Day 11 page 2

What I normally do is get into an Alberque and then find my bed.  I don't even sit on the bed because I am wet, wet, wet and dirty.  So I get a shower and then I do my wash usually by hand in a deep sink.  If I can find a place I will hang them to dry, but because I can't wring them out too well they are still damp in the morning.  So I put them in a pen bag ( just like the joint ) and then hang them on my back pack.  The Spanish sun drys them as I walk along.  So in the evening I have clean socks and clean nickers......wa-la.  This afternoon the receptionist offered to do them for me in a proper washer and dryer.  I gave her a tip of 5e she started to cry......these people are so emotional.  Wifi cost 1e for 20 min. and I thought we were capItalist, so I am sending the pictures now.

Lesson learned:    Jesus forgive me when I wine,

                              I am just like you, the world is mine.

Day 11 sept 07-2014

Last might I stayed in a mom and pops Alberque.  Not as nice as the municipal ones but oh hell do they try hard.  I got up and pack by the light of a small flash light.  Entering the streets in the dark I got turned around and wasn't sure which way was out of town.  So what do I do dig in my pack for my trusty compass that Boss Bob gave me for the trip.  I found true north and started west in that I knew I was heading west across Spain and I would cut the path sooner or later.  I picked  the trail in good time but something was wrong.  I had no breakfast in that this Alberque didn't offer it, but that wasn't it.  Finially as I walked along it came to be, I was still packing too much weight.  At first I thought I would get rid of some stuff at the end of the day, but then decided I had to act sooner.  At 9:00  I found breakfast, three cokes a banana and a sweet roll.  I took my last coke and went out to a table and started to go through my pack.  Just then I heard "her" voice.  Richard can I share your table, it was Andrea.  Yesterday she was Andrew, but to day she came clean.  Hell yes, why ask.  She rolled herself a ciggy and I teased her about killing herself.  She thought that was pretty funny, and said she could quit any time.  She thanked me again for breakfast and told me she slept in the fields again.  But met some people that shared breakfast with her.  I had made a pile of throw downs that I had to get rid of.  I needed more water and was packing all the weight I could.  I left a hoody, my p.j. every one just sleeps on top the sheet in their nickers any way.  I left a very nice pair of multi walking shorts, both pair of zip off pant legs and a shirt.  As I was packing up Andrea was telling some other pilgrims that seem to have befriended her that she slept in the fields again with no air mattress.  I hollered her over to where I was packing up.  I have a present for you, and gave her my state of the art blow up mattress.  It was the thing to do.  Richard would it be ok if I gave you a hug.  Hell yes, and with that she gave me a hug that basicly said thank you for, oh hell a lot of things.  For not being afraid of me, for being your own man, for accepting me, for not laughing at me....the list could be endless.  The hug was the kind I give my two sons, just a few seconds longer then normal.  Hugs that say, thanks boys for, for being the men you are.......I could go on but it's personal.

Four more miles down the road was another enterprising span yard with a lunch wagon but no water.  What the hell, give me three cokes and a apple.  The apple was delicious. I pushed on for Ciruena in that if I didn't I would either have a very short day or a very, very long one.  There is no water between Ciruena and santo Domingo so I wanted to make it as short as possible.  My path took me past miles and miles of vineyards.  I ate handful after handful of grapes.  No one behind me and no one in front of me, all I could see is the curvature of the earth.  I was starting to think I was on the wrong trail.  A local came biking towards me and I stopped him for information .  Nice man told me not to give up, do you have water, I will share.  We fist bumped and he was gone.  Thought I could see the steple of a church but wanted to be sure and walked further.  Sure enough I could see Cituena so I opened my last fresh bottle of water I purchased at lunched and downed the whole thing.  I find that by doing this it will bring up you water table and it's better way to go.  I still have one bottle left so I'm good.  As I came into town I could hear bands playing and fireworks going off.  Ironically it was a celebration of the harvest.  

Sandy and I was in Spain four years ago and enjoyed the same festival.  As I was trying to find my way through town the locals would call me to their table and offer me food.  I was trying to tell them that I was looking for the municipal Alberque but they did not understand English.  Wait, wait, you wait.  On just a few seconds a loco was drug from a bar that could speak English, very good English.  Can you tell me the way.  No, no good, you come with me.....he hand carried me to my destination.

Day 10 pic.

Day 10

Sept. 06-2014.

As I was marching out of Viana I was coming down the side walk and seen "her" at a side walk table having coffee and a cigarette.  When she seen me she jumped up and ran the last 20 yards towards me with her hand stuck out.  I want to thank you again for breakfast yesterday she said, it really warmed my heart.  I tried to counter with some philosophy but I am not sure how I sounded.  This time we warmly shook hands and exchanged names.  Her name was Andrew, which surprised me I thought sure it would be more feminist. I left her there....I will be along in good time! she said, I am not in a rush.

Getting across Logrono was a pain in the ass.  A very large city, but still for the way was marked very well.  I only had to ask one time if this was the camino.  I had come to a point where I had three choices, a jogger set me stright.  This is the first day where many, many locals whished me buen camino.  Lots of old people that were on my path would stop me and wish me well.....I guess any way in that I had no idea what else they were saying.  For the most of the day we were on the beaten path with a lot of joggers and bikers, all locals just doing their thing but well in my rode.  I was relived to finally leave the city behind.  The sun was a baker again to day, several of the pilgrims actually had umberillas to walk under. I wanted to push to Vetosa but I was melted and stopped at the first Alberque I came to.  It turns out it was the right thing to do in that I got the last bed, which means that those behind me will have to push on weather they want to or not.  If I had got to Vetosa and their were no beds I would of had to bivouac it some where.  I have booked a meal here in that the owners mother is doing the cooking, so I am looking forward to something home made.

