May 10, 2014
If I've learned anything on these long trails it's "don't make a final decision on a bad day!" Today is the best day yet. We're hiking into the mountains! Strenuous hiking. Not that flat road stuff. I've also decided that the one thing I can change is my attitude when there's nothing else. So I'm doing that. Whatever will be will be. If it's hot, wet bandannas cool meat night. Need a window open, ask. If someone is rude...be extra nice. They're having a hard time too. Working through my challenges. Looking for the beauty in each day...and there's plenty! Every day, every little village just blows me away with their old old buildings and ruins. Just so quaint!!!!
And today I feel so high I can touch the sky. My feet were flying! I was passing people going uphill:). Love them endorphins!!
Just hiked up to Foncebadon, the highest village on the Camino. We're staying in a hut in the back on mattresses on the floor. We're next to the chicken coop on a hippie farm! So cool! Love this place. The village is mostly the remains of fallen down stone houses. The roofs were wood braces and thatching but that's all gone and the walls are crumbling.
(Ok, got my first request to close the place up tight. The battle begins! What's with these Europeans who bring to the mountains only sleeping sheets and expect that that's enough to stay warm? I don't get it. I've walked through the dorms at night with all the windows closed and 40 bodies sleeping...and it was so warm and humid that it was disgusting. I showed her where the blankets are but she wasn't interested. I can drag my mattress out on the porch tonight I guess. Just noticed that there's a fire going in the fireplace. Oh boy ! )
Deep breath. We'll get through this night too.
Livin' the dream,
BagLady
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Thursday, May 8, 2014
The Torments Continue
May 8, 2014
Torments. Torments. The struggle continues. Get into the village. The albergue will put us 4 in a private room for 8 adding no one unless she fills up. Yeah! 2 windows! Breeze! Then Eva from Austria shows up and closes the window and says she snores very loud...she hopes we have earplugs. The blissful bubble is broken. Torture it becomes. I hate this trail. Am I the first person to hike the Camino and say that? I wish I had my tent or at least a decent pad to sleep on. I will be sleeping in the yard tonight on chair pads. I think April will join me. We found out from the owner that the doors to the albergue are locked at night. We always knew we couldn't get in after 10 pm, but we didn't realize the doors would not open from the inside either. That really scares me. LOCKED IN!! She said if there's a fire you have to go out the window. It's on the 2nd floor!
I WANT MY TENT!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would love this trip then. I think April and I will have to get double rooms now to avoid this trauma and fighting every night. Aye aye aye!! I'm sorry to always be bitching. Maybe that's why I'm not writing much. Having a hard time finding happy things to write about. Feel utter people exhaustion. Yesterday we took a zero in Leon. In the morning we moved from the albergue to a private place where we got a quad for 10€ each. And we got the room at 10 am. 23 hours of utter bliss!! The only thing was one window does not allow for a breeze so it was hot all night. Wet bandannas I used to cool down. But we slept on real sheets:). Had real towels for the shower. Simple pleasures. I didn't want to get up this morning. Too happy just lying in bed while the others went to breakfast.
Today we started hiking out of Leon. Pavement walking is hard on the legs. So we got the bright idea to get a bus. I know, this is beginning to be a habit:). And when we asked at the cafe where we stopped, we found out the bus stop was across the street. Perfect. Quick ride 7 kms and we're back in the country. Ahhhh! Green spaces again.
It's heating up afternoons now and my hiking umbrella is a godsend! Instant shade!
Dinner at these albergues is the pilgrim meal. Not served until 7:30. So late. Too filling. I'm going to try not eating them for awhile and see if I feel better. Eating way too much. Tonight I'll have bread, cheese, tomato, red pepper, and oil for dinner. And tomorrow my pack will be lighter!
So now that I've vented I feel better. Can't wait to see what torments tomorrow's travels bring.
Livin' the dream????
BagLady
Torments. Torments. The struggle continues. Get into the village. The albergue will put us 4 in a private room for 8 adding no one unless she fills up. Yeah! 2 windows! Breeze! Then Eva from Austria shows up and closes the window and says she snores very loud...she hopes we have earplugs. The blissful bubble is broken. Torture it becomes. I hate this trail. Am I the first person to hike the Camino and say that? I wish I had my tent or at least a decent pad to sleep on. I will be sleeping in the yard tonight on chair pads. I think April will join me. We found out from the owner that the doors to the albergue are locked at night. We always knew we couldn't get in after 10 pm, but we didn't realize the doors would not open from the inside either. That really scares me. LOCKED IN!! She said if there's a fire you have to go out the window. It's on the 2nd floor!
I WANT MY TENT!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would love this trip then. I think April and I will have to get double rooms now to avoid this trauma and fighting every night. Aye aye aye!! I'm sorry to always be bitching. Maybe that's why I'm not writing much. Having a hard time finding happy things to write about. Feel utter people exhaustion. Yesterday we took a zero in Leon. In the morning we moved from the albergue to a private place where we got a quad for 10€ each. And we got the room at 10 am. 23 hours of utter bliss!! The only thing was one window does not allow for a breeze so it was hot all night. Wet bandannas I used to cool down. But we slept on real sheets:). Had real towels for the shower. Simple pleasures. I didn't want to get up this morning. Too happy just lying in bed while the others went to breakfast.
Today we started hiking out of Leon. Pavement walking is hard on the legs. So we got the bright idea to get a bus. I know, this is beginning to be a habit:). And when we asked at the cafe where we stopped, we found out the bus stop was across the street. Perfect. Quick ride 7 kms and we're back in the country. Ahhhh! Green spaces again.
It's heating up afternoons now and my hiking umbrella is a godsend! Instant shade!
Dinner at these albergues is the pilgrim meal. Not served until 7:30. So late. Too filling. I'm going to try not eating them for awhile and see if I feel better. Eating way too much. Tonight I'll have bread, cheese, tomato, red pepper, and oil for dinner. And tomorrow my pack will be lighter!
So now that I've vented I feel better. Can't wait to see what torments tomorrow's travels bring.
Livin' the dream????
