sillydoll
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2002 CF: 2004 from Paris: 2006 VF: 2007 CF: 2009 Aragones, Ingles, Finisterre: 2011 X 2 on CF: 2013 'Caracoles': 2014 CF and Ingles 'Caracoles":2015 Logrono-Burgos (Hospitalero San Anton): 2016 La Douay to Aosta/San Gimignano to Rome:
Hello Forum Friends,
I was thrilled to meet Kevin and his wife at the beginning of our walk but I haven´t met any others so far. We are now half way through our camino - I can´t believe that it is passing so quickly!
Just to recap: it rained the first 3 days and I got horrible blisters on both heels. I applied Compeed and after 2 days they went all mushy and stuck to my socks. When I tried to take the socks off, several layers of skin came off with the Compeed. I thought my camino was over but by applying a healing ointment and wrapping my heels in gauze, plasters and protecting them with sponges, I was able to walk for three days in my CROC sandals. At Logrono I bought hiking sandals and have worn them every inch of the way thus far. They have been a godsend and I am actually very pleased that I have been able to wear sandals as I can take my trousers off (when it gets hot) without taking them off, and it is easier to air your feet during a stop when you have sandals on. The only drawbacks are the occaisonal stones in your shoes, very dusty socks and soles that feel somewhat bruised from all the rocks and pebbles underfoot. If you are not used to boots and wish you could walk in trainers and/or sandals, feel assured that you can.
We had a very emotional experience just outside Logrono when I gave Maria Medel the little brag book of photos of her mother, Felisa. She got quite a shock when she saw her mother´s photo on the front cover and then started crying as she turned the pages, crying over and over again, ¨Mi Madre, O mi Madre!¨ We stayed for a while sitting on the bench in front of her table and she kept kissing the pages and wiping tears away.
Just a short comment on the albergues. People often ask for advice on the best albergues along the way. My thoughts were that the newer, more modern, cleaner, brass and glass albergues is what they meant. Our experience has been that the older, smaller albergues are where pilgrims will have a more magical, spiritual experience. In Granon we climbed a steep stone staircase into the bell tower of the church where pilgrims sleep on matresses on the floor and the hospitalero cooks an evening meal for all the pilgrims. We had to sing for our supper by clapping hands and banging on the table, singing, ¨We are, we are PILGRIMS¨, in tune to Queen´s We will rock you.
In Villamjor Monjardin we slept on matresses again but felt the love and caring of Jon and Sara, hospitaleros from Vitoria who have been caring for pilgrims for 5 years.
In Tosantos we slept on the floor but had a wonderful meal and a very special pilgrim service in the attic officiated over by a young priest who has done the camino, been a hospitalero and was ordained only 2 months ago.
In San Bol - be warned! no toilets, no running water, no electricity - we slept in bunks with the resident cat choosing who to sleep with, the hospitalero cooked a wonderful meal which we ate by candlelight and went to bed with the sounds of music being played by a Spanish pilgrim. There is a healing spring next to the albergue and I´m sure my teeth will all be fine now that I have brushed them with water straight from the spring!
The weather has been very good - cool in the mornings and evenings but hot during the day so we start off with shirt, fleece, shorts and over trousers and moult by 10am. We are coping with silk sleeping liners as many of the albergues offer blankets and most have pillows.
Buen camino to all who are leaving soon to walk a camino. Be open to everything the camino has to offer. Ivar, I will contact you before we reach Santiago.
Love to all,
Sil
I was thrilled to meet Kevin and his wife at the beginning of our walk but I haven´t met any others so far. We are now half way through our camino - I can´t believe that it is passing so quickly!
Just to recap: it rained the first 3 days and I got horrible blisters on both heels. I applied Compeed and after 2 days they went all mushy and stuck to my socks. When I tried to take the socks off, several layers of skin came off with the Compeed. I thought my camino was over but by applying a healing ointment and wrapping my heels in gauze, plasters and protecting them with sponges, I was able to walk for three days in my CROC sandals. At Logrono I bought hiking sandals and have worn them every inch of the way thus far. They have been a godsend and I am actually very pleased that I have been able to wear sandals as I can take my trousers off (when it gets hot) without taking them off, and it is easier to air your feet during a stop when you have sandals on. The only drawbacks are the occaisonal stones in your shoes, very dusty socks and soles that feel somewhat bruised from all the rocks and pebbles underfoot. If you are not used to boots and wish you could walk in trainers and/or sandals, feel assured that you can.
We had a very emotional experience just outside Logrono when I gave Maria Medel the little brag book of photos of her mother, Felisa. She got quite a shock when she saw her mother´s photo on the front cover and then started crying as she turned the pages, crying over and over again, ¨Mi Madre, O mi Madre!¨ We stayed for a while sitting on the bench in front of her table and she kept kissing the pages and wiping tears away.
Just a short comment on the albergues. People often ask for advice on the best albergues along the way. My thoughts were that the newer, more modern, cleaner, brass and glass albergues is what they meant. Our experience has been that the older, smaller albergues are where pilgrims will have a more magical, spiritual experience. In Granon we climbed a steep stone staircase into the bell tower of the church where pilgrims sleep on matresses on the floor and the hospitalero cooks an evening meal for all the pilgrims. We had to sing for our supper by clapping hands and banging on the table, singing, ¨We are, we are PILGRIMS¨, in tune to Queen´s We will rock you.
In Villamjor Monjardin we slept on matresses again but felt the love and caring of Jon and Sara, hospitaleros from Vitoria who have been caring for pilgrims for 5 years.
In Tosantos we slept on the floor but had a wonderful meal and a very special pilgrim service in the attic officiated over by a young priest who has done the camino, been a hospitalero and was ordained only 2 months ago.
In San Bol - be warned! no toilets, no running water, no electricity - we slept in bunks with the resident cat choosing who to sleep with, the hospitalero cooked a wonderful meal which we ate by candlelight and went to bed with the sounds of music being played by a Spanish pilgrim. There is a healing spring next to the albergue and I´m sure my teeth will all be fine now that I have brushed them with water straight from the spring!
The weather has been very good - cool in the mornings and evenings but hot during the day so we start off with shirt, fleece, shorts and over trousers and moult by 10am. We are coping with silk sleeping liners as many of the albergues offer blankets and most have pillows.
Buen camino to all who are leaving soon to walk a camino. Be open to everything the camino has to offer. Ivar, I will contact you before we reach Santiago.
Love to all,
Sil