Walking the Camino de Santiago
Yesterday I joined the monks of Rabanal in chanting Vespers for the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. This was in Latin in Gregorian chant, but using the modern Liturgy of the Hours with just a few additions in the monastic tradition. It was absolutely sublime. Compline followed after dinner. This morning, breakfast was at 6:30, and I […]
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It felt strange this morning packing up and leaving alone. Herve has been part of the Camino since Périgueux, which was back on May 2. A little bit more than a month ago, and it seems like a lifetime. But he must rest, and I must walk today. We shall meet again in Santiago, if not before. I was out […]
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A late start to the morning. After yesterday’s walk, we might be forgiven for oversleeping. After breakfast, Herve and I headed out the door just after 8:05. It’s probably the last morning I’ll be able to say that, as his plan is to take a rest day in Astorga, and I will continue on. The morning was cool, but not […]
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This morning I tried something different. I shipped about half the contents of my backpack forward and carried the rest. The hotel breakfast began at 7:30, and we were out the door by 8:15 AM. My bag had already been picked up for transport. In retrospect, it would have been better to leave at 6 AM and grab breakfast at […]
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While I was definitely feeling better this morning, out of an abundance of caution I elected not to walk with my backpack today. I’ve never used a baggage forwarding service on Camino before, but Herve took the lead, and the kind lady working the breakfast counter at the albergue walked us through it and assured us that everything would be […]
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Apparently we needed rest, as both Herve and I overslept this morning. We have a long breakfast – it needs to do double service as first and second breakfast, since the next village is 17.6 km farther down the Meseta. Today would be a day of isolation on the deep Meseta, looking for a section of Roman frontier road that […]
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Breakfast wasn’t scheduled to begin at the albergue until 7 AM, so Herve and I elected to skip it in favor of the next village. We were walking by 6:40. The morning was cold and windy, and we were greeted by a cacophony of birds. After winding through the village, we found ourselves on the same white gravel road of […]
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Herve and I were out the door by 6:25, looking for breakfast. In less than five minutes, we had found it in the form of bar perhaps fifty meters from the albergue. Carrión is a town full of beautiful and historic churches. Unfortunately, we arrived so late yesterday that the only one I got to visit (very briefly) was Santa […]
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Breakfast didn’t start until 7:30, so it was almost 8:15 before we were out the door. Herve and I were joined at breakfast by Appalachia John, who had stayed in San Nicolas last night. The morning was overcast and cold. Cold enough I put my gloves on. After the last house in the village, the Camino proceeded on a brand […]
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Breakfast was at 6 AM, and I was walking by 6:50, which was rather later than I had hoped. The morning was cool, and the forecast called for perfect hiking weather. Once I was out of the village, the road was dirt and covered in stones. Life is full of firsts. And lasts. There was a first time I walked […]
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