Typical/Unusual

You could say every day is the same.

You could say that every day is completely different.

And you would be right both times.

Chinese Lanterns grow so well in Spain. 

Saturday Aug 31, 2019

Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

22 km, 31,500 steps, walking day #10

Today started like any typical day. The sun rose. My alarms went off. I got up right away. Wait, what? Usually it takes about 1/2 hour for me to decide to face the day. Most unusual. 

My first thought was "All right!! A day with more than 20 km!!" (If I don't walk at least 20 km, I feel like I don't really deserve that beer)! Who thinks that when they wake up? It's a rather strange thought, for anywhere but on the Camino.

My second thought was "I need to get ready so I can have a big breakfast and start walking while the air is still cool". Say what now? Big breakfast? Right now? Usually I can't face food until at least an hour after I wake up. 

Something is different here!

Olive oil on the breakfast table - the ubiquitous condiment of Spain

Coffee comes with a pitcher of hot milk!
Do I drink from the corner or the edge? (Both work!)

Thought number three: "I must remember sun screen". Eeww. I'm not a fan. My husband bought me a great big tube of 50 SPC, and I am actually using it. These days I can't be flippant, and say "I'll just be out in the garden for a few minutes, and honestly, most of it is in the shade...." Nope. All day, all sun, all the time. Sunscreen is a necessary evil. 

The second last thing I do before leaving my hotel room is put on my walking shoes. A cloud of dust rises as I snug up the laces. Then, finally, I wash my hands before going down to breakfast. What an unusual routine, and yet it is now my normal, everyday routine.

Camera? Check. Phone? Check. I power up the phone and make sure my map for the day loads. Map for the day? Map for the day! Two full bottles of water? Check. Um - I'm not a water drinker. I could only manage small sips with rests in between. Until now. Now I can do significant damage to a 500ml bottle of water in one go.

I love my pink water bottle! I have a second bottle with a squeeze spout.

All these things are not usual for me at all! But here I am, away from my home, my country, my comfort zone, and I have made promises to myself to achieve certain goals that are also far from my usual ways of being. 

I was talking about just that recently with someone - about behaving differently, and how other people might respond to that. When a person (i.e. me), does something atypical (and especially when it is more positive than usual), others might get taken aback. They might not know what to make of it. They may cock their head, and ask of me (in their inside voice): "Who are you"?, and "What have you done with Carol", and "Is she safe?" 

Well I am indeed acting in ways that are most unusual. And I have to say I'm liking it a lot. I greet everyone with either an "Hola" or a "Buenos Dias" or a "Bueno Camino."  I wave at farmers who are driving tractors, tilling their vineyards, and they wave back. When I come to a group of people resting in the shade of a tree or a patio umbrella, I go up to them and tell them my name and I ask them theirs. All very different from how life is lived at home and yet very comfortable on this path. 

It was a very hot day today. I started to perspire by 9:15 am. The agenda for today was a long walk through vineyards with very little shade. I forgot to keep drinking and at 10:00 my thigh muscles started to cramp. Oh - That's something I've never experienced before! I downed a bottle of water and was fine in a minute or two. 

I walked and walked. Step, step, pole, step, step, pole. As I walked, town after town would emerge out of the mist of the distance and grow larger as I approached. I passed through them, and then left them behind, leaving them to recede once again into the mist. Not typical at all. Except for here, and now.

Look back, as far as you can see. I have journeyed here from beyond that point.

Look ahead, as far as you can see. I will journey well beyond that point before I am done this day.

I met a family of chickens today. Not typical encounter! They even have their own olive tree!

With permission, I used the bathroom in this chichi golf club. I've only been in a golf club two other times in my life, and that was by invitation.

Peed there, done that!

With permission, I took a picture of Fidel and his human Hector. Just because I could. Hector and Fidel sell cold drinks at the top of a very, very long hill.

I rested, cooled off, ate, played with cameras and laughed with people under this tree. It was the first shade in over an hour. 

Here is Anne, Pilar and me. Anne is trying to teach me how to take a selfie.

Pilar and I agree that it is a skill only attainable by young people.

It was so hot that I pulled out my scarf and draped it over myself for a little extra shade. I called it "full-on desert garb." I didn't care if it might look ridiculous. It helped, and it was good for catching a breeze. I think I started a trend. As I sat and rested at one point, I saw people coming from behind me who had draped themselves in their scarves, too.

I wish I could describe the thrill of cresting a hill and seeing my destination for the day. It was shimmering in the heat.

