5-6 am Wake up. Don't worry about setting an alarm--No matter how quiet the other pilgrims are (or try to be...), the movement of at least ten people around you is enough to wake up even a sound sleeper who is using earplugs (that would be yours truly).
6-8 am Start walking for the day, eating some bread and/or fruit for breakfast as you go.
8 am -12 pm Continue walking, stopping to get coffee and breakfast if you didn't have it before setting out for the morning. Stop for water at each fountain you come across, either to drink or soak your hat or bandana. Stop again around mid-day for another snack, a beer, or maybe lunch.
12-2 pm Continue walking to the village or town where you decided to stay, find the albergue and check in.
Afternoons Take a shower, handwash your clothes, and settle into bed to journal, read, or sleep during the hottest part of the day. Many shops and bars (which all serve sandwiches that are pre- and home-made) are closed for siesta anyway.
6 pm or so Get groceries from the little market. Prepare food at the albergue, or eat at a local bar.
8-10 pm Hang out with other pilgrims, read, journal, get your bag ready for the next day (this includes retrieving your laundry from the clothes lines), and go to sleep--with some people getting up at all hours of the night and others snoring so loudly even the earplugs don't mask the sound, you need all the sleep you can get!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Who's Who (Part 2)
Anna and Tuna--These two Norwegian women are in their mid twenties and have been friends since they were eight years old. They started the camino in LePuy, France, where Anna's parents started walking the camino in sections each year.
Hiko is a Japanese man who gave us each a coin (goyen) and some dried plums on the first day of the camino. On the second day, which seems like forever ago, he fell forward, breaking his glasses and ending up with a huge knot on his cheek bone.
Xerox guy from Korea--I can't remember his name, but he worked for Xerox for 33 years and is now retired.
John from Massachusetts--John was an underwriter who was laid off and is now going back to school to teach high school history.
Joe--I never got if his name is Joaquin or Joaquim, but he told us to call him Joe, so there you have it. Joe is a middle-aged German who distributes physical therapy equipment from the US. We met him on the first night, and he is great company.
Ram and Liev--two guys from Israel, one whose business went under and the other who quit his job to walk the camino.
The Brazilian with dreadlocks and his dad, who we met at the bus station in Pamplona and have seen every couple of days since then.
These are all people who we met very early on in our trip and with whom we either walked or talked to at length.
Hiko is a Japanese man who gave us each a coin (goyen) and some dried plums on the first day of the camino. On the second day, which seems like forever ago, he fell forward, breaking his glasses and ending up with a huge knot on his cheek bone.
Xerox guy from Korea--I can't remember his name, but he worked for Xerox for 33 years and is now retired.
John from Massachusetts--John was an underwriter who was laid off and is now going back to school to teach high school history.
Joe--I never got if his name is Joaquin or Joaquim, but he told us to call him Joe, so there you have it. Joe is a middle-aged German who distributes physical therapy equipment from the US. We met him on the first night, and he is great company.
Ram and Liev--two guys from Israel, one whose business went under and the other who quit his job to walk the camino.
The Brazilian with dreadlocks and his dad, who we met at the bus station in Pamplona and have seen every couple of days since then.
These are all people who we met very early on in our trip and with whom we either walked or talked to at length.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep*
*the quality of sleep, however, depends on the amount of snorers and the proximity of their bed to us
The places where we spend the night are called albergues (all-BEAR-gace). There are municipal, private, and parish (or parochial) albergues. The difference between them?
Municipal albergues charge less. There are typically a dozen or more bunk beds in one room. Sometimes sheets are provided, and sometimes paper sheets are included in the cost. Bunks may be assigned, although that is not always the case.
Private albergues charge about €15-20 for a shared sleeping space. You might pay a bit more for a private room (with a shared bath). For €10 or €15 more the owner might throw in dinner and/or a simple breakfast.
Parochial albergues are run by volunteers and accept donations. Instead of bunks, there are mats on the floor which are not really comfortable if you sleep on your side. We have stayed at two so far, and these left us feeling topped-up spiritually. Immediately upon arrival, a volunteer took the packs off our backs, poured us water, and in one place gave us each a hug! There is a community meal, which pilgrims are encouraged to help prepare. Dish-washing is pretty much expected. We were asked to respect the quiet hours and NOT rise until 6 or 7, which is actually asking a lot of some people.