BagLady
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Leon and Miracles
May 7, 2014
Leon, Spain
April, Victoria, and I trained up to Leon yesterday. It all happened so quickly when we got to Sahagun and stopped to see the train schedule...the train arrived right then...we hopped on and Marjukka said she wasn't coming. Whoa! When the train pulled out it felt so weird to be without her. And 45 minutes later we were in a big city! What a time warp. And feeling off balance with one of the Four Crazy Ladies not there. But we understood Marjukka needed to hike her own hike and we admired her strength to do what she needed.
We jumped ahead because of Victoria's schedule. And I didn't care if I saw more of the plains. The train was a fun change:).
Victoria was hobbling due to shin splints which made searching for a nice place a challenge because she wasn't up to walking much. Add to that the poor and inaccurate info from the touristico and we struggled until we found a convent albergue for 5 €. The best part was the separate floors for men and women:). Kept the snorers away.
In the morning, I suggested we go see the other albergue since we had to pack up anyways. (This is a train and peregrinos are allowed to only stay one night. We have to be out by 8 am. If you're injured you need to find a private place to stay.). Well, this albergue is actually residential housing for the university and very nice! We decided on a quad for 40 € even though there was only 3 of us. Private room with a bath! Luxury!! After dropping our packs we went looking for coffee. Now kind you, it's only 8:30 am and nothing is open...seriously! This is Spain! We did find a cafe next to the cathedral and went in for coffee and munchies. Sitting in the front corner together, April shouts "There's Marjukka!" Stop kidding around, April. But we turn and look out the window, and she's walking through the plaza in front of the cathedral. Like a mirage! OMG! We screamed and ran out to hug her. How crazy is that? This huge city and she gets off the train, walks to the cathedral, and we spot her. As simple as that! Trail magic! Miracles! Marjukka is hiking to learn to trust and look what her trust brought to her!
It gives me goose bumps.
Livin' the dream,
BagLady
Leon, Spain
April, Victoria, and I trained up to Leon yesterday. It all happened so quickly when we got to Sahagun and stopped to see the train schedule...the train arrived right then...we hopped on and Marjukka said she wasn't coming. Whoa! When the train pulled out it felt so weird to be without her. And 45 minutes later we were in a big city! What a time warp. And feeling off balance with one of the Four Crazy Ladies not there. But we understood Marjukka needed to hike her own hike and we admired her strength to do what she needed.
We jumped ahead because of Victoria's schedule. And I didn't care if I saw more of the plains. The train was a fun change:).
Victoria was hobbling due to shin splints which made searching for a nice place a challenge because she wasn't up to walking much. Add to that the poor and inaccurate info from the touristico and we struggled until we found a convent albergue for 5 €. The best part was the separate floors for men and women:). Kept the snorers away.
In the morning, I suggested we go see the other albergue since we had to pack up anyways. (This is a train and peregrinos are allowed to only stay one night. We have to be out by 8 am. If you're injured you need to find a private place to stay.). Well, this albergue is actually residential housing for the university and very nice! We decided on a quad for 40 € even though there was only 3 of us. Private room with a bath! Luxury!! After dropping our packs we went looking for coffee. Now kind you, it's only 8:30 am and nothing is open...seriously! This is Spain! We did find a cafe next to the cathedral and went in for coffee and munchies. Sitting in the front corner together, April shouts "There's Marjukka!" Stop kidding around, April. But we turn and look out the window, and she's walking through the plaza in front of the cathedral. Like a mirage! OMG! We screamed and ran out to hug her. How crazy is that? This huge city and she gets off the train, walks to the cathedral, and we spot her. As simple as that! Trail magic! Miracles! Marjukka is hiking to learn to trust and look what her trust brought to her!
It gives me goose bumps.
Livin' the dream,
BagLady
Friday, May 2, 2014
Borgus - Life of the Peregrino
May 1, 2014
Hornillos del Camino,
For those who don't know anything about the Camino de Santiago, let me fill you in a bit. The trail I'm hiking is the most popular: Camino Frances that starts on the French side in the Pyrenees foothills. It's 790 kms long to Santiago de Compostella near the west coast. This trail has been hiked by pilgrims for over 1000 years. And it's an honored tradition in Spain to hike it. For me it's a history lesson and a European cultural experience. To walk through villages from the medieval times is amazing. I feel sometimes like I just want to rub my body up against the stones like a dog rolls in a stinky smell...just to soak it up. I can feel the labor of the men who worked so hard to build these structures that can last hundreds of years.
"Buen Camino" is the greeting of the trail. It's hello, goodbye, and just an acknowledgement when passing by by pilgrims and locals alike. At first I thought it would drive me crazy. Now it's a way if greeting because you never know what nationality anyone is. (Side story...this happened to Val who has studied Spanish 101 for 5 years, she says. She went into a touristo office to get information and trying to use and practice her Spanish she asked a question in Spanish. We guess it wasn't very good Spanish because the woman laughed and said with a laugh, " I don't even know what language to answer you in:)!")
So Buen Camino and buenos dias are my 2 most frequently used Spanish words. I'm learning others slowly. I can understand much kore than I can speak. I'm really tickled when I understand the price when spoken to me! The merchants are patient but rarely bi-lingual. It's actually funny how well understood we are if they try. And they do to get our money.
Our days begin early. Often there's someone rousing before 6 am. Ouch! Rustling, talking, lights on. I feel the hurry to get to the next sleeping village. Beds are limited. This weekend we're especially feeling the abundance of pilgrims as albergues are filling up early in the afternoon. After rousing, and packing, I try to find a cafe for "cafe con leche" (coffee with milk much like a latte). Then we hike. Our group started as April and me and Val and Phil (all friends from the Appalachian Trail). And Phil, our speedy hiker, would rush ahead and secure us beds by noons. It was great. Then in Pamplona our group added a couple of woman: Victoria from Montreal and Marjukke from Finland. Now Val and Phil are coping with injuries and have slowed down, so the other women and April and I are traveling together. The woman are younger but have not hiked a long trail before. We are having great laughs, but do miss Val and Phil...having to say goodbye this morning because we are ahead. Hopefully we'll see them again but they're going to bus ahead.
So we hike. And rush to town to get a bed. It's like a competition. We cannot dawdle or we'll be sleeping on the streets, no pads no tents.
