June 1 to June 2 - Sunday to Monday What a Pleasant Surprise

June 1 to June 2 - Sunday to Monday

What a Pleasant Surprise

Yesterday afternoon one of the pilgrims announced that he wanted to make dinner for us, meaning the hospitaleros. Isn't that sweet. I believe he is French. He made my favorite kind of ensalada mixta (with corn and tuna) I have not seen corn on an ensalada mixta since I arrived here. I guess it is more common in Northern Spain. He also made pasta. He had coke, wine, and water. It was quite a feast. We were joined by two other French guys and a fellow from Estonia. Thankfully, because he was French, dinner was at 8:30 pm. I used to think all Europeans ate dinner after 9:30, which almost caused me to go hungry in Saint Jean Pied de Port. I think it is only the Spanish who eat dinner in, what I consider to be, the middle of the night. Anyway, the dinner was lovely with lots of different languages flying around in true pilgrim style. They even cleaned up and did the dishes! I felt so pampered. 

I got to bed and to sleep by 10:30 pm. Up again at 6:30 am to get breakfast ready. The first step in that process is making the coffee and drinking a cup myself. lol, then there's lots if activity and energy as the pilgrims are waking up and getting fueled for a new day. Multiple languages flying around the room. I got lots of hugs and kisses and heartfelt thanks, as did José Luis and Merixa.  

Yesterday as we were finishing up breakfast, a homeless man knocked on the window and asked for food. So Merixa and I grabbed some meat and cheese and bread that pilgrims had left behind and gave it to him. He was very thankful too. My friend Daniel says "Love everyone and feed the hungry. " I'm trying to live by that. 

The experience being a hospitalera, here in the center of a bigger city, is different than the little pueblo of Bercianos. There are more homeless and hungry people. Today Merixa came in and said there was a little fellow at the door who wanted something to eat. I said fine, we can do that, he also wanted some juice. Then he asked for money and I said, "no." After we gave him the food, José Luis gave him 16€ to get a bus ticket. In the meantime, another homeless person came and had a credential. José Luis determined that he wasn't really a pilgrim, but gave him a bed, by himself, separated from the other pilgrims because if concern about theft. 

The atmosphere here is very different from last year. It's not better or worse, just different. But I digress. After the pilgrims left this morning we did our cleaning and then drove to the Supermercado to stock up on food and supplies for the week. I got cornflakes and double stuffed Oreos. ; ). Oh, and raspberry jam. That is a fruit, right. J/K. I also got some donut peaches, melon, lettuce, and tomatoes. This evening I'm sitting at the desk dining on Brie, pan and strawberries. I feel so continental. lol

After the market, we put away the groceries, had a bite to eat and prepared to greet the pilgrims. We've had some really nice people come thru and three really good looking guys on bikes. The bike riders tend to be younger and in much better shape. They don't look all that bad in Spandex. Today's three were handsome as well. Two of them were brothers. So that was a pleasant interlude. Sigh. 

Then a pleasant young fellow from England came in and we chatted for a while. I hadn't realized how much I missed conversing in English. Of course, as we discussed, I don't speak English I speak American. He said, "Yes, we are divided by a common language." lol this morning one of the pilgrims asked if Canada was part of the United States. I said, "Oh Lord, don't let them hear you say that." They seemed to get a little peeved when people say that. And they are supposed to be the "nice" ones. Go figure. I wouldn't mind if people thought I was from Canada or that California was part of Canada. In fact, when John and I were in Spain in 2006, America wasn't too popular here because of the train station bombings. So when people thought we were from Australia, we didn't disabuse them of the idea.   

Well, enough of my ramblings. I'm going to go see if I can get a picture of the bicyclists to send you and share my good fortune. It's not quite like feeding the hungry, but close.

May 30 - 31 Santiago to Zamora From Pampered to Service

May 30 - 31 Santiago to Zamora

From Pampered to Service

The breakfast service at the Parador was lousy. I had to hunt someone down to get my café. Ok, so that is my "tourist" voice. Now I'm in Zamora being a hospitalera and I'm grateful. Tourist demand, Peregrinos are grateful. 

