April 24 2014.
She's brother Mike and I at the start of our celebration in Santiago.
Thanks to Mike for making the trip!!
What fun!
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Mike Pepper and John Laughlin in front of the Cathedral in Santiago
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Big Wheel
Big Wheel keeeep on turnin.
Roman wheel/bench.
Jerry.......for the Chairman......Inspiration
Monday, April 21, 2014
Automatic Shower/Vasmachine
Note the size of the window.I have never seen a bathroom window like this......
Leon to Arzua April 13 to April 21
Hello All,
Well much has happened since my last update and all good.....
Palm Sunday in Leon was special.
Processions, bands all day.
Mass in the cathedral.A very nice man invited me to his house with his wife/son plus the parish priest and some members of the choir for lunch.
Beautiful weather, sat outside in the courtyard and drank some wine.We had paellela, salad and partridge.The parrish priest spent some years in Durban South Africa and so we had something in common.He spoke English and that was good because no one else did....(except me )
I was honored to be invited. (I probably looked like a sad Grey fellow allll on his own.......)
After Leon I went to Hospital De Orbiga then Astorga and started the climb to Rabanal.
The mountain rises to 1500m or 5,000 feet and Rabanal is at 1150 m or 3,770 feet.The weather was hot and clear.
The weather was great all the way until the last mile and then rain came......Weather changes quickly in the mountains......I sat in a woodshed sm by a farmhouse for about an hour comtemplating.......till the rain stopped.
Rabanal - April 16:
Got a room over a small supermarket. I was the only guest.Dinner on my own served by the lady of the house. She left me in the small lounge watching Real Madrid play Barcelona (football semi final) with some wine.
Locked the shop. "Help yourself to anything you want and tell me in the morning...." and with that she went off home. My first time overnight in a supermarket.....
Had vespers in the Benedictine Monastery prior to dinner.The abbot knows the Abbott in Belmont N.C. Nice fellow to talk to, who made me feel welcome.Its been many years since I heard vespers - these were in latin.
So I met these two school teachers from Ireland in Rabanal and.....
(Small attempt at a limeric....)
"There once were two fellows from Ireland,
Who carried packs as big as the Island,
To me they did say , we notice today,
Your pack-is-tiny, we say......"
No. I said.
I'm an American.......not a Pakistani.....
April 17th:
I climbed to the Cruz De Ferro (Iron cross) a big tradition of the Camino.......and then lost all my sense if humor on the extremely rough descent to Molinaseca.
Still no Americans on the trip.Quite a few Irish families, French, Spanish, Dutch, German; Swiss.
April 18 missed 60k(48m) because of time and took the bus to Sarria from Ponteferrada.
Weather closed in and rained April 19 through today the 21.
Had a cold night in a converted farmhouse outbuilding. Very little hot water.Countryside looks like the Chevin in Derbyshire England where Sue comes from.
Came face - to - nose with a cow and 30 of her best friends on the road through a farmyard.They all stopped and looked me over 'till the farmer came out and said something like ..." Oh don't be silly girls....it's just one of those smelly bearded things with sticks.... "
I hope you all had a grand Easter and the bunny dropped off lots of eggs.
I hope Sue cornered the market on Marshmallow eggs and Mini eggs for me.
My invention:
Shower/Vasmachine:
Saves water.Saves time.Saves energy.
Start shower Regulate temperature.Enter shower with shirt,underwear and socks in place....I.e. on the body....
Soap shirt sleeves,collar, armpits, underwear and socks.Careful not to slip.
Remove all items of clothing and rub vigorously. Rinse. Wash body.
Rinse clothes. Turn off shower....and presto,finished.Wring out clothes and hang to dry....
System well proven over 4 weeks....
Well three more nights until Santiago and the end of my trip on April 24th.
I plan to meet Sue's brother Mike in the square in front of the Cathedral at 10:30 a.m. on April 24th.
I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to seeing Mike.We'll have four days to look around and maybe go down to Finnisterre on the coast by car......no more walking until the Pine Lake Country Club Golf course......
I do miss you all.
Thanks again Sue for letting me go on my trip.
Thanks to Kate for arranging the Easter surprise.
My best regards,
John
Friday, April 11, 2014
Burgos to Leon
Hello All,
Thank you for your continued interest in my adventure.
April 6 to April 12:
On the way from Burgos to Leon:
April 6:
Burgos to Castrojeritz.
Mud and high wind.Slow.Tough day.High note was lunch and beer in the sun.
Nice place to stay in a small village.
I felt like the Spanish rooster.I walk with my feet in the mud......but I sing anyway....
Claude Rivel and Penelope from Avingnon in France.Nice couple to travel along with. I am faster and so find a cafe, have a beer or a wine.
Castrojeritz to Fromista: April 7:
Super steep climb.Windy and flat
Alfalfa and wheat.Farmers fertilizing.
