To El Burgo De Ranero from Sahagun
Got a late start today. 9:45am desayuno (breakfast for you gringos ). Toured the town for an hour then hit the road. Angie did well on this 11 mile walk. Tomorrow we will start early and do 12 miles. We are 2 days away from Leon. We will take 1 much needed rest day there
Here are some photos of today’s journey.
Here I am in front of yet another statue of a Peregrino. This one was in front of an albergue in Sahagun.
- Our friends Larry & Sandy from Wisconsin. They are in a hardware store buying duct tape to put on a “hot spot” on Larry’s foot.
O Here are some of the gifts the Romans left to the good people of Sahagun
Monday May 6th Update
Now that we realized Angie’s backpack was the cause of her leg & foot healing problems, we took decisive action on Monday. We found out there is a company that will pick up backpacks and deliver them to your next place of lodging. Hooray for JacoTrans! So, we shipped off Angie’s backpack. Wonderful! She completed 14 miles on Monday. Angie has a whole new attitude and she is looking forward to today’s “short” 11 mile walk!
We never realized after 250 miles, that the backpack caused these problems.
Thank you all so much for your comments and concern. We read all the comments each night and they provide the encouragement to go on.
Got to go now and get the backpack to JackoTrans!
Beautiful Things Happen On The Camino
Joe with Angie’s Backpack
Those of you following our blog know of Angie’s plight on the Camino. Angie has been devastated. She told me recently “I didn’t train for 1 year to ride a taxi on the Camino.” I felt terrible about this situation.
On Sunday she said she wanted to try the 10 mile walk. Everything went OK for the first 4 miles. Then trouble. Angie could go no farther. With 6 miles ahead of us before the next Pueblo, we were at a remote rest stop next to a farm. We heard a couple speaking English. We introduced ourselves and we told them we are going to stick around and see if things improve. When they saw the problem that Angie was in, Marka said “why don’t you let us take Angie’s backpack?” So there you have it. Joe, Marka’s husband, took Angie’s backpack (see photos). Joe gave Marka his small backpack and Marka gave Angie her small backpack. Angie was now able to complete the day’s journey. At the end of the day we now discovered that the reason Angie was not healing her foot and lower legs was because of the weight of her backpack. You would think that we would have figured this out before!
At the end of the day, we traded backpacks over a glass of wine. This is the spirit of the Camino.
Do you believe in guardian angels? We do! Thank you. Joe & Marka
Marka & Joe reside in Marin, California
Safe &Sound in Carrion De Los Condes
We just got back from a beautiful mass at a church called Iglesia de Santa Maria (see photos).Beautiful. Built in the mid 1100s. Following mass, a special benediction was given for us Peregrinos (pilgrims). There were about 25 of us. We were asked to give our names and state where we were from. Angie and I were the only Americans. The priest gave us a blessing and two nuns gave us each a little souvenir for the occasion.
This little pueblo in earlier years was controlled by the Romans. Later by moslems.
Tomorrow Angie says she feels like she can make the walk. This will be a 14 mile one. We will take it slow. She is itching to hit the trail again!
My Taxi Ride
Today I decided to take a taxi to give my feet another day of rest. I said good bye to Mike and he went on to do a 16 mile walk. Maribel, the owner of the hotel, arranged for a taxi to pick me up. While I was waiting I kept thinking about my friend Lynne telling me you never know who you might meet. Well the driver was late and told me the price would be less if I didn’t mind sharing the taxi with 3 other pilgrims. I said OK. I met 2 girls from Germany and a man from I believe from Kansas. The man was doing the Camino with a prosthetic leg. My feet felt much better. This is the Camino.
Angie
Meet Sara, Maria & John
See the photo. From the left is Sara then Angie and then John and Maria. This photo was taken in Pamplona.We met Sara the first night at our stay at a hostal in Orisson, France. We went over the Pyrenees together and stayed at another hostal in Roncevalles, Spain. Sara is from Perth, Australia and is a nurse. As an inducement for her new job/position she was given a 5 month paid vacation! And I can tell you she is making good use of it! Prior to the Camino, she was mountain climbing in Nepal. After the Camino she is meeting friends in Italy! …You go girl!……We parted ways in Pamplona. That is just the way it goes on the Camino. You form “Camino Families” as you travel based on friends that speak a common language. But your Camino Family is always changing. Injuries, rest days etc. and your friends are either behind or ahead of you. We lost track of Sara in Pamplona, however we have exchanged text messages recently.
Maria and John we met in Pamplona. They are from the Phoenix area. As a strange coincidence they are friends with the daughter of Jane & Dan Litchfield of Montecito which are good friends of ours! Small world. Indeed! We had such fun together. Especially John & I…..we had a hobby we shared together – drinking fine local wines together!! Sadly, we parted ways in Santos Domingo. Angie & I know that someday we will see Sara, Maria and John again.
Hornillos Del Camino To Castrojariz
Angie was able to get a ride to Castrojariz from the owner of the Casa Rural we stayed at. The rest was good for her feet. She thinks one more day of rest and she will be able to hit the trail again.
