Fog and Forest - CDS Primitivo To Lugo

We stepped onto the trail this morning into a thick fog. It wasn’t raining. That fact alone was a major improvement over the last three days. Nor was it windy. It was a quiet morning of bird song and beautiful views of Galacian forest paths. It was one of my favorite on the Camino so far.

Galacian forests are a healthy mix of old oaks, eucalyptus, cedar and pine. All of it covered in ivy. It’s a satisfying landscape to walk through.

This lonesome tree out in the field reminds me of Nebraska in spring.

I found my first white phallus stink horn mushroom today! It was a great day for mushrooms. There were a dozen different varieties to be found. Every three steps there was another patch.

Eventually the sun broke the fog and the whole world turned neon green again.

I like this scene. Handsome healthy horses from near to far with a good leading line and eucalyptus trees in the back ground.

This may not look like much, but this was a fantastic mid morning snack of steak, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and two types of local cheese. Fantastic.

We have 100 km to Santiago! We will finish it this week!

For our afternoon luncheon, we found another top three tortillas. It was delicious.

Our goal is within reach now. It’s kind of a weird experience to have walked for so long to get somewhere, and soon you will be there. Then what? What do I do all day if I don’t have to walk?

We’ve got a plan in the works.

Cold Rain - CDS Primitivo to A Fonsagrada

Oh they warned us at the cafe. “It’s going to rain! It’s cold! It’s windy! It might snow! I wouldn’t go if I were you...”

But what is a pilgrim to do? We didn’t have many options on a holiday weekend Sunday, but to walk on. There isn’t any buses today. There were no cabs. We could’ve maybe holed up in the town we were in, but that required some long wait times, and just wasn’t viable. Besides, we’re pilgrims. We walk on. It’s what we do. We thanked them for their good sense, and walked out into coldest of December rains.

“Fools,” they probably said.

“We are fools,” we said, ten minutes later.

Our feet were soaked within the first two miles. My core was warm, but from the knees down, I was wet and cold. My gloves helped for awhile, but eventually they were sodden and not much help either.

It became a matter of enduring it. We could do it, it just wouldn’t be pleasant.

After we climbed the giant hill, the wind found us and things got that much harder. We were mostly wet, and the wind sliced through us. Then, it began to snow.

I laughed. Everything the locals predicted came true. Almost as if they’ve seen December storms around these parts many times.

It was bad, but as long as we kept moving, we were fine. God help us if we rolled an ankle or something. That woukd have been brutal.

Taking a break in a cold church entry way.

I like the mood of this scene.

Somewhere up there we left Asturias behind, and entered Galacia.

Perhaps the darkest forest I’ve ever seen.

I saw a dozen big shaggy manes today.

Anyone else see a couple of skinny dudes holding up the power cables?

And after a long, long time, we saw it: The finest Galacian steakhouse I’ve ever seen! We meekly walked in on a very busy Sunday and scored the only table available. We were ecstatic! We had croquettes, steaks and fries, a bottle of wine, a shared brownie and coffee. It was a very fine meal.

And then we had to finish the day. Home was another two miles down the trail. Drinking half a bottle of wine and eating a big meal helped dull the pain.

The sky opened up and the sun came out, if only for a little while.

This cat ran up to me and tried to tell me, “that it’s owners were gone, and it was cold out, and to please let me in.”

And finally two takes on the same scene.

We made it. We took the hottest showers you’ve ever had and laid down.

If we have it our way, we may just keep laying here until next June. But, tomorrow is another day, and we are getting closer to Santiago.

Neurotic Skies - CDS Primitivo to Grand Salime

The second we stepped outside the albergue a COLD gust of wind hit us, and ripped through our weakening psyche. Damn!

We walked 100 yards to the cafe, and it was definitively closed. Just then, another COLD gust ripped through us, this time with drizzle attached. Double Damn!

It was disheartening to say the least. A cup of coffee and a roll make any hiking day better, not just when It’s cold and dark and wet out.

Fortunately, we are made of tough stuff. There was nothing to do but put on another layer, and get moving. We figured we’d warm up after the hill, and so we did.

“The Lord works in mysterious ways.”

