I don't remember ...

Much...

from my previous two Camino de Santiago's. It might be due to my advanced age. Or maybe it's a result of my love of Imperial IPAs (9% Alcohol by Volume) murdering my helpless brain cells. 

However, in reality I don't believe either excuse is true. 

I think the majority of the Camino is a monotonous landscape of tawny browns and hazy greens. This time of the year, I'm seeing a lot of field stubble. Every now and then, (rarely) we get to walk past tree farms.  There are times we negotiate our way through cities complete with noise, traffic, trash, used car dealerships, transients and junkyards. Not the stuff of pretty picture postcards. I'll say it bluntly. Many of the kilometers of the Camino are not awe inspiring or memorable. 

Now I'm beginning the famous/infamous Meseta section.  In my guidebook, “Walking 

the Camino de Santiago” by Davies and Cole, 30 pages of the 166-page book are

dedicated to this segment. An astonishing 143 miles of the 500 miles of the Camino 

takes place in this Kansas look-alike territory. The Meseta has a nasty reputation with

 descriptors such as endless flatness, desolate, strange, monotonous, barren, and the

 stretch most likely to be bypassed by pilgrims. My favorite thought on the Meseta is 

of walking through hell and escaping toward heaven when this incredible horizontal 

portion finally surrenders. I can honestly say I'm not grinning at the thought of taking 

It on once again. 

That being said, believe it or not, I'll take it slower this time. The distances between real towns are vast. I'm not up for the big 20-plus mile days like on my previous two transits. I'll spread my Euros around in tiny Bergs kept from going ghost by the infusion of Pilgrim cash. (I'm now in Hornillos Del Camino-population 56.) I'll take it easy.

So what do I remember from Camino I and II?

 I get deja vu's and memory snippets from the towns. Wasn't that the bar we had a huge multi-national Happy Hour crowd in? Didn't I meet so and so in this Plaza? Wasn't this the coffee shop where I made the elderly owner howl with my goofy pantomimes? Wasn't this the street corner where an attractive Spanish woman gave me a shy grin? 

 This is what I remember from my Camino's. It's about the people. It's  about smiling at strangers. It's  about being extra nice because it's the right thing to do. The Camino is about feel-good human interactions. That's why I'm walking my third Camino. It's not about the scenery. 

From the start of the Meseta,

(Don't expect beautiful photos!)

Salud,

Jeff

Who is this Apostle Saint James...

and why this Pilgrimage?

    The saga of James is a mixture of fact and fable with a large scoop of J.R Tolkien-like characters thrown into the blend.    

   Apostle James was last seen alive in Jerusalem, trying to convert the locals to a new religion. King Herod didn’t take kindly to this and had the young man’s head removed from the big part. (Present-day Mormon missionaries are lucky that this practice is now frowned upon.)  A few of James’ followers deposited the body and unattached head into a rudderless boat. James’ groupies hopped into the boat and went along for the ride. Somehow they arrive in Galicia in what is now western Spain. James’ flock spread out in search of a decent burial site for their former mentor. Now this is where the story gets really weird.

    They meet up with the very-pagan Queen Lupa. They plead their case and request a nice piece of property with perhaps a pleasant cathedral over it. She proceeds to set them up for failure against mean kings, unmanageable oxen and the inevitable fire-belching dragon. Of course our Hobbit-like heroes overcome all of these obstacles, and create many Christian converts along the way. Finally, the Apostle James gets his plot of dirt with a humble mausoleum above it.

    After all of this fussing, the grave whereabouts went missing for 800 years, until the hermit Pelayo had a “divine revelation” complete with “angels singing” and of course, “altar lights.” The remains were quickly established to be that of the Apostle Santiago (Saint James in Spanish). Thus one of the world’s first tourist attractions came into existence.

     Many famous people have trod the Camino since its inception in the 1100’s. Anthony Quinn walked the walk in 1999 while filming a TV show about the pilgrimage. I guess he felt compelled to do it; after all, he did play a Russian pope in “The Shoes of the Fisherman.”

    In 1994, Shirley MacLaine slept in hostels and spoke to fellow pilgrims. She went on to write a book named, “The Way, a Spiritual Journey.” I often wondered, with her belief in reincarnation, which Shirley MacLaine wrote the book.

    One of my favorite old-timey pilgrims was Aymeric Picaud, a French monk and curmudgeon who wrote the first travel guide of the Camino around 1140. It was called the Codex Calixtus. Mr. Picaud was a rather opinionated writer who didn’t hold back from calling a spade a spade. He lambasted most of the people he met along the way. He didn’t like the Basques at all, though for the most part, I’d consider him to be an equal opportunity racist. In my mind’s eye, I pictured him to be an Andy Rooney look-alike.

There's more myths and legends surrounding the Camino. 

   

    There’s a fable in Santo Domingo de la Calzada concerning German pilgrims, jilted lovers, vengeful magistrates and the usual intervention of good ol’ Santiago to save the day. Oh, yeah, there’s a footnote of two roasted chickens coming back to life to crow again. In other words, your typical miracle.

