R & R, rest and relaxation, may be too mild a term for what is needed after walking almost 900kms. A more expansive expression is necessary; rest and relaxation plus rehabilitation, rehydration, relief, respite, recovery and then repatriation home. Fortunately we had allowed ourselves lots of extra time to indulge in as much R & R & R & R as we wanted. Having finished our Camino to Santiago in 31 days and, after one wonderful day of rest and visiting with Camino friends in Santiago and then completing the added 3 days Camino to Fisterre, we still had 10 days left over before our flight back to Canada. What to do, what to do?
Spending the first three days of our overtime in Fisterre was a quick, no-brainer decision. Fisterre won us over with its charming harbour, beaches and numerous cafes and restaurants.
It was a perfect spot to dump the backpacks in the hotel, hobble around the small village, sit on the cafe patios and share stories with other camino grads, hobble to the beach and soak sore feet in the cooling (cold) Atlantic water. Nothing to do and all day and night to do it. Perfect.
We had considered several other small villages or cities to visit, Muros or Ponteverde but at the last minute we decided the quick and easy two hour bus ride north to O Coruna was the way to go. As promised, getting to O Coruna was quick and easy and cheap, only 14 Euros. Unfortunately, once there we had to don those *&$%#@ backpacks again and plod through the busy streets to an information centre. We had no idea what O Coruna had to offer. First impressions were that it was a bigger city than expected, hectic, lots of construction and not so obviously charming. We learned that it did have a few beaches and, by accident or design, as we searched haphazardly (hobbled - there is a recurring theme here) through the busy streets I recognized a sign from one of the tourist books: Hotel Riazor. Turns out they had a room, 53 Euros without a view, 65 Euros plus tax with an oceanview. Throwing financial caution to the wind we took the oceanview. Good choice. Our lovely big room looked out over Riazor Beach - a topless beach. Because we were more comfortable with watching than participating in the 'topless' concept, we first headed out to shop for bathing suits. In the end, I just used a sports bra and my sleep boxer shorts rather than spend 40 to 80 Euros on a bathing suit, an ugly, poor fitting bathing suit.
Walking in the sand on the beach was brutal on my ankle and, while the cold Atlantic water felt great, by evening it was obvious it needed treatment. Off we went to a private hospital where, after consultation with a doctor, Xrays, ultrasound and 250Euros, we got a diagnosis of tendinitis and the usual presciption: rest, elevation, ice and anti-inflammatories. Nothing we hadn't already self-diagnosed but now it was official. The real rest wouldn't come until home though. I can't say we did much in O Coruna. Even the little bit of walking the sight seeing entailed was too much but flopping down on a beach towel or the hotel bed was enough to satisfy us. I revelled in hot water and a real shower and shaving my legs ( TMI - too much information?) Dayton revelled in not carry a 16kg backpack everywhere.
In O Coruna, we availed ourselves of a very helpful travel agent who helped us book bus tickets for a 7 hour bus ride to Salamanca, a reservation at the Hotel Monterrey near the Playa Mayor in Salamanca and then train tickets for later to Madrid.
The seven hour bus ride to Salamanca was not as bad as expected. We had a huge tour bus and only 7 passengers. However, this did not mean you could sit anywhere. Seats were assigned when we purchased the tickets and that's where we were to sit, even if the front row seats where empty or there were empty seats to sprawl out in right across from us.
The Hotel Monterrey was a very old hotel, again ideally located but no more carting backpacks, we were now into taxis. We enjoyed sitting at the cafe tables that edged the Playa Mayor, sipping wine and watching the tourists go by. The Playa Mayor was a happening place and there was a late night concert featuring a couple of 'boy bands'. We managed to stick around for only the first song of the first set. A super late night on the Camino might have been 10pm max. and we were still happy with that schedule. Our hotel was hosting a seniors' tour group and as the seniors left the hotel and filed ever so slowly onto their tour bus, obliviously blocking the hotel exit and the sidewalk, all I could think of was "next year that's us"?
Salamanca is a lovely university town and, surprisingly we ran into some James Madison University students who were starting a 6 week intensive course studying Spanish and partying - for 9 college credits. JMU is in Harrisonburg in Virginia just north of Dayton's home town.
