Leon to Mazarife - 8/31

(Distance: 22 kms   Time: 5.5 hours)
The Day: We started out late this morning because breakfast (a real scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit and even choc cake for Betsy) came with our hotel room but they did not open up until 8am. So we were on the road at 8:30 and back on our journey of walking. What should have been a strong day for both of us given the day off turn out to be tough. I had my usual aches & pains that did not seem any better, but Betsy has developed a blister/sore on her left heel. By the afternoon we were moving at a very slow pace and finished the day limping in to the albergue. Her blister is buried underneath the callous on her heel and she eventually was able to drain it. We don't know whether it will just fill up again or begin to heal. Tomorrow is supposed to be a 31 kms walk but we will just have to see how the day unfolds. All prayers are welcome :-)

the way as we leave Leon behind us

Betsy and a local farmer

entering Mazarife

The People: We have reconnected with an old friend, Angeliek from Holland who we had not seen for over a week, and met her friend Thorunn from Iceland. The way is becoming a more internal journey as Betsy and I walk together.

Jolie, Angeliek, Christian, Thorunn, Manfred, Bob, Betsy at dinner

In Leon - 8/30

The Day: We spent the day relaxing and site seeing. First thing in the morning we toured the Cathedral and then returned to our hotel where we took a tour of it also. The hotel is an old monastery connected with the St Isidoro church with was built on part of some Roman ruins. The wall right outside our window was built in 100 BC! Betsy took advantage of being in a larger city and got her hair cut ... see pictures below :-) Tomorrow we are back on the trail as we tackle the last 300 kms to Santiago.

The People: We found our friend Mike from Canada, ran into Patrick once again and saw familiar faces of fellow pilgrims throughout the day. For the most part we spent the day on our own.

Puente to Leon - 8/29

(Distance: 13 kms  Time: 2.5 hours)
The Day: We made an easy walk this morning into Leon and then made our way to the old part of town & the Cathedral. After getting a map at the tourist center we ran into our friends again that we had not seen for two days ... Jamie, Valentina, Jee Young and Ensun. It was good to see them again and we spent the rest of the afternoon with them. We are staying in Leon for 2 nights so we can both rest some and see some of the sites.

The People: We are both excited and sad in making it to Leon. Excited because we made it walking 500 kms ( over 300 miles) ... sad because Leon is the end of the way for many of our new found friends. Leaving people is a real part of the Camino, just like in real life .. it is just that the "cycle of friendship" from first meeting people to sharing stories to becoming closer to saying good bye, all runs the full cycle in such a short period of time that makes it hard. We say we will stay in touch but that is hard too and rarely happens after we all get back and caught up in our real lives. So we put Ensun on a bus to Santiago, Valentina left shortly after, Jamie leaves tomorrow and tomorrow Jee Young will walk on while we stay in Leon. It is sad knowing we will probably never see any of them again but we know our life is richer and blessed having met them and shared the Camino with them ... something none of us will ever forget.

our first view of Leon

old city wall entering Leon

the Cathedral

reunited with friends again

our hotel in Leon

El Burgo Ranero to Puente Villarente - 8/28

(Distance: 24.5 kms  Time: 6 hours)
The Day: We continued on the alternate route today which the locals debate is the real Camino, to the point where the two paths join back together. Our original plan was to stay there but since we arrived before noon we decided to continue on. Leon is drawing near ( now only 12 kms) so early tomorrow morning we should arrive there. The way is now following the major highway to Leon so it is not as senic or peaceful but the path is well off the road so far so it is safe walking. At the end of today's walk the thought occurred to me that it would have been much better if they had buried St James in Leon as our bodies need a rest. So the plan is to stay in Leon for 2 nights and take a break. (for all you PM's reading this, translated for you this means I have project reserve built into the plan and I am taking advantage of it) We really are ahead of where we thought we would be and with no major injuries. A few minor blisters, very sore feet and tired backs & legs ... but for the most part in pretty good shape which helps make the whole experience that much better. Have I mentioned lately God is good? It seems even when we make a mistake He turns it into yet another great experience ... guess we are supposed to let Him be in control :-)

sometimes the way just goes on and on and on ...

another small town we passed

Betsy relaxing at the albergue

The People: Today we have pretty much been on our own with a few familiar faces here and there but none of the friends we've made. This morning we met a couple from Colorado Sally & Mark whom seemed about our age. She has tendinitis though so we far out paced them. The albergue we are in tonight is very nice with the usual 8 bunk beds per room arrangement and coed bath room & showers ... something we are getting used to but not something you grow to like. Tonight's pilgrim meal should give us a chance to meet some new people.

