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There was not much to blog about once we left Santiago. We thought we were going to Finisterre to spend two nights by the ocean but we ended up in a lovely B&B far from the sea or any village. We took two taxi rides for food otherwise I knitted and Charlie read. Not what we were expecting and a bit of a let down but it was quiet and we did not walk!

Friday was spent waiting in the Santiago train station and traveling back to Madrid. Saturday we walked the streets of that very beautiful city and enjoyed Spanish hot chocolate and churros. We checked out

the royal palace and wandered through the Plaza Mayor. We probably should have visited a museum or taken a tour but we were in a bit of shock being surrounded by such crowds after 24 days of walking on country roads and up and down mountain trails.

This morning we headed home. First there was a two hour flight to London followed by an eight hour flight to Ottawa where Suzanne was waiting for us. Little did we know that the best part of the trip was waiting for us on Bird Street! All of the children and grandchildren were waiting to welcome us home! The perfect ending to an amazing adventure! 

Another mass

Yesterday morning began with a guided tour of the old city of Santiago with a lovely Spanish woman named Maria. She was a great source of information we would never have found in guide books. Near the end of the tour she stopped and spoke in rapid Spanish to a man passing us on the street. She then turned to us and said he was a spy! A spy for what? He is one of the eight men who work the pulleys in the cathedral to swing the large butofumerio and he had just told her that it was going to swing again that day. We soon wrapped up the tour and we're off to get prime seats for the big event. As amazing as the sight was at the first mass this was even more thrilling! We were seated directly under its path and a few times I actually felt like I should duck.

After mass and more good byes we were off to Finisterre. During the Middle Ages pilgrims did not stop once they reached Santiago but walked in to Finnesterre. They thought they were at the end of the earth and once they got there they burned all their clothes. I am wondering if there was a good shop in town to buy new clothes for the return trip? 

Early in our trip planning Charlie said there was no way he was walking to Finnesterre and I am very grateful that one person in this marriage has some common sense since I seem to have none!

We left Santiago by taxi at 1:30 headed for what we both thought would be a relaxing stay near the ocean. I am not sure how it happened but we are now in a beautiful farm house in the country 8 miles from Finnesterre. Charlie just asked me if I wanted to walk five miles into Muxia. Could he be serious?

Lava cola

The day started in a wet drizzle and the rain quickly got heavier and stayed with us all the way to Lavacolla. The good news was that we only walked 15k or about nine miles. We got to our hotel about one and after warm showers, dry clothes and a great lunch it was siesta time. Such a treat! I even had time to knit!

Today Lavacolla is the location of the Santiago airport. The word Lavacolla is Spanish for " wash your private parts!" During the Middle Ages Christians seldom bathed and they made fun of the Jews and Muslims who practiced better hygiene. Because they had walked for up to six months without washing they were a pretty smelly group by the time they reached this point. In honor of St. James they would stop here and bathe before entering Santiago. I am sure St. James was happy they did! Everyday there is a pilgrim mass at noon in the Santiago Cathedral. This cathedral has the largest incense burner in the world called the Botafumeiro. The incense burner was originally used to fumigate the smelly disease ridden pilgrims. Because the burner is so large it takes six attendants to raise it and swing it so it is not used everyday. We have our fingers crossed that tomorrow it will be swinging at mass.If you have watched the movie The Way you saw the burner in action. After mass we will go to the Pilgrim Office to show our credentials and get our Compostela. Charlie plans to frame his! We are staying in an old monastery in Santiago, should be an amazing end to our 300 mile trek.

Yesterday my post was about all the ways you could get to Santiago and I forgot horseback. Today we were passed by our first rider and his horse! Once when we were unsure which way to turn we started following the horses prints in the mud.

One more sleep and our adventure will be over. I am not sure how my body will adjust to not walking 12-15 miles a day! 

Many ways to Santiago

Before we left for Spain Charlie and I watched a documentary called Six Ways to Santiago. It traced the path of six different people on their 500 mile journey. One woman walked it pushing her four year old son in a stroller! I can not figure out how she did that unless she stayed on the highway.

As we walked today I realized that there are way more than six ways to get to Santiago. Most of the friends we have made on this trip have walked all 500 miles from St. Jean. I am in awe of their stamina! Occasionally we have met people like us who jumped on at different cities and have also clocked many kilometers. Many others started a few days ago in Sarria and are walking the last 100k. Some started in St. Jean and now have injuries that prevent them from walking all day everyday but they continue by taking a taxi part of each day and walking the rest. These are determined people. Two days ago we were chatting with two men from Texas who started in St. Jean. They walked 100k and quit and got on a bus to Sarria and are walking the last 100. I guess it was harder than they thought.

