Wrap-up (Sort of) Part II

My first experience in 2014 was short-lived due to physical issues. My second experience in 2015 was everything that I wanted and needed.

Both of my experiences are profoundly different: the first trip was spiritual and the second trip was physical.

I had to go back, both to continue my journey, and also because I felt the lessons from my first experience were slowly slipping away, and that I was - without much struggle - being pulled down into the quicksand of  'everyday life'.

Walking the El Camino is physically challenging; each day, despite the recovery each evening, the cumulative toll wears one out. After 15 days of hiking 13 miles a day and returning to Rochester, I was sleeping for 10 - 12 hours a day for days afterward. 

On the other hand, living the El Camino, altho' requiring a change in one's outlook and demeanor, relieves me of stressers that previously affected me negatively. 

I have not yet figured out what proportion of each part of the El Camino affects me so deeply. 

• The aloneness
• The physical effort
• The physical exhaustion
• The interactions with pilgrims
• The fluidity and relative uncertainty of each day
• The connectedness to the environment 
• The disconnectedness from the world
• The celebration of exceeding my abilities

After my first experience on the El Camino, I knew that I had changed profoundly ... and that change fed back into my life and how I lived. 

After my second experience, I had not changed so much as realized that my path in life had veered. 

Why the change? I'm not a believer that the El Camino changes one; more so, I believe that one wants to change and has chosen the El Camino as the instrument of the change. Since my first experience, and I think even more so now, the El Camino has become an integral part of who and what I am. I could no more stop thinking about my 'pilgrimage' anymore than I could deny an intimate part of my soul. The two are intertwined now ... more than that, my soul and the El Camino are interconnected, like neurons. To remove it from my history would be to introduce an amnesia over a fundamental part of my individuality.

After I got back to Rochester, I watched a show on the human brain that talked about how athletes enter the "slow mode", the "zone". I have not yet achieved that state in my hiking.  It's a state wherein the mind no longer operates on a conscious level, but instead surrenders total control of the body to the unconscious mind. This "slow state"/"zone" frees the person from having to think, monitor, direct the course of the body. It just happens. This will be my personal goal for 2016 on the El Camino. Then I will be free by feeling free of the concerns and issues on my "way".

I have not reached Santiago De Compostelo nor my own personal endpoint, the journey continues. I'm not sure what is/was/will be more difficult.

I have been joking that when I got on the plane in Spain to come back, that I decided that I would not return. The El Camino was just too physically demanding for me. The funny part is that when the plane was landing in Rochester, I had my Via De La Plata stage planner out and was looking for a time in 2016 to return to the El Camino.

Wrap Up (Sort of) Part I

There are so many people that I met over there who made my second time so wonderful.

• Beverly - not to be overly dramatic, but I found in her a soulmate for 'The Way'. I connected to her in so many ways, always platonic. It had to be that way. Her guidance was spot on; her attitude upbeat. Altho' inevitably behind her on the trail, she was the beacon that guided this ex-sailor thru some rather difficult times. Like all relationships on the El Camino, when it was time for us to go our separate ways, I was not sad. I was happy to have met and known her and to have shared over half my journey with her.
• Bridget - over dinner my second night back in Spain, we talked of the Camino and the meaning and relevance that it brought to our lives. We all have our experiences that only a few others understand. I can not explain to others what the El Camino means to me; it's too personal. But Bridget and I shared that meaning that night over a meal in a non-descript plaza in Seville.
• Jose, ship's captain - just a chance encounter in Merida. We talked for less than an hour, but I was struck that of all the Spaniards that I would meet, and speak in a non-native language for me, that I meet a fellow sailor, a traveler of the oceans and that we talked of sunrises and sunsets far from land.
• Jose, hiker - brought me to laughter.
• Karen - a nice lady from the Netherlands. She and I spent a Saturday evening in Merida, attending Mass, walking around the city and bothering the church officials (just kidding) for a stamp for our Pilgrim credentials.
• the 4 Basques - helped me on one of my problems in Spain. Readily acted as the intermediary for me as I negotiated resolving a problem. They're assistance helped steady me in my sense of self-determination, in my belief that I could do this.
• the 5 German bikers - on my last night on the El Camino, they were unfailingly polite. Without them, I would have been all alone in the albergue/hostel. Altho' we basically could not communicate, they were most friendly. The next morning, I got the first start - before sunrise - later, as they passed me on route N-630 on their bikes, they all wished me a 'Buen Camino' .