I got into town, washed off the day's dirt and went out in search of food. It was 3:00 pm by then and all I had eaten was breakfast, and a sandwich on the road (croissant, honey and banana that I had prepared at the breakfast table). I don't seem to be comfortable eating much while I'm walking. I went into a tapas bar across the street from my hotel. It was a small, simple place and seemed to be populated with family and regulars who were watching a basketball game. It felt friendly, so I grabbed a stool, requested some tapas and a drink. I proceeded to enjoy my patata torilla (this time made with some red pepper), some spicy mushroom omelet on toast, my drink, and the basketball game. I also enjoyed letting the Spanish conversation wash over me without understanding a word of it. Not usual for me at all. But kinda fun. Relaxing, even. Not my usual response to being among people I don't know, in a place I've never been! But today it made perfect sense. 

Who are you?

Carol. Daughter, sister, cousin, wife, aunt, friend, pilgrim.

What have you done with Carol?

She's out having a grand adventure.

Is she safe?

Yes.

FAQ

A Hot Spanish Day.
I think I'll take some time to answer a few questions.

Friday Aug 30, 2019
Navarette to Ventosa to Najera
20-ish km

FAQ

How do I post comments on your blog?
Click at the bottom of the day's blog where it says "No Comment". Or it might say "1 comment" or it might even say "2 comments". A text box will open up for you to enter comments and you'll be able to see any other comments. It's not very user-friendly, and it's not even consistent day to day, but it is what it is. And I do love everyone's comments!! I also get an email when you comment, so I know right away when someone has contributed.

How do I share your blog?
The easiest way is to copy the address of the blog, then paste it into an email.
Or just write the address into an email.
Walkingwesttosantiago.blogspot.com

Can I email you privately instead of commenting on the blog?
Of Course!
Carol.weinberg@gmail.com

Do you love getting emails and comments?
Oh, yes!

Do you think it's possible to get tired of walking through mountains and vineyards?
No, not possible!

How many snails have you stepped on while you have been in Spain?

Four. And I'm very sorry about each and every one. I just don't always see them against the gravel path. I do hope any butterfly effect thus created will be a positive one.

(The Butterfly Effect describes how a small change in even the tiniest thing can result in huge differences later on. The idea that one butterfly could eventually have a far-reaching ripple effect on subsequent historic events made its earliest known appearance in "A Sound of Thunder", a 1952 short story by Ray Bradbury about time travel. I read everything Ray Bradbury wrote during my junior high school years. My favorite story was "R is for Rocket").

What's your favorite tapas so far?

Anything with goat cheese. 

Toast, Iberico ham, goat cheese, raspberry jam, walnut and balsamic reduction!

Do you ever go "off the map"?

Interesting that you ask me that. Today was the first time that I ventured "off the map". There was a little detour that would take me up to a little town called Ventosa. There was the possibility of seeing a pretty church there. Giving in to the FOMA Syndrome (Fear of Missing Anything), I decided to go. It was just a few extra kilometers. With my luck, the church would be closed but since the decision was in my own hands, I decided to go and enjoy whatever happened. Well the church was, of course, closed. BUT...here's what I found on the side of the road:

A pomegranate tree!! I had never seen one before! And when they get ripe they split open and drop their seeds! That was the best detour EVER!

Have you had any interaction with locals other than saying "buenos dias" and "gracias"?

At a bend in the path today, a Spanish man approached me and asked me politely if he could join me while walking, and practice his English with me. He was well groomed and well spoken, and there were a fair number of pilgrims about today, so I said "all right". I invited him to tell me any story he wished. He told me how he was writing a history of the camino, and then he described how the camino developed in terms of religion, business and politics. I learned some interesting perspectives, and he received some assistance with tenses and pronunciation. His English was actually quite good. After a few kilometers we arrived at a convenient spot. I shook his hand, complimented his English and wished him well. 

Do you wish that Spanish people had a larger personal space when it comes to strangers?

Yes, yes I do. 

Can you tell us anything more about the Romanian woman?

Yes. I caught up with her today at about 1:00 pm. I wanted to give her something to smile about, since her walk seemed so difficult, so I greeted her today in Romanian (Thanks, Google translate). Her name is Natalia. We sat together at lunch but we couldn't really talk much. I finished lunch before her, and I said "see you later" in Romanian (ne vedem mai tarziu). I doubt I pronounced it very well, but she got the message, and I got another smile from her. 

What's your strange thought for the day?

I don't know why, but "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" popped into my mind, and I wondered if it could be applied to this trip.

Something old: I'm using the black rolling suitcase that my parents bought me. I think they bought it for me to take on my honeymoon. That would be 25 years ago. It was my first rolling suitcase. Still perfectly good and functional. The suitcase, I mean!

