In case you heard about the terrible train crash leaving at least 78 dead, and over 100 more injured, we want to inform you that we are safe. The accident took place in Santiago de Compostela, where our journey is set to end. Luckily for us, we planned to avoid Santiago during the fiesta, which was today. Our thoughts are with the many pilgrims and other people who lost their lives today. It is a sad day on the Camino
http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/25/santiago-train-crash-spain-mourning
Yesterday, we were lucky enough to be in a smaller hostal, with only two other people in our room. Normally people start making noise at 5:00 a.m. so we were so excited that all of us slept until 7:00! Those two extra hours made a huge difference!
We also had the pleasant experience of meeting 8-10 angry dogs on our journey(until now, we haven't seen any). The miraculous part, is that at the start of our day, a very large, nice dog, decided to follow and protect us for 10 miles. We are so happy to see how things fall perfectly into place when we need them the most.
We find great people everywhere we turn! It is especially nice when we encounter people who speak English. Today, after walking the standard 24 miles or so, we arrived at our hostal. We were fairly tired, and were not sure what we would encounter for sleeping arrangements. To our surprise, we found a beautiful hostal, with a fountain, a nurse station that helps people with their blisters, and a kind lady who speaks English! We are so glad that we found this hostal, and we will be sure to spread the word about it on all of the pilgrim websites for future peregrinos! All of the services here are provided by donations, so please be generous when you stay here, it is worth every penny!
The people of Spain love the pilgrims! Today we passed by this house, and found a variety of free snacks, just for us! The sign says: "Pilgrims, this is for you, from agapito, the friend of the pilgrims. Have a good trip. Drinking water is 200 meters to the right." We are amazed each day by how generous people are.
Today we walked up a steep mountain and found a place to rest before our even bigger mountain tomorrow. There wasn't any room left in the main hostal, but the city is 20 miles away, so the owners let us sleep in the emergency section that they kindly made for folks like us.
We only had to pay half price, but I think that we are having much more fun here than the normal hostal! There was a horse on our porch for an hour or so, the mattresses our on the floor, and there is a punching bag directly above my head! I moved my bed for a while, and 5-10 people had fun kicking and punching it while we were sitting around, relaxing, and eating a little snack.
Understandably, the common language here is Spanish. We have had a lot of fun learning new words, and getting to know people from all over the world. Everybody on the Camino is very nice. The hosts do anything that they can to make sure that we are taken care of!
It has been fun to find simple pleasures on our journey. A Coke tastes much better after walking 20-30 miles, and drinking warm water all day! The locals have fun playing soccer in the streets, and sitting in the chairs that line the walls. We also love to sit down with them when we are finished walking for the day. The streets are barely large enough for one car, but people drive both directions. The drivers are very understanding of people walking and playing in the streets, and they drive slowly in congested areas of the small towns.
We often go for hours without seeing anybody. One of the towns that we passed through had a sign that said: "Population: 1." The only person who lived there was a host of a hostal. We have yet to figure out how the small towns get their mail!
The small towns that we go through are full of history. The buildings and bridges are of Roman influence, and date back to that time. Many invasions of the country have resulted in other influences altering the designs of the ancient structures.
We walk through many types of fields each day, which remind us of America's heartland. Some of the things that we have seen the farmers growing include: wheat, millet, asparagus, almonds, olives, artichokes, figs, berries, and walnuts. There are also several vineyards along the way for the wine industry.
We have walked miles, and miles(or should we say, kilometers, and kilometers)! Santiago de Compostela seems farther each day!
A few funny things that we have walked through include a tar pit, and a town with a free wine fountain, specifically for the pilgrims. The tradition is to fill your shell with wine(or water is also provided). Many people were excited to have free wine. We were excited to drink ice cold water out of our shells in the middle of nowhere!
We have been able to see many ancient cathedrals along the way. They are well kept, and very kind to pilgrims. One of the cathedrals in particular, is a world heritage sight, and one of the largest in the world.
Spain is very devoted to the Camino, and the peregrinos who trek the path each day. They provide hostals/albergues every 10-15 km for tired pilgrims. Luckily for us, they are between 5-10€ each night, and provide a mattress, bathrooms, and showers. The mattresses are usually on bunk beds, in a room that will hold 20-30 people of mixed genders. We enjoy the company of people from many countries including, but not limited to: Croatia, South Korea, Germany, United States, Hungary, Spain, France, Columbia, Denmark, Holland,and many more!
Well, that's it for now! As we say to fellow pilgrims - Buen Camino!
Most of the small towns that we pass through, offer refreshments for the "perigrinos." A "perigrino" is a pilgrim, or a hiker on the Camino. Many folks have converted old garages into soda/coffee shops just for us!
We have been doing our best to adapt to the new lifestyle, and schedule in Spain. Everything, including pharmacies, stores, restaraunts, banks, and anything else that you can imagine, closes between 3:00-7:00 p.m. When we do get a chance to eat, the standard is a "bocadillo." It consists of a large baguette, with Spanish ham and cheese. It is € 3.00, and can easily feed two people.
There is no such thing as soda from a tap, or a cup with a straw. When you order a drink, they bring you a cup of ice, and a can/glass bottle of soda.
One night, we decided to order a "hamburgesa" which is a hamburger. When we got it, it was the size of a McDouble, and had a fried egg on top. We really liked the Spanish salsa that replaced the mayo/ketchup/mustard. The "papas fritas," better known as French fries, were a very tasty side.
The wildlife is very interesting, and is mostly birds. We have seen several storks living on the tops of abandoned smokes stacks, and chimneys, and many other high places.
