Lessons Learned

Here is my list of lessons learned having been home for 4 days and not been able to get the Camino off of my mind. I broke it into Personal and Practical (I am a gearie at heart).

Personal

• A joint Camino is not the same as an individual Camino- Caroline and I did this trip together. As a 16 year old, she was the second youngest person we met (one 13 year old from New Zealand was also doing it). I realized that our experience here was all about sharing the experience. We were not there to really figure out some deep personal issue that would tell us what we wanted to do with the rest of our life. We were not paying back a debt or penance to speak of for some big sin. (Caroline once said in her early frustration with the albergues, "I am 16! I have not sinned enough in my life yet to have to do this kind of penance!) You need to make sure that if you are traveling with one other person, or choose to travel with a partner for the whole trip, that you adjust your expectations. It will be less soul searching, and more bonding.
• Build in days for weather, rest, or to change groups- Most people plan a couple of days to rest or to sightsee in the bigger towns. But remember that somedays the weather may be so bad that it is advisable to just stay indoors. Or you find that you are traveling with a group of pilgrims that you can't related to well. One German friend described this as the "fog" you are in. He said he got into a group for awhile that he did not enjoy. He was surrounded by this fog of the same people talking about the same things. He took a rest day to change to a different group and for him it made all the difference. You may also find that you are in a very large group and that albergue space becomes difficult to find. This happened to us going to Finisterre. We were frustrated to find the Albergue completely full before 1:30 in the afternoon in Negreira. But friends that came through the next day, said that there was plenty of space. Rest a day and lose the crowds.
• Share!- This kind of crosses over the line a bit with several things, but create an environment where you share stuff with other pilgrims. We shared a washer with three other people once because none of us had enough clothes to fill it up. One man was so touched by being asked to do this, he repeatedly offered to buy me a coffee. Buy food together. Or medicine. Or soap. Just always think about doing things together and you will build many more relationships and enjoy the Camino much more.
• Talk/Eat- Along this same line is to break bread together and spend time talking to others. We had only two opportunities to share a hospitalero prepared meal, but these were great chances to talk to new people. We had several chances to cook with others and share a meal this way. And we went out to eat with others on a regular basis. These are the times you will cherish more than anything else. Take the time to talk and eat with others.
• Santiago will be a let down- Understand this up front. Santiago is your goal and you are driving and fully focussed on getting there. It becomes your aim and your obsession. You cry when you think that you may not make it. But once you walk into the Plaza and up the steps and get past the excitement of your accomplishment, be prepared. Santiago is primarily a tourist town. The cathedral, the pilgrimage, the botofumerio are all there for tourists. Even we pilgrims are part of the spectacle. It is the busloads of pilgrims from the US, Italy, Portugal, etc. that pay to have the botofunerio swung. They don't do it for the pilgrim mass unless someone pays. But as Caroline learned, the journey is the real goal, not Santiago. It is the trip not the final destination. If you realize this, you will make sure to slow down and enjoy the Way much more than the goal.

Practical

• Carry a light pack. I mean the pack itself. We both had packs under three pounds empty and most people we met had packs that must have weighed 5-6 lbs empty. The Camino does not require a pack that can go to Everest. Get an ultralight pack and you will be happier.
• Carry only what you will need for a week. Meaning consumables. No roll of toilet paper. One pilgrim suggested a pack of tissues. You can buy more in any tienda. Same for soap, etc. We kept trying to have enough for the three weeks we were there, but realized, everyone is right, you can buy more of anything you need.
• Clothes though are not always that easy to get. Caroline wanted to have an extra jacket because it was colder than we planned on. In Astorga, we hit every store that might possibly have a fleece jacket her size. After 2 hours, no luck. Just know for some items in the "performance clothing" area or if you are a small woman, they are not that easy to find.
• Take into account jet lag- we began walking the day after we arrived in Leon, and stayed in the Albergue to boot. Caroline didn't get a full night's sleep for 4 days, and it just about cost us the trip. Take jet lag and getting used to the new environment into account. Your first few days will be much more enjoyable.
• It will cost more than you expect- I had read the rule of thoumb that it would cost 1000 Euro for the entire Camino. Since we were doing half of it, I thought this was a good budget for us. I was wrong. I found we spent more of housing than planned and on food. Though you may plan to stay in Albergues the whole time, they may not always be available, so your 5Euro cost jumps to 15Euro is you share a room with someone.
• Altus Atmospheric ponchos are great!- I would recommend them to any pilgrim.
• No poles for me!- Though I am a big proponent of hiking poles and brought them on the trip, we almost never used them and they stayed on my pack most the trip. The terrain was not as rocky and steep as I expected and I was more prepared, plus wooden staffs are readily available. I would have loved to have gotten rid of the poles but it was too big of a hassle to send them to Santiago or home.
• Put suntan lotion on the backs of your arms!!! We pilgrims always walk west. We get the sun on our necks and the backs of our arms. True lesson learned.
• Internet time costs money- In the US, we do not regularly have coin operated PCs, so it was a bit of a shock to see how quickly you could burn some Euro on the Internet. At 1Euro for 30 minutes, we found it difficult to blog and check email, much less download photos. Budget accordingly.

