Day 20 ~ Boadilla del Camino to Carrion

(Tuesday, May 21)

I wake feeling very well rested to the sounds of 30 people stirring around in the room. I'm amazed that I've slept this late but it was apparently what I needed.

After I pack things up, I head in for a quick breakfast & then Eduardo totals my bill and gives me the special envelope. Bed, hot shower, laundry, amazing dinner, and breakfast all in a beautiful setting for 25 euros, on credit no less. You just can't beat that. He gives me directions, smiles his big smile and then says, "See you soon, in Hawaii!"

As I head off for Fromista, the sky is crisp and clear. We all discussed the forecasts for the next few days at breakfast and it looks like things will continue to improve. The walking is getting so much easier for my body and feet to endure each day and then recover from, and with the terrain mostly flat now, the only thing left to worry about is weather. I feel so at ease on the Camino now, it's taken 20 days for me to settle in.

I get into Fromista, get cash, go to the pharmacia to replenish my Compeed and to get new cream for dry, cracked hands. My final errand is to go to the bar and pay off my debt, I also plan to have a second breakfast while I'm there. The bar is nice, I hand over the envelope to a woman who says, "Ah, yes, for Eduardo!" And then he brings me tortilla, Napoleontana, cafe con leche, and a queso, jamon, & tomato Bocadillo to go.

Life is good! I have 200 euro, which makes me feel wealthy after being down to 8 for two days, I have clean laundry, I have all the pharmacy supplies I need, I have a full belly full of food, and I have my next meal. I'm really not sure that it gets any better than this on the Camino.

I start off again and continue on another 15k before stopping for a break. Most of the path is just flat gravel road that runs alongside the road, so it's not very eventful. This is a nice change though as my mind is just free to wander. Along the way, I do see a very sweet small church off by itself in the trees and I had another sheep encounter. This time we met while crossing a bridge.

I made a good choice when I stopped because as I enter the bar I see Tim & Beth who have just settled. They are just as excited to see me as I am them. The day has been a long solo walk, it's nice to see familiar faces. Several local people come in just after me an the small bar gets very loud so we move outside. There is enough time for us to exchange stories and photos about children, they have three grown children as well, but I still don't manage to find out how he learned his Spanish.

As I am leaving town, another couple stop me and ask if I'll take a photo for them. While taking the photo, I apparently laid my thin running gloves down & then left them. When I realize this I am absolutely devastated and about 5k down the road. The thin gloves have been my saving grace every morning when I set out early in the cold. Another Camino donation that I'm really not very happy about.

It begins to get overcast and colder and looks like it could rain at any moment. It's so funny how quickly things can change on the Camino. I start to move as quickly as possible and then I see a large mob of people up in the distance on the path. A sheer moment of panic strikes as I think it's a tour group and they are going to arrive in Carrion just before me and fill up all the albergues. As I move closer though, I can see that they are children and it appears that they are standing sill waiting for me to reach them. When I get to them they are all smiles and one little boy asks if I speak Spanish, I answer "un poco" for a tiny bit, and ask if they speak English. When I do several of them shout, "Hello!" and then smile. The same little boy asks where I'm from and when I say Hawaii, they all begin to hula or pretend to surf. We attempt to talk a little bit more and then the teacher (it was a group of school children with their teacher) prompts them to let me move along. They ask if they can walk with me and I say, "Absolutely! or I mean, Si, Gracious!" And then he says, "we walk with you and we sing, okay?" It just doesn't get any better. They marched right along with me and sang this song which had a certain cadence to it and periodically, I could make out "Coca Cola!" (I made a very short video of them, sadly it was the end of my day & the darn phone died. I will post it on my fb page) I did talk with the teacher and learn that they were all from Carrion and were on a Camino field trip for the day, to walk along with and talk to the pilgrims. Just another magical day on the Camino!

It was so much fun, and before I knew it I was standing in front of Monesterio Santa Clara, tired, but very happy. I get a private room with no laundry, dinner, or breakfast for 22 euro. Not a great deal, but it's late and I'm happy enough to have a bed.

Take my shower and lay with my feet on the headboard while I look at the map & make my dinner plans. After a bit I head out and find wifi, amazing pimento rellanos, and the two beautiful Canadian boys all in the same bar. They are exhausted, Josh is literally asleep, head down on the table.