May 2, 2014
Castrojeriz, Spain
Okay, time for a torment! I spent about an hour sitting quietly on some stone steps that led up to an elevated field writing my journal, writing about the life of a pilgrim...and before I could save it my phone went black and died! Really? In this day and age autosave isn't automatically part of a blogging app? Really? BlogPress, is that too much to ask????
Not sure I have it in me to write all that again. I'm struggling getting motivated to write at all. Not sure why. Does it have anything to do with why I'm hiking the Camino? I'm learning this hike is quite significant for many of the pilgrims. Hard for a hiker to understand that it's not about the hike. And the struggle. Struggle with packs too heavy. Struggle with bodies unfit. Struggle with problems back home. Hike for reasons they feel are too personal to share with a stranger. So what's my struggle? What am I here to learn? Patience is certainly one. With so many pilgrims, I can't always have what I want...when I want. Let go. Flow more. Stop resisting. I struggle with the lights going on at 6 am as pilgrims take off to trudge to the next village where they will sleep. I struggle as my feet hurt from km after km of walking on hard packed trails and paved roads. This isn't a trail through the woods, it's hiking ancient roads that have been hiked for over a 1000 years by all the pilgrims who've gone before. It's straight uphill and straight down, with no switchbacks. It's in the broiling sun with no shade. It's through ancient village after ancient village. With small cafés open for cafe con leche (a latte) and bocadillos (snacks) where we hikers gather in the sun and catch up.
Since we're only doing about 20 kms (12 miles) a day, we're in town between 1-2 in the afternoon. And sometimes we get the last beds in the albergue. Last night there were no beds left in the village. I don't know what people did. It was 20 kms to the next available bed. Taxi I guess. There are a lot of services like taxis and pack shuttles along this trail. Some have booked every room and their packs are shuttled forward daily while they hike with only a day pack. Some days that option looks darn inviting:)
Food is another struggle for me. Bread for breakfast. Bread for lunch. Then bread with dinner. Yup that about sums up the Spanish food. I'm so tired of bread and it's tired of me. Yes they have a few other options, but I tried yesterday to eat NO bread the whole day. I almost made it:). I slipped at dinner and had a slice with my salad. A Spanish breakfast appears to be coffee and bread, butter, and jam. Lunch is a loaf of bread with cured ham and cheese or a Spanish tortilla which is egg, potatoes, ham and cheese. For dinner, many places have a pilgrim meal for a fixed price of about 10 € ($14) that consists of a first course of soup or salad or spaghetti. Then a second course of pork or chicken or fish with potatoes. Finally dessert of flan or ice cream. And water and wine throughout. It's a fairly good deal but repetitive (and expensive) if eaten every night. This trail is not for poor pilgrims...at least not from the US with a lousy exchange rate. A small cup of coffee is over $2. A Big Mac ( the universal compare standard) was $6. It's not financially a good time to be traveling the world:/
And one last thing about pilgrims...they are a clean, well-perfumed, fashionable lot. They shower daily. Use perfume like crazy. And scarves are very in for men and women....as well as the latest colorful styles. No scrubby bunch, these hikers. Having a bitoif trouble fitting in. That much showering dries my skin. My clothes are laundered about once a week whether they need it or not. And I try to shower every other day.
Oh ya, all the languages! Sometimes my brain goes into it's foreign language storage area and comes up with the strangest things. My Spanish is slowly getting better, at least in reading comprehension. I'm using some French with Victoria. And sometimes it seems my brain wants to pull up the German I learned 40 years ago. So many languages are spoken along this trail. Quite fabulous!
And if you want to see more pictures friend me on Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman.
Livin' the dream,
BagLady
Hornillos del Camino,
For those who don't know anything about the Camino de Santiago, let me fill you in a bit. The trail I'm hiking is the most popular: Camino Frances that starts on the French side in the Pyrenees foothills. It's 790 kms long to Santiago de Compostella near the west coast. This trail has been hiked by pilgrims for over 1000 years. And it's an honored tradition in Spain to hike it. For me it's a history lesson and a European cultural experience. To walk through villages from the medieval times is amazing. I feel sometimes like I just want to rub my body up against the stones like a dog rolls in a stinky smell...just to soak it up. I can feel the labor of the men who worked so hard to build these structures that can last hundreds of years.
"Buen Camino" is the greeting of the trail. It's hello, goodbye, and just an acknowledgement when passing by by pilgrims and locals alike. At first I thought it would drive me crazy. Now it's a way if greeting because you never know what nationality anyone is. (Side story...this happened to Val who has studied Spanish 101 for 5 years, she says. She went into a touristo office to get information and trying to use and practice her Spanish she asked a question in Spanish. We guess it wasn't very good Spanish because the woman laughed and said with a laugh, " I don't even know what language to answer you in:)!")
So Buen Camino and buenos dias are my 2 most frequently used Spanish words. I'm learning others slowly. I can understand much kore than I can speak. I'm really tickled when I understand the price when spoken to me! The merchants are patient but rarely bi-lingual. It's actually funny how well understood we are if they try. And they do to get our money.
Our days begin early. Often there's someone rousing before 6 am. Ouch! Rustling, talking, lights on. I feel the hurry to get to the next sleeping village. Beds are limited. This weekend we're especially feeling the abundance of pilgrims as albergues are filling up early in the afternoon. After rousing, and packing, I try to find a cafe for "cafe con leche" (coffee with milk much like a latte). Then we hike. Our group started as April and me and Val and Phil (all friends from the Appalachian Trail). And Phil, our speedy hiker, would rush ahead and secure us beds by noons. It was great. Then in Pamplona our group added a couple of woman: Victoria from Montreal and Marjukke from Finland. Now Val and Phil are coping with injuries and have slowed down, so the other women and April and I are traveling together. The woman are younger but have not hiked a long trail before. We are having great laughs, but do miss Val and Phil...having to say goodbye this morning because we are ahead. Hopefully we'll see them again but they're going to bus ahead.
So we hike. And rush to town to get a bed. It's like a competition. We cannot dawdle or we'll be sleeping on the streets, no pads no tents.