The next and least popular group are the bikers! They share most of the same paths as the walkers but are not a thoughtful group. They come tearing down the trails and with no warning nearly run over the unsuspecting walkers. There should be a rule that they need to ring a bell or shout out some kind of warning. A very few do give some warning. Everyday Charlie smiles an evil smile and threatens to stick his pole in their spokes. That would be very unpilgrim like behavior so I think they are idle threats.

The last large group are the tour group pilgrims that have appeared since Sarria. The groups we have seen are all dressed alike in green shirts and yellow scarves. The tour bus takes its passengers to different points along the trail and they walk for a few miles and then hop back on the bus. We saw one group of such travelers playing cards at a cafe, I guess walking was not in the cards for them. Rumor has it that they all get off at some point and walk into Santiago which means our last steps might be with a large crowd. Whether we walk in with a crowd or stagger in alone we will have done it our way which is the only way a person can do it! Buen Camino for two more days!

Rough day on the Camino

Today started out like every other day. Up at 7:15, breakfast and on the trail by about 8:20. Up hill and down hill we went not making much progress. After two hours I think we had covered about three miles! We stopped for a rest and moved on to the first big town whose name I can not recall but it started with an M. We stopped for lunch and things started downhill from there. I really needed to use the ladies room so I dropped my backpack and headed toward the bathrooms. I looked up and thought I saw a figure in a dress. I used the facilities and I did wonder what those funny sink like things were but washed my hands and left the area to enjoy my lunch. It was only when I saw Charlie head off to the bathroom that I realized I had used the men's room! Lucky no man decided to use it at the same time!

We set off after lunch for what looked like about a five mile walk to our B&B. The walk went on and on and on. About 4:15 Charlie started cracking jokes and I started to laugh but the laugh quickly turned to tears. We had been walking for almost 8 hours. I wonder is it worth it to stop?

After my breakdown we soon arrived at our resting place for tonight, Casa Milia. It is a comfortable enough place but it is rather chilly here and it seems Spainards do not believe in heat. Dinner comes with our room and was billed as authentic Galacian food. Believe me it won't be coming to a restaurant near you very soon. Course one was a watery soup, course two was a plate of roasted peppers, course three was some kind of beef, I am afraid it might have been cows cheek which is a favorite here. Dessert was the very popular flan. That was the best part of dinner except for the wine I drank to try and warm me up. I must keep telling myself " three more days!" I sure wish I had a pair of red slippers like Dorothy so I could click my heels together and magically arrive in Santiago!

Lessons from the Camino

The Camino has taught me two lessons so far. The first lesson is about stuff. The majority of people walking the Camino are true pilgrims, they carry all of their possessions on their backs and they have no reservations in hotels. These pilgrims start walking before daylight so that they can get where they are going early enough to get a bed in an alburgue for 5€. The bed is usually a bunk bed in a huge room with dozens of other pilgrims and the bathrooms and showers are shared with both sexes. They get little sleep because of all the snoring from their roommates.  Charlie would not even consider such an option. We not only are staying in hotels but we have suitcases that are transferred each day. I have from day one hated my suitcase. Everyday I end up repacking it trying to be more efficient but it doesn't work and the next night finds me reorganizing again. I have finally decided that this suitcase is a metaphor for my life, I have too much stuff! When I get home the purge will begin and unnecessary stuff is going to be given away and no new stuff is coming in unless we really need it!

The second lesson was realized after yesterday's walk. I am a bit of a slow learner since it took me 20 days of walking to learn! From day one we have started walking no later than 8:30 and we have walked straight through not stopping except for a pit stop or a snack from our backpacks. We arrive exhausted and I am nearly crippled. Last night my legs hurt so much they burned so we decided to try something new. We knew today was a 15 mile walk so we stopped at 5 miles and had cocoa and pastries, after 10 miles we had bread and soup. What a difference those rest periods made! As I walked today I realized that the approach I was taking to walking is the same one I have always followed all my life. I always think I need to do too much too fast. I say yes to everything anyone asks of me and wonder why I have headaches and high blood pressure. Did I need to walk 300 miles to learn these lessons? It will be hard to change these life long habits but this pilgrim is going to try. About 42 miles to go! 

