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Day 5 of our Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage

June 11, 2018 by Shelli

“Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul.” (Thomas Merton)

Hi. I love sangriasToday was Day 5 of our pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, and was our favorite so far. I feel like new things were planted in my soul… We left Triacastela this morning at 7:30am, en route to Sarria, where we will enjoy a rest day tomorrow.We took the long route to include a stop at the spectacular Monastery of San Xulián de Samos. Our first sighting of the monastery included a rainbow above it! What a breathtaking route!

Today was Day 5 of our pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, and was our favorite so far. I feel like new things were planted in my soul… We left Triacastela this morning at 7:30am, en route to Sarria, where we will enjoy a rest day tomorrow. We took the long route to include a stop at the spectacular Monastery of San Xulián de Samos. Our first sighting of the monastery included a rainbow above it! What a breathtaking route!

There was so much greenery, and often the trail is like a narrow “passageway” that is full of lush ferns and leaves and flowers, and at times a forest of oak and chestnut trees. And always, there are birds singing, and a great variety of flowers that are beautiful and provide a natural perfume in the air.

As if that all wasn’t enough, for a good chunk of today’s 16-mile trek, we hiked alongside the Oribio River, and its numerous cascades.

We didn’t see many other pilgrims until we arrived at Aguiada, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch of bacon sandwiches and particular beverages we have come to love and expect on our treks each day. 😉

I walked in the back today, sometimes in the far back, taking in the scenery and intentionally working to walk slower than I normally do. At times, my family even had to wait for me. Of course I was taking a lot of photos and videos. I was also leaving the trail to smell flowers I was seeing for the first time. I was sauntering, and it was wonderful.

We saw other pilgrims only during the last few miles, and while we exchanged pleasantries and “Buen Caminos” with them, most of them didn’t speak English, and we were motivated to reach our destination since rain was coming.

We have a rest day here tomorrow, which will be a nice break for our tired legs and feet! Despite daily showers, our supply of clothing is limited so we are starting to smell not so wonderful. Lol. So we will do some laundry during our day off. We will never forget today’s scenery and experience.

NEXT: Day 6 on the Camino

Jerry and the boys, checking out a slug.

We walked through lush forests of oak and chestnut trees.

Flowers and fern and greenery surrounded our trek on Day 5 from Triacastela to Samos to Sarria.

Always looking for the yellow arrows to point The Way for us.

A rainbow over the spectacular Monastery of San Xulián de Samos! The Monastery is an active Benedictine monastery in Samos, Galicia, Spain. It was founded in the sixth century.

Family selfie in Samos, in front of the spectacular Monastery of San Xulián de Samos! The Monastery is an active Benedictine monastery in Samos, Galicia, Spain. It was founded in the sixth century.

Of course we needed to stop for a significant snack and beverage in Samos.

Watching out for chickens crossing the road.

A quaint house in a village we walked through.

Wolf, loving his bacon and cheese sandwich, in Aguiada.

Hayden, loving his bacon sandwich, in Aguiada.

Fin, loving his cheese sandwich, in Aguiada.

A snail on a post, and our three sons, on the final stretch of Day 5, about 500 meters from Sarria.

Related blog posts:

Spain or Bust: Camino de Santiago Here We Come

Day 1 on the Camino de Santiago.

Day 2 on the Camino de Santiago.

Day 3 on the Camino de Santiago.

Day 4 of the Camino de Santiago.

NEXT UP: Day 6 on the Camino

VIDEOS FROM DAY 5:

NEXT UP: Day 6 on the Camino

Day 4 of our Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage

June 11, 2018 by Shelli

(To read the pre-Camino de Santiago blog post, which explains in detail why we’re on this pilgrimage, please click here.)

Day 4 of our pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago was wonderful. It was our easiest day so far, and we were thrilled to see our friend – the Sun – on several occasions. Today’s trek was about 14 miles over reasonable terrain, mostly small, rolling hills that took us through lush, green hills. We, and our sore joints, were so happy that today’s route was mostly on a path, and not on pavement. We shared the path with many pilgrims today – the most we’ve seen so far. During most of today’s walk, we had a background soundtrack that included conversations in German, Italian, Spanish, French and Japanese. Another highlight were all the dogs we saw. Fin, who stopped to pet and cuddle most of them, called it a “20-dog day.” (We miss our Buddy!)