May 2, 2014
Castrojeriz, Spain
Okay, time for a torment! I spent about an hour sitting quietly on some stone steps that led up to an elevated field writing my journal, writing about the life of a pilgrim...and before I could save it my phone went black and died! Really? In this day and age autosave isn't automatically part of a blogging app? Really? BlogPress, is that too much to ask????
Not sure I have it in me to write all that again. I'm struggling getting motivated to write at all. Not sure why. Does it have anything to do with why I'm hiking the Camino? I'm learning this hike is quite significant for many of the pilgrims. Hard for a hiker to understand that it's not about the hike. And the struggle. Struggle with packs too heavy. Struggle with bodies unfit. Struggle with problems back home. Hike for reasons they feel are too personal to share with a stranger. So what's my struggle? What am I here to learn? Patience is certainly one. With so many pilgrims, I can't always have what I want...when I want. Let go. Flow more. Stop resisting. I struggle with the lights going on at 6 am as pilgrims take off to trudge to the next village where they will sleep. I struggle as my feet hurt from km after km of walking on hard packed trails and paved roads. This isn't a trail through the woods, it's hiking ancient roads that have been hiked for over a 1000 years by all the pilgrims who've gone before. It's straight uphill and straight down, with no switchbacks. It's in the broiling sun with no shade. It's through ancient village after ancient village. With small cafés open for cafe con leche (a latte) and bocadillos (snacks) where we hikers gather in the sun and catch up.
Since we're only doing about 20 kms (12 miles) a day, we're in town between 1-2 in the afternoon. And sometimes we get the last beds in the albergue. Last night there were no beds left in the village. I don't know what people did. It was 20 kms to the next available bed. Taxi I guess. There are a lot of services like taxis and pack shuttles along this trail. Some have booked every room and their packs are shuttled forward daily while they hike with only a day pack. Some days that option looks darn inviting:)
Food is another struggle for me. Bread for breakfast. Bread for lunch. Then bread with dinner. Yup that about sums up the Spanish food. I'm so tired of bread and it's tired of me. Yes they have a few other options, but I tried yesterday to eat NO bread the whole day. I almost made it:). I slipped at dinner and had a slice with my salad. A Spanish breakfast appears to be coffee and bread, butter, and jam. Lunch is a loaf of bread with cured ham and cheese or a Spanish tortilla which is egg, potatoes, ham and cheese. For dinner, many places have a pilgrim meal for a fixed price of about 10 € ($14) that consists of a first course of soup or salad or spaghetti. Then a second course of pork or chicken or fish with potatoes. Finally dessert of flan or ice cream. And water and wine throughout. It's a fairly good deal but repetitive (and expensive) if eaten every night. This trail is not for poor pilgrims...at least not from the US with a lousy exchange rate. A small cup of coffee is over $2. A Big Mac ( the universal compare standard) was $6. It's not financially a good time to be traveling the world:/
And one last thing about pilgrims...they are a clean, well-perfumed, fashionable lot. They shower daily. Use perfume like crazy. And scarves are very in for men and women....as well as the latest colorful styles. No scrubby bunch, these hikers. Having a bitoif trouble fitting in. That much showering dries my skin. My clothes are laundered about once a week whether they need it or not. And I try to shower every other day.
Oh ya, all the languages! Sometimes my brain goes into it's foreign language storage area and comes up with the strangest things. My Spanish is slowly getting better, at least in reading comprehension. I'm using some French with Victoria. And sometimes it seems my brain wants to pull up the German I learned 40 years ago. So many languages are spoken along this trail. Quite fabulous!
And if you want to see more pictures friend me on Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman.
Livin' the dream,
BagLady
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Week 2 on the Camino
April 24, 2014
Ventosa, Spain
I'd better start writing more often or I'll remember nothing to say. This hike has so many different people walking it. And they walk it as they need to. It's an upscale hike with showers every day and cleaner clothes (for others...April and I still don't launder very often...wearing one set for hiking, one set for evening after shower, and sleepwear.). Some are hiking for a week or two, others to Santiago (800 kms) and others to Finisterre at the coast (another ~80 kms...that's where April and I are going...and Val and Phil, if they have time...they're daughter is expecting twins in a month or so,so no telling how long they can stay.)
This is like an international Appalachian Trail that goes through several small towns a day and ends in a bit larger town for the night. There are a lot of albergues along even in the smaller towns. Maybe we need to alter our rhythm so we end the day in one of those with fewer pilgrims.
I've had some great trail magic that I want to share. The first was when we got to the town of Los Arcos. Phil had called me to tell me he had our beds secured at the municipal albergue and that there was a small grocery store before the bridge if we wanted to get some food. So we stopped there. Later in the evening I joined Val and Phil going back to the store to get lunch for the next day. I'm standing at the register and glance across the shop. What do I see resting against the wall? My hiking pole! I hadn't even missed it. Oy vay! Would I have been upset in the morning!
The following day, more trail magic. At the first stop that morning at a cafe I went to read my map. Where are my glasses? I didn't have my visor or my knit cap on so my glasses wouldn't stay on my head. What have I done with then? So I emptied my whole pack, checked all my pockets...nothing. Argh! Where have I left them? I know I had them when we started today. We were 7 kms (2 hrs hiking) up the trail. I must have set them down when we stopped to take off our coats shortly after starting. Oh no! Am I going to have to hike back there and back here again? 4 extra hours? No way! I'll hitchhike. But I don't speak Spanish. How will I tell them where I want to go? And then how will I get back. Just then, Patricia arrives. She's a Spanish friend with great English. Maybe she can help me. Doesn't she find someone working on remodeling the aubergue in town to drive me back. And guess what? They were sitting on the curb right where I left them. Thank you Ausier!!
I was so ecstatic!!!!!! ( I have no spares with me, they're in Madrid.)
Another day. I'm not taking a lot of photos. I'm not documenting this trail like so many others. And I feel negligent. But I just want to be.
Today we had our first real raindrops, but not much. The irises and lilacs are in bloom. I had fresh strawberries without the hard white centers like in the States. Delicious! And the grape vines are budding with leaves.
