Our Camino Prayer a.k.a. Anima Christi

One morning when we set out walking with Billy and Christine, Cullen began the day as we always did, with "our" pilgrim prayer. Billy told us he learned that prayer as a child, so it really isn't a pilgrim prayer per se, but it is the prayer we started each day of our pilgrimage. It is the "Anima Christi". Here it is with a bit of variation:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
Passion of Christ, comfort me
O my Jesus, Within thy wounds hide me
From the evil malignant one defend me
At the hour of death call me
And grant that I join your angels and saints
and proclaim your glory.
Now and Forever. Amen.

Our Camino in Video

We've put all our pictures of our Camino to video in three parts - enjoy!


Part 1 - NYC, Bordeaux, St Jean Pied de Port to Belorado


Part 2 - Belorado to Villar de Mazarife


Part 3 - Villar de Mazarife to Santiago de Compostela and onto Finisterre

The Best, The Most Surprising and Practical Advice

Practical Advice:

I definitely recommend using net sacks for keeping your clothing sorted. We used plastic and the "eau de pilgrim" gets overpowering after a couple of weeks. The net sacks allow for ventilation and they are less noisy than plastic.

Learn as much Spanish as you can. Though most (not all) pilgrims from non-English speaking countries do speak English, and you can make yourself understood to most business proprietors, our experience was so enriched by Cullen's ability to converse with the locals and the Spanish pilgrims in their language.

My boots were 1 1/2 sizes bigger than my normal shoe. I would definitely go with 2 sizes bigger to accommodate the one foot that is bigger than the other (this is probably true for most people). I believe this is the reason I had trouble with the toes on my right foot. It is definitely the bigger of my two feet.

Pilgrim etiquette - Like anyplace else, there are people who don't behave well. Don't worry about it.

What We Liked Best:

- The simple life.

- Running into familiar pilgrims.

- Making new friends, especially Dieter, Becky, Christine and Billy, Ants and Rebecca, Kaija, Patricia and the three amigos, Tomas, Enrique and Luis!

- The big sky of the Meseta.

- The hospitaleros in CastroJeriz, who put on a Quemada ceremony, sang "Amazing Grace" in Spanish while preparing the Quemada and sang Auld Lang Syne in Spanish as we walked off in the morning down the deserted street.

- The Pilgrim's mass at the convent in Astorga and the priest asking us to carry the prayers of the sister's to Santiago.

- Starting each day with our Pilgrim Prayer.

- Introducing other Pilgrims, especially our Kiwi Kids, to the Sol y Sombra.

- The great, swinging incense burner at mass in the Cathedral de Santiago, knowing so many others, over so many years experienced the same thing.

- The appreciation the old Spaniards show the pilgrims and their calls of "Buen Camino".

- Last, but certainly not least, the Spanish Bars where you know you're going to have a great cup of coffee.


Most Surprising (in a not so good way):

- The number of meals (Pilgrim meals and meals of the day) which included french fries as a side dish.

- The number of Spaniards, old and young who smoke cigarettes and the enormous amount of cigarette smoke in bars and restaurants.

- The villages that seemed deserted, as if no one was living there.

- The significant number of dogs kept on short chains.

- The amount of manure on The Way..cow, dog, bird.

Post Camino

Well, it has been a little more than 2 months since we finished our Camino. As soon as we finished we began our touring of Spain. We've been home for 2 weeks and thought it would be a good idea to share some "superlatives" with those of you followed our journey. First though, we'd like to thank each and everyone of you for the comments, thoughts and prayers you sent our way! It really meant a lot to us.

Towards the end of our Camino I thought, "how can people want to do this again?" Sure, it's beautiful, you meet wonderful people, drink good wine, etc. But you can never recreate the experience. So I just figured that somehow the good things must be pushed forward in your mind while the difficulties (sore feet, wearing the same clothes day after day..) are pushed into the back. But here we are, after 2 months post Camino, starting to have thoughts like all the rest of the pilgrims on the Forum (www.caminodesantiagodesantiago.me/board) and the pilgrims I met on the Camino who were doing it for the second, third or fourth time. It really is the simplicity of "The Way" that is most appealing. Getting away from the fast paced life, the traffic, the news, the yard work, etc. Having time to just enjoy nature and being part of something bigger than ourselves, something intangible.

So how does one bring the simple life of the Camino back to your life at home? Right now I have the feeling that, that is more difficult than walking the Camino itself. Perhaps with each Camino you bring home a bit more of the simple life.

