new company. Ave from Estonia and David from Venezuela. David has been traveling the Camino on a Mtn bike.  He´s found cycling to be kind of lonely and really wishes he was walking.  The Camino community is a great thing and he felt like he was missing out.  Ave´s walking in her running shoesbecause of sore feet so she offered her boots to David. The boots fit. David is now walking the Camino and pushing his bike.  He seems to be having more fun...... I´m not sure if I´ll run into Mark, Simon and Micha again because I´m slowing my pace a little.  Frank is somewhere nearso I´m sure we´ll meet again.  Yesterday I just reconnected some Australians I have´nt seen in a week. Xavier will be leaving the Camino on Sunday in Leon. Martin and Franice who I met in the beginning are probably less than a day behind. I think I´ll see them as I near Santiago.... The Camino Community is a great experience and its common to pass each other, back and forth, daily, every other day, or week...... I´ve been walking for over 2 weeks and those going the distance have settled in to a nice routine.  Everyone has had time to work thru the intial adjustments.  Some walkers may be friendlier than others but everyone I´ve met has been nice and reasonalby considerate as we all work towards the common goal of reaching Santiago de Compostela. The combination of history, scenery, and people make the Camino a VERY special thing. Everyday is full and rich with new sights and experiences.  It´s times like these when I really feel alive.  For me the Camino feels like home and I´m very comfortable here...Currently I´m in Shagun writing on a computer in a bar/cafe. The camino may not take you to every church in every village but it will take you every bar !.. It´s 4 pm and when I finish this post I´ll continue with Xavier to Calzada de Coto for the night. Tomarrow we will head across 30 km of wide open country.... Buen Camino !.

Moonlight Walk Over the Meseta...

Yesterday was a great day and I spent the afternoon and evening in Castrojeriz with no intention of finding a place to stay. Mark and Micah had the idea of walking under a full moon over the Meseta and camping along the way. The idea sounded appealing.  The plan was to have dinner and set out around 10:30 pm and that´s what we did.  Six of us planned to walk together. Mark, Micah, Simon, Petra, Xavier and myself.  There were a few clouds but we could still see quite well as we climbed out of Castrojeriz and up onto the the wide open emptiness offered by a Meseta. There was plenty of moolight to guide our way and we could see flashing lights atop wind generators in the far distance. I thought we would walk for an hour or so but we continued further over the the Meseta and down into an agricultural valley. We then passed thru a couple of villages and began to climb up another Meseta.  Around 2 am we opted to camp in a hay field.  I pitched my tent while the others constructed a bed of straw.  I was tired and went to sleep but every one else broke out food and wine as the full moon continued to fill the sky....

Beyond Burgos, Albergue Chaos, & A Night Under The Stars....

We all left out of Burgos yesterday afternoon with splendid weather.  It was so nice that the possibility of camping came up.  Mark, Micah, and Simon were definitely set with the idea of camping. Frank and I were undecided. About 10 km outside of Burgos we arrived in Rabe de las Calzados.  The idea of a good dinner in a nice Albergue appealed to me and Frank so we decided to check out the local Privado Albergue.  No sure if I´ve told you much about Frank but he´s an easy going Californian who owns his own window cleaning business.  We´re about the same age. Anyway, We decide to check into the Albergue.  The host seemed nice enough at first but quickly started giving us orders about where to put our pack, boots, etc.. As we checked in she quized us about where we were from and wanted to see our passports.  This woman was running a tight ship! We paid and were ready to bring our packs in, but, Wait ! ¨Don´t put them there !¨. As it turns out she was super paranoid about bed bugs. She claimed that 98% of the Albergues have bed bugs but I´ve heard it´s less than 10%. However, there has been an outbreak in the area that we´re passing thru and she was´nt going to have anything to do with it. Her place has no bed bugs and she intends to keep it that way !  She then wanted us to put our packs in a garbage bag and hang them on a hook at the end of the bed. None of our stuff was allowed to touch the bed except our sleeping bags.  We were only allowed to access the items within our pack while the garbage bag was covering it. Then there were some more rules or someting. A German pilgrim showed up during all of this and left calling the host crazy.  It was all getting kind of stressfull and a little complicated.  I really think the woman meant well but her deilivery needs work.  So far the Camino has been muy Tranquillo and this albergue was not Tranquillo.  I then decided It was´nt going to work for me.  I told Frank I was going to leave. His reply was, ¨I do´nt blame you but I´m going to play the game¨. I then went to tell her I wanted to leave.  Her English was´nt too good and my Spanish is lacking.  I told her I wanted to leave and make my place available for another Pilgrim. She asked why ?  I said, ¨I changed my mind¨. Her response was, ¨What ? There´s something wrong with your mind ? Whatever, It did´nt matter, I got my money back and rejoined Mark, Simon, and Micah and walked on....... We continued walking into the evening and a glorious evening it was. Our final destination was Hornillos for the night. Micah spotted a group of large hay bales right outside of town and decided it was a great place to camp.  I was a little uncertain of the choice of campsite and debated an alternative but stuck with the group.  After picking up some food at the local store we met up with another pilgrim by the name of Xavier from Madrid. He also wanted to camp and joined us.  Xavier was certain we would´nt have any problems. As it turned out it was a very nice evening and a great place to camp. As we ate dinner we watched the moon rise (see photo below)...... We´re currently in Castrojeriz after another splendid day of walking. It´s looks like its going to be another spectacular night so we´re all planning to camp again....

