Recovering in Astorga

   Sept 27
   KATHY:  Elevating foot and icing for two days.  Here I am in beautiful Astorga with wonderful weather and I'm in a room icing my foot!  Getting restless.  We're staying in a convent with 4-5 older nuns who can't speak English, and we can't speak Spanish, so we do body language.  They talk to me in Spanish and I smile and nod.  I talk to them in English and they do the same.  I drew a picture of a wheelchair and soon after she showed up with one.  These nuns are so darned cute!  They are full of joy and try to help me (make me stay in the wheelchair).  There is an elevator and a lift by the front door.  It takes three of them to operate the lift--funny as can be.  We're trying to sneak out now with me easing down the stairs before they can see us.
   This is NOT a handicapped accessible town--cobblestone streets, narrow sidewalks in our historic part of town.  It's hard getting around in a wheelchair.  I've never been in a wheelchair before: it's a learning experience for me.
   Tom bought a cane for me to keep the weight off my sprained foot.
    Today we toured the Cathedral and Palace.  Amazingly beautiful.  We went to Mass this morning before the tour.  The nuns invited us to their Mass in the chapel tonight--very special.
   Tonight we're eating out.  I've escaped the room!  Probably overdid my foot today; I'll be better tomorrow, but it sure felt good getting out.
   The nuns' names are Chello, Elvira and Felicia.  There are a couple more that we haven't committed to memory.  They are so cute with Tom--call him Tomas and me Katelina.  Tom is very charming with them too.  He's trying out his poor Spanish on them.
   Today in the Cathedral we heard a woman singing--turns out to be the same woman who sang at the beginning of our walk.  We're seeing a lot of pilgrims in town now we met in the beginning. 
   Astorga is a beautiful town to be recuperating in.  The church bells ringing on the hour and half hour--don't need a watch here! 

Tom will be reporting his impressions later.  Adios!

Camino Tribulations

   Monday Sept 23
   Went by bus to Leon (the plan). Rob became very ill on the bus. It was scary. I went to the front of the bus and hollered to the driver "medico, medico", but he indicated he couldn't stop on the busy highway. There was no place to pull over.
   Shortly we came to the bus stop in Sahagun where we got Rob off the bus and laid him in some shade. Cindy and Kathy went for help and a room while I stayed with Rob. Rob was cognizant enough to know the emergency # was 112. The ambulance came and Cindy rode with Rob.
   Kathy and David (a young pilgrim who knew Spanish and English) came in a taxi and we hauled all the packs to the albergue/hotel. Rob had his vital signs checked out at the hospital, got two anti nausea shots and came back to the hotel to clean up and sleep the rest of the day. We had heard of others having this bug too.
   Tues Sept 24
   Ripped off in albergue!
   As we were getting ready for the morning, a fellow pilgrim (Andy) said he'd gotten 200 Euros lifted from his wallet. His wife was in the bottom bunk while he was in the bathroom. We felt bad for them, but when Tom went to pay for breakfast he found his wallet empty too. He'd kept his wallet "secure" inside his sleep sack (which he doesn't do anymore!)
       Cindy figured this was the work of a team of thieves. It was an 80 Euro lesson for me. I now have a neck wallet which Rob instructed me in the proper wearing of. Fortunately the thieves only wanted money. Passports and credit cards were kindly left alone. Once burned, twice learned.
   Rob was much better today. We took the train to Astorga, passing through Leon, giving him.time to regain strength. At the Astorga stop we couldn't get the door open fast enough. Didn't know what buttons to push and the train wouldn't stop! We went 10 km's beyond to Vega de Magaz. Looked like a ghost town. We walked to Bar Nisio where we slowly got help. Language translation was difficult, but Cindy persevered and we were able to get the barmaid to call a taxi (my phone wouldn't pick up any signals, so she kindly used hers). The cab arrived and we rode back to Astorga.
   Got our beds at the albergue, set our packs down and wandered. Beautiful main Cathedral ( Iglesia de Santa Marta) close to us: a splendid 15th century Gothic creation. Next to the Cathedral is Palacio Episcopal, a palace straight out of a fairy tale. It houses many artifacts of the Roman roads which converged on the city, providing the main trade, military and pilgrim routes through northern Spain.
   Rob is still ok, but needing to regain more strength. Cindy and he chose not to have a pilgrim dinner but to have lighter fare. Kathy and I chose the fancy hotel. We ate dinner with a delightful woman from Canada. She was on the camino last year with her husband, but had to go home early because of a foot injury.

