Is this the real Camino or the Camino Real? Some notes from a pair of wandering pilgrims.

Flies and more flies 05 07 2010

We are in Mansilla de las Mulas and, just like yesterday, there are flies everywhere ... grrrr. Mulas means mules and this was a major place for selling them in the middle ages through to quite recently. The mules have gone but they left their flies.

First time with the internet for many many days and the thing did not work until a short time ago. We have worked out that we will probably have to leave Santiago earlier than we had wanted because of available travel. We will go by bus all the way (a day and a half or so on the bus, folks).

I have not had a chance to write stuff for a little while – except for these bits - so I have put them together so that there is at least a flavour of what is happening so far. By the way Alison is fine, her sandals are working well and I only have one foot of pain to deal with now..... Wow!!!!

Perhaps Leon and beyond will be easier for the internet.

I am trying to convince people that the English for Buen Camino is either Toodle Pip! Or What Ho! Some success so will persist.

What Ho! (the nooo)

Say a little prayer for 04 07 2010

Today we were awake before five as the Italian guy next to us set his alarm to quarter to five and got up at five.

We didn’t have any breakfast as Alison did not want to eat so early so we set off after six and walked. It was a glorious morning with the sun about to rise and the birds in full song. A bright star hung from below the crescent moon and the hint of pink in the sky just managed to blot out the dazzling display of stars that had filled the night sky.

We ate our packs of biscuits for breakfast washed down with some water from the spring at last night’s Albergue and continued walking hoping one of the villages on the way would have a place open for breakfast. Of course, our guide (unlike most of the other guides) does not tell us where such places are.

Eventually at Sahaguin we found a place open and went in. The food was very limited so we each had a little cake and some coffee and left. At a shop across the road from a much better cafe around the corner (where most of the pilgrims were gathering as they had read about the place in their guides) we bought some tins of pate, some bread and tomatoes and peaches. After squirreling them away in our bags we headed off again and made the village before our allotted night stop at just after half past eleven so we stopped at the bar there and I made us some lunch with bread and pate while Alison chatted to an American friend who was worried that she would not be able to get to Mass today as it was Sunday. We pointed out the little Chapel across the road and she went off to find out where the nearest Mass was. She came back to say it was at midday so we rushed the food and beer and dashed off to the little church of St Rock.

It was very hot and stuffy in the church and by the latter part of the service Alison was turning very pale and could not stand up. Luckily, the service finished and I managed to get her out of the church before she completely stopped being able to function. She just sat with her head between her knees – first on the bench outside the church and then on the ground while I tried to find a way to help her recover.

I went off in search of the Albergue which was poorly signposted and was briefly described in the guide book but gave no clues as to its whereabouts (the street name is most helpful when you either have a street map or are in a place where they have the names of the street on the ends or at least somewhere on the street).

I found the place and ran back to Alison fearing that she might have passed out in my absence but she was unchanged, on the ground with her head between her knees.

Eventually we walked slowly to the Albergue with Alison saying she was probably OK now and me saying great, so let’s see if we can get to this Albergue and then we can decide whether to stay there of go on. I didn’t want to even contemplate seeing Alison walking to the next town. Thankfully, the place was as nice as it looked and when Alison sat in the cool of the reception area she had to admit that it would be for the best for us to stay her tonight.

Since then I have sorted out some things, had a shower, washed our things and have written this while Alison has been lying on the bed, unable to get up.

We will see how things are tomorrow......

Just one little note about the service: This was a Eucharistic service run by the parishioners who did it very well, were deeply devout, sang hymns and parts of the service and fed themselves spiritually despite the absence of a priest. Contrast this with the fact that we have been to several Masses in Spain held within the Cathedrals and they have all had several priests all concelebrating. I think the minimum I have seen is one main celebrant and five other priests taking part in the Mass. The same is often true in both the UK and France. In fact in France we were put up by a lovely priest just north of Chartres and he was looking after over 30 parishes on his own. We stayed an extra night in Chartres that weekend and went to Mass in the Cathedral and there were several priests involved in that Mass, too. This has been bugging me a lot over the last few months and while Alison was sitting outside the chapel feeling rough she commented on the contrast, saying it did pose some pretty serious questions. Ho hum!