More Photos From The Camino !

Violoria - Villafranca - Burgos - Fiesta !

Well ,I have´nt been able to access the internet for couple of days. I´m currently in Burgos. Now to bring you up to date.... Viloria de la Rioja proved to be a special place. The Albergue is small, very nice, and run by a couple named Acacio and Orietta. Acacio is from Brazil and Orietta is from Italy. They met a few years ago on the Camino and now run the albergue. There were only 8 of us staying there for the night and Orietta fixed a large meal for eveyone. When we all sat down to eat Acacio had everyone share a little about themself and why each of us was walking the Camino. It created a special atmosphere and one of those moments that really made me feel at home on the Camino......After a good nights sleep we all set out for a short day to Villafrianca. The day was mostly cloudy, cold and windy. We all debated going a little further but opted to stay in Villafranca at the Municpal albergue which is´nt anything special. Two rooms with 20 beds in each room. Villafranca does´nt have much to offer but I was in good company. Mark, Micha, and Simon from Switzerland, Frank from California, and Julia from Germany. Very fun group. There´s not much to do in Villafranca but that evening there was a fiesta with a live band. It was in the same building as the Albergue so it only seemed natural to join the party. Again, really nothing special but all of the locals were having a good time. It was situated in a plaine white room with no decore. The band played old standards and some more traditional spanish tunes. All in the genere of big band, lounge, and waltz. There was no food or alcohol and everyone seemed really happy. It was kind of refreshing to see. I went to sleep around 10:30 with the music filling the walls of the Albergue and had little problem doing so. I was told that the party went on until around 12:30. I´m always amazed at how more relaxed and easy going I am when I travel. I seem to adapt to about anything alot easier. If a loud band were playing next door to me at home, it would drive me nuts and I´d never sleep. While traveling, its really not much of an issue at all....... We all awoke to beautiful weather the next day. Quite cold in the morning and cool all day. A group of us walked together for the afternoon. Mark, Micha, Simon, Frank, Petra from the Czech Republic and myself. We took our time and enjoyed some nice breaks to just hang out and enjoy the views. We did´nt intend to but by the days end we covered 36 km and wound up in the center of Burgos. We walked into Burgos around 7 pm not really knowing where to go or stay and assumed the albergue would be full. But hey, this is the Camino. Things just work out. As were walking around mildly disoriented a guy walked up to us and asked if we were looking for the albergue. We told him yes and he took us right to it. The albergue still had space! It´s an amazing place. Brand new and only costs 3 Euros! Right in the Heart of Burgos !.... We finished off our already perfect day by splurging a bit and going to a nice restaurant. A little pricey but the food and wine was amazing. Right now we´re spending the morning in Burgos checking out the sights and and will walk 10k this afternoon.