And lastly, just consider doing something you never thought you could do. Like a pilgrimage; or a mission trip. Challenge yourself and hopefully your will enjoy the accomplishment of exceeding your expectations and the rewards the come from that. The average age of pilgrims on the Camino is probably 55. Don't think you are too old, or too busy to do something like this. We met a Dutchman in his sixties that was walking over 4000km; pulling a cart! I am sure Caroline will share her own relfections, but I hope that our pilgrimage and blog have entertained, enlightened, and inspired.

Thanks again.

We are Back Home

We are back in Atlanta now and finally starting to get our heads around not being on the Camino. The last three weeks seemed to have passed in a heartbeat, and now we are almost feeling like we are back from a dream. Our clothes don't smell any more (thank goodness) and most of the stuff is put back away in the camping room. I finally figured out how to get the slideshow option on Flickr to work so you can see our photos on the blog and Caroline is downloading more as we speak. The Compostelas and Finisteras (our official documents of completion) are being pressed in a picture book on the Camino Irene's aunt and uncle gave us last time we were in Spain. It was part of the inspiration for the trip and I could not imagine a better place to press out the curl from being in a tube.

Caroline and I took the dog for a walk last night and I felt that speed of motion that I had gotten used to. We joked when we passed her school on the way home from the airport that we walked at least that far everyday for almost three weeks, but now, we would never think of doing that here. It will take some time to get our heads around what doing this trip has meant to us and it's impact. But I am already yearning to walk somewhere, be able to talk to my daughter knowing that we are sharing something that no one can take away or ever fully be a part of.

When I got here I was truly amazed to find out how many people were reading this and interested in our trip. Thank you all for caring and for the prayers that made this possible and as wonderful of an experience as it was.


Stand at the crossroads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies, and walk in it and find rest for your souls. -Jeremiah 6-16

Our Last Day Here

We arrived back in Santiago yesterday after a three hour bus trip from Finisterre. When we got off the bus, I realized that it was the first time I had ever been in a bus station. We just don´t have those in Atlanta (or maybe we do and I just was missing out). On our way from the bus station into the city, I got to be navigator as we walked. You should be proud of me; I only got us lost twice and that was before my dad told me I was holding the map upside down.

After we got into the city, we went to the pilgrim´s mass in the cathedral. Luckily this time they swung the botofumeiro, or giant incense burner, which was really cool. They hoist it up on a thick rope that is attached to a pulley system on the ceiling of the church. It takes about 6 men to swing it. I was nervous that they were swinging it so high that it would hit the ceiling.

After mass, we went shopping for clothes to wear home on the airplane because we figured the people would not want to be smelling our sweaty clothes that have only been washed in a washer twice the whole trip. It was neat because the shopping mall had a BJ´s type store on the lower level and shops like a mall on the upper two levels. There was also a large courtyard in the middle.

Today we are going to go to the tomb of St. James and say a special prayer for the mission to Honduras because they have helped us with their prayers and we hope to help them with ours. We are so proud of all of those going on the mission and wish them safe travels and good spirits.

Caroline

Fisterre Day Two

Yesterday was picture perfect for us. We got up to a wonderful sunrise and found a hostel to stay in for the next two nights. We headed for a small deserted beach that we had all to ourselves. No one showed up until we were leaving. We walked the beach picking up shells and getting sun. We have farmer tans from the Camino; red necks and arms!

