Day 16, September 16, Leon to Rabanal del Camino– late post

The following morning, we woke up early to enjoy the breakfast buffet at the Parador. This was the only luxurious breakfast we were to have on this camino and we intended to savor every morsel. Of course in the dining room was a motley crew of pilgrims and tourists alike. From sight alone you can differentiate the pilgrims from the tourists based solely on the way they are dressed.  


After breakfast, we went outside to enjoy the morning. Out of habit, we already packed prior to breakfast so we had a lot of time to spare. Our train to Astorga wasn't leaving til midday and we didn't want to spend hours waiting at the train station. It was a beautiful sunny day. It was so unlike the previous day when the skies were overcast there was a continuous light drizzle that was enough to dampen anyone's touristy mood. We sat in one of the benches in front of the Parador entrance and waved at some of the familiar pilgrims starting their walk. 



One of the more interesting pilgrims we saw was this group of merry men. You can feel their excitement as they posed in front of the cross at the Parador. There was much laughter, cajoling and teasing and their mood was quite infectious. I noticed that they were taking turns holding their various cameras for groups shots so I decided to approach them and ask if they wanted me to take their photo. Almost at the same time, they all whipped out their cameras in an almost comical way. I wasn't able to stop the laugh that came out of me at that. So, unable to stop from smiling, I obligingly took their photos from various cameras that were handed to me. We later learned that this was a group of priests from different countries. I can't remember which order though. And the reason for their excitement was that it was the first day of their camino. Anyway, after a short chat where we learned that one of the priests is from Bicol, we shook hands with everybody and sent them on their way with a "Buen Camino!" It was already mid morning and they had quite a ways to go.

After that episode, we went back to our room, gathered our belongings and checked out. The train station was only about a 15-minute walk but we wanted to be there early to look for our platform. Having run across several familar pilgrims, we learned that a lot of pilgrims skipped the walk yesterday due to bad weather and a lot of them were catching up today through train. Yesterday, as we were checking in to the Parador, we also ran into Stacey and Laurie again, sisters walking together whom we first met in Carrion de los Condes. They were the ones who told us where to inquire about the bus tickets to Leon. They were in the process of re-visiting their itinerary due to some sustained injury so we shared our itinerary with them and they decided to do the same thing, We were on the same train from Leon to Astorga and from there shared a cab from Astorga to Rabanal.

Day 14-15, September 14-15, Carrion de los Condes to Leon– late post

 Leon is one of the bigger cities along the camino. This is the halfway point and where we planned to take a couple of days off. We did have to do some re-scheduling since we were not supposed to be here until a couple more days.


Thankfully, they had a room available for us at the Parador for the following day. On our first night in Leon, we stayed at the parochial albergue and walked around the historical district. It was our first and only parochial on this camino. There was a solemn blessing and candle ceremony led by the nuns for all the pilgrims in the albergue. It was quite an experience. On day two, we left the albergue and went to the train station to find out how to get to our next stop, which is Rabanal del Camino. We got the train schedules and booked our tickets for the next day's journey. From there, we walked back to the historical district and checked in at the Parador de Leon where we spent a lazy, relaxing day with no plans and no itineraries except for the touring the Parador itself.   



The Parador de Leon (Hostal de San Marcos) is actually a museum hotel and it would have been remiss of us if we didn't take the time to explore this wonderful old building. This structure was built in the 16th century and at different points in history has served as a monastery, a military outpost, a prison, a hospital, and a school, among other things. It's great that this piece of history has been preserved and reconstructed and can accomodate tourists and  pilgrims along the camino. 

I guess I have to explain a bit, one of the biggest reasons why we had to make huge adjustments to our itinerary is because we originally did not intend to visit Muxia and Finisterre, but after having met a handful of pilgrims on their nth camino who told us about it, we had a change of heart. So, to accommodate those 2 stops, we had to take buses, trains and taxis in some parts of the trip. This is not the last time we were to do so on this camino, but this is one of the longest.

Day 14, September 14, Fromista to Carrion de los Condes– late post

When the gentleman at the tourist information center in Fromista learned that we were from the Philippines, he got very excited. Apparently, Carrion de los Condes was the hometown of Miguel de Benavides, so he was quite insistent that we visit the monument. He didn't even know that we went to UST, all he knew what that we were Filipinos. I wonder how much more excited he would be if we gave him that little tidbit of information. :)  So, upon arriving at Carrion de los Condes, so we took a walk to Benavides' monument to pay our respects. It was also great to be able to visit the Poor Claire Monastery, which apparently houses a parochial for pilgrims, before heading out to Leon. Sadly, this is also where we ended the walk with the wonderful brother and sister tandem of Nilva and Herculano.

