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.

Click here for full photos and video

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.

Click here for full photos and video

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.

Click here for full photos and video

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.

Click here for full photos and video

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.

Click here for full photos and videos

La Gran Aventura Day 132: Boadilla del Camino to Frómista

Sunday, April 21, 2024

This morning we slept in until 7am. It felt good. Then we took our time with breakfast and getting out the door because we only hiked 5k (3 miles) to the next town. It’s the Sabbath and time for a rest day.

This town is called Frómista, and it’s a lot like all of the other little towns we’ve been staying in lately: sleepy.

It was pretty cold this morning on our walk, but it was also very short, so we’re all good.

The rest of the day has just been spent lying around this albergue and taking care of some church stuff.

We had a private room in the albergue, so we had a little sacrament meeting together. I’m so grateful we can do that. It was sweet. Nidia and Joycelyn shared some of what they have been learning on the Camino so far.

Tomorrow we hope to get an early start on the day.

Click here for full photos and video

La Gran Aventura Day 131: Castrojériz to Boadilla del Camino

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Today was perhaps the smoothest day of walking that we’ve ever had.

I woke up, and my right knee and right achilles tendon were both pretty tight and a bit sore. They were pretty sore for most of the first half of the day yesterday as well, so this morning I put some of the anti-inflammatory ointment that Betty’s been using for her feet on it. It worked like a charm, and we were able to have a super good day on the trail.

Castrojériz is a really beautiful town, but the walk out of town and up onto the meseta is tough. Ian had the misfortune of inheriting River’s backpack right at the beginning of the climb. It was tough for him, but he did a great job.

I should mention that Ian’s asthma hasn’t been an issue at all since we’ve been on the Camino. He does have occasional attacks, but with a couple of puffs on his inhaler, he’s great. He struggled much more traveling through Europe and staying in houses with animals than he has out in the dust and pollen of the Camino. It’s a massive blessing for us. Just one more way God has opened the way for us.

And while I’m on the subject of the kids, Anahi has found her own little miracle on the Camino. Years ago, I encouraged the kids to study a language on Duolingo as part of their homeschool. Most chose Spanish, but Anahí -- for no apparent reason -- started studying Dutch. We all gave her a bit of a hard time because honestly, when was she ever going to use Dutch? Well, it turns out in the past couple of months she’s actually visited Holland, and also there are a ton of Dutch people on the Camino. Anahí spent a bunch of time walking with some of them today. They are so kind and really complimentary of the Dutch that she knows. It’s not a ton, but she’s really into studying the language now, and each day she improves. She’s even started reading the Book of Mormon in Dutch. It’s awesome to see her walking way ahead of us and just chatting it up with these sweet Dutch ladies.

Kimball came to me today and said that he has been thinking a lot about the upcoming election, in which he will be able to vote. He asked if I’d walk him through politics, so we spent a couple of hours walking and talking through the different parties, candidates, and issues. Our friend Joycelyn walked with us, and she was able to share her viewpoint.

Towards the end of the day it was Ian, Kimball, River, and I -- a bit behind everyone else because of frequent stops with River -- but the day just flew by. It felt like we were doing a kilometer every 5 minutes.

Now we’re at this really nice Albergue in Boadilla del Camino. The hospitalero is a guy named Eduardo, and he seems to be doing really well here.

There is literally nothing else in this town except the hotel/albergue/restaurant, a church, and a few houses. So we couldn’t get our usual dinner, breakfast, and lunch at a supermarket. We just had to pony up and eat the pilgrim’s dinner. It was delicious. We had lentil soup and creamy squash soup for our entrada. Then it was salad and ternera or chicken for the plato fuerte, and we all got ice cream bars for dessert.

The weirdest moment of the night came when he brought out a pitcher of what looked like grape juice. He told me it was zumo (juice), and then left. I smelled it, and it smelled fishy to me, so I asked again “Is this really grape juice?” And he smiled and said yes. I thought “how cool of him to bring grape juice for the kids, and then I tasted a bit of it.

It was most definitely NOT grape juice!

When he came back, I said “Is this grape juice or wine?” To which he responded laughing, “What do you think wine is?”

To which I responded: “But we don’t drink!”

To which he responded by looking sheepish and retiring the wine from the table.

Tonight Nidia came to our room (we have our own room to ourselves), and we played a fun game with her. It was nice to just spend some time laughing and enjoying having “company” over.

Tomorrow we are only going to walk 5km to Frómista so that we can relax and enjoy the Sabbath day, and rest our bodies and minds before we tackle the next week.

This week we covered 138 km, which is 86 miles. We pushed our average per day on the Camino back up to 18k, which is about 11 miles per day. The best thing is that everyone’s bodies are holding up, and we are in good spirits.

As I am lying down in bed, reading my scriptures at the end of the day, I read the following verse from Words of Mormon in The Book of Mormon:

And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.

I can’t think of a better description of this trip. It’s been absolutely amazing, and I’m sure the Lord will continue to show us what His purposes for us are in all of this.

Click here for full pictures and videos

La Gran Aventura Day 130: Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz

Friday, April 19, 2024

This morning the kids did a great job getting ready. So many people, myself included, have been really impressed with the how the kids behave in the albergues. They are generally quiet and respectful. People just can’t believe that the kids keep walking and walking and they hardly complain. This has been a really full week. We’ve covered another roughly 78km or 50 miles this week so far. And we’ve got one more long-ish Day tomorrow to finish things out.

Today we walked with Nidia and Joycelyn again. They are the best walking buddies. I often find myself just wanting to listen in to what they are talking about with the kids. They have had some awesome conversations about a variety of topics -- including gospel topics -- over the past couple of days.

I was really surprised by the beauty of the way today. Hontanas is a beautiful little pueblo nestled in a little valley. River had been dying to play in a park all morning, and I told her we would look for one. The first one we saw looked like something from a horror film, so we skipped it and asked a guy at a bar if there was a park around. He pointed us to a beautiful little park hidden next to the church. It was a perfect place to take a break and visit and eat some lunch and let the kids play. That little park in Hontanas won’t show up in any guide book, but it was just perfect for River today. A real tender mercy.

The next huge surprise was the ruins of the monastery of St Anton just outside of Castrojeriz. The Camino literally leads directly though the ruins -- which have been made into an albergue for pilgrims. We sat for a while there and simply marveled at what we were seeing. It’s one of the most strikingly beautiful spots I’ve seen on this trip.

And finally, there is Castrojeriz itself. The signs say it’s one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, and I believe it. It’s got a couple of nice churches, and a ruined castle that looks over everything.

Nidia and Ian really wanted to hike up to the castle, but my Achilles tendon is giving me some trouble, and we had other stuff to do (dinner, showers, etc) so we didn’t go.

We had a really good day walking. River had an awesome attitude. The only bummer was that the battery on my good camera died, so I didn’t get the pictures of St Anton. But I had my iPhone, and I’m hoping I got some good shots with that.

Today Kimball and I had a great discussion about how walking the Camino is like conversion and discipleship. Sometimes Kimball wants his conversion to be complete and definitive. But that’s not how it usually is. What we need to do is keep walking, and eventually, we will get where we need to be. But it requires a lot of patience, and some trust in God, and the determination to just take His hand and keep walking.

Click here for full pictures and videos