Slideshow of Our Camino - some of the highlights

Santiago de Compostela, ...the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

Yesterday, Sept. 15th, we arrived in Santiago. It was a most moving day. It started off like all other days, walking in the morning light, but very soon afterwards, the clouds gathered and we could see rain falling all around us. This is the first sign of anything but hot, sunny days we have had since we started. As we reached the outskirts of the city, near the airport, a huge rainbow appeared directly in front of us....we knew it was meant for us.

We arrived in the center of the medieval town which is dominated by the ornate and most beautiful cathedral, which is the burial tomb of St. James, a possible relative of Jesus, or so we read in our brochure. Around the cathedral, pilgrims and tourists are everywhere. We quickly found the office of the peregrinos, where we received our ¨Certificate of Compostela¨in Latin. Our names were added to the ledger of all other pilgrims which is probably a modern adaptation of an age-old custom.

So, we have reached what we have fondly called the end of a " really great pub crawl/wine tour with moments of spirituality", and a physical challenge, where we have all grown and learned. We want to take time to reflect on what we have done, so each of us has plans for our own way to celebrate. Dawn is planning some champagne for us, Jo is having a beauty day before she departs for Italy and continues her holiday, and for me.....well, I guess turning up at the ¨the biggest show in town¨ - the noon mass for Pilgrims at the Cathedral today with Dawn kind of capped this quest.

I have to say that having a bishop and 7 priests say mass and speak in about 6 languages to visitors, dignitaries and locals is pretty impressive. And wait till you see my photos of the swinging incense burner....another vestige of a tradition that had a purpose....fumigating the pilgrims after their weeks on the road without soap, water, hygeine, medicines etc. And I thought we had a challenge.....

so I think this maybe our last post. I will update the album when I return home with all of my photos of this trip. And I know Jo has plans to make one of her fabulous DVD movies when she has time. Thank you all for your good wishes and support and I hope this may have helped you decide if you ever want to become a pilgrim to Santiago. Love, Trish, Dawn and Jo. your 3 amiga peregrinas.

A Pilgrims Menu and other Practical stuff

Just about now, we are all dreaming of new food. It´s not that the food is bad, it´s just that it´s the same every day. So here´s a brief description of how the modern pilgrim eats along the Camino de Santiago.

Some hotels and alberques open cafes at approx. 6:30 or 7 a.m. to serve ¨desayunos¨. Now in case you think we have luxuriated in fresh cooked eggs and toast, breakfast is normally cafe con leche (coffee with milk) and something that is called a bocadillo. Think Hostess Twinkies in a plastic wrapper. So most often we have purchased fruits, or if we are really fortunate, the cafe will have toast with jam and butter to start our day. Only recently we are enjoying freshly baked croissants similar to the kind available in France.

For lunches, we have stopped and enjoyed either an item from the ¨Menu del peregrino¨ which is normally a 1st and 2nd course, or a ¨racciones¨which is an a la carte selection of common foods. We have also decided to purchase in advance when we are expecting the day ahead to be one of few cafes or restaurants. We had a few very enjoyable ¨picnic¨lunches of breads, cheese, roasted peppers, ham and apples or oranges along the way. The lunch stops are usually in a shady spot which at times was hard to find, but as we get closer to Santiago we are most frequently in pine or eucalyptus forests where shade is plentiful.

Dinner, which is often not served or available until after 7:30 is where we have generally selected items from the ¨Menu del Peregrinos¨, again a first course, a second course and a postre which is either flan, or the popular Tarte de Santiago, a thin almond cake.

Since arriving in Galicia we are seeing foods on menus which we have never seen before...such as Raxo or Zorza (fried meat either beef or pork, we aren´t sure because we haven´t tried it). And we spent a special evening at the local pulperia ,¨Pulpo¨restaurant, (see Jo and Dawn above) where we watched a vat of fresh octupus being cooked and removed from 50 gallon stainless steel pots. Pulpo is a Gallician specialty in this area. This was served simply with olive oil, a small bit of a chili oil, bread and wine.

