So far on this walk of ours we have encountered many interesting situations that often don´t include many of the everyday luxuries that we have become accustomed to in Canada, so next time you step into your bathroom, think about us and some of the things we miss the most.
1. Toilet seats
2. Toilet paper
3. Hand soap
4. Hand towels
5. Hot water
6. Non-bunk beds
7. Ladders to access top bunks when there are bunk beds
8. Double beds
9. Clean sheets
10. Washers & dryers, and laundry soap
11. Taking showers without wearing sandals
12. Rooster free mornings
13. Light switches that aren´t on timers
14. Roomy bathroom stalls
15. Wall hooks in bathroom
16. Not having to mop the floor after you take a shower
17. Couches
18. Hair conditioner
19. Single bed rooms
20. Having more than one wardrobe choice
21. Air conditioning
22. Transportation ( besides feet )
23. Friends and family
24. The English language
25. Unlimited Internet usage
Just so you don´t think we are pining away for home all the time, here is a list of things we don´t miss!
1. Chris Hofley (just kidding, buddy)
2. Extended couch sits
3. Television
4. Sugar
5. Huge portions of fried food
6. Lack of free wine
7. Inflated tobacco (Jess) and alcohol prices ( Becky & Jess)
8. Schedules
9. Work
10. OC Transpo
11. Gas prices
12. Canadian politics
13. Humidity
14. Lack of muscle usage
15. Rain ( ha ha, suckers )
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
A First
After spending a lovely evening in Castrojeriz, Jess and I got up this morning to head to Boadilla de la Camino, a light 20km away. The walk started this morning with a steep hill to climb, which was a challenge, but provided the most amazing views once you reached to top, so it was worth it!
We stopped in a small town called Itero de la something for a mid-morning coffee and a bocadillo ( sandwich ), and then plowed through the last 9km to Boadilla. I had a personal first today on this last 9km..... I am proud to say that for the first time I legitimately passed other walkers on the way! This may sound strange, but so far, I´ve been pretty slow in comparison to some of the crazy pilgrims we´ve seen, so usually I am the one getting passed by faster walkers. But not today, today I was motoring along and passed not one or two, but 4 other walkers!!! YES!!! As you can see, it´s the small victories that count out here on the Camino!
It was just starting to get really hot when we arrived around 1pm, and the pool that greets you as you enter the hostel was a welcome sight! We got really lucky again today with a beautiful hostel, complete with friendly owner and large garden! Jess went for a swim and I dipped some very sore feet into the pool for a bit of relief, it was fantastic!
Now I believe Jess is waiting for me on the patio with a beer, so I must go attend to some important pilgrim business..........relaxing! Darn.
We stopped in a small town called Itero de la something for a mid-morning coffee and a bocadillo ( sandwich ), and then plowed through the last 9km to Boadilla. I had a personal first today on this last 9km..... I am proud to say that for the first time I legitimately passed other walkers on the way! This may sound strange, but so far, I´ve been pretty slow in comparison to some of the crazy pilgrims we´ve seen, so usually I am the one getting passed by faster walkers. But not today, today I was motoring along and passed not one or two, but 4 other walkers!!! YES!!! As you can see, it´s the small victories that count out here on the Camino!
It was just starting to get really hot when we arrived around 1pm, and the pool that greets you as you enter the hostel was a welcome sight! We got really lucky again today with a beautiful hostel, complete with friendly owner and large garden! Jess went for a swim and I dipped some very sore feet into the pool for a bit of relief, it was fantastic!
Now I believe Jess is waiting for me on the patio with a beer, so I must go attend to some important pilgrim business..........relaxing! Darn.
Friday, June 27, 2008
The Buff.
On one of our many shopping trips before this large hike we are doing, Jess and I bought these wonderful little things called Buffs. For those of you who have ever seen Survivor ( don´t kid yourself, you all have), they are the small pieces of polyester that are given to the contestants, and used at bandanas, or shirts by the skinny ones. Anyway, they have proven to be very useful the last few weeks in some previously unsuspected ways.......
1. Make-shift tensor bandage for shin splints
2. Buffer between hand and walking stick to prevent hand blisters
3. Shower cap
4. Putting over your hands to avoid touching germy things
5. Wearing over your eyes/ears when you sleep in hostels, keeps the light and noise out!
Please note: items #1 and 2 have the potential to create very strange tan lines, use with caution.
1. Make-shift tensor bandage for shin splints
2. Buffer between hand and walking stick to prevent hand blisters
3. Shower cap
4. Putting over your hands to avoid touching germy things
5. Wearing over your eyes/ears when you sleep in hostels, keeps the light and noise out!
Please note: items #1 and 2 have the potential to create very strange tan lines, use with caution.
For Your Viewing Pleasure
Becky today
Jess today
Old ruins of a cathedral, San Anton
A lovely scene.
Wine fountain.. obv.
Some pilgrim dinner!
WOW! I took this yesterday but I don´t know if it will capture what it was really like.
A charming old town, Hontanas.
Jokes a-Plenty, I´m Sure
I actually do love chorizo -- the ultimate, fatty spanish sausage. It just so happens this sandwich bite was a bit too big. The voices in the background are the stylings of Becky, laughing, and 17-year-old Czech Andy, filming while making fun.
-J
Playing Catch Up...
Hey duderinos.
I have some good info for you here. First, let´s talk about the screamer.
The Screamer
When frequenting hostels, you may expect the usual: snoring, people shifting in their sleep, farting, etc.
You might even expect that people react badly to noisiness in the morning or exhibit rude behaviours. Such was the case for Becky and I the night we stayed in a municipal hostel in Pamplona.
You see, pilgrims are expected to vacate the hostels by 8 a.m., typically. Usually it is noisy enough by 7:30 a.m. that you get the message. In Pamplona, soft music began playing over the intercom to gently wake us up.
It was a lovely Roy Orbison song, quite nice if you ask me. It was a welcome change from the harshness of an alarm clock.
So we were surprised to hear a male voice shouting ¨shut the hell up!¨ It seemed to come from a guy just a few bunks away. FYI, we were staying in a beautiful converted church.
It came from an American, about 18-years-old, who shortly followed up with, ¨you have got to stop talking!¨
I was surprised and amused.
A few days later, it was confirmed that he actually has nightmares which cause him to scream out single sentences in his sleep.
During that night in Pamplona, I had been awoken by someone screaming, ¨noooooO!¨ I lied awake for some time, slightly concerned that there might be a serial killer loose in the hostel.
Since then, we´ve heard many pilgrims refer to the boy as ¨The Screamer¨ and we feel terribly bad for him. Some pilgrims, though, will bypass hostels if they see him inside.
However, I´ve learned to enjoy his yelling. It´s entertaining, in a sick way, and it´s a whole lot better than the super snorer from Belgium that I wrote about earlier.
FYI -- the Belgian who snored so badly during our night is notorious. He is also known as a total ass, and our Australian friends Mel and Guy swear that they heard him having sex with his ¨gross girlfriend¨ in the shower. ie. slapping noises
Now, onto something different.
Top Ten List
Ways to Tell it´s a Pilgrim´s First Day
We set off from Burgos yesterday and it was evident that many of the pilgrims had started that morning. You can tell because...
1. No sock tan.
2. They pass you with a bounce in their step and no ¨buenos dias¨.
3. No braces or walking sticks.
4. They take 15-minute showers in the hostels and don´t leave any hot water.
5. They have clean clothes. Clue -- look to see if their shoes are white.
6. They don´t know the spanish term, ¨ampollas¨ -- blisters.
7. They get drunk at night. This only happens once.
8. They lack a walking rhythm. A keen eye can detect this.
9. They´re wearing earrings or make up.
10. They cut in line for shops and hostels.
Today, we are in Castrojeriz. It is a smallish town with a beautiful castle and church -- so? I have shinsplints on my right leg. It hurts quite a bit. I might limp tomorrow.
In two days, we´ll hit the halfway point in our camino. Woohoo!
Song of the day: Free Bird
I miss you all.
Stay tuned,
-J
I have some good info for you here. First, let´s talk about the screamer.
The Screamer
When frequenting hostels, you may expect the usual: snoring, people shifting in their sleep, farting, etc.
