Spain

I do not know how others would feel about walking a 500 mile path, but for me these are the most treasured memories of Spain. I have traveled throughout the country on multiple occasions and visited a number of different regions. My Camino (“El Camino”) began in Saint- Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, and after reaching the famous Santiago de Compostella, Spain, went on to Muxia and Fisterra (end of the Earth).  From the times conversing with an interesting and diverse group of fellow backpackers from all over the world, to the times spent trekking in complete solitude enjoying the fresh air, sights, smells and sounds of nature, the experience is one I will never forget and will always speak of fondly.  I have a lot of favorite places and memories all over the globe but the Camino is unique. I recommend it to everyone. You will meet wonderful people, have great conversations, great food and wine, laugh a lot, hear lots of stories about fellow travelers and pass trough unforgettable and unique scenery. The rules of the road are learned as well. Things like making sure you are checked into one of the many welcoming refugios or hostels early enough to get a bed and, if you are really lucky, even an evening meal.                                                                                                  Eventually you will learn to enjoy sleeping in the same room with many tired pilgrims (peregrinos), to the tune of a robust chorus of snores and farts, and getting up early enough to be able to start a new day with the morning fresh air. A new day of excitement, delighting in new scenery, new characters, making new friends, and hearing new life stories. Generally computer addicted, I found little time for this activity. Making the best out of the whole experience I only sent a few e-mails to friends and colleagues during the Camino. I have posted a few on this blog. I welcome, invite, and encourage anyone who has walked any portion of the Camino to share your experience and recommendations here, as well as any other Spain experience. There is so much to see, so much to do. If you have a favorite hostel, hotel, restaurant or any review or advice, please share it with the rest of us and help make the most of your fellow traveler’s future journeys.

A few days ago I had a full walking day. I got on the road at 6:30 am and went from Santiago de Compostela towards Finisterre. The first Refugio was 20 km away but I was running out of time, having to go back to work soon, so I did not stop there. I knew that I would not find another place for pilgrims until about 48 km from Santiago, but I thought that I would sleep out in the nature as others did already. I was desiring to try that as well. I walked through sleepy villages and quiet forests. All you could here was just the birds, the wind, buzzing insects and rarely a church bell or a dog. It rained a few times along the way so looking for a place to spend the night I knew I needed a covered spot. Maybe near a church’s over-hanging roof or an old barn. I even thought that a covered spot near a church with a cemetery would be interesting, adventurous and daring, but nothing like that came along. The only “covered” place like that would have been a few coffin’s holes in construction, in a cement wall, looking like mini apartment buildings. They even had the marble ready for closing them up. For a second I thought of it! Crazy but different. For sure I could have said I had done something that none of my friends had! Still… could not do it! Too tight! I would have hit my head at some point during the night trying to get up. Good excuse! So… I kept walking. Starving and I was looking even for green fruits in trees but no fruit tree came along my way. I decided to drag myself to the next Refugio hoping that there would be a kitchen and some pots so I could cook my own powder soup mix. It gets dark around 10pm and I made it there just in time. By quarter to ten I was in the Refugio’s kitchen, having walked 57 km for the day (my record so far). The surprise: there was not only a fully equipped kitchen but the “hostelera” (the person in charged of the place) made a huge pot of soup for the pilgrims. She was gone home by now but the soup was still warm and more than a quarter of the pot left. Needless to say, I filled up my plate a few times, plus I had a fresh piece of bread with each plate of soup. There were also fruits for us, and not green as I was willing to eat earlier. Yet, now they did not tempt me anymore. The Camino granted my wishes: the soup, the fruits and even the old barn I had to sleep in, since the rooms and beds were all full by this late hour. They had mattresses on the floor and the place was clean but the smell was clearly still there. The next day I decided to walk first to Muxia and to end the Camino at The end of Terra, or in galician language Fisterra. The walk was one of the most beautiful parts of the whole trip (maybe after the first day on the Pyrenees). I loved the mountains with their forests and rivers (one I had to cross shoeless, for purification, someone thought). The flat areas were not my kind of heaven. For some people they were amazing for their immensity and boundless horizon and for the golden color of the fields. For me it was just boring. How different we all are! My personality doesn’t go well with flat. I need the road to reveal a different view after each bend. Like in life… my life. How about you? I hope to find out the answers from you all, soon. For now my Camino experience is over but the memories, I hope, will stay with me for eternity. I would recommend this to anyone but in reality it is not the kind of vacation some people would enjoy. Well… I am back to work and I will see most of you soon, I hope. With all the love, Miha P.S. Just one correction to one of my first e-mails. There was a Danish man that I met on The Camino and he walked from Holland to Finisterre, about 3000 km. He used to carry his backpack on a heavy duty cart and since he only spoke little English I understood that his backpack was 77kg. This was wrong. The backpack and the cart together only had 55 kg. It was himself that was now 77kg. LOL He was 103 kg three months ago, when he left Holland.  