Anyway, we wrote some notes while on the bus to Finisterre, making lists of what we liked best and least, our most cherished experiences, our "nightmare" experiences and what we least expected. When I look back on my notes I also notice that what starts out as a "nightmare" ends up being the "most cherished". More to follow.....

Day 38 Santiago to Finisterre (April 25)

We took the bus for 12 euro each and it took about 3 hours.  It was a nice drive and we welcomed the ocean views.  The bus made quite a few stops on the way, but we weren't in a hurry.    When we arrived we were surprised there wasn't a big bus station, this is the end of the earth after all.  There was an organized run going on so the bus dropped us off on a corner in town.    There were a lot of folks waiting to board the bus.  We thought we'd find the tourist office to get info on accommodations but there wasn't an official tourist office instead we were directed to the albergue which acts as the tourist office.  They were very helpful in recommending the Casa Velay, a nice pension as well as a restaurant.  They also had bus schedules to our next stop, La Coruna.  The double room with bath was 36 euros.  Once we were settled we decided to walk up to the lighthouse.  We ran into Urtzii in town before starting.  The walk was about 6 km round-trip - all on the road.  When we got to the lighthouse the view was wonderful.  I was surprised at how few people were there.  Not many tourists at all.  There were a couple of fires burning so Cullen added our items for the obligatory burning ritual; a sock of mine and his clothesline and clothespins.  When we got back into town we decided to look for the restaurant recommended to us by Jose Andreas, the famous Spanish chef. When we were at his book signing back in December he had recommended that we go.  Turns out the chef at the restaurant is married to the sister of the lady who runs the pension where we are staying.  It was about 1 km, right on the beach.  The name of it is Tira do Cordel.  We didn't have reservations so they seated near the grill where they do most of the cooking.  Of course we loved that!  The food was great-razor clams, a scallop which Cullen thought was the best thing he had ever eaten, and  sea bream cooked perfectly.  The cooking grills were huge and they were built so the chefs could lower or raise them over the hot coals.  The fish was brought in fresh from the ocean.  We also had a great Albarino wine.  When we finished we walked back to town and saw a few pilgrims we had met on The Way (Ramon, Marc, Urtzi, a young German woman).  We chatted with them for a while and had a nice evening on the waterfront.  Thus ended our Camino adventure.  We now begin our tourist adventure traveling around Spain and ending up in Rome.       

As an update we had a chance to check out our photos when we visited our friend Iker in San Sebastian and much to our horror it appears that when Cullen dropped the camera on day 21 most of the subsequent pictures are out of focus. Once we get home we'll post. 

Wines from Spain

I had wanted to taste many good wines while we were in Spain. Unfortunately I was a bit naive as to what I could accomplish. While walking the Camino, I stayed away from the high.end and middle end wines focused on the vino de la tierra and vino de la mesa. I had many average wine and a few good wines but sorry to say I found nothing spectacular. Then We went to Finisterre and we had our first WOW wine at the restaurant called Tirra do Cordel. The wine was an Albarino called Marques de Vizhoja. The next time we had a great wine was while we were visiting our friend Iker in San Sebastian. It was a txakolii called Txomin Etxaniz. While in Sevilla we decided to eat at La Taberna del Alabardedo, which is also in Washington D C and we tried two wines from Andalucia which were fantastic. We are now in Sanlucar de Barrameda, where we just finished a "private" tour of the La Gitana winery and I must say we were really impressed with the sherries, as every sample we tried came right out of the barrel. We have two more weeks in Spain before we leave for Rome and hopefully we will try a few more outstanding wines. Of course all these "wow" wines I will need to tell my friends at The Wine House in Fairfax, Va, and hopefully they can add them to their wonderful selections of Spaniah wines!

Day 37 Santiago de Compostela (April 24)

