Day 15: Ledigos - Bercianos De Real Camino

Easter Saturday

Via TERRADILLOS DE LOS TEMPLARIOS, MORATINOS, SAN NICOLA'S DEL REAL CAMINO, SAHAGUN, CALZADA DEL COTO

Approx 27km

Today I hit the road alone. Completely alone.
I decided it was absolutely time for my solo journey to start, and I picked a good day to do it!

It was a nice day, and despite having quite a few vinos the night before, I woke up ready and raring to get going. To start the day I walked 16.5 km to Sahagun, where I stopped at about 11.30 for a coffee, an early lunch of an amazing bacon and cheese bocadilla, and a sneaky glass of red - all for under 5 euro. What a country. What a life! I relaxed at my outdoor table for a while and then decided it was time to get going again before I got too comfortable and stayed all night.

As I was leaving the city, I was stopped by a very old man, who chatted away madly to me in Spanish. He kept pointing to me and saying 'Italian'. I kept saying 'Australian', but he had decided that I was Italian. He kept pointing in the direction of the Camino - giving me directions (in the direction I was already headed). He blessed me, crossed himself and then waved me off. Very nice!

The afternoon stretch was tougher, with my feet deciding to cease up on me about an hour in. But, with the aid of a lot of breaks, I made it to my destination, Bercianos de real Camino by about 3pm. It wasn't the most scenic of routes today - the beginning of the horrible 'mesita'. The highlight was a field of yellow flowers (which were more than likely weeds). I was so excited to see colour that I must have stayed there for an hour smiling like a special kid at them.

At one point when I was giving my poor little feet a bit of a rest, I sat down by the side of the road and was having a nice little daydream, when a car pulled up next to me and honked. The driver was pointing to the back seat and laughing. The second time I've been 'accosted' by a Spanish driver who thinks it's funny to offer Pilgrims a lift between towns!

I came across a grave with a headstone on the side of the road a bit later. It was for a Pilgrim who had died on that spot in 1998. The grave is at least the 5th that I've come across since the start of the walk, and the dates are all relatively recent. Apparently on average, 4 Pilgrims will die on the Camino each year. So far on my journey there has been one - a girl died crossing the Pyranees about the time I started the walk. 4 of my friends have had to go to the hospital so far, Makes it all seem a bit scary really - it's certainly not just a stroll in the park...

The reason I chose to walk to Bercianos is because the Albergue had a communal meal and church service, and seeing as it is Easter I thought it would be really nice to try and capture the 'family' environment. The welcome I recieved on my arrival brought tears to my eyes. The lady, Suelee, from Mexico, was so sweet and friendly and greeted me with a huge cuddle and even bought me a cup of tea! I was really looking forward to meeting some new people. The 3 singers from a few days before hand were there and they were really happy to see me!

After having a shower and rest, I decided to explore town (ok, look for a bar..). I walked into the first bar I came across, sat down and ordered a beer, before looking around and realising I was the only female in a very crowded bar, and everyone had stopped their conversations and were staring at me. Akward!! There were a lot of groups of old men sitting around and playing dominos - it was a very surreal moment! I finished my beer very quickly and found another bar, with my Amigos, Jaoquin, Fernando and JuanJose sitting in it! I was happy to see them. They are Spanish, all teachers who have been walking over the school holidays, so it was their last day on the road. They have all been so friendly to me - (I remember being in a bar one day trying to order lunch to a horrible woman who was misunderstanding me on purpose, and I was so frustrated because I couldn't get my point across, when over my shoulder a man shouted at her in Spanish and she hurried off to get my order - It was Fernando, so he's been a bit of a favourite ever since!).


After a few drinks, I headed back to the Albergue to do some sun worshipping! I had a lovely hour or so hanging out in the sun, stretching and meditating before dinner. The communal dinner was lovely, and I was so lucky that there was a really special group of people staying. The prayer session was after dinner and was very nice - no open flames this time to my relief! I've already blogged about this bit, so if you want to read the prayer from this session, go to: http://whatkindofparadise.blogspot.com/2009/04/like-prayer.html.

Songs of the Camino - Part II

Ani DiFranco.

This woman has been there with me for almost every situation in my life since I was 15 years old. I can relate a song to just about anything that happens to me, and every day on the Camino I had a 'DiFranco moment'.

Her lyrical abilities leave me breathless at times....

Her poetry is lyrical. Her lyrics are like poems. She is an outstanding woman with passionate views of important issues. She is my number one on my list of 3 people 'dead or alive who I would invite to a dinner party'. Love her!