The pavement and dirt trail is hard on the legs. Many are injured. Val and Phil bussed down the Camino today while April and I walked 20 kms.
Tonight we're in Ventosa a small town with a beautiful refurbished albergue. Good window to open. Good mattress. Should be a wonderful night.
Livin' the life,
BagLady
p.s. Photos are just not uploading. I may have to figure out a new way to blog because this is so frustrating!!!!!!!!!
Ventosa, Spain
I'd better start writing more often or I'll remember nothing to say. This hike has so many different people walking it. And they walk it as they need to. It's an upscale hike with showers every day and cleaner clothes (for others...April and I still don't launder very often...wearing one set for hiking, one set for evening after shower, and sleepwear.). Some are hiking for a week or two, others to Santiago (800 kms) and others to Finisterre at the coast (another ~80 kms...that's where April and I are going...and Val and Phil, if they have time...they're daughter is expecting twins in a month or so,so no telling how long they can stay.)
This is like an international Appalachian Trail that goes through several small towns a day and ends in a bit larger town for the night. There are a lot of albergues along even in the smaller towns. Maybe we need to alter our rhythm so we end the day in one of those with fewer pilgrims.
I've had some great trail magic that I want to share. The first was when we got to the town of Los Arcos. Phil had called me to tell me he had our beds secured at the municipal albergue and that there was a small grocery store before the bridge if we wanted to get some food. So we stopped there. Later in the evening I joined Val and Phil going back to the store to get lunch for the next day. I'm standing at the register and glance across the shop. What do I see resting against the wall? My hiking pole! I hadn't even missed it. Oy vay! Would I have been upset in the morning!
The following day, more trail magic. At the first stop that morning at a cafe I went to read my map. Where are my glasses? I didn't have my visor or my knit cap on so my glasses wouldn't stay on my head. What have I done with then? So I emptied my whole pack, checked all my pockets...nothing. Argh! Where have I left them? I know I had them when we started today. We were 7 kms (2 hrs hiking) up the trail. I must have set them down when we stopped to take off our coats shortly after starting. Oh no! Am I going to have to hike back there and back here again? 4 extra hours? No way! I'll hitchhike. But I don't speak Spanish. How will I tell them where I want to go? And then how will I get back. Just then, Patricia arrives. She's a Spanish friend with great English. Maybe she can help me. Doesn't she find someone working on remodeling the aubergue in town to drive me back. And guess what? They were sitting on the curb right where I left them. Thank you Ausier!!
I was so ecstatic!!!!!! ( I have no spares with me, they're in Madrid.)
Another day. I'm not taking a lot of photos. I'm not documenting this trail like so many others. And I feel negligent. But I just want to be.
Today we had our first real raindrops, but not much. The irises and lilacs are in bloom. I had fresh strawberries without the hard white centers like in the States. Delicious! And the grape vines are budding with leaves.
The pavement and dirt trail is hard on the legs. Many are injured. Val and Phil bussed down the Camino today while April and I walked 20 kms.
Tonight we're in Ventosa a small town with a beautiful refurbished albergue. Good window to open. Good mattress. Should be a wonderful night.
Livin' the life,
BagLady
p.s. Photos are just not uploading. I may have to figure out a new way to blog because this is so frustrating!!!!!!!!!
Friday, April 18, 2014
St Jean Pied de Port to Pamplona
April 18, 2014
Good Friday
Pamplona, Spain
Why did I think this was going to be an easy hike? Arrogance, I guess. The Pyrenees were stunning and challenging. Switchbacks weren't invented yet:). The steepest uphills and downhills I've ever encountered!!
But I can see from my photo collection on my phone that I was too busy hiking to get any great shots.
First night out we had reservations at Kayola, the overflow cottage to Orrison Refuge, 6 miles out of St Jean. That was a good idea. And after walking 15 minutes uphill to the Albergue for dinner, we all decided we liked our little place better. Highly recommended!!
Dinners for pligrims (as we're called) are called a Pilgrim's Meal and have a fixed price of 9 to 13 euros. Soup, sometimes salad, entree of pork or chicken, desert. And always bread. Sometimes All You Can Eat. Communal dining. And lots of wine!!
The next night we went to Roncevalles and stayed in a converted monastery. Very modern with built in bunks on the center wall. It slept over 200 pilgrims. I promise to try and do better getting photos of these places. That town had only a couple of restaurants and hostels, but no shops.
Onward to Zubiri, about 14 miles. And now my memory is failing as to what the trail was like. We stayed in the public albergue there with 22 bunks in one room. Amazingly the snoring has been nonexistent. This village was a bit larger with a few shops, small grocery, and several albergues. The restaurants are usually in the private albergues where the Pilgrim Meals are served.
Phil is a very fast walker and gets into town around noon and then has to sweet talk the person at the albergue into letting him check in for all of us. It's always a bit of a game but so far he's winning. Usually he just has to be patient and they see he's not going away and they let him in.
Yesterday we hiked in to Pamplona. I've realized that I always said that name wrong, with a second "m" in it. Suburban hiking is a novelty:). Much more challenging to find the trail signs.
I brought a very small pack thinking there was little I needed to carry, but found it was crammed full and hard to close. So I decided to ship stuff like extra clothes and my iPad to Monica's. Probably took 5 lbs out. Most excited about the extra space!
The adventure was getting to an open PO since it was a holiday yesterday. I found out a PO in a shopping mall outside of town was open until 10 pm. An hour's walk. Then I was told I could get the bus. I'm not public transport savvy and always feel it's an adventure. The hostel owner wrote down where I was going in Spanish for me and put in Google Maps where to catch the bus. And off I went. It felt exciting to be on my own and challenged to get this done. At the bus stop some local girls with minimal English said they were going to the same place and told me the cost of the bus. On the bus a man spoke English to me about how long it would take and how to get the return bus. Important thing to know. I wrote down the name of the street where I got on so I could show it to the bus driver on the way back. My pronunciation is so poor I'm not ever understood!
When I got off I was in a modern, commercial area of town. Large blank wall buildings. Parking garage. McDonalds, of course. No sign of the Correos, PO. Lots of asking and pointing and nodding and finally someone shows me the building where it is inside...like a Walmart. Ahhhh! So proud of myself! Done.