Last night was the most noisy night we've had in Spain. Our room in the Hostal Girasol was on the street side and there were a lot of people partying (pilgrims) until the wee hours. I thought I was done with earplugs but I had to dig them out of my backpack at 2 am. When we got up around 8 we packed up and headed over to the Hotel Windsor where they told us we could store our bags until check-in. We headed back to the cathedral area and had coffee then entered the cathedral to look around before the noon pilgrim' mass, but by this time it was nearly 1000 so we decided to stay for the 10 am mass with the intention of staying for the 1200 pilgrims' mass as well. There were a lot of people at the mass who were obviously with tour groups.  Many of them were quite noisy.  So much so that the priest had to ask for "silencio" several times.   We enjoyed the mass and when they started to swing the Botafumeiro,the the giant incense burner, it was very thrilling for us.   Knowing this tradition has been carrying on since medieval times is very moving.  We thought we'd stay through at least the beginning of the next mass just so we could hear "two pilgrims from the United States walked from Saint Jean Pied de Port", but it was only 1100 so we headed outside thinking we would just head back in at 1145.  When we stepped out there were so many people waiting to get in, we knew there was no way for us to get back in for the 1200 pilgrim mass.  We saw many of our fellow pilgrims (Kaija, Tomas, Enrique, Luis) who were also frustrated at not being able to attend due to the number of tourists.  It is really sad that the cathedral folks do not make some kind of provisions for those pilgrims that have walked long distances.  Missing the pilgrim mass just seemed to take away from the Camino experience.   Afterwards we did some shopping and stopped for a coffee with Patricia and her husband who joined her in Santiago from France.  We returned to the cathedral square we met Duke and while we were talking, Rebecca and Ants arrived in Santiago.  We were so glad to see them!  We walked a bit and found the Three Amigos sitting outside enjoying a drink of herbal orujo, so we joined them.  Afterwards we bought them a sol y sombra.  A religious procession comprising of a band of drummers passed by. It was quite dramatic.  There were a couple of dozen players of different ages, men and women, dressed in white robes.  It was very exciting.  We made plans to visit Tomas and Enrique as we travel through Spain the next 5 weeks. Next stop is to the end of the earth - Finisterre, but this time we are going by bus!

Day 36 Arca - Santiago (April 23)

We got up, showered, and were on the road by 8.  We stopped immediately for a coffee.  We saw a few familiar faces on the way ; young Annie and Andy.  The weather is quite overcast and the path is moist dirt - not mud.  Just outside of Arca we had a little bit of an ascent and then we paralleled the airport for a while.  We passed a bar so we stopped for a cafe con leche, as someone mentioned it might be the last place to stop before Santiago.  The way to Santiago is very crowded.  About 4 km from Santiago it started to drizzle.  We walked past a fairly large nature preserve.  As we did we ran into Tomas, Luis, and Enrique.  We walked with them for a while then they stopped for something to eat and we kept going and going and going.  We didn't stop again until we reached the cathedral.  It is a long walk to the cathedral once you arrive in the city. As we got closer we saw the 2 Spanish women.  They had just gotten their compostelas and were so happy.  They told us there was no line.  We saw Urtzi, the young Mexican couple and their friend- all of them had their compostelas and pointed us in the direction of the pilgrim office.  As we worked our way there we saw Dieter.  He was the first Pilgrim we had met way back in Valcarlos and to end our pilgrimage together in Santiago was just perfect.  We had a short celebration and then the three of us went to the pilgrim office together and got our compostelas.  Next we checked our backpacks for 1 euro and got in line to enter the cathedral. We waited for about an hour to hug the statue and see the saint's tomb where we left the prayers and intentions written by our friends and family members.  While we were waiting on line we saw Kaija, our Finnish friend.  Dieter needed to find a place to sleep for 2 nights so we went to the tourist office and they were no help.  Cullen remembered seeing the Pilgrim Travel Center on our walk into the city so we went there and they gave us a couple of places to check and they also told us getting rooms was very difficult because the Iceland volcano had caused a lot people to postpone their departure from Santiago until air travel resumed.  We were able to help Dieter find a place for 2 nights.  We had made a reservation for ourselves for 1 night at the Hostal Girasol, but had trouble getting a place for the second night.  After calling a dozen places we went back to the tourist office and they suggested we go to the Santiago Office of Tourism and indeed they were very helpful in finding us a room at the Hotel Windsor.   Once that was settled we walked around the city and ran into Tomas, Luis, and Enrique.  Tomas suggested we have dinner at the El Pasaje restaurant, which we did.  It was expensive, but delicious and we thought we should treat ourselves and celebrate our successful pilgrimage. Right before we left we saw Tomas, Luis and Enrique come in for dinner. Hopefully they did not spend as much as us!! We're looking forward to attending the pilgrim mass tomorrow.  