We walked to La Mesa in the dark, and we were getting hungry. My accomplice mentioned there was a hotel and restaurant, but we didn’t have high hopes it would be open. Our plan was to eat a soggy 3 day old peanut butter sandwich at the chapel, and keep moving. But, as luck would have it, the restaurant was OPEN! I became a pious man on the spot.

The whole day might have been completely different if that cafe had been closed. But, it wasn’t and we ate toast, butter, jam, coffee, juice, and a banana. After that, we could face anything!

Like this giant hill!

We had neurotic weather all morning. It started to rain, so we put our stinky ponchos on. Why do ponchos never dry? After one use they seem to retain a light coating of water for the rest of their lives.

We had to cross an active cow pasture. Nothing quite like walking though muddy shit in the rain.

Cows are HUGE. I don’t trust them. If they wanted to, they could put a hole in you. And it’s not like I can out run them while wearing a twenty pound pack through a slick shit strewn field. But, these ones were pretty chill, so no chasing was necessary.

We did meet a miserable wet donkey. You’d be a miserable donkey too, if all you had for companions were cows.

The cloud over us broke, and the landscape fell away down to the dam far below.

Go out in bad weather, especially in the winter. If the sun can break through, the whole world can turn quite beautiful for hours on end due to the low angled light. In the summer, these photos wouldn’t be nearly as good.

I like the small vignettes of nature.

Two Dogs.

I love it when an animal’s personality comes shining through. I met this guy at the Venezualan cafe. He had his beer can, and he wanted you to throw it! Here he is waiting for his person to come back out.

And this fella across from the albergue… I’ve never seen a dog lean over the rail like a sailor watching the sea. We went over and gave him a good long back scratch. I don’t think I’ve ever made anyone happier than that dog.

MOUNTAIN - CDS Primitivo

“You can’t climb a mountain fast.”

We climbed up and over a mountain today. The mountain offered a very mountainous experience, complete with compelling landscapes while we could see them, wild horses, gale force winds, a thick fog, more wild horses, steep rocky paths, cold and hardship.

It was a hell of a fine day.

The trail to the high country was beautiful.

Wild horses. I’d rather be lucky than skillful. As soon as we gained the ridge, these horses came galloping up. I’m half convinced they were trained to stand against the perfect backdrop.

Near and far.

The fog rolls over. And the wind picks up.

More wild horses.

Searching For The Hermit In Vain

By Chia Tao

“I asked the boy sitting beneath the pines. He said, The master is gone alone herb picking somewhere on the mount, cloud-hidden, whereabouts unknown.”

As soon as we started our decent, Boom! You could see forever. We’d been in the clouds for four hours, and that’s all we knew. In a matter of ten steps, it was though the cloud never existed.

Pizza!

We made it to town after a long hard day. The bar had pizza, and cold beers. It was a really good way to recouperate. Such a simple thing, pizza and beer… but so wonderful.

Screen Savers - CDS Primitivo To Borres

Coffee con leche and a croissant for breakfast. The bill paid, and away we go.

So long Tineo! You’ve been good to us. We stopped in Tineo for two nights. We needed a rest day, and a chance to do laundry.

The laundromats here are fantastic. They have soap already programmed into the wash cycle. You don’t need a separate purchase to add your own.

They also have espresso machines too! Tineo has a bakery that offers the fluffiest donut I’ve ever had. We multi-tasked, combining bakery breakfast and drying our clothes.

Today was the prettiest walk of the trek so far. This morning was another stretch of country lanes winding through the forest. As the sky lightened and grew bright, the blue of the distant mountains contrasted beauifully with the green grass and trees.

I tried to work a group of horses to make this scene work, but it didn’t have the strength of just the solo horse.

My accomplice!

A cow family.

Our great dog streak stretched to a sixth day!

In the afternoon we followed the road, and the landscape just got better. This is where computer screen saver landscape photos come from. Asturias is a landscape photographers dream.

Albergue Life

Dibs on the Top bunk!

Dinner albergue style.

We got the key to the albergue and chose our bunks. I always look for a low bed near an outlet and a window if possible. Given that we are the only pilgrims here, I got just what I wanted.

I spent a few hours trimming my moustache, showering, writing up the days findings in my journal and blog. Now I’m just lying here, content to do absolutely nothing.

Tomorrow? We climb into the sky.