On my way back to the Monastery, I pop in a shop to buy a pair of pink fuzzy gloves in the window, and my young English speaking friend is in the store. His parents own the store and he takes great pride in introducing me to them and telling them where I'm from. He then takes my gloves from me and removes the tags ever so carefully with scissors. I like this boy!

When I walk out I almost run into Kathy & Wayne from Canada. I haven't seen them in ages, but it's very comforting to know they are here. We started in St. Jean Pied de Port together, and met just after getting off the train. It's nice to know that they haven't had any injuries or problems and it's also nice to know they aren't days ahead of me at this point. They give me hugs and ask all the kind, caring pilgrim questions about feet, blisters & rashes. I tell them how good it is to see someone that I started with and I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

Day 19 ~ Castrojeriz to Boadillo

(Monday, May 20th)

After waking several times in the night, I wake and surprisingly feel well rested. My left foot, which was quite swollen when I went to bed, seems to be much happier now.

I open my beautiful little window and see that the sky is clear and the sun is shining. I make a mental note to make sure that I put my rain-cover on anyhow. Same theory as going for a walk without your umbrella, it's just asking for trouble!

After quickly packing my things, I pop into the bar to pay my bill and get a quick breakfast. As I sit there, alone in the bar, eating my pastry, I notice the bar tender prepare a cafe con leche and warm a Neapolitana and place it on the bar. I look at the clock and its 7:58am. Within seconds a policeman comes in and without saying anything, quickly eats his breakfast and then heads out of the door without paying. Pretty nice life this guy must have!

As I walk through town I think to myself to be on the lookout for a bank. I have only 8 euros left and am not sure if there will be banks in the small towns coming up. The sun is shining and I am enjoying hearing the birds sing while taking photos of all the beautiful things I see as I go. Before I know it I have left the town and notice that I am walking through a valley with beautiful flat topped mountains around on all sides. The sky is bright blue with puffy white clouds slowly blowing across and forming different shapes as they go. I can see for miles ahead and can clearly make out the Camino snaking through the valley and then up the side of the steepest flat topped mountain. As pretty as it is, it's not a good feeling to be tormented for miles by a huge hill with tiny little any like figures crawling their way up. Soon enough I am at the top looking back over the valley and can see most of the distance that I've covered in the past two days.

The walking, after the big hill, is easy in the beautiful weather and only 20k today which feels like nothing in the end. Everyone is cheerful and chatty as they walk since the sun is shining.

Along the way I met an American named Cheri, who is a yoga instructor in San Antonio, and we chatted for a brief time before parting and wishing each other well. I also met two older Italian men walking together, one quiet and fairly shy, the other named Malio, who is not. I saw them several times at different points today. Malio is from Rome and has two grown daughters who also live there but not with him, he has two blisters on his right foot, and just like me, he has a strange rash on his ankles and all his laundry is dirty.

As I come into Boadillo it dawns on me that I never stopped for cash. This means that I have about 8 euro to my name and the albergues do not take credit cards. I keep my eyes open for a bank as I walk through the tiny town but there is none. When I get to the albergue I see that the price for a bed & shower is 6 euro, but laundry, dinner, & breakfast are more. I ask the man registering me if there is a bank anywhere and he says not until Fromista 10k away. "But" he says, "No problem! You have whatever you want and need while you here, then Edwardo make a bill for you with special envelope, and then you pay he friend at bar in Fromista."
"Ummm, seriously?" His reply, "Yes, yes, you see, no problem!" And then the biggest smile ever.

So by this time Cheri & my Italian friends have shown up and as I tell them, I still am not really believing it myself. After my shower, I put on my lovely sundress and sit shivering in the common area next to Malio who is wearing next to nothing as well. We make idol chat, compare funky ankle rashes and our various tubes of cream while we wait for our laundry to be returned to us. When we get our baskets full of warm clothes fresh out of the dryer, we both immediately put every single item on. This is to get warm and also a much easier way to carry it all back to the building we are sleeping in. I find it pretty funny that we have picked up this same weird habit. He does as well. I think our friendship is now sealed.