our room for the night

Terradillos to El Burgo Ranero - 8/27

(Distance: 28.7 kms   Time: 8.5 hours)
The Day: We were in a bunk room with our friends last night and we all went to bed early and no one woke up until 6:30! So it was a later start than normal ... around 7:30. The walk started off fine and we made decent time in the morning. When we got to Sahagun , we had a snack and then waited for our friends to catch up ... they  were reportedly 10 mins behind. After waiting 45 mins we decided to go ahead and go on. By the time we were back on the trail, lots of people had passed us and we were pretty much on our own.  There was an alternate route choice which we had decided we did not want to take ... so of course we took it by mistake and by the time we realized it, we could not turn back. We were bummed that we might not see our friends again. Then when we got to our destination for the day, we found Mike who we thought we might not see again so it all worked out. The terrain turned today from the endless wheat fields to gravel paths following the major highway that leads to Leon. We should be there in a few days. One good things about the alternate route we took was that the path was lined with trees. That combined with the cooler than normal temp ( around 75) and a nice breeze made the walk much more tolerable than it might have been. Seems God is watching out for us :-)

The People: Reunited with Mike we did not feel as bad as we initially did with our "wrong turn". The alternate path we took merges with the other path after tomorrow so perhaps we will see Jee Young at the end of tomorrow.

"The Way" beside the highway

ruins we passed by

sites in the towns we pass through

some unexpected company

Carrion to Terradillos de Templarios - 8/26

(Distance: 26.1 kms   Time: 7 hours)
The Day: Today had it's challenges but we are past the half way point to Santiago! This morning from when we left Carrion it was over 17 kms to the first town or village. So we had to carry a full compliment of supplies (water, food, etc) and waited in Carrion until the first coffee shop opened. We got to that first town around 10:30 and had a good long rest with refreshments. For the walk to the next town, I went on ahead while Betsy hooked up with Jee Young and they walked together. It was a nice to get some alone time and I think Betsy and Jee Young enjoyed their conversation. Tonight we are staying in a small village of about 80 people so not much to do. Maybe we'll get that good night sleep here tonight :-) 

The People: We are again with the group of people that we met last night along with Jee Young. Mike has appeared to move on but hopefully our paths will cross again on the Camino.

our Way today

our stop in the morning for coffee & pastry

Betsy and Jee Young

Boadilla to Carrion - 8/25

(Distance: 26.5 kms  Time: 6.5 hours)
400 kms done, 414 kms to go till Santiago
The Day: Even though we got a good night sleep and an easy 7am start, we both struggled today. Our legs were sluggish and we both just dragged a bit. For most of the day we did not see any other pilgrims except a few bikers here and there. The good news today is that we are just about half way to Santiago having walked about 250 miles. Far enough to go from our home in Wake Forest to Asheville, NC and in just 16 days of walking! We are both very tired tonight.

heading west first thing in the morning

canal along the way

still a long way to go

The People: The only old friend we have seen during the day is Mike ... whom we also had dinner with. At the albergue we met Michael, from Germany, and he shares our room with us tonight. We had pretty much lost touch with everyone else and were in our room in the early evening when Michael came in and said he had run into the Korean girls. So back out we went, met up with Jee Young (who is becoming a good friend) and met some new folks we had seen but not really talked to. They are: Jamie and Valentina, Corinne, Eunsun, Juan & Maria ... all pictured below. We found them at the church right at the end of Mass and the priest called all the Perigrinos ( Pilgrims) up for a special blessing, so up we went and all received an individual blessing as well as a gift of a paper star from the parish. Then as if that wasn't fun enough, the town was having a festival & parade in the street right outside the pub we went to. Watching the parade we then saw 2 old friends from the past week, Max and Alexander! What we thought was going to be a quiet early evening turned out to be another party with friends. More Camino blessings.

Jee Young's blessing by the Priest

dinner the night of the festival

Alexandro and Max

Hontanas to Boadilla - 8/24

(Distance: 27.6 kms  Time: 7.5 hours)
The Day: We started early again this morning around 6:20, leaving before sun rise. This seems to work well for us as we are beginning to settle into walking for about 7.5 hours each day. Today we had another good day and made good time except for the one "hill" we had to climb ... up to the "alto Mostelares" rising over 100 meters in only 2 kms. Pictures below will,give you a sense of the challenge. Today's walk kept us on the Meseta which is very open and little shade. Fortunately the temperature was in the mid 70's and there was a pretty strong wind all day so we didn't experience the typical "baking" that usually accompanies the Meseta. Tonight we are in a very nice albergue and again have met up with some of our Camino friends. This albergue has a communal meal so that should be fun.