Country Lanes - CDS Primitivo To Tineo

This section of trail mostly followed the old country lanes from village to village. These are the old roads. These lanes are the living history of this land. When times were simpler, and to leave your village might have only happened once in your life.

This is a beautiful section of trail. The landscape of Asturias is incredibly interesting to me. It’s just farmland, true, but there’s always something to look at, and contemplate.

My camera rarely left my hand. We dillydallyed a lot, but it couldn’t be helped.

And mud? We found a lot of that.

This horse was ten feet above me, looking down as I walked by. I think it might be the finest horse portait I’ll ever catch.

The dangers of photography:

I’m walking along and the scene above catches me. I pull out my camera, get my composition, check the lens and physics. “Perfect.” Done.

I start walking again, slipping my camera back in my pocket when I set my right foot down into a giant pile of wet soupy cow shit.

“Great! Just great.”

I did my best to wipe it off, inventing a few dance moves in the process. I’m pretty sure the hotel tonight won’t be happy to see me, but shit happens, ya know?

A church from the 1400s.

I love these old buildings. Humble buildings. Buildings they built from materials at hand, by hand - mostly stone. They are still standing 700 years later. The masons are some amazing artists. Practical people who build beautiful buildings.

We are on a five day great dog streak!

This fella ran up to me and said, “C’mon! Let’s go!” He took us for a walk for a half mile to the next village. Clearly, he’s done this before. He’s a pilgrim collector. He ran ahead, marks his territory and scratches up the roughage. He knows the way.

Finally we get to a house with three dogs behind a fence. They come running, mad as hell, cursing and barking. This dog stands them up, and says. “Screw you guys! I’m a free ranging dog, and you guys are in jail. Suckers.” He pees on THEIR fence corner and trots off the way he came.

Those three dogs are beyond angry.

Job well done, fella.

December is here. The temperatures are dropping. It’ll likely rain every day. We are happy we brought an extra layer of clothes. We’ve been exceptionally lucky with the weather so far. Fingers crossed.

So far, we’ve hiked 238 miles with 150 miles to go. Once you get into hiking mode, it’s hard to remember life before and imagine life after the trail. What will we do all day???

Fo Drizzle - CDS Primitivo to Salas

It didn’t ever fully rain today, but drizzled through most of it. As we hiked, we got damp, then wet. It was too hot for a jacket, but too damp not to wear it. You either sweat from the inside, or got damp from the outside. You couldn’t win. As we all know, some days you can’t win… you can only play the game.

The day started with a giant hill. The climb went well enough, some would call it “a real bitch of a climb.” But, that’s the primitivo for you. It has one challenging hill climb and descent a day, guaranteed.

We made good time this morning, as we usually do. But after lunch, we bogged down. The forest trails were muddy and slick. It smelled of autumn. The forest was covered in freshly fallen leaves on a carpet of rotting ones from last year and the year before. It’s how soil is made. We slipped along as best we could, and enjoyed the fall scenes and fresh air.

The drizzle made the world interesting and beautiful. I did my best to pull out my camera when the scene was right.

I’ve noticed that no matter the day, or the length of trail, that the trail is always two miles too long. Today we hiked two miles less than yesterday, but it took the same amount of time.

We were ready to be done. We stopped off for groceries and a caña before heading to our hostel.

We took HOT showers. The kind of shower that puts 30% life force back into you. I sipped a beer and ate a handful of peanuts. Life became bearable again.

The Original - CDS Primitivo

We started a new trail today. This one is called the Camino de Santiago Primitivo. “Primitivo” means original, not primitive. Which stands to reason, as this is the original Camino.

We did seventeen miles today. We had no issues. We are in shape. Pack weight doesn’t matter anymore. We can walk all day, and just enjoy it. All of our hard work on the Norte has paid off.

“Oh, Heyyyyy!!!”

I found a lot more mushrooms today. We also walked through more patches of wooded forest, with old trees. I love being in the forest. I’m very comfortable there.

We saw this old house with the roof caved in. And then I noticed the cooking pot, and the bottle of oil still standing there.

Asturian welcoming commitee.

This dog waits all day for pilgrims to come by and pet her. She gets so much love.

If you look closely at the first dog picture, you’ll see the insecure jealous dog in the background, yipping away with rage. Meanwhile, this dog just laps up the attention. So serene.