That evening we walked to the lighthouse at the end of the point and had a wonderful dinner in the converted observatory, thanks to our friends Martijn and Anita. It was a very welcome change from our menu del peregrino! Then we sat around to watch the sunset. We saw many friends from the trip there and several were carrying on the tradition of burning something to show the finality of the trip. One boy cut his long hair and burned that!

We walked down the deserted road with the moon rising to our backs. The entire trip we had not stayed awake long enough to see a sunset. This was the first time.

Today has turned cloudy and rainy. Not much to do in a beach town on that kind of day, but it is OK with us. We needed the rest and wanted to find some friends before we leave for Santiago tomorrow.

Finisterre

First, we apologize for not posting more. At $.06 per minute for cyber time, we are limiting ourselves. We spent all our money loading up pictures!!! It has also been hard to find computers that were not being used.

But we have made it to our final destination. We are tired, but happy. Last night was our last night in an albergue and I was a bit sad. Not about the snorer that kept everyone up, but about how it was so nice to meet people in the common areas. Last night we met a girl from Poland. Tonight we are truly back to being tourist in a hotel taking pictures and seeing the sites. We plan to go to the highest point tonight to see the sunset, a tradition for all pilgrims.

We have walked our path and shared our experiences. Caroline and I realized we had never spent this much time together, just the two of us in our lives; and we probably never will again. It makes me cry to think that.

On the walk yesterday I realized that after the second day on the trip I never saw Caroline use her Ipod. I figured she had lost it, so I asked her ¨Why have you not used it?¨ Her answer, ¨Because I wanted to talk to you!¨ Who could ask for anything more.

We will update you more when we get a chance.
God bless you all and thanks again for all the prayers and support.

Day Eighteen: Finisterre, the End of the World

Yeah!!!!!!! We finally got to Finisterre, the end of our hiking trip. It has been such a wonderful and beautiful experience. I am sad it will be ending soon.
Yesterday we got in to Finisterre about 5:00pm after hiking 33k. The hike in was absolutely beautiful. We walked on lush green hills with wildflowers and windmills in the background. As we came up and over the hills, we could see the ocean in front of us and all of the little beach towns crowding the shore. As we walked into Finisterre, we saw gorgeous white, sandy beaches with the bluest water I have ever seen. We will be staying 2 and a half days here and I am excited about going swimming today.
On the last day of our hiking trip, I finally learned what this trip was all about. I had been yearning to get to Santiago so much that I was not thankful for what I had around me at that point. Yesterday it finally struck me that it is not where you are going or how quickly you get there. All that matters is the memories you made and the experiences you had on The Way (The Way is another name for the Camino).
Caroline

I Can´t Beleive We Finally Made It

Hey guys,
Thanks so much for keeping me updated on the stuff back home. I really enjoy hearing about stuff yáll are doing.
Well, guess what.............. We made it to Santiago. Yeah!!!!!! Actually, we got here yesterday and got our Compostellas, but today we went to the pilgim´s mass and are completely official. It is so neat to finally be here. Though this is not the end of our journey, we are so proud to have met our first goal (Finisterre is comming soon). Yesterday we walked in to Santiago from Arzua which is 32k away. We had decided that instead of coming into Santiago today like we had first planned we wanted an extra day's rest, so we walked the extra 10k. When we made it to the cathedral, we were absolutely exhausted and ready to collapse. On our way to Santiago, there is a mountain called Mont de Gozo which is the first place that you can see the cathedral´s towers in the distance. My dad and I climbed to the top so excited to see the cathedral. Yet we had heard that Mont de Gozo was disappointing because it has a large albergue that looks like a millitary camp. We did not expect there to be a clump of trees hiding the cathedral or an unkept ugly sculpture like we saw. But other than the disappointing Mont de Gozo stop, it has just been fantastic. Today we went inside the cathedral and got to hug the sculpture of Santiago like all of the pilgrims do. Unfortunatly the botefumario or the huge hanging incense maker was not there because it costs a lot of money so it is only swung when someone can pay for it. Tomorrow we're off for another 3 days to Finisterre because it is a tradition that all the pilgrims go to the ¨end of the world¨at the end of their pilgrimage and Finisterre was thought to be end of the world at that time.