We left Salamanca on Saturday, June 6th and took the train to Madrid. The train was easy and comfortable and the Metro was easy to navigate. Since I had booked us a room at an airport hotel, we took the Metro to the airport and then got our hotel shuttle to take us to the Hotel Clemente Baranjas which turned out to be another pleasant bonus; a very new and modern hotel. The Metro took us back into the centre of Madrid, an easy 50 minute trip and we immediately got tickets for the Madrid Vision double-decker sightseeing buses. I was disappointed that now they just hand out ear phones and you plug them into the language of your choice outlet. I had expected a real live tour guide. I think a tour guide would have given more information and extra tidbits about the places we were seeing. When we went back into Madrid again on Sunday we discovered a big 'tapas' market just outside and to the west of the Plaza Mayor. The market had many different tapas counters, wine and vermouth bars, an oyster bar, panadarias and it was definitely 'the place to be'. This is our style of touristing, food and wine.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Final Thoughts on the Camino
The Camino Frances de Santiago de Compostela
It´s definitely a misnomer to title this final thoughts as I know I will be thinking about this Camino journey for a long time to come and I´m sure my impressions and memories will be enhanced when I have more time to reflect on this experience. However, here are some initial final thoughts. Ha!
It is what it is and it is what you make of it.
Wanderlust or pilgrims´quest, it is what you make of it. It can be as spiritual, as solitary, as communal, as cultural or as physical as you choose it to be. For me, it became an exceptional physical challenge as early on I developed tendinitis in my left ankle (probably because of the weight of carrying a backpack and overstriding to keep up with the others). We chose to walk every day, to push ourselves (although at the time I did not think of it as pushing myself as much as just keeping at it), to not take rest days, to walk more than 25kms most days and so the physicality of it all seemed to dominate. Actually, it wasn't so much that we chose to push ourselves but that one just gets caught up in the momentum and then you just get up and go each day.
While dealing with tendinitis emphasized the physical toll the camino took on me, the most impressive aspect of the camino was the people we met and the friendships we made. I know we will meet up with so many of these people again sometime in our life.
Arthur Boer noted several affirmations to think about on the Camino and I amended them for myself:
I am where I want to be.
I am doing what I want to do.
I am enjoying who I am with.
I will remember this.
Arthur Boer also started his book with "I once walked 500 miles to go to church".
I´m starting my book with "I once walked 500 miles to lose .3kg". Unfortunately that weight loss was short lived as I quickly regained that .3kg three days after that I quit walking.
Was it what I expected?
It took more of a physical toll than I expected. I never anticipated an insidiuous injury I couldn´t just tough out.
I don´t know at what point you can define something as spiritual so I can´t say if it was as spiritual as I expected. I certainly had many moments of zen when I was at peace with and in awe of my surroundings. The first three days walking the Meseta were particularly zen-like, so vast, green, serene, still and endless.
The community of pilgrims met my expectations. Wonderful, enjoyable and fun.
The scenery, the culture, the people of Spain and the pilgrims we met, were all as wonderful as I had expected and hoped.
It was more expensive than I thought it would be but that´s our economic style anyway. We always spend more than we planned but at the same time we didn´t spend on anything but food and wine. Well, there was one little 18carat gold shell pendant but that was planned before we left Canada.
Communal Living
I enjoyed the Camino community of pilgrims. I enjoyed the comaraderie and fellowship of meeting and sharing stories and life experiences, of eating together and walking together. I never got to the point of enjoying the communal living in terms of sharing dormitories or communal washrooms or showers.
I toughed out a lot of walks, toughed out carrying probably too much weight, toughed out being a vegetarian in a meatarian society but couldn´t get around toughing out cold showers or lack of toilet paper. Come on!
Things I´m Grateful For
That I did this with Dayton. He´s a great map reader and path finder. He was patient with my slower walking pace ( he didn't adjust his pace to it but he did wait patiently for me to catch up) and with carrying some of my stuff; sleeping and shower gear and my Keens.