Before leaving Santiago yesterday, I got a chance to stop by the Cathedral and have a wee chat with my friend John. There are now English masses every day in a little chapel. Pilgrims have begun writing their prayers and leaving them in the chapel. So I wrote one for Sal and all others in the fight with breast cancer. Then I walked to the train station and caught my train for Zamora. I didn't get lost, didn't miss any trains. Wow, I'm on a roll. I got to Zamora and on the way from the train station, I stopped at the market and got some pan and aqua. I felt almost like a local, walking down the street with my stick of pan. Well, except for the backpack. lol, It was late Saturday afternoon in Spain. You could have shot a cannon down the Main Street and not hit anyone. 

I arrived at the albergue to a warm welcome. Claudia, from Italy, started showing me the ropes. Marisa from Logoño came in and we started exchanging English and Spanish lessons. They are the hospitaleros that are leaving tomorrow. We discussed the difference in the pronunciation between "shit" and "sheet." I met a woman from Australia and since she is walking I will probably see her again in Santiago. A little later Jose Luís arrived with his girlfriend. Marisa and Claudia said they were going to say goodbye to someone they met here and they would be back at 10 for dinner. Ten pm for dinner?! Oy! 

Jose Luís, his girlfriend and I chatted for a long time. He teaches Hospitalero courses here in Spain. He is very nice. We decided I would help him with English and he would help me with Spanish and we would all talk slowly. lol. They wanted to know the difference in pronunciation between "beach" and "bitch." Where are they hearing these English words? I didn't even try to explain "sunny beaches." ; )

Marisa and Claudia came back about 9:30 pm and we went downstairs to the kitchen and dining room for dinner. Marisa and Claudia made pasta. I cut up some fresh strawberries and we had a mighty fine dinner. There were also three guys, two from Spain and one from France) still eating. There was another Spanish guy from France who was suiting on the couch quietly. Then he started singing. Oh my goodness, he had the most beautiful soulful tenor voice. He sang to us for about an hour. There were also many funny stories being told. I could only get the gist of them because when people start telling funny stories they talk fast. My Spanish is improving, but I can't process it fast enough. 

Finally got to bed about midnight and up at 6:45 to make café and toast for Peregrinos. Got lots of hugs and besas from departing pilgrims. Then we set about cleaning. There were four of us today. Tomorrow there will be only two. José Luis and I. These guys have all been doing this for years. I'm just a newbie, so I can learn a lot from them.  

I'll be sending this off now because I don't know when I will get another chance today. 

May 30 Friday - Baiona to Santiago Like A Trip Home

May 30 Friday - Baiona to Santiago

Like A Trip Home

I woke up to a bright sunny day today. Baiona was sparkling. Mr. Burple and I went down to breakfast and enjoyed our café while looking outside at the sunshine. It's really strange, but this trip I have not wanted to have tostada con mantequilla y mermelada, since the first week. I look at it on the breakfast buffet or think about it at the restaurant, and decide against having it. Very weird. This trip is so different in so many ways from my first two Caminos. It's not a value like better or worse, just very different. Maybe part of the difference is that it isn't a straight line, it's been straight and squiggly and loopy and zig zag. It's been transforming as I go. Currently, I'm calling this portion the "Camino de Los Paradores."

But, I digress. After breakfast, I got packed and headed to town to catch the bus to Vigo to catch the bus to Santiago. Surprise! I didn't get lost or miss any buses. How amazing. I chatted with a woman at the bus stop who had come out to Baiona, from her hometown, to buy fish. She said it is good and it is fresh. It comes right off the fishing boats into the market. She also wanted to know where my husband was, and whether I liked Baiona or my hometown best. I couldn't choose. They are both beautiful. But then she asked me if I would rather live in my hometown or in Baiona. That was an easy choice. I love my home, my friends, and my family. I live in paradise.   