You might even expect that people react badly to noisiness in the morning or exhibit rude behaviours. Such was the case for Becky and I the night we stayed in a municipal hostel in Pamplona.
You see, pilgrims are expected to vacate the hostels by 8 a.m., typically. Usually it is noisy enough by 7:30 a.m. that you get the message. In Pamplona, soft music began playing over the intercom to gently wake us up.
It was a lovely Roy Orbison song, quite nice if you ask me. It was a welcome change from the harshness of an alarm clock.
So we were surprised to hear a male voice shouting ¨shut the hell up!¨ It seemed to come from a guy just a few bunks away. FYI, we were staying in a beautiful converted church.
It came from an American, about 18-years-old, who shortly followed up with, ¨you have got to stop talking!¨
I was surprised and amused.
A few days later, it was confirmed that he actually has nightmares which cause him to scream out single sentences in his sleep.
During that night in Pamplona, I had been awoken by someone screaming, ¨noooooO!¨ I lied awake for some time, slightly concerned that there might be a serial killer loose in the hostel.
Since then, we´ve heard many pilgrims refer to the boy as ¨The Screamer¨ and we feel terribly bad for him. Some pilgrims, though, will bypass hostels if they see him inside.
However, I´ve learned to enjoy his yelling. It´s entertaining, in a sick way, and it´s a whole lot better than the super snorer from Belgium that I wrote about earlier.
FYI -- the Belgian who snored so badly during our night is notorious. He is also known as a total ass, and our Australian friends Mel and Guy swear that they heard him having sex with his ¨gross girlfriend¨ in the shower. ie. slapping noises
Now, onto something different.
Top Ten List
Ways to Tell it´s a Pilgrim´s First Day
We set off from Burgos yesterday and it was evident that many of the pilgrims had started that morning. You can tell because...
1. No sock tan.
2. They pass you with a bounce in their step and no ¨buenos dias¨.
3. No braces or walking sticks.
4. They take 15-minute showers in the hostels and don´t leave any hot water.
5. They have clean clothes. Clue -- look to see if their shoes are white.
6. They don´t know the spanish term, ¨ampollas¨ -- blisters.
7. They get drunk at night. This only happens once.
8. They lack a walking rhythm. A keen eye can detect this.
9. They´re wearing earrings or make up.
10. They cut in line for shops and hostels.
Today, we are in Castrojeriz. It is a smallish town with a beautiful castle and church -- so? I have shinsplints on my right leg. It hurts quite a bit. I might limp tomorrow.
In two days, we´ll hit the halfway point in our camino. Woohoo!
Song of the day: Free Bird
I miss you all.
Stay tuned,
-J
94.5KM Later....
Since our last post, we have travelled the impressive distance of 94.5km. We left Belorado and headed 24k to San Juan, from there we went a mighty 31k to Burgos, then 19k to Hornillos and today we walked 21k to land us in the lovely city of Castrojeriz! Whew! For some reason, we hit a stretch of hostels that either didn´t have internet, or their internet didn´t work, so we have been unable to update you lovely people....bet you were worried about us, eh?
A few fun stories along the way to share:
On the walk to San Juan, we were mostly travelling through dense forest, and at one point on the path came across a small wild pig. We were walking seperately but both came across him at some point. My encounter began when an older German lady was afraid to keep walking towards this piggy because she thought it would charge at her. I figured it would be ok, so we walked slowly up to it on, and when we reached it realized it had no eyes.........creepy! But kinda cute as well, the story ends with everyone not getting attacked by a wild pig, so all in all, a good day!
Also on the walk to San Juan, Jess began walking with a young Czech guy, who we have come to call Super Andy. He walked with us the next day to Burgos as well, and half of the walk to Hornillos with us yesterday. He was a trooper, as he had a bum knee, and about 8 pretty awful blisters!
San Juan to Burgos proved to be a very long day, as you can imagine, and we were all pretty exhausted by the time we reached the hostel, which was located in the middle of a park in the city, and was pretty cute. We tried to find somewhere to eat dinner, but none of us was very keen on the idea of much more walking, so we ended up getting some baguette and meat and cheese and having a little picnic in the park.
Little side note, the various pains of this day included heel spurs, shin splints, 2 new blisters for me, and some pretty intense ankle pain for both of us, apparantly walking 31k in one day makes for sore feet.......go figure.
The walk from Burgos to Hornillos proved to be pretty nice, and it was our first day walking in the Meseta ( Spanish equivalent of the Prairies ), and we were lucky to have great weather. We decided to take a short day and only walk 19k to let our feet rest a a bit and recover from the day before. It was about 27 degrees with a nice cool breeze, so the walk that day went by pretty quickly, despite some very sore feet.
Also on the way to Hornillos, we were met by a nun from one of the villages, who greeted us all as we were walking, and gave us little medallions of the Virgin Mary to take with us, to bless us on our journey. Not being religeous, the symbol itself was not relevant, but the gesture was very kind and much appreciated. No pilgrimage is complete without a small piece of religeous iconography for the road, so now I´m a real pilgrim!
Today may have been one of my favourite days of walking so far. The weather was absolutely perfect again, not too hot, and the scenery was really beautiful. Also, we stopped in a great little town for breakfast called Hontanas, and the next stop along the way was at the ruins of an old cathedral, which had been turned into a pilgrim hostel ( we didn´t stay there), it was so pretty! From there it was just a short 4k walk to Castrojeviz, where we are now, and the town so far is really cute. The pilgrim´s hostel was full when we arrived, so we had no choice but to get a private room at a local inn. Oh darn. For 30 euros we have a private room, non bunk beds, our own bathroom complete with shower, and a great view. I kinda hope that the hostel was full more often!
On Monday we will cross the halfway mark, by Friday we will be in Leon, and then just a few weeks of short (long?) walks to Santiago! So far we have crossed 3 Spanish provinces, we started in Navarra, then we crossed into La Rioja, then the province of Burgos, and tomorrow we will walk into the province of Leon! Sounds more impressive in Canadian terms to say we´ve walked across 3 provinces, than it does to say we´ve been walking for 17 days!
As usual, I am looking forward to my pilgrim´s dinner tonight, 3 courses including wine and dessert, can´t be beat! So I´ll be signing off for now, and hope that our internet drought is over, and that I will be able to regale you all with tales of the Camino again tomorrow!
For now,
Adios Amigos!
A few fun stories along the way to share:
On the walk to San Juan, we were mostly travelling through dense forest, and at one point on the path came across a small wild pig. We were walking seperately but both came across him at some point. My encounter began when an older German lady was afraid to keep walking towards this piggy because she thought it would charge at her. I figured it would be ok, so we walked slowly up to it on, and when we reached it realized it had no eyes.........creepy! But kinda cute as well, the story ends with everyone not getting attacked by a wild pig, so all in all, a good day!
Also on the walk to San Juan, Jess began walking with a young Czech guy, who we have come to call Super Andy. He walked with us the next day to Burgos as well, and half of the walk to Hornillos with us yesterday. He was a trooper, as he had a bum knee, and about 8 pretty awful blisters!
San Juan to Burgos proved to be a very long day, as you can imagine, and we were all pretty exhausted by the time we reached the hostel, which was located in the middle of a park in the city, and was pretty cute. We tried to find somewhere to eat dinner, but none of us was very keen on the idea of much more walking, so we ended up getting some baguette and meat and cheese and having a little picnic in the park.
Little side note, the various pains of this day included heel spurs, shin splints, 2 new blisters for me, and some pretty intense ankle pain for both of us, apparantly walking 31k in one day makes for sore feet.......go figure.
The walk from Burgos to Hornillos proved to be pretty nice, and it was our first day walking in the Meseta ( Spanish equivalent of the Prairies ), and we were lucky to have great weather. We decided to take a short day and only walk 19k to let our feet rest a a bit and recover from the day before. It was about 27 degrees with a nice cool breeze, so the walk that day went by pretty quickly, despite some very sore feet.
Also on the way to Hornillos, we were met by a nun from one of the villages, who greeted us all as we were walking, and gave us little medallions of the Virgin Mary to take with us, to bless us on our journey. Not being religeous, the symbol itself was not relevant, but the gesture was very kind and much appreciated. No pilgrimage is complete without a small piece of religeous iconography for the road, so now I´m a real pilgrim!
