Mile 291.2: Villadangos del Páramo
October 11, 2017
Today we said goodbye to León a vibrant city with friendly people.
Last night we went to the Pilgrim’s mass at the Basilica de San Isidoro. It has been awhile (since Burgos) and I really missed it. Saint Isidoro is next door to the hotel/monastery that we were staying at. Saint Isidoro’s remains are in a silver chest behind the altar.
Mass went well. There were about half pilgrims and half local participants. At the end the priest asked the pilgrims to come up to the front. He then asked if anyone would like to read the English translation. No one came forward so I raised my hand and went up. I was wearing the wrong glasses though. My street/driving glasses do have close-up magnification but only at the very bottom but I did well until I came upon a word in Latin. The lighting was poor and my eyes strained so when I saw this long Latin word I blurted out, “¡Ai Dios Mio! ¡No puedo decir esta palabra!” (Oh my God! I can’t say this word!” The priest laughed and helped me pronounce the Latin word. He thanked me and I thanked him for the honor.
We had spent the day just walking around León and going off the “beaten path” into areas that tourists and pilgrims don’t usually go. Found a ferreteria (hardware store) where I could buy a bottlebrush for the water bottles. In front was an abbey and as we were standing there a man approached us and asked if we were lost. My husband told him that we were lost on purpose. He then told us that there was once a wall that blocked the street there and that the abbey was for cloister nuns. They were poor so they took in clothes to mend. People are so friendly here. We joked and talked to other people as we walked around. We felt at home.
We also found a plaza that is dedicated to Don Gutiérre. My husband’s surname is Gutiérrez. In Spainish the “z” at the end of a name means “son of.” Don Gutiérre had quite a noble life. He was a 14th century knight loyal to Alphonso the 11th. He helped put down the rebellion against the king on Calle Mata Siete. Afterwards he renounced all possessions and became a pilgrim on El Camino where he became lost to legend.
The following morning as we were having breakfast when the priest from the last night’s mass came up to us to say good morning. His name is Hermano (Brother) Francisco and he resides in the monastery. It was really nice to see him again.
After mass Hermano Francisco had told us all about a modern church that we would be passing on our walk today: La Virgin del Camino. So today we began our walk there. The church is modern and interesting in its mixture of simple and interesting artwork. We got our stamps for the day there, prayed and meditated, and continued on El Camino.
The path parallels a busy roadway. There is an alternative road that goes out more into the páramo (grassy high plains with some small trees or bushes) but our hotel was not along this pathway so we walked by the roadway. We were keeping good time and there were a couple of places to stop for a break. Then about 1 mile from our hotel the muscle that I had had problems with last week snapped…OUCH!!! (…and damn!)
So I had to slow down and limped my way to the hotel. It’s a nice hotel by the roadway. We had our room changed to the back so it would be quieter and since there’s really nothing much to see here we are spending the day resting…and there’s a bathtub! Hot water and Epson’s salts!!! …a sore muscle’s friend.
El Camino can be quite a challenge at times.
Mile 299.3: Hospital de Órbigo
October 12, 2017
The day was to be much the same as yesterday…but it wasn’t.
We continued on the same route as yesterday along a busy roadway but the trail curved away from the road and took us into a tree-covered path. Some parts were rocky while other parts soft with dirt or trampled grass. As cars and trucks passed by to the side, we enjoyed the shade and cover.
Except for an occasional pilgrim on bike, we did not meet any pilgrims walking. Guess most had left very early for Astorga or they were on the alternative route away from the roadway. It was rather nice to have El Camino to ourselves.
We took a break by a barn made of red brick. The bricks have holes that go thru from one side to the other and are solid on the other two sides so they lay them in such a way that there are parts of the wall that are solid and other parts with holes for the light to get thru. I sat on an old truck tire so I could take off my boots and we each eat a small, sweet pear. Birds flew around us and sang and I heard a thumping in the barn. Something from inside sniffed and wined. There was a dog inside to guard the barn. It was lonely. I felt so sorry for it. If anyone ever tried to break in I think the dog would be so happy that it would lick and kiss them.
