Camino and me!

I asked a Japanese pilgrim if he would join me for dinner, all on the Camino I have seen people who may provoke an reaction or Invoke a sense of being.  I've seen and old German who appeared self centered and selfish at dinner he was the first to ask for seconds and looking at the soup he'd demand which part of the bowl he wanted it from pointing at the pieces HE wanted every one else accepted what was offered , I saw a part of myself that wanted things my way at first he annoyed me then after a while I realized I was shown how I may appear to other people, I went to the bathroom and this man who sat opposite me at dinner also made room for me to wash my hands have I pre judged him. Last night I asked a lonely pilgrim if he would join me later that day for dinner, as I was lonely too he appreciated my offer and we set a time to eat. We met with other pilgrims we both knew and ate together. I have known this man for only a few hours and yet he seems familiar. For a brief moment when he presented me with this gift of friendship I saw in his eyes my father not the father I saw as a man but a father I looked into the eyes of when I was a child. I came to walk the Camino, but I have found that each day I made were changed not by me but by events. I walked a hard day I shouldn't have, an injured myself was it my arrogance in my ability, but because of it I found a refuge where I was shown nothing but love. I'm limping badly but accepting it all. I don't walk the Camino it walks me.
Yesterday I walked from Naverette to Najera, 17km still in pain, then discovered that some one was thoughtful and kind enough to leave some cream in the donations box in the albergue, so this gratefully received donation by an unknown pilgrim I set about massaging my aching tendons.
Today I walked from Santa Domingo de Calzada that is 21km, and feeling good. The last kilometre I was able to walk without the aid of my walking poles. Staying at Cistercian Abbey. Life is good!

Pilgrim blessing at Los Arcos

Pathway

Los Arcos to Lagrono to Navarette(minty gets limpy)

After dinner went to Los arcos cathedral the priest called the pilgrims forward for an individual blessing he started with spainish and then called English American Irish to come forward just in front of me was the slovakian pilgrim I sat next to on Pamplona after receiving the blessing he blessed a rosary I've been carrying for my wife they belonged to her mother.
I left Los arcos at about 7 the landscape is still gentle rolling hills the sun rising directly behind me bathing the cropped fields in a bright golden light, and on a hill in the distance the pueblo of Sansol and Torres del rio a further 800metres further on. All the cafe's in Sansol were still shut and carried on to Torries del rio were I sat and ate my toast and marmalade to the sound of Don Maclean's "America. Pie" blearing out of the radio. After that I carried on still singing it to myself. I reached Viana at about 1 pm and stopped at a sports store and. Bought some walking sandals as I've been walking in my beach sandals all day and they weren't coping with some of the paths. I left the store wearing my new sandals and went in search of lunch and bumped into Brendan and his wife an Irish couple I met at Cizur minor . After lunch I decided as it was still quite early I'll carry on to Logrono. Just 2 kilometres outside of Viana my left ankle started playing up and thinking about the smart thing to do would be turn back, but I don't do smart so I carried on after all Logrono was only
Just over 9 kilometres away. So after a 30 kilometre day and the first albergue being full and I was refused entry I carried on up the road to the church run albergue of Iglesias Santiago . I rang the bell outside the giant double doors on the intercom I heard "si", I replied "peregrino" and they opened. The hospitaler took my pack and could see i was in pain, after a quick shower we were told that there would be a pilgrims blessing after mass . After mass we had a communal dinner the priest who held mass said grace and served us. He apologised that the albergue was over full and some had to sleep on floor mats but said the never turn a pilgrim away. After supper he led us through a passage way that led back into the church where we read psalms and prayers in our various languages . So those of you in the know, will be asking what about his little legs , well me and my little legs got up at 5 am this morning and after breakfast I hobbled across the city of Logrono and open country side and as I write this update I'm 15 kilometres further along el camino in a town called Navarrette standing on a shady street corner having watched the Vuelta De Espania speed past I'm showered and fresh, with a leg that at the moment isn't working like it should and I'm waiting to go for dinner with a japenese pilgrim that looks like a cross between Mr Miyagi from karate kid and my dad and you know what despite all that's happened so far.......................................Life is Good Adios






Rod Brookstein

Oyiega to Los Arcos (and minty came too)

Wow what a day, what a night. The Albergue was ok i don´t expect anything other than a bed for the night, i had to share my bed with a lot of strangers that kept biting me. I awoke to the sound of the french womans alarm going of in the next bed, as she´s taken sleeping tablets and was wearing ear plugs she´s the only one in the whole albergue that didn´t hear it. We sat together at breakfast which consisted of small melba style toast and jam. After which we set off together i soon bid her buen camino and carried on by myself. I visited the Orache bodega which had a water fountain with one tap for wine I took a quick picture and carried on (i know what you thinking rod passing up on the offer of free wine, well not exactly i just didn´t have anthing to put it in and i needed my bottles for water)The terrrain is a lot more gentler on my little legs today but i did get a lot of bites on my ankles and feet as well as four huge bites on my shoulders and back, all from my bed mates. The undulating cropped fields led to the town of VillaMayor as i approached i could just see the bell tower of the church above the rolling fields. I passed some vinyards on the left and the track turned right towards the Villamayor and passed the huge bodega and up the hill towards the church. I bought an ommelette baggette from the cafe just up the hill from the church and walked back down to consume it near the church gates. After about ten minutes break and half a sandwich i decided it was time to go i filled my water bottle by the village fountain and set of through the vine yards. The trail was mainly gravel and took me past newly tilled fields exposing the red soil of this area. The sky was a clear blue and i was feeling good and ate a bannana i had in my pocket i didn´t want anybody to get the wrong idea. All morning i have been stopping to re-tighting my boots to prevent my feet slipping forward on the steep descents i ´ve noticed a change in colour to my large toe nails it looks like a may lose them at some point if i´m not careful. My boots were that tight now and along with the bites every step was hurting , but by now i was only 6kilometres from los Arcos and the pinky on my right foot was protesting at the lack of room in the boot. Across the landscape i could see a distant mountain range with wind turbines similar to the ones i passed on Alto Perdon and my thoughts turned to Ray and Martha who let me know that they had reached the bottom yesterday at that point i recieved a text from Ray telling me that they were now at Puenta La reina and at the same Albergue were i had stayed, they were now a full 2 days behind me, and a part of me wanted to go back and join them. i recieved a text mesasage from my son david as i contemplated this, it was just a simple message about the weather at home but it was from my son and lifted it my spirits. So me my little legs my complaing pinky and not forgetting minty are in an albergue washed and cleaned up and on the daily hunt for food. life is good