Today was an easy 13 mile (21 kilometers) hike through farmland. Very level and smooth trail. No hill climbs! Yea! Temperature in high 40s and cloudy…no wind….very comfortable. Same weather forecasted for tomorrow.
Couple of photos I snapped along the way are attached. Ciao for now.
Burgos to Hornillos Del Camino
It was a long day. Angie decided that she wanted to make the trip. It was a 13 mile trek. Very level and the trail was very smooth. Dirt path but no boulders. It took us 7 hours. We’re pretty sure Angie needs to take a bus or cab for the next destination tomorrow.
We are staying at a casa rural in the middle of nowhere. But It’s claim to fame is that the owner’s daughter is married to Emelio Estevez’s son. There are posters of the movie “The Way” all over the place.
The owner was in the movie as a waiter toward the end of the movie. Very nice fellow & very proud. Many scenes were shot on this property.
By my calculation, as of today we have walked over 200 miles so far. 290 more to go!
Heeeerrre’s Angie !
Thank you so much for all your well wishes. I am taking the Dr’s advice and staying an extra day in Burgos. This has been a journey I will never forget. They say the Camino is like life. It has it’s ups and downs and the paths are sometimes rough. However it is so rewarding. The people we have met are so wonderful. We share everything so we can reach our destination, Santigo De Compostella.
If all goes well and there are no further emergencies we hope to be in Leon by the 9th or 10th, Sarria around the 21st or 22nd. It is so difficult to predict as the terrain is especially difficult with several days of climbing. We are hoping to be at our destination in Santiago De Compostella by the 31st of May which is 4 days before our departure.
I will continue to pray for all of your intentions along “The Way”
God bless you all and many Hugs,
Angie
Safe & Sound In Burgos!
As you know we spent an extra day in Santo Domingo to give Angie’s swollen feet a rest. She decided that one day was fine. On Saturday we left Villafranca at 8:30AM while it was snowing (see photos). Temps were in the high 30s. It snowed about 1/4 of our hike. We had three hills to climb and the wind did not cooperate. We called it quits after 7 miles. On Sunday we decided to make up the mileage. It took us 11 hours to go 16 miles from San Juan Ortega to Burgos.Temps in the low 40s, terrible wind from the side, crappy rock strewn trail. You had to have seen it to believe it. Angie was in dire pain most of the day. Left foot swollen and to make matters worse, a pesky and painful blister. She limped into Burgos after 6 Advil and 1 Vicodin-it was not pretty.
We decided to take 1 day of rest. I brought Angie to a foot doctor here in Burgos. The doctor gave her a prescription (heavy duty anti inflammatory & an anti nausea.) Doctor said to keep off of foot for 3 days. I told Angie to take the bus to the next 3 – 12 mile stops. She wouldn’t listen. The compromise is 1 extra day of rest here in Burgos and she wants to hit the road again??## …..I really could use some help here! She just doesn’t listen to me anymore.
Mike
Meet William
We arrived in Villamayor del Rio around 5:30pm and proceeded to our casa rural. This is where someone rents out individual rooms in their homes…like a B&B. Anna said that we were the only peregrinos scheduled for the day. AS we sat down for dinner she said that another peregrino just came in and was very tired as he traveled 30 miles today!
Soon that new boarder was sitting for dinner next to us and we were comparing notes about the Camino. He said his name was William and he was a vetenarian from Orlando, Florida. I asked him what brought him to walk the Camino. Here is what he explained:
A year ago he and his son watched “The Way” together. The son “Cullen” said that he would like to do the Camino together after college. A few days later, Cullen goes to China to get his Masters degree. Tragically, Cullen lost his life a few days later in an accident.
Now William is carrying Cullen’s ashes and hopes to arrive at the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostella on May 17th which is the 1 year anniversary of Cullen’s death. Unlike the movie, William explained that although the catholic church allows cremation, the ashes must be buried and not scattered.
Cullen accomplished much in his short life. Received AA degree while still in high-school. Finished his degree at Florida State then was to get masters degree at a China university. Cullen spoke 7 languages fluently.
Very sad but uplifting.
Photo to follow when I get a reliable and fast internet connection.
William has his own interesting Camino blog at caminowithcullen.wordpress. com
Najera to Santo Domingo De Calzada
A fairly easy 12 mile trek. Slightly uphill for the first 7 miles then 300 foot climb for 1 mile and then a 4 mile gradual descent into Santo Domingo. Trail consistency was fair. Photos are when we took a rest and looked behind us and the last photo is of Santo Domingo as we approached the city.
Foot Notes 1
Foot Notes (pun intended) will be added to the blog to just jot down any noteworthy observations we encounter. Neither of us have ever created a blog and journalists or poets we are not!
Status Report: completed 130 miles and are here in Santo Domingo De Calzada….try saying that 10 times fast! We are celebrating our mileage. This journey is a little more difficult then we first imagined because of the natural terrain and the uneven condition of the trail.
