Uterga

This morning we started out at about 8:15am (note to self- start earlier). In total we walked about 12 miles with a significant elevation gain which took us through the windmill farms outside of Pamplona. Today’s walk took us through the University of Navarre and along a hard surface road that lead to gravel and dirt. The views looking back Pamplona were exceptional! What a beautiful city! The significant elevation gains needed for this segment are challenging. When combined with 85+ degrees it often felt beyond challenging! Fortunately there was a strong wind which helped keep us cool 💨

At the top of the mountain is a wonderful sculpture dedicated to pilgrims on the Camino!

After about 8 hours of hard hiking we came to Uterga which is a tiny village with two Alberges and nothing else except some very nice looking apartments. There are about 30 dormitory bunk beds and a couple of single rooms with a full bed. We took it! There were mostly English speakers at dinner and the pilgrim meal was terrific! Chris and I both enjoy the local Spanish Rioja wines! Tomorrow we’ll get an earlier start. Buen Camino! 😎

Running With the Bulls in Pamplona

This is the 100th anniversary of running with the bulls. Of course, the Plaza de Toros had appropriately commemorated the celebration!

There is an incredible work of art dedicated to the running of the bulls. This is as close as I will EVER get to them! Definitely a must-see sculpture in Pamplona. Buen Camino 😎

Grabbing his horns. Yea…right 😃
Love the expressiveness in this runner

Exploring the Streets of Pamplona

Cathedral de Santa Maria

Pamplona is a wonderful town for exploring! It’s lively “vibe” is felt throughout the town. Our exploring led us to the Cathedral de Santa Maria where we joined the congregants in the Rosary and Mass. We also explored the Plaza del Castillo and most of the old town. Our evening concluded with an open air heavy metal band. They were pretty amazing! Tomorrow we’ll walk from Pamplona to Uterga. Buen Camino 😎

One of the oldest structures in Pamplona
Street Vibe

Pamplona

We arrived in Pamplona in the early afternoon. Even in early September it is quite hot in the late afternoon and early evening. We decided that tapas and something cold to drink would be a great way to start our time in Pamplona and on the Camino. The tapas included peppers, calamari, ham, and Spanish cheeses. They were incredible!

Pamplona is the town where Chris and I recovered after my fall six years ago. Even though it is associated by us with that event, Pamplona is an incredibly exciting and lively city! There is music and people everywhere! Of course, what would you expect from a town famous for running away from bulls??? Here is a clever street musician!

Madrid to Pamplona

We are now leaving Madrid and heading to Pamplona via the Renfe train at Atocha Station. The train trip is about 3 1/2 hours on a direct train (no transfers). Our stay in Madrid was wonderful if not too short. We’ll return to Madrid at the end of our travels. We are excited about this next phase of our Camino!

Madrid

Our flight path over Spain 🇪🇸

We left San Clemente early Wednesday morning and flew to JFK in New York. Of course the Shake Shack in Terminal 4 was our first stop! Our night flight to Madrid was smooth even though sleep was somewhat elusive. Arriving in Madrid, I quickly remembered why I enjoy this city! We are at our usual hotel overlooking Calle Alcala and very close to the Gran Via. Since our last stay here, a Four Seasons Hotel has opened across the street. Tonight we’ll enjoy tapas and the Madrid “vibe “

Three of the large cities on the Camino (Pamplona, Burgos, and Leon)
The new Four Seasons hotel from my balcony.

Final Preparations

This is one of the signs we’ll be watching for along the Camino

We are on the eve of leaving for Spain 🇪🇸 and the Camino de Santiago. For this type of travel, packing is basic, yet difficult. For all of us, our packing choices often include our fears. For the Camino, this is especially true. The Camino includes reflecting on our fears and returning to a more simple existence. Easier said than done but definitely doable 👍🏻 I’ll update you on how we did!

Good shoes and the Brierley Camino book are essentials

2022: The Camino is Calling

In 2014, Chris and I first walked 425 miles on the Camino de Santiago (Lograno to Santiago). It was a powerful journey. We walked a section of it again in 2016 which resulted in an injury in Zubiri. We returned the following year to the spot where I was injured and subsequently completed our pilgrimage.