Here's a few 'snippits' of her, as written in my diary on Day 15 of my Camino:

"One day you might find you are hungry, and all of those words you just said"

32 Flavours.

"You are a china shop, and I am a bull. You are really good food, and I am full"

You Had Time.

"You are a party, and I am a school night. I'm looking for my door key, but you are my porch light"

School Night.

On the Road

My book of choice for the Camino De Santiago was "On The Road" by Jack Kerouac.



I had been told about this book by someone who made a very brief, yet lingering impression on my life...who taught me many lessons about life - and how we should, or probably more appropriately, shouldn't, live our lives.....

Anyway, the passion this person had for the story of the life-altering journey of young Karouac always sparked my curiosity - and what better story to read as a young person embarking on what would be my life-altering journey?

My copy of "On The Road" was a given to me as a gift from Lucy Mann - the day before I left for Spain. I read it every day of my journey and it really spoke to me. It was written in 1951, and is a largely autobiographical tale that is based on a serious of road trips across America. The story is considered as defining work of the Beat Generation, and much of it was inspired by jazz, poetry, and drugs.

Karouac's style of writing ('spontaneous prose') is different to anything I've ever read, and I can understand why this novel is so important to so many people.

Highly recommended - especially if you're having a 'what the f@#k am I doing with my life' kind of time!

"the most beautifully executed, the clearest and most important utterance" of Kerouac's generation - New York Times.

Day 15: Carrion De Los Condes - Ledigos

Good Friday

Via CALZADILLA DE LA CUEZA

Approx 24km.

An average start to the day, but things picked up about 17.5 km in! The road from Carrion to Calzadilla was long and straight, and I passed nothing for about 4 hours! The road was muddy and rocky and really started to hurt my feet about 10km in, so I wasn't sure how far I would be able to continue today.

I stopped for coffee in Calzadilla with Hermann and Otmar, and contemplated stopping there for the night, but the coffee fortified me and I was ready to power on! I think they might have slipped something into the drink, because I took off like I had rockets attached to my feet. I had just started walking when it started to hail - Day 15 and finally some bad weather!

I loved it! I put on my poncho and kept going. The wind was insane and freezing and I have never felt more alive in my life. I left Hermann and Otmar for dead and had showered and rested by the time they arrived in the Albergue! It was absolutely freezing in Ledigos, and I found out that the town is 863m above sea level, so no wonder.

Hermann, Otmar and I went to Good Friday Mass in the evening at the town cathedral, and following the service we enjoyed a very special meal together. We had planned to spend the night with each other, as I began my solo journey the next day, leaving them behind. Unfortunately, this evening was to be the last time I ever saw Hermann. I had arranged to meet Otmar again in Santiago, but more about that later..

I really enjoyed the last few days that I spent with these men.Their lack of English and my terrible German have given us some incredibly funny times. I will definately be an awesome addition to any game of charades!

Day 14: Fromista - Carrion De Los Condes

Maundy Thursday

Via POBLACION DE CAMPOS, REVENGA, VILLARMENTERO DE CAMPOS, VILLACA'ZAR DE SIRGA

Approx 20 km

Not a very long walk today, and I got to my destination at about 1pm, which was very early!


It was not the most scenic of days, mainly walking next to a main road on a dirt path. It was dusty and windy and was a case of head down and power on! I had one little stop for coffee early on at an Albergue, which was very nice - seats out in the sunshine and Gregorian chants playing. There were 2 very cute dogs who were enjoying all the attention being paid to them!


I stayed in a Monestry (Santa Clara) in Carrion De Los Condes, which was very spooky! The bedroom door kept opening by itself, which gave me the creeps, because it was a very heavy door! I wouldn't have been surprised to find out that the place was haunted - it was built in the 1200s! For the history buffs out there, Carrion is reputed to be the place where the Moorish Underlords required the Christains to surrender 100 Virgins every year - how intense is that?!



I spent the afternoon doing some washing with a lovely Korean girl called Jong Hee. At one point, she looked down at my feet and gasped in horror (I'm still not sure why she was so horrified. Sure, they were swollen and covered in rashes and had a few blisters, but otherwise they looked reasonably normal!). Anyway, she pushed me down onto a chair and squatted down to look at them, banging them with her fists and threading her fingers through my toes - she kept asking if my feet were 'sick'! Bless her. I'm not sure what the problem was but it was unreal to get a foot massage!!!

After that I sat in the last slivers of afternoon sunshine soaking my feet in freezing cold water that my friend Jon got from a spring in San Bol. The water is supposed to have healing qualities - once you dip your feet in the water you have no more problems with blisters and aches. (In case you're wondering, my feet continued to get blisters and aches for the next 20 days).