We are getting our “Tramp Stamp” booklet all filled up. The pilgrim needs to collect stamps of where they wandered, proving they did the hike.

In Santiago, they will review your booklet and sanction your hike accordingly. I’ve heard you get a certificate of completion and an audience with the Pope!

“Waugggghhh!!!”

The day ended in Grado with a “menu of the day” at a fabulous restaurant. The highlight of the meal was the goat and French fries. I love goat. I’ve only had it about six times in my life, but every time it’s been absolutley delicious.

This trek is off to a great start. More to come ftom Asturias.

Southbound - CDN to Oviedo

Today was our longest hike of the trip, some 17 miles. After our rest day, our legs felt strong! After years of neglect, we are finally starting to get into shape!

This of course was morning legs talking. Afternoon legs had a much different opinion on the matter.

Beautiful Predawn Sky

Donkeys of the Morning

It was hot today. We were baking in the sun, and if it wasn’t for the shaded country lanes, we’d probably be scorched. I couldn’t imagine hiking this in the heat of the summer.

This hot day ended as they all do with an ice cold caña.

We took a night at the albergue in Pola de Siero. We were the only people staying there. It was a bit like living in a castle by yourself. It was cold. The whole place echoed as you walked to the loo. It was great having a nice quiet albergue.

Shadow hikers.

“Triplets!” ~ Molly Wolf for the win in the caption this contest…

Horse mouth. It kinda smirks like my cousin Jay.

This girl… At first, she acted like a good watch dog: Barking from a distance, acting tough. But I whistled, and motioned to her, and she came half way. I did it again, and she came over for a good scratch, then belly rubs, then in your lap, I LOVE YOU, PET ME! She got a piece of cheese… I half expected her to join us, but she calmly walked us by her house and stayed home. Great dog!

Medeval bridge. The engineer in me is very intrigued by these old bridges. I’d have loved to see one constructed, and help build one.

This day ended in Oviedo, and Napoli style pizza. This pizza was absolutely delicious and will be on my mind for some time to come. My favorite pizza is the “diavola.”

Turns out Oviedo is a pizza town, and there are many options. I’d love to do a self guided and inspired pizza tour here.

This marks the end of the Camino del Norte for us. We are switching trails, and headed southwest on the Camino de Santiago Primitivo Trail.

The norte was good to us and we got in shape. Now we want some mountains, and more country paths. We begin tomorrow.

Musing - CDN to Villaviciosa

Today was peaceful. We were up in the foothills most of the morning. The walk was good. All this walking gives you plenty of time to think. These are the idle musings of a pilgrim.

What it would be like to hike this with the energy you had in your twenties?

I thought a lot about making art. I caught several drawing ideas, ones I should write down so I remember.

Two thoughts kept coming: I should make art. This art will sell. I don’t know why it would, but something tells me it will. I just need to do it.

The people that live the life they want, do the things they want to do. They are bold about it. They don’t hesitate, they just do what moves them. And even if they fail, they are at least doing what they are passionate about, and that’s the rub.

And I have a chance, a choice to do it. So, why not?

For lunch, we had fabada. A delicious Asturian specialty of white beans and sausage.

After a week of walking, we are taking a much needed rest day. And back home it’s Thanksgiving. So time to relax, and kick our feet up for a day.

This Coast - CDN to Colunga

We put a good two hours of hiking in the dark to get here at dawn. It was worth it. This IS the best breakfast spot of the trip, and we aren’t going to rush.

This coastline is rugged, jagged, and sharp. You don’t want to trip here. The waves are big today, and the sound is deep. The roar of the ocean hitting these rocks is ancient. It goes deep into our psyche. I can’t stop watching the waves.

The sun rises a little. We walk on. We start finding active bufones! It’s as though the ground is breathing through these nostril like openings connected to the sea.

It’s all hydraulics of water pressure pushing air through a narrowing tube. They are all over the place! And they “breathe” in time to the ocean swells.

This is not an easy coastline to hike, and it works us. It also slowed us down. But that doesn’t matter, this is why we are here. To embrace it all, and this coast is worth embracing.

We stop off for an early lunch in some town along the way. It’s a bar for old men, run by an old man, with food made from scratch by an old woman. We love these places. They are reliably open in the morning. And they serve good food.