On a very bizarre and uncanny note, it turns out that Cheri knows my Canadian stairwell friend pretty well. She shared a separate story with me about him and the difficult position he's found himself in with a Camino friend. It seems that he's been walking with someone who is dealing with a horrible divorce and Cheri feels like he's a really good guy who may have been reaching out for a reprieve from his walking partner. So, now I'm forced to see things from a different perspective (Gosh, I just hate it when this happens!) just like I was feeling so desperate to be away from everyone, he probably just needed a bit of a break from his daytime walking partner who is struggling with a lot of anger. All he may have needed was a few minutes alone, or else a few kind or positive words from someone & I was really quite awful to him. I'm feeling pretty bad about the way I spoke to him that night and I'm hoping that at some point I will see him again & have the opportunity to apologize. Cheri also shared with me that he split with his Camino friend a few days ago & is now walking alone. I'm hoping I get the opportunity to make amends.

Dinner at the albergue is just amazing. We have garlic soup and/or chickpea soup (which I mixed together in my bowl!) then a huge salad with choice of chicken, trout, or beef and then flan for dessert. I have the chicken and it is, no kidding, the very best chicken I've ever had. Slow cooked with garlic & onion. It's simple and so delicious. Life is good.

After dinner I met another American, Annette, from Stevenson, Washington. She is calm and soothing and I feel like I've always known her. I also see the two beautiful Canadian boys that I left Jenny with in Burgos. One of them, Josh, says that he spent the day in Burgos with Jenny, Fabby, & Benedict, and that Jenny missed me and told him so many stories that he felt like he knew me already. This makes me smile. I've missed her company so much, but I am very glad to hear that she met up with Fabby and Benedict but still no news on Marek who got sick & stayed behind in Beldorado.

As I drift off to sleep I can't help but think that I'm only 6 days away from Leon. I am booked at the Parador, but this time I am feeling confident and strong about the remaining distance. It will be my second nice hotel stay and I will be well over halfway to Santiago by then. My plan is to arrive early afternoon on the 25th and stay one night in the albergue before checking into the Parador on the 26th. This should allow plenty of time for sightseeing and relaxing. I feel like I'm actually ready to let myself relax this time!

Day 18 ~ Rabe' to Castrojeriz

(Sunday, May 19th)

My morning starts with a quick Spanish breakfast of day old bread and marmalade. (How do these women have such beautiful figures?) I am lucky enough to sit with Thomas & Rachel, a young couple from New Zealand. I feel instantly at home with him as he is the spitting image and personality of Ray Shoemaker. The only thing that's different is his very cool accent.

After breakfast as we are all preparing to head out in the rain, another couple, Tim & Beth, overhear me say that I'm planning to walk 30k today. Tim suggests that I make a booking and offers to do it for me from his phone. They are from Minneapolis, but he speaks Spanish like he's lived here his entire life. I walk away thinking that I would love more time to chat with them and find out their story but the weather is awful so we all must get a move on.

I am walking alone today and have to confess that I really enjoy it. I can go whatever pace I want and make stops, or not make stops, along the way without having to worry about what another person wants or needs to do. It is a very free feeling. There are times that I miss having conversation and I do miss all the fun that Jenny and I had, but it seems like there are always people in relative close proximity if I'm desperate for a quick chat.

My body is feeling pretty good today so I start off at a strong pace. My plan is to chunk the 30k into 3 separate 10k stints with coffee breaks in between to warm up. The first 10k goes very quickly and on my way out of the bar, I pass Tim and Beth coming in and we all chuckle that again there's no time to chat.

As I start off at a fairly good pace, I come upon two tall men moving slowly through the rain. When I pass by saying, "Buen Camino!" One of the men replies back "Ah, rapido, rapido!" I just keep moving because it's too cold and raining too hard for us to try to chat. He continues along beside me in a sort of taunting way continuing to repeat, "Rapido! Rapido!"
I decide to slow a bit and make introductions then excuse myself and move on, but the formerly unmotivated taxi drivers, Miquel & Alroy, from the Canary Islands have now found a new amusing game. This goes on for quite sometime, approximately 10k, until my next stop when I linger in a bar with wifi for an exceptionally long period of time and they move on. This is the first time that I've felt uneasy on the Camino and it was probably nothing more than lack of communication, but I really didn't like that I was out numbered.