Day 35 Arzua - Arca (April 22)

We got up around 7 with the group in our room.  I slept - thank goodness for earplugs!  We left the albergue and stopped for a coffee before starting out for the day.  The weather looked cloudy so once again we draped our ponchos over our packs.  We decided to stop at every bar along the way this morning and that may sound like a lot, but it really isn't.  The path itself is just great.  Dirt paths through forest.  Of course there are some muddy parts and some manure, but not much.  We ran into Kaija and 3 others from Finland at the first bar stop.  We ran into Anne the elder German woman  and three Filipino-Americans from Boston at the second bar stop.  At the third stop we ran into the three amigos.  Anne walked with us for a while but she must have stopped for a break.  Just before arriving in Arca there was a tourist office where we ran into Kaija, the young Mexican couple and their buddy.  When we arrived in Arca we saw Urtzi and the 2 Spanish women we've been seeing on and off since Molinesca.  The 3 of them were having foot/toe problems.  We found and checked into our Pension Arca.  We have great double room with bath for 40 euros.  There is a nice kitchen and outside area.  We walked back into town and had lunch at the restaurant right next door to the Guardia Civil building.  We had a very meal with the 3 Amigos which included spareribs.  Tomas treated us to the meal.  We had called Becky when we arrived in town and she called us back and said she was a couple of villages away and would call when she arrives.  When we got back to our room Becky called and she is staying at this pension as well.  She saw Dieter in Melide yesterday so we're hoping to see him today or tomorrow.  We are very excited about getting to Santiago tomorrow but sad at the same time that our pilgrimage will be coming to an end.  We had a nice dinner with Becky at the same place we had lunch.             

Day 34 San Xulian - Arzua (April 21)

Got up around 7 and took our time getting ready because we want to stop in Melide for lunch (famous octopus) and since it's only abut 13 km we don't want to get there and have to wait for the place to open.  There are lots more pilgrims on the trail today.  When we started out there was kind of a clump of us. I really don't like starting my day with noisy pilgrims behind me.  Yes there are noisy pilgrims.  Pilgrims talking on cell phones, or talking loudly with each other.  So what I like to do if they're behind me is to just pick up the pace a bit to put some distance between us.  It was looking cloudy today so we draped our ponchos over our packs for easy access.  The trail itself was great today.  Through pine and eucalyptus forests.  Of course the wildflowers are all over!  The cuckoo bird continues calling, I think it's getting on Cullen's nerves (smile).  Today I saw rhododendrons in bloom for the first time which remind me of home in Virginia.  Happy cows are in big green pastures.  It started raining and it rained on and off.  We stopped in Melide and got to the restaurant Exequiel mentioned in the Brierley guidebook and it was already busy.  Saw lots of Pilgrims there including Rudy and Connie.  We had the pulpo (octopus), bacalao, potatoes, bread and vino for two for twenty euros.  The rain contined as we left Melide until we reached Arzua and then the sun came out.  We checked into the Albergue Via Lactea. The proprietors were very friendly, helpful and welcoming.  The albergue itself is quite nice; nice showers, nice outdoor area, good kitchen, Internet and it's close to bars, restaurants and shopping.  We know everyone in our room tonight - Connie, Rudy and their Spanish friends.  We went to the supermarket to pick up a snack.  Arzua is famous for it's cheese-making so we bought some and some bread and wine.  For dinner we went to the Casa Theodora and had a 
nice meal.  As we were leaving we ran into the 3 amigos; Tomas, Enrique, and Luis and it was like running into old friends since we've been seeing them since Fromista.  They advised us to make a reservation for the next town (Arca) which we did.  When we got back to our albergue we found there were now 40 middle schoolers staying here.  Luckily none are in our room.

Day 33 Gonzar - San Xulian (April 20)