Viloria de la Rioja

Yesterday evening was a rainy one in Azofra and I awoke to clear skies but windy cold weather. Later in the day it clouded up but never rained. Tonight I´m in a very nice Albergue located in Viloria de la Rioja.... I´m still walking with Mark. I´ve also met up with a couple of other Swiss walkers in their 20´s who started in Switzerland as well. I consider myself a member of a Swiss trekking team for the time being. You can see the four of us drinking beers in the photo below..... On the way to Viloria I noticed a bar with free internet access. The computer was kind of dodgey but I was able to hastily post some photos. I´ll try to post more when I get a chance... Around mid day I stopped in Santo Domingo de Calzada and ventured into a supermercado to by some food. I picked up some items and checked out. On my way out I was stopped by a couple of employees. I could´nt understand them very well but they wanted to see the inside of my pack. As it turns out I was´nt supposed to wear my pack into the store. Believe it or not they have actually had problems with pilgrims stealing food ! Wow, talk about bad Karma ! Anyway, I opened my pack and showed them my stuff. They were quickly satisfied and thanked me. No Problema and I was on my way. Santo Domingo seemed like an ok place but it smelled like manure. Not sure why but it is surrounded by agricultural land.... Overall, todays walk was ok but it paralleled a nearby busy roadway a good portion of the distance. But hey, any day on the Camino is a good day compared to others.... Buen Camino !

Camino Photos !

Photos From The Camino !

Camino - Misc.

Now that I´ve been on the Camino for a week I can kind of fill you in on some misc. information. The camino itself is mostly all dirt paths or very quiet rural dirt roads that rarely see a vehicle. Naturally there´s paved road walking near the towns and small cities. Most of the paths are fairly wide but there´s also some narrower more traditional trails mixed in. Some sections are rocky but most of the time its relatively smooth. It´s just rugged enough where hiking boots are a better choice over lighter footwear. However, I´ve seen people hike in running shoes and teva sandals. Usually when people are walking in lighter footwear its because they´re having foot or boot problems.......Except for the first day out of St jean the terrain has been rolling hills with gentle ups and downs.... The age range of those who walk the Camino varies but favors an older crowd of 50+. I´m quite impressed with the older folks doing the Camino. I met one man a few days ago who´s 77 and is covering over 30k a day ! Most people seem to be averaging around 20k a day. Some walk for just a few days while others walk for weeks. While some walkers seem reasonably seasoned and fit there are plenty who have never done a long distance walk. At times I´ll see lots of walkers and other times I´ll hardly see any. Walkers seem to congregate in some villages more than others. Since everyone leaves early it can seem a little busy at first but things spread out by mid to late morning.... It´s an interesting crowd on the Camino and it´s really starting to feel like a community. I´m quite happy on the Camino. So far my Camino experience is meeting or exceeding expectations....

Viana - Ventosa - Azofra - Tour De Espana !

Tonight I´m in the peaceful simple of village of Azofra. For the last two days I´ve been walking thru wine country with lovely weather and mildly warm temperatures. The night in Viana turned out to really pleasant. Although I had to sleep on the floor the hosts were exceptional. I´d reccomend staying at the refugio donativo over the larger albergue in Viana. They fixed a large dinner for all of us and took good care of everyone. I felt very welomed there. Very nice experience.... It rained during the night while in Viana but I awoke to cool temps and clear skies. My next destination was Ventosa. Along the way I passed thru the small busy city of Longrona and was happy to be passing thru. I prefer the smaller quiet and quanit villages. For part of the day I walked with Mark. Mark is the Swiss man I mentioned in my last post. He walked right out his door in Zurich, all the way across France and his headed to Santiago. He´s a web designer for Greenpeace with 3 months off. A very nice person and good company. The final few miles into Ventosa we walked together. Just as we were about to cross the road into town there was alot of commotion. Traffic cops on motorcycles and all of the locals coming out of their homes. As it turned out, the famous bike race, Tour de Espana, was just getting ready to pass by. I´m a fan of bike racing so I was Psyched ! What timiing ! Mark and I waited for about 15 minutes. First the lead riders then the peleton. Really great to see and quite a sight with all of the media and support vehicles. After the race we went to the local Albergue. The Albergue was full even though we had hardly seen anyone on the Camino all day. We were directed to the local church where we were allowed to camp in a side yard. Before the trip I debated taking my tent but now I´m glad I have it. It definitely gives me more flexibility. If your able to camp, you can always find a place. As it turns out six of us camped that night. Every village has an ancient church and alot of them have a park, side yard or something of the sort....... Today was a much needed short day of walking. I´m staying at the municipal albergue in Azofra. It´s very nice and 6 euros ($8 usd) for bed in a room with only 2 beds. Bargain ! I walked into Azofra with Mark so we´re sharing the space......