Galicia

On Monday, just before we reached the top of the mountain we entered into an area of Spain known as Galicia and Santiago is the capital city of Galicia. Galicia is very very different from the Meseta where our walk began. This area of Spain has a strong Celtic heritage and the land is often compared to the western part of Ireland. The scenery is spectacle and almost too beautiful to imagine. Everywhere you turn the vistas are breathtaking. The weather is wet and because of that everything is very very green. In the Meseta farmers grow wheat and corn and sunflowers, this area is primarily dominated by dairy farms. The Camino path passes by farms all day and a walker needs to pay close attention to the path or it is easy to step in a pile of cow poop. Besides the manure the paths are also littered with chestnuts. The spiky pods are everywhere and you will often see old ladies from the village gathering the nuts. Fog is a constant in this part of Spain. From the time we reached the mountain top through today's walk we have spent part of each day walking through thick fog. In every village you will see laundry hanging on a clothesline but I question how it will ever dry in the damp moist air

? We are now less than 60 miles from Santiago and that is good because my energy is waning and my legs are screaming for a break. Each night I go to bed thinking there is no way I can walk the next day and a miracle happens and the next morning we are off again!

Choices, Angels, and Fools

Today's walk gave us two choices for routes to follow. Choice 1 was a walk along a flatter route to see a monastery but that choice was 6.4 k longer. Choice 2 was shorter but meant going over another mountain. We decided to take choice 2 and that meant another climb and then the dreaded descent! Perhaps we are getting stronger but it didn't seem too bad today and we covered 12 miles in about five hours. We are now in Sarria which is where many people join the walk because if you walk the last 100k to Santiago you can get the certificate verifying that you completed to Camino de Santiago. We have been forewarned that it will be much more crowded now.

Before we started this walk I had read about angels on the Camino and today we came upon one. In the middle of nowhere we came upon a house and in the side yard there were tables set up with juice, fruit, coffee, tea, water, cookies etc. everything was there for the pilgrims at no cost. People did leave donations but it was not done expecting payment. There is so much kindness shown in this walk it is very inspiring.

Now to the fools! The weather report for today called for sunshine, 65 degrees and zero chance of rain. I suggested we wear shorts since it was going to be so nice. Charlie even put on sunscreen because he thought he might get a sunburn. Well, I don't think the temperature ever got above 50 and the fog was so thick you could not see 50 yards ahead of you. There was no fear of sunburn and we were freezing. We were the only fools hiking in shorts. Because of the fog we saw absolutely nothing. The cowbells let us know we were passing by farms and as usual the roosters made a terrible ruckus. By the time we arrived our knees were blue but we were 12 miles closer to Santiago!

Two in one

The lodge we stayed in last night had no internet so today's blog will be cover two days.

We left Ambasmestas yesterday morning around 8:15 and climbed steadily all morning. First there was a light mist and then rain and heavy fog. In spite of the weather we made it up to O'Cebreiro by about 12:30. It was rather disheartening to make the final ascent only to be greeted by a parking lot full of tour buses and people milling around the two souvenir shops buying all sorts of Camino mementos. 

We found our lodging but luggage had not arrived so we walked around and wandered into the little church that felt like the warmest spot in town. Charlie was sure the candles were keeping the place warm. We actually saw a lady that seemed to be warming her hands above the flames. The fog was so dense that even now I am not sure what was in that little village population 40. 

The high point of the day was having dinner with our new friends Roberto and Mary Jo! Can you believe that Bill? Roberto is a semi retired orthopedic surgeon from Orange County CA. I am thinking Roberto is a good friend to have on this trip. I am also shocked that his wife is the first Mary I have met.

We walked for six hours today and are in a wonderful hotel in Triacastela. Did I mention that the bed was so bad last night that we both slept in our clothes? The scenery today was breathtakingly beautiful. The fog had lifted, the sun was shining and all the way down the mountain cows with bells provided us with a lovely concert. 219.9 done 88 to go!

Feels like

Another 13-14 mile walk in about five hours. That seems to be our daily routine. While we were walking today I told Charlie that I felt like I had been sent to "Fat Camp" for the month. We get up early everyday and get bread and water for breakfast, then we exercise for five or six hours eating snacks we carry in our back packs. Once we arrive at our destination we crash until about seven when we eat what is called " the pilgrim meal!" The pilgrim meal is usually a shot in the dark since we speak no Spanish. For example a pork chop might be a pork chop or it might be ham or it might be something you are not sure of. One thing you can be sure of is unlimited wine with every meal. You do not get to choose what kind just the color.