Refreshments are generally a cerveza (beer) for Dawn, and Jo and I have really enjoyed the mixta drink of beer and lime juice which is very refreshing. This is also called a Shandy at times. Wines are plentiful and cheap with red being the most frequently served. We can buy decent bottles of vino tinto rioja or temporanilla for 3 or 4 euros, but have seen it on sale for .99 euros in the grocery store.

We also thought some of you might like to get some idea of what a trip like this costs. We´ve been most fortunate to have used a ¨kitty¨, where we all contribute equal amounts on a regular basis and then eat, drink, travel, hotel etc. from a common expense account. It´s been Jo´s responsibility for most of the trip and it´s worked very well. We estimate that we are spending approx. 40 euros/day per person but that includes everything. Some days are more, some less, depending on the accomodation, and what we choose to drink and eat. A pilgrim could be doing this trip on less than half that cost if they chose to stay in alberques and eat only the pilgrims meals which range from approx. 8 to 10 euros-day. But that just isn´t our thing...so as we come to the end of our trip, we are planning a celebration meal in Santiago. We are hoping for the worlds´best Paella, some great Sangria...and a truly memorable couple of days to celebrate.

One for All and All for One

Today we are in Melide,Galicia. There are only 55 kms. left until we reach our destination of Santiago. We all are feeling well, we are relaxed and rested and have ¨found our stride¨. Despite us each having different bodies and fitness levels, we are all adjusting to our daily pace of 15 - 20 kms. and will miss it when we are finished.

We are in Castle country, the home of the Knights of St. James, Charlemagne´s knights and the Knights of St. John, and we are reminded of the saying ¨One for All and All for One¨ which is the approach we have taken to our camino. By staying together and supporting each other we have made this happen.

It was wise to reduce our daily distance at this point as we are arriving at our nights´accomodation by 1 or 2 in the afternoon and are not part of the ¨Giant Herd¨ or as Dawn likes to say ¨ Downtown New Delhi¨. The amount of peregrinos has indeed increased, so we thought it would be wise to describe to you who our fellow pilgrims are.

We have seen persons doing the camino on horseback and they generally have been most attractive men. Then there are the cyclists, a fit and handsome group of Tour de Espagna types, mainly Italian. We really like it when they use their ¨timbres¨or call out to us as it is almost impossible to hear them approaching and we have occasionally had to jump out of their way as they whiz past us. Uphills are of course different and we can ¨feel the burn¨of their thighs. Then there are the singles, single men and women of various ages and countries who have a dogged approach to their journeys. Many are European, French and German predominate, and many have shared their tales with us. Groups of travellers are now more frequently encountered. Large groups of Germans, Italians and French, frequently with support vehicles are hard pressed to even wish us ¨Buen camino¨ as they pass us. They are engaged in their own group discussions. We have met Koreans, who were most impressed and ¨Honored¨when I told them I had visited their country, Danes and Norwegians who are here for their regular vacations and many Spaniards who are surprised when we tell them we have travelled so far from our homes to visit their country. Two groups of Irish pilgrims have impressed us with their great friendliness and senses of humor. By and large, we are removed from the groups as we have chosen to stay in the small hotels or pensiones, but there are many others like us who choose to walk by day and luxuriate in our private clean spaces by night.

Another group worth mentioning are the ¨Hospitaliers¨.....the people who run the inns and restaurants along the Camino. The term hospitality must have indeed been born here. We want to mention 3 places in particular. In Sarria, we stayed at the small pensione, La Escallerita, where we met Jose and his wife. Jose likes to say he is ¨Muy guapo. pero muy loco(very handsome but crazy)....like all the men in Sarria¨. He went out of his way to ensure our bag arrived safely at the next destination. He and his wife work tirelessly from dawn to dusk to entertain, feed and house the peregrinos at his doorstep. In Gonzar, we stayed at Casa Garcia, a beautifully restored country home in a small agricultural village. Sra.Garcia,her husband and their son operate a quality alberque and private pensione. The dinner was undoubtedly one of our best, with fresh grilled Bacalao (cod) , a local specialty. Then last night in Palais de Rei, we met Marista and Antonio at the Pensione Barcelona. When we arrived, we could not locate our bag which we had transported from our previous location. Antonio immediately offered to drive us to find it and was absolutely incensed to think that someone in his country may have caused difficulty for us as a group of travellers. We found the bag thanks to his diligence and then they arranged the next few nights of hotels for us, including our hotels for Santiago as we are expecting there to be crowds at the end point of the Camino.