We made it to Hospital de Órbigo in record time: 3.5 hours. To enter Hospital de Órbigo we crossed a medieval bridge that had been built over a Roman one. It’s the longest one that I have seen with cobblestone road stretching over a river that is mostly dry. Before we crossed we met our first pilgrims walking. They are from England and happy to meet someone from Illinois. They are keeping track of the states of the Americans that they are meeting and Illinois was a new one for them. We crossed the bridge together.
There is a story about this bridge…A story about a knight and his love for a lady…for a month he challenged any knight who tried to cross the bridge and won over all. He then went on a pilgrimage to Santiago and a year later married his lady. Twenty-five years later he was killed in a battle by one of the knights that he had defeated. Every year now in spring there is a festival below the bridge with medieval games.
We are staying at a beautiful Hotel Rural called Nuestra Señora de Lourde. The owner is from Portugal, Doña Dolores, and she has a big heart. She remembered my husband from two years ago since he was walking with a hernia. She’s also a great cook. The hotel is more like a home with two open spaces for gardens: one in the front and the other in the back. Our room looks over the front garden. Unlike many hotels that close for the winter season, she stays open all seasons for the pilgrims because, as she told me, there is always a need. She only closes for Christmas. Like I said…A big and beautiful heart.
There are not a lot of pilgrims here in Hospital de Órbigo. The tour books suggest having lunch here and moving on; what a shame. There are some really nice places to spend the night here. Even the inside of the albergue looked nice with a garden. I like shortening my day more so that I can enjoy both the walk and the area that I am spending the night in.
El Camino has heart.
Mile 312: Astorga
October 13, 2017…Friday
Today we were denied entrance to the Astorga Cathedral during the time for prayer and meditation…
El Camino took us away from the busy roadway and into valleys and hills, thru villages and farmland. It has been awhile since we have had to go up and down hill. Took a bit to get the stamina back but it did. Met new pilgrims to talk to and share the road with. Hope we meet again. At the Cruceiro de Santo Toribio we met a man who was tending the roses and trees that are planted near the cross. He surrounded himself with lady pilgrims and said a prayer for us. He asked us to hug St. James for him when we get to Santiago. His name is Don José.
(Note: There is a bust of St. James behind the altar in the Cathedral in Santiago. You go up some stairs and you can touch it from the back. Two years ago, during the Pilgrim’s Mass, a lady was up there (it is suppose to be closed off during mass) and while the priest was performing mass we could see two hands and arms in a bright peach long sleeved top reach out around St. James’ shoulders and touch his face. It was a bit distracting but interesting…not what one expects during mass.) (Actually I had to bite my tongue to stifle a laugh.)
From the hill where the cross is the view of Astorga is beautiful. The Cathedral dominates it all. Astorga is in an area where the people of a unique culture are called Maragatos. It’s not known what their origin is, there are several theories, but these people have created a unique culture for themselves after being isolated from the rest of Christian Spain when they were surrounded by the Moors. A couple of days ago at the hotel that we were at the cook is from Astorga and she served us food from the area: chickpeas with veggies, a varity of meats; the last course is soup. It was so delicious. Before we came into Astorga today we stopped at a bar for lunch called Oasis that my husband had come to the last time he was here. The owner was so nice and personable. He father makes the tortillas (potatoes and egg baked in a pan). It was the best I have had…he used herbs and just the right amount of spices.
So it was with a satisfied stomach and expectations of new experiences that we entered Astorga.
