Day 20: In Santiago

The Botafumeiro

Santiago is teeming with pilgrims - they are everywhere. You know them because you've seen them on the road, by their heavy bags, and by their limping or tired way of walking. We keep meeting people who walked with us - yesterday evening we met Mark and Susannah from Poland, they are now walking on another 90km to Finistere - today we have met with so many others that we became acquainted with.

First thing this morning we went to the Pilgrim's Office to join a short queue. Each place we had stopped on our Camino had stamped our pilgrim's passport. The office now examined those passports and issued us with a Compostela, or certificate. We bumped into 'the man who collects women' and his entourage so it was high fives all round.

The good natured queue at the Pilgrim's Office

Then we spent some time walking around the old and new cities. After this, we attended the pilgrim's mass in the cathedral - we got there 15 minutes early but we still couldn't get a seat. When mass finished, the dramatic event of the swinging of the giant incense burner, the Botafumeiro took place - see our photos plus look it up on YouTube. This evening we will go out for dinner and hope to meet some more of our fellow walkers. Tomorrow, we fly home.

Crowds leaving the cathedral

So, what was the Camino about for us? It was about people, some we had names for and others we didn't: Pat and John (aka the Beach Boys), Gerry, Shane, Mike, the Beautiful People, the Ice Queen, Charlie, May, the Woman Collector, Miguel Angel Jiminez, Dave, Catherine, the Judge, Mark, Susannah, the Girls From Ponferrada.............

We walked over two years and noticed some differences in the origins of those people. There were much less orientals this year than last, especially Koreans who seemed to be everywhere then. There were also far fewer Canadians. The countries that dominated, in our view, were Spain (of course), Germany, Italy, France and the USA. Statistics show that between 2004 and 2012, Ireland moved from 17th biggest participant to 7th - but we saw few Irish and most of these were after Sarria.

We have no great tips to impart - maybe a few suggestions to any reader who might be thinking of making the trip. Use the albergues to get to know your fellow walkers a little better, or at least use them interchangeably with small hotels. Often the private albergues, for a few Euro more, are better than the municipal ones (though this is not always the case). We would encourage anybody to do the final 100+km stretch from Sarria to Santiago, but if you can, cover all or part of the earlier stretches - places like Los Arcos, Santo Domingo, Najera, Pamplona, Burgos, Hontanas, Leon, Astorga, Villafranca ........ And finally, make sure you have the correct footwear.

So, we'll finish before we bore you. Hope you enjoyed our few notes,

Burn Camino!!!

Botafumeiro again

Exclusive Late Photo

We meet a few friends on Friday evening

Day 19: Arzua to (wait for it!!!) Santiago de Compostela 39km

We've arrived

Yes, we have arrived. Our plan was to walk 34km and position ourselves 5km outside the city. We were on the road for 6.30am, had two half hour breaks, and got to the 34km point by 3.30pm. We could see the city below us and a lot of it was downhill, so we went for it and got to the center by 4.30pm. At 39km, it was our longest walk ever on the Camino. We think 39km is about 25miles/marathon distance - how bad!!

We are staying at the edge of the old city. We need to explore it properly, but first impressions are that it is a stunning place. Lots of narrow streets, a beautiful plaza around every corner, and a beautiful cathedral. More on it tomorrow. Most of all, we are delighted to be here - 800km is a lot of walking!!

You'll have seen in yesterday's notes that we were unimpressed with Arzua. Well, the town did redeem itself a little. Mary located TripAdvisor's second best restaurant as being near to us, so we, and a few American friends ventured there. It was off the beaten track, there was no written menu, the staff spoke no English, and we entered the restaurant through its kitchen. We'll spare you the details of the food, but it was lovely, and it was so inexpensive. We've included some photos.

Casa Chelo kitchen

 Gerry, Shane, May and Charlie,  Mary and Kieran

Day 18: Palas De Rei to Arzua 29km

Early this morning above Palas De Rei

We have been very lucky with the weather. In the five weeks over two years that we have walked the Camino, it has essentially been hot and sunny. We had one one hour period last year when we had to don the waterproofs, and one 15 minute heavy shower two weeks ago when we happened to be in a bar/cafe having breakfast. We thought our luck had run out this morning when there was a drizzle as we left our albergue. We risked starting without our waterproofs (they make you so hot and sticky) and were rewarded with it drying up fairly quickly.