Thanks a million for your support,
Caroline

Day 13 Azura

Wow I can´t believe we have only one more day till Santiago. Tomorrow we are going to suck it up and push through the last 37 k. Then it is off to Finisterre.
I have eaten some pretty weird food here. One of the main regional foods is pulpo, octopus, that I ate yesterday. Also everyday we seem to have at least one bocadillo with either jamon or chorizo. We also have had tons of pilgrim meals which are two main plates of food followed by dessert. They have ¨Caldo Gellego¨ which is soup with cabbage beans and potatoes. Lentejas is a lentil soup that is very popular. Most times you can get a mixed salad also. Once we had Green beans cooked with chorizo sausage that was great. We have also cooked three of our meals. One day we ate pasta puttanesca, then we ate pasta with tomato sauce, then we made paella.
Caroline

Day Twelve: Palas do Rei (The Camino is about people)

Today we walked with two nice women from Austalia. We would walk together all four of us for a while and then would get off talking in our own group till we got back together. It has amazed me how much the Camino is about the people that you encounter along the way.

We have met people from all over the world that are doing the Camino for many different reasons. We spend time with a couple of Welsh brothers, two Americans that are teaching English in France, a Scottish retired Special Forces officer, the Italian couple that serenade us each evening with Italian songs. There is the French nun that is doing the Camino with her parents. The two Valencian men that we see daily at mass. The German that is also always there. The Spanish father and son that we run into on the trail each day now, and the Italian or French gentlemen that we see at each albergue. The Camino is a moving community that is constantly changing. You have new faces each day and some that you never see again. I keep thinking the two German men we met, Peter and Andreas, must just be one day ahead of us. But we have yet to see them again.

This is the Camino. This is life.

Day 11 Portomarin and the Spanish Medical System

Today we made a trip to the hospital. I had been having a problem with my left leg for the last several days. It had begun hurting during a climb and I though it was only shin splints. It continued to become worse over the next several days and a red rash covered my lower leg to the point that I thought it may be a hairline fracture. We decided this morning it was best to take the time and go to the hospital in Sarria, the largest city we would go though until Santiago. Well at 6:45 in the morning the emergency room in Sarria is closed. not to mention that it took us 45 minutes to find the hospital after a bartender gave us very vague directions. We had to wait until 8 when the hospital opened and a PA was very helpful. ¨I think¨ she told me that it was an allergic reaction to something and that the rash and swelling were not to worry. Needless to say, she gave me a shot in the rump, some creme for the area. and sent me on my way. No paperwork, no insurance.

When I asked her about this she said ¨España es mui rica!¨ Spain is very rich!

Well the leg felt better today and we made it to Portomarin, a small town on a very large reservoir. We walked with a couple from Miami for a while. Their son is going to Tech and is in Barcelona studying. They decided to do the Camino before going to visit him. They were very nice. We made Paella tonight for dinner in the Albergue. It wasn´t great, but it was fun and nice to be with all the other people we have met. I will post some pictures now to share some of the experiences.

Tricastela

I have not posted lately because Caroline tends to take up all the time on the computers. I am not used to coin operated machines so she is always rushing to finish her post before the time runs out.

The last two days have been wonderful. Yesterday, our hardest terrain of the trip, took us into the Galician mountains to a old village called O Cebreiro. All the buildings are stone and thatched roofs. But the weather went from rain in the morning to a gloriously sunny day by the time we reached the peaks. I could not stop taking pictures it was so pretty!! Galicians decend from the Celts and still play the bagpipes and relate very much to their Irish roots. We are beginning to hear Gallego spoken here.

Today started misty and foggy. We walked away in a cloud and stayed that way until about 10:00 when once again, the sun came out and made it a fine day. We definitely have been blessed. Most of the people we are walking with said that before we started, it had rained on them everyday. Imagine two straight weeks of nothing but rain! The mud for them was horrible. Spain got more rain last month than they had the entire first part of the year.

I promised to share the prayer that Caroline and I say each morning. Here it goes:

Dear Lord,
Bless us your pilgrims
As we proceed physically and spiritually to Santiago.
As we walk your Way, help to remind us of the true reason of Pilgrimage.
We pray for our family, our Parish Mary Our Queen, the Church, those who are sick, and those whose prayers have supported us along the Way.
We walk in the footsteps of centuries of pilgrims and ask that you protect and heal us as you did them.
Saint James, we pray that you help us find strength and humility in our hearts.
Amen

The last thing I wanted to share with you all is the community that is the Camino. It is interesting but you tend to be with the same people each day as you walk. Some people move by quickly and some people you never see again. We have made many friends on the Camino and now tend to see them in the bars when we stop for a drink and bathroom break. Or the same pilgrims that will be at mass with you each day. It is something that is hard to realize until you experience it. We all are sharing in the common pilgrim experience, but from our different points of view.
It is our way of sharing our love.