On the return trip, the tattoo'd, nose and lip pierced, gum chewing, bubble popping bus driver helped me find the right place to get off!
Every Maundy Thursday at 17:30 the church of San Agustín is the scene of the renewal of the 'Voto de las Cinco Llagas' (literal translation: vow of the five wounds). The ceremony goes back to 1599 when the city pleaded for divine intervention to be freed of the plague, which devastated entire cities at the time. After passing through the streets of Pamplona in procession with the symbol of the five wounds of Christ and the crown of thorns, the plague fortunately disappeared.
And the people partied in the streets!! It was a wild night in Pamplona!
Livin' the life,
BagLady
Good Friday
Pamplona, Spain
Why did I think this was going to be an easy hike? Arrogance, I guess. The Pyrenees were stunning and challenging. Switchbacks weren't invented yet:). The steepest uphills and downhills I've ever encountered!!
But I can see from my photo collection on my phone that I was too busy hiking to get any great shots.
First night out we had reservations at Kayola, the overflow cottage to Orrison Refuge, 6 miles out of St Jean. That was a good idea. And after walking 15 minutes uphill to the Albergue for dinner, we all decided we liked our little place better. Highly recommended!!
Dinners for pligrims (as we're called) are called a Pilgrim's Meal and have a fixed price of 9 to 13 euros. Soup, sometimes salad, entree of pork or chicken, desert. And always bread. Sometimes All You Can Eat. Communal dining. And lots of wine!!
The next night we went to Roncevalles and stayed in a converted monastery. Very modern with built in bunks on the center wall. It slept over 200 pilgrims. I promise to try and do better getting photos of these places. That town had only a couple of restaurants and hostels, but no shops.
Onward to Zubiri, about 14 miles. And now my memory is failing as to what the trail was like. We stayed in the public albergue there with 22 bunks in one room. Amazingly the snoring has been nonexistent. This village was a bit larger with a few shops, small grocery, and several albergues. The restaurants are usually in the private albergues where the Pilgrim Meals are served.
Phil is a very fast walker and gets into town around noon and then has to sweet talk the person at the albergue into letting him check in for all of us. It's always a bit of a game but so far he's winning. Usually he just has to be patient and they see he's not going away and they let him in.
Yesterday we hiked in to Pamplona. I've realized that I always said that name wrong, with a second "m" in it. Suburban hiking is a novelty:). Much more challenging to find the trail signs.
I brought a very small pack thinking there was little I needed to carry, but found it was crammed full and hard to close. So I decided to ship stuff like extra clothes and my iPad to Monica's. Probably took 5 lbs out. Most excited about the extra space!
The adventure was getting to an open PO since it was a holiday yesterday. I found out a PO in a shopping mall outside of town was open until 10 pm. An hour's walk. Then I was told I could get the bus. I'm not public transport savvy and always feel it's an adventure. The hostel owner wrote down where I was going in Spanish for me and put in Google Maps where to catch the bus. And off I went. It felt exciting to be on my own and challenged to get this done. At the bus stop some local girls with minimal English said they were going to the same place and told me the cost of the bus. On the bus a man spoke English to me about how long it would take and how to get the return bus. Important thing to know. I wrote down the name of the street where I got on so I could show it to the bus driver on the way back. My pronunciation is so poor I'm not ever understood!
When I got off I was in a modern, commercial area of town. Large blank wall buildings. Parking garage. McDonalds, of course. No sign of the Correos, PO. Lots of asking and pointing and nodding and finally someone shows me the building where it is inside...like a Walmart. Ahhhh! So proud of myself! Done.
On the return trip, the tattoo'd, nose and lip pierced, gum chewing, bubble popping bus driver helped me find the right place to get off!
Every Maundy Thursday at 17:30 the church of San Agustín is the scene of the renewal of the 'Voto de las Cinco Llagas' (literal translation: vow of the five wounds). The ceremony goes back to 1599 when the city pleaded for divine intervention to be freed of the plague, which devastated entire cities at the time. After passing through the streets of Pamplona in procession with the symbol of the five wounds of Christ and the crown of thorns, the plague fortunately disappeared.
And the people partied in the streets!! It was a wild night in Pamplona!
Livin' the life,
BagLady
Thursday, April 10, 2014
A Wild Week in Madrid
April 9, 2014
Madrid, Spain
Saturday's big adventure was riding our trikes to Brunette, where Mónica's parents live to store them. She told me to lead and just go down the hill and go straight. I did. Right on to the highway and into a long, long tunnel with no shoulder and the 2 more lanes merged in from the right...OMG! Frightening to say the least! April did not follow, smart woman! And I could only keep going straight and find the first exit a km or so later. No shoulder! Cars driving 70 km/h! Lucky to have survived that one!! And after I got out a cop stopped, speaking no English, tells me to not bicycle in the tunnel! (Passer bys translated). Duh!!!
The kindness of strangers is all around even if I can't communicate. I called Monica when I got out of the tunnel but couldn't tell her where I was so I stopped an old man to talk to her. He spoke no English. You should have seen us talking to each other:). I texted her a picture of my GPS location so that she could figure out where I was!
I'm not feeling like blogging and I apologize. I'm tired from a busy schedule. The technology is frustrating the hell out of me: losing whole blog posts, trying to figure out how to manage and back up photos, and I really just want to live in the moment. Plus with so many people around after a quiet and lonely winter, I'm on overload. Hard to find a moment to myself. The joy of blogging is just not there. Especially when I'm not alone. So you may not be able to enjoy this journey vicariously like the others. My suggestion is to become Facebook friends. It's easier right now to quickly put up a post and a picture than to sit here all evening typing on this ipad trying to find cute pictures to share. Maybe I'll find my blogging mojo, maybe I won't. No promises.
My friends from Minnesota arrived today: Willing and Abal (trail names)...or Val and Phil. So our Camino plans are coming together. This is Wed (Apr 9th)...Saturday we will bus to St Jean Pied de Port, France where the Camino Frances starts officially. Monica and Marudo have graciously given over their apt to us and moved to her parents house for a few days. How kind is that? So we're enjoying this gorgeous apt in the center of Madrid within walking distance of everything.
