Grogan
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Francis (April 2015)
The Walking Dead
6 April 2015 -- Najera to Granon - 28.3 kms -- Ended up a bit short
Pole--Step, Pole--Step, Pole--Step, sun beating down on you -- feet heating up from the pavement -- Pole--Step, Pole-Step, Pole--Step -- thanks goodness for Glide -- walking like a Cowboy is embarrassing -- Pole--Step, Pole--Step, Pole--Step -- saying hi to strangers -- watching folks struggle along, a step at a time, but still with determined looks in their eyes and still with tired smiles on their faces and still willing to take the extra oxygen from their oxygen starved bodies to reply with a greeting or a short conversation -- this is the Camino -- painful, wonderful, different.
It has amazed me seeing the different folks on the Camino -- young and old, all Nationalities -- some with really large backpacks, others with day packs using transport companies to move their gear from one location to the next -- everyone walks it in their own way -- Me, I like the physical beating (ok -- to a point), but the relief you get when you get up a really big mountain and look back from where you started or you get to your intended destination for the day is full filling -- I guess it is about embracing the suck (and male pride).
On the other hand - you can see folks who are really hurting - I mean walking in complete pain -- with numb expressions -- the Walking Dead -- just moving foreword -- towards the next city, town, Albergue, and ultimately Santiago.
Today started out great -- a really beautiful morning to start the walk. Pushed all the way to Ciruena before I decided to take a break --- stopped at the top of a long hill at the only golf course I have seen since starting this journey (and probably the nicest place in Ciruena -- trust me on that one).
After a quick break and relief for the feet pushed on to Santa Domingo -- the entrance to the town was somewhat industrial, but once you got into the old part of town -- amazing.
This part of the Journey was -- well -- bleak - hot, long gravel roads and -- yep -- the next town was on top of a Hill (no valley people here) -- walked all the way to the end of town looked across the valley to the next town -- 4 kms away -- does not sound far, but at this point of the day -- I was beat --
So walked back to the town center -- saw a young gal reading a book and asked her if this was an Albergue -- she said it was a Donation place (ok there is a Spanish word for it, but you get the point) -- basically you show up, if there is an open bunk you take it. The guy that runs the place will prepare a meal for everyone and when you leave the next day -- you provide a donation -- unlike Albergues, this place you could actually stay for a few days, there is no get out here by 0830 - very interesting - almost reminds you of a hippie commune -- basic beds -- hot shower, etc.. quite the experience.
So the young gal who showed me the place is also a pilgrim from Sardinia, Italy -- Jimmy (could not pronounce her full name -- but she was good with Jimmy) -- there is a lady from Australia, two Hungarians, a couple of young German kids from Kiel, a couple of Old French Ladies, two folks from Denmark, and Sammy from the UK who I started walking with on the first day of the adventure.
So this Donation Albergue I am staying at is, to say the least - unique -- cold as hell, so we started a fire before dinner, or I should say we watched the Hungarian Gal start the fire -- after she just kind of plopped wood in a pile, I went over and made a square box stack with the wood, and then slipped away to watch the entertainment -- that was the most bazaar event I have yet seen -- can't express it in words -- I mean I am still confused on the whole episode, especially when she starting howling like an Indian -- seriously -- can't make this stuff up.
Dinner was great -- the difference between all the folks was like night and day -- the conversations were interesting and twisted -- the food --- that was the highlight -- lentil soup, pasta, potatoes, tomatoes, bread, and of course red wine, which we all got from the local store -- it was a great, simple meal.
After Dinner we lounged around the fire, with everyone talking about their hometowns or countries -- Anna the Australian asked me about my blog site -- when I told her the site -- she looks at me and exclaims "your on the Camino forum! I recognize your name" -- so that was very neat - first person from the Camino Forum that I have run into since the adventure began -- we both thought that was cool. I would say this was the best evening so far in my Camino Experience -- hard to express in words -- Camino Magic.