We had a good sleep and coffee and toast before starting out for the day.  Once again we have good weather.  We are loving the last few days of walking.  A little up and down and paths wide enough to walk side by side. Again the hedges line both sides of the path, at least part of the way.  Tiny yellow, purple, pink and white wildflowers all along the way.  We stopped at Palais del Ray for lunch.  It was delicious mixed salad, fried padron peppers, grilled squid, and really good bread.  Cullen had some Albarino wine while I stuck to water.  Today the mountains are far from view.  It is with mixed feelings when I realize we only have 3 more days of walking the Camino.  Physically I am ready to stop since my right pinkie toe has been hurting for a couple of days.  But there is something so special about meeting people of all ages from all over the world experiencing the same thing you are.  And seeing those same people on and off over a 5 week period has been a big part of my Camino.  We walked the extra 3 km to San Xulian as we had planned in order to avoid the crowds in Palais del Ray.  We have to thank Falcon for this tip.  The albergue here is quite cozy and one of the best we have stayed at.  We're supposed to meet Rudy, Connie, and their Spanish friends.  The proprietor, Miguel, is a wonderful fellow.  He took a crumbled down building like so many we have seen in the small villages and turned it into this very welcoming spot for pilgrims.  The cost is 10 euros and he offers dinner for another 10.  Plus there is a bar so we'll be able to have coffee before staring out tomorrow. Miguel is married to a lady from Cuba so the food here is a blend of Galiego and Cuban.  Their daughter is a musician who plays classical guitar and sings opera so we had a bit in common to talk about our daughters!  At 5 pm there were still a lot of pilgrims passing through.  An older German woman arrived at amour 5:30.  She spoke no Spanish or English.  Luckily one of the Portugese women speaks German.  It seems she lost her wallet of cash.  Someone volunteered to cover the cost of her meal and bed for the night but she left her backpack and is going to backtrack and look for her wallet since she thinks she knows where she dropped it.  She was gone nearly an hour but amazingly enough she found it!  Even more amazing to me is that she decided to continue walking even though it was nearly 7 pm by then.  We had a nice meal; caldo, pork fillets, salad, vino and bread.  For dessert we had a delicious cheese with quince.  After dinner we stayed in the dining room and watched the Barcelona / Milan soccer game.  The Portuguese ladies were the only ones routing for Milan -the coach is from Portugal and Milan won.  We met a young couple from Mexico tonight along with another Mexican man who was planning to walk the Camino with his wife but she passed away.  So he is carrying a credential for himself and for her and hoping to get compostelas for the both of them when he arrives in Santiago.  The young couple have been married for 15 years and have no children so they are walking to Santiago to ask St James for his help.  

Day 32 Barbadelo-Rente - Gonzar (April 19)

I woke up early and went down to the common area so i could wrap my toes up and be ready to go.  I'd like to go out with a little group in case those dogs are put - safety in numbers and all that.  We started out alone but the 2 young Germans weren't far behind so we walked slowly so they'd catch up and thankfully the dogs were not out this morning.  The first 7 km were very nice walking; tree lined paths or paths bordered by low stone fences.  Some streams, lots of wildflowers and the usual amount of dung avoidance areas.  Stopped in Morgade for a coffee and it looks like a very nice place to stay.  Some of these casas have such beautiful enclosed patios with an outside bar.  While we were sitting, a man came down with a suitcase and gave it to a taxi driver.  Shortly after he came down dressed to walk and carrying a little backpack.  If I do the Camino again that's the way We'd go.  You stay in private places so you're not taking up space in an albergue yet you are walking with a very light pack.  We walked to Portomarin, about 19 km.  We crossed paths with Kaija several times today.  She is very worried about being to fly home because of the volcano eruption in Iceland.  It was a great walk today.  Mostly on paths, some up and down, but nothing terrible.  Sometimes I feel like the route for pilgrims is someone's idea of a bad joke.  Really people?  Do we have to walk nearly 20 km only to have to climb several dozen steep, medieval steps to enter the city?  Believe me, at this point the drama is wearing me out.  The scenery though is just so gorgeous at times.  Meadows of grass and wildflowers.  One part of the walk today was through a stream and there were rectangular slabs of stepping stones for us to use.  The sound of running streams was with us most of the day as were the cuckoo birds.  And just when we thought we had seen the last of the storks -there one was in a farmer's field.  The path paralleled the highway part of the way but along most of it there was a natural barrier of some sort hedge.  There is one bush which at first I thought was Rosemary but this bush is thorny yet has a lovely yellow flower. There is also a hedge about 5 ft tall with tiny purple flowers.  One of my dreams actually came true today.  I've been dreaming about walking on a path covered with oh so soft pine needles.  The realty of my dream didn't last long, only about 40 ft.  We had a very decent paella in Portomarin and a very nice Albarino wine.  

Cullen checked a souvenir shop and came. back quite excited, he noticed that the store had a copy of the magazine La Moto and the picture of us standing at the Alto de Perdon was a two page spread for their article on the Camino.  Of course he bought the magazine so now we have a special memory of our Camino.  And of course Cullen showing the magazine to all peregrino friends! I walked in my crocs from Portomarin to Gonsar about 8 km.  This worked out very well for me again today though my boots are heavier to carry.  We are staying at the Casa Garcia tonight.  We have our own bedroom but we'll sharing a bath.  The waitress, Gina, was especially nice.  Dinner here was good, but usual spaghetti Bolognese, hake and Tarta de Santiago.  