Today may have been one of my favourite days of walking so far. The weather was absolutely perfect again, not too hot, and the scenery was really beautiful. Also, we stopped in a great little town for breakfast called Hontanas, and the next stop along the way was at the ruins of an old cathedral, which had been turned into a pilgrim hostel ( we didn´t stay there), it was so pretty! From there it was just a short 4k walk to Castrojeviz, where we are now, and the town so far is really cute. The pilgrim´s hostel was full when we arrived, so we had no choice but to get a private room at a local inn. Oh darn. For 30 euros we have a private room, non bunk beds, our own bathroom complete with shower, and a great view. I kinda hope that the hostel was full more often!
On Monday we will cross the halfway mark, by Friday we will be in Leon, and then just a few weeks of short (long?) walks to Santiago! So far we have crossed 3 Spanish provinces, we started in Navarra, then we crossed into La Rioja, then the province of Burgos, and tomorrow we will walk into the province of Leon! Sounds more impressive in Canadian terms to say we´ve walked across 3 provinces, than it does to say we´ve been walking for 17 days!
As usual, I am looking forward to my pilgrim´s dinner tonight, 3 courses including wine and dessert, can´t be beat! So I´ll be signing off for now, and hope that our internet drought is over, and that I will be able to regale you all with tales of the Camino again tomorrow!
For now,
Adios Amigos!
Monday, June 23, 2008
On Life; Three Things I´ve Learned
Just because you see a bench doesn´t mean you should sit down.
Always commit to your smile.
The worst thing imaginable is a life of regret.
I have been thinking a lot. Walking 25 km a day will do that to a person.
-J
Always commit to your smile.
The worst thing imaginable is a life of regret.
I have been thinking a lot. Walking 25 km a day will do that to a person.
-J
Bel-o-ra-do!
Since we last posted (besides the delayed one 2 seconds ago ), we walked about 21k from Najera to Santo Domingo, which was small, but nice. It was Sunday, so most things were closed, so we mostly hung around the town square looking a bit like stray cats. And since most things were closed, we ended up eating dinner at a hole in the wall pizza and pasta place. Let me tell you, if what we ate was the Spaniard´s version of pizza, they have no business making pizza ever again. It was awful. The crust was raw in the middle, it was very dry, due to the lack of sauce on it, and the toppings were mediocre at best. BUT, we were starving, as we usually are after some insane walking, so we both ate it and didn´t complain about until we were done! Nothing like the great 3 course dinners we´ve been eating every night off the ¨Pilgrim´s Menu¨! But we survived, and got up this morning to walk to Belorado.
The walk to Belorado was great for a couple of reasons, the scenery was great, the weather was nice ( sunny, but with a nice breeze ), and there were a multitude of little villages to stop in along the way. That´s my favourite part, Jess enjoys the outdoorsy parts, but I love seeing all the little towns and the beautiful buildings and churches they all have! It´s architectural heaven!
Anyway, we arrived to our lovely little hostel around 2:30, and were given a warm welcome by the owner, he carried our bags upstairs to our room for us, informed us that dinner was served at 7:30 and that they also offered breakfast! Perfect! It got even more perfect when we looked outside and saw the in ground swimming pool! A perfect way to cool off after a long walk in the sun! While enjoying a post-swim beer, Jess informed me that this place was heaven, I had to agree! Definitely my favourite hostel yet! If you´re ever in Belorado, stay at the Albergue Cuatro Cantones!
I´m sure there are more stories to tell, but I´ll have to save them for the next post, the line up of people waiting to use the computer is every growing!
Jess says hello to all of you, and don´t let me forget to tell you about ¨The Screamer¨.......
The walk to Belorado was great for a couple of reasons, the scenery was great, the weather was nice ( sunny, but with a nice breeze ), and there were a multitude of little villages to stop in along the way. That´s my favourite part, Jess enjoys the outdoorsy parts, but I love seeing all the little towns and the beautiful buildings and churches they all have! It´s architectural heaven!
Anyway, we arrived to our lovely little hostel around 2:30, and were given a warm welcome by the owner, he carried our bags upstairs to our room for us, informed us that dinner was served at 7:30 and that they also offered breakfast! Perfect! It got even more perfect when we looked outside and saw the in ground swimming pool! A perfect way to cool off after a long walk in the sun! While enjoying a post-swim beer, Jess informed me that this place was heaven, I had to agree! Definitely my favourite hostel yet! If you´re ever in Belorado, stay at the Albergue Cuatro Cantones!
I´m sure there are more stories to tell, but I´ll have to save them for the next post, the line up of people waiting to use the computer is every growing!
Jess says hello to all of you, and don´t let me forget to tell you about ¨The Screamer¨.......
Saturday, June 21, 2008
28KM = Tired
The following post was supposed to be put up 2 days ago, but the internet shut off just as I was about to post it, so here it is! See above for update since then!
So being the ambitious girls we are we decided to walk about 28k today from Logrono to Najera. This number sounded very intimidating to me at first, but decided I should push myself and see how it goes. Turns out, it went very well! We left the very uncomfortable hostel around 6am this morning, and walked until about 2:30 this afternoon. The landscape was really nice, tons of fields of grape vines growing along the path, a small mountain to climb and a few kilometres of highway.....not so nice, but at least a change of scenery. Upon arrival in Najera, I immediately took a nap, followed by a shower, then dinner, and now I am heading back to bed! ( yep, it´s 7:30pm......oh well!)
I´ll just take a moment to described the hostel situation we endured last night....it was something special. The hostel had three floors, and as you went up, each floor got progressively hotter. We of course, were on the third floor. So, we start with a really hot room, where having the windows open does nothing for the heat. Add in about 40 hot, sweaty people, no air conditioning, a few snorers, and an emergency light right above your bunk ( Jess was on the top, so she got the light in her face all night ), and you have the recipe of very little sleep. Believe me, waking up at 5:30 this morning was welcomed, because it meant we didn´t have to spend one more second in the worst room ever. In addition to this sleeping situation, the people that ran the hostel weren´t particularly friendly, we weren´t allowed to eat our dinner outside on the patio, and there were so many people, it was impossible to function. Needless to say, we were happy to leave Logrono this morning!
So we have another day of walking tomorrow, so well see where the Camino takes us!
So being the ambitious girls we are we decided to walk about 28k today from Logrono to Najera. This number sounded very intimidating to me at first, but decided I should push myself and see how it goes. Turns out, it went very well! We left the very uncomfortable hostel around 6am this morning, and walked until about 2:30 this afternoon. The landscape was really nice, tons of fields of grape vines growing along the path, a small mountain to climb and a few kilometres of highway.....not so nice, but at least a change of scenery. Upon arrival in Najera, I immediately took a nap, followed by a shower, then dinner, and now I am heading back to bed! ( yep, it´s 7:30pm......oh well!)
I´ll just take a moment to described the hostel situation we endured last night....it was something special. The hostel had three floors, and as you went up, each floor got progressively hotter. We of course, were on the third floor. So, we start with a really hot room, where having the windows open does nothing for the heat. Add in about 40 hot, sweaty people, no air conditioning, a few snorers, and an emergency light right above your bunk ( Jess was on the top, so she got the light in her face all night ), and you have the recipe of very little sleep. Believe me, waking up at 5:30 this morning was welcomed, because it meant we didn´t have to spend one more second in the worst room ever. In addition to this sleeping situation, the people that ran the hostel weren´t particularly friendly, we weren´t allowed to eat our dinner outside on the patio, and there were so many people, it was impossible to function. Needless to say, we were happy to leave Logrono this morning!
So we have another day of walking tomorrow, so well see where the Camino takes us!
I´m Having an Affair
A conversation between me and the backpack today:
Me: You´re a part time lover and a full time friend. The monkey on your back is the latest trend. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Backpack: I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of the train. I kiss you all starry eyed my body swingin´side to side. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Me: Here is the church and here is the steeple. We sure are cute for two ugly people. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Backpack: Pebbles forgive me, the trees forgive. So why can´t you forgive me? I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Me: I will find my niche in your car. With my mp3, DVD, rumble pack guitar. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Backpack: Up up down down left right left right B A start. Just because we use cheats doesn´t mean we´re not smart. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Me: You are always tryin´to keep it real. I´m in love, with how you feel. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Backpack: We both have shiny happy fits of rage. You want more fans, I want more stage. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Me: Don Quixote was a steel driving man. My name is Jess and I´m your biggest fan...
