Buen Camino

This is what people say to each other on the road and/or as they leave a bar to get going again on the Camino. Old ladies say this to us as we pass through a village; young Spaniards say this as they whiz by on their mountain bikes. 

It means "good road" literally, but the idea is that you wish someone safe travels to Santiago. Nevertheless in our walking travels there have been some good roads, some bad roads, some interesting and some difficult roads - kind of like the roads we all have to travel in life. And in no particular order, here are some examples of the astounding variety of roads we've traveled so far.

Had to cross this bridge and climb those stairs to get to tonight's lodging. 

And along the road you meet people from everywhere - I think all roads must lead to Santiago de Compostela as well as Rome. 

At the country house where we were staying, we had some fun conversations with a delightful couple, Jeff and Jill, from Australia, who are world travelers and have hiked the Inca Trail among others. 

Also along the Camino today, we met the owners of a bar, a young  woman from the Phillipines and her husband from the island of Minorca, who met in Barcelona. They opened this bar because they loved the peace and tranquility of Galicia (they must mean when there are fewer pilgrims). Here's their darling little girl who speaks, Spanish, Minorcan, and English. She just turned three. 

Jill says you have to have friends in the farthest corners of the world.

Monday

Too tired to blog

Sunday on the Camino

Nothing to write about today. 

We didn't go anywhere. 

We didn't do anything. 

We didn't meet anyone new. 

Why? It was a scheduled day of rest and it so happened to coincide with a deluge and a downpour that filled up the troughs lining the walkway. Sheets of water coming down. 

We are very grateful not to be getting soaked, but concerned for other pilgrims who might have had to make their way down rocky, now slippery, paths in the pouring rain. Lucky for us, our room is roomy and so there is plenty of space to hang up a few things we had to wash - unfortunately, they are not drying because of the dampness. In fact the two foot thick stone walls of our room are damp and clammy 

and so are we, but we are not complaining. We have been reading and resting and thanks to modern technology we can even communicate with friends and family while doing nothing. 

People and their food

We were the only guests eating here at 9:00pm, even though the "Casa Rural" was full. The other guests showed up as we were leaving after 10:00. Spaniards... 

View of the dining room and display table:

Below: three cheese salad - caramelized goat cheese, sheep's milk cheese, and cow's milk cheese with grated carrots, puréed tomatoes, olive oil, and you won't guess what's around the edge, although I had thought could it possibly be...?  Brewer's yeast!!!!!!! A fabulous touch. Then there was hake, over mashed potatoes and tomatoes. With chocolate lava cake and homemade mint ice cream. We didn't really expect such a gourmet meal. 

As interesting as the meal, however, was the story of the owners, and also the stories/encounters with other pilgrims and people we met on the Way. The owners, a couple with two small children bought this 400 year old monk's rectory from another couple who had started the renovation. They do ALL the food preparation themselves. Four kinds of bread, Spanish tortilla, chocolate pound cake, little Eclairs, quince jelly, homemade cheese, muffins - for breakfast. We can't figure out who is taking care of the kids, haha. 

Other interesting characters along the way: the guy who showed up in the middle of the woods with homemade leather stuff - we bought our shells from him

The hippie girl living in a ruin of a house offering food, clothing, whatever to passing pilgrims - we got our most colorful stamp from her. 

The Irish artist who set up a studio in the middle of no where except the Camino, with a girl friend in France, selling his pen and watercolor studies for plenty $$$ 

I seem to have had good luck with the old farmers wanting to talk to me in Spanish - this guy offered us figs from his tree (fig in foreground, five foot tall cabbage plants in background)

Also met a very nice father-daughter couple from Seville - does it look like they are from Seville? We didn't think so either. Mostly you can only tell where the pilgrims are from if you hear them talk. We are all so differently alike. 

Pilgrim's Progress, part two

Leaving O'Cebreiro

Pilgrims don't progress unless they refuel. We've done pretty well, some ups, some downs, and not counting the 35 Euro pizza on the first day in Madrid. 

Our basic walking fuel is not very elaborate

In comparison to the fancy pants gazpacho or Spanish olives at the Parador in León. 

But we do seem to be following a certain pattern, called eggs any style...

And for dinner yesterday we had those wonderful roasted green peppers, crisp lettuce salad, gallego broth, lamb chops and the company of our young Brazilian friend who ordered the specialty of the region, grilled octopus!!! Plus a coupla beers....

Then there's always the ubiquitous bocadillo, ham and melon. Yummy stuff but you have to know what to order, even when the menu is printed in four languages, you don't always know what the dishes are. 

Pilgrim's Progress, part one

No WiFi yesterday, so had to post twice today, 

To O'Cebreiro, leaving the sweet little chalet in Herrerias:

John asked Joyce whether we were passing a lot of other pilgrims on the way.  Hahahaha. We haven't even seen that many, but the reality is that we are being passed by really everyone else. Yesterday not so much, because, as I wrote, it was a walk on the wild side, but today our goal was O'Cebreiro and that is a goal for lots of walkers. Today's "pilgrims" were zooming along on the fast track with nary a glance in any direction. Here's what they missed, and why our pace in general has been a speedy two miles an hour: (ps. We gained about 1000) meters in 6 kilometers)

That being said, we did run into the same two women from Oregon that we met on the trail through the mountains. They are also staying here and they said they had prayed for us that we would make it, wow, and were very happy to see us. 

We also walked a while with a very nice young man from Brazil. And the Scottish fellow we talked to in the albergue, who recommended we take a taxi the other day, passed us on the trail riding a horse.....!!!

In O'Cebreiro: 

Why the easy way?

There are lots of signs on the Camino - literally and figuratively - and some of them are official and some are posted by well meaning pilgrims, so when we saw this one, it seemed very appropriate. 

Today we escaped and crossed the alps, no wait, that was in the Sound of Music, but it sure seemed like we were reliving it - we took the "recommended route to avoid the highway" not realizing it would lead us straight up, and worse, straight down two mountains. There were several signs along the way

to keep us on track, 

And it really was a beautiful hike with lots of variety

These looked like the Inukshuks  - Arctic peoples' sign posts to show the way in the snow - 

And heather, just like in the USA. 

Finally we made it down, arrived at a village albergue and decided that after two grueling stages, we would like to survive long enough to actually get to Santiago de Compostela and so we took the taxi to our next hotel. It's okayyyyyy we said, there are a lot of ways to do the Camino. And our decision was rewarded. 

Compare the previous night's lodging and our present lodging:  view FROM the balcony - 

View OF the balcony

On to O'Cebreiro tomorrow - 6 Kilometers straight up the hill, for a change ....