Day 31 Triacastela - Barbadelo-Rente (April 18)

I woke up quite early and actually got out of bed at 0630.  Some people had already been up and gone.  We left the albergue and went back to last night's bar for coffee.  We were on the road to Sarria around 0745.  We decided to skip Samos and go the shorter route to Sarria - a difference of 7 km.  Unfortunately we missed a turnoff and ended up in Samos anyway.  The monastery was closed, but there was a big bicycle race getting underway. Was it worth the extra 7 km?  Not really.  When we arrived in Sarria we walked around a bit looking for a farmacia.  As we walked by a building an old Spaniard called out to us to come over.  I was not too sure about it but Cullen walked over and started talking to him.  The old guy, named Emilio Lopez Somoza, insisted I come over so I did and he then wanted to offer us some refreshments, so we walked through the building garage into a big meeting room with lots of Camino momentos and pictures.  First he had to show us a picture of him and President Clinton.  We never did fond out how he got his picture taken but he was very proud of it.  He then offered us anything we wanted from the frig.  We talked with him for about twenty minutes and then bid him adios.  Cullen took pictures of us with him and promised to send him copies when we got home. Sure was a nice moment.  We then stopped for some lunch.  My first paella here. It was a seafood paella.  It was a little salty and greasy, but okay.  I wore my crocs the rest of the way, about 5 km to Barbadella.  Walking in them wasn't bad at all.  I've talked to several people along the way who have done quite a bit of walking in their.  My little toe on my right foot is hurting so I thought I'd switch off.  I don't see a blister so I'm not sure what the trouble is.  It was a very nice walk from Sarria.  Tree lined paths,  not many rocks for a change.  We arrived at the municipal albergue and met a nice young couple from the Czech Republic.  Also staying here are Andy, young Annie, her German friend and the 2 young German men with the funny straw hats.  We walked up to the Casa Carmen for dinner and the French lady from the albergue joined us.  Unfortunately, we speak no French and she speaks no English or Spanish, which did not stop her from talking to us in French.  We managed to have a pleasant dinner together.  Rudy and Connie came I as well.  They have a room here.  We went for a walk before dinner to check out the Casa Nova since we heard they have a bar.  I really feel like we're in the middle of nowhere here.  Anyway we could see 2 dogs running towards us from about a football field length away.  I was hoping the old lady who obviously owned the dogs would call them back.  Instead she seemed to be egging them on.  They really frightened me so the lesson is to always take your stick when you go walking.  Same thing happened when we returned to the albergue - dang dogs.  There are lots of clouds out this evening and it has been raining on and off.  Cullen and I decided this is the last municipal albergue for us.  The sleeping area was way too cramped, the kitchen had no utensils, the common area was locked when we first arrived and then the hospitalero unlocked it for a couple of hours then locked it again.  Just not very conducive for conversation.  

Day 30 O'Cebreiro-Triacastela (April 17)

Had an okay sleep.  It looked like rain when we were getting ready to go so we put our ponchos on.  Luckily, the weather held and we didn't get rain until we arrived.  The walk here was quite beautiful.  Mountain views, meadows, and pastures.  We were very lucky to have clear view since our reference books warn us that there is usually a mist obscuring the view.  We got to a village and were hoping to find a place for some refreshment but the place was closed.  But a little old Spanish woman called put saying she Had pancakes if we would like some. So she gave a couple and asked for a donation and she also asked Cullen to kiss the saint's statue for her when we get to Santiago.  Later on, as we were leaving a lunch spot, an old Spanish couple were driving their 20 cows down the street.  They were so cute - yelling at the cows for going the wrong way and the old man had to chase down a runaway cow.  Right after that perhaps 200 meters further on, shred of goat and sheep came jingling by.  So finally we see who has been leaving all the droppings on the path!  We arrived at the albergue and there was only one bed left, but the hospitalero was kind enough to pull a fold away bed out of the closet for us. Lots of familiars here st this albergue; Andy, Duke, Patty, Han, Kaija, Birgitta, Neyong, and others.  We had a nice snack of cheese, bread, salad, and calamari so I don't think we need any supper tonight.  We decided to take a stroll around town and there were a couple of very decent looking places to eat.  We stopped at a bar and ran into the American couple we passed on the trail today.  They're from California - Rudy and Connie.  Very nice people.  We stayed in the bar with them for a couple of hours then headed back to the Refugio Oribio.  I liked the albergue very much but it's another hot night in the sleeping bag and a whole lot of snoring going on.  