6 April 2015 -- Najera to Granon - 28.3 kms -- Ended up a bit short
Pole--Step, Pole--Step, Pole--Step, sun beating down on you -- feet heating up from the pavement -- Pole--Step, Pole-Step, Pole--Step -- thanks goodness for Glide -- walking like a Cowboy is embarrassing -- Pole--Step, Pole--Step, Pole--Step -- saying hi to strangers -- watching folks struggle along, a step at a time, but still with determined looks in their eyes and still with tired smiles on their faces and still willing to take the extra oxygen from their oxygen starved bodies to reply with a greeting or a short conversation -- this is the Camino -- painful, wonderful, different.
It has amazed me seeing the different folks on the Camino -- young and old, all Nationalities -- some with really large backpacks, others with day packs using transport companies to move their gear from one location to the next -- everyone walks it in their own way -- Me, I like the physical beating (ok -- to a point), but the relief you get when you get up a really big mountain and look back from where you started or you get to your intended destination for the day is full filling -- I guess it is about embracing the suck (and male pride).
On the other hand - you can see folks who are really hurting - I mean walking in complete pain -- with numb expressions -- the Walking Dead -- just moving foreword -- towards the next city, town, Albergue, and ultimately Santiago.
Today started out great -- a really beautiful morning to start the walk. Pushed all the way to Ciruena before I decided to take a break --- stopped at the top of a long hill at the only golf course I have seen since starting this journey (and probably the nicest place in Ciruena -- trust me on that one).
After a quick break and relief for the feet pushed on to Santa Domingo -- the entrance to the town was somewhat industrial, but once you got into the old part of town -- amazing.
This part of the Journey was -- well -- bleak - hot, long gravel roads and -- yep -- the next town was on top of a Hill (no valley people here) -- walked all the way to the end of town looked across the valley to the next town -- 4 kms away -- does not sound far, but at this point of the day -- I was beat --
So walked back to the town center -- saw a young gal reading a book and asked her if this was an Albergue -- she said it was a Donation place (ok there is a Spanish word for it, but you get the point) -- basically you show up, if there is an open bunk you take it. The guy that runs the place will prepare a meal for everyone and when you leave the next day -- you provide a donation -- unlike Albergues, this place you could actually stay for a few days, there is no get out here by 0830 - very interesting - almost reminds you of a hippie commune -- basic beds -- hot shower, etc.. quite the experience.
So the young gal who showed me the place is also a pilgrim from Sardinia, Italy -- Jimmy (could not pronounce her full name -- but she was good with Jimmy) -- there is a lady from Australia, two Hungarians, a couple of young German kids from Kiel, a couple of Old French Ladies, two folks from Denmark, and Sammy from the UK who I started walking with on the first day of the adventure.
So this Donation Albergue I am staying at is, to say the least - unique -- cold as hell, so we started a fire before dinner, or I should say we watched the Hungarian Gal start the fire -- after she just kind of plopped wood in a pile, I went over and made a square box stack with the wood, and then slipped away to watch the entertainment -- that was the most bazaar event I have yet seen -- can't express it in words -- I mean I am still confused on the whole episode, especially when she starting howling like an Indian -- seriously -- can't make this stuff up.
Dinner was great -- the difference between all the folks was like night and day -- the conversations were interesting and twisted -- the food --- that was the highlight -- lentil soup, pasta, potatoes, tomatoes, bread, and of course red wine, which we all got from the local store -- it was a great, simple meal.
After Dinner we lounged around the fire, with everyone talking about their hometowns or countries -- Anna the Australian asked me about my blog site -- when I told her the site -- she looks at me and exclaims "your on the Camino forum! I recognize your name" -- so that was very neat - first person from the Camino Forum that I have run into since the adventure began -- we both thought that was cool. I would say this was the best evening so far in my Camino Experience -- hard to express in words -- Camino Magic.