	Camino 2014	Camino 2015
Distance	80 miles (130 km)	180 miles (300 km)
Number Stages	5	13
Month	April	October
Days on the El Camino	7	16
Most Amazing Experience	Meditating with the 'Our Father' along a country road	Steeped in the Roman history of Merida's Teatro & Anfiteatro (Coliseum)
Weather	Constant sun; temperatures in the high 80s	Mix of clouds/sun/some rain. Temperatures in the low 70s
Overall health	Blisters, infections	Good
Ghosts	Profound self-reflection thru-out	Couple of days of introspection, mostly letting the mind wander
Busride to Seville at the end	Tinged with regret, having to stop early. Vivid recollections of my stages.	Satisfied with the hike/adventures. Watched a lightening storm over Merida at night.
Cultural	Semana Santa (Holy Week)	None

Food

• jamon and manchego cheese
• eggplant, dripping in honey
• cold green salad with tomatoes, etc in olive oil and vinegar
• calamari (squid)
• albondigas (spanish meatballs)
• octopus
• paella
• papa fritas
• ensalada de patata (potato salad)
• gazpacho (much better than V8)
• tinto de verano or cerveza
• cafelito con leche
• zumo de pina (pineapple juice)
• coca-cola

Back in Sevilla

After a 6 hour hike, I enjoyed the 6 hour bus ride from Bejar to Sevilla.

Why you might ask?

I was able to relive many of the places that I hiked through. This time, from the bus, I realized just how much mileage that I had put on the old hiking shoes. It took the bus almost 5 hours to go past from where I started this hike in Fuente De Cantos.

I descended the mountains of Castile y Leon and northern Extremedura down to the plains of southern Extremadura and Andalucia.

I watched a lightning storm over Merida as we rolled on towards that beautiful city. I am so glad that I took the day to visit the Roman ruins ( the Teatro and the arena ).

As town after town rolled by, I felt contented in myself and proud of my accomplishments in challenging my body and mind to both overcome obstacles and to problem solve situations rather than brute force an answer.

At the hostel in Sevilla, I enjoyed a period of respite and relaxation. I took a 3 hour tour of Sevilla with quite an accomplished guide, Sylvia. This is the same person with whom I did a tour upon arriving. The tour was in the rain while I was awaiting my luggage. This time we had beautiful sun and another wonderful experience, reveling in the beauty and history of this ancient city.

Time came to pack up and head to the airport ... a time of period for self-reflection, introspection and high adventure at its end.

A Moment in Time

For both times on the El Camino, I have walked 440 km or 265 miles which is about 44 per cent of the total pilgrimage.


Today I checked the stats for  this time on the El Camino. I have   hiked 188 miles ( 313 km ) over 15 days, with two of those days being rest days.

That actually means hiking on 13 of the 15 days.

Using 15 days as the average that comes out - 12.5 miles per day.

Using 13 days for the average, that is 13 days of actual hiking, comes to 14.5 miles per day.

The goal was always fluid and I need to accept that as a person,  I am always moving the goalposts.  I've had a good Camino. In fact, I am already farther than I thought I might get.

But being a Type A person,  once something is done, it doesn't count.  What matters is the next goal. So I should enjoy what I have accomplished.

Things that hiking with Beverly brought back to the forefront of my thinking:

• Take it one day at a time.  There's always tomorrow. 
• Set my pace and go.
• Don't let others steer me in ways that I don't want to go. 
• Be adventurous. 
• Sleep in. 
• Eating is always good on a hike. 
• Rain is good but be prepared. 
• Take time out to explore what is around. 

My wonderful granddaughter called me the other afternoon to see how I was doing.  That always makes a grandpa smile.

=====================
Total completed on El Camino. Started in Sevilla. Now under blue dot, west of Madrid. Final destination is Santiago in northwest Spain. That will be for the next trip.

Aldeanueva del Camino to Bejar

This is the final day.

Usual start. Nothing special. Did enjoy the company of the young German men. We could not really talk, but they were very polite.