Then what you know what we did? We got on the bus! We weren’t going to make it to our next town before dark at our current pace. We fast forward two towns by bus, and got out to walk the rest of the way home.

Die hard Camino purists will likely criticize our move, but so what? We are making our camino work for us, and this was the right move. We may not hike every single step of the trail, but we will get 75% of them. And 75% of 510 miles is still a hell of a lot of steps.

Besides, check out this scenery. This is how we spent our afternoon, walking through paradise! We are so lucky to be alive and healthy enough to be able to walk these paths.

I love these fence lines…

So over it for the day…

We made it to town! We had a couple drinks in the late afternoon sunshine, content to do absolutely nothing over a glass of cool albariño….

“Ahh, Is this not happiness” ~ Jin Shengtan, 17th Century Chinese sage

From Bad to Good - CDN To Piñeres

The day began cold, rainy, and dark. We chose a sketchy muddy trail to nowhere, dead ending in a cow pasture at the edge of a cliff over the sea. We had to back track right back to where we started. It was not an auspicious start to our day, but these things happen.

I thought it was funny. My accomplice did not. It was her idea, not mine, but I didn’t rub it in. Shit happens. Get on with it.

Poo was great! We recalibrated with coffee and tortilla.

The rain ended. The day grew bright. The trail interesting. Our lives improved dramatically. And that’s just it… you never know. It ended up being one of our best days on the trail, and here’s proof.

Mid morning scenes.

These donuts… they are the most plastic sugar fake things you’ll ever find. But on the trail, they are pure gold.

This is the most out of the way free library I’ve ever seen.

We found a busy tavern full of farmers having their pre siesta caña. These guys serve beef and pork they raised on their farm. And the person doing the cooking knows their stuff.

This was the best steak I’ve ever had in a restaurant. To be fair, I had walked eleven miles to get here. That usually makes everything taste good.

This place is what every traveller dreams of finding.. It was local, delicious, and not a hipster in sight.

At the alburgue, the resident cat came by for a warm lap and a nap. You know the rules, if a cat is on your lap, you can’t get up. Sometimes it works out in your favor, sometimes not.

This was one of the few friendly animals we’ve met in Spain. The dogs are aloof. The horses don’t care.

Only the miniature ponies and donkeys occasionally come by to say hello.

Is there anything more peaceful than a sleeping cat? I think not.

This cat has inspired me.

Goodnight!

Asturias - CDN to Llanes

Some days there just isn’t much to say. We walked. I like Asturias paths so far. It’s a bit rougher. More unkempt. Bigger mountains. More sheep.

We arrived in Llanes at an awkward time. Three in the afternoon means the restaurants are closing soon for four hours. Starving and thirsty, I took matters into my own hands, and went to the grocery store.

I bought pasta, veggies and wine. I came home and cooked it all up. Spanish ingredients yield excellent results.

Some days you just don’t want anything but your own food.

Here are a few scenes of the day.

Dawn Light - CDN To Unquera

We love hiking in the early morning. We leave at 7 am, and get going in the dark. The towns are asleep. Only the birds are awake and have started their morning prayers. It’s cool. It’s dark. And it’s ours.

This morning dawn broke with a gorgeous display of color. The best of the trip so far. We had views of the ocean to the north, and mountains to the south. Everywhere you looked was green and gorgeous.

Morning walks like this are good for the soul.

We took to the sand before San Vicente, and walked the beach for a mile. It was a nice change of pace. We watched mediocre surfers ignore good waves, and dogs taking their owners for a walk.

We sipped our coffee at a bar in San Vicente.

After coffee, the road led away from the ocean and up into the high green foot hills. We really like walking from farm to village out here. The roads are quiet, and the farms are interesting. Most villages have a small church, or park that is perfect for lunch.

Sadly, there were no donkeys today.

After lunch is our hardest time. The body is tired, especially after all this road walking. It’s hard on the body.

I take fewer photos in the afternoon. . The light isn’t as good, and I can’t be bothered unless it’s really good.

Like these flowers!

Or this Stick bug!

Or this dog sleeping in a hay stack!

We’ve walked over a hundred miles so far. We have a long way to go, but one step at a time. We enter the realm of Asturias tomorrow.

Cider country!