And so on. We hiked 30 km today. I´m already crazy to begin with. I love Deuter. I love my backpack. It causes me absolutely no back pain.
-J
Me: You´re a part time lover and a full time friend. The monkey on your back is the latest trend. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Backpack: I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of the train. I kiss you all starry eyed my body swingin´side to side. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Me: Here is the church and here is the steeple. We sure are cute for two ugly people. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Backpack: Pebbles forgive me, the trees forgive. So why can´t you forgive me? I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Me: I will find my niche in your car. With my mp3, DVD, rumble pack guitar. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Backpack: Up up down down left right left right B A start. Just because we use cheats doesn´t mean we´re not smart. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Me: You are always tryin´to keep it real. I´m in love, with how you feel. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Backpack: We both have shiny happy fits of rage. You want more fans, I want more stage. I don´t see what anyone can see, in anyone else, but you.
Me: Don Quixote was a steel driving man. My name is Jess and I´m your biggest fan...
And so on. We hiked 30 km today. I´m already crazy to begin with. I love Deuter. I love my backpack. It causes me absolutely no back pain.
-J
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Best Thing About Walking.....
I´ve decided that the best part about walking, is when you stop. You realize you can actually be a human again, instead of just a walking machine. Yesterday, after a very hot walk in the very hot sun, we stopped in a beautiful little town called Viana. I collapsed on the first shady patch of grass I found and had a nice rest for about 10 mintues. It was after this little rest that I realized that walking makes you a bit crazy, ( or maybe it was the heat! ), I felt like I had just come out of daze and could once again properly function as a person. Weird.
The town of Viana was a great place to stop, in addition to our private room, we got to enjoy a bit of the local culture when we were sitting in the town square watching the local kids play a game of quasi-soccer (no nets or teams, or rules, just screaming kids and a soccer ball. )
Then we went and had a lovely dinner with an Australian couple we met a few nights ago in Estella, we had a great meal and great wine.....which led to us getting quite jolly, and was followed shortly by us getting shushed by an old French couple at the next table. The man made the gesture of turning down a volume knob on the radio, and told us to be less ¨woo hoo¨. We apologized for being happy, and left to continue our party on the patio with a few beers.
Needless to say, we all slept pretty well last night! Good thing we only had to walk 9k today, and this was because we decided to stop in the next city, Logrono, and continue the fun by taking a rest day and hanging with the Aussies a bit more. So this afternoon we enjoyed a few snacks, a few beers and some ice cream before heading back to the hostel for a bit of rest time before we have to eat again! Walking this much makes you hungry all the time! Thank goodness the food here is great! And knowing you are going to walk it off tomorrow makes even the unhealthiest food, guilt free!
That´s all for now, folks, but I´m sure we´ll update you tomorrow after this 27k marathon we have planned, and let you know we´re still alive!
The town of Viana was a great place to stop, in addition to our private room, we got to enjoy a bit of the local culture when we were sitting in the town square watching the local kids play a game of quasi-soccer (no nets or teams, or rules, just screaming kids and a soccer ball. )
Then we went and had a lovely dinner with an Australian couple we met a few nights ago in Estella, we had a great meal and great wine.....which led to us getting quite jolly, and was followed shortly by us getting shushed by an old French couple at the next table. The man made the gesture of turning down a volume knob on the radio, and told us to be less ¨woo hoo¨. We apologized for being happy, and left to continue our party on the patio with a few beers.
Needless to say, we all slept pretty well last night! Good thing we only had to walk 9k today, and this was because we decided to stop in the next city, Logrono, and continue the fun by taking a rest day and hanging with the Aussies a bit more. So this afternoon we enjoyed a few snacks, a few beers and some ice cream before heading back to the hostel for a bit of rest time before we have to eat again! Walking this much makes you hungry all the time! Thank goodness the food here is great! And knowing you are going to walk it off tomorrow makes even the unhealthiest food, guilt free!
That´s all for now, folks, but I´m sure we´ll update you tomorrow after this 27k marathon we have planned, and let you know we´re still alive!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
That Spanish Sun II - The Follow Up
Holy crap. To all those people who I´ve bragged to, saying that I don´t get sunburned, please know that I, in fact, do not posess this superhuman quality. My shoulders are burned to a crisp. Yikes!
So I prayed for sun and I sure got it. For some reason, I didn´t consider the idea of a sunburn when I hiked the rest of those 12 km from Villamayor to Los Arcos yesterday. I have the ugliest, most painful, red situation going on on my arms.
Well kids, today we are in Viana - a lovely little town with a nice, old church. (So?)
We were told the hostel was full, so we sought out a shitty hotel (no stars) and 35 Euros later, we get a room to ourselves with two beds. I can´t explain how nice it is to recharge your shiny, red iPod without the fear of someone stealing it. I mean, it´s still possible, but it´s not a room with 16 other people in it.
Today was a short (18 km) hike that felt very long. The blistering sun was at it all day, and as Becky puts it, ¨sun and hills don´t mix.¨
Running out of internet time! ´Til next time.
-J
So I prayed for sun and I sure got it. For some reason, I didn´t consider the idea of a sunburn when I hiked the rest of those 12 km from Villamayor to Los Arcos yesterday. I have the ugliest, most painful, red situation going on on my arms.
Well kids, today we are in Viana - a lovely little town with a nice, old church. (So?)
We were told the hostel was full, so we sought out a shitty hotel (no stars) and 35 Euros later, we get a room to ourselves with two beds. I can´t explain how nice it is to recharge your shiny, red iPod without the fear of someone stealing it. I mean, it´s still possible, but it´s not a room with 16 other people in it.
Today was a short (18 km) hike that felt very long. The blistering sun was at it all day, and as Becky puts it, ¨sun and hills don´t mix.¨
Running out of internet time! ´Til next time.
-J
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Wine Fountain
Bodegas Irache. You sustain me.
Okay. I must have been drunk last time I wrote a blog entry, because I forgot to mention the wine fountain we encountered on our walk today. Free-flowing, decent-tasting, free, free wine. Purpley goodness right from the tap!
So I promptly poured out my Aquafina bottle and filled it (no, not all the way) with wine. I wanted to kick it old school for a while and there was a bit of a hill to scale. So, for the next few hours, instead of drinking water, I drank wine, like the old pilgrims did. And Paolo Coehlo.
Yeah. It was great.
I took videos and pictures of this miracle, so don´t worry. As soon as I find an accessible USB port, you´re all in for it.
-J
PS: Free wine!!!
Okay. I must have been drunk last time I wrote a blog entry, because I forgot to mention the wine fountain we encountered on our walk today. Free-flowing, decent-tasting, free, free wine. Purpley goodness right from the tap!
So I promptly poured out my Aquafina bottle and filled it (no, not all the way) with wine. I wanted to kick it old school for a while and there was a bit of a hill to scale. So, for the next few hours, instead of drinking water, I drank wine, like the old pilgrims did. And Paolo Coehlo.
Yeah. It was great.
I took videos and pictures of this miracle, so don´t worry. As soon as I find an accessible USB port, you´re all in for it.
-J
PS: Free wine!!!
Clouds Have Lifted
Today our ol´ buddy the Camino threw another obstacle at us. Sun. Lots of hot hot sun. For those of you who have met me or even just seen me from afar, you know that me and the sun do not get along well. But I am happy to report that even after the 12k stretch of no towns, no trees, no shade and no water fountains, Jess and I are both alive, and best of all, I have only a very minor sun burn! Yay!
We finally reached the tiny town called Los Arcos that we are staying in tonight around 3:30, after what felt like days of walking in the desert. Jess and I were both a little loopy from the heat, and decided it would be a great town to film a Spanish spaghetti western in, and oddly enough both of us were kinda walking like John Wayne......not on purpose however, it was more due to the various sore body parts. But a lovely little hostel awaited us offering cold showers, comfortable beds, and free massages! What more do you need? Oh right, food. We will venture out in the heat again in a little while to find something delicious to eat, but for now, relaxing is priority #1.