It has been 5 years since we were last in Spain. We are now planning on returning to Spain and the Camino on September 1st. With both of us retired we only bought a one-way ticket to Madrid. We have no idea when we will make it to Santiago or how this journey will develop. Isn’t that the point? We hope you will join us on this Camino.

This picture was taken on the shore of Loch Ness our recent trip to Scotland

Day 9: Wise Persons and Wisdom

A very thoughtful blog from a fellow pilgrim. Buen Camino.

jennings2017

I look forward to meeting and discussing interesting things with people on the. Camino.

In the last few days I have learned about

  • The virtue of restraint;
  • God’s active intervention in life to save people;
  • How we as Christians should focus on helping others and being less judgmental; and
  • How concrete Christian practices can be used to help in big changes in life.


Patrick is a 30 something science teacher from Boulder CO who is walking the Camino with his sister Ann Marie and a Swedish doctor named Cecilia. We have seen them off and on since our second day. At dinner last night he discussed the virtues of restraint. Not over spending, over committing, or over investing. By keeping within his means and being careful he had avoided the economic downturn and a host of other calamities that befall people.


Mark the 60 something educator from southern Californian and…

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Los Arcos to Logrono (19.8 miles) July 6, 2017

We once again started our walk early in the morning just before dawn.  The streets of Los Arcos were quiet except for the occasional click click of pilgrim walking sticks.  We walked past the cathedral where we had attended the Pilgrim’s Mass the night before.  It was quiet and peaceful.  Walking a bit more we turned and said our goodbyes to Los Arcos knowing that this was our last day on the Camino.  By now the sun was just beginning to rise and we could see that there were some clouds in the sky.  A pilgrim’s dream!  Although the day was going to be hot, the clouds would give us relief from the intense Spanish sun and heat.  The day once again wound us through the vineyards of Rioja.  We have come to enjoy drinking a Rioja wine during our pilgrim’s dinner!  There were many uphills but they were somewhat shorter in duration.  Of course those uphills lead to downhills where caution always is order.  At our stop for cafe con leche and something to eat, we ran in to Joe and Marisa from the San Francisco Bay area.  They were more disciplined and had gotten up earlier in Los Arcos than us.  Happy to see them, we all had breakfast together and talked about the upcoming journey.  They left the rest stop before us.  As is always the case on the Camino, you are never certain if you will see them again.  Chris and I continued our journey to Logrono and came across a spontaneous monument by some pilgrims.  It was a tree where people had left symbols of their journey.  I have very mixed feelings about leaving things like this along the Camino.  Here is a picture.  What do you think?  In Armananzas we came across a beautiful tile mosaic.  Along the way, you can see small rock shelters.  It is fun to think about who built them and who subsequently occupied them!  Near Bargota we came across more vineyards and the ruins of some type of dwelling.  Coming in to Viana, the path became steep and it was really warming up.  The high clouds and slight breeze were a blessing!  Tired and hungry we arrived in Viana and who do we see but Joe and Marisa.  Happy to reconnect, we all enjoy lunch in the shadow of the cathedral.  It turns out that July 6th is the opening day day for the running of the bulls in Pamplona.  The tv in the cafe where we were eating was on and the locals were cheering.  The pictures below are of the square in Pamplona that I took a few days ago and the square on the tv during the festivities.  What a festival in Pamplona.  It rivals Times Square on New Year’s Eve! Knowing that we are pilgrims and not tourists we could not linger in Viana any longer.  We still had several miles and the afternoon was turning hot.  The four of us decided to walk together to Logrono.  Joe and I spent the afternoon talking about religion, life and death, the 60’s, and everything else in between.  Chris and Marisa conversed about life and its twists and turns. Chatting certainly makes the walking seem easier!  Approaching Logrono we found ourselves on asphalt which by this time of the day was radiating heat!  We soaked our scarves to keep our necks cool which really helps in this intense heat.  The last couple of miles were extremely difficult not because of the climbing and descending but the very hot weather and heat radiating off of the asphalt.  Soon, however, the spires of the cathedral were in sight!  You can see how church spires and towers were used as a navigation beacon over the centuries.  We walked along the path that was adjacent to a park where we came across Camino roses.  Roses are among Chris’ favorite flowers!  At the river, the four of us parted but agreed to a last dinner together as Chris and I had finished our Camino and Joe and Marisa were going on.  We went to the cathedral in Logrono which was magnificent.  Behind the main alter is a painting by Miguel Angel Buonarotti also known as Michelangelo. What an incredible find in this northern Spanish city!  Chris and I spent time in the cathedral praying, giving thanks, and reflecting on our Camino that encompassed three years, a traumatic experience, an encounter with a Camino angel, blisters, near heat stroke, our friends and family whose prayers and wishes kept us going, and the many new friends also on their own Caminos.  We concluded our Camino the next morning with a cafe con leche at the Logrono cafe where we had started in 2014. Buen Camino.

