Day 22 June 10 villa Franca to Burgos!

21 miles 39,749 steps

We made it!!!  We're in Burgos completing the Camino!  170 miles this year.  We just kept walking and walking.  

Tomorrow we take the train to Sarria and from there, hopefully life will allow us to walk the last 100 kilometers into Santiago before we depart for home.  

We discovered today that people over 60 ride the rails in Spain for 40 percent discount.  

Too exhausted to write much about the day except that CC kept the energy up at the end by singing marching songs in his style. He would NOT give me the camera!! 

Monument to the Spanish Civil War

A different type of Albuergue 

Las mochilas en Burgos! 

Day 21 June 9 Belorado to Villafrance

7.68 miles 17,785 steps

Hot, windy

Today oh today!!

We slept in. Then we dumped our packs out on each bed andscrutinized their   contents for all unnecessary and heretofore unused items. Seems no matter how mindfully we pack, a moment arises where we feel we are carrying useless weight.  Admittedly, it is seemingly much easier to rid our packs of this weight than our bodies but we're working on that as well. 

The results?

Almost exactly the same for each of us: 5 pounds sent away to our hotel in Madrid to be collected at the end of this journey. 

The bag to go. 

Kilos

Adios!! 

How delightful to lose 5 pounds. My feet are happy and when my feet are happy...

We reflected that this paring down affected us more than physically- a lighter spirit prevails. 

Along the Camino, fountains abound and most of them have drinkable water, especially for peregrinos to refill water containers. Here we encounter Craig dunking his necktie to be worn close to the skin to cool body temperature. They really work.  A great invention that pilgrims of old did not possess.  

Today we stay in an Albuergue but in a private room with all the comforts of a converted 12th century pilgrims hospital.  

Above is a photo of the multi-jetted shower with a molded seat- perfect for sitting and washing clothes while recovering from the rigors of the day.

Not exactly a river or a washboard but stomping them clean seems quite effective.  

The view from our window

On this second Camino we've made several new discoveries. One of them involves a new and more efficient way to stop to pee along the Way. In the past, in order to save my knees, I would have to take off my backpack.  Now, Craig simply holds it up and takes the weight off and I'm good to go.  

It's the little things. 

20 miles to Burgos- and we will have completed the entire Camino from St. Jean Pied de Port to the ocean- Finesterre. But let's not count our chickens. 

Craig talking to someone from South Dakota.  He grew up in Woonsocket, about 15 miles away from Wessington Springs and his mother lives in Wessington Springs. Go Spartans! 

Dinner tonight with Katie (again). Her friend Jill walked separately and took a longer day. The other couple are reporters for Minnesota Public Radio and the gentleman in the foreground is from Germany and has already walked 1000 kilometers starting at home and following the Le Puy route in France.  A lively mix of people and conversation, enhanced by bottles of wine. All for $12 euros each. 

Will we see each other again? Who can know? 

Day 20 June 8 santo Domingo to Belorado

15 miles

We left at 6:45 today, BC time, one of the first peregrinos out of the blocks.  Coffee didn't happen until we were 5 miles down the road.  Addicted? No doubt. Instant relief from all aches and pains. No kidding.  

Another gorgeous day as we left Rioja and entered Castilla y Leon.  

We we're both running on fumes for the last 5 miles but .... here we are at 3Pm to begin the evening routine. Showers, rest, and about 6, head out to eat and see some of the town.  

In for the night now and CC is remarkably watching a Mariner's game via Slingbox. 

Had a delightful dinner at the Albuergue.with two young women, one a mathematics student going to study in Moscow in the Fall and another going to work for General Mills in  Minneapolis. 

Too tired to write more but they sustain my hope that each generation just gets better and smarter and wiser... And funny too. 

Leaving the hospederia. 

Early morning light. 

I'm planting more poppies. Fields and fields here. 

 Adios Rioja. 

Evening light. Stork nest on the top. 

Day 19 June 7 Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

13.68 miles 32,114 steps. 90 degrees

It was a walk to be remembered today . Happy peregrinos all around! Gorgeous fields of wheat, wine, and chard.  

We are happily ensconced in la hospitaleria Cisterciense in an immaculate room in a remodeled totally modern monastery . Greeted by nuns, food prepared by nuns with a special candy unique to this place. 

Lunch occurred at a golf club restaurant in Ciruelena and proved to have some of the best tapas around. 

Our bodies are strong and stronger.  I no longer have knee or hip issues and I can relax and sleep without my arsenal of therapies. How does walking do this? 

Side by side.... Catch the tune? 

