Category: A Very Short Story

From the Short Story Vault

September 20: Villa Franca to O Cebreiro

Walking today to the highest point of the Camino in O Cebreiri, which is code for a bitch of a walk up a steep grade. After doing this and being a veteran Pilgrim one gets to learn the various nuances of the hike: ” Oh no not another freaking hill.” That is Irish for you know what.

Our Camino guardian in Villa Franca

Jerry and I enroute.⁸

We left Villa Franca around 730am. Very dark. I was a tad anxious because of this notion that it was the highest point yet for the first 18 kilometers it was easy going. Very flat terrain on the side of a highway. We counted 17 bridges for the main motorway above us. It was very impressive, but boring. So I put on some tunes and sang along. Soon, I found myself alone!!!

The final kilometers were really hard. And that is what is interesting about this walk. Just when you think you have it made, a curve is thrown your way. In this case a kilometers walk uphill over the most treacherous terrain you have ever seen. Rocks, boulders, loose gravel and shale With a slate base. You do not want to fall. This over a very steep grade that slows one down to a crawl. Indeed some pilgrims had to crawl to the top. But no matter because pilgrims have to suffer and they can,t have fun and they cannot swear but today that last rule was broken many,many times. Forgive me lord.

Great Pic

This country is beautiful. We ended up 4 k short of our destination because we were exhausted and could go no further. O Cebreiro will have to wait until tomorrow. We bedded down at a monastery run by Germans but before we did Jerry and I and a few others imbibed a few beers and a pilgrim’s dinner at the local cantina.l

Great day if even a tough slog at the end.

Read ya later.

Man oh man how I love this country.

John the Pilgrim.

 

 

 

September 19: Ponceferrad to Villafranca

Jerry’s favorite poster. Expand to read.

Today’s walk was pretty good after yesterday’s walk through the valley of death. Flat, non descript and monochromatic. There were many of us. Mainly Spanish, some Italians and us stupid Canadians, as I was called by Serge, the French Canadian patriot  nationalist and separatist. I have come across three other French Canadian woman who are all separatists. Really nice women. They all said they were from Montreal, or Quebec City Quebec and not Canada. There you have it

Sunset in Villa Franca. So we walked about 23 kilometers and then stopped for lunch around 1130. We had about 5 kilometers left before we arrived at Villa Franca. But it took us 2 and a half hours to get there. Something was wrong as by my calculations and my internal GPS we
had walked over 11 kilometers. Jerry steered us to an alternative route that we didn’t t know about. Don,t worry bye it, Villa Franca, is just over the  hill and around the bend. After many wee hills and wee-er bends we arrived. We had done 35 kilometers. We were ready to kill Jerry.

Vla Franca is a small quaint Spanish village with a castle in the middle of it. Streets are narrow and hilly (steep), made of cobblestones that are very hard to walk on in flip flops. Like all villages here it is extremely clean

Houses are adorned with beautiful and intricate facades and pride on ownership is evident everywhere.

Beautiful.

Read ya tomorrow.

 

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September 18: Foncebadon to Ponceferrado

  1. Forgot to say that the walk to Astrioga we were inundated with flies and smidgens. Jerry had to put his netting on. It was awful. We met two American woman who were also wearing netting. Then we went down a big hill and came up to a woman walking….to…Isreal!!! She said it will take her 18 months. Dedication or what but she has her dog for company. Whoa, that should do it.

BTW that sign is wrong. It says 215 km to go and then the next sign says 250 km to go so we are walking backwards. Crazy. The distances are not in sync.

We arrived at our Albergue in a cold mist and rain. For the first time I can say we were cold.A Communal meal. It was packed. I did not like it because it was cramped. If you like eating and sleeping with 50 strangers then this life is for you

 I do not, and this has been the biggest disappointment for me on this walk

We left the Abergue at oh dark 30 or just before the sun came up, to begin what would be the trek through he’ll.

We started out with a 5 km walk uphill in rain and cold then high winds and then hot and muggy sunshine and then rain again and so on and do forth. At a cross the downhill slog started for about 4 km over the roughest and most dangerous terrain ever. Loose gravel over a slate stone base accented with rocks and boulders. It was ankle busting terrain and it slowed us down considerably. In fact the 27 km tooks us over 10 hours to cover. And in these conditions you are cold, sweaty and your feet are burning. All you can think about is a hot shower and a warm bed. Hey even Jerry was quiet. It is head down, watch the ground and walk.

This was  after Zubiri, the worst walk so far.

Btw, we are almost into our 4th week and have covered over 550 kilometers.

Wow. Read ya later.

My Italian daughter Camilla. She is from Balogna

Oh, and for Tom and Angie there are figs everywhere

Boy I love this country.

 

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September 15 – 17: Various

My server was down for 3 days. Sorry. This will be a combined post.