Estella to Los Arcos (14.6 miles) July 5, 2017

This morning we awoke early, knowing that the walk would be long and without much shade.  I taped my injured toe with the one next to it which, ultimately, worked great.  We were on the Camino by 6:15 am just as the sun was coming up.  Yesterday at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher we ran in to two people sitting on the steps and exchanged greetings.  This morning, just as we joined the Camino, we ran in to the same couple.  We exchanged greetings and it turned out that they were Americans from the San Francisco Bay Area. They are walking the Camino for the third time.  One of the really fun parts of walking on the Camino is meeting and spending time with other travelers.  Typically, depending on how fast (or slow) you walk, you will spend time meeting and talking with people from around the world.  Today was no exception.  We spent most today’s walk in the company of our new American friends but continuously exchanged greetings with a group of South Koreans (one was celebrating his birthday today), as well as a German group and others from around the globe.  Getting an early start meant cool weather (70 degrees) and the rising sun to our backs.  Our path today led us through vineyards (we are approaching the Rioja region) and wheat fields, often side by side.  Just outside of Estella is the Bodegas Irache which is well-known to pilgrims as you can fill up from their wine fountain, Fuente del Vino, for free!  Although it might have been fun to fortify ourselves for today’s journey, wine at 6:30 am was not appealing!  Our Bay Area friends, Joe and Marassa, said the wine was not particularly good anyway. Whew!  Our pattern in the mornings is a banana and some water before heading on to the Camino and then cafe con leche and something to eat about 1-2 hours into the walk.   Our cafe con leche and food stop was in the small village of Azequta.  The cafe con leche was excellent as was the egg and chorizo on a breakfast roll which really hit the spot!  Our motto is “we are pilgrims not tourists” so we did not linger as we still had over 10 miles and the sun was rapidly rising.  Of note today was that we spent most of the day walking through vineyards, wheat fields, rolling hills with a few steep climbs, and small patches of trees.  The vistas were beautiful.   In the distance we saw the ruins of a castle that we believe were the Saint Stephen’s Castle (Castillo de San Esteban).  Fortunately we had the sun to our back the entire day. Also there was a very pleasant breeze with the occasional cloud providing respite from the intense Spanish sun.  Like the Southern California deserts, the heat is a dry heat.  Making excellent time, we arrived in Los Arcos around noon.  This is a very small farming town with a tiny plaza adjacent to the church.  We arrived at our pension (Los Arcos) which is run by a very friendly young man named Jose.  The place was very clean and there was a place to wash our clothes. I would highly recommend it to other pilgrims.  We have been having our big meal around 2 pm and found a fabulous restaurant with only homemade food.  Chris had a chicken marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and the arrozo con leche was a nice way to finish an excellent meal!  A Rioja with lunch was definitely in order! Certainly better than our 6:30 am option!  Given the intense heat of the day, one certainly understands the reason for a siesta!  We are now sitting in the plaza near the church waiting for the pilgrim’s mass and drinking a lot of water.  The mass was at 8:00pm in the Church of Santa Maria which turned out to be a beautiful, large church. The priest gave a blessing and a prayer card to the 25-30 pilgrims who were at the Mass.  There were pilgrims from Korea, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and the USA.  It is remarkable how many beautiful churches are on the Camino de Santiago!  After Mass we hung out in the plaza and then headed “home.”  Tonight will be early to bed as we intend to get up very early tomorrow.  Tomorrow is a 17.3 mile walk into Logrono. Buen Camino!

Estella (July 4, 2017)

First of all to our American friends…Happy 4th of July!  This is our second time not being in the US for the 4th and we must say that we miss our friends, bar-b-que, the beach, and the fireworks over the San Clemente pier! Here in Spain it’s Tuesday…that’s it.     We are writing this blog having a beer and watching children play in the main plaza in Estella.  