   Now in honor of those pollos, a few well-groomed barnyard animals hang out in a holy coop at the local cathedral. At the church, I was allowed access to gaze up at those blessed birds. (After making a 3€ "donation"). Another legend says, if you score a "Cock-a-Doodle-do" from the poultry; your Camino will be blessed with Good Vibes. I craned my head up to hear. Nada! But then again, I'm sort of deaf. 

That night I ate chicken for dinner.

Now you are sort of all caught up. 

From Villa Franca-Montes de Oca,

Salud,

Jeff

"Do you like to...

Walk?" Is the question I'll ask people after they display an interest in doing the Camino de Santiago. Their answers are varied but sort of along these lines. "Sure, I love to walk. I walk to the grocery store, sometimes the Post Office. I'll even walk to a bar!" I'll nod my head in a caring manner, then I'll give them the Camino wake up call.

There will be days when you look at your watch and see three hours has elapsed since you left in the morning. You'll consult your map and realize you're not half way to your destination. That's a lot of walking. 

Egghead scientists have figured out there's approximately 2,000 steps/mile. The average American shambles along for 5,117 steps/day. (NY Times, October, 2010). A measly 2.5 plus miles. At this rate, one would be in Santiago a light year from their start-up date. Today, I had a Lite day of Camino-ing. A mere 18,000 steps-give or take a few. 

Pilgrims will ooze sentiment about the spiritual nature of the Camino. Bullpoop! This Pilgrimage is a marathon-a long distance physical ordeal. People who are more adept at pushing on a gas pedal soon discover the reality of their feet pounding the pavement, cobblestones and dusty trails over and over and....

Wait! There's more! Pilgrims are burdened down with a cumbersome backpack. People learn quickly there are few things more difficult than going up a hill with weight on your back. I've noticed a lot of brand new backpacks and walking sticks to match the still-fresh REI wardrobe. For many, all this walking is a new life experience. I'm sure many are asking themselves, "When does the spiritually kick in?" 

Like I've mentioned in the past, this Camino sports an older crowd. There's a lot of mincing steps, grimaced looks, knee braces and noticeable limps out there. For these folks arriving in Santiago de Compostela will be an ultimate life goal achievement. And rightfully so. Every Pilgrim should be proud of this accomplishment. 

Maybe the spiritual message is: Life is a marathon, not a sprint. 

As for me, I've developed a bothersome but not debilitating shin splint. I've decided to take more time on this Camino. My daily mileages will be less. I have plenty of time. Remember, I don't have a return ticket to the US. 

Santiago de Compostela has been around since the 10th century. I reckon, it'll still be there a month or so from now. 

From Santo Domingo de la Calzada,

It's Sunday and siesta time...

Salud,

Jeff

Last photo: Yes! Those are buzzards circling us Pilgrims.

For me, the best time...

to stroll around a city is the early morning. I'm not a Metropolitan kind of guy. The crowds, noise and constant tumult are an overload to my senses. That being said, I always enjoy waking up early to watch a municipality gets out of bed. This morning in Logrono, Spain, I did just that.

I had time on my hands. My Camino walk was a mere seven miles for the day. That's nada for Pilgrimage standards. 

As usual, I went looking for a few jolts of Java. I didn't have to search very far. Adjacent to my hotel was a cozy bar/cafe. I saddled up to the bar and ordered "dos cafe con leches. Por favor." The young man nodded and went into barista mode. The coffees were strong and tasty. The price is way below Starbuck standards. I'm happy to say, the Spanish do coffee right. The cafe's other patrons buried their heads in the morning newspapers, or their coffees and croissants. No one spoke. It was very peaceful and soothing.

After downing the two brews, I went looking for food and more coffee! Just say YO! to drugs on the Camino. Caffeine will get you through all those mindless miles of Spanish countryside.

I twitched my way into the Old Town and found a cozier bar/cafe. The owner even smiled at my awkward attempt to habla Espanol. Two more coffees were ordered along with a few egg and veggie sandwiches. I savored the whole scene. Once again, I thought to myself, ""I'm in Europe! How cool is this?" 

By this time, people were moving about. A steady stream of Pilgrims were starting their westward journey once again. I went back to my hotel and made ready for another day's walk.

Happy Jewish New Year. 5778. We are still around despite Pharaoh, Haman, Queen Isabella, Pogroms, Hitler, White Supremacists and Trump. The Hebrews are survivors. (Like me.)

Enjoy the photos of Logrono waking. 

Good night from Navarette,

Jeff

The Yanks are Coming...

 The Yanks are coming!

When I walked my first Camino in 2006, Americans were an anomaly. The Pilgrims were overwhelmingly made up of Spanish and Italians, followed by French and Germans. As Yanks, we sort of stood out from the overall European mix. We were treated kindly for our uniqueness. That year the total number of Pilgrims for all the varieties of Camino's was a bit more than 100,000. (There's more than one way to get to Santiago, although most take the Frances Route.  (Like me). 