Also, you will all be happy to know that I am now a true pilgrim; yesterday I bought a walking stick. It is just lovely. Polished wood and super for navigating tricky mud puddles or steep hills! Also it makes this fantastic clicking noise when I walk, which I´m sure is annoying to everyone else. But I dont care. I like my stick. And I have only tripped over it twice! Pilgrim, yes. Coordinated, no.
The very last thing I need to discuss today is how delicious octopus is. Sounds like it would be weird and lots of people may find it gross, but I swear, it was possibly the most fantastic thing I have ever tasted! Fried up with some paprika and garlic and olive oil, mmmm!! How can something that looks so gross when it´s alive be so tasty when it´s cooked up?
Well my internet time is almost up, so I´m going to have to let Jess tell you about the wine fountain we stopped at earlier today, because I felt it was more important to talk about octopus. Yep, that´s how good it was, it preceeded wine in my list of priorities.
We finally reached the tiny town called Los Arcos that we are staying in tonight around 3:30, after what felt like days of walking in the desert. Jess and I were both a little loopy from the heat, and decided it would be a great town to film a Spanish spaghetti western in, and oddly enough both of us were kinda walking like John Wayne......not on purpose however, it was more due to the various sore body parts. But a lovely little hostel awaited us offering cold showers, comfortable beds, and free massages! What more do you need? Oh right, food. We will venture out in the heat again in a little while to find something delicious to eat, but for now, relaxing is priority #1.
Also, you will all be happy to know that I am now a true pilgrim; yesterday I bought a walking stick. It is just lovely. Polished wood and super for navigating tricky mud puddles or steep hills! Also it makes this fantastic clicking noise when I walk, which I´m sure is annoying to everyone else. But I dont care. I like my stick. And I have only tripped over it twice! Pilgrim, yes. Coordinated, no.
The very last thing I need to discuss today is how delicious octopus is. Sounds like it would be weird and lots of people may find it gross, but I swear, it was possibly the most fantastic thing I have ever tasted! Fried up with some paprika and garlic and olive oil, mmmm!! How can something that looks so gross when it´s alive be so tasty when it´s cooked up?
Well my internet time is almost up, so I´m going to have to let Jess tell you about the wine fountain we stopped at earlier today, because I felt it was more important to talk about octopus. Yep, that´s how good it was, it preceeded wine in my list of priorities.
That Spanish Sun!
Whew! It´s super hot out today... well 27 C, but it´s still beating down on us. I love it, but my little springroll (Becky) has to be careful not to get fried. I call her ´springroll´now because she looks like a Vietnamese shrimp summer roll wrapped in rice paper. Weird, I know. At least Darlene will understand this one.
We are mid-hike right now, stopped in at a little cafe with internet access in a town called Villamayor de... something. All the towns look the same after a while. We still have a 12 km hike to Los Arcos, where we hope to spend the night.
I had a giant bocadillo (sandwich) of ham and cheese for lunch. De-lish.
Moving on, I think it´s time I wrote my two cents about injuries. I feel VERY lucky right now. No blisters, no serious aches or pains. It´s night and day compared to my last trip up here. However, I have detected the onset of shinsplints in my right leg, so I´ve wrapped it in my bandana/Buff (for those who watch Survivor) and it seems to be okay. I also have a mega-knot in my other leg that won´t go away no matter how much I knead it-- less than delightful. But all in all, I feel great. I´m not lying. I haven´t even used muscle cream yet.
Yesterday, we walked a total of 23.5 km to Estella, which is an amazing little town with really lovely stone churches (so?). We stayed at the ANFAR hostel, which employs mentally disabled people to run the whole thing. It was great, nice and peaceful -- other than the symphony of farts during the night -- and I got a great sleep.
Last night at dinner, Becky and I met two wonderful Aussies, Mel and Guy. They are on a huge travel run around the world. They´ve pretty much convinced me that my next trip will be to Nepal.
Becky got her first taste of pulpo (octopus) last night and she loved it! Just like I thought. Take that, Chris! For everyone who thinks octopus might be gross, you just have to try it. It´s delicious and it´s my favourite food for good reason.
Anyways, I best get going. We have to walk another 12 km today and the sun is beating down. I have my big floppy hat on for the first time today.
Wish us luck. And stay tuned -- I´ve been thinking about my ¨couch¨ theory which I plan to make into a post very soon!
Hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather in Canada! I´m sure it´s still stupid hot. Go to Petrie Island or something, but avoid the poo.
-J
We are mid-hike right now, stopped in at a little cafe with internet access in a town called Villamayor de... something. All the towns look the same after a while. We still have a 12 km hike to Los Arcos, where we hope to spend the night.
I had a giant bocadillo (sandwich) of ham and cheese for lunch. De-lish.
Moving on, I think it´s time I wrote my two cents about injuries. I feel VERY lucky right now. No blisters, no serious aches or pains. It´s night and day compared to my last trip up here. However, I have detected the onset of shinsplints in my right leg, so I´ve wrapped it in my bandana/Buff (for those who watch Survivor) and it seems to be okay. I also have a mega-knot in my other leg that won´t go away no matter how much I knead it-- less than delightful. But all in all, I feel great. I´m not lying. I haven´t even used muscle cream yet.
Yesterday, we walked a total of 23.5 km to Estella, which is an amazing little town with really lovely stone churches (so?). We stayed at the ANFAR hostel, which employs mentally disabled people to run the whole thing. It was great, nice and peaceful -- other than the symphony of farts during the night -- and I got a great sleep.
Last night at dinner, Becky and I met two wonderful Aussies, Mel and Guy. They are on a huge travel run around the world. They´ve pretty much convinced me that my next trip will be to Nepal.
Becky got her first taste of pulpo (octopus) last night and she loved it! Just like I thought. Take that, Chris! For everyone who thinks octopus might be gross, you just have to try it. It´s delicious and it´s my favourite food for good reason.
Anyways, I best get going. We have to walk another 12 km today and the sun is beating down. I have my big floppy hat on for the first time today.
Wish us luck. And stay tuned -- I´ve been thinking about my ¨couch¨ theory which I plan to make into a post very soon!
Hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather in Canada! I´m sure it´s still stupid hot. Go to Petrie Island or something, but avoid the poo.
-J
Monday, June 16, 2008
Some Hiking Music
If anyone´s thinking of walking across a country, I suggest the following-
- Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild, Original Soundtrack
- Doves - The Last Broadcast (Thanks to Katie and Steve)
- Keane - any album
- Resevoir Dogs Original Soundtrack (Thanks Chris, Katie and Steve)
- Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
Just. In. Case.
-J
Uphill Battle
Walking uphill in the mud is not all it´s cracked up to be. Although, I don´t expect it to have a stellar reputation to begin with. I knew we were climbing this mountain today, and we could see it from our hostel, so I spent yesterday psyching myself up to climb it. However, no amount of psyching made the experience pleasant. Every corner I turned and saw more mud, I became more annoyed, which turned to frustration, which turned to anger. The thing that changed that mood around quickly was when I turned a corner and saw Jess, and she informed me that we were at the top! Yay! And now it was down the other side.......boo. Walking down the mountain was much better than walking up it, although the steep descent on loose stones killed my ankles!
After walking on moderately flat ground the rest of the way, through a few little towns, we arrived in Puenta la Reina, Jess skipping ahead and me hobbling behind. At one point I thought I lost her in the little town, and asking a group of Asian tourists if they had seen a Spanish girl proved to be useless. But I eventually found her at the bottom of the hill ( yep. another hill ) that our hostel was on. What a cruel joke to put a hostel at the top of a steep hill, when you know the people staying there have been walking all day.
But climbing the hill proved to be worth it, the hostel is very nice. Clean, and it has a washing machine! Which will come in handy later when we try and remove the 4 inches of mud from our clothes. The view out the back is great too, all you can see is wilderness and mountains. And now it is just about dinner time, so I´m going to sign off and go get me some food!
Ciao!
After walking on moderately flat ground the rest of the way, through a few little towns, we arrived in Puenta la Reina, Jess skipping ahead and me hobbling behind. At one point I thought I lost her in the little town, and asking a group of Asian tourists if they had seen a Spanish girl proved to be useless. But I eventually found her at the bottom of the hill ( yep. another hill ) that our hostel was on. What a cruel joke to put a hostel at the top of a steep hill, when you know the people staying there have been walking all day.