So I got to Santiago and checked into the Parador. The room isn't as nice as the ones in Zamora and Baiona. But it is nice and has a lot of history. It used to be a refuge for pilgrims needing shelter and medical care. It was also an orphanage. 

The info says, "There was a window with a bell and a revolving compartment. A person would ring the bell and wait to hear 'Ave Maria, gratis plena' and then they would leave the newborn," presumably on the revolving platform. 

There is some very interesting history. I took pictures of some of the carvings that were supposed to represent sins. Cracked me up. Then there were the gargoyles, which are actually roof drains, that have no biblical reference. I spent an hour or so exploring this history. I may spend some more time at the end of June when I'm in town for two weeks. Anyone can go in and look at the courtyards and read to placards. You don't have to be a hotel guest. 

This evening I sat in one of the small plazas eating dinner and watching pilgrims greet people they had met along the Camino with great joy. It is a delight to watch people's whole being light up when they recognize someone they had seen or spent time with over the course of the Camino. There are always shouts of greetings, hugs, and laughter. I had many moments like those myself. It even happens on the Camino when you see someone for a few days, then you don't see them for a while, and the you walk into an albergue and there they are. It is such a treat. 

For some strange reason, I turned on the TV tonight and watched old episodes of Castle and Bones. It's a good way to improve your Spanish. And now I'm tucked into my cozy bed in my cozy room and soon it will be time to sleep. Tomorrow I catch the train to Zamora after I stop by and say "hello" to my friend John. 

Night all.   

May 29 Thursday - Baiona A Quiet Day

May 29 Thursday - Baiona

A Quiet Day

I woke this morning to low cloud cover. There had been rain, that slowed to periodic drizzle. I have been waking up slowly the past few days, luxuriating in the absence of any need to be anywhere. It is totally outside my frame of reference, but there you go. I did some stretching and then went down for breakfast. I was a leisurely breakfast that included lots of fresh fruit, corn flakes, and café. 

After breakfast, I went out to walk around. I took some pictures of part of the fort between the hotel and town. I walked into town and then along the boardwalk. There were very few people out. I went down to the broken shell beach. I saw a sign that said La Playa Conchería. The tide was out, so I went tide pooling. There were tiny little sea snails stuck to the rocks, slugs I saw yesterday and other forms of sea life. I also found even more sea glass than I did yesterday. Collecting sea glass is very meditative for me. It was the same when I was collecting  nuts, bolts, and other objects while riding my bike. I guess focusing on looking for stuff is like counting breaths. 

After the beach I explored the rest of the fort walking all around the fort on the parapet. The place is massive! Inside the walls is a forest. It was a nice walk. I got back to my room a little after one which gave me time to shower before my massage. That was a special treat. It was so relaxing. When it was over, I had to take another shower when I got back to my room, because I was do covered in oil I thought I was going to slide out of my clothes. lol 

Then I went down and had a café. The rest of my day was spent resting and reading. I don't do either well for long periods of time. I've eaten dinner and now I'm ready for sleep. Sweet drems. 

May 28 Wednesday Baiona A Restful Day By The Sea

May 28 Wednesday Baiona 

A Restful Day By The Sea

It was a cornflakes kind of morning. I love the leisurely breakfast buffets where I can drink a whole cup of café before I even begin to think about eating. Then I can drink some juice and eat some fruit. This morning they even had little fruit shish kabobs. I should have taken a picture. Then I can go back for cheese, jamon, or other delights. Then I top it all of with a bowl of cornflakes. Of course, there's, at least, one more cup of coffee in the mix. All this consumed at a leisurely pace. Contrast this with a month of machine café and a couple of crackers or, most of the time nothing at all until I got to my destination about 2 pm. Many mornings I would think of all the times I had heard, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Oh well. If you only eat one meal a day does that qualify as the most important meal of the day? It wasn't like the Frances where I'd almost always run across a breakfast place after three miles or less, about the time my appetite woke up. 