Viana - Smokey Bar & Procal Harem

Currently I´m blogging at a smokey bar in a medieval village with Procal Harem´s ¨Whiter Shade of Pale¨ playing over the speakers. Interesting contrast.....Today was another great day on the Camino de Santiago. I walked 18 miles across rolling hills covered with vineyards. Wide open and very pleasant. I´m staying in the village of Viana for the night. All day I saw very few pilgrims but I seem to have caught up to a large number of them in Viana. Everything is packed. Tonight I´m settling for floor space in a small albergue. I would have probably sought out a campsite but it´s a rainy evening so I´m happy to be where I´m at. The ablergue, although small, is quite nice. The hosts are very friendly. This particular albergue is run on a donations only basis. They even provided dinner and breakfast. Very nice........ I met a Swiss man today whose not much older than myself. He started walking the Camino from Zurich and has been walking for over 6 weeks. There are several routes to Santiago de Compostela and he decided to start it from his home.... I´ll try to post some photos from my walk whenever I find a computer with usb access. The only computer access I´ve been able to find is a coin operated variety. Kind of like a video game. 1 Euro (1.50 usd) for 20 minutes.... Hasta Lugeo !

Villamayor de Monjardin - Big Bad Wolf ?

Today is a day I will dedicate to the Big Bad Wolf ? Why ? Because he would have one heck of time blowing anything down in Spain. Most of the buildings are old if not ancient. Built with large stone blocks. The doors are made of wood that´s at least 2 to 3 inches thick and attached with stong metal trim.  It seems like if a building is 200 or 300 years old, it´s not very old..... Tonight I am in Villamayor de Monjardin and am camped behind a church across from an albergue. It´s a very nice spot but a little windy. The church itself is hundreds of years old and is a conglomeration of Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque architecture.... I was going to stay in Estella but prefer the smaller villages so I walked a little further today. Mas Tranquillo..... I met an older gentleman from Norway this evening. He´s quite old and his hearing is poor but he speaks decent english. He stayed in Puenta La Reina last night and meant to stop in Estella.  Somehow he walked right thru Estella without knowing it ! Estella is a relatively large bustling town. Not sure how he missed it. He even walked right pass the Albergue there. Anyway, He arrived ok and got checked into the Villamayor albergue after a healthy 20 mile walk. I think St. James is looking out for him. I sure he will be fine.....

Puenta La Reina - John Wayne ?

Another lovely day on the Camino and one I will dedicate to John Wayne. Why ? No particular reason except that he use to say, "Hey there Pilgrim !". It´s funny the stuff that goes around your head when you walk for hours on end. It´s all good.... Today I got a leisurely start out of Pamplona at 8am. I was about the last to leave the Albergue. Very nice weather today.  Plenty of sun and not too hot. Enroute to my next destination I decided  to actually read my guide book for a change and it´s a good thing I did. For an extra 2.5 km side trip I could visit a 12 century church. No brainer, of course ! This is the stuff I love about Europe. It just so old compared to the states. The church is called Eunate and I´d say it´s a must see for anyone walking the Camino.  The 12th century is apparently the time when the Camino saw the most Pilgrims. The Church is built in the style of Medieval Romanesque Architcture and is well preserved with some restoration. Built of stone and mortor with window paines made of some kind of thin sliced white transparent stone. Very nice. When you sit inside and think about where you are it´s a pretty cool feeling.  Before I left I walked around the church in a circular fashion 3 times because a lady told me it was the thing to do. I think I may be better for it. No, Really !..... Upon my arrival in Puenta La Reina, my destination for the night, I had a choice of 3 Albergues.  I figured everyone would stop at the first two so I continued about a 1/2 mile to the third option. Again, Another good choice today. It´s right outside of town and has a very nice swimming pool ! Rare for a hostel or Albergue.  As expected not many people. Another plus is that it offers a wonderful grassy area to camp. Since the weather is so nice I decided to ptich my tent for the night.... Well, Right now I think I´m going to finish my beer and go for a swim. I think pilgrims have it a little easier these days than they did in the 12th century !