Yesterday while we were walking Charlie turned to me and said," if you should pass away before I do I am going to build a Mary in the bathtub shrine for you in the back yard and then take your life insurance money and go to the Caribbean for five months. There will be no more walking! As you can see his feet might be sore but he still has a sense of humor!

We are sitting in a lovely hotel on our own private balcony sharing a glass of wine looking at the mountain that awaits us tomorrow. Off to O'Cebreiro in the morning

Angel in the sky

Last night at dinner, Ted, a man from CO shared an amazing photograph with us. I shared this on Facebook last night but I know many of you who are following my blog are not on Facebook so I will it again. Ted stopped at the Iron Cross on top of the mountain and he spread the ashes of his dear friend. As he was walking away he looked back and this is a photograph of what he saw in the sky! I am calling it the miracle of Santiago.

Long, hard day!

We knew today would be a challenge but we had no idea it would be as hard as it was. Our itinerary said it would be 15.6 miles and our friend Ted used his iPhone to measure the walk and he said it was 19.1. The uphill part was delightful but the downhill was a killer. Seven hours later we arrived in Molinaseca. 

Along the way today we came to the iron cross that is on the top of the mountain at the highest point on the Camino. Pilgrims carry rocks from home and leave them at the base of the cross with an intention attached to each rock. I climbed to the top and left to ten small white rocks with intentions for friends and family. All of you who are following this blog fall in that category so please know there is a rock on top of a mountain top in Spain that carries good intentions for each of you. 

Here's hoping that there are no surprises tomorrow!

Easy walk

Because we had heard so many comments that today was going to be a long difficult day we got up earlier than usual and were out walking before the sun was up. I know that fact will shock some of you but it really happened. The next miracle was that we walked three miles in just under an hour. Because of the uneven paths we had been averaging closer to two miles an hour. About mid morning we started walking with a very nice man from Toronto and he walked with us almost to Rabanal. He is walking his third Camino in about 18 months. One of his walks was the path from Portugal. I am sure he has a story that explains his many walks. Meeting new people and visiting makes the walk go faster. We arrived here in great shape at 12:30.

Just before town we came upon about a half miles of mesh fencing and the fence was covered with a variety of crosses mostly made of twigs. Some were quite ornate and had obviously been made in advance. We found some twigs and made our own creation. It was quite a spiritual place.

After a lovely afternoon of showers, naps and wandering this sweet little village population 50 we attended vespers at a Benedictine Monastery. The church dates back to the 11th century. Four monks sang The Liturgy of the Hours in Gregorian chant. Each day seems to bring us a new surprise.

The maps show a pretty serious descent tomorrow so my companion and faithful guide thinks we need another early start!i am wondering what will get me first, the trail or getting up and out in the dark?

Astorga

Today's walk was our nicest so far. It was hard to leave that heavenly B&B but we need to move forward in order to reach Santiago. Mercedes hugged us all good bye and we were on our way by 9:00 am. The scenery is changing quickly as we head towards the Mountains of Leon. Today we walked through gently rolling hills on paths of good sized stone. The sun was shining and the temperature warmed up to around 60 which was perfect for walking. We reached Astorga by 2:00. Astorga is a lovely city of about 12,000 people. Of course there is cathedral here but we skipped that tour. Next to the cathedral there is a gorgeous building designed by the Spanish architect Gaudi. There was another of his buildings back in Leon and both are very beautiful and quite unique. Tomorrow we start climbing mountains. I think the next two days look pretty tough but we are hopeful that our legs have gotten stronger during the last ten days. 

A loss for words.

I could ramble on about our 13+ mile walk from Leon but tonight I am at a loss for words. We have landed at the most amazing B&B's run by the sweetest person I think in all of Spain. Her name is Mercedes and she and her husband are the inn keepers. When we asked about laundry she said she would do it if we made a donation to her fund that she gives to the poor. She also cooks and serves dinner. The meal was without question the most delicious food we have had in Spain. 