 After tearful goodbyes in Carrion de los Condes, we waited by the café where the bus loads passengers to Leon. There was no schedule posted, we were just told to wait. After a bit of time, we decided to venture inside the cafe and with our very limited Spanish, ask what time the bus comes and where to get tickets. And so we learned that the tickets were usually sold out the day before. Oh no! So much for having time!

We decided to wait anyway and take our chances and while waiting, we sent fervent prayers to get seats on the bus. Luckily, our prayers were answered and we were able to get seats. Majority of the passengers seemed to be pilgrims needing to take a break or taking a pause in their camino. I was remarking to the lady seated beside me that I felt a bit guilty about skipping this part of the walk and she said it’s okay, that nothing happens by accident and  I was exactly where I’m supposed to be in the camino. The gentlemen in the seat in front of me seconded her sentiment and I felt reassured and calmed. We spent the rest of the ride sharing our experiences so far on this camino, with them pointing out to me some markers along the route. Nope, neither one of them were on their first camino.

Day 13, September 13, Castrojeriz to Fromista – late post

When we checked our itinerary in Castrojeriz, we found that we needed to do another fast forward because we were behind schedule (yep, I've seen too many Amazing Race episodes. 😆). Enter Nilva and her brother Herculano. I can still remember how, upon entering that albergue, this brother and sister tandem gave me a look of happy surprise followed by two of the warmest hugs I ever received on the camino. They were so happy and excited to see me there that it took some of my tiredness away.

Despite the language barrier, we got on well. They took a liking to us and offered to split the taxi they booked with us to Fromista, where we planned to take the bus to Leon. Thank goodness for Google Translate!


















Unfortunately, we were not well informed because we learned in Fromista that there was no bus to Leon that day (or any day, I think). We have to travel to Carrion de los Condes where there is a daily bus to Leon in the mornings, which means we missed it already. Anyhow, Nilva and Herculano again offered to cab it with us since apparently Nilva, due to a pain in her ankle, would be unable to walk long distances anymore for the rest of the camino. So we had a full day in Fromista to rest, relax and recuperate before the next morning’s ride to Carrion de los Condes.

Day 11, September 11, Burgos to Hornillos del Camino – late post

We planned to leave the municipal while it was still dark outside because we start walking part of the Meseta today. And because the heat in the Meseta at this time of year is notorious among pilgrims, we wanted to be done by mid-day at the latest.  Everyone seems to have had the same idea because as we quietly descended the stairs to the reception area, we found to our surprise that every bench and table had either pilgrims or their things, making ready for the day ahead. It was comforting, being a part of this strange community of people. 

There’s definitely a beauty to the meseta. And the fact that you can see for miles knowing that there are no inhabitants nor nearby towns save for the next stop for the day is more than a little bit daunting.

 About 10 kilometes from  today’s stop, it started raining steadily so I had to get my poncho out. One pilgrim saw me struggling with the raincoat and helped arrange it over my pack, which I was very thankful for. Unfortunately or fortunately, it stopped raining just a few minutes after that. Huh! 



Hornillos is a small town not unlike any of the small towns we already passed. It's charm is that it sits in the middle of the meseta as a welcome stop for the weary. The albergue we landed in was pretty well-equipped so we went to the store and bought pasta, olives, and a tin of Spanish sardines on olive oil and cooked dinner. In the kitchen-dining area, we met a big family from Poland who were also preparing dinner. They were walking the camino with a priest and they invited us to join the mass later in the evening, in Polish, of course. Conveniently, the chapel was just behind the albergue. This is where I first saw Nilva and Herculano, inside that chapel, attending the same mass. At that point, we were just on his and hellos, but apparently, we were going to be traveling the camino together in the next few days. 

Outside the chapel and prior to the mass, the interesting hospitaliers put up an impromptu acoustic performance for the pilgrims and kept us entertained  'til lights out. 

Day 10, September 10, Logrono to Burgos – late post

We walked to the bus terminal very early in the morning to catch the first one to Burgos. Unfortunately, the ticket vendor did not speak any English, but the guard did. He directed us to the correct window and pointed us to where we can wait for the bus.
 