Rain And Roads - CDN to Camillas

After a week on the trail, the rain finally caught us. We walked through two good squalls today, but our ponchos kept us dry. During the second rain, I opted to use only my umbrella, and I was happy with the results.

I haven’t used an umbrella much in my life, and I’ve been curious to see how it would perform with a full pack and walking for a few hours. I kept dry. I liked the freedom of not having a hood over my head. All in all, it was a good experiment, and I’m a fan.

I’m glad I have both options. In a heavy rain, the poncho is the best. But a medium to light rain, I like the umbrella.

A young donkey with soft alpacca fur.

After the first chilly squall, we we’re cold and ready for some coffee. Our timing was perfect, and we tucked into a cup and a bun in Orena.

The route today was gorgeous. We walked from village to village, each unique in its own way. So green! The mix of sun and rain showers, led to some spectacular views from the high points.

Today’s donkeys.

The Sign of the Snail.

These coastal snails love to congregate on high flat metal surfaces.

The second squall hit.

We got near the ocean today. You could here the waves crashing for much of the day. At one point, we actually went down to the beach. I couldn’t help myself, I had to go touch the water.

And then the sun came out.

The route grew long in the afternoon. We were very tired by the time we got to Comillas. We stopped off for beers and food, and we finally got some tarte de Abuella - Grandma cake… It’s not fancy, just good.

Cantabria - CDN Mogro to Santillana

We regained the camino this morning at 7 am in the realm of Cantabria. I like the name. I like saying it out loud.

We headed west following back roads roads under a high overcast sky. This was a perfect day for walking. We didnt soften over our hiatus from the trail, and in fact have gotten faster.

Having no giant hills and ridges to climb and descend really gives you a lot more energy to cover some ground.

This was mostly urban walking on hard asphalt, and our knees took a beating. This was the challenge of the day - managing movement over the extra hard surface.

Early morning sea view.

A congregation of snails

We got to walk by a giant factory! “Those guys are really doing stuff!”

Mid morning coffee break. Once a day we need a cup of coffee. I prefer it before we leave, but mid morning makes for a nice break too.

A good tree against a good sky.

What we wear on our feet.

My accomplice looking to the future.

Lunch! We often get breakfast and lunch from the market the night before. It let’s you have a good picnic wherever the mood strikes you. “Al Fresco!”

Fools!

We had a good day back on trail. It felt good to be back. The break was nice, but you start missing walking after you’ve embraced the lifestyle. It feels so good to just be outside all day listening to birds and petting donkeys. We make up stupid jokes nobody would like and laugh!

We look forward to food, our pension room for the night, getting clean and naps.

Until tomorrow…

To Find a Dentist - CDN Pause

I’m sitting here on our rented couch three hours after having a root canal on one of my teeth. Half my face is numb, but I am happy. Tomorrow we get back on the trail.

My tooth has been getting worse since Paris, and as we had been planning a rest day in Bilbao, I mentioned to my accomplice that I had tooth pain and would like to see a dentist.

Its not easy to accomodate these things as a perpetual traveller, especially when on route with no fixed address.

It’s daunting to find a dentist on short notice in a foreign place. But the only thing to do is try. My accomplice is worth her weight in gold. She reached out and got me an appointment in Bilbao for 1030 Monday morning.

We went and learned I needed a root canal on one of my teeth. However, they could not do the procedure. So we had to look for more options.

The next city up the pike was Santander, and so we searched again, this time finding a clinic that had availability and the ability to do the root canal. They said they could do it Wednesday morning.

So that is what happened. We readjusted things and headed to Santander. We are skipping 64 miles of trail, but I’ll make up for it next time. And 64 miles out of a 510 mile trail isn’t the biggest sin. Sometimes your teeth hurt, and you must attend to them.

We did a bit of city walking in Bilbao and Santander. Here’s a few photos of our findings.

The best tortilla we’ve found yet. This one in Santander. We found a small cafe, with mom and pop running the show making homemade unpretentious good food.

They also made a rockfish carrot leak onion pate we had on toast. We didn’t know what we were ordering, but it was a specialty of the house. At first, we weren’t sure about it, but we couldn’t seem to stop eating it. And by the end we decided it was very good.

I have a new favorite white wine. Alberino. I love Spanish wine. I think they are probably the best all around wine makers in the world. Of course, they are pairing their wine with excellent food, so that helps. And who doesn’t think more fondly of the food and drink you’ve had on a journey or a holiday? That’s human nature!

