Day 14: To Itero de la Vega

Chasing a Storm

On the Camino, we usually don´t know which town we´ll stop at and call it a night. On Day 13, we left Burgos and decided to stop at Hontanas but not without some excitement. With one hour left of walking, we noticed the full blazing sun disappear from our sight as thick heavy rain clouds took over the sky. We didn´t want to be caught in heavy rain, so we increased our speed. It felt a bit like that Storm Chasers show on The Learning Channel. When we were 1km away from the next town, we were caught by yet another suprise. A herd of sheep suddenly showed up on our path! Fortunately, we got to our town unsoaked, just a bit wet. It was quite a day!

Day 11: Tosantos to Burgos (38kms)

We walked almost 2 stages today in order to get to Burgos right away. Burgos is the largest urban area we have visited so far. It has a magnificent cathedral and many cultural events, in fact it has been chosen as Europe´s Cultural Capital for 2016. So the city is preparing for this event. We spent 2 nights in Burgos. The first night we were placed at Gymnasium where we slept right on the gym floor. The second night we were able to stay at a Parish Albergue. By principle, pilgrims are not allowed to stay at one Albergue for more than one night - unless you have a Doctor´s note or other compelling reason.

Day 10: Sto. Domingo de la Calzada to Tosantos (30kms)

We soak our feet in cold water once in a while to cool them down and keep them from swelling.

Delicious jamón for lunch.

All the Pilgrim shoes at one point in time.

Update

Day 10 Sto. Domingo de la Calzada to Tosantos (30kms)

Day 11 Tosantos to Burgos (38kms)

Day 12 Burgos (Stayed an extra day in Burgos)

Day 13 Burgos to Hontanas (approx 30kms)

Food Fotos # 2

Some albergues have kitchen facilities and so we´ve had times to make our own supper. Photo below shows some steamed rice and a ground beef dish using paella spices! Also, there are cookies here in Spain that are called "Filipinos." They are delicious but not the cheapest cookies for budget pilgrims like us. There have also been times when we were just too tired to cook or make anything. Two photos below also show some very delicious and cheap meals we had in Logroño, La Rioja, Spain.

Food Fotos # 1

Most of our food adventures have been very simple... bread, sardines, chorizo, tomatoes and fruit. Some albergues we´ve stayed at provide meals for free to pilgrims.

Comida on the Camino

We´ve been buying groceries in order to save money on food. We average about 8€ per day. Our meals typically include bread, sardines, chorizo (spanish sausages), cheese, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, fruits - to ensure we´re eating healthy. Photos to come later. At each town on the Camino, restaurants and bars do offer Pilgrim Menus for pilgrims to eat a set menu for a cheaper price than tourists or locals would pay. The price ranges from 9€ to 12€. Since we are on the tight budget, we refuse to go with the Pilgrim´s Menu day after day.

On Day 7 however, we were so tired from walking in such a hot day that we decided to eat out for lunch when we were in the city of Logroño. This was also after we were told that Logroño offered really good food for a good price so we jumped all over the opportunity. We were quite surprised by what were put on our table. Photos to come later (sorry!)

Day 7 - Torres del Río to Navarette (32kms)

Brutal day. The hottest day thus far on our Camino. 3 blisters on my poor feet.
Mass made up for a tough day on the Camino. The Cathedral was absolutely beautiful. Photo later - again!

Day 8 - Navarette to Nájera (16kms)

We took it easy today to rest from a very tiring day yesterday.

Day 9 - Nájera to Sto. Domingo de la Calzada (21kms)

We took it a bit easy again today to give our feet more rest. I would encourage everyone who plans to do the Camino to bring a pair of walking poles/sticks to help with walking. The uphill and downhill are not necessarily that steep but nonetheless, hours of walking up and down hills can be tough on the knees.