It was a drizzly kind of morning with just a misty moisture. After breakfast, I strolled around the grounds a bit taking pictures. The I headed into town to find out where the bus stop was located to catch the bus to Vigo and to see how long it would take me to walk there. It's not far, about a fifteen to twenty-minute walk. After I located the bus stop I wandered through town and found this path that wound around the point before. I saw this sign that said only peóns could walk here. I thought that was kind of rude until a check of my Google translator informed me that   peóns in Galician (Gallego) means pedestrian. I had already decided that I would qualify to walk there, either way. 

Before I got on the walkway I saw a shell beach with large rocks to climb on. Oh boy, it was like a kid and a candy shop. I headed down to do some tide pooling. There were lots of little muscles everywhere, much smaller than the ones at Crystal Cove beach where I spend countless hours with my good friends the pelicans, starfish, dolphins and Oscar the octopus. There were also little squishy wet looking creatures attached to the rocks that looked like the top of a peeled purple plum. I have no clue what they are. Most folks who have seen the picture I took think they are some kind of sea slug. Did you know that the octopus is a member of that family? I have learned so many things since I started spending so much time at the beach after my first Camino. Don't even get me started on the sex life of starfish, how they make baby starfish. 

So I'm really enjoying this beach that is covered with crushed shells instead of sand. And as I was looking down at some shells, that looked like scallop shells that hadn't been crushed yet, I saw a piece of sea glass! I was so excited. This was just like home. So I spent a couple of hours walking and looking for sea glass. They have different colored sea glass. So I will bring some Spanish sea glass home with me for my collection. The sea weed was a very bright color of green, not the greenish brown of California seaweed. There are miles of sandy beaches too. I may try one of those tomorrow. And, John, there are sea walls with Big Thinkers. 

After the beach I walk on the path around the point and watched waves roll in and break crashing on the rocks. I love the ocean. Some people love mountains, some love deserts. I like those places too, I enjoy them, but I love oceans. I love watching them, smelling them, and listening to them. Waves sound different in the night than they do in the daylight. It may come from growing up on a small island, but I think I have salt water in my veins. I really like rivers, lakes and babbling brooks and streams. Water moving, I think that is my connection. 

I enjoyed being by the ocean so much, I decided to stay another day. I'll leave here on Friday and go to Santiago and stay at the Parador there one night, then head to Zamora and serving the pilgrims. 

While I was at the beach there was a woman there with her dog. She was collecting something too, but she pretty much stayed in one place. I don't know what she was collecting but it wasn't muscles or the unidentified sea creatures. It reminded me though of the Snail Hunters I meant to tell you about a few weeks ago. 

Snails are apparently a popular dish in Spain. When I'm walking both on the Frances and on the Via Plata, I will notice people, men usually, walking along hunting in the bushes. At first it baffled me, but then I figured they were looking for snails. I nicknamed them the Snail Hunters. At one point when I was walking by a stream, I saw what I think were professional Snail Hunters. There were three of them, that I saw and they all had on matching waders (rubber boots) and matching jackets. They were spread out hunting along this creek bed. Whenever I would see snails on the trail I would lean over a whisper to them to get off the trail so they don't get stepped on or run over by a bicycle, and to hide if there were Snail Hunters in the area. Snails lead a very dangerous life.              

But I digress, once again. The path also had great views of the fort. Looking at the rocky cliffs invaders would have to climb, coming from they ocean, just to get to the hill leading up to the fort and then the tall straight walls of the fort that would have to be scaled while people are shooting arrows at you, dropping things on you and swing sharp objects at you; I can understand why you might want to go home and forget the whole thing. The fort must have been very effective defensively. 

I spent the rest of the afternoon sorting my pictures, choosing which ones to keep and which ones do delete. I also investigated plans for the next few days and made an appointment for a massage tomorrow. My back has been bothering me ever since I stopped walking with my pack. It is so weird, but I have had a chronically bad back for forty years. Now it is riddled with arthritis and discs that have lost their grip. But on my three Caminos, I've had no trouble with my back. My regular doctor, my back doctor, my massage therapist and my chiropractor all think it makes sense but have different bio mechanical theories about why it makes sense. And it has been suggested, more than once, that I should just wear my pack around in my everyday life. lol. 