Party time 03 07 2010

We are sitting in a shaded spot in the garden watching the mother cat (of at least five kittens) wandering around impatiently waiting for food. She is hungry and a little harassed and worn out by the high level of feeding she is doing.

We can hear something going on in the bar/lounge where the TV is so we are assuming it is football and are keeping out of it. Alison is checking tomorrow’s route and I am writing this and we are both thinking of Kirsty, her birthday and her BBQ. We know that both her sisters intend to be there to help and that it should be a really great day but we are too far away to know or do anything about it. So we are thinking and praying and hoping all will work out and be really good.....

We hope that no messages on Facebook mean good news rather than bad!

Lots of love and happy birthday Kirsty!

Carrion people 02 07 2010

Michael is a young German from Potsdam who was in the refugio last night. He is now in his early thirties and works in a kindergarten to make money and spends much of the rest of his time as a spiritual advisor. He spends his time helping people to reconnect with God. He wants people to begin to feel things in their heart again and when he tells me this he thumps his chest with his clenched fist to emphasise the importance of this. He is not tall but is broadly built with light hair, tattooed arms and he goes around smiling a lot and emitting a huge amount of positive energy.

He told me that he was in prison when he was a teenager and emphasises that he was not guilty but despite this they had put him in prison. While there he was told by an older man that he needed to read the Bible and connect with God. It was not something he was willing to do but, despite this reluctance he decided to make a pact with God. He said that if God would get him out he would do his best to work on God’s side. Shortly after the promise his life changed. They reviewed his case and chucked him out of prison so Michael started off on a journey to find out what God wanted him to do.

After a time as a Christian he left Germany and landed up in London where he spent more than three years with the Hare Krishna group, or the Hindus as he calls them. He spent a lot of that time in the big house they have which was donated by George Harrison. So he speaks English very well and has a simple openness and fierce intensity that makes him quite a character to meet and get to know.

We all have God the Father and the Mother Earth as our parents, he said, and this makes us all one big family of brothers and sisters. We are not step brothers and sisters and nor are we distant cousins. The sooner we realise this, the closer to realising global peace we will be.

We hope to meet up with him again as we walk to Santiago.

Earlier, we had made a quick meal in the albergue (onions, garlic, lardons, tomatoes, pimento and pasta) and had a glass of wine from our bottle. We then washed up and reserved the rest of the wine for the end of the evening. Then off we went to Mass which was to be followed by a classical guitar concert especially for pilgrims.

The Mass was OK and was accompanied by the guitarist playing some simple classical music.

The Concert was performed by a young Uruguayan man who was very good despite a number of little problems with rhythm and fluffed passages – much of what he played was without reading music...... All told it was a refreshing interlude and we all welcomed it enormously. After the first three pieces the rain came down and began to pound noisily on the church roof but even that did not cause much of a problem and soon died away again.

The priest was obviously very happy with all of this. The church was clearly still very active and there were newly produced hymn books with a wide range of new as well as a few old hymns in. Clearly, the priest and the congregation sang at Masses and the priest’s note at the beginning of the book did emphasise the importance of music and song as ways of adding much to worship. So, when he finished the Mass he did all the things necessary to clear the altar, etc and then rushed eagerly to take a front seat place that had been reserved for him.

There was a pilgrim Blessing at the end of the concert and we were all given multilingual booklets for the service. Alison read the Gospel in English and we spoke the rest in Spanish. At the very end we all sang a Compostella song which was written (and recorded) by the priest. He had a bit of a cough all the way through the evening and when he went around shaking our hands after the blessing I said to him that we would pray for him during the walk and he gave me a couple of big hugs. I had not really appreciated just how large the priest was until then. Well over six feet in height and built to match. I think he was showing his gratitude and not trying to grush the life out of me, so I am praying for him.