Routine on the Camino

Hola! We just finished Day 6 of our Camino and we now have more or less a routine. We usually get up at 6am to pack up, get ready and eat breakfast. At 7am we start walking. Daily, we walk 26kms on average and traverse 4 to 5 towns on the way. We buy lunch and supper usually from grocery stores to save money. We take breaks to rest our feet, our shoulders and treat blisters. Every day, we pray Morning and Evening Prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours and we also pray the rosary daily. We usually call it a day around 3pm at whichever town we´re at and find an albergue or refugios (Pilgrim Hostel). They are very affordable at around 5 to 10€ per night. Our meals cost about 8 to 10€ per day because we pruchase them from grocery stores. So, our daily cost has been between 13 to 20€!

As soon as we find a hostel, we settle in, take a shower, prepare our sleeping bags and rest a little. Then we go out walk around town and pick up food. Then, we find a nice spot to eat - a park, on a sidewalk, or back at our hostel.

Then, usually at 8pm there is a Mass specifically geared for pilgrims. We try to attend mass everyday. Then, we go back to our albergues to go to bed early so we can get up early the following morning. On some nights at 9pm we go online to check emails and write blogs. But not all albergue´s have internet. At night, we usually put on a sleeping mask and ear plugs to have a more comfortable night sleep because there are usually many people in one room. People make all sorts of noises and it can be a challenge to fall asleep.

It´s been a great first week so far. I think our bodies are getting used to the grind of 20 to 30 km walk daily. So we don´t feel as tired as we did on Day 2 or Day 3. I´m also almost back to normal health. No more diarreah and cold! Thanks for the prayers guys!

Day 4: Pamplona to Puente La Reina

Day 5: Puente La Reina to Estella

I got my first blister. I had to poke with a needle and put a thread through it to keep the hole open and airdry the blister. It´s kinda gross but I gotta do it if I want to last another 30 days!

Day 6: Estella to Torres del Río

Our longest walk so far at 36,950 steps or 30.7kms. We´re not as tired though because the weather wasn´t too hot. It´s a big cloudy and breezy, so we´re not feeling too exhausted.

On our way today, we run into a water fountain, except it didn´t give water. Instead, it gave wine. It was a neat marketing strategy by a local winery.

Tonight, we are staying at a really nice albergue here at Torres del Río called Albergue Mari. The owner is very nice, friendly and hospital. She gave us discounts on our stay and food!

Enjoy the photos below!

Cramps & Charms

Day 1: St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles (28kms)

CRAMPS
Our first day started off well. We stayed at an albergue (Pilgrim Hostel) with a stunning view of the Pyrenees Mountain ranges. Until we actually climbed them. Much of Day 1 was uphill and it was brutal. It wasn´t because the hike was particularly steep but rather because of my 12kg backpack. My legs were cramping pretty much the whole time. Nonetheless, I´m having a great time. The body is tired but my spirit is up. What´s great too is that Day 1 is supposed to be the toughest day in the entire Camino. So I´m glad the toughest day is over!

Upon climbing over the Pyrenees, we crossed the border from France into Spain. Viva España!

Day 2: Roncesvalles to Larrasoña (28kms)

CHARMS
The walk was a lot easier than Day 1 but my body is still sore from yesterday´s hike. But we persevered. We reached a town called Larrasoaña, however, all the albergues and inns were all full. We tried different ways to get around to no avail. We even asked if we could sleep on the floor but due to security reasons, we were turned down. We considered walking another 8kms onto the next town but on our absolute last ´try,´our persistence paid off. Just before we were to give up, I knocked on a pension´s door (Pension is spanish for a Bed & Breakfast type lodging). I took off my sunglasses and hat so as not to look suspicious - especially with this beard I´m sporting these days.

The owner answered the door and in my broken imperfect Spanish, I told him we were aware that all the accomodations in town were full and then asked if there´s any way he could help us. He whispered to my ears: ¨come and look.¨ So Aiden and I followed him. He took us to his garage and said we could stay in his garage for 10€ each. We were more than happy to accept his offer! It was actually not bad. There were 2 bunk beds. I was expecting to sleep on the floor. I still can´t believe we slept in a garage but I´m definitely not complaining. It was worth it!