The last 10k of the day is a muddy slog. Walking on farm road with 4-6 inches of squishy mud is quite the workout. As I approach the hilltop town of Castrojeriz and the mud beneath my feet finally transforms to solid pavement, the rain lets up to a fine mist and the sun begins to shine as if on cue. First I pass through the ruins of a massive convent and then I can see the picturesque hill top ruins of a castle sitting high above the town, which gives the whole place a magical medieval feel.

I find my mystery hotel booked by Tim and without even asking how much it is I head straight for the shower. I take the longest, hottest shower I've ever taken and when I come out I can hear the rain pouring again. I lie on the bed in my towel, coat my body in various rash creams, soak my feet & ankles in ibuprofen gel, and take two ibuprofen pills for good measure. Then while lying completely still, I eat everything I can find in my backpack, including a completely squished package of GU Chomps that I have been carrying just incase of any scenario which may lead to starvation, and then two gummy multivitamins plus immunity, again, just for good measure.

As I lay upside down on my bed with my feet elevated and resting on the headboard, (I've found that doing this for 30 minutes helps to reduce the swelling) I notice a window with shutters locked tight. When I summon the energy to move I get up and open the window to find the most perfect view of the castle ruins that I could ever imagine.

That's it then, absolutely no reason to leave this hotel room for the next 12 hours.

Day 16 ~ Ages to Burgos

(Friday, May 17th)

We are so shattered and tired. Somehow, Jenny and I let six French Seniors get the best of us. We were in bed by 9pm but our roommates were up until midnight with the lights on having a good time and then somehow managed to wake at 5am and immediately, turn the lights on. We are absolutely perplexed at how these old people can have the energy that they have until we figure out that they are not only having all of their luggage transported, but they are also walking very short distances each day. For these folks it's similar to a pub crawl, only they crawl from cathedral to cathedral and stay up late drinking copious amounts of wine along the way. Now, I'm all for older people who know how to enjoy life, but come on...can't we just put them all in one room together so the young people can get some sleep!?!?

Jenny and I start the day grumpy and tell each other every joke we know at the expense of the French. Having lived in Cornwall, I have quite the repertoire! And then we decide collectively that if I could have another shot at answering the question posed by the creepy naked Canadian, the answer would definitely be French Senior Citizens. Then we apparently got all the frustration out of our systems and moved on.

Jenny, like so many young people, has a tendency to say, "I hate when this happens, or I hate the way he does that"...etc. This is something that I always got on to my children for & the first time I heard her say it I looked at her seriously and told her that I felt pretty strongly that we shouldn't hate on the Camino. She started laughing but from that point on she told everyone she heard say it, "Bethany says we can't hate on the Camino" So, we decided that while we didn't hate the French people in our room, we certainly didn't approve of their behavior either!

It really doesn't come as a surprise to us, but we start the morning walking in the freezing rain again. We decide straight away that we will walk the 27k directly to Burgos, as fast as possible, with no stops. Once again we are climbing up to 1,100 meters and then straight back down a slippery steep decent, in the freezing rain, and snow, with high winds, through sloggy mud.

We walk from 7:45-10:45 like we are on fire, but upon reaching the edge of the big city the urge to stop in a bar and warm up is too strong to resist. We have a quick coffee and then head out through the industrial part of the town.

Our motivation is the warm, dry, luxurious 4 star hotel waiting on the far side of town beyond the magnificent cathedral. I have to admit that I am filled with trepidation at the thought of stepping back into my life before the Camino. My worry being that I won't have the strength or desire to carry on. Our arrival in Burgos marks the completion of one third of the walk to Santiago. I had pre-planned stays in posh hotels at 3 points, Burgos, Leon, and Santiago as a bit of a reward for myself, but after the last few days I'm not so sure it's a good idea. Jenny, on the other hand, is beside herself with joy & excitement.

When we come into view of the massive 13th Century Gothic Cathedral we both freeze in place. We just stand there in the middle of the road staring. Eventually, we remove our packs and sit on a bench continuing to stare with our mouths wide open. We are frozen, covered in a combination of sweat and mud, after hike/jogging 27k, headed to a 4 star oasis, but all is forgotten and we just sit completely still.

