A Captain’s Camino

Perfect start to a perfect day! Stars in all directions this morning, not a cloud, almost no breeze, and see your breath cool air.

Mostly uphill from the start, and more severe so as the day progressed. But not bad overall. And the topography is dramatically different – rolling hills and lots of greenery. Almost no crop fields now as I head back up into mountains.

This tiny village on the mountain, especially today, may be one of the most beautiful places on earth. Incredible weather, blue skies without a cloud, soft breezes – and a tiny grocery in one of the hostals. Who could need any more!

The first three albergues/hostals were full, but another lovely albergue had beds, so no street sleeping tonight. Mattresses are about 3 inches thick, although the hot, overhead showers make up for it. Just no sleeping on my side tonight or I’ll have really sore hips in the morning.

Pizza for lunch! And it was really good. Seems like a real Italian pizzeria since both gents working there are Italian!

Tonight I’ll have another group meal at the albergue. Always interesting talking to new folks.

Some of the other colors and sights along the way today.

Tomorrow morning I’ll head further up into the mountains toward Cruz de Ferro. More on that during a future post. Hope the weather holds like today. Buen Camino!

Extra thought: Geology rocks, but geography is where it’s at.

Another long walk today – 29 kilometers – but it was such a beautiful day! Mostly sunny, cool, breezy – just about perfect. And it started with a glorious sky before dawn.

The topography changed a bit. Now it is quite hilly which means some tiring uphill climbs. Nothing like what us coming over the next two days, but still tiring. And there are now a lot more trees than in the previous week or so.

There are also more pilgrims again. After several days of light traffic, the trail is much more loaded. Just more folks to pass, I guess!

Another glorious sight today – I have less than 300 kilometers to go! That means I’ve walked over 500 kilometers already, wow! Good thing they sell ibuprofen all across Spain.

Here are some of the others sights and colors of the day:

And here are some views from Astorga.

Lunch was typical for me and included a beer. Tapas and beer are high in my list all the time.

Extra thought: A dentist married a manicurist. That fought tooth and nail.

Quite a sight in this small town – a 19 arch stone bridge! I’ve seen these photos online many times, but didn’t recall where it was along the route.

Beautiful day to cross over with sunny skies in abundance.

Extra thought: Ever stop to think and forget to start again?

Late start this morning since it was only a couple hours to Leon. Decent weather, but a lot of walking along roads with noisy traffic.

Nothing like a relaxing walk through a beautiful city! Spent much of the morning walking in and around Leon, with a little sun and light breezes. Wonderful city, especially the old town area, like many Spanish cities. Clean and photogenic!

One of the first things I noticed walking through crowds of folks rushing to work, shoppers, and sightseers was perfume! The Camino is not the place for fragrances, makeup, nice clothes, etc., and it was pleasant getting scents walking through town!

The cathedral is very impressive and Leon is definitely a city to spend some time in. Have to plan another trip to Spain! You can still see the old walls around parts of the city. The river front and various plazas are scenic and worth some time, too.

There was also an accordion player was was punching out the most beautiful melodies along the river, albeit with a little recorded background accompaniment.

Some other colors and sights along the way.

The day ended up rather long at 35 kilometers, but I’m a glutton. There are so few pilgrims along the route now compared to early on, seems a bit eerie.

Extra thought: Dear naps, I’m sorry I was a jerk to you as a kid. You’re my best friend now.

Beautiful morning with mostly cloudy skies, but no wind! Glorious day to walk. The sky was all shades of red and gold as the sun began to rise.

And the topography is a bit different today. A lot more trees, some rolling hills, fields of corn and a few other crops, and the villages are a bit closer together now that I’m getting close to Leon. Here are some of the colors and the sights from today.

I only have a 10-12 kilometers to Leon in the morning so that will give me the rest of the day to sightsee around the city, or I might just decide to walk on through and stay on the other side. We’ll see…

Extra thought: If attached by a mob of clowns, go for the juggler.

About 34 kilometers today in a chilly wind and heavy overcast, until the skies cleared a bit about noon. Maybe the cool helped, but I felt good and kept going beyond the normal stop. The trail was pretty easy and it seemed as there were fewer pilgrims, too.

Because it’s Sunday, the streets in the towns and villages were pretty empty, as well. I think Spaniards start about around noon on Sunday. They are out in force now as I eat lunch at a street restaurant/bar.

Some of the colors and sights along the way this morning:

Extra thought: I’m not a perfectionist; my parents were though.

Either the town I’m in now, Terradillos, or sometime tomorrow (in dispute), I will be at the halfway point on the Camino de Santiago (French Route)! Woo hoo! And I can feel every step taken!!!

Extra thought: The first 5 days after the weekend are the hardest.

Dark and dreary morning, cloudy, windy, and some rain, too. And not much to see along the way except flat, flat, flat. Like endless Iowa crop fields.

There was literally nothing for the first 25 kilometers today so you have to plan ahead. Water? Check! Snack? Check! Laces tight? Check! On the right path? Check! Good to go.

And the “idiot” pilgrims continue to insist on recording their manifestos…

And a room in a decent albergue for the night. Just hope I don’t roll over in my top bunk!

And if you ever wonder how much is too much to carry on the Camino, the guy below DEFINITELY has too much! Wow!

Extra thought: The past, present, and future walk into a bar. It was tense.

Recommended by the staff at the hostal. The bar is excellent and the bartender friendly. We communicate perfectly…with my Google Translate app!

A little sweet vermouth on the rocks before dinner with the tapas, then a steak…I hope!