Damage Report:
Angie: She just recovered from her knee pain caused by the steep desent from the Pyrenees. But now both lower legs and feet are swollen plus 2 painful blisters.It was a very painful last 3 miles of our 12 mile trek into Santo Domingo. A Vicodin helped and today a couple of Advil helped with the pain. We just finished 2 iceing session and I gave her a prolonged massage on both feet. We took a rest day in Santos Domingo….Angie never left the room and was off her feet 90 percent of the time. Tomorrow we will make a decision on whether to stay another day before continuing the journey. Her safety is primary on my mind. She says that she is determined, more than ever to complete this pilgrimage.
Mike: The first week of this trip, I developed a 1/2 inch blister on my little toe on my right foot. Drained it and put a piece of Compete tape on it and that took care of it. 4 days ago I developed a sore muscle in my lower left back. Angie noticed the next day that my back backpack was lopsided. She pulled a couple of straps to even it up and 2days later my pain went away.
We have met a few people with foot or knee or back pain that have pulled off the trail and have taken the bus.” But for the grace of God, so go we”
I have added some photos under the. post titled “From Orisson To Roncevalles” For those of you that don’t know it, you can access all prior posts by going to the right side of this site where all posts are listed.
Ciao for now,
Mike
Now in Estella
We are fine. Internet too slow and unreliable to upload.
Now In Pamplona
We arrived yesterday after a somewhat level walk from Zuberi , Spain. We spent the night here and will leave tomorrow morning for Puente La Reina. This one day rest was very needed as Angie has some knee issues.
I am very proud of Angie. I never would have believed she could endure the climb we had in the Pyrenees. I mentioned before the strong winds we encountered. There was a time when it was difficult to advance and I saw the wind blow Angie backwards. We stayed close to the mountain side – away from the edge.
The descent went well for about one hour. Mostly still through snow. Then there was a warning rope blocking the normal path into Roncevalles. Too much snow for a safe descent. A hiker lost his life there 3 1/2 weeks ago in a blizzard. We took the detour but it was very steep – 45 degree average slope and took 2 hours to reach the floor. Can you say Jubilation? (I knew you could)! This long steep descent took a toll on Angie’s left knee.
Here are some photos of Pamplona and of some wonderful people we met along the way.
From Orisson, France to Roncevalles, Spain
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The route Napoleon Pass was closed for 3 weeks. We got lucky and only had to wait one day before they opened it. This is the major historic route to the Camino. See my post”We Made It” We are now sitting in a “locals” bar in Navarette, Spain ….we traveled 13 miles to get here.There are so many local drunks in here singing and yelling…it will be a miracle if I can publish this post. But good local wine at 1 euro & free Hi speed internet….I guess I will stick around for a while….can you say Se Habla Espanol? NOW having trouble uploading photos. Will have to wait until we arrive at our next Pueblo which is Najera.
We Made It!
We just arrived in Roncevalles, Spain. It was A 9 hour passage over the Pyrenees. 15 to 20 mile an hour wind in our faces for 7 of the 9 hour journey. Incredible. But we are safe and sound. Also we had to trek through a lot of snow at the higher elevation which slowed us down. Right Now we just checked into a hostel which is in a huge Monastery. I will post photos and videos
tomorrow evening. We have been on the trail for two days and have covered about 19 miles. Now we are each washing down 2 Advil with San Miguel Beer! Ciao for now
Ascent To Orisson Day 1
The first climb out of St. Jean was to Orisson in the Pyrenees. It was a steep ascent of 6 miles. We were tired and hungry after 5 hours and couldn’t find the hostel. We stopped a car going up the hill with 2 old ladies in it. They said there is nothing up the hill and we needed to go back down a mile and we. would find lodging. We.went back down
the hill and there was just an old abandoned house. Back up the hill we go for another half hour. Tired and hungry we stop another car this time going down hill. It’s the same two old ladies!! This time they tell us the hostel is just up the road! We. finally found it…..would you believe it was less than 200 yards away around the corner from the first time we asked the old ladies!
We got lodging and at dinner we met 2 Australians, 4 French & 1 American pilgrims. We had dinner & wine & sang songs in French we never heard before & didn’t understand!! But It didn’t matter, new friendships were made.
Staging Area @ St.Jean Pied de Port
We are spending two nights here at St. Jean. This is an old quaint border town at the base of the Pyrenee mountain range. This town has been the crossroads to the ancient pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostella since around 923 AD. We can see some pilgrims arriving daily. Most of them are French, however, late in the day we did meet a couple from Kansas who are leaving on Saturday. We are leaving tomorrow which is Friday on the oldest route called Route Napoleon. This will be a very steep climb for 4 miles. We will spend the night in the mountains at a hostel. The next morning another steep climb of 5 miles to the top of the mountain (3750 feet) and then a 3 mile descent into the village of Roncevalles. Now we will be in Spain. This will be a challenging but a rewarding day.
This beautiful town is located on both sides of the Nive river.
Typical narrow European streets
Jet Lag!
AFTER a very nice flight over the “pond”, we stayed for a day in Biarritz , France to get over our jet lag..A beautiful seaside resort.
Mike & Angie On The Camino de Santiago 