After a bit of time two other pilgrims come along, both from the Netherlands, Zander & Saskia. We take turns doing pictures for each other and trying to put what we see & feel into words. We all agree that it's just impossible. Within a few minutes our long lost Pietra comes up to join us and we are so happy to see that she is well, with no limp like the last time we saw her. The sun comes out brilliantly warm as if on cue and we all sit catching up as if it has been the best day ever.

Pietra walks to the hotel with us and then says she'll be back to get us for dinner at 6:30. As soon a we check in Jenny is ecstatic, checking things out in the room and trying to force feed me the chocolate almonds so carefully placed on each pillow. Before I know it she is stripped down and wearing her hotel robe & slipper ensemble, ready to climb into the giant bath.

I decide to take myself, along with all my feelings of apprehension, and my guidebook full of maps, down to the bar for a cup of coffee and a long hard look at my next 30 days. As I sit there, still covered from head to toe in mud, completely frustrated with the hotel wifi that my phone doesn't want to recognize, I hear my name. Actually, I hear, "Delibery for Ms. Porta" and I turn my head to see this man standing 10 feet away from me with giant red roses. Naturally, I just sit there staring at him because it can't be real. He walks right up to me and leans into my face saying, "Ms. Porta?" (So funny because in Spanish "puerta" means "door", and sounds exactly like my last name....this has caused a few mishaps & laughs!) Anyhow, I snap out of it and say,"yes" and he thrusts the flowers in my face saying, "for you!"

I just sit there for ages & then finally open the card to find the strangest broken English message written with no name. The key words I can pick out are "challenge, journey, support, & love" I am so touched and thankfully, alone in the bar, when tears start streaming down my face.

Day 15 ~ Epinosa to Ages

(Thursday, May 16th)

We wake at 6am with rustling and packing sounds in our room, after yet another night with no sleep. With no heat in the albergue & no extra blankets we literally froze all night. Normally when it's cold we can put on extra layers of clothing but everything we have is still wet.

Colleen starts walking with us but we know we have to move as quickly as possible today to stay warm & to get somewhere early enough to do wash. We chat for a short bit but then have to part ways so we can get to Ages.

The terrain today is again difficult, with three separate altitude gains of 1,200 meters followed by rapid, steep, descents. The distance is 23k with no towns along the way. We set off prepared for the worst possible scenario, which always includes rain, wind, snow, mud, slipping and falling down at least once, and is complemented by the dull pains of hunger, which seem to be ever present now no matter how much we eat. The one luxury we have afforded ourselves today is a secured reservation in a private albergue with laundry facilities, wifi, & any meals we want. All of this under the same warm roof. Pure heaven!

We begin with a steep climb straight up and after 2k the wind starts blowing harder and colder. After an hour we are literally frozen. Our hands unable to move or do the simplest of tasks. My mind starts racing through all of the cold weather survival skills I've ever learned from Mitchell C. Shoemaker & Co. while hiking in the Cascades.

We stop and get everything out of our packs that we can possibly put on, wet or dry. We put multiple pairs of dirty socks on our hands to keep them warm. We get all the food we have and put it in easy to reach places and then we start to move at a pace that's more of a jog than a walk. Within 20 minutes we are feeling better, our bodies generating more heat and our multiple layers holding it in. Once again we notice that there are no pilgrims anywhere in sight. This is always an eerie feeling because there are normally pilgrims walking in front of you and behind in a steady line. We assume the snow forecasts have caused them to take a rest day.

We pass beautiful giant heather bushes covered in purple blooms. Jenny tells me through frozen purple lips that in Germany they are called "Erika" but that she's never seen them that large before. I laugh to myself about how funny it is to be two different female names and make a mental note to tell her later when we are warm. My mind drifts to my next door neighbor in Hawaii whose name is also Erika, and wonder if she knows that her name means "Heather" in Germany. Then I begin to wonder if she's laying on a warm sunny beach at this very moment. It's not long before I'm picturing all my friends in Hawaii on the beach together, lying in the sun and sipping cocktails, and I can't help but think, "What the heck am I doing here?!?"

After a long while without talking, I can tell that Jenny is struggling just as much as I am. I know I have to try something to pull us out of the funk, so I get her to teach me all the Spanish words for my breakfast order. Then I begin signing them to the song, "Fuego, Fuego, the roof is on fire" it goes something like this: "Huevos, jamon, poco patatas, cafe con leche, e zumo por favor!" I sing this for a while and dance around like a fool until she joins me. This does the trick for both of us and before we know it we are standing in a bar in San Juan de Ortega smiling from ear to ear & singing our breakfast orders for real.