We are staying here with another American couple from Portland, Oregon and a couple from France who speak no English. There is also a lovely woman from Santa Cruz, CA who we met earlier and have stayed with in several hotels. Without anyone asking Tracey shared with everyone that she lost her 20 year old son to melanoma. She walks by herself most days. She said when she gets home her husband and 20 of her son's friends are going to meet her at the airport in San Francisco. She said she is not afraid alone on the Camino because the worst thing that could ever happen to her has already happened.

After hearing her story I have no more words. Tomorrow I walk continuing to count my blessings.

Feast day in Leon

Today was our scheduled rest day and it turned out to be a holiday celebrating, I think, the patron saint of Leon. The company who we booked our trip with arranged for us to have a guided tour of the cathedral with a lady who spoke English. Alleluia ! She was amazing and so knowledgeable. The cathedral was built in the 13th century and only took 50 years to build which is amazing considering it took several centuries to build the one we visited in Burgos. Thirty years ago they started restoring the stained glass windows and they think it will be another twenty years before they finish. 

Our guides name was Maria de Camino and we were able to ask her all the questions we have been pondering. School here does not start until 10:00 am so that explains why children can be out so late in the evening. We asked her where the crowds were going every evening and she said they have no destination, they are just out walking and hoping to meet their friends. When we told her we ate our evening meal at 5 or 6 she could not believe that we could sleep so long on an empty stomach!

While I spent a few hours knitting Charlie went exploring and found a church with a pilgrim mass at 7:00 and we decided to go. The church was the Real Basilica San Isidoro. This church was very different from the Cathedral. The Cathedral was built in the Gothic style and the basilica was Romaneque. The mass was entirely in Spanish so did not understand a single word but since all masses follow a similar rhythm we knew when to sit and stand. After mass all the pilgrims were invited to the front for a special blessing. It was lovely and much more what I had been expecting on this journey. Maria told us that there was also a priest shortage here and that one priest might have to cover 5 or 6 churches. That may be why we have found so few unlocked churches.

Our rest days are over and tomorrow we start the walk towards Santiago again. I am praying for sunshine and happy feet!

Evening in Leon

We arrived in Leon by taxi as planned. According to our guide book walking into and out of this city might be a dangerous activity. I have heard tales of someone getting hit attempting to cross the four lane highway. The timing was good for this limping pilgrim. Tomorrow we have a guided tour of the sights of the city. It will be fun to be a tourist for a day.

Today we finally had paella and it was quite tasty. I realize that I have trouble eating things that arrive with their eyes intact. The paella had little shrimp with heads and the fish I ordered for my second course came looking at me too! We ate our big meal around two because they don't serve dinner in many places until 8:30 or even 9:00 and that is just too late to eat so much food.

It is fascinating to be in this culture because it is so foreign to anything I have ever known. Everyday around two everything closes except the bars. If you walk by a bar you will see tables of men playing cards. At 5:30 the communities come alive and everyone is out walking the streets. Today it was raining and they were still out! Hundreds of people with umbrellas all moving in mass. We tried to follow the crowds to see where they were going but there did not seem to be a destination, just walking even in the rain.

In my attempt to become the Imelda Marcos of The Camino I bought a pair of inexpensive hiking sandals that have a much thicker sole than my sandals. These sandals would not be found on the pages of Vogue magazine but I am hoping they will do the job unless it rains.

106.3 miles traveled only about 200 to go!

Walled town

 Yesterday we took a taxi ride to the town of Massilla. We shared the cab with a woman from Finland who was going to take a bus to Leon and then go home. She was ending her Camino walk because of shin splints. I could not help but wonder what the pilgrims during the Middle Ages did when they were injured?

Massilla was a small village where we stayed in a rather run down hotel with a very grumpy miserable owner. The Internet service was very poor so I gave up trying to post.

During the Middle Ages the village was surrounded by a wall for protection from invaders. A large part of the wall was still there and was the only interesting part of yet another poor little stop along the way.

After arriving in Massilla we found the first church that was open and we could enter without paying a euro. It was a simple church unlike the massive cathedral we saw in Burgos.

After Charlie performed surgery on my miserable appendage once again, I spent the day off my feet napping and knitting and by this morning I was pain free! 

Earlier this morning we once again traveled by taxi to Leon where we will spend two days. We had previously scheduled an extra day here and the timing is perfect. I hope to be totally healed and ready to get back on the Camino by Tuesday morning!