Jerry and I just returned from our usual Sangria date, and we both mentioned how much we loved listening to the boys laugh and giggle as they hiked and talked about stuff we couldn’t hear or understand. 🙂 We are liking this lifestyle… We start each day on the Camino at around sunrise. We make up and share a prayer as we start our walk, and then we start walking. The early parts of the hike are always quiet and peaceful. We are each sorta in our own worlds. Eventually there are conversations, among our family and with fellow pilgrims. We hike about half our distance for the day before stopping at a little village, where Jerry and I have a cappuccino or espresso, and the boys have a croissant or other baked goodie.

Then, about 2-3 miles short of our final destination for the day, we stop at another village and have lunch. (We also get our “Credencial” stamped during these stops because we each need to get at least two stamps per day to get our Certificate of completion at the end in Santiago de Compostela.) For lunch today we stopped in a tiny village called Fillobal, where we enjoyed an epically delicious lunch. Wolf had spaghetti, Hayden had lasagne, Fin had a plate of calamari, Jerry had a Spanish potato tortilla and tomato tuna salad, and I had apple pie. The boys had sodas, I had a coffee, and Jerry, a cervaza. All for about $28 USD. (As we enjoyed our fantastic lunch, cows were herded through the tiny street that is more like a passageway through 300- and 400-year-old small, stone buildings.

After getting plump and refueled, we continued.

With about a mile to go before arriving in Triacastela, we hiked past a woman who complimented Jerry and I on our family. Upon thanking her, she and I struck up a conversation. Her story is fascinating. She is from Indonesia but currently lives in Houston with her husband. They have three grown children. Patricia explained that she was very ill, with Hepatitis C, for 18 years. She was healed by a Chinese medicine doctor two years ago. With her health back, and her children grown and on their own, she wanted to do something meaningful, and for herself.

Patricia explained she’s not a hiker or a walker, but she had seen the movie, The Way, and had read about the Camino de Santiago, and was intrigued. Plus, she explained, when she was 12 years old, she converted from Muslim to Catholic. She said her husband wanted to do the adventure with her, but she insisted she do it alone. She wanted to do something challenging, and for, and by, herself. Her family thought she was crazy to do a 500-mile pilgrimage by herself, especially since she had never been a hiker or walker. And, she added, women from Indonesia don’t usually do things alone. So her family and friends were at first worried, but they have been watching her and following her pilgrimage. “By now they’re probably sick of getting all of my photos,” she said with a chuckle. Patricia said she has had blessings on the path every day. “I have had miracles on a daily basis,” she said.

The first day on the pilgrimage, she somehow wandered two hours off course when a local from a village ran after her and helped guide her back to where she was supposed to be. She got tears as she was recalling the story, and called the man “an angel.” Upon leading her to the right place, and to her hotel, he insisted on not receiving any payment for his help. On another day, after a very hard descent, her knee was really hurting, and she questioned whether she could, or should, continue her pilgrimage. She said she prayed to God, as she struggled, asking him for a sign. Soon after, she turned around and saw a rainbow in the sky behind her. She said it has been an incredible journey.

Patricia has about 100 miles left to go, and is taking her time, as she does a lot of thinking and reflecting. We hugged farewell as we parted ways. I feel blessed to have met Patricia, and will keep her in my thoughts and prayers.

NEXT: Day 5 on the Camino

We started at sunrise in the clouds and mist.

It was “mistical” for the first hour of our trek on Day 4.

My boys, leading us through the fog and mist.

Eventually, our old friend –– the sun –– paid us a visit!

We shared the trail with many pilgrims today. Here, we pass through one of many villages during our Day 4 stage of the pilgrimage.

My favorite thing is watching our boys visit and interact and hike together.

Enjoying a beautiful lush and green section of today’s walk.

Cows walked by as we enjoyed a phenomenal lunch.

Related blog posts:

Spain or Bust: Camino de Santiago Here We Come

Day 1 on the Camino de Santiago.

Day 2 on the Camino de Santiago.

Day 3 on the Camino de Santiago.

NEXT UP: Day 5 on the Camino

VIDEOS FROM DAY 4:

NEXT: Day 5 on the Camino

Day 3 of our Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage

June 11, 2018 by Shelli

(To read the pre-Camino de Santiago blog post, which explains in detail why we’re on this pilgrimage, please click here.)

At the start of day 3, a 21-mile rainy effort.