But climbing the hill proved to be worth it, the hostel is very nice. Clean, and it has a washing machine! Which will come in handy later when we try and remove the 4 inches of mud from our clothes. The view out the back is great too, all you can see is wilderness and mountains. And now it is just about dinner time, so I´m going to sign off and go get me some food!
Ciao!
El Mud-O
Hello everybody!
Today we climbed a very steep mountain called Alto de Perdon, which means Peak of Forgiveness. Nothing forgiving about it. Most of the uphill battle was fought in deep mud.
I can´t believe the rain in Spain. We have breaks of sun, but I have no tan yet. Boohoo.
Hi to everybody! No time left to write... gah.
BTW, we are in Puente la Reina.
-J
Today we climbed a very steep mountain called Alto de Perdon, which means Peak of Forgiveness. Nothing forgiving about it. Most of the uphill battle was fought in deep mud.
I can´t believe the rain in Spain. We have breaks of sun, but I have no tan yet. Boohoo.
Hi to everybody! No time left to write... gah.
BTW, we are in Puente la Reina.
-J
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Quick Hello!
Since 1 euro gets you 20 minutes of internet time, and I have already used up 18 minutes of it writing emails, and am too cheap to put in another euro, this will be a quick hello to all of you! A day of rest is just what I needed, this hostel is indeed heaven! Hope you are all doing well! Miss you!
My Favourite Hostel
I am in heaven right now. We decided to take a break/slow day and only walk 5 km today. We walked out of Pamplona this morning and have stopped in a small pueblo named Cizur Menor. It is home to my FAVOURITE hostel in the entire world. A lovely little place run by a woman named Marybel.
Last time I was here was the world cup game when Italy beat out France.
When you walk up to this place, you can´t see a thing. But once you enter through the giant, wooden doors, it´s suddenly paradise. There´s a large garden in the back with a dozen plastic chairs and colourful flowering plants everywhere.
At the top of a garden sits a little pond, filled with Koi and turtles. Becky and I sat there for a bit just watching them poke their heads in and out of the water. So serene.
I think we´ll spend most of the day stretching... inside. It´s raining again. I was hoping to get a tan in Spain. Silly me!
Hope you are all having a lovely weekend!
-J
Last time I was here was the world cup game when Italy beat out France.
When you walk up to this place, you can´t see a thing. But once you enter through the giant, wooden doors, it´s suddenly paradise. There´s a large garden in the back with a dozen plastic chairs and colourful flowering plants everywhere.
At the top of a garden sits a little pond, filled with Koi and turtles. Becky and I sat there for a bit just watching them poke their heads in and out of the water. So serene.
I think we´ll spend most of the day stretching... inside. It´s raining again. I was hoping to get a tan in Spain. Silly me!
Hope you are all having a lovely weekend!
-J
Saturday, June 14, 2008
I Found Jesus
So I´m passing through this tiny town, waiting for Becky to stroll in after me. I´m meeting all the locals and all their kids and having fun being a dork. Then a middle aged, Spanish man approaches me and begins to chat.
So I chat and we talk about Canada and then he gives me dos besos (two kisses on the cheeks) and then does not let go.
He then attempts to force me to kiss him and tries to kiss me on the lips, telling me just how ¨happy¨I make him.
At this point, I´ve realized this man is not really nice like the other people of this TINY town and I wiggled my way outta there pronto. I run up the camino, shaking my poles at him and I get away.
So it seems every time I take a trip to Europe, I have a brush with some sort of sexual assault. So honestly, I´m glad this trip´s encounter is over and I can move on. Plus, after I ran away from him, I moved the fastest I have during the entire hike-- and I didn´t feel any pain in my muscles. Blessing in disguise-- not.
I was over it after fuming for five minutes, but I´ve learned the lesson that five-year-olds already know... don´t be too friendly with strangers.
-J
So I chat and we talk about Canada and then he gives me dos besos (two kisses on the cheeks) and then does not let go.
He then attempts to force me to kiss him and tries to kiss me on the lips, telling me just how ¨happy¨I make him.
At this point, I´ve realized this man is not really nice like the other people of this TINY town and I wiggled my way outta there pronto. I run up the camino, shaking my poles at him and I get away.
So it seems every time I take a trip to Europe, I have a brush with some sort of sexual assault. So honestly, I´m glad this trip´s encounter is over and I can move on. Plus, after I ran away from him, I moved the fastest I have during the entire hike-- and I didn´t feel any pain in my muscles. Blessing in disguise-- not.
I was over it after fuming for five minutes, but I´ve learned the lesson that five-year-olds already know... don´t be too friendly with strangers.
-J
2 Blisters
So while Jess the mountain goat was dancing up the ridiculously steep hill we climbed yesterday, Becky the non-mountain goat was limping up it taking the smallest steps known to man, and crying her eyes out. Not quite the same hill experience I would say.......but I made it to the top, regrouped, stretched and was ready to go ( with a little encouragement from Jess ) then after what seemed like hours of steep downhill on jagged rocks, we finally got to Zubiri.
I should back track a little and just mention how nice the church ceremony was that we attended in Roncevalles, all the pilgrims went to be blessed by the monks. And even though I´m not a church person, it was really a cute ceremony and part of me hopes their blessing will protect me from falling and breaking a leg or something.
Anyway, back to present time. We had a great dinner in Zubiri with two Germans we have met along the way, and we had a good time teaching them some of the better English words......(speedo, leprechaun, skinny dipping....etc). By the way, how the hell to you try and explain what a leprechaun is to someone who has never heard of it?
After dinner we went back to the cute little hostel we were staying at, and got to listen to the musical snoring styles of at least 2 people in our room, including the guy who shook the walls every breath he took (see Jess´s earlier rant ). So after very little sleep we got up to continue on to Pamplona.
The walking today was much easier than it has been for the last three days, my muscles are sore, and 2 blisters have popped up, but other than that nothing too traumatic. The difficulty today was more emotional than physical, Jess was walking quite a ways in front of me ( she´s a fast little Spaniard!) , and I was hit with such a strong pang of home sickness that it was hard for me to continue. Every step hurt a different muscle, and all I could think about was how nice it would be to be at home with everyone, not walking up a mountain in the super hot sun. But being the ferocious person I am ( ha ha ) I dealt with it very well. And by that I mean that I cried a bit ( yep, more tears from my camp, shocking. ) and then had a sit, and then after a few minutes of self pity, got my ass up and kept walking. It was tough until I caught up to Jess, who made me instantly feel better, gave me a little motivational speech and then off we went. Believe me, if it wasn´t for Jess, I would have been on a plane out of here after the second day!
The rest of the walk to Pamplona was really beautiful, nice scenery, and nice little towns. We got into Pamplona around 3:30, and cleaned ourselves up, washed our clothes and now we´re just hanging around until we head out for dinner.
So it is safe to say that the pilgrims have survived another day, with only a minor sunburn (me, obv.), sore muscles (both of us) and a few blisters. Tomorrow we plan to take a break and only walk 5k, to Cizur Menor, after we explore Pamplona a bit more in the morning (I think we´ll do a re-enactment of the running of the bulls)
So until next post, Adios Amigos!
P.S : Everyone that voted for me on our poll of who will whine more, you were right!
I should back track a little and just mention how nice the church ceremony was that we attended in Roncevalles, all the pilgrims went to be blessed by the monks. And even though I´m not a church person, it was really a cute ceremony and part of me hopes their blessing will protect me from falling and breaking a leg or something.
Anyway, back to present time. We had a great dinner in Zubiri with two Germans we have met along the way, and we had a good time teaching them some of the better English words......(speedo, leprechaun, skinny dipping....etc). By the way, how the hell to you try and explain what a leprechaun is to someone who has never heard of it?
After dinner we went back to the cute little hostel we were staying at, and got to listen to the musical snoring styles of at least 2 people in our room, including the guy who shook the walls every breath he took (see Jess´s earlier rant ). So after very little sleep we got up to continue on to Pamplona.