Grateful

I would  not exactly say I walked from Sahagun to El Burgo Ranero. Limped, hopped, dragged, or crawled are words that would describe my trip. Our itenerary said we were going to walk 6.2 miles but some one made a mistake and the real distance was more than 12. My lower appendage that I do not want to name was seriously angry. We have decided to move by taxi today and most everyone buses tomorrow because the guide book encourages pilgrims to not try to walk into Leon because it is too dangerous. On top of that we already had a planned rest day in Leon. Three days off my feet should hopefully make a big difference.

As I walked yesterday I decided to write this blog about all the things I am grateful for and not dwell on my little problem. The number one thing I am grateful for is my kind, loving companion. This walk was not his idea but he quietly walks every day and makes no complaints. Some days as

he walks  prays his rosary. I have never asked what he is praying for because I am not sure I want to know! 

I am grateful for the rest of of my body which is strong and never complains

I am grateful for the lovely, kind people we have met and for the luxury of traveling in another country and learning so much about their culture.

I am grateful for all the concern and advice from family and friends who are following our walk. 

Lastly I am thankful for good beds, good food and the wonderful taxi that I will ride in today!

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Caldadilla to Sahagun

Our big plan for today was to get up at 5:30 and start walking by 6:15 and find breakfast in a village along the way. As many of you know I am not an early riser but I was willing to give it a try so we could avoid walking during the heat of mid day.  The first glitch in that plan came when Charlie set his alarm for 5:30pm instead of am! I rolled over at 6:45 so plan A was off. It turned out to be a good move because we had a wonderful breakfast with eggs and meat etc. It was great fuel for the 13.9 miles ahead.

I had to walk in my sandals again today because even my new shoes were not comfortable.  The sandals worked quite well because our route today was

flat. As I was walking today I decided that from now on I am going to ignore my feet. I have been giving them entirely too much attention that they do not deserve. I am going to treat them as best I can and they will heal in time. No more foot talk on this blog. Instead I am going to focus on how strong my legs and arms become and how little bio freeze I need! 

The walk today was delightful. We had a nice breeze and the best part was no bugs! The landscape has changed in very subtle ways but very obvious if you are walking. Now we have trees to provide some shade. Today we also passed through three or four little villages which broke up the monotony of the endless dirt path.

With about 3 miles to go we started walking with a man named Ted Reed who graduated from SLU around 1968. This is a small world!

Tomorrow is almost a rest day, only 6 miles. I feel a knitting day ahead of.

Buen Camino!

Carrion to Caldadilla

The 10 mile hike from Carrion was pretty much the same landscape. Endless miles of farmland with no farm house, silos or barns. It seems that the farmers must all live in the villages and we have no idea where the crops are stored. They must harvest and immediately send their crops to market.

We were supposed to get a free breakfast at a restaurant down the street from our hotel but when we arrived it was not open. No problem we had protein bars and a few oranges with us so we started off.

During the walk we shared our oranges with a shy young man from Estonia. His English was quite good and he told us that he liked Americans because when Russia threatens to invade his country America helps them. It was nice to hear a positive remark because on a few occasions we have been walking and have overheard someone say "Americano." Not sure in what context they were using the word and did not ask. We also spent some time with a young couple from Winnipeg. She is walking the entire 500 miles and her husband has flown in towalk with her for awhile.

I made a real effort to drink more as per everyone's advice and it made a huge difference. I tried out the new shoes and my toes were quite happy but my heel, not so much. By the time we arrived I had a sizeable blister on my left heel.  The recommended treatment is to run a needle and thread through it to drain the fluid. I had the needle and thread but we needed some antiseptic. The only store in town was a Mini Mart a lovely young mother was running in one room in her home. Of course she spoke no English and our Spanish consists of about ten words. Using sign language we could make her understand what we needed.  She pulled down from the shelf a box containing a liquid she promised would do the trick. She also had quite a supply of hypodermic needles! I assured her that I had a needle. Charlie skillfully ran the thread through the blister and then we sent Dr. Dan a text asking if it was time for antibiotics and he gave us the go ahead. I am sure in a few days my poor feet will be as good as new.

In every town we stay in every restaurant has a pilgrim menu. For about 10€ each you can get a three course meal with unlimited wine and beer. Some meals are better than others but all have been satisfactory.

Last night we dined with three lovely ladies from Minnesota and three real characters from California. About three days ago one of the women from CA saw a small snake on the road and she decided to pick it up. It turned out to be a poisonous snake and she ended up hospitalized on IV's! Her hand was still nearly black and somewhat swollen.you certainly meet all kinds of people here!