Typical Day

My mom asked me to tell y`all what the typical day would be like here. So this is what it is normally like......

First Dad wakes up about 6:00 and tells me to get up. He then goes into the bathroom and gets ready for his day. About 10 minutes later he comes back into the room and tells me to get up again. He then packs and for the last time he tells me to get up. I sit up in bed and tell him it is too early, but I do eventually get out of bed and pack. We are normally out on the trail or road by 7:20. We walk about 5 k and then stop for breakfast in a cafe in a small town. Normally we eat some type of pastry, but today we had toast, it was fantastic. Then we get back on the road and hike for another 2 or3 hours and then stop for a snack at a bar (don´t worry the bars are like little cafe´s and aren´t quite as sketchy as the the ones in the states). There we have something small to eat like Maria cookies and I drink a Kas de Limon which is like a Fanta but lemon flavored, I love it, but you can´t get it in Atlanta because it is made by Pepsi and it is only sold in Europe. Really healthy right! We figure if you are walking at least 15 miles a day then you deserve one or two unhealthy snacks. Then we set off again hiking. We hike on trails, asphalt roads, dirt roads, roads that seem to be make of cow manure; you say it, we have hiked on it. Because of our early start we get into town between twelve and two. We then eat lunch at another bar, normally a bocadillo (aka sandwich on french bread, with just meat and bread). Then we hunt for an albergue to stay at or a hostel. After we settle in, we then wash clothes in a pila which is like a wash board and a sink combined. We use Dad´s magical bar of soap of course. After we are done with washing, we try to find a computer to do some blogging or we go to eat dinner. They have pilgrim menus at restaurants that are about 10€ and consist of 2 large portioned plates of food, a desert, and either water or wine. After dinner, we either share camino tips and tricks at the albergue or go to bed. Bed time is about 9:30 or 10:00. The routine of the day is pretty consistent. I like it though. The cities are great, the towns are beautiful, and the people are nice. I walked today with a Welsh guy, the two of us just kept talking and walking so we accidenty left Dad in the dust when he stopped to take a picture. About 30 minutes later he caught up though.
My time is about to run out so.......love you see you bye
Caroline

Silence is Beautiful

Today we climbed up for about 30k. This means we were going all uphill for about 20miles. From the beginning it did not look like it was going to be a promising day. First we had to choose whether we wanted to go on the pretty yet quite steep and long route or the straight(er) yet on the road route. When you have to make decisions like that it is always sad to have to sacrifice one for the other. We decided to take the straight(er) route because we are budgeting for time and wanted to get to the town that we had originally planned on getting to today. We thought it might be necessary to change plans because someone we talked to said that we would never be able to make the distance with the incline all in one day. But we did!!!!!!! Then after we chose our path it started to rain. Ooooooo, yes rain. You know what rain means right? Raincoats.You know what raincoats mean right? Those hideous ponchos discussed at great length in the beginning of the blog. Yes, we actually wore them. Just call us Bob the tomato and Clifford the big red dog (I´m Cliford, of course). So we trudged in the rain for a while. Then we got to the steepest part of the climb. The rain stopped and the sun came out. But it was hot (Mom, we did put on sunscreen). We climbed up to the top of one of the mountains through the first forestry part that we have hiked in.
We pop out in a clearing and like magic the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen in my entire life comes into view. Now, not to brag or anything but I have been around the world and seen some pretty beautiful stuff in my 16 years of life. This does not compare to anything I have ever seen (it would be like trying to compare a watermellon to Brad Pitt). There were mountains everywhere covered in wildflowers of all colors. Bald mountains with no trees so you could see little towns and pastures with cows. I had to sit down right in the middle of it for ten minutes just to take it all in. We took tons of pictures so don´t worry (they are not going to compare to the real thing but it is next to best). You know how I said the other day how the scenery made you want to sing? Well, this landscape silenced you completely. It was really that beautiful.
We came to the town and the albergue was nice but it had about 100 beds per room so I quickly vetoed it and we are staying in a nice hostel with a bathroom down the hall.
Thanks so much for all the prayers
Love you
See you
Bye
Caroline

Walking through El Bierzo

Our walk today took us through the wonderful vineyards of the El Bierzo region. Most of the walk was on dirt roads passing row after row of grapevines and fruit trees. We have already had a chance to eat fresh cherries in Molinaseca. Unfortunately, it is still too early in the growing season for grapes or apples.