Day 29 Villafranca del Bierzo - O'Cebreiro (April 16)

We had a good sleep last night. Unfortunately, we did not get treated to a Quemada last night. Breakfast was offered at the Ave Fenix for 3 euros. We also decided to pay the proprietor 4 euros to haul our bags up the mountain for us. It's 30 km/18 miles and I just don't think we can make it all the way up carrying our packs. It was raining when we left so we wore our portable saunas, aka Altus ponchos. They keep us very dry but they don't breathe well. We saw beautiful views today. Heather covered hills. We took the road route because of the weather and much of it was along running river so it kind of drowned out the highway noise. Around 1030 the rain stopped and the sun came out. We passed a lot of cow and sheep pastures today. Happy cows, not like most of the cows we had previously seen in too small corralled areas. We stopped at just about every village on the way for refreshment. We're going to stay in the Casa Carolo tonight. It's the same place our packs will be dropped. The sunshine didn't last long. If it hadn't started raining today it would have been a great walk. When we were on the last part of the trip I felt like it could have been a scene from an old silent movie. The wind was blowing our ponchos, the rain was coming at us from all directions, a and we're on this narrow path winding it's way up the mountain. Well it was a long 8 hour day. And though we had asked for a full size bed and bathtub, we got neither for 48 euros. Once we got settled in we sat in the bar and watched a couple of old guys playing drums, guitar and accordion. There are a lot of tourists here. There weren' t too many on the trail today. It is such a nice feeling not to see anyone in front or behind.

Day 28 (Ponferrado - Villa Franca de bierzo (April 15)

Had a pretty good sleep. Got up and out by 0730. We followed the Spaniard from the Canary Island who we've been seeing sin e Mansilla because we noticed yesterday he did not follow the marked way around Ponferrada but must made a beeline to the albergue. I think he saved us a couple of km today. Lots of highway walking today, but at this point I don't care. My legs are feeling like lead and my pack feels like it weighs a ton. It was warmer todAy, but cloudy. It has been drizzling on and off. This should have been an easy day, but it wasn't. Who knows why? Saw Kaija, Birgitta, the 2 Annes, and a 72 years young Finland man named Seymour. The albergue we're staying in tonight, Ave Fenix, may do a Quemada which is the main reason we stayed here. we're having a communal meal which is always nice. We' re not very hungry for dinner because we had a great lunch at the Hostal T restaurant with Patricia when we arrived. It was quite a good meal. Villa Franca is a very nice town

Day 27 Foncebadon - Ponferrada (April 14)

I didn´t sleep too well so I got up early. The view is beautiful from the albergue. It is very cloudy, but the sky looks great! We left around 8:30, and it was 32 degrees F. A bit chilly. We started walking and we saw a few snow flurries. We made it to the Cruz de Ferro and there were quite a few pilgrims there taking photos. Cullen´s buddy, Ramon, took picture of us depositing our stone (and an arrowhead for a coworker) on the pile. To imagine the millions of pilgrims who did this very thing was grand. We walked the 7 miles to Acebo. It was really hard on the knees, but it is great to be in the mountains again. Acebo was a beautiful town. ONe of the few that actually seemed prosperous. We picked up a delicious orange, a banana and some chocolates at Josefina´s Tienda. We passed by Manjarin, the real atmospheric place. Not for me, sorry. It seemed like we had to walk around the entire city of Ponferrada in order to get to the municipal. I was so aggravated after walking 18 miles. They were slow in checking us in and they weren´t very welcoming. The showers were good though and the toilets ample and the clothes line was fine. The kitchen seemed well equipped, many prepared a meal for themselves. There were 2 sets of bunks in our room which we shared with a young Spanish couple. from Barcelona. Last year they walked from St Jean to Burgos and this year they are walking from Astorga to Santiago. So, pretty much they skipped the entire meseta which is too bad. Met a young American woman from Park Slope in Brooklyn. She hadn´t done a lot of prep work and she was feeling a bit overwhelmed. She decided to take a bus to Sarria and just do the Camino from there. We had dinner with Kate, Kaija (Finland) Brigitta (Finland), Patricia (France) and Bjorn (German). Thank goodness they all speak English!

Day 26 Astorga to Foncebadon (April 13)