After dinner, I headed into town to watch the Maundy Thursday Parade, which was certainly different to the parades back home! It was a very sombre affair with dirge-like music and serious looking men carrying huge statues of Jesus and The Virgin Mary. Crowds of people followed the procession, and I get swept up in the frenzy of people. Little Spanish Nannas were out in droves, wearing furs and pushing me out of their way! I don't think they approved of my going out outfit (thongs and trackies), judging from a few of the looks I got!!



*In an aside, I came across two Spanish women today who were walking the Camino. They really stood out to me, because where the rest of us are filthy and smelly, and carrying 10kg+ on our backs, they had on tiny little fashionable backpacks, actual wooden walking sticks (usually used by the elderly), highly fashionable clothing - and - they had their HAIR AND MAKE UP DONE!!!! And when they walked past me ......I ....smelt....perfume!!!!!! It reminded me of when I was in Burgos. Stefi and I were sitting on the church steps in our 'best' clothes (Trackies that were in desperate need of a wash and thongs...not to forget the burnt jacket I was still sporting). All these stunning women were walking past in dresses and heels, immaculate makeup and hair etc. Stefi and I were staring at them wistfully and sniffing after them.... "Did you smell her"? "Oh my god, she smelt soooo good"..... Oh, the envy!

Anyway, I was thinking about these women for a while, and then I realised that today is the official start of the Easter celebrations in Spain, and as such, a lot of Spanish 'daytrippers' will be on the road for the next week or so. They tend to walk a few days of the Camino each year, starting where they left off the previous year. A lot of them pay to have their backpacks transported from town to town so they don't have to carry them. I guess it makes the Camino a bit more 'holiday' like for them!

Day 13: Castrojeriz - Fromista

Via HOSPITAL DE SAN NICOLAS / ITERO DEL CASTILLA, ITERO DE LA VEGA and BODILLA DEL CAMINO

Approx 25.5km

Another lovely day wandering along by myself - after I got to the top of the HUGE mountain I had to climb this morning! It was something like 400m on a steep incline and was just a bit tough. I was sweating and huffing and puffing my way to the top, but the view was amazing and worth it! It certainly woke me up!




It was an 11km walk to the first coffee shop, and I was very happy to see the cafe and my friends sitting in front of it! It was a stunning day, so having a pit stop soaking in the vitamin d was amazing. After the break, I set off again, headphones in, enjoying my music and the gorgeous day. After about an hour, I found myself a spot in the shade of a tree and waited for my Da to call me. We had a nice short chat, and then I was on my way towards Fromista!

My favourite part of the day was in the early afternoon. I came across some bales of hay and decided to sit on them and have my lunch. My shoes came off and I settled in for the afternoon, reading my book and eating cheese on crackers. It was pretty difficult to get going again after that and I shuffled the remaining 5km or so to Fromista. My feet were very happy to see the Albergue.



I spent the evening sitting in the sun in the back garden of the Albergue with a bottle of vino tinto when three French men (fellow pilgrims) sat down next to me and started singing harmonies - it was amazing!

Day 12: Hornillos Del Camino - Castrojeriz

Via ARROYO DE SAN BOL, HONTANIS, RUINS OF THE CONVENT OF SAN ANTON

Approx 20km

I had a lovely day today. I spent most of it alone and wandered along at my own pace, daydreaming and enjoying the sunshine and wind on my face. The morning was cold and dreery, and began with an uphill struggle, so I was a very happy girl when I saw the sun poking it's head out and a bar 10km in - vitamin d and coffee to warm my cold bones!! A few of my friends were in the bar, so I settled in for a chat. An hour later I was on my merry way again. I had my music playing and trotted along lost in my thoughts.


I walked through the Ruins of the Convent of San Anton, which must have been amazing in its day. The monks here specialised in treating Pilgrims who suffered from San Antonys Fire - a form on Gangrene. Mmmmmmm.


Not far past San Anton, I was looking for a spot to sit in the sunshine when a car pulled up next to me, horn blaring madly. I looked over and saw that the driver was pointing to his back seat and laughing hysterically. He thought it was a funny joke, offering a pilgrim a lift into town! I ended up sitting in the middle of a paddock for a while, and I could see Castrojeriz from where I was. It's a stunning town - wrapped around a mountain and there is the ruin of an 11C castle sitting on the very top of the mountain. Rumor has it that Julius Caesar founded the town, and it is very strong in it's Roman influence.


I wandered into town and found somewhere to stay, and then headed to the bar, which was my favourite bar of the whole journey. As I walked in, the first thing I saw was a dog and cat sleeping on a bench:


The owner was so friendly, and I really enjoyed my afternoon there with my friends.