I'm grateful for the alternative routes and the detours which he suggested and which we took: Bercianos, Samos, the high route out of Villafranca del Bierzo. Each one turned out to be a delightful surprise.
Would I Do it Again
I would definitely like to do a Camino again but would most likely try some of the other Caminos such as Le Puy on Velay through France and, maybe later, the Camino Via Plata from Seville, or the Camino Portuguese or Camino Arles. I would probably try to be less of a purist (if that´s the correct word I´m searching for) about it, taking some time off instead of making it a marathon, treating and resting the injuries instead of pushing through them and making them worse. Well that would be my intent anyway, whether it would evolve that way is another question. And I might investigate more private alberques or pensionnes. And like all pilgrims, I would pledge to be more ruthless about the weight in my pack and carry less. Ha!
Admiration and Respect
I admire and respect and am in awe of those who undertake this Camino on their own, especially the women. I know I would worry or second guess myself all the time wondering if I was following the right path, especially early in the morning.
Personal Goals
Did I live up to my personal goals? I think so.
Did I whine? I had set a goal to not whine and I don´t think I did although Dayton will note that I did mention my bad left ankle more than a couple of times. Even on the days when we had to add a few extra or even 15kms to our walk I didn´t voice my inner whines.
Did I live in the moment? Maybe. I enjoyed the moment but confess I was often thinking ahead to the next village, the next alberque, the next café stop or the next pilgrims´meal.
Did I pay attention? Definitely. I learned on the Wainwright Coast to Coast that all I was seeing were my boots so this time I was determined to pay attention and remember where I was, what I saw and, with the help of my journals and blogs, I think I will remember so much more about the Camino.
Did I let things irritate me? Nope, I was pretty good about accepting things. A couple of times the snorers and the pushy people kind of put me off my camino feelings of zen. The most irritating things on the camino were the cold showers and the lack of toilet paper.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda?
What do I wish we had done differently? Taken less (like everyone else). Stayed one more day in Santiago. Planned four days to get to Fisterre and then maybe added Muxia.
It´s definitely a misnomer to title this final thoughts as I know I will be thinking about this Camino journey for a long time to come and I´m sure my impressions and memories will be enhanced when I have more time to reflect on this experience. However, here are some initial final thoughts. Ha!
It is what it is and it is what you make of it.
Wanderlust or pilgrims´quest, it is what you make of it. It can be as spiritual, as solitary, as communal, as cultural or as physical as you choose it to be. For me, it became an exceptional physical challenge as early on I developed tendinitis in my left ankle (probably because of the weight of carrying a backpack and overstriding to keep up with the others). We chose to walk every day, to push ourselves (although at the time I did not think of it as pushing myself as much as just keeping at it), to not take rest days, to walk more than 25kms most days and so the physicality of it all seemed to dominate. Actually, it wasn't so much that we chose to push ourselves but that one just gets caught up in the momentum and then you just get up and go each day.
While dealing with tendinitis emphasized the physical toll the camino took on me, the most impressive aspect of the camino was the people we met and the friendships we made. I know we will meet up with so many of these people again sometime in our life.
Arthur Boer noted several affirmations to think about on the Camino and I amended them for myself:
I am where I want to be.
I am doing what I want to do.
I am enjoying who I am with.
I will remember this.
Arthur Boer also started his book with "I once walked 500 miles to go to church".
I´m starting my book with "I once walked 500 miles to lose .3kg". Unfortunately that weight loss was short lived as I quickly regained that .3kg three days after that I quit walking.
Was it what I expected?
It took more of a physical toll than I expected. I never anticipated an insidiuous injury I couldn´t just tough out.
I don´t know at what point you can define something as spiritual so I can´t say if it was as spiritual as I expected. I certainly had many moments of zen when I was at peace with and in awe of my surroundings. The first three days walking the Meseta were particularly zen-like, so vast, green, serene, still and endless.
The community of pilgrims met my expectations. Wonderful, enjoyable and fun.
The scenery, the culture, the people of Spain and the pilgrims we met, were all as wonderful as I had expected and hoped.
It was more expensive than I thought it would be but that´s our economic style anyway. We always spend more than we planned but at the same time we didn´t spend on anything but food and wine. Well, there was one little 18carat gold shell pendant but that was planned before we left Canada.