Probably the most important thing to pay attention to on the Camino is your feet.  I didn’t mention yesterday that our feet were majorly stressed as a result of the heat, the stones and shale, the uphills and, more importantly, the downhills.  Last night when we went to sleep a toe on my left foot was sore and red.  I thought it was nothing but when I awoke this morning my toe was completely swollen, red, and hot.  In addition it was painful to step on it.  Not a good start to the day!  We thought about what to do.  Given that the day ahead involved several uphills, downhills, and very hot walking for about 15 miles, we decided that we did not want to compromise our entire trip by further aggravating the foot.  One of the realities of the Camino is that once you start walking you are often on remote paths with very limited options for assistance and transportation should we encounter problems on the trail.  So the plan became…ice the foot…rest the foot…take public transportation to Estella…and spend the day really seeing the sites of Estella using my sandals instead of my hiking shoes.  In addition, we decided to get something to immobilize the toe for the walk to Los Arcos, hopefully, tomorrow.   This turned out to be an excellent decision because Estella is a town of about 14,000 with many exquisite churches dating back to the 11th century.  Typically on the Camino you start walking early in the morning, walk until mid to late afternoon, get to the next town, get settled, perhaps see a site or two, eat, prepare for the next day and then sleep.  Of course there are those who walk less, stop earlier, and see more depending on their time constraints.  The books written about the Camino often include point A to B to C explanations often leading to a Point A to B to C experience.  While the best books try to discourage this, it is easy to approach the Camino this way.  We have been guilty of this ourselves. Today we were able to take our time and leisurely enjoy Estella seeing several churches (my knees are sore), relaxing over a 2 hour lunch, having a beer in the early evening (and writing this blog), and going to the Pilgrim’s mass at 8 pm. 

Despite my comment about sore knees, the churches in Estella are worth a day and a few of them are right on the Camino.  We started exploring Estella by walking over a bridge and seeing children playing in the river.  The picture I took has an ethereal look to it with a ray from heaven.  We started at the Church of San Pedro de la Rua enjoying its 13th century arched door, a Baroque chapel, and the cloisters. Worth the walk up the hill!  Further on, we went to the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Jus Del Castillo which was a Jewish synagogue until 1145.  It stands at the foot of the castle of Belmecher.  The next stop was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which began construction in the 12th century and was finished during the 14th century.  While we could not go inside, the entrance door with the elements of the Passion was beautiful!  The church is just above a lovely spot overlooking the River Ega.  Our final stop in the early afternoon was the Church of Saint Michael.  The altarpiece of Saint Helena is from 1416.  Our Mass was at the Church of Saint John the Baptist which includes both Gothic and Romanesque architecture.  There was an incredible statue of the pilgrim on his way to Santiago.

Tonight there will be more icing of my toes and tomorrow taping and, hopefully, walking from Estella to Los Arcos. Buen Camino.

Pamplona to Puente de la Reina (17.3 miles) July 3, 2017

Our morning began with a quick breakfast and then on to the Camino.  What a difference a couple of days make!  The weather has turned hot and today would find us traveling along a path with little shade.   The dry heat and Spanish sun reminded us of the California desert.  The first part of our walk was out of Pamplona.  The outskirts were beautiful with parks and apartment buildings. Along this part of the Camino it was mostly pavement and asphalt which was very hard on our feet. The Camino markings were excellent navigation markers!  We soon climbed to Czur Menor.  This hour of the morning found wonderful long shadows of our pilgrim silhouettes!  Soon we encountered sunflowers…. along with rolling hills and endless fields of grain. We had excellent views of Pamplona. By mid-morning the trail was quite hot so staying hydrated became very important.  Our first rest stop was in Zariquiegui.  There was an exquisite church with a Romanesque doorway.  The altar inside was beautiful and the music being played matched this church.  We spent several minutes praying and reflecting on our journey.  Relief from the heat was a cold orange soda and two chairs in the shade!  Leaving our respite, we headed for Alto del Perdon and the enormous wind turbines.  You could hear their whooshing sound from a mile away!  Again, the path, for several hours, was long, steep and very hot!  At the top of the mountain, near the turbines, is the famous monument to the pilgrims.  There is a reason they put the turbines where they are!  The wind was blowing like mad!  We found shelter and ate a quick lunch of avocado, nuts, and chocolate.  The chocolate was part of a bar that we bought at Area 103 between Madrid and Pamplona.  It was a local chocolate which might be the best I ever have eaten (and I love chocolate!).   The descent from Alto del Perdon was steep, rocky, and treacherous.  Coming up was hard on our cardio and going down required careful patience.  Not sure which I prefer!  Uterga was the next stop for a cold soft drink and time to change socks.  We also came across a boy selling lemonade!  The relief from the intense heat was wonderful!  Finally, after about 8 hours, we entered Puente de la Reina. We stopped at the Iglesia Del Crucifijo for reflection.  And then a cool beer seemed in order before sorting out our things and preparing for tomorrow.  The weather tomorrow is supposed to be hotter than today so we plan to leave around 6:00 am.  Buen Camino!