Arzua is another forgettable place. We're writing this at 4.30 ish and these places brighten up when siesta finishes at 5pm - but this place looks to be beyond redemption. There are a lot of iffy towns on this stretch compared to some of the wonderful places we have passed through.

We walked almost 30km today - a good chunk of it with Charlie and May, from Virginia, who we have met on and off for the past week. Chatting with them helped the kilometers fly by. We are only two days away from Santiago de Compostela and it is 39km from here. So, to extend our time in the city, we are going to walk 34km tomorrow (Thursday), leaving us a short walk into the city and a full day there on Friday - we fly home on Saturday evening.

'Horse Outside', Palas De Rei yesterday.

About two weeks ago, we shared a dorm with a Spanish man and his three female companions (relations perhaps) all of our vintage. They had lots of bedclothes/extras that couldn't be carried in a back pack, and sure enough he was taking all their stuff in a van to the next albergue. But we find that he drives ahead each day and stops about three times to walk back to meet them. We know each other so well from these encounters (despite our appalling Spanish) that it is high fives each time we meet. We have no name for him but refer to him as 'the man who collects women'.

Anyway, can't believe we are so close. If all goes well, we will be looking down on Santiago De Compostela tomorrow evening. Bring it on!!!

The church of San Tirso, Palas De Rei

Day 17: Portomarin to Palas De Rei 25km

Our walk today was shortish but up and down a series of valleys made it a little challenging. However, we were in Palas De Rei by 1 ish, with again, no new blisters. Palas De Rei is fairly forgettable - its name makes it sound better than it is. After an initial hiccup we found a very nice, small, spotlessly clean, albergue. That's the good news - the bad news is that most of the other occupants of our 8 bed dorm are French, and they are hard going. It is not particular to this group (who we tried to engage with, unsuccessfuly) but, with a couple of notable exceptions, the French on the Camino are an aloof lot. This is coming from a pair of Francophiles who have holidayed in France for 20 years.

The Camino or Oxford St.?

While we're being a bit negative, we'll continue in the same vein. Others had told us yesterday evening that the Camino had been busy yesterday. Today, we saw it for ourselves because we were on the road a little later. Lots of people join the Camino at Sarria and walk the last 100km - we have no problem with this as it is what people want to do. But the effect is quite dramatic. On the Camino from St Jean to Sarria, you can occasionally get a cluster of people (say 6 or 8) at one point due to circumstances, but people are generally in ones or twos and spaced from each other by, maybe, 200 metres. Post Sarria is very different in that there is a constant trail of people - you no longer feel you are out on an isolated country walk, but more on a busy city street. At one spot today, we counted 23 people in the 100 metres ahead of us. Perhaps we exaggerate too much, but it is a different Camino. Another strange thing we noticed today was that for the last 10km out from Palas, there was a constant flow of taxis along by the walkers. Don't know why - are walkers taking a 'short cut', hope not!

Hydrangeas (and local taxi numbers) near Palas

One thing we have noticed as we walked through the hamlets for the past few days, were the dogs. Perhaps 90% of them are Alsatians, and very few of them are tied up. Loose Alsatians would not normally be our idea of fun. However, these dogs are extremely docile. What's more, the farmers use them extensively for driving the cattle in for milking - they are the equivalent of a sheep dog - we have seen this. Perhaps their other name, German Shepard, is more appropriate here. We have also noticed funny little buildings in farmyards (see photo below) - they are Grain Stores or Horreos. They are used to protectively store and ripen grain, usually corn.

Horreros in a farmyard

Anyway, we are really close now. Three more days walking and we are at Santiago De Compostela. Now to try to cheer up the French!!

Day 16: Barbadelo to Portomarin 18km

The little chapel in the albergue hamlet where Mary went to mass

Yesterday evening, we had a nice home cooked meal in the albergue, including a stunning lentil soup (can't believe I wrote that - lentil soup was the preserve of the tall beatnik in 'The Young Ones', if you remember the series). But before that Mary attended mass in the little chapel that forms our albergue. There were six people in attendance, plus the priest who was also a pilgrim, and his lack of mobility was down to a very bad knee - hope he continues to make progress along the Camino.