Communal Living
I enjoyed the Camino community of pilgrims. I enjoyed the comaraderie and fellowship of meeting and sharing stories and life experiences, of eating together and walking together. I never got to the point of enjoying the communal living in terms of sharing dormitories or communal washrooms or showers.
I toughed out a lot of walks, toughed out carrying probably too much weight, toughed out being a vegetarian in a meatarian society but couldn´t get around toughing out cold showers or lack of toilet paper. Come on!
Things I´m Grateful For
That I did this with Dayton. He´s a great map reader and path finder. He was patient with my slower walking pace ( he didn't adjust his pace to it but he did wait patiently for me to catch up) and with carrying some of my stuff; sleeping and shower gear and my Keens.
I'm grateful for the alternative routes and the detours which he suggested and which we took: Bercianos, Samos, the high route out of Villafranca del Bierzo. Each one turned out to be a delightful surprise.
Would I Do it Again
I would definitely like to do a Camino again but would most likely try some of the other Caminos such as Le Puy on Velay through France and, maybe later, the Camino Via Plata from Seville, or the Camino Portuguese or Camino Arles. I would probably try to be less of a purist (if that´s the correct word I´m searching for) about it, taking some time off instead of making it a marathon, treating and resting the injuries instead of pushing through them and making them worse. Well that would be my intent anyway, whether it would evolve that way is another question. And I might investigate more private alberques or pensionnes. And like all pilgrims, I would pledge to be more ruthless about the weight in my pack and carry less. Ha!
Admiration and Respect
I admire and respect and am in awe of those who undertake this Camino on their own, especially the women. I know I would worry or second guess myself all the time wondering if I was following the right path, especially early in the morning.
Personal Goals
Did I live up to my personal goals? I think so.
Did I whine? I had set a goal to not whine and I don´t think I did although Dayton will note that I did mention my bad left ankle more than a couple of times. Even on the days when we had to add a few extra or even 15kms to our walk I didn´t voice my inner whines.
Did I live in the moment? Maybe. I enjoyed the moment but confess I was often thinking ahead to the next village, the next alberque, the next café stop or the next pilgrims´meal.
Did I pay attention? Definitely. I learned on the Wainwright Coast to Coast that all I was seeing were my boots so this time I was determined to pay attention and remember where I was, what I saw and, with the help of my journals and blogs, I think I will remember so much more about the Camino.
Did I let things irritate me? Nope, I was pretty good about accepting things. A couple of times the snorers and the pushy people kind of put me off my camino feelings of zen. The most irritating things on the camino were the cold showers and the lack of toilet paper.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda?
What do I wish we had done differently? Taken less (like everyone else). Stayed one more day in Santiago. Planned four days to get to Fisterre and then maybe added Muxia.
Camino Stats
- Number of days walking Karen: 33 Dayton: 34
- Total kms walked Karen: 856.5 Dayton: 892
- Average kms per day 26.2
- Kms walked with tendinitis Karen: 531.5
- Number of alberques: 32
- Average cost of alberques: €7
- Number of sellos (stamps): 52
- Average € per day: €50 for two people. Obviously too many bocadillos and cafe con leches
- Countries represented by Pilgrims we met: 27
- Longest Walk: Villafranca Montes de Oca to Burgos: 40.5+ kms
- Shortest Walk: St. Jean Pied de Port to Orisson: 7.5kms
- Toughest Walk: Dayton - Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro + Olveiroa to Fisterre
- Toughest Walk: Karen - Orisson to Roncesvalles + Arca to Santiago
- Meanest Weather: Orisson to Roncesvalles (blizzard) + Arca to Santiago (rainstorm)
- Most beautiful walk: Foncebadón to Molineseca
- Most spectacular walk: Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro
- Most serene walk: Castrojeriz to Fromista - magnificent
- Best meal/alberque experience: Bercianos Real Camino
- Best vegetarian meal: Manzarife and Bercianos Real Camino (made vegetarian for Karen)
- Worst meal experience: Redicilla del Camino (mean restauranteurs)
- Glasses of wine: 112 each - at least
- Number of beer: Dayton- 56 at least, Karen - 12 at least
- Amount of Mefix used: 4 metres of 5" Mefix
- Mgs of painkillers used: 37,050mgs at least and counting
- Number of marital spats: ZERO
- Easiest walk: NONE
- Number of pictures taken: 1838 and counting
- Best Village/Town: Fisterre + Villafranca del Bierzo
- Best City: Astorga
- Number of nights ruined by snorers (roncquistadors): 3
- Best Dining Experience: Beachside restaurant in Fisterre
- Amount of gas charged to Shell while we´ve been WALKING the Camino: $335.33 -Hmm?