   Wed Sept 25
   We were going down the steps for breakfast with our packs. I had mine slung over one shoulder and Kathy was carrying hers in front. Kathy misjudged the last step on the landing and fell, twisting her ankle. Rob immediately went to work getting her ankle iced, wrapped and elevated. Louisa at the albergue was of great help, being able to speak both Spanish and English. She called a cab to take Kathy to the hospital. Had an x-ray and a diagnosis of sprained ankle. No walking for 7-10 days!! Looks like we get to finish the camino another time. We felt much compassion and offers of help from others during this experience--all part of the camino.

KATHY-- I'd been wanting some down time. It had been nice not walking for two days while Rob recovered. We were looking forward to beginning the Way again, and now it's over!  How all this changed in an instant... I'm feeling very sad and in disbelief and frustrated. I have to ice and elevate for two days and not put weight on the foot for 7 days. We haven't decided what we'll do next.
   Louisa at the albergue knew of a convent close by where we could stay. It has very nice accommodations: our own room and bathroom across the street from the Cathedral, and Tom waiting on me. Still, I'd rather be walking right now. 
     Rob and Cindy are checking out train and bus connections. They will leave tomorrow to finish out their camino. We will have to come back next year and finish this, I guess. They came to say goodbye this evening and I started to cry. I so enjoyed walking with them and looked forward to walking into Santiago together.

We will continue posting about our trails and tribulations. There are good stories yet to tell. The Camino keeps giving!

Reporting from Carrion

   Sat Sept 21
   A 25.2 km day.  A bit long for us.  We like the 20km or less walks, but we've been going through the meseta (a desert area) which has mostly flat trails, so the km's click off pretty quickly.
   We left Castrojeriz in the dark with a full moon and the sun about to rise. We had a strenuous climb and descent in the beginning, but the tough work wasn't much compared with our 2nd day crossing the Pyrenees!  We hit the flat path soon enough.  The meseta is lovely in the mornings--cool, quiet, peaceful and one with nature.  In the afternoon it gets hot with a lot of flies and gnats, enough to make one crazy!
   We stayed in an albergue in Fromista,  a converted railway building.  There were huge bunk beds.  We all got top bunks, as a group from England nabbed all the bottom bunks.  They were darned scary to get in and out of.  The group (Quakers) was doing a service project picking up litter on the camino trail (mostly toilet paper).  Bless them!
   The inkeeper was charming, and provided a buffet dinner at a long table.  We spent a lot of time talking with two young men from Germany, one of whom had a very hollow leg.
   Afterwards we went to Mass.  The pilgrim's blessing was very special even though we didn't understand what the priest was saying.  He gave us the blessing, asked us where we were all from, and prayed over each one of us.

   Sun Sept 22
   Walked to Carrion de los Condes, 20.5 km's.  Had a usual "breakfast" of  espresso with milk and a pastry.  Lunch was the usual meat, cheese and bread with an extra special tomato sliced in.  We're so tired of eating white bread and pilgrim meals with french fries!  We had pizza tonight overlooking the town square, with kids playing and families hanging out.  Somehow the Spanish have this right!  Older men in the bar playing serious games of dice and dominoes, and in the evening cheering on their soccer team.
   We went to Mass tonight at 7pm.  It was special with a bunch of singing nuns and the pilgrim blessing at the end.  The blessing had more impact on us because the priest interpreted what he said in Spanish into English.  We were also individually prayed over and blessed.  We all sang the "Salve Regina" in front of the statue of Our Lady of the Camino.  This normally is sung at all the pilgrim blessings.  The priest talked about giving all our cares and concerns to Our Lady, who will be walking with us on the way.
   We are staying tonight in Spiritu Santo Convent, run by the brothers of Vincent de Paul.  Haven't seen any brothers, but nuns seem to be running the place.  A cute older nun led us to our beds.  Kathy felt right at home. 
   We're planning on bussing to Leon tomorrow.  We've spent three days in the meseta--enjoyed the quiet.  We want to be in Santiago by Oct 7, so some stages will have to be cut out.  But not the last 100 km's.

