travel
After cruising around the Southwest (taking lots of pictures of vintage motel signs for future paintings!), we've landed in Southern California. When I collected my waiting mail, I had a surprise waiting--my watercolor and ink painting, Parque Mexico, won an honorable mention in the national juried AZ Aqueous Show! What an awesome welcome back to California.
Beautiful Parque Mexico in the Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City.
Somehow, I didn't get a ton of photos of our walk into Santiago and the two days we spent there. In a way, I'm glad. The last day of the Camino was one totally spent in the moment--excited and partially astonished to have made it and sad that the end is approaching as we knock of one kilometer after the next. We stopped at every cafe--took our time. We people watched. We enjoyed the last of the Camino sunrises and scenery. I limped into Santiago so so grateful my feet carried me this last day without something popping loose like a wonky spring in a clock.
The cathedral was under construction inside and out, but it didn't matter. The perfect photo backdrop didn't matter. What felt good was to arrive with friends and to watch other pilgrims arrive throughout the weekend. It was a lovely time sightseeing like a tourist, having meals with friends from the way and waving hi to somewhat recognizable faces. Santiago is a beautiful city for arrivals.
We also visited the Pilgrimage Museum behind the cathedral with gave me a frame of reference for an accomplishment I still don't quite comprehend.
Thank you for your visit.
Last Galician early morning. We'll be sleeping in from here on out.
To prolong the day we stopped at every cafe. This is the first I saw with a gift shop though!
Winding our way into Santiago.
One view of the massive cathedral
The cathedral interior with Botofumeria.
Leaving Rabanal to climb to the Camino's highest point at La Cruz de Ferro.
Cruz de Ferro where pilgrims leave a stone from home, also symbolically leaving behind a burden they have carried
Stopping for the evening in the tiny town of Reigo.
My camera is so dirty, I now have a nice Glamor Shots soft focus going on as we leave, climbing down from Reigo in the dark for nearly an hour before the valley began to fill with early morning light.
The very pretty town of Molinaseca still hasn't woken up when I'm passing through.
Yelling at this insane cat to go back inside made no difference in Ponferrada
The 12 C Knight's Templar castle in Ponferrada.
Plenty of grapes to harvest in the Bierzo wine region. This is just outside Cacabelos, where I was so tired for once I didn't not explore after arriving at the albergue.
Gorgeous morning's walk into Villafranca del Bierzo
Leaving Villafranca
Some interesting blue trees at the start of a long walk adjacent the highway leading deeper into the Valcare river valley.
TheValcarce river vallye is dotted with sleepy hamlets. Each one quaint and beautiful, like Vega de Valcarce
A space highway floating overhead
Lovely little Las Herrerias where we stayed in a cozy hostel with a delicious dinner. A restful stop before a steep climb to cross over into Galicia. I hope I can return to the Valcarce River valley some day. For me, it was one of the prettiest areas of the Camino.
Leaving Leon, I passed the beautiful Leon Parador, a 12th C pilgrim's hospital (hostal) spruced up to become the headquarters of the Knights Order of Santiago.
In front of the parador, another statue of a weary pilgrim.
Some interesting farm contraptions--my only photo of the day into Villadangos. It was a highway adjacent walk through pit stops for truckers. Nothing going on in Villadangos but good company and a delicious dinner at the albergue with new friends.
Sunrise through corn stalks. It's actually quite creepy to walk through corn during the pre-dawn. believe it or not.
I only passed through, but really liked the town of Hospital de Orbigo. This long bridge dates from the 13th C. Legend has it that a knight was thwarted in love. To restore his honor he vowed to defend that bridge against anyone who would challenge him. In 1434, Knights arrived from all over Europe to joust against the heartsick Don Suero. 300 knights were defeated, and I guess that was the magic number because a victorious Don Suero then journeyed to Santiago in thanks for being cured of his heartbreak.
Yellow arrows mark the dusty path toward Astorga.
Casa de los Dioses, which I anticipated because it is so beloved by my guidebook and favorite Camino forum. Entirely donativo, sustenance, good vibes and a shady place to rest is offered.
After a long day, weary pilgrims (including me!) on the outskirts of Astorga. Look at that sky!
Cannot resist the handpainted signs. Or patatas fritas for that matter.
At this point in the trip, I can handled the blisters, but my foot is killing me and I feel like I've aged 30 years. I really enjoyed my meal Plaza Major, though, and watching people gather to see the clock at the top of the Ayuntamiento chime -- it has little characters like the Glockenspiel in Munich!
Astorga was lovely. With a beautiful cathedral too.
I like comparing the grandiose cathedrals with the tiny hermitages I'd pass along the way. Even though it was sunrise, this medieval chapel, Ecce Homo, was manned by a friendly elderly woman who tried to tell me the story of the chapel's well. From what I gathered a miracle happened, but my Spanish wasn't up to the task of sorting out what type of miracle. So I blessed myself and looked as the display of antique photos of parishoners past. As I was leaving the tiny woman mimed my putting on my backpack and trudging away. She must see a lot of us droopy pilgrims.