- Number of Masses attended - Roncesvalles, Carrion de Condes, Santiago, Samos, and Bercianos del Real: 5
- Amount of weight lost: 31.6 lbs. - Dayton at least 20, John 11, Me .6 lbs. Yes that´s not even one full pound actually by the scale it was .3kg. Aaaaaaargh.
- Cost of having 10 days left over: the same as the first 35 Camino and Fisterre days = a lot!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Enjoying Fisterre
Our first night at the Hotel Ancora was the noisest night I´ve spent on the entire Camino but we have now moved to a quiet, cooler back room and all is good. After John left, we headed to the beach to enjoy the sun and the ocean. The fact that no one had beach wear or bathing suits is apparently not a concern for most of the European pilgrims, we retained our Canadian modesty.
Charlotte Jensen, a Danish lady who is now living in Spain and who had just finished her Camino, invited us to join a group who had planned lunch at an amazing and very, very upscale beachside restaurant that specializes in seafood and in particular shellfish. What another stroke of serendipity! This was an eating delight for seafood lovers. Dayton shared the ´owners special´which gave them three platters of different shellfish (scallops with crab, clams, razor clams and a freebie of barnacles), a platter of two types of fish (bass and something else with its head still there), a platter of potatoes and another of salad and a couple of bottles of white wine - all for about €40.00 each.
Last night was equally interesting as we joined Liane and Jürgen, from Düsseldorf, for a walk to another beach where we enjoyed some wine and cheese, the sunset and a fire which Jürgen built so that they could burn their Camino underwear and socks. Great fun.
Charlotte Jensen, a Danish lady who is now living in Spain and who had just finished her Camino, invited us to join a group who had planned lunch at an amazing and very, very upscale beachside restaurant that specializes in seafood and in particular shellfish. What another stroke of serendipity! This was an eating delight for seafood lovers. Dayton shared the ´owners special´which gave them three platters of different shellfish (scallops with crab, clams, razor clams and a freebie of barnacles), a platter of two types of fish (bass and something else with its head still there), a platter of potatoes and another of salad and a couple of bottles of white wine - all for about €40.00 each.
Last night was equally interesting as we joined Liane and Jürgen, from Düsseldorf, for a walk to another beach where we enjoyed some wine and cheese, the sunset and a fire which Jürgen built so that they could burn their Camino underwear and socks. Great fun.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Done and done in!!
Friday, May 29 Cabo de Fisterre - the end of the world!My Fisterre certificate will have to have an asterix beside it because I had to throw in the camino towel this morning. We left Oliveiroa at our usual 6:15am with me hobbling along using my hiking sticks almost as crutches. After 20 minutes we had gone less than a half a kilometre and realized there was no way I could get through 31kms so my gift to Dayton was to turn around and let him go on alone. He can walk at least 6kms an hour and I was struggling to get 2kms an hour at this point.
I went back to the cafe in Oliveiroa and had breakfast with the late starters then took a taxi to Fisterre. We did drive pass Dayton around 8am when he was doing a little road walking; we beeped, waved and kept on going. In Fisterre, a German lady I had met in Ponferrada many days ago, recommended her hotel so I booked into it, left my mochilla (backpack) and headed back down to the port. It was serendipity that, as I was limping into the town centre, there was John calling out a welcome. The camino does provide some things and friends is one of those things. He had taken the bus into town yesterday and had sent an email that he would meet us but we didn´t have internet so this was a complete surprise.