Today was Day 3 of our Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. I went it alone today. The trek was 18 miles, which included lots of miles of hiking in torrential rain, quite a bit of walking on pavement, and almost 3,000’ of elevation gain in the last four miles. Because the boys are dealing with some sore/tender achilles tendons and knees, and given the 90% chance of rain in today’s forecast and the significant climb that wouldn’t come until after 13 miles were on their legs, Jerry and I opted to give them the day off. The boys slept in, and then Jerry and the boys caught a cab to our next stop, O’Cebreiro, a quaint village at the top of a mountain. They met me at the “finish line” of today’s hike, which was my favorite part of the day. I would have preferred to have my family with me today, and yet I am certain we made the right decision to give them a rest day, especially given we have 7 days of pilgrimage left. (If you want to go directly to the fun stuff – about the pilgrims I met, feel free to skip past this next, more personal bit… )

I had a meaningful hike. Fitbit says I walked 45,000 steps, and most of them were introspective, especially because of the fog and low clouds and pitter patter of rain on my umbrella. I hike alone a lot, and it’s not because I can’t find anyone to hike with. I just love Solitude. While we can learn a lot about ourselves when we’re with others, and based on how others respond to us, I learn the most about myself when I’m alone, listening to my thoughts, and processing and reflecting.

I often have tears of gratitude, in front of people and alone, but the other kind of tears (from sadness or struggle) are usually saved for my solo hikes. That was certainly the case today… First off, the top of my left foot was killing me. (I have had this issue before—when we visited Europe two years ago and walked miles, day after day, on concrete sidewalks and stood for long periods on marble floors in museums, etc.)

There is a lot of concrete walking on the Camino, and add to that we walked on cement and marble floors in Paris before arriving to the Camino. My foot has been protesting ever since… For the first few miles I couldn’t distract my attention from the pain in my left foot. So that was a bit of a rough start…

To help direct my attention away from the pain, and to bring purpose to today’s solo hike, I worked on memorizing something I’ve been meditating on a lot lately – On Children, by Kahlil Gibran. If you aren’t familiar with it, here it is:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,

but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children

as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

and He bends you with His might

that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies,

so He loves also the bow that is stable.

By mile 6, I had it memorized. It is such a beautiful essay. I am completely sold on its message, yet struggle with implementing it.

Since the beginning of this year, I have been memorizing my favorite poems. This is not only so I can recite from memory my favorite poems whenever I want, but also because I find solace in the practice of reading and re-reading favorite poems. Doing so serves as a sort of prayer-like meditation for me.

I mentioned in my post from Day 1 the Cruz de Ferro – the iron cross on a hill where pilgrims bring a rock from their homeland and deposit it at the base of the cross as a symbol for a burden or habit they want to shed and leave behind. The thing I’m working most on, personally, is letting go. Because our oldest son, Wolf, will leave “the nest” next year, and Hayden the year after, I find myself grasping more. I’m trying to hold tightly to them, and their time. I sense myself doing this, and I don’t want to… I know when I grasp that it’s self-absorbed. But they’re young men and they want and need their independence. I know I need to grasp less, but it’s hard for me to do… So, that’s why I focused on, and worked to memorize, the words from the On Children essay. It made for a rich journey today! But enough about that…

I should mention I met some really neat people on today’s trek!!! During my third mile, as it rained, I walked on a path for the Camino that parallels the highway. It was raining softly and I was listening to the abundant bird song and trying to distract my attention from the pain of my left foot when I heard whistling. The whistling was professional! It was spectacular. I seriously wondered if there was a flute player hiding in the shrubbery I walked by. :)I looked behind me and all around me, but could see nobody. The whistling continued and sounded almost as if it was playing on surround sound. But I couldn’t spy a single soul anywhere. There was a river to my left, and a highway to my right and I couldn’t see any other pilgrims.

After about 10 minutes of hearing whistling, I began to wonder if I was losing my mind. I pulled over to remove my raincoat in exchange for my using my umbrella to stay dry, and I needed to drink some water. Soon, a man passed me. A pilgrim. I asked him if he was whistling, and he said “Yes! I am a whistler!” We walked together for about a half of a mile. His name is Zole (sp?), and he’s from Hungary. He is doing the entire Camino – 720km/500 miles –- and is on Day 23. He hopes to finish in Santiago de Compostela in 6 days. He’s an electrician and just finished a big project in Black Forest, Germany, and explained, “Right now I have money and time.” He’s turning 45 this year (in October), and decided to walk the Camino as a birthday gift to himself. When he realized I am an American he excitedly asked me if I am a fan of Western movies. He grew up watching John Wayne, and is a big fan of American movies. He speaks German, Italian and Spanish, and his English was pretty good too.