Pamplona (July 2, 2017)

Pamplona, like other large cities in Spain, is a wonderful mixture of the old and the new.  The old town was a walled city built for the protection of the inhabitants.  The old walls and entrances are in excellent condition.  Although tens of thousands of people are descending on the city for the running of the bulls next week, the city is able to absorb and accommodate a mixture of the old and the young.  In the afternoon and early evening you will see people at the many bars having a drink and eating tapas.  For us, our morning started with a very traditional Mass in Latin.  This was like the Masses prior to Vatican II.  The Monsignor always faced the altar instead of the worshippers.  There was a Spanish family in the pew in front of us with four children who each had their own leather Missal and the mother and grandmother wore long chapel veils.  We even received Communion from the Communion rail.  Very traditional.  This Mass brought back a lot of memories for Chris.  Afterwards, we went to a laundromat to clean a few things.  The owner, Luna, was a delightful woman from Nice, France who had married a Pamplonian. She told us about a small, local-only type of restaurant and even called them to make sure they would save a table for us.  A late lunch consisted of salad, bread, Paella, chicken, veal and, of course, a Rioja red wine.  The Riojas are really quite delicious!  We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the city.  There is a large park with an incredible array of battlements and fortifications from the 16th century just outside of the old town and along the path that we will be taking tomorrow.  We ended up in the Plaza Mayor where we found ice cream which we ate while watching families stroll by.  Tomorrow we have a very long walk with a lot of uphills (and subsequent downhills).  The weather looks good.  Packing our things is in order tonight as we contemplate tomorrow’s journey anxious for what will be on our path.  Buen Camino.

Zubiri to Pamplona (15.1 miles on July 1, 2017)

We started our morning with a cafe con leche (of course)!  We wanted to give the doctors a present, but the clinic  was closed as it was Saturday morning.  We left the gifts with the owner of the albergue who said she would deliver them.  We crossed over the bridge (Puente de la Rabia)  leaving Zubiri (population 400) and began our walk to Pamplona.  It immediately began to rain and ponchos were a must! The path led us past the Magna industrial plant (ugh!) and through the village of Harratz.  We met a teacher from Rochester (really!) who was walking the Camino by herself.  Along the path we stopped at a 12th century abbey that was being restored.  The person restoring the abbey had walked the Camino in 2011 and decided to live on the Camino and bought the abbey from the Catholic Church.  It was fascinating to hear Neil tell us about the history of the abbey and how he, by himself, is restoring the abbey!

Neil in front of the abbey
The abbey today
Neil told us to make sure we stopped at the 13th century church of San Esteban in Zabaldika.  One thing you will notice in this part of Spain is the dual languages of Spanish and Basque.  The rain continued throughout the morning and our ponchos really came in handy!
Camino marking on a tree
 The rain brought out the giant slugs!  

The path was very muddy and slick so our hiking poles were a must.  We went past Larrasona which is a historic town (population 200) with many Jacobean symbols.  Lunch (bocadillo con jamon y queso) was at the cafe La Parada de Zuriain which had a cool sculpture which looks like a pilgrim.  After a short walk along the river and a park we started a steep climb up to 13th century Iglesia de San Esteban (Stephen once again) and were greeted by a nun from the Order of the Sacred Heart.