Our journey this morning started well, but quickly went downhill. We were on the road for 6.45am and walked well with our head torches until we reached a junction. We could not find a sign to indicate the direction and went the wrong way with about 10 other people. We retraced our steps and found our way after dawn had provided more clarity, but we had lost half an hour. We have never made such a big mistake on the Camino. We progressed eventually and, as it was a shortish day anyway, arrived in Portomarin by mid day. We are staying in a lovely albergue - it is the biggest we have used so far and all 130 (yes 130!!!) people sleep in the one room - see picture. Many of the people we know are here and we are sitting outside chatting to them and a number of Italians we have met.

So, how would you like to sleep with 130 people!!

Portomarin is unusual in that much of the old town was flooded in the 60s to create a reservoir. Some important buildings were moved to the higher ground where the new town is, including the old cathedral. Each block that comprised it had to be numbered, moved, and reconstructed at the new location. The numbers can still be read.

Looking down at the Portomarin reservoir from our albergue

The Galicia Camino takes us through very different countryside. It is like Ireland in the late 1900s. The fields are small and the cattle herds are generally less than 20 cows. There appear to be no young farmers, but older husband and wife operations. Automation seems very limited. Today, a woman with cuts of meat in a saucepan, crossed in front of us to put water in it from a roadside tap. Also, the place can be untidy - something we did not encounter on previous Camino stages.

Most importantly, we crossed the 100km from Compostela mark. So we are nearly there.

100km from Santiago + a lot of graffiti

Day 15: Triacastela to Barbadelo 24km

Musicians in Triacastela last evening

It started pleasantly, and has now developed into another glorious, sunny day in the mid to high 20's. Our journeys are now over small hills and into little valleys - gone is the flatness of the meseta. We walked from 7.30am until 1ish, with a half hour break for breakfast on the way. The recommended stage was 18km as far as Sarria but we walked an extra 6km. Sarria is the start for pilgrims who are only walking the last week of the Camino. As many of them start on a Saturday and Sunday, we felt that it would be very busy, so we gave it a skip. We are staying in a wonderful albergue - maybe the best we've experienced on the whole Camino. It is a converted/restored hamlet and everything is finished to a very high standard. The place even has its own little chapel.

Our hostel last night was also to a high standard and very modern. All of them are not up to the standard of these but few of them are really bad. We had considered the hotel option when we first considered walking the Camino, but a friend talked us out of it saying that it is a more rewarding experience to use the albergues. We have certainly enjoyed the experience, but each to his own, and the hotel people we meet also appear to get a lot out of it - and while they may live more comfortably, they still have to walk 800km. We know that some people think the albergues are populated by strange people, and the odd axe murderer, but we've not encountered them. Also, people are concerned about privacy - you can be discrete and change in the shower areas. Or, if you change in the dorm, you find that people are careful not to upset others and turn there backs when changing - nobody is interested in our 60+ year old bums!!

Bringing home the vegetables - on the road to Barbadelo today

The Spanish are very friendly and we have enjoyed the company of a few of them on the way. Alas, two guys from Madrid who we ate, slept and traveled with for the past week, finished their walk at O Cebriero. Another, Sergio from Barcelona appears to have speeded ahead of us. And, a nice lad from Toledo who led us out of Ponferrada when we were lost, and who we have chatted to since, has not been seen by us for a couple of days. However, there is always somebody new. We have got to know Charlie and May from Virginia, and tonight we are sharing with a German speaking Italian couple who we had seen on and off for the past week. She has walked about 5 Camino's, including the Portuguese Camino!

Kieran crossing a little bridge west of Sarria

Different way of doing it - cemetery outside Sarria

Day 14: O Cebriero to Triacastela 21km

Early morning below O Cebriero - looks like the sea and islands
but it is a mist that settles in the valleys.

Somebody had told us that today's walk was pleasant, and they were correct. There was very attractive scenery as we headed mostly downhill for just over 21km. Mary felt that Galicia was like Ireland: there were holly bushes, robins, heathers,  fraughans, smaller fields, and cows. We enjoyed it, did not rush it and our feet are holding up.

We passed through a number of hamlets. These consist of a number of dwellings and a range of farm buildings, and sometimes a church. There is a sense of everything overlapping and we don't understand whether there is individual or shared ownership. They do seem to be busy, industrious, places.