We took advantage of our down tome to make our own table tapas.

We found another Chamber of Ham!

We walked through the Bilbao Cathdral to the voice of a beautiful singer who had started singing outside the door. Her voice was angelic. She made this cathedral soar.

I’m happy this chapter is over. I’m happy I don’t have any more tooth pain. I’m ready to get back on the trail. Our bodies are rested. It’s time to go!

Transformation - CDN Day 5

“Coffee and canas make a Camino day better.”

This morning we got moving in the chilly dark of 06:30. Gernika was asleep. And honestly, I wasn’t really feeling it. This felt like a job in a way - that somehow we left the fun behind on day two.

We struggled up the first slippery rocky pitch in the morning gloam. We reached the ridge and caught our breath.

The trail eased a bit, and we fell into conversation. My accomplice mentioned that as she read reviews of the sections of the trail, that mostly they were complaints about this and that. “Too muddy. Too long. Not enough this. Too much that.”

But one guy wrote, “I like the longer sections, as it gives me more time to spend with God and contemplate.” (Roughly paraphrased)

He’s absolutely right. I forgot the point of this journey. I got lost in the bricka bracka of trail life. I let the mileage, the hostels, the body pain, and physical endurance occupy the majority of my thoughts. I forgot that this trail is meant to open yourself up to God. Whatever that means to you. It’s a personal journey.

It was this reminder that set me free. It reset my mind, my spirit, and my joy in this endeavor.

The rest of the day was spent in mindful appreciation of the day. Nothing bothered me anymore. It was all great.

And this is what I saw.

100 Meters of Slick Muck

Nice Trailside Shaggy Mane

This farmer wins for most gourds or marrows.

We walked several miles through eucalyptus and pine forests. Nice aroma!

Miniature ponies and donkeys are my favorite farm animals. They often come by to see if, perhaps, we might have a carrot for them.

I haven’t fed them, as I think other pilgrims have overfed them, and their owners wouldn’t appreciate it. Besides, the grass they eat is top of the line.

Basque cheese cake is worth the effort.

We made it to Bilbao! We are taking a rest day tomorrow to recouperate and try and find a dentist. More to come on Tuesday.

Ciao!

A Quiet Day - Camino del Norte day 4

We had ourselves a quiet walk through the country side. Not really much to say about it other than it was a good day. We are now exhausted, fed, clean and ready for bed at ten o’clock at night.

Here’s the days catch of photos.

Morning warm up on the creek.

River fall..

Motif on side of a church… Giant flying chicken hauling off skulls?

Church.

Mossy bridge.

Very lush valley path.

Big horses.

Mid morning snack.

Salad. The cucumbers here are delicious.

How we look after hiking 8 hours.

Canas are Life!

The New Normal - Camino del Norte day 3

The novelty of the hike started to wear off today. The new reality started to set in. We just barely started. We are now 40 miles in to a 510 mile hike.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still excited, but my mind and body has started to absorb what I’ve begun: That this is going to be a lot of hard work.

Backpacking is nothing but hard work. It seems glamorous from the outside, but when you step into pack and walk fifteen miles up, down and around the landscape, it gets real pretty fast.

Right now? Everything hurts. Not to worry. It’ll get better. We’ve conquered everything thrown at us so far. We’ll be fine.

Morning Light

The light this morning was quite beautiful. I was lucky enough to meet a miniature pony with great hair.

The welcome committee in the valley of Olatz consisted of two great donkeys and one old man dog.

Afternoon Scenes

Follow The Yellow Arrow

The camino is well marked by these yellow arrows and standing way posts. I spend a lot of my day looking for them, and they keep us going.

I don’t map out the route. I do a little research the night before so I know what I’m in for the next day. Beyond that, I just follow the arrow and let the landscape show me what it will.

The Monastery

When we got to Merkina, we found the Monastery of Erita de San Miguel de Arretxinaga founded in the 11th century around three megalithic stones.

This is definitely the most interesting and moving place of contemplation I’ve ever seen. It’s unique. It’s huge. It’s so cool. There’s a different energy in this place.

I walk eight to nine hours a day now. That’s what I do. And that’s a pretty good life. Especially when you are here in Basque country.