Lastly, we would like to tell you about the villages we have walked through. Many are from the 12th and 13th centuries, with rock cottages and Celtic stone fences that line the path of the Camino. The villages are quiet, with only a few village elders, women and men performing their daily chores. We have been told that for many families, they have moved to the large cities like Madrid where the chances of earning money and gaining an education has now allowed them to begin restoring their family homes. Some operate as inns, but many more sit vacant waiting for the families to visit during their vacations. The towns are quiet and peaceful and seem to be from a different time.

In each town,there are references to the Camino and the pilgrims, either statues, fountains or signs specifically indicating the way of St. James. We are starting to see the little yellow arrows in our sleep.....wish us well and we plan to send you more updates on the food and final impressions on our days to come. Hasta luego, Jo, Dawn and Trish ( your 3 Camino Amigas).

10 reasons to not stay in Alberques

So we thought you should know that we did have our first really genuine Alberque experience and we have swom an oath that it will be our last. On the camino, there are many persons relying on the guide book we brought as our bible, and we have decided to stay at the in between places not the main stops suggested by John Brierley. Not all towns offer alternative accomodation to the large one room alberque style. We are now into the last 100 kms. and many more pilgrims, pilgrim oriented enterprises and towns compete for our attention. Since Sarria, we are now in Galician hillsides and our routes wind their way through the farm fields and homes of the locals. Yesterday we enjoyed some fresh raspberries picked by the farmwife and sold to us still warm from the sun. It is a green, and mist laden landscape. Although we expect the fog to lift today, it is after 10 a.m. and we are still in a dense fog in Portomarin. Although foggy it is still warm and we are not using our heavy clothes at all. We all agree that September is a great choice for the camino. Some of the rock lined paths would be difficult if not treacherous in the rain and mud that apparently is common in this area.

So while we were enjoying our half day of rest (think cervezas, sangria and vino tinto) in the small town of Ferrerios yesterday we met many people. We feel confident in sharing our new found wisdom about alberques and the 10 reasons we are not going to do them again - here they are:

1. Bed bugs - we met a woman from NZ who had the worst sores over her legs and arms, and she was afraid they were becoming infected. all acquired after her first night in an Alberque.
2. People using your bed or sleeping bag to pop blisters - trust me, you don´t want to think of persons spreading their things around your space.
3. One toilet in a room meant to accomodate at least 22 people. You really want to avoid having to use it.
4, Snoring - thank goodness for ear plugs.
5. Suspicious messages on the slat boards of bed above you, honestly I´m too old for Brownie camp.
6. Socially inferior people - now in case you think we´ve become snobs, that was mentioned to us by a group of Irish peregrinos as they hopped into a cab to avoid the Alberque we were staying at.
7. Speedo ¨packages ¨- generally worn by old German men who may be sleeping next to you.
8. General smells, feet, breath, fats, (you get the drift of this).
9. The herd leaving the alberque in the a.m. - honestly, everyone was up and the place sounded like a hive of bees by 0530.

and last but by no means least

10. H1N1- and no place to wash your hands with the person in the next bed coughing and sneezing without covering their mouths.

