Day 18: Itero De la Vega - Villalcázar de Sirga

I slept well in our big albergue room that only hosted a few other guests. R (from England) and I headed out just before 7, sharing light and hoping that two brains and four eyes could keep an eye on the markers in the dark. We did! 

I like watching the stars and then the daylight slowly seep in. I was glad to be doing the walk in the cool morning instead of the hot afternoon. 

Coffee was shared with a fellow Seattle-ite and the morning walk was pretty. The Camino passed through farmlands and along canals. 

A few more representations of Santiago and a decorative rest stop:

I also saw another pilgrim dog! This one was pulled by its owner in a little cart behind a bike. I wish I could have gotten a better picture. :)

The afternoon was hotter and the Camino hugged the road, but it wasn't a busy one. 

Here's a map from the town I'm staying in tonight. My feet are holding up quite well. 

Kilometers walked:  25.24 (Fitbit), 29.12 (Buen Camino app). Another pilgrim's guidebook said 27...

Day 17: Hontanas - Itero de la Vega

To start off today, I should finish up last night. ;) The hostaleros in the Municipal Albergue in Hontanas deserve a special shout out for their smiles, cooking, sense of humor and all over hospitality. We shared a great dinner of vegetarian paella, salad, pork and fruit. 

After dinner we were invited up to a viewpoint above town (not too far up, haha!) and a secret cave bodega. The sunset views were incredible and we sampled some local wine. 

Once again today I started out with the stars still out. The sun rose over the fields and I soon passed the old monastery/hospital of San Antón. 

It was time for second breakfast in Castrojeriz, a very scenic town with lots of buildings made from stone at the base of a ruined castle. This would be a great place to spend the night or a rest day (future camino notes!).

It was working up to be another hot day and my energy wasn't as high; I felt I had slept the last few nights, but not as much as I wanted and I could feel it catching up with me. There was a steep climb and then descent... great views from the top, of course! 

A very important reason that I am on the Camino is to get out of my head (planning and doing mode) and focus on being in my body (being mode). Instead of pushing on, I stopped in Itero de la Vega, at another municipal albergue. This one is in a pleasant brick building near the church. There is a full kitchen, small patio and garden and no bunk beds! I'm pretty excited to sleep in a normal bed. 

I made a lunch with some of my snacks and supplies from the small supermarket (tomato and cucumber salad with sheep cheese, peanuts and olives) and made friends with the other pilgrims. There are two from South Korea, one from England and one other from the US. 

So, how much does the Camino cost? In general, it is a very affordable experience, though you can easily spend more by eating out more often and staying at private pensions and hotels along the route. Here's my breakdown from today as one example: 

€1.20 coffee

€1.20 orange juice

€1 Aquarius drink 

€3.70 groceries for lunch

€5 albergue

€4.50 groceries for dinner 

I did have some gluten free cookies and rice cakes with my two breakfasts that I had bought in Burgos. Not too spendy, though!

What do you want to know about the Camino? Let me know and I'll focus on it in a future post! :)

Kilometers walked: 19.48 (Fitbit), 20.16 (Buen Camino app). 

Day 16: Burgos - Hontanas

The albergue last night had some interesting house rules. It's common that there is a curfew and that doors lock then. However at this one we didn't have control over the hall lights and so an earlier bedtime meant that light still spilled into our room (no doors). All the lights, including the room lights were switched on at 6am, which is a pretty hard wake up call. Soy milk café con leche at the bar across the street and I'm out by 7!

Leaving Burgos was a pretty walk and the misty morning fields added to the magic. 

The Camino soon departed from the city and freeway roads and views. Now I am on the "meseta," a long, mostly flat part, favorite of some and skipped section of others. 

So far, I like it. I read a quote that said the landscape here is in the sky! Yes, it is.

With M, an Italian who lives in England at a rest stop today. 

Sunflower season is ending, but this field still has some life. Mom, I always think of you when I see these. ❤️

Today was my biggest day yet. On any Camino. I feel tired and my ankles were ready to stop when I got to the albergue, but I did 30k! I was so happy to see the town of Hontanas. 

At the time of writing I'm sitting outside of the church at a cafe, with two Germans. I'll have the community dinner at my albergue soon and then it's bedtime! 

Photo above: Inside the Hotanas church. 

The Camino doesn't leave a lot of free time, but I am reading an amazing book: You are not your pain by Vidyamala Birch and Danny Penman. I highly recommend it if you are dealing with any kind of chronic physical or emotional pain (including stress!).

Kilometers walked: 26.6 (Fitbit), 31.37 (Buen Camino app), 30.5 (Leslie Gilmour guidebook). I think the Fitbit took a siesta and forgot to count some today!

Day 15: Cardeñuela Riopico - Burgos

Today I started walking and it was already light out! And not so cold! I "splurged" on a room with just two bunk beds, and sharing with 3 other women (2 German, 1 French) was much more chill than a big room. 

Not the most picturesque day, but also part of the Camino. Following the shells becomes a real scavenger hunt in the cities; you need to stay alert!

I was out by 7:30 and I walked about 2 k until the next town before stopping for the daily coffee. Before I knew it I was to the outskirts of Burgos!

Many pilgrims take a bus the last 10k into the city and I thought I might too, but it was a good morning for walking and still early and I am here to walk, after all! 

I arrived to the historic center around 11 and wandered into an adorable cafe that had loose leaf teas and gluten free bread. A sandwich and green tea later I decided to check out the municipal albergue, which has solid reviews. 