It's only a short 4.5k walk to our warm cozy albergue. We arrive and find many pilgrims searching for a place to sleep. It was so good that we booked!

We take hour long hot showers, then put our laundry in to wash and settle to write in our journals. We agree that it almost seems like the horrible day was nothing more than a very bad dream. If it weren't for the fact that our fingers and toes have swollen to the size of plump sausages and our faces bright red and radiating heat, we'd never know that we almost froze to death, while taking a gentle stroll through Spain in May, nonetheless. I really have to admit, if I haven't already, that this is not quite the experience that I had pictured when I decided to do this.

Jane & Charlotte are here and blanket us with hugs and concern when we come face to face with them in the hallway. They knew the albergue in Villabistia had been closed, and that weather through the mountain pass had been awful. They had decided to err on the side of caution and take a bus, but had been very worried for us. Such a sweet Camino family we've managed to acquire!

It's not long before Fabby, Martin, & Benedict, come through the door, but sadly, Marek has gotten a bug and stayed behind in Belorado to recoup. The boys tell me they stayed with him for a day and he was asking for soup and whatnot, driving them crazy. They all felt like he needed his Camino Madre. I'm sending him well wishes every chance I get, but there's no way that I'm going to back track!

Dinner is fairly good, but once again, the company is great. We sit at a table with Jane & Charlotte and really enjoy chatting with them. The table next to us has 6 French women who are loud & boisterous, drinking wine by the gallon & laughing nonstop. At one point, I swear I hear Charlotte say, "It's as if they've never had rice before" and I laugh myself silly...but she claims she never said it. I guess it's just my brain, once again, providing its own comedy relief, or maybe its just from the effects of thawing out.

Day 14 ~ Granon to Epinosa

(Wednesday, May 15)

We wake absolutely miserable from lack of sleep and after tormenting the boys a bit, head down to breakfast, most of which is gone. Jenny and I manage to find two pieces of bread each with some marmalade & I have a quick coffee. We are so tired that it's hard to be happy with much of anything.

The pouring rain and freezing cold temperatures may have also contributed to our foul moods. We decide to walk as quickly as possible without stops to Beldarado. Jenny hangs back to talk with some of the kids, and I scoot along to make the distance as fast as I can. It's so nice to have the time alone. I have been struggling with never having privacy, not even in the toilet. The first two weeks I was okay with all the social interaction, even relishing in it when I felt unsure on my own, but now its changed.

When they say that you're never alone on the Camino, I know the meaning is that you are constantly guided and watched over by God, but I can also add that you can never get 5 minutes of peace either. It almost seems like the more you wish to be left alone with your thoughts, people seek you out. When my kids were young we had a great book titled, "Five Minutes Peace" about a mother elephant trying to get a few minutes away from her three little ones. She tries several things and in the end gets into a bubble bath. Within a few minutes, she has all three of them in the tub with her and toys as well.

I have declared that I just need 5 minutes peace several times and no matter where I manage to run off and hide, someone comes to find me and talk. Jenny finds this to be absolutely hilarious. Late last night, after lights out, while hiding in a dark stairwell, a Canadian man came out of his room wearing basically nothing and decided to cozy right up to me (when there was plenty of room for personal space) and introduce himself. After the whispered introductions, he launches into this full blown thing with the opening (and most profound) question of, "So, who do you think are the biggest $&&holes on the Camino, Americans or Canadians?" While I very much wanted to say that in this very moment I felt very strongly to answer Canadians, what I actually said was that his question was ridiculous and didn't even merit conversation. He looked at me a little stunned and then I quickly explained that I really needed some time alone. Hence hiding in a dark stairwell in the middle of the night. To his credit, he did leave me alone...after 15 minutes of showing me his broken phone and method of emailing his friends and family all of his photos, etc.