I will be in Santiago early morning tomorrow. I am just 5km away. I have experienced blisters in the strangest places of my feet. I even had tendonitis for a few days but nothing major otherwise. My hair had its own experience along The Camino. I had cut it two times myself and the second time I used my nail scissors. I would have shaved it all if not for my high school reunion in July. Lucky hair! I did not want to make my reunion entrance singing “Harry Krishna” even if that would have made me so special! LOL About the Camino, people say that it is like our life. It has peaks and lows and flat zones. It can be hard or easy – or boring at times. It can be good, exciting or disappointing.  We meet people, make friends, part ways. It has moments of loneliness and others of sharing time with people. Now I am close to the final trek of this great experience but I might go further with it… to “the end of Terra” or Finisterre. That will add three days to my trip here. See you all later. With love, mihaela

It might be interesting to know that there is a 4 year 6 month old girl that walks with her father. They are from France and he has done the Camino four times. She also did it once already but then she was carried by the father since she was just a baby back then. She is skinny and has tiny little legs. She asks people about their blisters and likes to show hers. Also there is a German woman that was a pharmacist and was dreaming for a while to do this walk and could not find time. Now she is about 70 years old and walks slow and her back pack is too heavy for her and it pulls her back. She is short, slim and frail but she always makes it to the next town and next refugio. Her sleeping bag hangs in front of her and at every step she hits it with her legs. The Danish man that pulls a heavy duty cart has walked over 2,000 km by now. He started this on the 22nd of March and had 103 kg to carry. Now he weights only 77 kg. He had two fingers broken after his first two weeks but kept on. The Austrian retired couple is waking faster than other young people. They exercise at home and walk there as well. They are amazing. The Canadian girl I was walking with has tendonitis and had to go to the doctor and stay two days in the same refugio, so she is one day behind now. Another German girl is with her, having the same problem but worse, it seems. Now I have walked for the past two days with another Canadian woman. They are good sports and usually speak French as well, plus a bit of Spanish. It is just a pity that we both keep talking too much. Yet, the road is kind of boring since all we see now are grain fields. It is also so hot. I think we will have rain tomorrow. I did not see rain from my first day, crossing the Pyrenees. Yesterday we stayed in the most beautiful refugio (Albergue) so far. It was privately owned and had great grass and flowers and a swimming pool. They served a Pelegrino menu and were very efficient. I also had one night in a Parochial refugio and it was wonderful. They were so attentive to our needs and had an OK garden. Also they cooked for all of us. They got us to sing the Camino song and had a prayer session after dinner. The only minus was that we had to sleep on mattresses on the floor and they were more like sport mattresses. The floor was made of a nice wood. It was OK. When you walk this much and you’re tired, you surely sleep. I get to hear less and less of the snoring and farting concerto lately. I might be part of the concert now as well, so… no more complaints. Well… I did write a lot… Hope you get now the feeling of the Camino. Love, Miha  

Departure was better than planned, since I had no problem driving to and into NY. My flight out of there had such a delay that I missed my connection from Casablanca to Toulouse. As a result I got to spend a day in that city and the hotel was by the water. So… I got to see a bit of Morocco as well. Today I visited Lourdes and I recommend it to all of you. It is in the mountains and the view is wonderful. Unfortunately I only had a few hours there. I would love to get back someday. Now I am in a Refugio in my first city preparing for my Camino. It is good. They even have hot water and free internet. Hope all the rest of them will be at least as good. This is France still… no clue what to expect in Spain. Long day tomorrow. I have 27km through the mountains. Wonderful mountains and cities but I still carry 15 to 16 Kg even after I mailed ahead 5-6 kg today. Wish me luck. Love you all, Miha The above I could not send when I wrote. Now I am on my 5th day along the Camino. I have walked over 100 km but it has become too hot already in Spain so everybody wakes up early (6-7am) and starts to walk. I am usually the last leaving the room (not the hostel though) but I always catch up with them along the way. The back pack is not the best one and it is heavy. The road is up and down the mountains and now it has become hot in the mountains as well but the flowers are beautiful and the experience is great. I meet a lot of new people and not many deserve to wear white coats. Only one I see carrying a stick in the shape of a cross and trying to look like Christ. Most of the people that are on the road with me are either French or Spanish but I also know a few Germans, three Canadians, one American, and a few Netherlanders. Yesterday was the funniest day so far and we (a Canadian girl, a Belgian, and I) laughed until we hurt. I had blisters and muscular pain on the 2nd and the 3rd day but all is fine again. Most of the people do get that, even wearing good shoes. The road is steep and going down the mountain gave me the blisters. I have limited time on the net again so this was just a short update. No time for spell-check. Sorry. Love you all, Miha P.S. The refugios are OK for the 5-7 euro we pay. We got hot water everywhere but the internet is on a machine that cuts you off after 16 min. The beds are always bunk-beds (how is this spelled?) and the snoring is a true symphony of all the imaginable instruments around the earth.

HI EVERYONE! I am just trying to apologize for not writing lately and for the time that will come that I might be even shorter on my e-mails. I also want to let you all know that I am on my way to Spain for my 750-800 km walk. I will try, at least,to keep you all updated with the evolution of my trip, as some of you asked me to. As most of you know by now, I am going on my vacation to Spain for the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. There are different routes that take you there but the most popular and the one I chose is the Camino Frances and it starts in France, crosses the Pyrenees and goes inland crossing Northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. I just ended my last working flight of the month in Norfolk, VA today. The plan is that tomorrow I will rent a car and drive from here to NY. Out of JFK I will fly Royal Air Maroc to Toulouse (changing planes in Casablanca). From Toulouse I will take the train to Lourdes and see the place. I might need to spend that night there as I might not catch the next train to St. Jean Pied de Port on the same day (or so it looks like from the raileurope.com site— wonderful invention, the Internet, since I can check all my schedules in advance here!). However… this is the plan but I will let you know later if the reality will be better or wonderful: thinking just positive! So… I will try to keep you posted but I might not have much access to the net on “my road to Santiago”. Love you all, Miha P.S. Please do not mind my spelling or repetitions since I will be tired and on the hurry and I will not double-check my writing. The idea is that I just let you know that I still exist and advance on the route.