Unusual wood storage in Fonfria

Our experience of the Camino from last year and, up to now, this year is that it is essentially an activity supported by Spaniards who are not overtly commercial. In the past few days we have noticed that prices seem a little more expensive, souvenir shops have emerged, and hawkers have appeared on the route. We hope not, but fear, that in the final week of our Camino, this may intensify even further.

We have two Polish friends since our early days, Mark and Susannah. At Astorga, Susannah developed a nasty dose of food poisoning and they had to stop/ease off. Yesterday evening, we met them again in O Cebriero. We thought they must have taken a bus to recover the time, but no, on one of the days they walked 43km - oh to be young again!!!

Old church in Hospital de la Condesa

Day 13: Villafranca to O Cebriero 30km

                       Flower display in front of a house in Herrerias

The heading above gives away the fact that we went further than intended. We reached La Faba at 12.15pm and decided to keep going for another 5km, and up another 400m. We got up to O Cebriero by 2.45pm but we were fairly wasted. So, we have treated ourselves to a hotel room - not a parador, much more modest.

                       Looking back from near O Cebreiro

We encountered some old friends on the road today. Our mother and daughter from Finland emerged on the road ahead of us this morning - we shared a room with them on our first night and have been with them for some time but did not see them for maybe four or five days. We chatted - they have a tight schedule to make their plane in Santiago next Friday. Our American friends, Pat and John, who we hadn't seen for three days were also on the road - John has had shin splints for the past few days but was going OK today. The person we have most contact with is Gerry from Wisconsin. He is a retired lawyer who now, amongst other things, helps with the cranberry harvest. He is a very inclusive person - last night we were having dinner with him in the square in Villafranca when he saw a girl on her own at a nearby table. Not being shy, he asked her to join us, she did, and we had a great chat. She was an English girl who works in Hong Kong.

Mentioning English, it is the language of the Camino. It is a kind of 'esperanto'. If somebody from Korea talks to somebody from Guatemala, it will be in English. Clearly, a lot of Spanish is spoken, but even the Spanish turn to English when they need to.

Reaching O Cebriero is a great milestone for us. Tomorrow, the latter part of the descent from there will be taxing. After that, the remaining stages are shortish, with more manageable undulations. Santiago suddenly seems closer.

                      A large stone marker indicate we are leaving Castilla                       y Leon and entering Galicia.

                       Horses that have brought people up to O Cebriero go                        back down the mountain.

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Day 12: Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo 24km

Yesterday evening we had a great dining experience in Ponferrada. Mary dipped into Trip Advisor and found their No 1 restaurant to be Mencia in that town. We found Mencia in a fairly ordinary part of the town. The menu, given to us verbally, was the €10 pilgrim's menu. The first course was a large plate of air dried beef with cheese, and with olive oil drizzled over it. It was wonderful but there was too much for us. Next was a big bowl of ratatouille accompanied by a big basket of fresh rustic bread - lovely, but we had to leave half of it. Then came a pasta bolognese, the meat flavoured with nutmeg - again we were found wanting. We were not alone - the Frenchman near us had raised the white flag and the Canadian lady across from him was organizing doggy bags for her group. Our pitcher of wine was now replaced. A salad was then produced, which we could only play with. The waiter then said he was bringing the pork dish and we conceded defeat. We played with dessert. Then liqueurs were put in front of us. Our words don't do the meal justice, and so inexpensive.

                       Pomegranates on a tree by the trail today.

Today was very straightforward. The way was relatively flat and the distance was manageable. The route took us past many vineyards and we are finally seeing the cherry trees promised in our guide. No new blisters but some blister maintence took place once we arrived in Villafranca. Our six other roommates tonight are Spanish - quite a friendly group.

You may remember that we went an extra 6 or 7km beyond the suggested destination a couple of days ago. We effectively banked those kilometers by going the same extra distance each day since. This has positioned us well for the big O Cebriero climb tomorrow. The route we have chosen is the easiest - there are three, one of the other two being the choice of masochists. Our route is essentially flat for the first 22km, then for the final 8km it rises 600m from 700 to 1300m. We are going to walk and climb for 25km to La Faba, so leaving the remaining 5km of the climb until the following day when we are fresher. Well, that's the theory anyway.