We limped around town together and waited for Dayton to arrive, which he did at 1:10pm!! With me, we would still be walking until sunset. I did manage to struggle my way the 3kms to the Cabo do Fisterre which is the official end of the world I guess. While we were taking pictues at the Cabo do Fisterre, I received a text message from Courtney encouraging me and telling me I could finish it all but, if not, to be proud of what how much I had already accomplished. It gave me a moment of disappointment to realize I didn´t get it all done but I did walk over 850kms and 500kms of those were with a wrecked ankle.
Then we hitched a ride for me back into town.
So now we are all done and done in and seriously beat up. As I said, the Camino is humbling especially if you have the audacity to think you´re in good shape. Now we will take the next week to enjoy some R & R in these lovely oceanside pueblos. John leaves tomorrow to make his way to Madrid and has changed his flight for an earlier departure. We will stay in Fisterre a few days then go to O Coruña for a few more and then decide where to go next. Should be fun.
Brutal long hot day!
Only 31kms to go and it´s not looking good! My ankle is beyond painful. I just can´t get it to work. We left the alberque at 6:20am, me full of meds ( I will need dialysis at the end of this) and were off to a great start but then we missed a sign at the first village and added a couple of kms detour down into a valley and then had to double back UP to find the markers. By that time all those who had started after a leisurely breakfast had gone ahead.
Just as some say "golf is a great walk ruined", well today was a beautiful walk ruined by the stress of worrying that we there´d be no room at the inn. This day was so hot and, having turned a 33 kms day into a 37kms day, Dayton and I were hot, dehydrated and exhausted when we got to Olveiroa. It was especially hard for Dayton who had to keep waiting, in the hot sun, for me to catch up, again and again and again. The good news was that there was a bed for us; no hot showers or toilet paper, but at least a bed. They say "the camino provides" but damn I wish it would provide what I consider a few necessities of life. However, there´s never been a lack of wine so guess I shouldn´t complain.
Just as some say "golf is a great walk ruined", well today was a beautiful walk ruined by the stress of worrying that we there´d be no room at the inn. This day was so hot and, having turned a 33 kms day into a 37kms day, Dayton and I were hot, dehydrated and exhausted when we got to Olveiroa. It was especially hard for Dayton who had to keep waiting, in the hot sun, for me to catch up, again and again and again. The good news was that there was a bed for us; no hot showers or toilet paper, but at least a bed. They say "the camino provides" but damn I wish it would provide what I consider a few necessities of life. However, there´s never been a lack of wine so guess I shouldn´t complain.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Where you go, I will go.
Today we set out at 6:30am across the deserted dark cathedral square and headed out of town on our three day trek to Fisterre. As I was following Dayton, who was as usual 100 metres ahead of me, I recalled that in our wedding service we used the passage from the Book of Ruth "whither thou goest, I will go" or "where you go, I will follow" and now, almost 28 years later, I am following Dayton to the end of the world and how neat is that!
The walk today was along a lovely pathway cutting through eucalyptus and pine trees and bordered by ferns and foxgloves. I am becoming a trail snail and just like the walk from Arca into Santiago every single person on their way to Fisterre passed us, well me anyway. This is a major problem as there are not many spaces in the few alberques along this route. This is going to be bit of a rat race.
I´m losing it on the hills now too. I used to think I was a little mountain goat on the hills with the best defence being a good offense so I would just attack the hill busting up it as hard as I could. Now I´m like the Little Engine that Could (or couldn´t).......I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. Instead of getting stronger and stronger, I´m fading. This camino is humbling.
The walk today was along a lovely pathway cutting through eucalyptus and pine trees and bordered by ferns and foxgloves. I am becoming a trail snail and just like the walk from Arca into Santiago every single person on their way to Fisterre passed us, well me anyway. This is a major problem as there are not many spaces in the few alberques along this route. This is going to be bit of a rat race.
I´m losing it on the hills now too. I used to think I was a little mountain goat on the hills with the best defence being a good offense so I would just attack the hill busting up it as hard as I could. Now I´m like the Little Engine that Could (or couldn´t).......I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. Instead of getting stronger and stronger, I´m fading. This camino is humbling.
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