In 2013, Americans moved up the list to 5th place in the overall standings. Slightly over 10,000 people who spoke a funny language to the locals completed a Camino. In total, there were over 215,000 Pilgrims. I can't say I met many who could sing "The Star Spangled Banner." 

From the latest figures of 2016, Americans are now in 4th place with 15,000 plus taking this therapeutic walk. Overall there was an astounding 277,000 plus ambling through the Spanish countryside. It's  a safe assumption to say the Camino has been discovered.

I'm now on my Third Edition Camino, here's some of my astute observations:

Generally speaking, it's an older crowd. I'm seeing more beer bellies, wider beams and thicker ankles than in the past. More gents sport dapper gray beards and spectacles. There are more elderly couples. Young folks now stand out like Hare Krishnas among a congregation of Hasidic Jews. 

On this Camino I often hear the unmistakable sound of American English. 

Some Pilgrims are here for partial Camino's (one week wonders) and others (like me) are here for the long haul. All of us have our reasons. 

What hasn't changed is the Camino's manufacturing of cliques and couples. Pilgrims seem to want to belong to a larger group. Couples are forming for companionship or possible romance. So far, I'm going it alone. I've never been much of a joiner. I'll use a quote from Groucho Marx, “I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members.”

I'm now in Logrono, where a wine festival is in full swing. It'll be a noisy, busy night. There's a Church with a bell next door too. OY!

Salud! 

Jeff

For whom the Church bell...

Tolls. It tolled for me with an unwanted wake up call at 3am. From then on every fifteen minutes, like clockwork, a chime rang. Sometimes more than one ringy-dingy. The bell was far more than annoying. Every quarter hour, I was reminded, "Hey Jeff! That's fifteen more minutes of sleep you've been deprived of!" By 7am, I called it and went in search of coffee. 

I put my legs on automatic pilot mode and set the timer for five hours of cruise control. Off I went on a bracing morning. Autumn is now giving Summer the bum's rush. The days are almost equally divided between light and night. Multicolored leaves are in free fall. I take my few breaks in full sun and race through the shady parts. Yet Spain is warmer than the feel of winter I experienced in Switzerland. The daily low temperatures here are the high temperatures in the Land of the Alps. My forecast looks brighter too. I'll take it.

It's been interesting to go from orderly, precise and proper Switzerland to gritty, graffitied and rough cut Spain in less than a day. Take a few steps off the Camino de Santiago's path and you'll be on a collision course with an impromptu latrine. I won't go any further on details. Let's just say, I never saw this on the Haute Route. 

An analogy of the two countries differences can be summed up by their rivers. 

Switzerland's rivers are born from glaciers. The water runs cold and clean with a sense of purpose. Spain's rivers meander along with a manana attitude. The Spanish tap water has a tang to it. I still drink it; once in awhile my stomach will gurgle. I'm sure I'll get used to it like I have in the past.

A Pilgrim from the 2013 graduating Camino class gently reminded me that Saint James always provides. She's right! I'm now using Booking.com to score rooms along the way. Still the towns and hotels are packed. I'm hoping there's a drop off of Princes and Princesses on this Pilgrimage. It was so much easier when most of the Pilgrims stayed in the Albergues. (Dorms).

Now this Jewish Prince is tucked into a cozy room and bed at an early hour. So far so good. I don't hear any Church bells. 

Good night from Estella, 

Jeff

So it begins...

my Third Camino de Santiago. 

On a cool, spongy damp, uninviting morning I set out from Pamplona. 

It's been four years and a month since I last ambled these same streets, dirt roads and narrow trails while chasing yellow directional arrows through the Spanish countryside.  Now my pack is heavier and I'm weaker! Alas, cold weather gear weighs more than cotton tank tops and shorts. 

It was an easy thirteen mile day for my intro back. The mileage will increase from this point on. On some days, I'll walk a marathon distance. Most days the ground I cover will be somewhere in between a half and full marathon. That's heaps of steps.

My first impressions? 

The fields are now fallow. The farmers crops are in. The only thing sprouting up are Pilgrims along the trails.

The crowd is older, possesses disposable income and desires their own hotel rooms con bano! (private bathroom). In other words, I'm not the only Prince of the Camino. (Although I'm probably the only Jewish Prince). In Puenta la Reina,  I was saddened to see a "Completo!" (Full) sign in front of an appealing looking hotel. I guess older people are figuring out the aging process and its relationship to money. The best thing about growing older is that's one less year of savings you will need. Like me, these senior citizens are spending the €'s instead of handing it over to an assisted care living facility. 

My accommodations might prove challenging. 

Oh well, it's great to be back. 

I'm still thinking there's a potential First Lady out here for me. A legitimate Presidential Candidate needs a significant other to be taken seriously by the Electorate. 

This old posts will explain the Why I'm back in Espana for another Pilgrimage. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com.es/2017/07/in-2009-i-rode-my-bicycle-from-san.html

Last photo: A very slow Pilgrim. 

Buen Camino! Time for a shower and then a cerveza grande.

Jeff