Got a bit of a late start today. Cullen was feeling congested so we wanted to stop at a pharmacy for some meds. Afterward we walked really quick and stopped Santa Catalina de Somoza, the first bar/albergue on the right. Though we didn´t go in, I noticed there was a sign for bacon, eggs, and potatoes for 5 euros. This albergue looked very pleasant. The mountains are ahead of us. The walkway was okay but after a couple of kilometers the path seemed covered with tree roots. We came upon a woman who had tripped and fell right on her head. There were many tending to her and the 3 Spanish men we´ve been seeing on and off told Cullen an ambulance had been called but they were very busy with pilgrim accidents. When we arrived in Rabinal we took a break to assess whether or not to continue. Cullen decided he was feeling pretty good so we went on. It was only another 4 Km but those 4 km were the most difficult of the day. Up, up, up a narrow rocky path. Something we haven´t seen in a while. We were heading to the Monte Illago albergue, but Duke was outside the first albergue and we decided to just tay there since it had both a bar and a restaurant. This town is indeed like a ghost town with more tumble down buildings than usual. 2 of Cullen´s Spanish men friends (Ramon and some other) were in the bar when we arrived. They were very concerned about Cullen´s health because last time we saw him he was having tummy trouble. Dinner at the Albergue was okay. Cullen introduced Duke, Patty, Han to the sol y sombra. Rebecca and Ants (kiwis) also showed up at the albergue and I guess the put all the English speakers in one room with the exception of a young Brazilian man who also spoke English. We met a young German American Girl, named Annie, she´s only 23 and walking on her own. We ran into Becky in Rabanal and she was going to stay there for the night.

Just a comment about the Albergue, the room smelled really bad. I don´t know if we pilgrims all smell or if the room smells. And the showers were not the greatest.

Day 25 Villar de Mazarife to Astorga (April 12)

Good Lord! Great weather again! We left the albergue last again. We immediately ran into Becky and walked the entire day with her - it was great! The walk was actually long and hard today, but we did get back into some hilly areas. There were lots of stones on the path. Hard walking. But lots of beauty as well. More storks nests and wildflowers. We even saw some livestock today - cows and pigs. We saw huge piles of celery root (celeriac) waiting to get picked up and distributed to market. We thought we´d only make it to Santibanez today. A ¨short¨ 12 mile walk. No way did we think we could make it all the way to Astorga, but we did. When we arrived in Santibanez we felt good and thought we could make it to the town just before Astorga. But, 4 km out of Astorga we came across a fellow (Bruno) with a fruit-drink stand and he spoke pretty good English and he told us it was an easy walk from there into Astorga, so off we went. He also recommended we should stay at the San Javier Albergue, which we did after checking out the municipal and not feeling too good about the place. San Javier was wonderful. There were two hospitaleros; Maya Louisa and Paco. Paco took care of those people with foot problems. Perhaps not as professional in the foot department as Laura was in Mansilla, but still a very caring person. The showers were nice, the bunks were nice, sufficient toilets and only 8 euros. A very dapper local man wearing an Alpine type hat herded several of us into the convent for mass. The nuns sang and the priest asked the pilgrims to carry the prayers of the sisters to Santiago. We had a great meal at the Hotel Gaudi. The Albergue gave us a coupon and for 11.50 euro we got ensalata mista, a whole baked fish and for dessert arroz con leche. Vino and bread too of course. A perfect end to a hard day. Before dinner Cullen, Becky and I sat at the bar and had sol y sombras. The bartender didn´t know how to make it so Cullen instructed her. They were very generous portions.

I feel like the weather has changed temps really dipped when the sun went down.

Day 24 Leon to Villar de Mazarife (April 11)

Before starting our walk we had breakfast in the Parador. A huge buffet! We saw Ann there. We left late, around 0945. Dare I say it? Another beautiful day in Espana. We walked a few miles to La Virgen del Camino and had a coffee. we continued on and shortly after, we ran into Dieter, and then Sara. Doesn´t seem like too many people took this alternate route. The way here was nice. The past few days we have had the snow covered mountains in the distance to our North. Today I didn´t see them until we left Oncina de la Valdocina. When I turned to see where Cullen was, there were the mountains. The way took us through farm fields, but where there weren´t fields planted, there were wild flowers. We arrived in Chozas de Abajo and had a coke and beer. The bartender was very nice. There were a couple of interesting Santiago statures along the way. We had decided to stay at Alberque Tio Pepes before we arrived in town. We had a room with 2 sets of bunk beds and happily, no one else stayed in our room. It was noisy as the Brierley book said it would be. Was hoping to catch up on the blog posting there but alas the advertised internet was not working. Very disappointing since it was one of the main reasons for staying. We had the menu of the day there and the food was not good. And it was noisy until 10:00 pm. There was a tub in one of the bathrooms and it had a stopper. If you are looking for a rest in the afternoon, this is not the place for you. Though Dieter got a private room for 20 euros and he said it was very quiet. Lots of 20 somethings hanging around making quite a racket on a Sunday afternoon. We did see 3 storks´nests in the church across the street from the albergue. The owner did give us free shots of orujo after dinner, so maybe it wasn´t such a bad place after all.