So…an aged t-bone is coming! Not sure about you, but I can taste it already! While the food has been good and filling, a big block of protein sounds really good right now. Besides, I’ll need it to soak up the bottle of red wine I’m enjoying! Vino tinto, por favor.

Extra thought: If money doesn’t grow on trees, why do banks have branches?

I love pine forests, weeping willow trees, and sycamore trees. Not necessarily in that order and I’m not sure why each appeals to me, but there it is. And Spain has all three, most especially sycamore trees.

The pine forests at the higher elevations were often draped in fog and the mist seemed to linger even between the trees. Quiet and peaceful.

The weeping willows are certainly fewer in number, but have been prevalent in the low lying areas and along rivers and streams. Nothing beats a well trimmed weeping willow – just like a bowl haircut!

And the sycamores are everywhere! In rows along many streets, filling parks, and across the countryside. Majestic trees with that distinctive bark and light colors farther up the trunk.

Extra thought: It was me. I let the dogs out.

Lots of churches here! This is a much larger town than many along the way, and they have most everything needed – Farmacia, bank, plenty of hostals and albergues, shops, bars, and restaurants. I’m in search of a good steak tonight for dinner and we’ll see how that turns out.

The route today was flat, but there were many villages along the 25 kilometers. A few stops for refreshments, a couple pastries…then done!

Found an inexpensive hotel/hostal in the heart of the city. There is a beautiful river and adjacent park down the hill. Now sightseeing around town.

Extra thought: Never play leapfrog with a unicorn.

I often do updates to posts after the initial load. Stuff that happens later in the evening, things I forgot, etc. So check back periodically and scan through the most recent posts since I don’t think notifications go out for updates to existing posts. Buen Camino!

Extra thought: Procrastinators anonymous meeting postponed indefinitely.

An early start to another spectacular day! Left more than an hour before sunrise and the half moon and clear skies made for easy hiking. Plus many pilgrims use head lamps in the darkness so you can always find the way.

So…nice flat day so far and then…the trail heads UP!

The albergue today is rather large, but beautiful! Large courtyard for relaxing, wall murals, steel sculptures, a small pool, etc.

And the biggest and best showers so far! That was a treat!

And had a delightful dinner of wine bean soup, bread, “beef stew,” salad, and an ice cream bar! All of that with a bunch of German pilgrims – very enjoyable and relaxing. Now pilgrim slumber…aaahhh!

Extra thought: If you hate speeding tickets raise your right foot.

In the middle of nowhere and as picturesque as you can imagine! Nestled in a small valley that you are not aware of until you are right at the precipice and heading downhill.

But before I got there..

I think today’s trail has been one of the best so far. Practically dead straight due west, and after last night’s rain, the trails are a bit softer (and even muddy in places).

The air is fresh and clean following the rain, and the sunshine has knocked the chill off the morning, although you can still see your breath a bit. The roosters were crowing and the birds were singing as I headed out this morning.

I’ve always loved the colors of Spain. Very southwestern, Californian. And if you love San Diego weather, come to Spain!

Yes, there has been a little rain. But blue skies and low humidity days abound! What a great time of the year. The extreme heat across Europe earlier this summer has subsided and what is left is magnificent.

I’ve been walking across a vast plain, with little in sight besides harvested wheat fields. Finally, the trail begins to dip and opens the way to a magnificent sight!

This “crater” or valley or whatever it may be is massive. I think it must be 2-3 miles across from rim to rim. I’ll have to do some research to see if it actually was a meteor site from a millennium ago.

SIDE NOTES: The last three days have also been filled with pesky flies. Must be their time of year. Fortunately, they are not the biting kind, just swarming and annoying.

The pilgrims are beginning to spread out, and I’m seeing many new folks. That means I’m catching up to pilgrims who started their walk before me, but are progressing more slowly.

And there seems to be fewer of us on the trail, which is typical…a bit of a thinning out as some are only doing part of the trail, some are injured, and some stop for extended time in a few places. There is no requirement to do the Camino in one bite, and that’s good for those who cannot get a month or more away at one time.

And back to the village of Hontanas…

Probably more pilgrims here each night than residents. It’s a pretty town with 4 or 5 bars and albergue’s and that’s about it. No bank, no Farmcia, no market, no gas station. But they have bars and a beautiful church…ahh, Espana!

And my delicious lunch – ham, cheese, olive oil, good bread, and a beer. All for 5 Euro – about $5.50.

MASS – Also went to the pilgrim’s Mass tonight. Lovely service mostly in Spanish, but with written programs in various languages for the pilgrims. The Priest also asked me to do the first reading in English. Corinthians 13, Ver. 1-8a, a favorite. My first time participating up front in a Mass, and a privilege.

At the end of the mass, the Priest also gave each pilgrim a small necklace with the Patriarchal Cross (photo and background information is below).

DINNER AND LIVE MUSIC!

Had a nice pilgrim dinner with goat cheese and beet salad (awesome), a hamburger (talked into it and not bad), and yogurt with fruit (hard to screw up). Like every night, too much food, too late for a pilgrim. Dinner rarely starts before 7 pm, is always slow (that’s civilized, but…), and cuts into BED TIME! Good thing I can sleep in until 7:45 am, if needed! Pilgrims do have to be out of the albergues by 8 am.

Had dinner with a Romanian woman and a German man (both 30s) who both spoke perfect English. Quite enjoyable. And we had entertainment – a solo Spanish folk singer. No songs in English, but she had a lot of people singing along when she did Piano Man and Hallelujah!

And here’s a pretty evening view from the surrounding hills.

Extra thought: Ducks have feathers to cover their butt quacks.