So, after a quick stop in Beldarado Jenny & I set off in the freezing rain again and decide to go as far as we can today since the forecast for the next few days is even worse. When we arrive in Tosantos, it's still very early in the day and the weather actually seems to be clearing a bit. We stop briefly to speak with the person who runs the single albergue and are told that 14 mattresses on the floor are available. After our complete lack of sleep the night before, we decide to press on to Villabistia, where we know that our English Ladies, Charlotte & Jane, have a booking. When we arrive, there is a sign on the door stating that they are very sorry but closed on Wednesdays. We stand there absolutely stunned. We are exhausted now & soaked through with the once again pouring rain, and it might be our imagination but it feels as if the temperature has dropped 20 degrees in the past hour. Our options are to go back 3k to Tosantos and pray that there are beds left, or to press on another 3k to Epinosa. We decide that forward progress is better and set off ahead. Within 5 minutes giant snow flakes begin to fall and the farm road we are on turns to slog beneath our feet. There is no talking between us, we are both a bit scared and really upset. It's also not comforting that we haven't seen any other pilgrims for miles. After a while Jenny and I start talking again, after I share with her that I never expected that I'd perish during a freak May snow storm in Spain. We decided that it would be a pretty good headline though.

Eventually, and when we literally could go no further, we come upon an albergue. It's literally El Ramon, from the movie The Way (for those of you who have seen it). It's creepy and filthy and run by a 40ish guy that could literally be the son of El Ramon. There's no sign of a woman anywhere. We have learned at this point to be leery of the places with no women around to ensure cleanliness, order, & proper hospitality.

The place offers a horrible bed & a filthy shower for 5 euro. We take it because we know we can walk no further. There are no laundry facilities and hand washing is not an option because things will never dry by morning. Everything we own is dirty & most is wet. This will be the first day that I have to shower & then put on filthy smelly clothes. I keep reminding myself that it could be much worse.

We clean up & head to the one bar in town to get warm (the albergue has no heat & no hot water) & find food. The couple who own the bar make us chorizo & queso tortilla (frittata) with coffee, juice & hot coa coa. We sit there for two hours until dinner time, when our special pilgrims meal is served. We are joined by Colleen from Tennessee, who is a very chatty & interesting person. She has had every job known to man, quite literally. Jenny and I decide right away that we will need more time for discussion with her.

Day 17 ~ Burgos to Rabe

(Saturday, May 18th)

I wake naturally at 8am to a completely silent, beautiful hotel room. My body is happy to be fully rested, my feet feel wonderful. I take a few minutes to enjoy the terrace outside of our room and check the weather, while Jenny lounges and thinks about what she's going to do.

I have decided to have a quick breakfast and then press on. In an "only in Spain" manner, we learn that we don't have to check out of the hotel until 6pm. This will give Jenny plenty of time to swim, rest, or just to enjoy the luxurious privacy. She has decided to stay on in Burgos for an extra day or two.

We have a quick coffee & Neapolitana treat for breakfast & I get a tuna with tomato sandwich to go. As we sit there, Daniel from Sweden comes in with two beautiful Canadian young men. I can tell that Jenny is thrilled. I say my goodbyes, ask Daniel to keep an eye on my Camino Ninjo and then set off alone.

I am a bit sad, but energized from my great night of sleep & from the freedom of striking off alone. Its also nice to know that Jenny is in good hands. I have a much tighter schedule and often I have felt like I'm causing her to rush when she would much rather linger. I will miss her company dearly, but it is time for us to go our own Way.

As I'm leaving Burgos I see an odd little pink church and walk over to peek inside. The sunlight is filtering in the tiny windows in such a beautiful way that it appears as if there are custom lights on everything inside.

The next thing I notice is a giant facility with watch towers & barbed wire all around and guards patrolling behind the fence. I'm assuming that it's a prison or a sanatorium, but the really odd thing is that it's painted in the brightest colors you've ever seen. This gives it a carnival or circus look. I immediately have the circus music (Is there an actual name for that song?) playing in my head and I begin to laugh out loud at the obvious sense of humor that someone in charge has.

Next, I come upon a man in a field with a large black dog & two storks (Yes, they are real birds...Was I the only one who thought it was just some crazy fabrication to explain where babies come from? I am really hoping that I wasn't alone in this...feeling pretty dense about it). I watched for some time as the storks would take flight and make a low loop of about 200 yards and then land and walk along side this man & the dog. I really thought I must be seeing things but a couple of times the dog gave the birds a sort of loving nudge with his nose and then they would take off, fly another loop & land again. The birds are massive & their heads stand much taller than the dog which appears to be a large black Labrador. It was so much fun to watch. I was hoping they would come closer so I could ask questions, but sadly am left to assume that he has rescued the birds and has now taken them as pets.