The walking today was much easier than it has been for the last three days, my muscles are sore, and 2 blisters have popped up, but other than that nothing too traumatic. The difficulty today was more emotional than physical, Jess was walking quite a ways in front of me ( she´s a fast little Spaniard!) , and I was hit with such a strong pang of home sickness that it was hard for me to continue. Every step hurt a different muscle, and all I could think about was how nice it would be to be at home with everyone, not walking up a mountain in the super hot sun. But being the ferocious person I am ( ha ha ) I dealt with it very well. And by that I mean that I cried a bit ( yep, more tears from my camp, shocking. ) and then had a sit, and then after a few minutes of self pity, got my ass up and kept walking. It was tough until I caught up to Jess, who made me instantly feel better, gave me a little motivational speech and then off we went. Believe me, if it wasn´t for Jess, I would have been on a plane out of here after the second day!
The rest of the walk to Pamplona was really beautiful, nice scenery, and nice little towns. We got into Pamplona around 3:30, and cleaned ourselves up, washed our clothes and now we´re just hanging around until we head out for dinner.
So it is safe to say that the pilgrims have survived another day, with only a minor sunburn (me, obv.), sore muscles (both of us) and a few blisters. Tomorrow we plan to take a break and only walk 5k, to Cizur Menor, after we explore Pamplona a bit more in the morning (I think we´ll do a re-enactment of the running of the bulls)
So until next post, Adios Amigos!
P.S : Everyone that voted for me on our poll of who will whine more, you were right!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Goo. Roncevalles to Zubiri.
So, right now it´s just before 11 p.m. I am in a tiny hostel in a town called Zubiri, which is approximately 50 km into this ridiculous trek. So, I bet you´re asking yourself why I´m not asleep. Well, there is a huge German dude SNORING in my room. There are six beds in total and it´s not a large room. This man could compete in the snoring Olympics. I am going out of my mind.
I have some beautiful photographs that I can´t wait to post up here, but you will all have to check back tomorrow.
Okay-- back to the whole dirty pilgrims thing. Enough with the complaints.
So, today´s hike started in Roncevalles, a grimy, gothic, lovely village on the eastern edge of Spain. It was a beautiful walk, shadowed by trees. To be honest, the whole day could have taken place in Algonquin Park, but that will soon change as we traverse into wine country.
It was pretty steady, up and down a bit, until you reach a small mountain. Although it´s not comparable to our first two days, climbing that thing wasn´t easy. I needed help. So I turned the iPod on (for the first time) and danced up the mountain. I am a loser, but I had such a great time. The scenery was gorgeous-- mountains as far as the eye could see, with little towns scattered in the valleys.
It was a long day. I believe the whole hike took us about seven or eight hours, but we´re still newbies, so it´s understandable.
Tomorrow we head to Pamplona, the city that hosts the running of the bulls every July.
I have to say, this is a completely different experience for me than my previous Camino escapade. The last time I did this, I was crippled with injury and couldn´t think much past my aches and pains. This time, with a properly fitted backpack and walking poles, I feel great and have the gusto to look around and enjoy nature.
I have shed a few tears already, but only out of happiness. It really feels good to be back in Spain. I wouldn´t trade this experience for anything. I´m sure it will be life changing once again.
Hope you are all doing well back home. Thank you for the comments-- they really keep us going and thinking we´re hot shit.
-J
I have some beautiful photographs that I can´t wait to post up here, but you will all have to check back tomorrow.
Okay-- back to the whole dirty pilgrims thing. Enough with the complaints.
So, today´s hike started in Roncevalles, a grimy, gothic, lovely village on the eastern edge of Spain. It was a beautiful walk, shadowed by trees. To be honest, the whole day could have taken place in Algonquin Park, but that will soon change as we traverse into wine country.
It was pretty steady, up and down a bit, until you reach a small mountain. Although it´s not comparable to our first two days, climbing that thing wasn´t easy. I needed help. So I turned the iPod on (for the first time) and danced up the mountain. I am a loser, but I had such a great time. The scenery was gorgeous-- mountains as far as the eye could see, with little towns scattered in the valleys.
It was a long day. I believe the whole hike took us about seven or eight hours, but we´re still newbies, so it´s understandable.
Tomorrow we head to Pamplona, the city that hosts the running of the bulls every July.
I have to say, this is a completely different experience for me than my previous Camino escapade. The last time I did this, I was crippled with injury and couldn´t think much past my aches and pains. This time, with a properly fitted backpack and walking poles, I feel great and have the gusto to look around and enjoy nature.
I have shed a few tears already, but only out of happiness. It really feels good to be back in Spain. I wouldn´t trade this experience for anything. I´m sure it will be life changing once again.
Hope you are all doing well back home. Thank you for the comments-- they really keep us going and thinking we´re hot shit.
-J
Thursday, June 12, 2008
ow.
So since we last posted, so many things have gone awry and made the trip that much more excitng! We left Bordeaux, no problem, got on our train to Bayonne, where we were scheduled to switch trains to St.Jean, however, somewhere in the 90 minutes we were on the first train, the train employees decided to go on strike, and we were informed that our next train was cancelled. This was at around 1pm, and we were told that there would be a bus to St. Jean at 6pm, so we made the best of it and walked around Bayonne, had a coffee etc. When 6 oclock rolled around, we headed back to the train station, and found a crowd of about 70 other stranded pilgrims, when the bus came, it became very obvious that we were not all going to fit on it........and Jess and I didn´t make the cut. Eventually they lined up another bus for the remaining people and we arrived in St. Jean by 8pm......barely enough time to get dinner and a place to stay!
The next morning we started walking, and walking......and walking. All uphill. And when I say uphill, I mean UPHILL!!! OW! We found a great little hostel in the mountains to stay at, and had a hot shower and a fabulous dinner and then straight to bed. This morning we started out for the rest of the uphill battle and walked about 16 kms uphill and then about 3 straight down. Oh, and my favourite part, the 20 minutes of knee deep mud we sludged through! The dirtiest pilgrims!!
So after all this all I have to report is that it has been the most beautiful walk over the Pyrenees mountains, through some of the best scenery I´ve ever seen. The pain I feel in my ankles and hips is excruciating ( feet are still holding up well! ) , but the walk was absolutely worth it! Tomorrow we will be off to Zubiri, and I can´t wait to see what kind of adventure waits for us there!
The next morning we started walking, and walking......and walking. All uphill. And when I say uphill, I mean UPHILL!!! OW! We found a great little hostel in the mountains to stay at, and had a hot shower and a fabulous dinner and then straight to bed. This morning we started out for the rest of the uphill battle and walked about 16 kms uphill and then about 3 straight down. Oh, and my favourite part, the 20 minutes of knee deep mud we sludged through! The dirtiest pilgrims!!
So after all this all I have to report is that it has been the most beautiful walk over the Pyrenees mountains, through some of the best scenery I´ve ever seen. The pain I feel in my ankles and hips is excruciating ( feet are still holding up well! ) , but the walk was absolutely worth it! Tomorrow we will be off to Zubiri, and I can´t wait to see what kind of adventure waits for us there!
With Your Head in the Clouds...
So. Today was a bit of a gonger, but let me start with something more important.
Cashews. Nut of the gods. I KNOW how great cashews are (LIV), trust me, in every sense. When I was given this delightful gift by the flight attendant on the way to Paris, I quickly stashed them in my purse for later enjoyment.
There I was, a few hours later, sitting on the floor in Terminal 2, ready for my nut-nuts. I open them up and they explode all over the floor, with only a few that fell on my pants remaining sterile enough for ingestion. So I threw the rest at the birds. They liked it. I did hit a bird, but hey, he ate it anyway. Moving on.
AHEM.
Yesterday we hiked 8 k.m. from the beginning of the Camino, St. Jean Pied du Port, uphill to this tiny spot. It was a horrible, agonizing trip and we found a hostel in a town called Orisson that consists of, well, a hostel on the side of a huge mountain.
We stayed there, enjoyed a hot shower and some cold weather and took off today on a 19 k.m. hike.
We were in the clouds all day long. It was windy, damp and cold. I feel PRETTY good, I won´t lie. Becky might hit me if she reads that.
Regarding the ol´Chekan, I am so, so very proud of her. She is really pushing herself and should be regarded by many as a hero. Now that we are in Spain, things will be easier as there are no gargantuan mountains to scale, so that may ease her pain.