Albergues typically have a kitchenette with stove tops, a microwave, fridge, sinks, and plenty of pots, pans, dishes, utensils, etc. It is much cheaper to cook our own food than to buy a pilgrim's meal from a local restaurant. More on food in another post.
Often there are facilities for handwashing clothing. And sometimes there is a washing machine. Only one place so far has had shared bathrooms (for men and women). The albergues have all been clean and tidy. Most of the albergues have computers that are connected to the internet for a small fee. Some of the computers also have web cameras. Others have wifi, which is the handiest for us because it is free (we did actually end up bringing our iPod).
The places where we spend the night are called albergues (all-BEAR-gace). There are municipal, private, and parish (or parochial) albergues. The difference between them?
Municipal albergues charge less. There are typically a dozen or more bunk beds in one room. Sometimes sheets are provided, and sometimes paper sheets are included in the cost. Bunks may be assigned, although that is not always the case.
Private albergues charge about €15-20 for a shared sleeping space. You might pay a bit more for a private room (with a shared bath). For €10 or €15 more the owner might throw in dinner and/or a simple breakfast.
Parochial albergues are run by volunteers and accept donations. Instead of bunks, there are mats on the floor which are not really comfortable if you sleep on your side. We have stayed at two so far, and these left us feeling topped-up spiritually. Immediately upon arrival, a volunteer took the packs off our backs, poured us water, and in one place gave us each a hug! There is a community meal, which pilgrims are encouraged to help prepare. Dish-washing is pretty much expected. We were asked to respect the quiet hours and NOT rise until 6 or 7, which is actually asking a lot of some people.
Albergues typically have a kitchenette with stove tops, a microwave, fridge, sinks, and plenty of pots, pans, dishes, utensils, etc. It is much cheaper to cook our own food than to buy a pilgrim's meal from a local restaurant. More on food in another post.
Often there are facilities for handwashing clothing. And sometimes there is a washing machine. Only one place so far has had shared bathrooms (for men and women). The albergues have all been clean and tidy. Most of the albergues have computers that are connected to the internet for a small fee. Some of the computers also have web cameras. Others have wifi, which is the handiest for us because it is free (we did actually end up bringing our iPod).
Who's Who (Part 1)
We have met a host of interesting people in our first eleven days on the camino. They include:
Caroline, a Belgian woman who will interview for a job in forensics when she returns home. She speaks five languages.
Frieda, a young german woman who walked the northern route of the camino in 2010 and will use her newly acquired bachelor's degree to work in set design.
A Spanish woman from Burgos who puts on makeup in the aftrnoons and with whom I have only exchanged two words, after I introduced myself. She says to me,"Hola Raquel," and I answer,"Hola Carmen." Now she speaks to us in Spanish, but I understand about one word out of a dozen.
Bridget, an Irish librarian who lives right next door to her place of employment--one of Ireland's two (I think) federal prisons.
Mark, another Irish man, who is writing a book and has a foul mouth. Just like the guy in "The Way."
A quartet of Italian men, all from different places and strangers when they began the camino. Two of them will go back to their jobs on Monday. Ricky's girlfriend will join him on the walk from Santiago to finisterra. Alessio walked the camino in 2010 and has cystic fibrosis. They really did sing a song for us at dinner last night, and it was eveything you could hope for, from four boisterous(when together) Italian men.
Debbie, from Colorado, who decided to walk the way when her son turned sixteen and could transport himself in February. She wears almost all purple, down to her bandana and water bottles.
Stay tuned Part 2. I haven't even mentioned most of the people we met on the very first day.
Caroline, a Belgian woman who will interview for a job in forensics when she returns home. She speaks five languages.
Frieda, a young german woman who walked the northern route of the camino in 2010 and will use her newly acquired bachelor's degree to work in set design.
A Spanish woman from Burgos who puts on makeup in the aftrnoons and with whom I have only exchanged two words, after I introduced myself. She says to me,"Hola Raquel," and I answer,"Hola Carmen." Now she speaks to us in Spanish, but I understand about one word out of a dozen.