As I carried on and approached the village of Tarjados I could hear the bells of the cathedral ringing continuously. Since it was Saturday, I assumed it was a wedding. I cinch down all the straps of my pack and start running. As soon as I step foot in the square, I come face to face with every single person in the village, led by two men with giant flags. I grab my camera and make a video of the procession as it passes me. Once again, an unbelievable moment. I was the only pilgrim anywhere near and I was lucky enough to be just in time. (I will post the video on my fb page ~ Bethany Eells Porter~ because I can't post it on the blog) After they all pass by, I sit down on a nearby bench to take my pack off for a few minutes & rest. Within minutes, three beautiful girls from the procession come over to sit with me & talk. Only one speaks English and she translates everything back and forth between us. She tells me that today is a celebration for the birthday of their village. They ask where I'm from, if I have children & why I'm walking the Camino alone. I tell them that I live in Hawaii, show them pictures of my children and that moments like this are why I'm walking the Camino alone. I ask if I can take a photo of them in their beautiful dresses & they all smile such pretty smiles. I am sad to leave them but need to get another 3k down the road to my albergue.

Thoughts of distance come to mind as I walk along. This is now how I think if everything now. 5k is the distance that I can manage to tolerate or procrastinate (just depends on how you look at it) most anything that comes up. I think procrastination must be deeply embedded in our genetic code because no matter where we are or what were doing, we can always find a way to put something off. Or maybe it's just me? If I am walking along and I need to pee, deal with a wedgie, have a rock in my shoe, have an itch, need to tie my shoe tighter, need to find additional clothing, or if am starving or thirsty, it can always wait another 5k. It's the distance that isn't even considered a distance any longer and I'm not alone in this. It will be interesting to see if in two weeks time I am procrastinating 10k at a time.

When I arrive at my albergue I am greeted by a beautiful Spanish woman who takes 18.50 euros in exchange for a bed, dinner, laundry, and breakfast. It begins to pour the second I step inside and I know I have been blessed today, and now all my needs are sorted for the next 14 hours.

Moments after I arrive, a Spanish pilgrim comes to the door on horseback. He is the first I've seen on the Camino.

My room is shared with a loud, and very amped up American woman from California who has just begun her walk & is filled with the anxiety that I am very familiar with. I will be interested to meet with her again in two weeks time, to see how the Camino settles her. It's so astounding how the back to the basics routine of eating breakfast, walking, showering, doing laundry, eating dinner, and then sleeping, day after day after day, settles your rough edges.

We also have the French couple who I met in the cathedral in Burgos. They come each year for two weeks and complete a section but this year they forgot their Camino passports at home. They were getting new ones when I saw them but were very sad because they will not have one completely full of all the sellos now. For most people this becomes a keepsake that is forever treasured because it tells the story of each place you went on your Way and helps you to recall memories. They are quiet and contemplative as they lie in their beds writing in their journals and whisper to each other periodically to be considerate. Meanwhile, our American roommate is on her cell phone speaking in full voice with her husband for 30 minutes about trash day & dogs that may or may not need grooming while she's away. I am embarrassed and keep mouthing apologies to our quiet French roommates on her behalf.

We are all placed together at dinner and it goes much the same way. My fellow American dominates the conversation in such a loud manner that the other tables give up attempting to speak as well. I can't help but to think that this was me the first few nights, so full of anxiety about what was ahead that I felt as if I might explode. I've calmed so much now and have settled into the rhythm of the days on the Camino. All the minute details are no longer important. Breakfast, walking, shower, laundry, dinner, and sleep. These are the only worries, the mind is left to pray, meditate, contemplate and reflect. I think it must be somewhat similar to spending a bit of time in a convent or monastery, where you live a basic life and remove your mind from the daily pollution that life can throw your way. After a certain amount of time on the Camino your whole presence changes. It's always easy to tell the newbies so full of energy & anxiety, rubbing up against the world in such an abrasive manner. She will settle in time and soften, we all do.