Love you all. Miss you. Running out of internet time!
Love you Chris.
Cashews. Nut of the gods. I KNOW how great cashews are (LIV), trust me, in every sense. When I was given this delightful gift by the flight attendant on the way to Paris, I quickly stashed them in my purse for later enjoyment.
There I was, a few hours later, sitting on the floor in Terminal 2, ready for my nut-nuts. I open them up and they explode all over the floor, with only a few that fell on my pants remaining sterile enough for ingestion. So I threw the rest at the birds. They liked it. I did hit a bird, but hey, he ate it anyway. Moving on.
AHEM.
Yesterday we hiked 8 k.m. from the beginning of the Camino, St. Jean Pied du Port, uphill to this tiny spot. It was a horrible, agonizing trip and we found a hostel in a town called Orisson that consists of, well, a hostel on the side of a huge mountain.
We stayed there, enjoyed a hot shower and some cold weather and took off today on a 19 k.m. hike.
We were in the clouds all day long. It was windy, damp and cold. I feel PRETTY good, I won´t lie. Becky might hit me if she reads that.
Regarding the ol´Chekan, I am so, so very proud of her. She is really pushing herself and should be regarded by many as a hero. Now that we are in Spain, things will be easier as there are no gargantuan mountains to scale, so that may ease her pain.
Love you all. Miss you. Running out of internet time!
Love you Chris.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Bordeaux!
It is pretty safe to say that after today I will be very happy not to be on any more trains or planes for awhile! Bordeaux, though quite rainy has been so beautiful so far, it doesn't look like much on the way in on the train, but walking around it is just amazing!
Yesterday we got more aquainted with the Paris airport than we would have liked, after sitting in it waiting for our train for 5 hours.......but it turned out fine, Jess threw cashews at birds to pass the time.
Then after arriving in Bordeaux we walked around a lot trying to find our hotel.....mostly in the wrong direction because I had the map. So after Jess took over the navigating we ended up in the right direction, but it was raining and we were both super tired and hungry so we got a few groceries and found a closer hotel and just crashed.
We are now off to do a bit more exploring of the city before we hop on our next train to St. Jean, then tomorrow we start the Camino!!!
Yikes!
Yesterday we got more aquainted with the Paris airport than we would have liked, after sitting in it waiting for our train for 5 hours.......but it turned out fine, Jess threw cashews at birds to pass the time.
Then after arriving in Bordeaux we walked around a lot trying to find our hotel.....mostly in the wrong direction because I had the map. So after Jess took over the navigating we ended up in the right direction, but it was raining and we were both super tired and hungry so we got a few groceries and found a closer hotel and just crashed.
We are now off to do a bit more exploring of the city before we hop on our next train to St. Jean, then tomorrow we start the Camino!!!
Yikes!
Soggy Bordeaux
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Up, Up and Away...
Today's the day. The countdown is over. We touch down in Paris tomorrow morning and immediately head to Bordeaux where we are staying the night.
The next day, we're off to St. Jean Pied de Port, where the Camino de Santiago starts.
It's 10:30 a.m. and I'm in the middle of packing. That's just how I roll.
Wooohooo! 'Til next time!
-J
The next day, we're off to St. Jean Pied de Port, where the Camino de Santiago starts.
It's 10:30 a.m. and I'm in the middle of packing. That's just how I roll.
Wooohooo! 'Til next time!
-J
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Why Travel?
A friend of mine, Holly Dooley, sent me a beautiful collection of quotes today at work. It was a nice little send off and I want to share them here.
"Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.""Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's dangerous business, Frodo, going our your door. You step out onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.""The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes"
"A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it"
"Experience, travel - these are as education in themselves"
"The World is a book, and those who do not travel see only a page"
"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move"
"We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey"
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference"
"We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey, or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way"
"Travel teaches toleration"
"My travels led me to where I am today. Sometimes these steps have felt painful, difficult, but led me to greater happiness and opportunities"
"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights, it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living"
Ready...?
The finances are in order, the insurance is in place, the ipod is full, the feet are enjoying their last few days of comfort.........so on paper it would appear that I am ready to go! However; mentally I am all over the map! I'm super excited-scared-anxious-impatient-excited-happy-nervous!! So maybe it's a good thing I still have 3 days to calm myself! ( like that will happen......)
3 days!!!! Yipee!!
3 days!!!! Yipee!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
My Packing List
Hey everybody,
When preparing to walk 'el Camino', you really have to mind what you pack. Carry too much and the weight of the backpack will affect your entire body-- this happened to me last time.
I wanted to share my packing list to help any newbie pilgrims and get some feedback myself.
Clothing:
2 lightweight t-shirts
1 tank top (sleeping)
3 pairs of socks & undies
2 sports bras
1 hooded sweatshirt
1 jogging pants
2 pairs of shorts
1 (bagged) poncho
1 hiking shoes
1 hiking sandals
1 shower shoes
1 wide-brimmed hat
1 sunglasses
Documents/Money:
1 ATM
1 credit card
1 passport
tickets (plane and train)
health insurance info
Knickknacks:
1 mapbook
1 euro AC adapter
1 diary & pen
1 swiss army knife
1 small flashlight
(deodorant, nailclipper, tweezers... girly stuff)
1 iPod & charger
1 thin digital camera
1 alarm clock
1 combination lock
Essentials:
1 sm. bottle of Aspirin
Ziplock bags
1 thin hostel-type sleeping bag
1 sm. bottle of sunscreen
1 sm. tube of Vaseline
blister pads
muscle cream
shampoo (to use on everything incl. clothing)
half roll of toilet paper
1 toothbrush & paste
1 sm. quick-dry towel
1 sm. purse (for touring the cities)
2 walking poles
safety pins
And obviously, 1 lg. awesome backpack!
Let me know what you think.
-J
PS: 5 days 'til take off!
When preparing to walk 'el Camino', you really have to mind what you pack. Carry too much and the weight of the backpack will affect your entire body-- this happened to me last time.
I wanted to share my packing list to help any newbie pilgrims and get some feedback myself.
Clothing:
2 lightweight t-shirts
1 tank top (sleeping)
3 pairs of socks & undies
2 sports bras
1 hooded sweatshirt
1 jogging pants
2 pairs of shorts
1 (bagged) poncho
1 hiking shoes
1 hiking sandals
1 shower shoes
1 wide-brimmed hat
1 sunglasses
Documents/Money:
1 ATM
1 credit card
1 passport
tickets (plane and train)
health insurance info
Knickknacks:
1 mapbook
1 euro AC adapter
1 diary & pen
1 swiss army knife
1 small flashlight
(deodorant, nailclipper, tweezers... girly stuff)
1 iPod & charger
1 thin digital camera
1 alarm clock
1 combination lock
Essentials:
1 sm. bottle of Aspirin
Ziplock bags
1 thin hostel-type sleeping bag
1 sm. bottle of sunscreen
1 sm. tube of Vaseline
blister pads
muscle cream
shampoo (to use on everything incl. clothing)
half roll of toilet paper
1 toothbrush & paste
1 sm. quick-dry towel
1 sm. purse (for touring the cities)
2 walking poles
safety pins
And obviously, 1 lg. awesome backpack!
Let me know what you think.
-J
PS: 5 days 'til take off!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Ditto
Jess pretty much summed it up, finances are my main stress right now. Making sure the money is there for my bills at home, and making sure I don't run out while we're in Spain. I really don't want to pimp out Jess for baguette money if I don't have to.
Other than that all I have to say is wooooo hoooooo!!!! These next seven days are going to crawl by because I'm so freaking excited to get on that plane!!!
Other than that all I have to say is wooooo hoooooo!!!! These next seven days are going to crawl by because I'm so freaking excited to get on that plane!!!
One week, baby
Seven little days left, and so much to do. I have pretty much everything I need, but there's a lot of chores to do; I'm sure Becky feels the same way.
I'm going to be gone a total of two months, so trying to manage finances and everything else for 60 days, ahead of time, is truly stressful.
It's okay, I'm beyond excited anyway! :)
I'm going to be gone a total of two months, so trying to manage finances and everything else for 60 days, ahead of time, is truly stressful.
It's okay, I'm beyond excited anyway! :)
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