Altar with Joseph and the Christ child
 The altar was incredible and we were allowed to go to the belfry and ring the church bell which is the oldest in Navarre.  ​​​

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You can see the Camino in the background
Leaving Zabaldika began the trek into Pamplona.  When we got to the Puente de Arre Opcion we were along a beautiful river.  Deviating off the Camino a bit we relied on an app called maps.me.  I highly recommend it!  We ultimately navigated through Pamplona (population 200,000) and in to the historic part of the city.
Entrance to historic Pamplona
 The walls and moat around the old city were amazing and entering the city through the gate was the end of a long, but pleasant, walk from Zubiri.  Buen Camino.

Returning to the Camino (June 30, 2017)

We flew from NYC to Madrid starting off our trip with a Shake Shack burger at JFK. No better way to start a trip! Madrid always feels like home for most Southern Californians and the drive to Pamplona was pleasant and included our first cafe con leche and a bocadillo (jamon y queso).  Arriving in Zubiri brought back a flood of emotions and images.  Even though we had actually been in Zubiri in 2016 for a very brief time, memories were intense. Falling. Bleeding. Angels. Comfort.  Araceli met us at her albergue (Pension Usoa)  and marveled at how well I had heeled! She recounted (in Spanish) how she came to help us last year and how happy she was to see us.  It is amazing how much you can communicate with someone when…..you….try!  Note to people in leadership positions.  Chris and I gave Araceli a scarf from the Met in NYC and thanked her profusely for everything she had done for us. Our next stop was the Camino and the place where I had been injured.  By now there was a light mist making the uphill climb somewhat treacherous. Fitting.  We finally came to where we believe I was injured although our memories were a bit unclear.  Given what happened in 2016 I guess that is to be expected.  Stopping to reflect where I had been injured and first encountered Victor, helped bring closure and peace to this portion of our Camino.  Throughout all of this Chris has been our strength.  Her ability to continuously move forward is inspirational and reassuring.  When we returned to Zubiri we went to the small village church.  It’s name?  Saint Stephen!  What are the odds??  Chris and I took time in the Church of Saint Stephen for reflection and prayer.  Thankful for everything we have been given throughout our lives as well as on the Camino.  Our first night’s dinner was pizza and a beer!  Today, before we leave Zubiri, we are going to see the doctors at the clinic who were so kind and helpful and then on to Pamplona. Buen Camino!

Injury and Discovery on the Camino

June 28, 2017

This blog today is being written by Mark.  The photos above were taken on July 2-3, 2016.

“What is the value of a path without challenges?”

While most of the blog posts on the American Pilgrims on the Camino (APOC) emphasize the beauty and fellowship on the Camino, today’s blog will be a little different because our path on the morning of July 1, 2016 took an unexpected turn from the one we had anticipated.  If you were following our 2014 & 2016 Camino blogs, you might have noticed that they stopped on June 30, 2016.  The reason for this is because on July 1, 2016 my left boot caught itself on the shale on a downhill slope leading into Zubiri.  With nothing to break the fall, my head landed on the sharp edge of a rock resulting in a concussion and two severe gashes which, ultimately, required about 40 stitches.  This is where the Camino story of discovery really started for us!