Bridget, an Irish librarian who lives right next door to her place of employment--one of Ireland's two (I think) federal prisons.
Mark, another Irish man, who is writing a book and has a foul mouth. Just like the guy in "The Way."
A quartet of Italian men, all from different places and strangers when they began the camino. Two of them will go back to their jobs on Monday. Ricky's girlfriend will join him on the walk from Santiago to finisterra. Alessio walked the camino in 2010 and has cystic fibrosis. They really did sing a song for us at dinner last night, and it was eveything you could hope for, from four boisterous(when together) Italian men.
Debbie, from Colorado, who decided to walk the way when her son turned sixteen and could transport himself in February. She wears almost all purple, down to her bandana and water bottles.
Stay tuned Part 2. I haven't even mentioned most of the people we met on the very first day.
Jesus of the Caves
Friday (June 1st) we attended mass in a small church that was carved out of the side of a cliff. Inside, the building in general and the church itself look fairly typical, with plaster walls, wooden benches and kneelers, an altar, icons, paintings, etc. The back of the room, however , is exposed rock. It is a beautiful space.
One of our fellow pilgrims, a Korean Catholic priest, conducted mass for us. It was different than any service I have attended. The priest spoke in Korean and would occasionally explain in English. Then of course there was Latin, and then a group of German women sang few songs in German. So first, you've got four languages. Then, the priest was using his iPhone as a reading guide. The service was still touching, but I think God's sense of humor was blatantly evident when the mass was almost over. We were sitting there quietly when the doors burst open and a man sprang through them. Now picture this man, tall and thin, with a gray ponytail and black eyebrows. He is wearing white biker shorts and has a huge camera around his neck. He flies into this holy space to, I assumed, get a glimpse of the ancient church while it was open, like any clever tourist would.
It turned out that he is also a pilgrim, and he had rushed to join the service. But Adam and I had a good laugh that Jesus had come, and we better believe whether we recognized him or not.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Getting there...where?
When we first arrived at the Madrid airport, we didn't have our trekking poles, and we weren't sure where our friend John was. After locating the poles (they would arrive on the next flight, of course, because we missed a connection in London), we left the "secure" part of the airport...and located John! We all had a late lunch together, then decided to spend the night in Madrid instead of proceeding with our earlier plans.
We took a bus into the city, found an inn with three single beds in one room, then went out to explore madrid a little bit. We had coffee in the Plaza Mayor, Adam and John got fried octopus sandwiches, we perused a gourmet market, and after showering and napping, we headed back out for more food and exploration. It took awhile to find a restaurant that offered some vegetarian options(my stipulation) and was outside(john's preference), but we did it! And the paella was great, the fries were tasty, and I couldn't pass up sangria in Spain.
The next morning we took the metro back to the airport, sprinting to the bus counter to find that the bus would leave in an hour. The bus ride to Pamplona was nice, with each of us getting more nap time. The countryside was beautiful--greener than Madrid. From Pamplona we took a bus through the mountains to roncesvalles, where we hopped into a taxi van with 8 other people and went down the mountain to saint jean pied de port.
Which is where we began our Camino. More on that later--we are going to see Pamplona as peregrinos!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Planning on Packing
First, what we are not packing
1 dress* (black)
2 tops (one racer back*, one short-sleeved*)
1 pair of athletic shorts*
2 pairs of underwear*
1 sports bra*
2 pairs of socks* (Smart Wool brand)
1 pair of yoga pants*
1 pair of flip flops (black)
Hiking shoes (Keen Targhee II)
Light rain jacket (Sierra Design)
Jacket (insert of the Columbia Bugaboo parka)
Floppy, wide-brimmed hat from Target
*synthetic (vs. cotton)
Hygiene/ Toiletries/ Meds
Contacts (+ contact case and solution**)
Glasses (+ case)
Toothbrush and toothpaste**
Shampoo**
Body gel**
Loofah
Sunblock**
Body Glide
Chapstick
Toilet paper
Liquid detergent**
Hand sanitizer**
Ibuprofen
Anti-diarrhea pills
Allergy medication
A couple of hair bands and bobby pins
Bandaids/moleskin
**travel size
Food
Nalgene plastic water bottle
a couple of Clif Bars
drink packets (like Crystal Light)
Misc.