On reflection, we think the reason why we queued up was mainly because the refugio didn’t open until a couple of hours after most people had arrived in town so the crush was on. We walked to Terradillion today (a bit further away but still got there before half twelve) and arrived in a very nice albergue which has beds rather than bunk beds and has very nice gardens, terraces, etc. We had no difficulty getting in and sorted. Of course, we ignored the other Albergue just outside the village – that one was more modern and you could see it from the path. You could also see the swimming pool in its grounds. We wanted to be in the village not half a km out of it on the wrong side. We also thought that most of the young people would be attracted by the pool (along with the family with three kids) so we left it as a lure to all who were easily seduced!

Must say, people seem to be getting up earlier and earlier.... most are up and dressed between half five and six which means alarms go off before five. This is all hugely unnecessary as most people are still sitting around when we eventually get ready to leave. So they wake us up, rush around and disturb us constantly then, when we get up, get dressed and packed and go to find our boots we discover these people still sitting around chatting, having breakfast, etc. They then rush off, try to overtake us, then stop for a long early morning snack/coffee at the first place they find open. Their desire to stop and eat/drink does not diminish as the day goes on, either. This is why we get to the final place in the first cohort of walkers. We don’t stop much and we don’t stay long!

Weather is hot and sunny, but it comes with a cool wind and some pretty powerful afternoon or evening rainstorms. My Feet still hurt but I am living in hope that things will get better! Ho hum.

Ready steady GO

Our first day on the Camino for almost a week and we have found the experience interesting. For a start, we have not spent so long away from the Camino or from walking since we started this thing back in April (well March if you include Student Cross). Also, we have dumped various things in the UK and brought other thongs back. So, the weight is not that much different – just a few kilos lighter for me and a bit more space in the bag for Alison. But what we brought back has made another difference. I left my boots and brought my walking shoes which seems to be making a difference, ‘though I will have to wait a few days to see if this is a true difference as I had a false start with my boots where the change was perhaps as good as a rest but the end result was continuingly sore feet.....

Alison brought back a new pair of sandals fro walking in and she tried them out today. Her legs are a bit more tired than usual and her feet are a bit more painful. Yes, this is by no means a valid test as too many variables have been changed but the over all prognosis, regardless of complexities, is that the sandals work and will get better rather than worse.

This is the first time since Roncevalles that we have queued up to get into a refugio. A couple of times you sit around and wait your turn to be booked in but here, despite the fact that there are around 60 beds available, we were queuing to get a place and it felt like we had to in order to ensure we had a bed for the night. After a shower and something to eat we are relaxing, writing, etc and people are being turned away at the door because the place is full.

We will have to wait to see if this is a new trend or if it is a function of where you go. Today is Carrion and there are other albergues but this is the cheapest and is the municipal one so it is the one to get full first, I suppose.

We got up in Fromista at six and were out of the door by just after seven. We walked for just over 20 kms and got here just before eleven, ‘though we did stop for coffee and a croissant at one point and to sort clothes, etc at another. The going, as they say, was good all the way with a slight rise for the last few Kms. Tonight we will sort out our meal then go to the Mass followed by a special guitar recital in the same church. Then we will return to the albergue and finish off our wine before settling for the night.

The marks on the sheets indicate that some sort of blood sucking insects have been on the prowl on these beds recently but we are going to assume that all is well until we actually know it to be otherwise – you can’t live your life being dictated to by your fears. I know this statement is rich coming from me when I am a severe dental phobic, but I can talk about all else in this light...... So I am sitting on the top bunk writing this and hoping that the evidence is positive, even if I have been bitten on the elbow by something (I think that something flying did that biting).

We are still working the practicalities out of starting a series of camino routes across Britain (possibly linked at some point to the Santiago routes but primarily going to key UK pilgrim sites – Iona, Lindisfarne and Walsingham to name but three. I think the first will be to Iona and that Scotland is ideal for starting such a thing for a whole long list of reasons, so I am thinking about organising and marketing as well as route planning, etc. Watch this space! And expect to find a route and guide book out shortly!