Pamplona - Camino Life

Estoy bien en Pamplona !  I´m currently in Pamplona writing this entry as I sit in a ancient building that´s been converted into an Albergue for pilgrims.  It´s a nice place near the center of the city.  5 Euros gets you a shower and a decent bed along with plenty of company.  Tonight I´ll be bunking next to a couple of Japanese and several people from France.  It´s a very international crowd on the the Camino.  Today my walking partners were Martin from the Czech Republic and Francie from Montreal, Quebec.  Right now there are quite a few people on the Camino.  Some just for a few days while others for a few weeks. Most everyone who walks the Camino de Santiago treks between the months of April and October with July and August being the busiest.  So far I have´nt seen any large groups and don´t xpect to with the summer season being over.  There are a number of small groups with 2 to 4 and plenty of solo pilgrims like myself. So Far everyone I´ve meet has been quite nice......Pamplona is a beautiful medieval fortress city and a place I´ve always heard about so its really nice to be here. It´s a town made famous by the Running of the Bulls and the likes of Hemingway...... I Finally feel like I´m starting to shake the jet lag and adjust to the local time frame. I´m also finding my stride and routine for this trip. Just like most things it takes a little time to adjust. I feel good. Aside of the usual muscle aches that are to be expected at the start of a long hike, I can´t complain...... An average day begins with waking around 6:30 am and walking by 7:30 am. Alot of pilgrims start earlier. I prefer to get a more leisurely start and move at a comfortable pace. For me this trip is more about the Journey, not the destination. During the day I´ll take photos and stop at sights along the way.  After covering around 15 miles I finish in a village or the likes of one. I then get situated for the night, check out the local sights and nod off to bed around 9 pm.  This will be my day to day life for the next month. Everyday I meet new people and see new places. Ah Yes,,,, It´s a good life....

Bonjour ! Hola!

Well, I finally found internet access but have little time to use it.... Here´s a brief synopsis.. Arrived in St. Jean de Port, France via buses, plane and trains. Stayed for one night. Got up and enjoyed a long walk up and over the Pyranese and into Spain. Stayed in Roncessavalle for a night. This morning I walked to Zubiri. Tomarrow I´ll be in Pampolona. Lots of people from all over the world. Had dinner with 4 people last night. A Brazillian, Italian, Spanish, and a lady from Senegal. They all spoke Spanish and little English. My spanish is lacking. I found it best to just drink wine, smile, nod the head and interject a word like ¨Bueno¨ occasionally. I´ll write more soon... Chao for now...

Jet Lagged In London

I arrived at London's Heathrow airport at 6:30 am yesterday morning. The flight was a breeze. On my way over I sat next to a couple of 21 year old Irish Lads who had spent the summer working in San Diego, California. They had enthusiastically embraced the the California surf culture and had it not been for their thick Irish accents I would have thought they were surfer dudes. As it turns out, they do surf ! However, they informed me that the only surfing in Dublin is from ferry wakes. While surfers elsewhere follow wind, storms and tides. The surfers in Dublin follow ferry schedules.

After fetching my pack and dealing with a particularly inquisitive customs officer, I hopped on the tube (subway) at Heathrow and got off at Picadilly Circus. From there I made way to my friends workplace and dropped off my pack for the day. Since this is my first time in London there's alot to see and the best way to fight off a case of Jet Lag is exercise and a couple of cups of tea. London is an excellent city for walking and walk I did ! My all day walk included Tower Bridge, St. Pauls Cathedral, Royal Courts of Justice, Buckingham Palace, Parliament, Big Ben, The Thames etc. etc.... London is very expensive so I passed on the $20 - $25 entrance fee required to get into many of the sites. There's plenty to see just walking around outside.

I'm staying with friends, Susan and Holger, who are from Germany but live in London. I met them last winter during a 3 1/2 day ferry ride thru the Patagonia channels of Chile. Holger fixed an excellent dinner last night which we washed down with good German beer. I went to sleep around 11 pm. Needless to say, I had no trouble sleeping................