The sun was out in full force and we made sure to use plenty of suntan lotion. Tonight we are staying in an albergue that is the strangest place you have ever seen. It is like a congolmeration of all types of buildings pushed together.

Well we are off to mass at the Convento de la Concepcion in Villafrance del Bierzo.

Day Seven Villafranca del Bierzo

Today we walked through the stereotypical Spain. There were beautiful vineyards everywhere and cute little towns to pass through with outside cafes, the whole nine yards. We came to the albergue around 2:00pm and set up our sleeping bags. After that we took showers and I washed clothes in a pila, like in Honduras (yes Mom, I actually can wash clothes all by myself, it is possible, just rare).


Today was sooooooo hot, we sweat alot and even had to unzip our zip off pants that I swore I would never unzip. I have to say I can not wait for the last day when I can buy some jeans to wear on the airplane. Zip off pants and green running shorts just don't cut if for me. Today I also hiked in my ugly red sandals. My feet were getting really hot in my boots so I decided to take them off and wear my sandals. Suprisingly, I did not get any blisters, but I did get a pair of very dirty socks (the reason for the laundry). Now when I say these sandals are ugly I mean they are really ugly. They are bright red with bottoms like hiking boots.
They are shaped like Tevas with a rubber toe so, picture that; or here is a picture of them:

Sorry we can not upload any pictures from our trip. We aren´t able to plug in the memory card from the camera to the computer.
Love ya
See ya
Bye
Caroline

Flowers

Hey guys,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for your prayers. They have really lifted me up and helped me to go on and have better days. The last time I posted I was very tired and ready to give up, but it is a wonder what a good nights sleep and prayers from about 50 different people can do for you. The last 3 nights we have stayed in hostels versus albergues and have had private rooms and I have gotten so much more sleep. Tonight we are staying in another albergue. Don´t worry-- it is a baby step though and each room has only 4 people in it; we are sharing with a nice German couple (who hopefully don´t snore).
Yesterday we passed through the most wonderful landscape. There were beautiful wildflowers everywhere that I can´t even begin to descibe. They were in all shades of purple, yellow, and some orange. There was the most unusual feelling as we were walking through these flowers. It made you feel as if you had to sing; as though if you did not sing your heart would burst and you would not be doing the flowers justice if you did not add your voice. As we passed people, they were all singing no matter what language.
I would love to tell you more, but I only have 15 minutes on the computer and there are 3 people waiting for it
Thanks for all the prayers,
Caroline

Day 6 Ponferrada

Today has been the first day that everything started to run together. We got up this morning (Where are we again? Oh yea Molinaseca.) We pack the bags again. we put on our boots again. We confess our clothes STINK! We have to do a big wash. Yesterday we walked farther than we had planned, partly because it was all downhill. We reached El Acebo, our planned destination by noon so we kept going. Yesterday was beautiful. The clouds stayed just above the mountain tops, so we had no sun and a cool breeze for walking. The wildflowers are all in bloom, and it is truly incredible to see all the colors around every bend. I keep slowing us down trying to take pictures.
We reached El Cruz de Ferro, a mound of stones that was begun in the 9th century. It is topped with a large pole capped with an iron cross. Pilgrims bring stones from their homeland and place them there to rid themselves of their burdens for which they are on the Camino. Caroline and I had brought rocks from our front yard and from the AT at Blood Mountain to symbolize our burdens. It is a very moving experience to be atop this mound, started centuries before, and think that you are adding to its growth. We finished our day in Molinaseca and had a chance to go to mass and participate in a rosary in the church there.

Today we walked only 9 km to Ponferrada and were the second people at the albergue. It is run by a German couple and they let us wash our clothes before they officially opened. It was great to get everything nice and fresh. We walked around the town and went to the Templar Castle and Basilica. We plan to cook pasta Puttanesca tonight here and go to mass.
The weather is warm and sunny, so we are resting for the climbs to come in the next two days.
Caroline is doing well and feeling better now.

