La Gran Aventura Day 140: León to San Martín del Camino

Monday, April 29, 2024

This morning I really wanted to get out early so that I could take pictures of the illuminated cathedral in the dark. But everyone was so slow getting out that by the time we made it to the cathedral, they had turned off the lights. But we got some good pictures of the sunrise.

I was in a pretty melancholy mood about that, but we did get a pretty good start on the day.

One of the reasons we were able to get out early was that we skipped breakfast. We decided we would just grab something on the way out of León.

By the time we started getting hungry we happened to be hiking past a little stand where a guy had fruit and granola bars and some other stuff. I thought: “Wow, the Camino provides once again.” But the experience wasn’t all that great.

This stand was like some others on the Camino where people offer stuff to pilgrims, and they don’t really charge for the stuff per-se -- they just ask for a donation. I’m sure there are people who take advantage of these people and don’t give anything, or maybe they give just a little. Anyway, the kids started telling me what they wanted (a granola bar, an orange, a little muffin, etc.). Then the guy barked at me to keep my kids under control. He said: “This is run by donations and I don’t have a big organization behind me paying for all this stuff, so you have to leave a donation.” It was about the coldest anyone has treated us on the Camino, and it really got my hackles up. We are busting our chops out here trying to take this whole family on the Camino. It’s tough, but we are paying our own way and being fair to everyone we interact with. Just the hint that I wouldn’t pay for something like this (or that my kids are brats) just made me mad.

Contrast that with the Pakistani guy who owned the restaurant where we ate roasted chicken yesterday. When we ordered he said with a huge smile and broken Spanish: “No gusta, no pagar” (If you don’t like it, you don’t pay). And then he delivered the best roasted chicken I have ever eaten and at a fraction of what we would have paid anywhere else.

OK, I’m done with this rant.

After that we just walked and walked and walked. My shoulders were pretty sore for the first half of the day or so, and Betty’s feet got sore, but we made it 26.24 km (16.3 miles). It’s the second farthest day on the Camino and the farthest we’ve walked since day 4 (Pamplona to Puente la Reina). We are really hoping to make it about that far each day for the next couple of weeks so we can knock this thing out. We are all really missing home. It’s not going to be easy. We’ve got some pretty serious mountains between us and Santiago. But we’re feeling pretty good.

Tonight we are in a little town called San Martín del Camino. Tomorrow we should be in Astorga -- the end of the Meseta, and (un)officially two thirds through the Camino.

Tonight we had a really great dinner of cheesy pasta -- specially made by our hospitalera. She made the hugest pot for us, so we’ve got a bunch of extra that we can take for lunch tomorrow.

Now it’s 8:30pm, and I really am hoping to get some good rest tonight. I haven’t slept well in days. Last night I kept worrying that Anahi would fall out of bed. She was on the bunk right above me, and it was about the squeakiest bed I’ve ever seen. So I’m really hoping for a good sleep tonight. If that can happen, we can get up earlier and hopefully beat the rainstorm that is forecast for tomorrow afternoon.

La Gran Aventura Day 139: Puente Villarente to León

Sunday, April 28, 2024

This morning we really put in a strong effort to get out early. It turned out to be at 7:20, which for us is really good. It was a really quick 12k walk into church.

The LDS church in Leon is actually right on the Camino and very close to our albergue. We just walked straight to church and got dressed when we got there.

The branch in Leon is great. Everyone was so nice, and they had a great mix of Spanish and Latino members. I went to primary with River. It’s really becoming clear that she hasn’t been spending much time with other kids her age. She’s got a lot of catching up to do when we get home.

We haven’t been in an official sacrament meeting since Rome. That was on March 24. It was just so great to be back with the saints.

The rest of the day was spent just resting.  12k feels like practically nothing now. We are strong, but soon we will be back in the mountains, and that will be tough. We’ve got about two weeks of hiking from León, but most of it will be in the mountains. It’s going to be a big challenge, but we are all itching for home. So we are going to give it all we’ve got.

Oh, and I went this evening and took some golden hour shots of the cathedral. I think they will turn out OK, but I’m also looking forward to the early morning and hoping I can get some pictures then as well.

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La Gran Aventura Day 138: Reliegos to Puente Villarente

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Last night was interesting.

The municipal albergue in Reliegos has a bunch of bunk beds spread across two rooms. The beds line the outside of the room, and down the middle there is another double row of bunk beds right next to each other. So they are really like one giant row of double beds.