The People: Along the Way we once again crossed paths with Patrick and Mike. Mike is at the albergue with us but Patrick decided to make it a shorter distance and stopped at an earlier town. Dami, Claudia and Jee Young all made it to Boadilla so we have some familiar friends with us. Also, today on the trail we met a couple that is about our age from California who are biking the Camino. We talked for a little while resting at the top of the alto. We have met a few other people but for now I will just call them acquaintances. This experience is like no other in meeting lots of different people from all over the world who are bound together with a common goal ... to experience the Way.

ruins we passed through of an old convent

our path early in the morning

small town of Castrojeriz we passed through

the alto we climbed ... look close for the white path going up the side

view from the top of the alto. the vilage in the distance is Castrojeriz that we passed through

the Way across the alto and the Meseta

our albergue in the forefront, the town church in the background

the gardens at the albergue ... yes that is a swimming pool at the back!

Burgos to Hontanas - 8/23

(Distance: 31.8 kms  Time: 7.5 hours)
The Day: We put Burgos behind us early this morning with hopes of going a good distance and we accomplished our biggest day yet (just shy of 20 miles!). We were blessed with overcast skies for most of the morning and when the sun finally came out, for the most part there was a cool breeze blowing ... God is good. So when we got beyond Burgos and the "city features" of power lines, etc. we entered what is caled the Meseta. It is wide open country side with little to no shade and endless fields of wheat with a few fields of sun flowers mixed in. Betsy and I are learning how to be gentler toward each other and how to work out compatibility while dealing with the demands of the Camino. We are still learning even after 35 years of marriage :-)

leaving Burgos before sun rise

a church in one of the small towns we passed through

entering the Meseta

in the heart of the Meseta in the afternoon

the town of Hontanas where we stopped for the day

The people: Even though we pushed the distance today, we still kept contact with some of our new friends as well as making some new ones. Patrick, Jee Young and Mike all made it to Hontanas and we met Angelieh, Katrina and Rhys as new friends. We all had dinner together (a pilgrim's meal) and got to enjoy learning about each other and sharing our stories. Not a bad way to end another day.

                     our new & old friends at dinner... Katrina, Patrick, Jee Young, Mike, Betsy, Bob, Angelieh and Rhys          

Cardenuela to Burgos - 8/22

(Distance: 13kms  Time: 3 hours)
The Day: We started out ok this morning ... a bit late around 7:15, and headed to Burgos without any definitive plans on whether to stay in Burgos or move on. It didn't matter because for the second day in a row we took a wrong turn. Somehow we ended up on an alternative route and when we tried to correct it, we got lost. Finally we found our way and made it to the Cathedral but by that time we just decided to stay for the night. Frustrating but again it was God's plan because we ran into some of our new friends again including Anna & Cyrille whom we had not seen for a couple of days. We spent the rest of day exploring Burgos and we toured the Cathedral.

The People: Unfortunately (Anna and Cyrille included) many of the people we have met are leaving for home from Burgos and they will pick up their camino from here next year. It is sad knowing we will probably never see them again but very glad we were able to share some time with them and get to call them friends. It is part of the Camino experience.

the road out of town

looking back at the sun rise

the Cathedral in Burgos

Villafranca to Cardenuela - 8/21

(Distance 25 kms  Time 7 hours)
The Day: Today was a good day. I made a strategic decision to walk in my hiking sandals vs my boots and it gave my little toe a break and my Achelle's heel only hurt a little. So we not only made good time but we were both finally able to really enjoy our surroundings. Early in the morning we met Mike from Canada and walked a bit with him. His pace however is much faster then ours and he moved ahead. We did however make our first mistake in directions. There were multiple options on ways to go and we had decided on one of the more traditional trails. God had a different plan. We thought we were following the right markers but somehow we ended up on an alternate route which took us to the town of Cardenuela. Upon arriving at an albergue we were surprised to find Mike and many of our new friends including a group of Italians that we have been "with" the past few days. We met some new friends too, Dami So from Liverpool England and Claudia from Germany. The albergue is not only nice but very reasonably priced as we got a private room with our own bath for just 18 Euro ... that is luxury on the Camino!

our path in the morning ... the moon in front of us and the sun behind

cross at the top of the mountain

sun flower fields as far as you can see

laundry lines at the albergue

The People: I've mentioned our new friends. Dami So and Claudia who are college students and Mike works in a mental health hospital in British Columbia. The mix of people is interesting with many of the people we meet being younger than our kids. Age however  is not a barrier on the Camino ... the path and challenges are the same for everyone and there is almost a family feeling with all. In a special way, there are the Italians. They are all friendly and all very loud & animated ... but in a fun way. Tonight before a communal dinner and after a few pitchers of sangria, everyone took turns singing there national anthem ... we had Italy of course, France, Mexico, Germany, England and Betsy's attempt at USA which the Italians goaded her into singing by starting the tune (just like in the movie where they greeted Martin Sheen). Kind if cool and a lot of fun.

the Italians!

Dami So, Mike, Jee Young, Claudia and Betsy