At the waiting area, we met a couple, obviously peregrinos, who were apparently on their 3^rd camino. They were celebrating their wedding anniversary by taking their 3^rd walk. What a way to celebrate!

The ride was only an hour and a half so we got to Burgos quite early. Not knowing exactly where to go, we followed the general direction the pilgrims were walking and were led to  the municipal albergue. They weren’t accepting peregrinos yet, but when we got there, there were already quite a number of pilgrims waiting outside, having brunch in a café across the street. We were advised by the couple we met to line our packs near the door to reserve our slots and glad we did, since practically minute after minute the queue grew longer and longer.   

After the municipal opened and we got settled in, we did our laundry and got ready to meet Burgos. A funny incident in Burgos, as I was entering one of the churches to have a look-see, an older man (not sure if he was a priest or lay) shooed me out and was saying something about siesta. Lol! No idea what he was saying but I have to say, that's the first time ever that I've been shooed out of a church. 

We also met an American tri-athlete named Lydia in the municipal queue and she kept us company in our walk around the city and during our late lunch afterwards. She's had some medical issues which forced her to take a pause in her camino but she was planning to resume at a slower pace in a day or two. She's been in Burgos for a few days when we met and she encouraged us to get tickets and tour the cathedral, and so we did. It was fascinating! The Burgos Cathedral was a better-maintained version of Notre Dame, it seemed to me. We were also able to attend the pilgrim’s mass in the evening before heading out to dinner. Burgos was surely worth coming early to.

 

Day 9, September 9, Viana to Logrono – late post

In the morning, we headed out of Viana and walked the 14 kilometers to the town of Logrono. We planned to stay the night here because we had to fast track our camino and take the first bus in the morning to the town of Burgos, which is about  124 km. away. Sadly, we had to skip a few towns to stay on schedule.

   









          Logrono was a biggish town with a lot of sights to see for tourists. Plenty of old churches and monuments, and like most Spanish towns, as soon as night falls, the plaza is converted into some sort of watering hole for both local and tourists.
 

We got here pretty early and so had a lot of time to explore the rest of the day. Being early, we also had our choice of beds in the albergue, which is a rare treat indeed. We were even able to take a short nap before heading out in the afternoon to look around. Luckily, we caught a Wi-Fi signal in the plaza near our albergue and called home to update our family on our whereabouts. Across the albergue, there were park benches lined on one side  so we sat for a bit and watched pilgrims pass us by while deciding what to have for lunch. Afterwards, we walked around the town fascinated by the many candy shops and Caminotekas which line the streets. At some point, we even wandered into a wet market. Logrono was a good place to be for an unexpected respite. 

Logrono was also where we met another Filipina, Queenie. Unfortunately, we met just as we were about to leave in the morning so, we exchanged details and promised to stay in touch throughout the walk. Happy to say It was a promise we kept even after the camino ended. :)

At the rate I’m going...

...this blog will probably be finished just before we set off for our next camino.  So this is gonna be like a prequel for camino number 2. It’s 2017 and the last entry I wrote was in September of 2016 where I left off at day 8 of the camino. So, if I write a blog every month from now until it’s time to prepare for camino number 2, I just might get this project finished. I'll have to try to do better...

      It’s been almost 2 years since we set off for this walk and about this time 2 years ago, I already had a 45 liter pack and I was shopping around for a durable pair of hiking shoes that would be my ride for this journey. It took us 9 months to prepare for that camino, mostly because it’s difficult to get such a long leave from work on short notice, but we used that time wisely to prepare our minds and bodies, and glad we did.

     This was never going to be our only Camino. A few days into the walk, it’s as if we came to an automatic agreement and understanding of this fact. We left home believing that this was going to be a once in our lifetime walk, but we came back knowing that we are going to do it again.  As early as day 3, we were already making vague plans and adjustments as to what we need to do differently or how to pack better on our next Camino.  By the end of this Camino, we already had an idea as to when the next Camino will be. So, with expectant faith and barely contained excitement, I look forward to hearing the words ‘Buen Camino!’ as I take that trail again. 

     Camino number 2 will happen sometime in 2020. We’re still debating whether it’s going to be another autumn walk or if we want to walk in spring this time. As it’s still about 3 years away, we’re not ready to decide on that yet. What we have decided for sure is that next time around, we’ll be taking our time with the walk. We plan to enjoy every single stop. It’s going to be shorter walking days and a longer camino. Good luck with that blog! Lol! Maybe next time, it'll just be photos. 😝