   Gotta go.  The convent doors get locked at 10pm!

Moving Towards Santiago

   We are finally in a private albergue with two bedrooms for the four of us.  Last night we were in the most cramped municipal albergue we've experienced.  The bunks were right up against each other, so it helped if you knew your bunkmate.  We are in Castrojeriz with (so far) dependable wi-fi and can do the blog.  Here's the catch up---

   Mon Sept 16
   We are leaving Santo Domingo, walking to Belorado, 23km.  It was a long hard day of walking.  Half of today's walk was parallel to the busy main road with little shelter and water.  Today is Rob and Cindy's 18th wedding anniversary.  Rob pulled a muscle in his leg, but he was still a faster walker than we were.  They stayed in a hotel in Belarado that was attached to the albergue we stayed in. 

   Sept 17
   We walked to Villafranca Montes De Oca, 12km.  An easy day for us to rest and Rob to recuperate.  We stayed in a fancy albergue, San Anton Abad, in the rear of the exclusive hotel of which it is a part.  The owner has travelled the camino and understands the needs of the pilgrims.  He is very welcoming indeed.

   Sept 18
   We "cheated" and took the bus from Villafranca to Burgos.  The first part of the walk would have been a lot of up and down and the last 10km's into Burgos is a tough slog through heavy industrial area.  Got into Burgos at 10:30am and found the albergue with 150 beds that opened at noon.  Stood in line for an hour and got beds.  The albergue filled up by 2pm.  We then took a tour of the 13th century Cathedral de Santa Maria which is among the most beautiful of Spain's many cathedrals and one of its largest.  It was breathtaking.

   Thur Sept 19
   Left in the dark for Hornillos del Camino, 21km.  We entered the mysterious and beautiful Meseta .  There are endless crop fields of wheat, barley and oats along with sunflowers.  The rolling hills and a lot of flat paths are easier on the knees and toes (although Kathy has both knees in ace wrap and Tom has a nasty blister on his left little toe).
    Cindy's birthday was today.  We met a delightful couple from Switzerland, who sang happy birthday to her as a duet from an old English song.  In the evening at a pilgrim dinner we all sang to her in the traditional manner.
   We stayed in a medieval village called Hornillos del Camino.  This was the place of the cramped bunks and one bathroom for all.  The albergue was next to a beautiful old Gothic church.  We were able to spend some quiet time inside the church.  It was wonderful as we've had so little time for quiet reflection since we began our walk.  We say a Rosary and a Chaplet of Mercy every day while walking for special intentions, but otherwise it's up early, walk and do necessary stuff afterwards, go to bed and start over the next day.
   The first two weeks was survival, not a lot of time for introspection.  We're hoping to get some time alone on the Mesata, to be with ourselves, nature and God.  We're feeling stronger and can walk longer than we ever thought possible.
   We bumped into 91yr old Mike in Burgos.  He's looking for a cortisone shot for his hip, but is still trucking.
   It's fun bumping into pilgrims we started out with and meeting new ones too.
   Tired of the "camino race" to get lodging.  Didn't realize how crowded this is.  The movie "The Way" made this pilgrimage very popular.  Part of the experience is trusting we'll find a bed and have the health to carry on.

   Fri Sept 20
   Walked to Castrojeriz, 20km today.  We have our own private bedroom with bathtowels--first time since we started. 
   Meseta beautiful--hot sun, cool breeze and millions of annoying flies.  This morning we saw the full moon and the rising sun when we started out.

   On to Fromista tomorrow.  26km's. Early start for us...