April and I have been struggling over the visa issue here. It's pretty crazy but legally we can stay in Europe only 90 days every 180 days...26 countries are in the Shengen visa area. Alone I would just stay. Many bikers do and nothing happens, but April is the mother of a son who works for the State Dept and he's worried if she gets in trouble it jeopardizes his job. I'm also pissed about the stupidity of the law and the fact that they won't give us a 90 day extension to stay legally. Because so many countries are involved, there's no simple place to get answers. So we're heading to the UK for the summer. With luck it won't be too rainy. After April leaves, I'll have to figure out what to do, but that's months away. There's much in the UK to still be seen and the language will be easier for us both. After the Camino, we'll pedal up through France for a few weeks to get the ferry across.
Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure.
Monica and Marudo:
With friends for drinks on the plaza...love "summer wine"!!
The apartment!
The sights!!!
Livin' the life!
BagLady
Madrid, Spain
Saturday's big adventure was riding our trikes to Brunette, where Mónica's parents live to store them. She told me to lead and just go down the hill and go straight. I did. Right on to the highway and into a long, long tunnel with no shoulder and the 2 more lanes merged in from the right...OMG! Frightening to say the least! April did not follow, smart woman! And I could only keep going straight and find the first exit a km or so later. No shoulder! Cars driving 70 km/h! Lucky to have survived that one!! And after I got out a cop stopped, speaking no English, tells me to not bicycle in the tunnel! (Passer bys translated). Duh!!!
The kindness of strangers is all around even if I can't communicate. I called Monica when I got out of the tunnel but couldn't tell her where I was so I stopped an old man to talk to her. He spoke no English. You should have seen us talking to each other:). I texted her a picture of my GPS location so that she could figure out where I was!
I'm not feeling like blogging and I apologize. I'm tired from a busy schedule. The technology is frustrating the hell out of me: losing whole blog posts, trying to figure out how to manage and back up photos, and I really just want to live in the moment. Plus with so many people around after a quiet and lonely winter, I'm on overload. Hard to find a moment to myself. The joy of blogging is just not there. Especially when I'm not alone. So you may not be able to enjoy this journey vicariously like the others. My suggestion is to become Facebook friends. It's easier right now to quickly put up a post and a picture than to sit here all evening typing on this ipad trying to find cute pictures to share. Maybe I'll find my blogging mojo, maybe I won't. No promises.
My friends from Minnesota arrived today: Willing and Abal (trail names)...or Val and Phil. So our Camino plans are coming together. This is Wed (Apr 9th)...Saturday we will bus to St Jean Pied de Port, France where the Camino Frances starts officially. Monica and Marudo have graciously given over their apt to us and moved to her parents house for a few days. How kind is that? So we're enjoying this gorgeous apt in the center of Madrid within walking distance of everything.
April and I have been struggling over the visa issue here. It's pretty crazy but legally we can stay in Europe only 90 days every 180 days...26 countries are in the Shengen visa area. Alone I would just stay. Many bikers do and nothing happens, but April is the mother of a son who works for the State Dept and he's worried if she gets in trouble it jeopardizes his job. I'm also pissed about the stupidity of the law and the fact that they won't give us a 90 day extension to stay legally. Because so many countries are involved, there's no simple place to get answers. So we're heading to the UK for the summer. With luck it won't be too rainy. After April leaves, I'll have to figure out what to do, but that's months away. There's much in the UK to still be seen and the language will be easier for us both. After the Camino, we'll pedal up through France for a few weeks to get the ferry across.
Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure.
Monica and Marudo:
With friends for drinks on the plaza...love "summer wine"!!
The apartment!
The sights!!!
Livin' the life!
BagLady
Monday, March 3, 2014
On The Road Again
March 3, 2014
I've gone and done it! Sold the house of 29 years; sorted, trimmed, and stored my stuff; and hit the road for parts unknown. I've always wanted to be homeless...and now I am:).
Right now I'm friend-hopping my way to Florida where I'll disengage myself of a motorized vehicle. Then after visiting the younger daughter, Dana, there I'll hop a plane (with bike and gear) to San Diego where eldest daughter, Avery, and hubby, Kevin, live.
Then I'll fly from LA to Madrid. An Appalachian Trail hiking friend, April, will join me with her newly acquired trike. Some more friends will join us a week later answer ouch we're heading to hike The Camino dear Santiago for 2 months. Then the bike tour will start. Going from Madrid to Istanbul it's the plan for this summer. And then Australia for a year... And Africa... and then...and then... And then. TBD.
Hold on tight! It's going to be quite a ride!!!
Getting ready has been exhausting. Closing on a house. Packing for storage. Packing for a world bike tour. Fighting the cold of the polar vortex. I'm done. I'm mentally fried. I want to sit on a beach for a week. And...guess what?...I can!! And will!!
Now I'm enjoying Thumper, my AT trail buddy...and wife, Vickie, in the glorious Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Tomorrow on to EZ Duzit's house for a couple of nights.
Reminiscing is such fun!
Livin' the life,
Officially BagLady
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I've gone and done it! Sold the house of 29 years; sorted, trimmed, and stored my stuff; and hit the road for parts unknown. I've always wanted to be homeless...and now I am:).
Right now I'm friend-hopping my way to Florida where I'll disengage myself of a motorized vehicle. Then after visiting the younger daughter, Dana, there I'll hop a plane (with bike and gear) to San Diego where eldest daughter, Avery, and hubby, Kevin, live.
Then I'll fly from LA to Madrid. An Appalachian Trail hiking friend, April, will join me with her newly acquired trike. Some more friends will join us a week later answer ouch we're heading to hike The Camino dear Santiago for 2 months. Then the bike tour will start. Going from Madrid to Istanbul it's the plan for this summer. And then Australia for a year... And Africa... and then...and then... And then. TBD.
Hold on tight! It's going to be quite a ride!!!
Getting ready has been exhausting. Closing on a house. Packing for storage. Packing for a world bike tour. Fighting the cold of the polar vortex. I'm done. I'm mentally fried. I want to sit on a beach for a week. And...guess what?...I can!! And will!!