Betty and I were so excited to “share” a bed. But River somehow made her way between us so that was short lived.

Then, at about 2am, we all woke up to a giant thud.

Ian, who had been sleeping with Kimball on the double bunk above us, had rolled off the bed and plunked down onto the floor right next to me.

It woke up everyone in the room (another 8 or 10 people). The guy next to us was very concerned, and because he was Spanish he expressed his concern with a generous supply of curse words.

For his part, Ian handled it all pretty well. He had smacked his head pretty hard and fallen onto his hip.

I just pulled him into bed with me and River and Betty, and after making sure nothing was broken or bleeding, we tried to get back to sleep.

But after something like that, it’s pretty hard to just fall asleep. I kept wondering if Kimball or Alicia would fall off the bed.

So it wasn’t my greatest night of sleep. But I haven’t had a great night of sleep since February, so that’s nothing particularly new.

After the excitement of the night, I decided to let everyone sleep in a bit. We had already planned for a short hike today (12k only about 8 miles). Ian’s hip was pretty sore, so we sent his pack ahead. That’s been the biggest blessing for us.

The hike itself went well. Ian’s hip didn’t bother him at all while hiking. It’s just the pressure of the belt.

We made it to our albergue just as the rain started. That makes it since the first two days of the Camino since we haven’t had to hike in the rain. Cold and windy, yes. But no rain. It’s such a blessing -- maybe a Camino miracle. Certainly a tender mercy.

Our albergue for tonight is really nice. A bit pricier, but we have a room all to ourselves, and we are all on bottom bunks. And it’s very warm, so warm that Betty asked me to open a window. I’m hoping she has an especially good sleep.

Since tomorrow is Sunday, I decided to go to Leon this afternoon to get some new shoes. Ian’s have completely fallen apart as well, so he came with me.

The bus to Leon wasn’t working today because it’s Saturday, so the hospitalero just gave us a ride into town (about 15 minutes).

We went to the Corte Inglés, which is a huge department store that many people disparage, but I actually love. Ian loved it too. He told me visiting the Corte Inglés was his favorite thing we’ve done on the trip. He especially loved the toy and book sections.

We both got some new shoes, and then we went and got KFC for everyone because our albergue has no kitchen. That meal turned out to be a hit when we got back.

I’ve been exhausted all day, so I took a nap and spent a bunch of time just catching up on track videos. I think I needed a little break. River was also exhausted, and she’s been trying everyone’s patience.  I hope she can get some good rest tonight as well.

We are closing in on two thirds of this trip done, and everyone is starting to feel like the end is close. But soon we will be off of the flat meseta and we will have to cross a pretty formidable mountain range. I know Betty’s foot isn’t 100%, and my right Achilles tendon and knee are getting sore as well. Hopefully the new shoes will help.

Just a couple more weeks, and we should be headed home.

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La Gran Aventura Day 137: El Burgo Ranero to Reliegos

Friday, April 26, 2024

This morning was perhaps our best morning ever. I think it’s good for us to sleep in a shared room because the kids can’t really talk things out in the morning. They know they just have to quietly get up and gather their things. Also, in a shared room there is much less space for people to chuck their stuff around, so everything is already in the bag in the morning.

So this morning we got up. Everyone gathered their stuff. We had some breakfast. And we hit the road.

We really wanted to make our town, Reliegos, early because it’s supposed to rain this afternoon. After walking a little bit we ran into some friends from before. Jorge, an American guy we met way back in Villafranca Montes de Oca, and a couple of younger ladies (from Brazil and Israel) that were in our albergue last night. We started walking with them, and things were going great. Then River said she wanted to walk, so she hopped down, and she did a great job of staying with everyone. That means she was really mostly jogging the whole way. I kept asking her if she wanted a ride, but she insisted on walking and chatting with the Brazilian girl.

That ended up lasting at least a few kilometers. It’s by far the most walking River has ever done in a day, and I was grateful. But towards the end she started walking slower and slower, and we were falling further and further behind. When Kimball stepped up next to Elena (the Brazilian) to talk to her, River became furious, insisting the Elena was only her friend.

So then she decided she was done walking, and she plunked down on the ground. She wouldn’t let me pick her up, and she wouldn’t walk. So we just sat there for a while (thankfully there was a bench close by). After about 15 minutes of waiting, we started walking again, but by that time everyone was far ahead of us. We couldn’t even see them. River was really upset about that, and she let the whole world know for about the next hour. She just cried and cried. She didn’t want to stop. She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to eat. She didn’t want anything. She was just mad and sad.