A Camino Angel

You might have noticed that for the first few days of our Camino in 2016, we were taking half sections which put us out of sync with many other Camino travelers.  So, on the morning of July 1, 2016, we started off early.  We had planned to have our cafe con leche in Zubiri.  On our path that morning, because it was early and we were completely out of sync with other pilgrims, we never saw anyone else on the trail.  We started from Viskarret and were about 2 1/2 hours into our walk.  On a steep downhill stretch about 1/2 mile before Zubiri, I caught the side of my boot on some shale and fell forward with my forehead hitting first on a sharp rock.  You can tell from the pictures the place where my forehead hit.  The other gash was from my sunglasses.  All I really remember is the moment just before I hit the rock and then Chris yelling “Are you OK?”  When I went to get up, I was bleeding profusely but still did not know the extent of the injury.  Chris said that it was bad with a very large, deep gash of about 3-4 inches long on my forehead and another one about 2 inches long above my left eye.  We used some antiseptic wipes and pressure to slow the bleeding but it was clear that the injury was pretty bad and that I most likely had a concussion.  We decided that we could not stay where we were and that the only option was to try to walk down the trail into Zubiri and look for help.  I was very worried about the potential for blacking out and any secondary issues that might arise from the concussion.  It was no more than a minute or so after we started to walk that another pilgrim came from behind us and asked if he could help. Please remember that we had not seen anyone on the trail the entire morning.  This pilgrim turned out to be a fluent English-speaking Spaniard named Victor who had started out that morning from Roncesvalles which means by 8:30 a.m. he had walked almost 20km.  What time did he leave?  Why had we not seen him on the trail behind us when we had stopped for water breaks?  It turns out that Victor was not only fluent in English (which is important because neither of us speaks Spanish very well) but he was experienced in emergency medical procedures and had an app on his iPhone which told him that there was a medical clinic in Zubiri.  What are the odds of this happening?  Victor helped us navigate down the trail and into Zubiri.  Victor’s asked a man on the street how far the clinic was and he said that it was about 500 meters away from where we entered Zubiri.  We had walked no more than 20-30 feet into Zubiri when a woman who runs an albergue (Pension Usoa) came out of her albergue and saw us on the street.  She took one look at me and said that we needed to get to the clinic in Zubiri immediately and put the three of us into her car and drove straight to the clinic.  It turns out that the clinic was much farther than we thought and, as we arrived, the doctor and her assistant were just leaving the clinic to head to another clinic in another village.  They reopened the clinic and the doctor spent the next hour or so stitching me up.  While the doctor was stitching me up, both Victor and the thoughtful owner of the albergue stayed with us.  Victor provided translations because the doctor and her assistant did not speak English.  The albergue owner, whose name turned out to be Araceli,  thought I might need to be transported to Pamplona so she stayed just in case.  Afterwards, Araceli took all of us back to her albergue.  Victor called a taxi to take us to Pamplona because they have a trauma center and are better equipped in case the concussion progressed to something more dangerous.  In Pamplona we saw another doctor (who also did not speak English) who examined my stitches and checked my eyes.  We spent the next four days in Pamplona watching for secondary concussion symptoms.  When nothing developed, we left for Madrid where we saw an English-speaking doctor who said I still displayed concussion symptoms but I would be OK to return to the US for treatment and monitoring.  Needless to say we were very disappointed to stop our trip. Continue reading “Injury and Discovery on the Camino”

Roncesvalles to Viscaretta-Friends Along the Way (8.8 miles)

An important experience on the Camino is meeting fellow pilgrims from all over the world.  Although contemplative, the Camino is not an isolated experience.  Last night we enjoyed dinner with a Canadian couple we had meet in the bus station in Pamplona before we took the bus to Saint Jean Pied de Port to begin our journey.  This morning we again saw Pete and Sonia at breakfast and decided to walk together.  Along the way, we came across some girls from Boston and a group of Italian women (more on that in a moment).  Our path took us through Burguete where Hemingway used to stay. Cafe con leche was in Espinal which is a small, traditional village. 

We walked through beech woods ascending to Alto de Mezquiriz.  Along the way, as Sonia stopped to tie her boot, Chris noticed a small, blue miraculous medal of Mary in the dirt on the path. The safety pin was open and someone must have lost it. Chris decided to take it with her on the very off chance of returning it to its owner. We continued along the path heading for Viscarreta which is an ancient hamlet with a 13th century church of St. Peter.
The four of us arrived in Viscarreta and had lunch.  Chris had brought left over pork in a Roquefort sauce from last night’s dinner along with some local cheese that we had bought in Roncesvalles. Yum! The group of Italian women arrived. One of the women, Sylvia from Milan, started talking with Chris.  Chris remembered the medal she had been carrying and asked Sylvia if she knew of anyone who might have lost it. With a look of amazement, Sylvia realized that the medal was hers! She had owned it for many years having purchased it at a church in Paris. She said that medal was important and she had been sad about losing it.  Chris was thrilled to be giving back on the Camino as someone had done for her two years ago! Chris and Sylvia hugged knowing they may never see each other again. This is one of the lessons on the Camino.

Pete and Sonia were going to push on to Zubiri and Chris and I were staying in Viskarret so we parted ways. We said we might meet again in Pamplona but one is never certain of anything on the Camino.  Tonight the owner of our casa rural is making us a wonderful dinner and tomorrow an early start to Akerreta. Buen Camino!