Now I'm enjoying Thumper, my AT trail buddy...and wife, Vickie, in the glorious Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Tomorrow on to EZ Duzit's house for a couple of nights.
Reminiscing is such fun!
Livin' the life,
Officially BagLady
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Sylva, NC
Friday, August 2, 2013
WOW...Women on Wheels
August 2, 2013
Fairport, NY
Yesterday I was honored to be added to the Wall. The Women on Wheels Wall
What a privilege to be included among so many amazing women doing amazing cycling!! Reading all these blogs should keep you busy while I'm off the road.
Right now I'm icing a tender foot. Might have a stress fracture on my right 5th metatarsal. I'm hoping it isn't and I can head to the hills next week for a 100 mike backpack through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. R.E.S.T. is my medical approach. Doesn't look like a doctor would add anything at this point. When going to the doctor's, my greatest fear is to be told to go home and rest...now pay me $200 for that advice. Since its the most common advice, I just do that first and keep my $200. My body knows how to heal itself if I just cooperate. Besides, no big event happened that could have caused this problem. I just woke up with foot pain one morning. Walking a lot that day made it worse. So no walking...or as little as possible:)
Foot miraculously better today:). More ice. More rest. And she should be good to go. Have no clue now what's going on in there. Got my fingers crossed she doesn't pull that stunt up in the mountains. EZ will have to carry me out!!
Step lightly,
BagLady
Fairport, NY
Yesterday I was honored to be added to the Wall. The Women on Wheels Wall
What a privilege to be included among so many amazing women doing amazing cycling!! Reading all these blogs should keep you busy while I'm off the road.
Right now I'm icing a tender foot. Might have a stress fracture on my right 5th metatarsal. I'm hoping it isn't and I can head to the hills next week for a 100 mike backpack through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. R.E.S.T. is my medical approach. Doesn't look like a doctor would add anything at this point. When going to the doctor's, my greatest fear is to be told to go home and rest...now pay me $200 for that advice. Since its the most common advice, I just do that first and keep my $200. My body knows how to heal itself if I just cooperate. Besides, no big event happened that could have caused this problem. I just woke up with foot pain one morning. Walking a lot that day made it worse. So no walking...or as little as possible:)
Foot miraculously better today:). More ice. More rest. And she should be good to go. Have no clue now what's going on in there. Got my fingers crossed she doesn't pull that stunt up in the mountains. EZ will have to carry me out!!
Step lightly,
BagLady
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Home Sweet Home
June 30, 2013
Fairport NY USA
Yup I'm home! Been here about 2.5 weeks. Ready to leave. Not happy to be here. Too lonely. Too disconnected. Too isolated. Like a hermit. I can have whole days I talk to no one. Don't know how to reconnect here.
But first I have to share the voyage home. 30 hours of travel over 2 nights. A few hiccups with Blaze. Patience and persistence got us through. In LA I had to move her from terminal 1 to terminal 7! Her tires were inflated so I couldn't just hop on and ride her. Besides I had my carry on luggage too. Maybe the shuttle? Yes! Even though she blocked the whole back door and isle. Thank you. Landed in the morning and managed to stay up all day, even going to an Adirondack Mountain Club monthly meeting that night. And then slept 16 hours to catch up.
One of the challenges since being home is staying to the right side of the road:). In the car or on the bike. Several times I've pulled out into the wrong lane. Oops! Especially on my bike. Takes time to readjust!
Family reunion has come and gone. Was fabulous! 27 of us got together at an Adirondack Camp near Rochester. Plenty of bedrooms, dining areas, and living rooms to accommodate us all easily. Grocery shopping took 3 of us nearly 5 hours but having the menu and shopping lists done for us (thanks, Erin!) was both a treat and a challenge. The challenge being trying to decide volumes and substitutes if needed. But we did it! Thanks Barb, my sister, and Dana, my daughter, for persevering with me especially in Wegmans:/!!!
One of the highlights of the weekend was shooting clay pigeons over one of the ponds. Dana was the only girl game enough to give it a try and she nailed one after a few stray attempts! After watching a while, and never wanting to miss an opportunity to try something new, I joined in. Rifles are heavy...and noisy. When that thing went off my ears were ringing. But I did manage to control my aim and hit one of those flying saucers! Fun!!
(Pull that tummy in!)
Hugs,
Bag Lady
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Fairport NY USA
Yup I'm home! Been here about 2.5 weeks. Ready to leave. Not happy to be here. Too lonely. Too disconnected. Too isolated. Like a hermit. I can have whole days I talk to no one. Don't know how to reconnect here.
But first I have to share the voyage home. 30 hours of travel over 2 nights. A few hiccups with Blaze. Patience and persistence got us through. In LA I had to move her from terminal 1 to terminal 7! Her tires were inflated so I couldn't just hop on and ride her. Besides I had my carry on luggage too. Maybe the shuttle? Yes! Even though she blocked the whole back door and isle. Thank you. Landed in the morning and managed to stay up all day, even going to an Adirondack Mountain Club monthly meeting that night. And then slept 16 hours to catch up.
One of the challenges since being home is staying to the right side of the road:). In the car or on the bike. Several times I've pulled out into the wrong lane. Oops! Especially on my bike. Takes time to readjust!
Family reunion has come and gone. Was fabulous! 27 of us got together at an Adirondack Camp near Rochester. Plenty of bedrooms, dining areas, and living rooms to accommodate us all easily. Grocery shopping took 3 of us nearly 5 hours but having the menu and shopping lists done for us (thanks, Erin!) was both a treat and a challenge. The challenge being trying to decide volumes and substitutes if needed. But we did it! Thanks Barb, my sister, and Dana, my daughter, for persevering with me especially in Wegmans:/!!!
One of the highlights of the weekend was shooting clay pigeons over one of the ponds. Dana was the only girl game enough to give it a try and she nailed one after a few stray attempts! After watching a while, and never wanting to miss an opportunity to try something new, I joined in. Rifles are heavy...and noisy. When that thing went off my ears were ringing. But I did manage to control my aim and hit one of those flying saucers! Fun!!
(Pull that tummy in!)
Hugs,
Bag Lady
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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