Zole said the song he was whistling is called Katyusha, a Russian folk song. Zole explained that he’s not normally a walker or a hiker. He prefers road cycling. He says he’s so hungry from walking that he’s always eating, and yet he never feels like he gets enough food. Since the start of his pilgrimage, he’s lost about 20 pounds, despite eating all the time. As we walked and talked, we passed an adorable dog that was too lazy or unimpressed to get up or even wag his tail or notice us. We both laughed at how mellow, and uninterested, the dog was. Then, Zole said, “Three days ago I walked by three little dogs who tried to bark me.” LOL.

I also met Mary, from Denver, who is 61 and bought a one-way ticket to Spain. She is trekking the entire Camino and doesn’t want the pressure of a deadline so she hasn’t booked a return ticket. She told us she is going to visit Paris, and then Italy, and possibly Greece after she completes the Camino, and that these trips are serving as an incentive for her to continue her trek. She took a photo of our family because she, like me, is the mother of three sons.

On the muddy uphill today, I walked for a bit with Paul, who is from Toledo, OH, and recently graduated from college at University of Pennsylvania. He’s walking the Camino and then he’ll go to Italy. Then, he’s going to do a “work away” at a winery in Italy. He explained that he’ll work 5 hours a day for 5 days a week, and in exchange he’ll get room and board. “I just graduated and I know once I take my first job, time will be short.” He added he is Catholic, and wanted to do something that might bolster his faith. He said he’s never said so many rosaries in his life, and each day, he prays for his family and all of the pilgrims he met the day before.

Jerry and the boys greeted me at the end of my hike – at the top of the mountain, and that was wonderful! We then checked into our amazing rooms in this quaint village that has a population of 50, and is situated on top of a mountain. As I write this, Jerry is reading, and the boys are watching Netflix. Chilling, which is something we don’t do often, and is needed and appreciated right now. Even though we’re trekking many days and logging lots of miles, we have enjoyed da lot of down time every day, which is wonderful. As I look out our window right now, I see we are in the clouds… It’s magical, really. I prayed a lot today for all of my family and friends and blessings. I know life won’t always be this amazing, that life has good times and bad.

But for now, I’m taking it all in. Which calls to mind a favorite Walt Whitman quote: “Happiness, not in another place, but this place, not for another hour, but for this hour.”

Thank you for following along.

NEXT: Day 4 on the Camino

I said a prayer as I passed these graves in Pereje this morning.

About to enter a favorite section of today’s epic trek.

An espresso at Las Herrerias is just what I needed to fuel me for the last four miles and 2,500′ of uphill.

There were other hardy walkers today who, like me, had thee most valuable piece of equipment with them – the umbrella.

The best part of my hike was having my family waiting for me at the end–the top of the big climb and end of my day’s trek.

RELATED BLOG POSTS:

Read about Day 1 on the Camino de Santiago.

Read about Day 2 on the Camino de Santiago.

NEXT: Day 4 on the Camino

Video of me reciting, from memory, the On Children essay referenced above, during an epic hike in Wyoming, about one month after the above day’s trek on the Camino.)

VIDEOS FROM DAY 3:

NEXT: Day 4 on the Camino

Day 2 of our Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage

June 11, 2018 by Shelli

Coffee break during our trek. I could get used to this!

(To read the pre-Camino de Santiago blog post, which explains in detail why we’re on this pilgrimage, please click here.)

Read about Day 1 on the Camino de Santiago.

Hello! We survived Day 2 of our Camino de Santiago pilgrimage! Today’s route took us through backroads, small villages and rolling hills of lush green vineyards. While the scenery was beautiful, much of today’s 16.5 miles was on cement sidewalks or paved roads, which are not too kind on one’s joints and feet… We all have pretty sore feet as a result, and some sore knees. Rain was in the forecast, but we lucked out and were only sprinkled on during the last two miles, which was excellent and provided relief from the heat. The boys were champs, especially considering some of the ailments they are dealing with (sore Achilles’ tendons and knees).