Day 3: Larrasoaña to Pamplona (15kms)

We had a nice and easy walk today at 15kms. Pamplona is a beautiful city known for its running of the bulls but alas it´s not until July. Anyhow, the albergue we´re staying at was an old church and it´s called Albergue de Jesus y Maria. It only cost us 6€ per person. To save more money, we have been making our own meals. Usually we would just buy bread and cheese but tonight, we decided to make spaghetti at the Albergue which had really nice kitchen facilities. It was great! We shared our meal with a Hungarian couple, who in turn shared their pizza with us. This was our first hot meal since we arrived in Europe.

After supper, we visited the Cathedral where they had Eucharistic Adoration. We took some time to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. We also found out the King Carlos 3 was buried in this Cathedral.

Overall, I´m doing well. My feet and shoulders and back are tired. But my heart and soul are happy.

I'm in Europe!

Hello all! I arrived in Switzerland yesterday and now I'm in Lourdes, France at an internet café. Lots to say here but internet access is expensive and my typing is slow (the French keyboard is brutal!).

I am sick and have been even before I left Canada - hence the lack of blog entries in the last number of days. I have a cold, cough and a mild case of diarrhea. Thank goodness I brought proper medications for these conditions.

Anyway, I'm so excited to be back in Europe 10 years after my first time. It's just as beautiful as I remember it to be. I just spent the whole day in Lourdes. I visited the Shrine dedicated to St. Bernadette to whom Our Lady appeared to. I went to mass as well and collected water from the miraculous fountain. The water is potable and it was very refreshing. I wish I could stay here for a few more days. It is a small town but there is much to see and much to do. But I am scheduled to start the Camino tomorrow and I like to stick to schedule.

I have taken some photos but I'm afraid I can't post any on here because I brought the wrong USB cable! I'll see what I can do in the next few days.

Pray for me, that I'll start to feel better.

Looking for a good book to read on the Camino

I'm breathing a lot better now! Today, I drove down to Washington State and bought a pair of walking shoes and a few other things like water bottle, walking poles, headlamp, etc. I'm almost ready! Tomorrow, I am getting health travel insurance and some Euros.

Another thing I need is a book or perhaps two for me to read. I'm looking for a book that will suit my journey. Right now, I'm leaning towards True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort. I'm also hoping for a book on the Camino but I haven't found any that piques my interest.

4 more sleeps until Buen Camino!

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela turns 800

I found out today that the St. James Cathedral is 800 years old this year!

Read Zenit article by clicking here:

ZENIT - St. James' Cathedral Marks 800th Anniversary

Backpack Blues

I went to MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) store today to buy a backpack as I still needed one for the pilgrimage. The choices MEC offers were impressive. However, after 45mins of browsing and going back and forth, I decided not to purchase one. Instead, I decided that I'm gonna go with my old backpack, the one I used 10 years ago when I went to Europe for the first time. I just didn't feel right forking out $100+ for a new one. Besides, the old one I have is still in great shape and it fits my back just fine. It'll be good also to use it again as I visit Europe for the second time - 10 years after the first time. I'm optimistic that it will serve me on this pilgrimage just fine. Here's a couple of pictures.





Tomorrow I'm going across the US border to get a new pair shoes as the 2 pairs I currently have are quite worn out and are on their last legs. I looked at prices online and found the price in the US $50 cheaper than the one here in for the same pair of shoes.

Five more sleeps!

Less than a week left until Buen Camino!

In just six more sleeps, my 800 km walking pilgrimage begins. This May-June, I'll be walking the French Route of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

On May 14, I'll be flying from Seattle to Zurich and then take the train to Southern France in a little town called St. Jean Pied-de-Port, which is traditionally the starting point of the Camino Frances (French Way).

Then for a whole month and a bit, I'll be walking across Northern Spain towards Santiago de Compostela and all I will have with me is a simple walking gear, a backpack, a sleeping bag, water bottle, a rosary and a bible. I look forward to what God has in store for me on this pilgrimage.

But before all that, I still have to do a number of things like getting travel health insurance, getting the proper equipment, and tie up loose ends here at home.