For €5, I have a space shared with just one other pilgrim in this modern and clean facility. 

J from Australia. 

Common kitchen area. 

Bike storage space. 

Burgos is beautiful. 

My legs and body feel good; I am settling into the routine of walking and aches, pains and complaints are subsiding. My boots feel great, my backpack isn't too heavy and I feel strong. 

Plan for tonight: tapas and rest. 

Kilometers walked: 18.44 (Fitbit), 13.59 (Buen Camino app). I did wander around Burgos A LOT! 

Day 14: Villafranca Montes de Oca - Cardeñuela Riopico

The albergue room was busy, in the night and early morning. I woke up just after 6 and stayed in bed stretching before rolling out at 6:30. I left the dorms at 7 and was surprised by a night dark sky filled with stars. Other early pilgrims stopped and marveled too. A group of us congregated around the cafe door below. It was not much higher than freezing, but with 12 k before the next village, coffee was not optional. The café opened on Spanish time... so a little after 7. ;)

An ascent up, along with the double espresso, helped me wake up and I witnessed another spectacular sunrise. The photos really don't do it justice, but I have to try. 

It was a beautiful walk and I chatted literature for a bit with a guy from Sevilla and said good morning to some of the now familiar faces that seem to be on about the same stages as me. 

We passed through pine trees and it reminded me a little of Flagstaff, Arizona. There was a funky rest stop about halfway, with painted wood and stones. 

Two rest stops and some kilometers later I arrived at San Juan. It was warming to sit in the sun in the plaza and let my fingers thaw... I didn't think I would be this chilly on the Camino in September, but I think gloves are in order. 

Picnic lunch spot:

While I was eating my lunch, I saw a fox scurry by!

I climbed another hill and came into a small town. Dinner is at the albergue tonight. 

I'm looking forward to having a shorter day tomorrow and seeing Burgos!

Kilometers walked: 22.41 (Fitbit), 24.48 (Buen Camino app). 

Day 13: Grañon - Villafranca Montes de Oca

Today the good vibes at the parroquial albergue in Grañon continued as the hostaleros woke up early making lots of strong coffee and setting up breakfast. I should clarify that a place to stay, dinner, breakfast and all the amazing camaraderie are donation-based. I left my donation, packed my bag, enjoyed some excellent coffee, did a few dishes and said my goodbyes before 7:30. 

I had slept okay, but maybe just not quite enough. Still, the 6 degree Celsius weather and the gorgeous sunrise (again: remember to stop and look behind you) made me feel awake and energized. Can you see the church steeple in the two photos? That's where I slept!

I love how big the sky is and there were many small villages on the way today. Many of these towns exist because of the Camino. And they aren't new, they have served pilgrims since way back...

My mind is a mish-mash of thoughts... plans for after, ideas, reflections, randomness... I don't know how I'll ever capture it all. I guess it's all in there somewhere. I've been dreaming in Spanish and my interior dialogue is even more a squishy mix of Spanglish than normal. Learning another language does fun things to your brain! But, hey, look at the pretty flowers next to the old building! And that blue!

Today I crossed into another part of Spain - Castilla y León. Crazy hair and crazy water tube, but here I am! Camino Style. ;)

Today was also the longest day of walking since the first (obligatory) long one. And here is where I am staying!

Well, kinda... the hotel owner built an albergue in back. Our entrance is here:

I arrived just before the skies opened up to pour rain. Another Camino rainbow appeared after. 

The view is from the albergue kitchen, where I heated up a microwave meal of pisto (vegetables in tomato sauce) for dinner, which I ate outside with a few other snacks, other pilgrims' company and a pregnant tabby who ate all the tidbits I dropped to her. 

My sleeping bag is cozy and it'll be bed time here soon. Night night!

Kilometers walked: 25.18 (Fitbit), 27.64 (Buen Camino app)... my friend's guidebook says we did 29! Ha!

Day 12: Azofra - Grañón

Today we got a later start (8:40) due to Ch having some tummy issues in the night. We both felt okay in the morning, but Ch wanted a shorter day to allow her body some rest time. 

The Camino went through countryside and also had times near the highway. I saw a lot of farmland today. At one point the Camino and some of the farm roads were one. 

I love the big, wide open sky, it's blue color, its big puffy clouds. 

There are always fun surprises as far as art and what the signs will look like. These metal pieces are in Cirueña. 

The experience is the way, but that final destination is constantly dangled before you. I was talking with another pilgrim at the albergue about the race/rush element of the Camino. Some walkers are quite constrained by time, expectations, or the bed race. It must be a conscious choice to take yourself out of that hurried mindset, even on the Camino. 

Tonight I'm at a special albergue. It's connected to the church, really it is part of the church! There is a mass with pilgrims' blessing at 7 and then we will have dinner together. There aren't beds, but my sleeping mat feels pretty comfortable. The hostaleros (hostal employees) are volunteers and the space has a great energy to it. 

After a dinner of salad, white bean soup and fruit (which was a collaborative effort to put together), we went into the chapel of the church for a moment of shared prayers/meditation/silence. Three of us were convinced to sing Cohen's Hallelujah with one of the hosteleros accompanying on guitar. It's always a good time to try new firsts; I've sung in a church!

Church details, including stained glass pilgrim. 

No wifi, since the albergue is a part of the church, but worth it for the incredible hospitality and community. 

I could hear the bells as I drifted off to sleep...

Kilometers walked: 20.9 (Fitbit), 22.02 (Buen Camino app).