Well it's almost midnight, so I will send this off into the inter webs and go to sleep. Night all!

May 27 Tuesday Zamora to Baiona I'll get to where I'm supposed to be(oh dang I can't believe I did that) when I'm supposed to be there.

May 27 Tuesday Zamora to Baiona

I'll get to where I'm supposed to be (oh dang I can't believe I did that) when I'm supposed to be there. 

It has been a very long day. Yesterday when I went to buy I train ticket to Vigo, I asked for the 10:46 train and was told that one only runs on Saturday. The morning train on weekdays is 9:17. So I booked that one, figuring I still have time for breakfast. I looked the ticket over when I was at the counter and again when I got back to the hotel. Leea and I once had a mishap where the person at the ticket counter issued the tickets for the wrong date and we didn't notice it until we went to board the train. 

So this morning I set the alarm for 7 am, figuring that would give me time to check out and be at breakfast when they opened. Then I could leave the hotel at 9 am and get to the station before 9:30 to catch the train at 9:46. Anybody see the problem with this thought sequence. The problem is I got to the train station around 9:20 leaving me 26 minutes to wait for the train. But my train had already left at 9:17. Somehow I had got the 46 stuck in my brain and didn't remember my train was at 9:17. What a way to start the day. So I was told the next train wasn't until 2:40 and would not arrive in Vigo until 7:40 pm, after getting to Vigo, I still had to get from the train station to the bus station and get a bus to Baiona. So with the change, I'd get to the hotel about 8:30 or 9. 

I walked over to the bus station to see if the was an earlier bus. No luck there. So I had four hours to kill and a backpack. Fortunately, the bus station had a Consignia (luggage storage) where I could leave it for 1€. I went and saw the Cathedral and noticed that the iterating little buildings one the river that I wanted to see were right below the cathedral. So I saw both of those things, had a diet coke on the Plaza Mayor and then wandered back to the train station, still with forty-five minutes to wait. 

The train was a little late but finally came. My seat was comfy and because the train wasn't very full, the seat beside me was vacant, so I could spread out. Oh yeah, the original train was direct. This one required me to change trains in Ourense. The train in Ourense was twenty minutes late. Normally the trains in Spain are pretty much on time. Today the only train that was on time was the one I missed. lol, I spent a good part of the day kicking myself for the dumb mistake. But oh well, as Willy says, "There's nothing I can do about it now. 

The train rides themselves were scenic. I love riding on buses and trains, looking out the window and relaxing. Then after the next to the last stop, right before Vigo, the train came to a stop. Not too unusual, but them it didn't start again for five minutes. Sometimes that happens when they get off schedule and they have to wait for another train to clear the tracks. Then it was twenty minutes and the train hadn't moved. Sometimes trains have mechanical problems. Once coming home from San Diego I had both things happen and we were two hours off schedule. I was bummed because I was looking forward to watching the sunset over the ocean from the train. It was dark by the time we got going. 

This it turns out had something to do with an emergency and a person. There were Bomberos and medical people involved. I don't know if someone on the train had the emergency or if someone outside the train had the emergency. But we finally took off. The funny thing was the other passengers. After the first few minutes, they all started talking to each other about the train stopping. Then they started getting restless. Then voices were raised. Then they started getting irritated. It was like a bunch of chickens in a locked hen house. I swear it was entertaining. I just kept reading my book. I didn't figure my knowing why it was stopped, or my being upset about it being stopped was going to make it move any sooner. 