In the locality of the Mencia restaurant, above, we found all the local people were out - people on benches, at outdoor bar tables, and children playing games (hop scotch type stuff, not computer games). In the plazas of each town we are in, every evening, it is the same. Nobody seems to be watching TV, they are all out playing/socializing. Clearly, the climate encourages this, but it is admirable all the same. Anybody at a bar seems to drink in great moderation and nobody seems to get drunk.

Roll on O Cebriero!!!!

                      A farmer and his helpers bring in the potato crop

                      A narrow street in Villafranca

Day 11: Foncebon to Ponferrada 28km

            Peligrino on horseback - yesterday near Rabinal

              Roaming flock of sheep - yesterday near Rabinal

This was possibly our most difficult walk. We have walked more than 28km on this trip, but for one 8km section of the day we descended 700 meters. This in itself was difficult, but it was compounded by a track that was littered with sharp rocks that went up through our feet (and blisters). However, we were rewarded with wonderful views from the tops of the mountains that will stay with us.

The beauty of the Camino is that it is way marked for its entirety. The way marks can vary from very elaborate signs to crude yellow arrows. They are usually placed very frequently to give you confidence that you are going the right way. Sometimes you get a glut of them (usually when you know where you are going anyway) and other times they are absent (usually in the dark before dawn when you are clueless). But maybe we are being unfair because they continue to direct us towards Campostela.

The other great indicator of how to get there are the guidebooks. Foremost amongst these is the John Brierley guide, which is reproduced in many languages. John Brierley is an Irishman who worked in business in Dublin. He gave all of this up to seek an alternative lifestyle in Scotland. He eventually found himself on the Camino and started publishing his guides, which  are phenomenally successful.

                       Two Oz lads can't resist the water as we pass                                      through the pretty village of Molinaseca.

We are staying in the albergue San Nicholas de Flue. It is very well appointed. Like a number of others it is a donativo albergue, ie. you can donate whatever. Most people donate €5 per person, as do we. We are sharing a room with two men from Madrid - they are nice and we have seen them on the trail. Last night we were in a dorm of 10, most of which were French.

We have lost track of a few people we were traveling in parallel with: Pat and John from California for the past two days; the mother and daughter from Finland, 3 days; Catherine from Oz who took an extra day in Leon; the Monaghan family who went home from Astorga. There are others who continue at our pace. Most prominent amongst these is Gerry from Wisconsin who we have been with from our first day, and who we had dinner with in the main plaza in Astorga two nights ago. We were pleased to see him arrive at out Albergue late this afternoon.

                   The last section of the mountains we have crossed today - seen from our albergue window

                       Getting closer 

Day 10: Astorga to Foncebadon 27km

We had a better day on the road today. Some new blisters, but others improving. We had originally intended to walk 21km but on arriving at our destination we decided to proceed for another 6km. So we are in Foncebadon - this is just 50 metres of height and 2km from the highest point of the Camino, Cruz de Ferro, at 1505 metres, which we will reach tomorrow. This is slightly more than the 1450 metres when we crossed the Pyrenees. We normally input this blog on Mary's tablet and through WIFI. However, where we are is really out in the back of beyond so we are forced to use a dreadful desk top linked to the internet - so forgive any errors as, in our haste, we keep feeding the machines Euros. Forgive the brevity and the lack of photos.

Day 9: Villar de Mazerife to Astorga 31km

Puento de Orbigo

Our albergue/refugio yesterday was really nice. Our dinner last night there was very traditional - it included a lovely Spanish beef stew. During the afternoon we had a drink in the bar. As is usual, they supplied a small tapas with the drinks. It looked a bit different and we eventually established that it was beef lung! Mary ate it with gusto, Kieran gave it a skip.

We have arrived in the beautiful town of Astorga. It has a lovely mix of old and new buildings and attractive plazas. On the way there, we crossed over Puente de Orbigo, a bridge dating back to the 13th century - see photo above. Along the route, we encountered lots of corn fields. It was a 6.30 start and a long slog, in weather that continues to be hot. The blister count continues to mount, with Mary, normally immune to them, racking up a couple more, and Kieran another. The pharmacist in the town has been helpful.

We are staying at the municipal albergue - we were booked in by two good looking young priests - ladies take note! We are in a four bed dorm, and as luck would have it we are sharing with a lovely young Polish couple we had dinner with last week.

We see a lot of people who are new to us, having joined the Camino since Leon. Also, today, we have been joined by the Camino route that comes up from Seville. So the group moving with us is changing. In the last couple of days we have come across more Irish.