Exit from Extremadura into Castile y Leon was anti climatic. I turned a bend, climbing a hill, came out at a gas station with a sign that had a map of Castile y Leon. Asked a guy smoking a cigarette if, in fact, I was now in Castile and he said, basically, of course because where else would I be. He might not be use to peregrinos coming out of the bushes and asking silly questions. But he did take a picture for me.

The hike itself was uneventful, but I had entered much more mountainous terrain. Constant up and down. One or two climbs were especially challenging. Heart pumping way to end the hike.

Decided early on that I would head for Bejar, figuring that they would have a full service bus station. Good call. Direct bus service to Sevilla.

Today's photos

Sunrise over the mountains of Banos de Montemayor

It says:
"Via de La Plata
Camino Mozarabe
From Banos de Montemayor to Santiago
569 km"

Now in mountainous terrain. The days of flatness out to the horizon are over.

Made it. I have officially hiked thru the autonomous region of Extremadura and made it to the region of Castile y Leon.

How green here versus the southern region of Extremadura

And here we are in the bus station in Bejar, with the hiking poles and hiking shoes officially retired ... And one fine tasting beer.

Oliva de Plasencia to Aldeanueva del Camino

Not to much to report. Better weather than yesterday. Time was ok. Left hip giving me trouble.

I mentioned that Beverly and I moved on our own paths yesterday.  She was down with rain and I wasn't.  Today on the way north,  I passed the hostel that she was headed for. I stopped in to see if she had made it,  but the manager told me that she had gone on further north. So she is far ahead of me and I am ending this hike tomorrow.

Checked into albergue. Just me ( and 5 German young men who have been biking the El Camino for five days ). I haven't a clue what they are saying.

Tomorrow I should leave the autonomous province of Extremadura and enter Castile y Leon. To me it is amazing that I made it this far.

Tomorrow is it.  I'm sneaking in one more day of hiking.  You would be justified to wonder if I haven't already had enough.  We are almost there.

Today's pictures

Leaving the plains behind

Blue sky and green fields

Following national highway N630

Following one of the roman networks that connected Iberia

Some pictures of Aldeanueva

Carcaboso to Oliva de Plasencia

Rain started early and only got stronger.  Pretty much a downpour by about 3 hours into the hike.

 Beverly's and my plan was to get to Oliva de Plasencia. When we reached the turnoff point, she joked that this is Seattle weather which she is used to.  She felt pretty good but I was not feeling the good feeling.

So I stayed with the plan while she went on to the next stop. We said our goodbyes as they are said on the El Camino.

Later Alexandra ( USA ) and Marco (Austria) passed by me. They also headed for the hostel Asturias.

Not much to report.  I'm in a bar having a coffee after showering and resting. Looks like I have the albergue all to myself.

=====
I have some big decisions.  Do I continue for one or two more days or pack it in?

If I continue,  I can have one more day or two more days of hiking.

If I pack it in,  I head back to Sevilla for 2 rest days instead of one.
=====

Finishing lunch/supper.  Bread, Octopus in vinegar and potato salad.

Strongly thinking to continue on. I suppose the weather tomorrow could change that.

Today's photos

Hand drawn map of instructions on getting out of Carcaboso. We used it twice as exiting was somewhat tricky.

Incessant rain day. Just got worse as the day went on. Otherwise, green things!

This handsome guy greeted me as I passed by.

As did this lovely.

Rio Lobos to Carcaboso

Straight forward 12 mile hike today.  We needed to get here to stage properly for tomorrow's hike,  which is allegedly 38 km or approx 23 miles.  That is the recommended stage,  but that is out of the question. I need to find a way to break that up.

Beverly and I have a plan.  It's not what I want, but this is a learning moment.  We have 1) a 24 mile hike to get to Aldeanueva, and 2) the weather is predicted to be horrible ( storms ). Given those facts, I will have to break 2 steps into three.

We are on the plains now,  and combined with the changing pressure system from the storm,  we faced a constant wind of like 30 mph. Many times the wind was strong enough to blow us of the road.

We raced a storm system to get here.  Made it and stayed dry.  Shortly after we got here,  the rain started.  The weather report for tomorrow is gruesome.

Galisteo: passed thru this beautiful town today
Galisteo is a beautiful walled city, and even tho' it was off our path,  it was worth it to divert there to stop and get a coffee before continuing on.