Castro and co 24 06 2010

I will have to write elsewhere about Castro Jeriz and tell the whole story, I have written a couple of poems linked to the place and to the people and will probably write some more. The annual Fiesta was beginning as we arrived and we have been encountering bits of it during our stay but we are not of the little town and it is not for us and we are in this sort of limbo world as a result. It manages to bring home to you the unreality of the Camino and demonstrates that our reality is something else.

The shops were shut but all the bars were open and full. We went to the bar nearest the Alberque while we waited for it to open and the place had this enormous black log about forty feet long or more stretching from just by the front door and into the wall at the other end of the bar. On closer inspection it seemed to be the lever for a gigantic press for either olives or grapes. We went there twice and I never got around to asking more about it.... The place also had a very good (large) local painting of people working on digging and lighting a fire in a long trench as others prepared a whole pig for roasting. People were doing all sorts of other things, the weather was pretty cold and the hills had that winter crispness of focus that comes from a dry, cold day. The whole scene looked so familiar tome that I felt that I must surely have been there and I kept looking at the faces of people thinking that somehow they looked like people I knew.

This is the place where the hospitalier makes the paella in a dish on an open fire in the garden and where we get wakened up in the morning by Gregorian chant music and him dressed up as a monk with a lantern on a staff, etc.

I didn’t get enough paella or wine so beware where you sit in one of these things and you will not be left hungry and thirsty at the end of the meal. Ho hum.

We love you because 23 06 2010

It’s official. Even the wonderful Spanish language cannot raise country and western music above trite, musically challenged drivel. Sitting in the bar in Hornillos del Camino drinking beer from a frozen glass with the radio on and the music playing I am trying to tap at the keys while Alison writes in her note book. The room is small with a high ceiling, stairs to the next floor by the front door and the telephone booth under the stairs in constant use by pilgrims and locals. Beyond the bar and the ‘phone booth is a small restaurant where we hope to have a pilgrim menu meal.

It looks like they do both lentils and beans with sausages as starters. They are also served in Burgos and are particularly nice.

A note on food in this area - The pilgrim menu is a simple set meal with wine and bread which is served early as most Spaniards don’t eat until late and pilgrim hostels close around ten pm. If you are lucky there will be a choice and we have been lucky in a reasonable number of places and only been ripped off in a couple. In Burgos we had two very nice meals – one very simple and the other a bit more sophisticated but both enjoyable.

I thought of my dad when we had the peas and ham as a starter in Burgos on our first night there. My dad loved a supper dish of hot peas and vinegar which was your tinned peas and not the frozen sort, though he might have liked that too. If he had been served it with bits of ham in there too, he would have loved it even more. I added some wine vinegar to mine in homage to dad.

The other thing of note which needs to be mentioned (over and above all of the other lovely things including the fantastic hams and other meats) is the black pudding of the area. They have a wide range of different types and they all seem to be brilliant although we will have to come back with time and money to confirm this conjecture. The ones we have had are all really great....

After here is Castro Jeriz and then Fromista before we return to the UK fro a brief interlude to attend Dominique’s (our middle daughter’s) graduation at Durham.

It is such a wei8rd thing to do we don’t know how to approach it so we are just going to go with the flow and see what happens. One of our many blessings (but a HUGE blessing, it must be said) is that our good friend Mike Lagrue will be collecting us from the airport and ferrying us around during our trip to the UK. If that does not sound much let me assure you that it is an enormously kind and wonderfiul thing to do and we are so much in his debt! We arrive at Stanstead and he picks us up, ferries us to New Malden, we sort ourselves out then in the evening he picks us up and we go and collect Dominique who has just started her Teach First training in Central London and we drive up to Durham. Sleep in Dom’s house when we eventually get there. Do the business in Durham and after the graduation meal in the evening Mike collects us and drives us all back to London. Then the next day he takes Alison and I back to Stanstead. I am researching how you get people the Papal Knighthood – he deserves it more than any one else I can think of and he would appreciate the humour of getting it, too. I will think of better ways to thank him....

So, now we are going in to have something to eat.... I’m hungry!!!