Our hotel is right across from the Cathedral and the Bishop’s Palace that Gaudi designed. They are both beautiful. The palace is closed though because of the holiday so we decided to go to the Cathedral and light a candle for my mother-in-law and pray and meditate. There is always a side door open for the hours that the churches and cathedrals are open for spiritual moments…no photographs allowed. So I put my small camera away. When we approached the side door people were entering the Cathedral. There were signs on the door that it was a time for prayer and no photos allowed. When we approached and tried to enter though a man stepped in front of us and would not let us in. I told him what we were coming for and he looked at us with distain and told us to go to the front and wait with the tourists. He shut the door on us. Later we met some other people who had the same thing happen to them. It was so upsetting. We have been in many churches and Cathedrals during our walk on El Camino. Only one other was a bit strange…the pilgrim’s mass in Burgos at the Cathedral where the priest was only interested in the Polish and German pilgrims. There, when he was asking if there were any Polish pilgrims and no one answered a man said he was from Canada. The priest didn’t know how to take that. In actuality, there were pilgrims from all over the world at that mass, but we were not important to that priest.
My husband ended up writing an e-mail to someone on the Astorga Cathedral’s website since the manager in the ticket office was no help to us. He told us that we could speak with someone “tomorrow at 11 in the morning” and then offered to let us in during the tourist hours free…we declined the offer.
I think these big Cathedrals are forgetting that they are houses of God.
(Note: My husband received an answer from one of the priests at the Astorga Cathedral. It was a lovely reply. He said that this should never have happened and that it never will again. He also lit a candle for my mother-in-law and said a prayer for her.)
I look forward to walking tomorrow…
El Camino gives one time to meditate and be closer to God.
Mile 324.1: Rabanal de Camino
October 14, 2017
We are leaving the countryside of adobe and tile homes to stone and slate ones.
Was good to get out of Astorga. Found a modern church not far from the center where we had stayed…looked friendly to pilgrims. We gained some altitude…our phase is changing to mountains…Mountains of León. Found it better to walk on asphalt when possible. Passed thru towns that were really interesting…a lot of old buildings made of stone, many in bad state but others have been renovated.
Saw a pilgrim in front of us who seemed to be having trouble walking. We stayed behind him just in case he needed help. At a rest stop right before the final phase there were 4 kittens about 6 months old. They seemed well fed and were friendly. The last phase took us up on a rocky trail that wasn’t so bad; smooth areas of dirt and rocks big enough to use as steps. There was a wire fence full of crosses that pilgrims have made and left. It went on and on and on.
Here I met a young lady who quit her job as a nurse. She’s tired of the way the hospitals are running too much as a business and less as a service so she decided to sell everything that she didn’t need and walk El Camino. When she finishes she will join a nursing organization that works overseas. I have heard from other nurses the same issue with our medical organizations in the U.S. I wonder how many nurses and doctors we are loosing because of this.
Rabanal de Camino is a very charming town. Renovated stone buildings as well as lots of broken down ones. The hotel is really nice. Dinner was one of the best. We went to church, looking forward to hearing the monks sing Gregorian chants but it turned out that they were gone for the season so the priest who is also a Benedictine Monk sang most of the sermon. It was beautiful. He also spoke in Italian, English, German, and Spanish. At the end he gave a blessing to the pilgrims.
Before dinner we walked around the town…lots of friendly cats…there’s a man who feeds them. It is a really nice town and people are friendly and grateful for the business that the pilgrims bring. We met 8 to 10 people who were sitting on stone benches and talking, this is called a tertulia…spending time in the evening with neighbors talking. They are all from here but some live in Madrid and were visiting. I was taking photos of a door and a man, Don Manuel, opened the door for us so we could see the oak beam. It was about 18 x18 inches thick and 250 to 300 years old. We had a wonderful time talking with them and learning about the area and history, as one lady said, “Gratis.” It didn’t cost us anything.
Note: Church is old and shows it age but it is beautiful in its simplicity.