After meeting a few new peregrinos in the albergue in Carcaboso, it allowed me to compare notes. After nice conversation, I headed out to get something to eat. Being Spain and 6 p.m., nothing was open.

So I checked out how to get out of town,  so as to not have to figure it out in the morning. While in the process, I heard the church bells ring,  so I asked a lady if there was a mass.  She kindly offered to drive me to the church.  Funny story here.  At the church,  I asked the priest for a prayer book to follow the mass.  Because I said that I could read Spanish,  he offered me to read the first reading to the congregation.  Not what I meant by read Spanish.  Lol.

Walled city of Galisteo as seen from a Roman bridge on the outskirts of the town.

Remnants of a rainbow over a Roman bridge. ( Galisteo )

Another photo of a rarity. In this case, a grove along the road side.

The storm clouds that we were racing against. Rained around us but not where we were.

Canaveral to Rio Lobos

Some of the interesting people I met on this hike:

• Jose the hiker, part of the gang of four. Don't know much else. But he was a very humorous person. 
• Jose the ship's captain. Yes actually piloted freighters all over the world.
• Jose, the hiker who kept to himself but was nice.
• Karen the Dutch lady. 
• John, the Canadian from Vancouver Island, who is spending two nights in every Albergue along the way. Had really interesting stories. ... Every other day as others catch up to us,  we hear more stories of John.
• The 5 Germans who are doing most of this by car because of disabilities.
• The Finnish husband and wife whose names I cannot pronounce
• Beverly.

The hike was uneventful.  We had cloud cover so the temperature was more moderate.  As we have now climbed into the lower parts of the mountains,  we are encountering stronger winds which is both cooling,  and sometimes too cooling.  I know ... you want what you don't have.  {;#)

Been giving it thought and I feel ready to return. It's been good so far,  very challenging,  very rewarding and very ( something - words fail me right now ). Plans call for three more days of approx 36 miles which will get me out of the autonomous region of Extremadura and into the region of Castile y Leon. Current weather forecast is rain and thunderstorms.

Today's photos

Olive trees

An actual forest. Surrounded by lush greenery on both sides. Truly the first time on this hike.

One of the narrow places where we had to cross. Stones for balancing always make me nervous.

This is the best and only picture I'm going to get of Beverly and me.

Three views of the main street in Rio Lobos.

This little girl was hanging around the hostel. Not to worry, she's got a collar.

Caceres to Canaveral

Today was the day from hell. Things just kept cascading from bad to worse. Fortunately I had Beverly along,  actually she was usually in front.  

The day started good.  We got out of Caceres on time and with a nice Spanish breakfast. 

Our first stop was Casar de Caceres. We found a bar on the main drag and stopped for cafes con leche. I needed something more substantive so I asked the bartender for a plate of ham and cheese.  Well,  it took awhile for the food.  I was getting impatient but I held my tongue and I am glad that I did.  I told myself that in Spain,  eating is an occasion. The bartender didn't just grab some stuff from the refrigerator.  He prepared an elegant looking sampler of Spanish ham ( the premier ham ), sliced cheese portions and fresh bread. Had I been the ugly American, it would have been unfortunate. 

By now we had been hiking about 2.5 hours so Beverly and I hit the road as we still had over 12 miles to go.  Something about the afternoon turned into a slog. Our goal was an albergue along a reservoir by 3:30. We weren't even close. 

The sun was out all day in full force.  The Via was rerouted due to construction,  adding perhaps an additional mile. On the last third,  I picked up a blister.  Then I had a fall and small gashed my right elbow. I field dressed it and pressed on in the never ending sun. Running low on water,  I was hoarding what little I had.  I still had miles to go. 

With less than a mile,  I saw Beverly walking back to me without her backpack. This could not be good. Beverly approached and said,  "This is a test of your patience and serenity. "  With a smile. The albergue was closed and the next one was 6 miles down the road.  We were both exhausted and beat down. 

We figured out a plan,  called an albergue in the next town and arranged a pickup.  By 6 pm,  very late for our plans we finally could begin to settle down. 

My cold, mixed salad never tasted so good,  as did those 2 beers and 2 Cokes in Canaveral.