I will tell you one thing about the Spanish they keep all their drinks cold,cold, cold.  Unlike your tipical 7-11.  But it's hot, I work up a sweat just packing my pack in the morning.  At night I just sleep on top of my blanket, no air conditioning at all, not that I have seen in any case. It seems that I caught up with the Germans again, and yes it's nickers city again but what the hell.  And to think I even brought a pair of PJ,s.  They will be the next thing I leave behind.  In fact today was the first day I really seen pilgrims emptying their loads.  Some real nice things were hanging in trees for any one to lay claim to.  I was surprised in that some things were really nice.

I don't know if I told you but the way is marked with a madilion that looks like a cockle shale.  The shale had about six spines that meet at the base.  The spines represent people coming from all walks of life and meeting in one place.  To point the right way the shale base is the right directions, the problem is, is that most of them are pointing the wrong direction in that the workers didn't understand the true meaning of the shale and think the spines are arrows.  Instead of correcting the wrong, a yellow arrow was painted under the madilion to point the true way.  What I have also learned was where these signs are positioned also counts so you need to stand for a moment and think about each one to make sure you made the right choice.  But then again just follow the back pack in front.

Also you need to know that for this adventure my wife bought me an ipad and on the back had the words "let the journey begin" which was very special to me.  It's a long story but right off the ipad was dropped and the screen was shattered.  I was able to obtain some tape to secure the screen with because I mean shattered.  So while I am writing I can't see half the screen so I don't know if I am hitting the right keys or not.....just bear with me if I don't make total sense.

Lesson learned:  wet socks are a soldiers worst enemies.

  

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To be continued........

Day 9 page 2

Most of the building where the Alberques are set up are several hundreds of years old.  So the showeres and the toilets are all set up in the same corner.  In the rooms there is not really any 

privacy to speak of but it's good to turn to a corner to protect your "junk" while changing.  You have your own shower but you could be next to a female, you have your own toy let but your next to a female and that is just the way it is. This is probably the hardest thing that I have gotten use to.  If there is a emblem of a boy and a girl on the door just be wear that you may have a visitor of the other jender.

I was able to get a room with just 8 beds, one young Japenese and two older Swedish ladies.

 

Lesson learned.....Don't judge. 

Day 9

I need to jump back then a ahead then now.

A lot of the trail is single track in that it is only wide enough for one person to walk.  If you hear someone coming up behind you it's good manners to step aside and let them pass.  When the iPeter and Tony and I was coming out of Larrasoana I came up behind a tall thin lady wearing a summer dress a large sun hat carrying a very large stuff animal that looked like Tigger the Tiger.  She steped aside so I could pass and I looked her in the face.  At the rest stop Peter asked if I seen her, I told Peter I did but it was not a her.  She got into the rest stop as we were leaving and I never saw her again until last night when she was trying to get into the Alberque......it was full.

I have ascertained that the farmers are in their fields so long that they have place picnic tables in a corner so as the family can bring their lunch out and they can have a proper meal.  As I left Los Arcos this morning and got into the fields, because the Alberques were full she had made camp on one one the farmers picnic tables.

Me...you camp here last night

She....yes I had to, every place was full

Me...did you have an air mattress 

She....no but it was nice,I did alright.  It's usually better if I can get off by my self.

We spoke for a few more minutes....she was genuine, a real genuine person.

I gave her an apple and a power bar, and some water for her breakfast.  She thanked me profusely and I left her there rolling up her sleing bag.

In just a few minutes in came to me lowed and clear....the way just taught me my first lesson about life.

It wasn't hard getting out of the city this morning, again just follow the back pack on front of you.  My ambition for the day was to do 17.5 miles to Logrono.  At the first stop where I ate my second breakfast of 36 oz. of coke and a sweet cake I met up with yet some old friends that had my same rhythm.  We all decided that perhaps it would be a good bet to bed down in Viana just to be safe.  Even with that it took me 7hrs of steady walking to get here.  We had to pass a almond orchard along our path and guess who was the tallest....yep me.  I could here them before I got there.......he can reach them......all the low ones were gone.  All this time I thought they were young peaches.  I filled every ones hat and then reaped my harvest where several pilgrims were cracking them with rocks.  My fee was 10%.  A very nice flavor.....better than store bought by far.  About three miles out of town the friends of the camino had set up a stand in the shade with chairs.  Home made jam, bread, cookies, cold drinks, fresh fruit, tomatoes all free or a small donation if you are able.  A lot better then the snakes we had the other day.....I love you too Jan.

 

Day 8 page 2

Well I get my room and I am completely surrounded by Germans all speaking German of course.  I am tired and hungry but I know I have at least two hours before the restaurants open for the evening.  I get in the shower and put fresh cloths on and get on my bunk.  Top bunk no less.  So the German ladies come back frm their shower and are just sitting on their bunks talking.....in their nickers.  Why I have no idea except that it is hot.  The way the bed are arranged I have to ways to go.  I can lay on my back and look stright at the  celling or I can la on my right side and look at the wall, or I can lay on my left side and look at a German ladies croch.  I pick the wall.  I figure if I wait long enough they will get dressed.  Not so.  So I go to town to get dinner at sit on a park bench unti 7:00 and the restaurant opens.  The head man brings me a menue and I can make out combination dinners.  So i point and I actually luck out.  Egg and chips.....but get this.  Last night it was 8e to night it was 18e. 

But the people are friendly.....