I'm nearing the halfway point of the Camino! This really surprises me, since I wasn't even sure if I'd make it 100 km. I'm not sure I'm nearing the halfway-point of the non-physical journey, though I'm definitely going somewhere.
Today I took a rest day in Castrojeriz, pretty much right in the center of northern Spain. I climbed to the town castle - imagine, if you could just regularly climb to the "town castle"! - and read my book to the sun rising over the valley village. The other day I ended up walking at night, as there wasn't any space in the pilgrim albergues (refuges) for several towns. It turned out to be awesome: there was a full moon, there were all the colors of the "magic light" that come with dusk, it was windy, and I had good company. I love that I'm outside so much: so much of my experience becomes a kind of walking meditation. Even when nothing profound happens, when I don't think anything, I "experience" so much more than I can when I'm inside: there's something important that I get out of feeling the wind sting my face, hearing my shoes crunch the path I'm walking, seeing that "magic light" every day at sunrise and sunset.
I haven't been well-connected to the internet, so I probably won't have any photos for you until I'm finished. Everything is going really nicely, though. Hasta luego.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Caminando, Caminando
I'm well into the Camino rhythm.
(Also, sorry for the lack of literary quality here . . . speed, Spanish keyboards, and, uh . . . not really caring . . . are rather impeding the quality of prose. Throw in little hand-waving, bewilderment, and some cumin, and then maybe you can kind of imagine a real Leah Ashe story. If you don´t have those ingredients easily accessible, i guess you´ll have to settle for a second-rate piece of writing. i'd add the imagination if i were you.)
Right, so I´m well into the Camino rhythm. I stay every night with other pilgrims at alguergues or refuges. Tonight I´m staying at one in Logrono. I´m taking a rest day so that I can go see a bullfight. I eat cows, so I figured that I might as well at least check out cow-torture sport. Also, the matadors look pretty good.
In a few minutes, I'm going back to the albuergue to cook the midday meal with the hospitalero-priest. Tomorrow should be another walking day. I'm surprised how quickly I´ve acclimated. I did 20 km yesterday and it felt like nothing. I did a 33-km mountain-climbing day a few days ago; that felt like something, let me tell you, but it also felt really satisfying. I´m pretty sure it wouldn´t be on Dr Snyder´s list of recommended activities, but then, i think, neither would be surfing, skiing, or traversing concrete surfaces without a helmet. I´m liking it, and I´m feeling good.
Until next time!
(Also, sorry for the lack of literary quality here . . . speed, Spanish keyboards, and, uh . . . not really caring . . . are rather impeding the quality of prose. Throw in little hand-waving, bewilderment, and some cumin, and then maybe you can kind of imagine a real Leah Ashe story. If you don´t have those ingredients easily accessible, i guess you´ll have to settle for a second-rate piece of writing. i'd add the imagination if i were you.)
Right, so I´m well into the Camino rhythm. I stay every night with other pilgrims at alguergues or refuges. Tonight I´m staying at one in Logrono. I´m taking a rest day so that I can go see a bullfight. I eat cows, so I figured that I might as well at least check out cow-torture sport. Also, the matadors look pretty good.
In a few minutes, I'm going back to the albuergue to cook the midday meal with the hospitalero-priest. Tomorrow should be another walking day. I'm surprised how quickly I´ve acclimated. I did 20 km yesterday and it felt like nothing. I did a 33-km mountain-climbing day a few days ago; that felt like something, let me tell you, but it also felt really satisfying. I´m pretty sure it wouldn´t be on Dr Snyder´s list of recommended activities, but then, i think, neither would be surfing, skiing, or traversing concrete surfaces without a helmet. I´m liking it, and I´m feeling good.
Until next time!
Friday, September 14, 2007
100 Kilometers
The Camino de Santiago is . . . (Mrs. Schwert?) phenomenal! Amazing. Incredible. I can´t believe I´ve only five days into it. I´ll apologize right off the bat: I´ve been more inspired to enjoy the beautiful walking, companionship, history, and scenery than I have to seek out an internet connection, so I have been and likely will continue to be pretty out of touch. (And I kind of like that.)
I started in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, and have made it just Pamplona to Puente la Reina, Spain, where two of the old routes to Santiago come together. I´ve crossed the Pyrenees and the Alto de Perdon (though not on my nears, nor barefoot). My pack weighs more than I thought it would (nearly 20 pounds with food and water and sleeping bag), but the buenas rollas (good vibes) are also more inspiring than I thought they would be. I´ve been traveling with an awesome group: Two Spaniards, a German, an Italian, a German, and me, and cooking every night in the pilgrim refuge with a big group. It was my turn last night, and we made a guisado, a stew straight from the Leah Ashe kitchen!
I´ll rest today in Puente la Reina - and then we´ll see.
Buen Camino :)
More to come.
I started in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, and have made it just Pamplona to Puente la Reina, Spain, where two of the old routes to Santiago come together. I´ve crossed the Pyrenees and the Alto de Perdon (though not on my nears, nor barefoot). My pack weighs more than I thought it would (nearly 20 pounds with food and water and sleeping bag), but the buenas rollas (good vibes) are also more inspiring than I thought they would be. I´ve been traveling with an awesome group: Two Spaniards, a German, an Italian, a German, and me, and cooking every night in the pilgrim refuge with a big group. It was my turn last night, and we made a guisado, a stew straight from the Leah Ashe kitchen!
I´ll rest today in Puente la Reina - and then we´ll see.
Buen Camino :)
More to come.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Beach Tour
"I missed the train to Lourdes, so I went surfing instead."
Ever heard that before? When the credit card machine at the train station rejected my credit card transaction and I missed the train, I figured that was my sign: Tomatelo tranquilo, take it easy. So, I did what any Crystal Beach Bum would: I went to the beach. It's Biarritz in southern France, and it turns out that it's one of the surf centers of Europe. I was walking along the beach, ran into a surf school, and signed up for a class. It was totally rad, dude! I totally want to become a surfer girl. Can someone find out where the phrase "Hang ten" comes from?
Today I start the Camino in St. Jean Pied de Port, France. I like it already, and I haven't even taken a step in the direction of Santiago. All part of the Camino, I think.
And - Mark - France is awesome!
Ever heard that before? When the credit card machine at the train station rejected my credit card transaction and I missed the train, I figured that was my sign: Tomatelo tranquilo, take it easy. So, I did what any Crystal Beach Bum would: I went to the beach. It's Biarritz in southern France, and it turns out that it's one of the surf centers of Europe. I was walking along the beach, ran into a surf school, and signed up for a class. It was totally rad, dude! I totally want to become a surfer girl. Can someone find out where the phrase "Hang ten" comes from?
Today I start the Camino in St. Jean Pied de Port, France. I like it already, and I haven't even taken a step in the direction of Santiago. All part of the Camino, I think.
And - Mark - France is awesome!
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