Dawns´feet are almost totally recovered, although she expects to lose her great toenail at some time in the future. This happened, because she now has her new shoes, which we acquired in a special way. We must be ¨blessed¨or else it was all of your positive thoughts that brought us to the town of Sarria on their feast day. All stores were closed except for the Pilgrims Shop which had the largest and most affordable selection of TEVA´s we have ever seen. Anyone considering the Camino should have a pair of shoes with no toes, but capable of hiking with, as their back up shoe...they have saved Dawn´s feet and her Camino. Hasta luego, Jo, Trish and Dawn.

Tres Amigas without tech support and feeling foolish

In the bus station waiting for our bus to Lugo which will connect us to Sarria. We cannot get photos to upload to my Google account on these computers so Jo did send a link to her picasa web album in a separate email to some folks yesterday. I wish some magical Spanish and English speaking person would appear to assist us, but that is not likely.

Dawns feet continue to benefit from the days of rest and she is committed to finishing, so we are asking for your collective positive thoughts to visualize her feet healthy and strong again. We are also looking for the Spanish version of sherpas to carry her pack as when we arrive in Sarria we will be looking for a new transport company...the old one ends in this province. Buenas dias to all our followers...if any of you still care to read and not see photos.

Con mucho amor, Les Peregrinas who by the way have not been bitten by bed bugs because of our smart decision to stay in small hotels vs. the albergues....more on that later.

Patience is a virtue

We know that reading blogs with no photos is no fun.....so at last we have accomplished what you have all been asking for.

In case anyone thought that we were really techno savvy...we are now on our third computer terminal using Euro coins...but here is a link to Jo´s photos. She´s a great photographer and we think she´s captured the essence of our camino to date. Love to our husbands, family and friends...we miss you, think of you and talk about you all of the time. What else can we do while walking for days on end???

The Princesses meet some angels

Update from Ponferrada Spain. We are in the heart of the Bierza area, which lies between the Maragato and the Galician Mountains. There is a weeklong festival in town and we are hoping that we can see some of the festivities tonight.
Two days ago when we were walking into Aztorga we met our first angel. She was a beautiful Spanish woman all dressed in white and just when we thought that our feet wouldn´t carry us another step at the tale end of 30 kms. she appeared. She offered us fruit and water or juice and gave us a huge hug to encourage us along our way....we couldn´t help but think of her as an angel in the wilderness.

Then we met our next angel....his name is Rafael and he is citizen of 4 countries. He was standing on a hillside and was using what I would call a daguerrotype camera. He is a professional photographer who wants to take exceptional large negatives of his ¨camino¨. He is accompanied by his parents from Mexico city, who are driving ahead and finding accomodation. His father is recovering from lymphoma treatments so can only walk short distances. The angel Raphael offered his parents assistance to our camino amiga Dawn who continues to suffer from blisters and a black toenail from the pressure of her original shoes.

So like the ¨princesses¨we are, this man and his family have now transported Dawn and our bag to Ponferrada where we are all staying in a small hotel across from a Medieval castle which we look at from our balcony window. Tomorrow we plan to travel to Sarria which will eliminate 2 days of walking and allow Dawn some extra time to heal her feet.

Our ´bible¨for this trip has been John Brierley´s Guide to the Camino. We are now disregarding his recommended mileage and moving to our own schedule. We want to slow the pace a bit and savour every last moment in this beautiful place....and perhaps sample even more of the local vino tintos.

The Spirit is Willing, but the Flesh is weak

Today is Day 4 and we´ve got some catching up to do. We are now in the lovely little Spanish village of Rabinal del Camino. We´ve walked over 90 kms and have passed from the large town of Aztorga with it´s fabulous medieval cathedrals into the rural villages of the Maragato. They are a people who are disappearing and they have roots in the Celtic. Last evening at the bar, we met a man who has made a mission of understanding the spiritual nature of the Camino. Today, which is another sunny clear cool morning, we are climbing to the top of the Camino to the most special location enroute. We are excited.