A statue of a pilgrim outside our albergue in Astorga.                    

Day 8: Leon to Vilar de Mazarife 22km

Pilgrim statue in front of the parador.                    

The Leon parador included breakfast, and while we were first in the door (with lots of early bird Germans), it didn't start until 7.30. So, we were not on the road until 8.15. However we made good time and were settled in Mazarife by 1ish. As we approached Mazarife, the countryside reminded us of the countryside portrayed in Heimat, the wonderful 80's TV series - how many of you are old enough to remember that?

Our auberge/refugio is quirky but very friendly. It is a bit like a cowboy ranch with balconies overlooking the bar and residential areas. Also, it appears to encourage people to write on the walls, and they do big time - most of it is to a high standard, including quotes from poets. We have been very lucky to be put in a room for two persons - second night in a row that we are not in a general dorm. While the Auberge, Casa De Jesus, may not have the style of the parador, it certainly beats it for atmosphere - the bar is used by the locals and they are making plenty of noise as we write this.

The walks for this and the subsequent three days are 22, 31, 21, 26kms. We had hoped to squeeze the four days into three days, ie. doing about 33km per day. In this context, we had hoped to walk 37km today. However, our feet are now quite a bit iffy and we decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and stopped at 22k. The reason for trying to 'save' a day' is to give us more options in our approach next week to a very difficult part of the walk - O Cebriero. The O Cebriero section requires us to climb 700 metres in the space of 8km. We have thought a bit more about it and think we know how to manage the time.

Finally, re-the inquiry from Dublin - the parador pampering did not extend to Kieran having a pedicure!!

                       Drawing on the wall of our alberge

Day 7: Mansilla de las Mulas to Leon 18km

                       Last night's hostel accommodation in Mansilla

                      Tonight's accommodation in Leon

Yes, after a week of sharing bedrooms, bathrooms, dining tables and all sorts of things, we decided we needed a treat. So, we have booked into a parador in Leon. A parador is a luxury hotel in an old building, usually a monastery or castle. We have seen them in parts of Spain and have always wanted to stay in one. We understand that the price we are paying is reasonable for a parador. In return we are getting great comfort for a day. This is a one off treat and it is back to our hostels from tomorrow.

Our walk this morning was short at 18km. It was really very flat with only a couple of inclines at the end. We seem to be nearing the end of the Meseta as we continue to see variety in the countryside, corn fields and dairy herds staring to appear.

Leon is a stunning city. There are lots of Camino pilgrims and other tourists but it remains very Spanish. There are lots of ancient, narrow streets, beautiful churches, and other old buildings. Near the center, are located a lot of bars doing tapas - we hope to drop into a few of these tonight. A highlight today for us was the Saturday food market in one of the squares.

We dropped into one of the big city center churches today and mass was on. When we walked last year, the Catholic church seemed to be closer to the pilgrims, of all denominations. Those pilgrims attended services on the way, as a more spiritual participation. That doesn't seem to have happened this year - perhaps it will be more evident when we leave the Meseta.

St Compeed, the patron saint of blisters has been called upon as our feet went downhill in the last few days. Kieran has three and Mary one. We had planned a 37km walk tomorrow but have scaled back to maybe 22 due to the blisters and other factors.

                      The meat and cheese end of the Leon food market.

Day 6: El Burgo Ranero to Mansilla de las Mulas 18km

The courtyard of our albergue.

Today was a wonderfully short. It was only 18km from El Burgo to Mansilla, and even though we started a bit later, at 7.30, we were settled in our refugio by 12.30.  Interestingly, the countryside was initially the same old dry, yellow fields we have seen for the past few days, but changed at Releigos after which we saw smaller fields, some of corn, and some light industry. Mansilla de las Mulas is a large, old town, with narrow streets. It is a walled town and many of the walls are in good condition.

At this stage, we have got to know a few people quite well: Pat and John from California; four Irish guys from the border area; Park from South Korea; the mother and daughter from Finland we met the first evening; ???? from Wisconsin; Dieter from Germany; a family group from Monaghan; Catherine from Australia and Mark from England; and others. There appear to be a lot of Germans and Australians, and we are told that there are a lot of Canadians but we have yet to meet them - last year it seemed that there were so many that nobody was left in Canada!

