El Camino de Santiago and other trails.
It was a bittersweet farewell during breakfast today because it was the last time we ate with the people we met in St. Jean or Roncesvalles.
We saw during lunch the 82 year old pilgrim who was at the hospital. He is doing well and will be walking slowly for the following days.
Otherwise, it was a flat but very long trek through the Meseta, and we got slammed by a thunderstorm during the last kilometer into town.
We still walking through La Meseta in Castilla y Leon province.
Walking through La Meseta has been interesting. The only way not to lose your sanity is to walk through with a good attitude and be open to starting a conversation with anyone who crosses your path. Otherwise, the flat and repetitive scenery will drive you crazy, and most people are eager to talk to someone. Today we learned that an 82 years old gentleman got sick on the trail and was taken to the hospital for observation. His friends think he got dehydrated or maybe had a stroke.
For the past two nights, we have met our new friends for dinner or for a glass of wine, and the conversation that we had with them is priceless (what happens in El Camino stay in El Camino.)
Jeremy and I are sad because we will not finish el Camino with them to cheer up and congratulate each other in the Santiago de Compostela cathedral. We have to go back in a few days to California and wait a year to return to finish our walk to Santiago de Compostela.
Today we had a charming walk with a group of people that included a one-hour second breakfast along el Camino. We had dinner together, and the conversation was very interesting, with many people from different backgrounds and countries sharing their experiences. It seems that the largest representation is from Australia, although there are plenty of French, Spanish, English, Americans, and virtually every other country represented. And, of course, we are also encountering all walks of life. Among us, there is an actor, an Anglican priest, plenty of retirees, a venture capitalist, students, a lawyer, etc. The great thing about the Camino is that it sets everyone as equals.
Today we started to walk through La Meseta. It was an easy 20km walk on a flat surface. We had an early lunch at La Fuentes, where the manager gave us a Reliquary of the Virgin to keep us company in El Camino. That is what I like about El Camino; most people are generous and proud of their work to feed and help the people who go through their towns.
We got to Hornillos before two, and we had enough energy to walk more km. But since we had a reservation in a Casa Rural, we had to stay. It was a surprise to find that our accommodation was outside the town in an old house where we were surrounded by extensive gardens and a pond with ducks and geese. I’m glad we had the time to get here early and enjoy this place. BTW some scenes from the movie The Way were filmed here.
We are in week two of our pilgrimage, and we have already walked 288.9 Km (179mi). Today we walked in the company of a couple from Australia, who also started in St. Jean. We arrived together in Burgos today, Sunday. After resting in our hotel this afternoon, we went out for a walk in the old town. It was nice to see our fellow pilgrims in town, enjoying a glass of beer or just sitting watching people come and go. We ran into a group of people that we met on day one, and as we were chatting, we realized that there was time for Sunday mass. We went for mass in the most beautiful cathedral in the world, Catedral de Burgos. It was filled with a good number of pilgrims of all nationalities.
This afternoon we arrived at Sto. Domingo, around 2 o’clock, we heard the church’s bells playing, and we learned it was a special day when all the worshipers from the mass left the church. We were trapped by the mob. Here we are, two sweaty, dirty pilgrims walking along very well-dressed people celebrating their saint’s day.
Today we walked the longest stage in our itinerary, 30 kilometers, which is about 19 miles. At this moment, we are mesmerized by the fact that our brains want to keep going, but the body is breaking down, slowing us down with knee pain, skin rash, backache, and so on. But on the other hand, we are very grateful to live this experience of simplicity in our life, basic material things, thinking a lot about ourselves and spirituality.
Today we walked 28km; it has been the longest walk so far. We left Los Arcos early this morning because we knew we had a long walk ahead and also wanted to arrive in Logroño before the afternoon rain. Today’s walk was through vineyards and olive trees; for the next few days, we will be walking through the famous Rioja region.
TrekTok 