I want to tell you that we have written a prayer that we pray every morning. I will post it when I get the chance and have it with me at a computer. But we truly want to make sure that you all know that we are praying for everyone, especially those people that have been helping our family out while we are gone. Your friendship and service is just the kind that is most cherished and we thank you.

Each Camino is Different

When you decide to do a Camino Pilgrimage, you expect hardships and struggles. You pray for the strength to live in close contact with other pilgrims and to continue each day. But often it is the things that you did not expect that are the hardest to handle. Caroline is hating her time here and I see that she has done this not so much for the experience herself, but to meet my expectation. She says that this is nothing like she expected. No one else her age; each day a hard walk with a heavy pack. She is either hot or cold. She has not slept well on the entire trip.

Though I have prayed for our safety and fortitude, I did not focus on the experience that my daughter was having. She has impressed all of the other pilgrims with her energy and fast pace. But it has not been enjoyable for her.

Spiritually the Camino is a chance to look inside yourself and examine what you value and what in your life needs to be aligned with those values. As I was beginning to start that appraisal internally, I realized that the main reason I had wanted to come, to be with my daughter, was in jeopardy. We will have to make some changes.

As you know from her post we are going to take it easier and find more private accomodations. We are going to keep to whatever schedule our bodies feel, not one based on when we need to get to Santiago.

At mass last night the priest gave all the pilgrims a special blessing to continue on our way. I know that we are being prayed for by many people back home and we pray together at the beginning of each day and pray a rosary as we walk. These blessings and prayers are needed to help us to continue.

Pray that Caroline regains the strength to make her Camino, whatever that will be, and pray that I can support her in the ways that she most needs.

A Hard Day´s Night

Third day on the trip and I hurt bad. Instead of walking the 15 kilometers that we were supposed to, we decided to walk an extra 15km which was the next day´s walk. BAD IDEA. By the time we arrived in the albergue, all I wanted to do was cut off my legs and go to sleep.

Though our hike yesterday was mostly flat, the long mileage was tough on our feet and bodies. As we walked, we said the rosary. The part of the Camino that we walked yesterday is some of the most beautiful that there is. We went through fields with beautiful wild flowers and birds singing everywhere. It seemed as though they were serenading us on our way.

The albergue last night was absolutely terrible. We stayed in San Javier and I had a miserable night, unlike my dad who slept like a baby. I was up until 4:00 in the morning because of the snoring of the other 20 men and women we shared the room with. I woke up this morning miserable and puffy eyed, so Dad and I decided to take the day off because we are ahead of schedule. We have now decided that staying in the albergues is not a good idea because I have not had a good night´s rest in the past three. We will probably stay in hostals with our own private room instead.
It has been much colder here than we expected so we went out looking for an extra jacket for me. After going to 5 or more stores we ended up buying a jacket for my dad and I get to use his. ¿Attractive huh? (I think the upside-down question marks are so cool! I wish we had them in English.)

Since we took the day off we had time to tour around Astorga and go to places like the Chocolate museum where we tasted lots of diffent types of chocolate and learned how it was made. ¡Yum! (The exclamation points are cool too.) We also went to the cathedral and said a prayer for the Church. There is also a very interesting palace that was designed by Gaudi for a bishop. Gaudi´s art is very interesting because he uses many different shapes such as arches and ovals to make his work beautiful.

Please pray for me and that I don´t give up.
Caroline

Day Two Villar de Mazarife

We are sitting here today after walking 15 miles to the Albergue de Jesus, relaxing and being glad to have gotten to our home before the rain. Today was absolutely beautiful. We were expecting horrible rains, but the sun came out and kept us warm most of the day.
We were awakened in Leon early, ate a community breakfast with the other peregrinos, said goodbyes to our friends like Randy from LA, and began walking by 7:30. At first, we were afraid we would not be able to find the Camino with the twists and turns of the Leon streets, but we did not get lost and soon found our way out of town.
I was surprised that we were not appearing to be going too fast when I realized we had been reading the map distances incorrectly and we were well ahead of our plans. We went an alternative route today that put us in beautiful pastureland and on dirt, sometimes muddy roads. With the sun, it was a wonderful time. We stopped in a bar for a bocadillo y cafe, to check for blisters (just watching) and to relax. Tonight we have our own private room and have already showered and washed some clothes. Tomorrow we plan to get up early again and go to Astorga! Everyone is healthy and happy.