Caceres

Beverly and I had an outstanding meal today in the Plaza Mayor. I don't normally list the meals because 'who cares', but today was an exception. We started off with a great red wine. The first plate for me was paella with whole boiled shrimp.  The second plate was lamb roasted in sauce,  papa fritas and side vegetables. For dessert I had a portuguese custard-like dish that was heavenly.

Caceres is listed in many historic and heritage lists.  There is too much detail to go into so,  just enjoy the pictures. These are all from the 'Centro Monumental' which would translate roughly as Central Historic District.

All I can say is that I was blown away by the beauty and style of the buildings.  We have nothing like it ... nothing even close.

These pictures are from the Tower of Bujeco. The name comes from a muslim leader of the 12th century when the fortress was built stop an existing Roman foundation. The view is of Plaza Mayor.

Valdesalor to Caceres

With a relatively short distance today,  6 miles to Caceres, I slept in till 7:30 and Beverly and I grabbed a cafe con leche and tostado before leaving Valdesalor. Even starting late,  we made Caceres before noon.

One possible reason for the absence of reflection is that Beverly sets quite the pace.  We did about 6 miles in 2 hours.  Once we entered Caceres, we slowed it down.

First,  it is a big city and we had lots of intersections to negotiate. Second,  for whatever reason,  here the trail is not marked inside the city.
Third, we had lots to look at as we made our way to the albergue.

So far it looks like Beverly and I will have the room ( holds six ) to ourselves.  Always a good thing because of snorers.

I discussed with her that tomorrow that I will slow myself down.  I normally hike at about 2 1/4 miles per hour.  The way it works out here is that there is no expectation for one to have to walk faster or slower than their natural pace. This simply means that she will reach the next albergue about an hour before me.

Got the usual chores done.  Made my way to the market to buy some snacks,  got to an atm for money,  and got my clothes washed.

Even given the absence of excitement and relatively unchanging scenes,  I feel good out here.  It's me and the elements ... me and the Via ... me and whatever less ahead.  Once something has happened,  be it getting lost or rained on or the sometimes incessant aloneness ( it is not loneliness ) ... Once it is over,  it ceases to have meaning.  How different from the every day concerns of modern life.


Today's photos

Came across this handsome boy on the way this a.m.  After seeing that he was quite friendly,  we relaxed and he accompanied us for about 1/2 mile.  He wanted petting,  sticks thrown to chase and probably snacks.  Well kept,  he clearly belonged to somebody.

Later a shepard ( in a truck ) brought his flock down the trail.

The garden in our albergue which is in the Heritage District.

Alcuescar to Valdesalor

The profound explorations of my life have pretty much stopped out here.  Perhaps I have made my discoveries,  or that I am now in search of a different set of norms with which to give my life.

Maybe it is time for adjustment rather than change ( or chance ).
Or it could be that I am still looking for something which I don't even know I need or want.

• Walking the El Camino is exactly for these kinds of questions.  For my friends who are settled in their lives and don't understand the wandering,  I am truly happy for you.  For my friends who need their own personal El Camino don't hesitate.  Start.  You will never be the same again. 

Beverly finally talked me last night into attempting a 17 mile hike today. Well, we did it. I was so relieved to reach Valdesalor.

I had to convince myself that the goal was achievable. More importantly, by setting the goal then I felt compelled to achieve the goal. Had I set a goal of a lesser distance, then allowed for adding additional mileage, I probably would have stopped halfway.

I am paying a price right now. Hip joints are sore, upper quads are tight & I feel the start of a blister on my left foot.

I have not yet decided on my plan for tomorrow. But it is only 4 miles to Casares. Not sure yet whether to spend the day, or continue onwards. It's not that the distance drives the schedule but that the distance between villages drives the schedule.

I have the possibility of staying in Casares to observe some ancient Roman antiquities. Or I have the possibility of continuing the hike onward. Regardless the second stop from now is approximately 13 miles in length.

So no matter how I cut it, I have another long hike coming up when the various stages are added together.

The scenery is pretty much the same day after day: ranches of cows and sheep,  olive groves and vineyards.

So here are today's pictures.

The only shade tree that I have seen in a week. Possibly the only shade tree I will see here for some time.

Just a bit of the trail.

Valdesalor under a blue sky and billowing clouds.