El Camino brings people together…
Mile 334.1: Molinaseca
October 15, 2017
Overall today’s walk was the best in a long time…
Day started off really well…trail was rocky in center but good smooth side paths. Feet did well as we past cattle, sheep and the sound of hunters shooting and past thru a ghost town where the stone houses were in various stages of disrepair. One house was rebuilt with solar and wind energy. There was a colorful retreat where the man who runs it wants to change the world (the question is to what?). Met our friends from Canada…haven’t seen them in several weeks. Leaves are changing color. It was a really beautiful day crossing the Mountains of León. Threw my rock under the Cruz de Ferro and released my heavy load (I hope). Walked to the highest point of El Camino. It was after all this that things went bad…
Trail was rocky like the one to Zubiri…slate and loose rock for the first part of the decent and this was only the first and shortest of two descents. I heard people catching up with me and I turned to see a couple coming quickly down the rocky trail. I stood aside and told them that if I walked as fast as they I would be laying on my face. The man told me that that would not be good. He was from Australia. Australians seem to be the hardiest of the hikers. Later my husband and I took the road instead of the trail and we passed the same couple…both looked exhausted and in pain.
We had to go back on the trail again and it was hard and I was not in a good mood but each step forward means a step closer to the end (of the first phase). People passed me who looked fresh and carried little. One lady told me that they were using a tour bus to help with some of the distance. “We are cheating.” She said. “No.” I said. “You choose your own path.”
In the end there was a switchback trail that made the decent easier and there I was in Acebo where my friends from Canada were having lunch and many of the people who had passed me were enjoying refreshments. They welcomed me and I felt better. I knew, though, that I could not make the next leg of this decent…only 5 miles but at my pace I would be there till dark so we called a cab from La Casa del Peregrino where my husband had met Don Carlos two years before who runs it and lived once in Puerto Rico.
The cab driver told us that this is the worst part of El Camino and the erosion has been really bad exposing more of the rock. We drove down a steep, hairpin curved road that was not wide. There were many pilgrims on the road walking. I think this is the most dangerous area of El Camino that we have encountered…either the steep rocky trail or the curvy mountain road. I am glad that we took a cab the last 5 miles. Our feet hurt and my leg muscle is stiff. That night at dinner people told us that they wished that they too had skipped the last climb down. The last few miles were steep and treacherous.
Do I feel bad that sometimes we have taken a cab to shorten our day of walking or avoid dangerous areas? No. I have met people who have broken their bones, lost a tooth, twisted their ankles, lost their toenails, hurt their knees. There are pilgrims that begin their walk in the dark of the morning and end up falling. I have met pilgrims that don’t walk more that 7 miles a day or decide where they are going to end the day when they become tired and find a place to stay. For me, 13 miles is my limit, down hill is the worst and a road of sharp pointy rocks that do or do not move is a nightmare. I still have a long ways to go and so far I have walked most of it. The Way can be painful and hard but it is full of wonderful surprises, people and places to experience. I would not have it any other way…I will walk with my head, I am not here to prove anything to anyone…I am here to learn.
El Camino can be demanding…
Mile 350: Ponferrada
October 16, 2017
We have gone 350 miles from our starting point of St. Jean Pied de Port and we have walked 334.1 of those miles. I am only counting the miles that we walk.
We decided not to walk the 5 miles to Ponferrada today. Our feet hurt and there are new muscles that I am learning that I have. One at the bottom of my rib cage; it is sore and must have helped me a lot yesterday as I was descending the mountain. We need a rest before we begin our new phase.
The day began dark and smoky. There are fires in Spain. More than 200 that were purposely started. People do this so that they can later go in and scavenge what remains. All the fires began at the same time right before winds from a tropical storm hit…it is being called “Terrorism by Fire.” People are loosing their homes, their lives, forests and animals are dying, and an elderly man lost his life trying to save his goats. What type of person can do this just for a little profit? People are mad. Some one called it the “Law of Sancho Panza”…the guilty only get a slap on the hand. People are mad. Tonight there were protests all over demanding that the guilty be punished.
We spent the day exploring the Templar Castle, which is actually three. It was interesting to see and there is a beautiful exposition of illuminated books there.
“El libro es lumbre del corazón…”
“A book illuminates the heart…”
Ash fell around us all day with the smell of smoke permeating the air. We enjoyed dinner with our friends from Canada. We had not seen them in several weeks and this maybe the last time. As we had dinner people in the plaza protested against the fires.
Tomorrow there will be rain.
Pilgrim’s Passport as of October 16, 2017:
¡Buen Camino!
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