I got into Vigo about 8:30. I did not realize that Vigo is a pretty large city. When I got off the train I went in the station to the information place and asked if the bus station was near there. The fellow said it was far and that you needed to take a local bus to the bus station. Remember now, I'm going to the bus station to get a bus to Baiona and once I get to the station I'll have to wait up to an hour for the bus, because at this time of the evening they start running every hour, instead of every thirty minutes. This puts me in Baiona after dark, and once there, I think I have to walk from where the bus stops out onto the Peninsula where the Parador is located. Oh, and did I mention, it is raining. Of course in Galicia, that means it is a day that ends in "y." It's always raining in Galicia. That's why it is so green. So I walk up to the next taxi in line and ask how much it costs to go to Baiona. He told me, it was within reason, and off we went. 

I got to the hotel a little after nine, I think, took a nice hot shower washed some clothes, and got down to dinner about ten. I never eat that late, but I hadn't eaten since breakfast. It was yummy. Of course, it was fancy, but it was very tasty. I'm just sorry I couldn't eat even half of it. As usual, the waiter kept asking me if everything was all right as he removed the plates still filled with food. I've gotten used to reassuring waiters that the food is fine, I just don't eat a lot of food at one sitting. 

So now Burple and I are in our warm comfy room, full and sleepy. Night, night.

May 26 Monday Zamora Slow River Day

May 26 Monday Zamora

Slow River Day

I woke up at 7 am or so and laid lazily in bed until 8:30 or nine reading and resting. Who is this person who has inhabited my body? This is not me. I don't lay in bed unless I'm sleeping. Dear me. Will this become a habit? A lifestyle?  

I eventually got up, got myself together and wandered down to breakfast. It was so nice. They brought me my whole little pot of coffee and another little pot of not milk, so I could mix my own café con leche. I drank a cup. I need caffeine before I even think about eating. Them I got some melocotón (peach) juice, some slices of watermelon, pineapple, cherries, and pimientos padrón! They had pimientos padrón for breakfast. It was spectacular! Then I noticed the corn flakes! Real honest to goodness Kellogg's cornflakes. I don't think I told you about my experiment. I tried some Spanish cornflakes about a month ago and they just didn't cut it. And I don't especially like Kellogg's cornflakes at home with American milk. Last year in Santiago I ate Kellogg's cornflakes by the half box full for breakfast and dinner. So it must be the combination of Kellogg's cornflakes and Spanish milk that I like so much. So I grabbed a box and a bowl and had me a treat. Yummeee!

After breakfast, I headed to the train station and got a ticket for Vigo. From Vigo, I need to take a bus to Baiona to stay at the Parador there. I wanted to go to Baiona last year but the timing didn't work. It is supposed to be spectacular. It's built inside an old fortress that protected Vigo Bay. One side of the Parador faces the Bay and one side faces to sea. It is on the Spanish coast, very close to the Portuguese border. I hope I'm not disappointed. I also hope to eat some local seafood. 

I had packed up a bunch of stuff I wouldn't need while staying in hotels the next few days and left it at the albergue to lighten my pack. 

I enjoyed the walk to and from the train station. It's about twenty minutes each way. Lots of people were out walking and doing their daily shopping. When I got back I did a photo shoot of storks and their babies living in two nests between the albergue and the Parador. Then I went for a luxurious walk along the river. It is so beautiful. I just strolled, yes, me strolling, who knew? Crazy, huh? Took a bunch of pictures. 

By the time this was all done, it was time to eat lunch/dinner. I basically fell into the habit of eating one meal a day while walking. Spanish dinners are too late to eat much. I don't sleep well on a full stomach. So I would eat around two or three when I finished walking. I seem to still be doing that only a little later today because I had breakfast. So Mr. Burple and I sat out on the Terrace of the hotel and watched the storks while we ate a bocadillo. We had a diet coke with our bocadillo, then some café and chocolate brownie ice cream. It was a very relaxed meal. That ebbed about 6 pm. 

Since then I've been posting pictures and reading. And now it is time to sleep. I have to get up by 7 am so I will have time to eat some corn flakes before I walk to the train station to catch my train. It's about a four-hour train ride I think. So night all. Sweet dreams.