Tomorrow will not be our longest day but it will be our toughest. It will include 19 miles and a lot of elevation gain, especially in the last four miles. Add to that we will likely have rain all day. So we are trying to mentally prepare for tomorrow by laying around a lot this afternoon. We are feeding the boys whatever foods they want, and in great quantities! Lol. But seriously. 🙂

Today we met many wonderful pilgrims, including Max, who is from Philadelphia and is a finance student at Wharton. He starts an internship in a month, and explained, “I figured for a month I could do nothing or I could do something. So here I am.” We also met Julia, a 21-year-old from Germany. She explained she is normally not active at all. She decided to do the Camino after a friend did it and raved about it. She told me she wants to be more active and more self confident. “Already, I can tell you, I’ve gone from 0-100 as a person.” We also met a woman named Anastasia, who is from the Czech Republic, who said she just wanted to do something that is interesting and “not normal.”

Those of you who know me or have camped with me in the wilderness know how much I love coffee. I always crave a great cup of coffee when I am trekking. Today, along our walk, we stopped for a good break in Cacobelos, where I bought a cappuccino for just 1 euro. Pure bliss!!! (I also bought a pound of fresh-picked cherries for just 1 euro!) The boys have enjoyed sampling donuts and various local candies and chocolate.

Tonight we are staying in Villafranca del Bierzo, a charming village/town.

NEXT: Day 3 on the Camino

Leaving Ponferrada to start today’s trek to Villafranco del Bierzo.

Today’s walk took us by farmland and vineyards.

Getting our “Credencial” stamped at a church in one of the first villages we walked through. We each need to get at least two stamps per day in order to get our Compostela certificate at the end.

The churches are magnificent. This one is Fuentes Nuevas.

Dreams come true. A coffee, bear and food cart on our trekking route today.

An adorable dog lifted the boys’ spirits on our trek today during a hard, seemingly never-ending stretch.

One of our favorite sections of today’s trek. It wasn’t on a road!

Only 3.3 kilometers left to the end of today’s trek.

NEXT: Day 3 on the Camino

VIDEOS FROM DAY 2:

NEXT: Day 3 on the Camino

Day 1 of our Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage

June 11, 2018 by Shelli

(To read the pre-Camino de Santiago blog post, which explains in detail why we’re on this pilgrimage, please click here.)

We had our first day of pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago today! It was magical and difficult. We started at sunrise (6:45) in a mist and above the clouds and walked for miles with wildflowers on either side of us. We could smell the perfume of the flowers, hear birdsong, and the cool, damp air was perfect for today’s 22-mile effort. Our time at the Cruz de Ferro was special. We had each brought a rock from a training hike at home, and left it at the base of the cross as a symbol of leaving/shedding a burden or habit. Then we continued, for a while leap-frogging a family who was saying a rosary as they walked. (That was beautiful to witness)

After about 10 miles, we stopped in a village for a sit-down snack at a cafe, which restored some energy for us. We then walked another seven miles or so before enjoying an epic lunch in Molinaseca of pizzas for the boys, and tapas for Jerry and I. BTW, when I’m leading my Epic clients on adventures in the wilderness, I often joke and say that there’s a beer cart up ahead but of course I’m only joking. Here, however it is not a joke! There really are beer carts—or even better—bars along The WAY, with Spanish wines and sangria and cervezas. (#yeehaw)

After our lunch break, our day got more difficult. It was a really hard last 4+ miles because they were mostly on cement sidewalks or streets, which was very hard on all of our knees and feet, especially with 17+ miles on the legs already. The boys were champs though, and we were feet up in our hotel by 3:15. We met some interesting and wonderful people. Iris, from Taiwan, who is 30, and quit her corporate job to walk the Camino and “meet God.” She said it happened on the first day.

We met Nicoli from France, who is walking the Camino “to push the pause button on my life.” (Nicoli told us of a 75-year-old man who is walking the Camino for his 12th time who walks 40km day after day.)

The people were fabulous and the scenery, beautiful!!!

It was a day full of meaning and I will never forget it. I am so thankful for my family, and feel blessed to be doing this! Up next: a 16-mile day tomorrow that will mostly be flat to rolling. Rain is definitely in the forecast so it may be more mental than today and not as photo-worthy… Glad we have some hours to rest!

Here are several photos captured along today’s trek, along with two videos.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll check back for a blog about tomorrow’s trek, which will be one of our most ambitious days.

NEXT: Day 2 on the Camino