House seen on busy square in Mansilla - would you sleep comfortably here?

Day 5: Terradillos to El Burgo Ranero 31km

                                Dawn at Terradillos

Last night we shared with two women, cousins from Hungary, and a man from South Korea. From talking with friends, the sharing of a room with strangers is the part of the Camino that they can't get their heads around and even worries them. Well, we have never really had a problem and nothing has happened, until last night. One of the Hungarians was unwell all day yesterday and essentially kept to her bed. At about 2 in the morning she went to the bathroom. On her return, she seemed to collapse and hit the radiator with a thud. Both of us were with her quickly and with the help of her cousin, got her back to bed. She was a bit shook in the morning but OK. The Korean essentially slept through it all and to cap it all woke up at 4 am, made lots of noise, and took forever to hit the road.

Before that, we had a very nice meal in the refugio - essentially it was local regional fare, cooked in the kitchen by the family - we suspect that tinned/frozen food is used in many of the €10 pilgrim meals on offer. The starter was particularly good - a soup based on a rich stock, packed with potato slices, and with bacon and chorizo.  Mmmm......

We walked 31km today. The walk, like most of them at the moment, was flat. While it was 4km longer than yesterday, we both felt stronger doing it. The countryside is now changing a little. The fields are becoming smaller and more clearly defined, and today we are seeing vineyards. The other big change today was that it rained in the early afternoon and there was thunder. The next two days are forecast to be damp also.

And finally, re-the picture of Kieran in the sunflowers a couple of days ago - he would like to assure the wit from North Dublin that he was not looking for his Titliest golf ball!

Mary and another pelegrino in Sahagun.

Day 4: Carrion de los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios 27km

We walked 27 dusty kilometers today. The first 17 went through no village, so there was no opportunity to breakfast and only one water tap on the stretch. We have arrived in Terradillios, a small village, of some significance. This is the half way point of Camino Frances, ie. between St Jean Pied De Port and Campostela.

Our routine is very similar to last year. We've packed as little as possible, including 2 sets of clothes, a silk sleeping bag and a quick dry bath towel (which you could easily fit into your pocket), rain gear, toiletries and sandals/flip flops. So as not to smell and lose our Camino friends, we change out of our used clothes as soon as we arrive at the refugio and wash them and hang them out in the sun. Meanwhile, we have showered and changed into those we washed yesterday. After that we have a cold drink, walk around the village, read, and write this blog. Around 7ish we have dinner, then a beer, and to bed just after 9pm. Lights go out in all refugios by 10pm and often earlier.

We are a few days away from the big city of Leon and are starting to look forward to it.

Missing the Piercey's from Ottawa and John Rogers from Dublin on our walk this year, even though we are making new friends.

Day 3: Fromista to Carrion de los Condes 20km

                                 Flowers in Fromista


Hi. Last evening in Fromista was very warm. We appear to have had dinner in the Fawlty Towers restaurant. The waiter had a big tomato stain on his shirt. The lovely looking crusty bread was like concrete and we had to argue for a replacement. When we took up our last fork full of each course he appeared from nowhere to whip away the plate. Finally, to improve his tip chances, we think, he gave us a creme caramel dessert that was not covered by the menu - first mouthful showed it was out of date. We survived it and stomachs are fine today.

Kieran had a slight swelling on his left leg before leaving Ireland and put it down to an insect bite. However the swelling has got worse in the past few days and our diagnosis from looking up Google suggests cellulitis - hardly fatal. So went to the doctor in the health center yesterday evening. Through her broken English and our appalling Spanish she disagreed with our diagnosis and determined it as insect bite or tendon pull. Anyway, we are telling you this because we got all the treatment and medicine for free by producing our European Medical Insurance Card (replacement for the old form E111). Our doctor in Dublin alone would have cost €65! Despite the dodgy appearance of the leg there is no pain and no impact on the walking.

We were in a dorm in Fromista with about four Spanish men and a Spanish woman. The refugio had about 50 people in it and all but about 6 of us were gone by the time we woke at 7am. Our journey was very short at 20km to get to Carrion de Los Condes. We are staying in a lovely hostel run by nuns.

The weather is still very dry and very hot. However, the cooler wetter stuff is expected by the weekend - we will feel at home.

          
                        End of an easy walk