The grapes

Kilometers that is

The famous red earth of Rioja

3 peregrinos- one from Germany , one went to Evergreen, and David is moving to Redmond from Portland.  We'll see then in town later! 

Lunch at the golf course

Craig does it again! 

Santo Domingo de la Calzada has a strong Camino history but I'm not going to write it here. 

After dinner, we went to mass at the cathedral.  How we're all these huge ornate churches built? Every civilization , every religion: built on the backs of some poor souls.  And what is returned ? 

We watched the priest take the last gulf of wine out of the communion chalice!!

A lovely concert ensued after mass. Churches have the best acoustics. 

Early to rise tomorrow. And sans coffee too.  No Internet working here. Will post tomorrow. 

Concert in the church- have recording in iTalk.

Day18 June 6 Navarrete to Najera

11 miles 25,472 steps

No birds getting these cherries! 

Grapes. This doesn't really do this area justice. Red earth. La Rioja.

No taxi for us!

90 kilometers to Burgos! 

Laundry service!

It's been a good day!

Off to find some food, cash machine and explore a Najara.   

We are so sad about the shootings in Seattle. Simultaneously this morning I heard about it from a friend via email and our host told us about it via the Spanish news.  Of course we had the conversation about the insanity of allowing firearms; Spain does not.  

We walk. 

The monastery and cathedral here. 

This encryption tells the story of a woman who died in childbirth.  

Day 17 Logrono to Navarrete

8 miles. 19,707 steps

Next town, next nap, next wine, next meal. I'm up to the wine.  How do I describe this moment? 

An article I just read:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/travel/thin-places-where-we-are-jolted-out-of-old-ways-of-seeing-the-world.html

It's 4:30. Craig found a Gillian Flynn book in the room so he's locked in there determined to finish it because there's no way he'll carry it. The weather is perfect. The place we are staying came highly recommended on Trip Advisor and do far they are always spot on. For45 euros we have a lovely room, and access to a large sitting room and then this tile patio with umbrellas , plants, tables , chairs, lounges.  Tonight the proprietor will prepare for us a 3 course home made meal with wine of course for 12 euros each. 

The walk was short today so we don't have the usual busted up need to recover feeling.  

We haven't seen the usual flock of peregrinos here because this is an on between stop, most people choosing to walk the next 10 miles to Nagera all in one swoop. We're taking two days. 

Everything is about wine in this region. The owner just told me that the wine he served is from a small winery that he and some friends own. It's not sold in stores but rather to select customers because they don't produce large quantities. Works for me.  

Not much else to say from this happy peregrina. Yesterday was a rough moment in our journey personally, physically, and in relation to each other. We have the gift of time right now.  We move through. And find the grace as it presents itself.  It's a remarkable journey. 

The Church here is huge and ornate with three knaves, all gold. Our host told us that this was a very wealthy town in medieval times. The nobles lived up high and ventured to and fro via tunnels. The Poor people tithed to the max to support the church.   Same story over and over, yes? 

In Logrono, the breakfast we didn't consume!  The hotel is proudly run by women only!! The director is a woman as well they proudly told me! 

A modern Camino mural along the way

To Burgos we go!

The ruins of an ancient pgrim's hospital and the fancy winery in the background. 

Mi peregrino favorito

Looking down on Navarrete from the high point where the castle once stood . We hiked up while our packs stayed in the room!! 

We just had a conversation with a Belgian man and a Dutch man who walked FROM THEIR HOMES, separately for 76 days so far.  They have met up here and there but each walks his own pace. "If everyone walked the Camino we would have no more wars." 

Across from us in the square a group of young people sit: from Germany, Portigal, Italy, US. Laughing and becoming fast friends. 

I guess the night's not quite over!

 

Day 16 June 4 Logrono

We have a rest day today. We strolled through the park in the afternoon, took naps, came out around 5:30 and stopped for a couple beverages and tapas and now it's almost 8PM and we're waiting to have a small dinner when the dinner hour begins. 

Craig and I both started listening to a book that was recommended to us by Sherwin.  It's not an easy listen but both provocative and evocative. We listen and then talk; we have an abundance of time for that.  The book is by J. Hollis Through the Dark Woods. A search for meaning in the second half of life. 

Now don't think we've gone all serious.  Not hardly.  We continue to poke fun and this just provides more material!! 

I'm aware when we are off the Camino of how many choices we are confronted with moment to moment . What to eat, where to eat, what to buy.... 

I feel that my phrase defining last year's Camino still holds true: humble empowerment. 

Finally! Camino by horseback! 

 El Mercado

 Hotel and the fountain + Craig