Something new: A few weeks before I left for Spain I bought a long-sleeved 50 SPF shirt from MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-Op). It's awesome. I wear it every day, wash it every night. I wish I was getting kick-backs for advertising MEC stuff, but I don't.

Something borrowed: My friend and co-worker loaned me her lumbar pack. It is working perfectly for me. So grateful.

Something blue: I am wearing a necklace with a scallop shell charm. I glued a blue good luck bead to the back of the shell, so it wouldn't clink against my dog tag, which I always wear when I am travelling.

Any last bits of advice?

Walk softly and carry a walking stick.

Keep your head up and lift your feet.

Drink a LOT of water.

Trust your instincts.

Keeping Things Interesting

How to amuse myself today while walking?
I'll see if I can describe everything I want to say in terms of "why?"

Thursday Aug 29, 2019
Logrono to Navarette
13 km, 17,500 steps, walking day #8

Yesterday was supposed to be a rest day but I don't feel rested today.
When I got to Logrono after only 10 km, I somehow felt that I was "cheating, that I somehow hadn't "walked enough" so after my siesta I walked around for a few hours.
Why didn't I stick to the plan?

Here is the picture I promised of the potato tortilla that is served everywhere in Spain. Wedges of it for breakfast, slices in a bocadilla (sandwich) - (as if we need MORE carbs) for lunch, and as wedges again for late tapas. It is sooooo good.
Why hasn't the rest of the world adopted this miracle food as a dietary staple?

This stuff also appears on my breakfast spreads.
Why do the Spanish serve half raw bacon? Yuck.

Why did the builders decide to bring this runoff above ground for just this little bit?

Why don't I have a fishing rod?

Why did someone ancient farmer think that a wall in the middle of a field was required?

Why don't they fix these? I tripped on his big brother in Madrid.

Why do people feel the need to leave a mark that they passed this way?

Why do the Spanish love their bulls so much?

Why, oh why did someone think these stairs were safe? They are not. Don't ask.

Why not? It's a short walking day, finished

by noon.

I will finish with an inspirational picture. This is a Romanian woman. She doesn't speak English, Spanish, French or Italian. She walks alone, with her backpack and walking staff. She has hurt her toe and someone I talked to told me she saw a doctor and is taking antibiotics. She walks very, very slowly. I pass her every day at about 11:00 am. I say hello to her and cheer her on. I wonder what time she starts in the morning. At the end of every day while I'm sitting on a patio resting, I see her slowly walking into town. Her perseverance and dedication are inspiring.
Why can't the world have more people in it like her?

Delightful Things

So many nice things today.
I think I'll make a list!

Wed Aug 28, 2019
Viana to Logrono, walking day #7
"Rest day": Only 10 km. Plus walking around town: 20,000 steps

Up at 7:10 am. I got a lot of sleep, in a hotel room with air conditioning. A few of the hotels in Spain do have air conditioning. If they don't, they have fans. Both work just as well as keeping the room comfortable, which makes them equally delightful.

Great breakfast. Some wedges of my favorite potato "tortilla" which is a basically a very thick omelet of eggs and thinly sliced potato. (Breakfast photos next time!). I tried the ever-present tiny little sausages for the first time. Greasy but very yummy.
And a chocolate croissant that was good enough to feed angels. And lots of other stuff, of course. Just delightful.

Today was a scheduled "rest day" which means less than 15 km. I took it very slow. I just wanted to enjoy every step. The path was mostly a gentle downhill today and mostly smooth. Very easy walking. Some people do the Camino on horseback. This morning I listened to roosters and followed in the paths of horses. Delightful.

Sometimes the path crosses a main road. I usually feel like a frightened rabbit trying to get across. The Spanish people treat pedestrians with disdain and do not try to avoid them, even at the crosswalks where cars are supposed to stop. When I need to cross a road at a roundabout, it's a nightmare. I have adopted the habit of waiting for a local to show up, and then I scurry along beside them. In the larger towns it's never a long wait for someone to come along - under 30 seconds, really. However long it might take to wait for someone to unknowingly help me across the street, I'm happy to wait. Today I had to cross a particularly busy road with very fast moving cars.  The camino provided me with a pilgrim overpass. Delightful.

Pilgrim Crossing

I just love these windows!

Leaving Viana. Nice view from your home, eh?

Oh, Hello! I'm in farm country.

So this is how you protect your figs from birds!

I stopped for a moment to take a small stone out of my shoe. Here's what I saw when I looked up:

Shepherd complete with staff and sheepdog!

A delightful view while approaching Logrono

I love entering each town by walking over the Roman bridge.

This plum!

Even the tiniest of balconies can have a garden and umbrella! How delightful!

My hotel sitting area comes complete with confessional booth. How convenient.

And delightful!