Now, the reality of walking has caught up with at least one member of our group and much of our attention has been focused on foot care. It´s amazing how many blister pads, tapes, moleskins and Advils can be used in one day. We are learning that the most important greeting after Buenos dias is ¨what language do you speak¨. We are the minority with all other european countries showing up in large numbers. We have largely selected small posadas to stay in over the refugios and we are very happy with our choice of accomodation in small triple rooms with baths. We are all healthy, but the feet and legs definitely take the burden. Speaking of burdens, we are very happy to have found a local transport service. Each day, we label a bag of stuff we aren´t in need of (why did we think we needed all this) and we package it and send it ahead where it is safely waiting for us at the next village. This is a lifesaver. We want to post photos as we have taken some amazing shots of the local landscape and people who are so friendly and wish us ¨buen camino¨at every turn. Life is good and we are so blessed to be here. Con mucho amor, Felicidades. Your camino amiga friends.

Day One - Leon to Villas de Mazarif

Jo, Dawn and I met in Leon, a small Spanish city with a lovely old town and squares highlighted by a Gothic church and monuments to Gaudi. The squares were alive with Peregrinos and locals, and we enjoyed a great evening where we met for the first time, drank some Mojitos, wine and had a most enjoyable meal. Each of us felt responsible for being packed and ready to go early a.m. for our first day of walking. So after a quick trip to the grocery store to stock up with some snacks for the day ahead, we said good night.

Woke up early, dressed, prepared feet with powders, creams, tapes and moleskin and headed out of Hotel Paris on the Camino de Santiago before 0700. Pilgrims were enroute everywhere and we eventually linked up with some Spanish women who had no problem asking the local workers ¨which way to the camino?¨ We eventually wound our way out of the suburbs and found a cafe to have a cafe con leche and sandwiches to go.

Today we walked alongside farm fields, and through two small towns where we stopped and had our lunch. We arrived at Villas de Mazarif, a small town on a high plateau. Tio Pepe refugio had done a good job of marketing about their ¨rooms for 3¨. We happily checked in to this lively little place. Tio Pepe has a bar, restaurant, several rooms - we are now sharing with a fellow Peregrino from Germany, and a nice courtyard to hang out laundry. One ¨caballero¨on horseback arrived to stay the night and rest his much loved horse. The town is small, very rustic but everywhere we go people wish us ¨buen Camino¨and they are delighted when we speak in Spanish. Jo has won the award for the best Spanish and has also become the trip ¨nurse¨. I, am the wine buyer and the local expert on all things related to arranging the delivery of some of our items to the next town. We have decided that anything extra can be shipped ahead to lighten our loads...and hopefully keep us all happy and healthy. Dawn is in charge of our diversions. She has created some of the best games to keep us busy. Most involve checking out the local men to ensure we don´t miss the next Antonio Banderas look alike. Buen camino to all of our friends! No photos possible tonight...but check back as we promise to include some shots of this scenic part of Spain. Adios muchachas!

Update from Irun Spain

Although only a few short days have passed since we left Paris, we have travelled via the South Coast of France, through the luxury resorts of St. Tropez, Cannes and Nice, to meet my friend Dawn and her husband Yves. We spent a day visiting with their friends and family and finding out just how different French people live than we do in Canada. The French have a joie de vivre and a great capacity for long days spent in the sun and sand and ending them with fine meals and wine. Apartments are small, amenities are different, but the limits on how many persons can be accomodated seem to be nonexistent. A good time was had by all.

Yesterday we left Nice area very early a.m. and drove via the A8 and assorted other high speed freeways to Irun Spain where Dawn and I are booked on the 0845 train to Leon our meeting spot. Jo was enroute from Madrid to Leon yesterday.

We have left the hot and dry tourist areas of the South of France which were packed with primarily French holidayers, but also Italians, Germans and Brits, and have arrived on the North Coast of Spain. The weather changed dramatically as have the hillsides and environment. We looked at each other with relief as we drove by the way signs for St. Jean pied du Port, in the rain and fog. The mountains of the Pyrenees would indeed be a challenging starting point. Let´s hope our choice of starting in Leon will prove to be a good one. Buenos dias to our friends and family...more as we get underway.