Finally, we made it to our town -- Reliegos. It’s pretty small, but the albergue is nice. We actually stopped at a bar just at the entrance of town where Betty and the girls were waiting for us (Kimball and Ian had stayed with me and River). Elena and her friend were there, which made River very happy.

We got some yummy treats there, and just hung around waiting for the albergue to open.

We ended up walking over 12k in just about 3.5 hours. It’s a good pace for us.

Oh, and one more thing. It’s been dawning on me that Ian doesn’t remember The Princess Bride. Of course all of my kids have seen it (I’m not a monster), but he must have been too little. It’s been annoying for him to not get my references, so today we are going to watch it. We started it while we were waiting on the albergue. We’ll finish it in a bit.

This is going to be a really relaxed day.

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La Gran Aventura Day 136: Sahagún to El Burgo Ranero

Thursday, April 25, 2024

I had really hoped to get out early this morning, but it turned out to be really late. I had some confusion about the backpack transportation service, so we ended up waiting around and not leaving until nearly 9am.

The hike today was shorter -- just 18k. It didn’t feel too tough. Betty is feeling better in her foot. It’s always a bit sore, but it’s manageable. I think all of us are feeling like that now.

This albergue isn’t the fanciest, but it will do. We are all in a shared room, and it’s pretty cramped quarters. When Betty and I went out for lunch/dinner, the market was closed. So we just went to a bar and ordered a couple of big salads. They were amazing! One was made with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and bacon, and the other had lettuce, tomato, and a bunch of sautéed mushrooms.

I’m pretty certain I need new shoes. My old ones are really wearing out, and my feet are pretty uncomfortable every time I put them on. The soles are totally smashed down, and they are running really thin. I’ve been putting it off, because I worry about getting blisters from new shoes. But I’m pretty sure in Leon I can find the same kind of shoes (Hoka Speedgoats), so I’m going to try to take care of it there.

The weather is getting colder today, and some clouds have rolled in. It looks like we might have cold and rain off and on for the next week. I’m so grateful for the protection we’ve had from the elements so far. I couldn’t have asked for better weather. But we may have to work with some rain over the next several days. That should be interesting. I’m planning a bit shorter stages until we get through this.

Now everyone is resting. I might take a little nap here by Betty, but I’m afraid I might not wake up. I’m pretty beat.

Update: I ended up doing some work, and then I went out and rustled up some food for everyone. Then Alicia had some stuff she wanted to talk about, so she and Betty and I went out for a walk and we got some hot chocolate at a bar and we just talked and talked.

One of my favorite things about this trip, and I know I’ve said it before, is the opportunity to just talk. Back home, if one of the kids is struggling, it seems like we never have the time to just talk. Good communication just takes time -- a lot of it. I’m finding more and more that with teenagers especially, you just have to sit and let them talk about what they want to talk about. They want to be heard. I was so grateful this evening that we had the time to just sit and work things out.

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La Gran Aventura Day 135: Calzadilla de la Cueza to Sahagún

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Once again the forecast called for rain, and once again the weather was perfect for us. It’s nice a cool, and there is just a gentle breeze. Perfect hiking weather.

This morning we had a hard time getting out on time. We had a private room, and it should have been easy, but it wasn’t. These slow starts are going to bite us one day.

Sahagún is considered the geographical center of the Camino. There is a cool couple of statues that mark the halfway point just as you come into town. So even though we’ve hiked exactly halfway now we know we are more than halfway done because we had a bunch of half days in the beginning when Betty was sick. We’re moving right along now.

In Sahagún we stayed at the Albergue Santa Cruz. It is really nice. Tonio, the Catholic priest in charge, and his crew do a great job of running everything. At 5pm we had a really nice “Pilgrim tea” where pilgrims were invited to get together and have some cookies and a drink and to talk about what we’ve learned on the Camino. The kids did a great job sharing.

Later, I introduced Betty, Nidia, and Joycelyn to one of my favorite Spanish foods: salmorejo. It’s like gazpacho (which is basically cold tomatoes and other veggies blended up with olive oil), but it’s ground up with bread as well -- so it’s really thick. It’s super good.

In the evening we had a nice communal dinner. Tonio and co. put up the first course (a yummy creamy veggie soup), and then everyone else added what they could (tortillas de patatas, chorizo, chips, olives, etc.). We all sat around a big table, and we had a great time. It was a really nice afternoon and evening.