I checked into my hotel at about 1:30 pm and decided to behave like a sane local for once, and I took a 3 hour nap. Utterly delightful. Then I got up and toured around a bit before hunting down some dinner. Large beer and goat cheese salad for a total of 3.50 euros (about $6.00). Delightful!!

Hasta la proxima vez!
(Until next time)!

The Rain in Spain

A massive thunderstorm rolled in late last evening as I was finishing up my blog. Heat lightning had been flashing for about 45 minutes and then the storm opened up right on top of the town. I had my balcony doors open to the street. People were sitting on the bar patios. When the downpour suddenly started, I could hear the scrape of chairs on the pavement and the excited shouts as everyone scrambled for cover. It rained hard and long. The thunder and lightening were like fireworks. It was still raining when I went to sleep.

Making progress:790 down to 636!

Tuesday August 27 2019
Los Arcos to Viana, Walking day #6
20 km, 28,000 steps

I wanted an early start today so I set two alarms, one for 6:00 am, the other for 6:05 am. I do remember hearing them both. I woke up at 7:00am.

The small breakfast buffet was lovely. I made my favorite morning sandwich of Spanish cheese and Iberico ham. 2 fried eggs (need that protein!), cake (because I can) and peach juice (I need the electrolytes!)  Last night while blogging I drank a litre of water. I kid you not. 1000 ml. And I didn't have to use the washroom during the night. I guess I need to drink even more while I'm walking than I am drinking already. I also pick up a few snacks for the road - a banana, a yoghurt and a packaged bakery item that they often have on the buffet. Sometimes I'll make myself a cheese sandwich for the road. I'll also take a glass of juice and pour it into my water bottle, then dilute it with plain water. That makes it so much easier to drink.

The rain was completely finished, but it had changed everything. The sky was still overcast (much appreciated) but there was a humidity in the air that had not been present before.

The fruits growing along the roadside had been washed clean, so I did venture to taste some grapes and blackberries. Amahhhhzing!

Grapes are ripe! Green? I didn't taste these - this was a private garden

Or red? These were in a vineyard - I did taste a few

Wild almonds are ready for picking

Olives are ready, too!

The rain brought out lots of critters I hadn't seen before. Check out this huge snail. I found this guy crossing the path (I am so sorry I stepped on your brother a while back - I just didn't see him. Why are you guys all out here getting under foot??).

Then there's this.....crawfish??.....on this farm field?? Okay......

And so many of these guys, all hurrying somewhere.

A few times today (and every day) I was passed by people on bikes. They charge along, covering twice the distance (or more) in one day, than those of us on foot. One guy had a GoPro on his helmet. I pretty sure those bikers don't notice the small, beautiful things on the path. I'm also pretty sure they don't notice some of the bigger things, like the beauty of the geometry of these fields.

Although one very cool woman on a fat-tired unicycle, well, I bet she noticed everything!

I walked almost all day on my own, often not even within sight of anyone else. I really loved it. A few times I stopped to listen to the silence. No breeze, no insects, no traffic. Total silence. How often do we get that when we're outdoors?? It was amazing.

Approaching Viana

The path wasn't wet in any way that would make your shoes wet, but the rain had washed down all the dust. Today for once I did not arrive at my hotel with "a protective armour of dirt".

People are very interested in my lumbar pack. No-one else has anything like it. People frequently say to me "Is it comfortable? It doesn't look comfortable!" When I assure them that it is, indeed, extremely comfortable, the next thing they ask is "Where do you get something like that?" We have all been walking for 6-9 days now (depending on where you started and how many km you did per day) and I'm very sure that people are tired of carrying weight on their shoulders. I see people leaning so far forward, just to find a balancing point over their feet. And not everyone knows how to pack a backpack properly for hiking, and not everyone knows how to fit a backpack properly. I'm sure they suffer for it. One lady told me proudly that her husband agreed to carry the water! This is no small deal. Two people need to keep two full litres of water with them all the time, to get them through the stretches where there is no fresh water available, and that's a lot of weight to add to your pack!

Some places are so steep that you are provided with a choice of incline or stairs.

Some choice! I opt for the incline.

I'm still feeling good. Back is good. Hips/knees/feet are good. Spirit is good.
I see that I have brought all the right things with me. The right shoes, right clothes, right personal supplies. My technology is working well. I haven't had to make any emergency runs to a Farmacia or an outfitter. The plans my travel planner made for me are working out very well. No complaints. For those that don't know me well, that is unheard of. For those that know me well......well all I can say is don't faint.

Keep those emails coming! They give me as much energy as bread and chocolate!

Eultreia!
(The ancient pilgrim's greeting: "Let's keep going with courage/Let's go beyond")