On the meseta. High plateau.Good road.Lovely.
Ancient town 10th century.
Beautiful Roman churches.
Observation: Public areas. Hostel corridors, bar toilets etc....
Spain is very energy concious....
Every light switch is on a timer.
It is very important to know where the light switch is in the small toilet.......One can panic.......
April 8:
Fromista to Carrion De Los Condes.
Strond wind. +15 miles per hour alllll day.Flat path along a canal and then parallel to the road.Not many cars/trucks so not too bad.
April 9:
Carrion to Sahagun:
Managed to lose Claude and Penelope on the way to San Nicolas.Came out of thr café and POUF!
Some say they hid behind a church in the village of Moratinos.....
I will see them in Leon.We have the same Hotel reserved.
Sahagun was great.
Watched Barcelona play Atletico De Madrid in the 1/4 final of the Champions Cup. It did not go well for Barca.
April 10:
I expected to see the Duke ride out of the high plains trees "Well hello pilgrim...."
Very flat.Great weather and hot sun this past 3 days. Roman road all the way today and tomorrow.Best example of an untouched Roman road in all of Spain.
Quiet.Some sheep.Scubland. Stoney road. Beautiful.No houses. Zip, nada.Had lunch by a stream in some woods.On my own for two days....got "lost" in Calzada De Coto. ........hardly possible.Two policemen showed me the way.....
Short day today. 15k.Tomorrow to Manilla De Las Mulas - Hand on the saddle and place if the Mules.Saw none.Rented none.
Still a shortage of 10th all on camels and so I have to walk.
Grand weather. Hot.No clouds.Roman road.No buildings for many miles.
Ohhhhh! What I would give for a Pine Lake Country Club Hamburger......With tomatoes, lettuce, onions and a $2 Miller High Life......
Re-arranged the course a few times to shorten 11....
Stayed in a dormitory in Manilla De Las Mulas.Dormitory.Ate family style with group of French/Swiss and Swedes.Nice.I bought desert and beer.
Frechman sat on my bed at 5:45a.m "Bonjour John ....Can va? C'est temps d'etre debout.T'a bien dormi....????"
One of the hazards of the road....and bring your own everything....Cold water showers included.5€ a night. Deal.
SUE: Increase the budget!!
Leon April 12&13:
Rest days.Start of Holy week.Palm Sunday today.Processions. 60+ carrying each statue.Bands, dignitaries.Mass at 13:00.
Photos follow.
More to come later. Off towards Rabanal tomorrow.
Could one of the committee please have his phone switched on AND with him on Monday April 14 at the Tryon House......
Thank you Sue for all hour hard work managing the chickens.......
All my very best,
John,
walkswithoutsticksandbootsonrestdayinLeon....
Bon Dia!!
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Los Archos to Burgos
Hello All,
April 4 and 5 from Burgos.
Much action since my last update on March 29.
Estella to Los Arcos:
Weather and the road improved.First vineyards.Cold getting better.
Terrifying sight:
Nothing like a 66 year old man in his underwear descending from the upper level of the bunk bed at 3a.m.....Some will have nightmares....and then the remount is not gracious...
Trick is not to stand on the person below.Good idea to jump- but after walking 16 miles that day.....
Executive decision:
Sue - increase the budget.I can't sleep in a dormitory. Did that for 6 years at St Aidans Jesuit College.
Los Arcos:
Things got much bettet.Met a couple from Larna.South Tyrol mountains in Italy/border with Austria.
A tent maker and wife. Hubert an Angela. Travelled with them to Burgos but alas they leave tomorrow.My German/Italian have improved as they speak no English.
French ladies went home yesterday.All married to Doctors . One a pharmacist whose husband is a Pediatric Cardiologist.
Off on the sections to Leon tomorrow.Walked 190miles behind me so far.Great wine in La Rioja region. Beautiful vineyards gave way to wheat fields. Road much better with the exception of some major climbs.Rocky.Windy. Cold.Only one day in shorts.
P.S.
I added 10 in Estella.....Got lost.Frustrated.Dropped my cap and an 8 year old ran 600m+ to give it back.Nice girl that she was.The boy was in dissaray....
Elderly lady on her balcony (minus her dentures...) in her bathrobe waved me the right way.....
Only 4 Americans since March 23. Most Spanish/ French/Italian.
Cathedral in Burgos exceeds it's reputation.Beautiful.Listened to a concert.Went to mass.Special time.
Feet/legs etc..working .Sticks are amazingly good. Could not have got this far without the sticks.Gaiters and Poncho essential. Still cannot put on the poncho without the help of 3 people....Great fun in the wind... lots of mud.Sone rain showers.Cool.
Observation:
I did not marry Sue to be parted from her.That makes this trip harder.
Thanks to all for your comments and encouragement.Will try and reply and post some photos.
It has been a great trip so far.
Miss you all.
Will try to update in the next few days.
Best,
John
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