Backpack (Osprey 50L)
Backpack cover (Sea to Summit)
Silk sleeping bag liner
1 stuff sack
Headlamp
Earplugs
Sunglasses
1/2 a drying towel (Aqua Dry, for cars)
2 trekking poles
Paperback book
Journal (pen and pencil)
Camera (+ battery charger)
Some type of money belt (with i.d., passport, and money)
Adam's Packing List
Clothes
2 t-shirts*
1 button down shirt*
1 pair of zip-off pants
1 pair of shorts
3 pairs of socks
Crocs
Hiking shoes (Merrell Moab Ventilators)
Lightweight rain jacket
Straw hat
Bandanna
Hygiene/ Toiletries/ Meds
Loofah
1/2 a drying towel (Aqua Dry, for cars)
Toothbrush (+ toothpaste**)
Body gel**
Shampoo**
Sunblock
Body glide
Ibuprofen
Toilet paper
Bandaids/moleskin
Food
Emergency Clif bar
Drink packets
Misc.
2 trekking poles
Headlamp
Watch
Sea-to-summit waterproof stuff sacks (1 for clothes, 1 for food, etc.)
Extra ziploc bags
Sunglasses
Earplugs
Silk sleep sack
Backpack cover
Backpack
Camino guidebook (John Brierly's A Guidebook to the Camino de Santiago)
And pebbles to place here!
Tent
Sleeping pads
Sleeping bags
Cell phones
IPods, or iPad, or laptops
Rachel's Packing List
Clothes1 dress* (black)
2 tops (one racer back*, one short-sleeved*)
1 pair of athletic shorts*
2 pairs of underwear*
1 sports bra*
2 pairs of socks* (Smart Wool brand)
1 pair of yoga pants*
1 pair of flip flops (black)
Hiking shoes (Keen Targhee II)
Light rain jacket (Sierra Design)
Jacket (insert of the Columbia Bugaboo parka)
Floppy, wide-brimmed hat from Target
*synthetic (vs. cotton)
Hygiene/ Toiletries/ Meds
Contacts (+ contact case and solution**)
Glasses (+ case)
Toothbrush and toothpaste**
Shampoo**
Body gel**
Loofah
Sunblock**
Body Glide
Chapstick
Toilet paper
Liquid detergent**
Hand sanitizer**
Ibuprofen
Anti-diarrhea pills
Allergy medication
A couple of hair bands and bobby pins
Bandaids/moleskin
**travel size
Food
Nalgene plastic water bottle
a couple of Clif Bars
drink packets (like Crystal Light)
Misc.
Backpack (Osprey 50L)
Backpack cover (Sea to Summit)
Silk sleeping bag liner
1 stuff sack
Headlamp
Earplugs
Sunglasses
1/2 a drying towel (Aqua Dry, for cars)
2 trekking poles
Paperback book
Journal (pen and pencil)
Camera (+ battery charger)
Some type of money belt (with i.d., passport, and money)
Adam's Packing List
Clothes
2 t-shirts*
1 button down shirt*
1 pair of zip-off pants
1 pair of shorts
3 pairs of socks
Crocs
Hiking shoes (Merrell Moab Ventilators)
Lightweight rain jacket
Straw hat
Bandanna
Hygiene/ Toiletries/ Meds
Loofah
1/2 a drying towel (Aqua Dry, for cars)
Toothbrush (+ toothpaste**)
Body gel**
Shampoo**
Sunblock
Body glide
Ibuprofen
Toilet paper
Bandaids/moleskin
Food
Emergency Clif bar
Drink packets
Misc.
2 trekking poles
Headlamp
Watch
Sea-to-summit waterproof stuff sacks (1 for clothes, 1 for food, etc.)
Extra ziploc bags
Sunglasses
Earplugs
Silk sleep sack
Backpack cover
Backpack
Camino guidebook (John Brierly's A Guidebook to the Camino de Santiago)
And pebbles to place here!
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