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La Gran Aventura Day 134: Carrión de Los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

This morning I read this quote on Facebook. I love this idea.

Hiking - "I don't like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not hike! Do you know the origin of that word 'saunter?' It's a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, 'A la sainte terre,' 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them." -- John Muir

We got a really slow start to the day. I think that after the cold blustery wind yesterday, nobody was really excited to get going.

Today there was thankfully no wind, but it was bitter cold in the morning. We were right around 30 degrees.

We also had some grumpy kids. River was grumpy about everything. So was Anahi. She has been so excited to speak with Dutch people that she has a tendency to race ahead and leave us all behind. We don’t love that.

My shoulders were also pretty sore this morning. I just couldn’t get comfortable with River, and she was really wiggly.

After a few kilometers I just told Betty “I can’t do this anymore,” and I put River down and took off my pack. Then River said she wanted to be in my pack.

I’ve been sending my heaviest items (laptop and cables) by transport between towns, so I’ve got a bit more room. So I decided I’d give it a try with her actually inside the backpack.

At first it was great, but after a while it became agony. The weight distribution was all wrong. I carried her a big chunk of the day back there, and she loved it, but it’s not a viable solution for us.

So in the end I put her back on my shoulders, and she felt much better.

Today we hiked to a town called Calzadilla. The albergue is nice, but the town is pretty crummy. The one store just takes advantage of pilgrims. So we ate at the bar. We can get big bocadillos (sandwiches) for everyone for about 4-5 dollars each. It’s not too bad. The albergue was run by Brazilians, and it was fun to visit with them.

The albergue had some really fun outside games including corn hole and a giant connect four. River and I played those for a while.

I also put my feet in the ice-cold swimming pool. That felt awesome. While I sat there I visited with a guy named Christian. He was really kind, and he told me how grateful he was to have taken his son on adventures when he was younger.

Betty and I also had a good chat tonight. I think one of the hardest things about this whole trip is that we just don’t have hardly any privacy. We have so much time to connect with the kids, but we have not been connecting with each other.

This Camino is no joke. It’s really tough, and it’s tougher with kids and a tight budget. But Betty is such a trooper. Her foot has been sore again, and I know there is a part of her that wants to throw in the towel, but she is still here. I’m so grateful to have her around for this. I marvel at her determination and grit. She is just the best, and I’m excited to get home so that we can reconnect a bit. It’s just been tough on the road.

Tomorrow we’ve got rain again in the forecast. Today was beautiful. Sunny, but not too hot. I’m hoping for another day like that. We will see.

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La Gran Aventura Day 133: Frómista to Carrión de los Condes

Monday, April 22, 2024

This was one of our better mornings getting started, and we would have been in great shape, but I misplaced my wallet, and it took some time to find it.

The headline of the day today was cold wind. It blew and blew the entire day. It’s exhausting to walk with the wind blowing like that. Betty struggled the most with it. She’s never really done well with the cold, and I think that the strong cold wind just sucked her dry.

The albergue we are in here is really great. It’s called Espíritu Santo, and it’s run by a nun named María. She was waiting for us when we arrived, and we got a big room all to ourselves. There are no bunk beds. They are all just regular beds, and we even pushed two together to make a big bed for me and Betty and River. María also gave us a space heater because Betty was so cold.

In the afternoon Nidia and the girls and I made a huge pot of spaghetti. It was delicious. Then we went to a prayer meeting with Sor María. She talked about how special the Camino is, and how it brings together people from around the world. Then she asked if anyone wanted to sing. We were the only pilgrims who accepted her offer. First we sang “I Am a Child of God,” and then later, as an encore we sang “Families Can Be Together Forever.” Also, Maria taught everyone the song “Ultreia,” and we sang it together (in French). It’s kind of unofficial anthem of the Camino.

It was really a sweet little meeting, and afterward we visited with Maria a bit. Something that she said stood out to me and Betty. She said that it was so good to see us doing the Camino as a happy family because most people who do the Camino do it out of a desire for healing from some kind of loss. Many people come to mourn the death of a loved one or after a separation or to ask God to heal something. She was really happy that we were happy. And that made me happy.

The rest of the night has been kind of weird. It’s pretty late, and people are just getting to sleep. With this cold wind, I don’t think anyone is super excited about hiking tomorrow. The weather for the next week does not look good. This is something we knew could happen, but we aren’t looking forward to it.

We will see how it goes.

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