I thought the walk toward Rabanal was stunning. Sunny with walled paths, then later, a forest trail. I came to love the entrance to small towns.
The Camino "color scheme" of yellow arrows against a blue background is truly accurate. To me the Camino is yellow against blue.
Besides Elvis Bar in Religos, Cowboy Bar in the sleepy Maragato town El Ganso was a favorite. The inside is like the prop department of a spaghetti western
Rabanal in silohuette.
I really liked Leon and almost immediately upon leaving knew I'd have to return someday. It felt strange to me to look forward to a bigger city after the small towns of the Meseta and yet only have a few hours there to look around. I had a conversation with a woman I walked with almost every day from Astorga on--Natalie from Denmark, about how hard it can be to turn off tourist mode in your brain and just accept pilgrimage mode. In other words, it's in my nature to want to see everything I can--always on the look out for interesting little museums, wanting to see the historic buildings and wander the streets, reading up on the history or the famous foods of the area. Instead, on this journey, you are always simply passing through. The physical path of the Camino is what you get to know so well and you have to learn to ease your grip on all these interesting places you pass through.
Always on the look out for interesting signage - usually easy to spot on the approach into a big city like Leon. For me the walk into Leon didn't seem as drawn out as Burgos. Halfway through the Camino and the idea of needing solitude to think and be "present" is much less appealing than good company and conversation to pass the miles.
Just the type of odd city scene I like to paint!
On a Saturday in Leon it seems that there are dozens of weddings and almost as many festivals occurring.
Gaudi on Plaza S. Marcelo!
Calle Ancha, Leon
What is happening?! A collision of two festivals results in an impromptu street waltz.
The cathedral closed early and I was so sorry to have missed it, but now I have an extra reason to return to lovely Leon.
The "wet district" is quiet right before tapas hour chimes.
The camino provides...because I visited S. Isidoro, I was provided with a very nice Scottish couple who I'd seen often and they invited me for tapas. First, I spied on the pilgrim mass which was ending as I arrived. Each place does it a little differently, but at the end of mass, the priest invites the pilgrims to stand or approach and offers a blessing. Here, he's also giving a history of the Church as well. My favorite pilgrim's mass was in Estella, where the priest seemed to speak every pilgrim's language and had a holy card for each of us.
As a kid, I used to pray for myself all the time: "Dear God, please give me magic powers." "Dear God, please help me pass my test. I promise I'll pay attention in Church from now on." I've fallen out of the habit of praying altogether, but on the Camino pretty much every holy icon got an earful: "Please God, bless my feet. Please God, direct me to a pharmacy so I can get more Compeed. Please God, keep my foot from breaking. I don't have great insurance anymore and can't afford a podiatrist." Happy to report God listened and my feet are on the mend!
always onward!
Well, my app didn't end up working so well and, as it happened, I got more wrapped up in the walk as it went on, which is a good thing. During the second half of the walk , things began to click for me, despite the fact that my body was ready to reach its destination and began to voice big, loud complaints via my right foot and ankle. All my wretched limbs held together though and I hobbled into Santiago with friends on October 7 after 35 days of walking. I'm home now and just beginning to wrap my head around the experience. Did I dream the whole thing?
I'm sprucing up my sketchbook which I will post, along with some more thoughts on the Camino and some practical things I learned. Despite years of researching this trip, there were still things I hadn't thought out that would've helped me before I left. It just goes to show that each person's Camino is a different animal and despite that, we all have a shared journey. It was a horrible and wonderful trip and that's the only way I can think to describe it. Just like a month and a half of real life, there are good and bad and many in between days. I have to imagine that each is valuable, even if I can't see it yet.
This week, though, I will continue to share some images from the 2nd half of The Way.
Carrion de los Condes, passing through the main square before a very long walk through the Meseta
Plenty of food and water...16 k until my stopping point.
The town of Calzadilla de la Cueza and the sign for its municipal albergue seemed to rise from the grass like an oasis. It's a two albergue town and not much else, and in my haste to take off my shoes I managed to pick the albergue WITHOUT the pool.
Plenty of time to think here...this cafe and the view of pilgrims coming over the hill is the only thing to do in this town.
A perfect color palette.
I love these little Spanish buildings. I want to live in every single one.
Not Hobbit Houses!, a sign helpfully explained to passing pilgrims. These little cave cottages are for storing wine.
I know it looks cute but its cat talons are sharpened and waiting to rip food from pilgrim hands. This cat ferociously guards Elvis Bar, which is the epicenter of tiny Reliegos, as well as acting as a graffiti-ed notice board for those passing through.