Yay. Hälf way ? Not. They say it is but we are well past half way. As I said before there is the camino kilometer and then the real world kilometer. Road to Leon was boring as can be. 28 klicks today but mainly through the industrial area of the city. But then we were rewarded with this:

 

There are no words to describe the beauty of this place. The city was alive. Fantastic architecture, wonderful food, beer was refreshing and the wine plentiful and cheap. Spaniards are super friendly but one should know that nobody speaks English…no body. Not that they should but just a warning for future travelers. The larger cities do not seem to have a homeless problem like we do. If they do it is hidden. And,i heaven forbid, they clean their streets in the early morning hours. I love this country.

What is truely amazing is that the Spaniards put a great deal of detail to the facades of their buildings. Fantastic.

16 September.

Walk out of Leon was tough and slow and lots of hills. The landscape was flat and non descript. Clear skies and hot. Headed to Villadangos, which resembled  a truck stop. Passed a school and yes moms were waiting outside for their children, just like us. We ended up in a religious residential school where we only had to pay a donation. The place looked very clean but on closer inspection the place was lacking on planned maintenance. Plumbing was bad, light fixtures didn’t work, dryer was broken. Oh well. It did remind me of our roundtable the óther night about why we do the Camino. So I asked Jerry about that and did he feel there was an out of this world, out of body existential feeling about the Camino. He looked at me kind of funny like with his head slightly askew: “ you mean this walk?” he says. “None of that shyte. Its a great way to lose weight!!”

And there you have it.

17 September.

Walked to Astrioga. About 27 klicks. It was a hard slog. We did not follow valleys but crossed them. Up and down, up and down. Getting hilly again. Y,know the hills are okay. Going down is hard on the knees. We have started the hill climbing now.

 

Yes Jerry. Life is good.

A Jerryism

Jerry has a tendency to belch and pass wind a great deal in the morning. So I said to him:

“Gee Jerry,one of those farts are going to have lumps in them.”

” No worries,” he says “If yer ankles aren,t brown then your ok mate.”

And there you have it. Astrioga:

Astrioga – the chocolate capital of Spain. Yummy.

A hard slog but worth it. Hard core thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Loved it. I love this country.

A hard slog tomorrow.

Read ya tomorrow.

Cheers.

 

14 September:El Burgo Romaro

Tough day on the range. Wifi is spotty. Bruce from San Diego having a short respite from the walk. That s what we call it now: The Walk. He is a Padres fan.

So what is our daily routine then:

Hoping to be up at 6 but wide awake at 4am. Toss and turn and curse the snorer beside you until around 6am. Then the keeners get up. They get out on The Walk while it is still dark.  Bad idea as the terrain underfoot is terrible. Then the fighting starts for the single shitter and  shower stall and that is when those walking sticks come in handy. I was here first. No you weren’t. Yes I was, no you weren’t and on and on it goes just like it says in the ” So You Want To Be A  Pilgrim Do You? Handbook. I know, I know. A real classic it is.

Jerry and I wait until the morning mayhem ceases. Then we get up and dobie (wash), get dressed and hit the trail. Usually around 730. Civil twilight is good until sunrise,which is around 8am. We try to put on 5-10 kicks before we find a cantina to have our morning coffee and beps (bun). Then off we go. We always meet up with those early risers so you see,getting up early doesn’t  pay.

That,s a me. Yay. Directing Pilgrim traffic.

A usual craic (conversation with Jerry) normally starts like this:

“Hey bye”

” Yeah Jerry

” Do ya have a hankering for burrs where you live?”

“Burrs?” I say

” Yeah. Burrs?”

” What,s a burr Jerry?”

” Ya know, those big black tings in the bush. You know, does a burr shyte in da woods bye?”

” Oh, you mean bears?” I say.

” Yeah burrs.”

” Yeah. We have burrs Jerry. In da woods Jerry and da pope is catholic.” I add for effect.

“Whew.” He adds.

Northern Ireland word of the day:

“Dinky”-  means posh, la di da

We walk until about 12 noon. 2pm if covering off more than 25 kicks

Then we play ” Find the Alberque” which is a real game of chance I can tell you. Check in, find your bunk. Then a shower cause we stink and no bar or cafe is going to let us in. We are the unwashed, the unclean. Hey. We’ re even mentioned in the bible. And while the majority of the pilgrims lie down for a few winks Jerry.and I are off for a few pints. Back, find a restaurant, have a meal then back to our bunks and start the routine all over again.

After a dobie that is. I also ĺìķe to walk around the town, village or city  to get a feel for the place I am at.

One of the more frustrating things about this journey is that the majority of the pilgrims keep to themselves and will not socialize.

I miss the German group snd Alberto the Italian and his girlfriend.

All for now. Read ya later.

In Leon tomorrow.