Alburgued

I stayed tonight in a self-service alburgue which is based solely on an honor system. There is no hospilaro (manager) present, you pay a donation of what you want, you clean up after yourself etc. the village has a population of 200 so everyone knows you are there. The grocery is run by a man who has all the groceries behind the counter. With me knowing so little Spanish I point and smile to indicate what I want. The village name is Calzadilla de Los Hermanillos. The next village where I will stay is over15 miles away on the same old roman road called Mansilla de las Mulas --the side bag of a mule--indicating what was really important when the Romans occupied Spain.

More than half way

Well since Oct 9 I have walked 267 miles and so I am more than halfway. I walked an old Roman supply road today. They supplied the legion in Leon from Bordeaux France. Evidently it is not a popular route as for many hours I walked alone. There is another route that parallels this one but it follows a modern highway--my walk was more quieter--though some strange bird was not happy with my presence and scolded me--I am not certain if birds speak Spanish but I did not recognize its speech. It is the end of the pilgrim season there are only 3 of us in the alburgue tonight. One person is a young man who left home in August which is in Switzerland. I have met so many people from so many places. They seem surprised when I say this is my first time in Europe. A week from now I will be in the mountains again and at a place called Cruz de Ferro or Iron Cross. I will post more about it when I get there but in the meantime you can Google it and get information in advance. No new injuries mostly I am tired. Have another 17 mile walk tomorrow with a shorter walk to Leon on Tuesday of about 11 miles. It is a large city so I may take a day off there on Wenesday to resupply with provisions for the rest of my trip. The shops are very specialized in Spain so I don't know where to go to buy certain things. The shops tend to be in the medieval center of the town-- it has the effect of one enormous shopping mall without the mall with the food court spread out into a plaza area where people come to eat and socialize. It is an incredible experience to see people eating and shopping in the late evening in a town center.

This is the view outside my window

A new day in Spain

I have walked a little over 200 miles in 15 days. I feel quite tired. I am surprised that  I am able to get up the next day and keep moving. I am mostly stiff (expected) but  having se back pain. I try not to think  about how far I have yet to go but enjoy each day as it is. The Spanish people are friendly and patient since I can't speak their language very well--I wish I knew more. I am on the Meseta now a high plateau much like the Great Plains in the USA. 

Hello all. I am using a coin operated computer and a Spainish keyboard at the moment having difficulty figuring how to use it.I have heard thet there has been a request for pictures, so I will try to upload some. After a difficult climb over the Pyrenees I had a difficult time going down. I missed a trail and went down a trail that was not recommended because of its steepness, and so my right knee has been hurting for some days now. Spain is a beautiful country and the people are very friendly. I am hoping to make it to Estella today but with my right knee acting up that may be difficult. As I was walking out of Pamplona yesterday and elderly gentleman stopped , started speaking to me and of course I could not understand him. I replyed with one of the three Spanish sentences I know ¨I do not speak Spanish¨He replied in Spainsh--yes you do a little--we both laughed. He was trying to tell me something about the Camino and Santiago--perhaps he walked it at one time. On top of Alto Perdon an elderly French woman arrived riding her bicycle--I was sitting down and she came to sit with me. She started talking to me in French and I replied in French that I knew a litte French. And then we had a conversation of broken French and broken English--she is riding to Santiago on her bike. People seem to appreciate an effort to speak to them in their own language--perhaps it shows you respect them. I seem to suffering still from jet lag as I wake up in the middle of the night and cannot get back to sleep. Unfortunately I cannot upload pictures right now because the computer cannot recognize my camera. I will try again later.

after a rough crossing of the Pyrenees I am beginning my third day I have walked around 30 miles. I am tired and sore. I noticed that there were vulture like birds flying over all the high mountain passes--they were quite ready to do they job should I not make--but alas I did and they went hungry. And so they issued their meal. I
Am off to Pamplona today on 12 miles.

Well it is Sunday night of Oct 6 about 11:45 PM and my stuff is still out of the backpack and needs to be put inside of the pack and I still need to eliminate taking some things--it is hard to decide on what I really need and what I really might need and so you see my dilemma. It doesn't look like I will be needing any of my warmer clothing except mornings--the weather there in Spain is pretty much what one might expect in southeastern Ohio for this time of year. I need to go to sleep--hopefully I will be able to continue post via using my IPhone.

What you are seeing here is all the stuff I am taking with me on the Camino--it is supposed to fit in or on the backpack you see in the picture.