Month: May 2019

I am staying in an ancient place for pilgrims run by the same people who sheltered pilgrims for 400 years. The interior looks original! Met the Italian man who made me dinner, this time we will go to the suppermarlet together and I will buy the wine.

This town is famous for a a mircle

concerning a chicken and a live Cock and Hen are given a prominant place in the church

http://www.english.catedralsantodomingo.es/santo_domingo.html

My trip around europe in 1967 was a peak experience in my life, this is similar, Had dinner with vito and two German sisters, we are all elderly and all have spouses and grandchildren at home. Vito organized the meal but I bought the wine.Anipasta a piece of very good cheeze, pasta spaghetti, entre 2 egga, dolce a packaged flan, good wine with good people.

I have learned of other camino’s in other places. This experience can be part of my life.

I am moving more quickly now and am considering joining Elizabeth, Pranay, Zivia and Aavi in france, lThe greatest joy of a grandparent is taking part in your childrens families. You take part in only three families in your life? the one you are born into, the one you create with your spouse and the one your children create.

This is sleepy town, made more so by the fact that everything closes from 1:30 to 5:00, It makes it quite hard to do anything, The pictures, if the upload works are from the Monestary of Santa Maria, I include the bas relief of the wolf for Cora, I did not see a farm animal all day, just miles of grape vines. We are in La Roija so what would I expect. Tomorrow will be a new challenge as I carry less but lift more.Why is there a carving

of yoda.

I cut the imbelical today, I bought a new, rather small pack and sent my big one home with the mandolin, sleeping bag, long johns, sweater, extra pants eatra socks etc basically I am down to the basics and I will carry this pack. This will give me flexibility. I won’t book ahead so I can walk as far as I want, I hope I wont reqret this. Because I cant go backwards from this.

An Italian man who had minimal english asked me if I wanted some wine and then proceeded to make us a simple dinner, he took a can of lentils, but a few cyan peppers in and added olive oil, it was good. we also has some hard boiled eggs and of course bread and wine, then I went with him to Mass, they did play the organ but simple playing sounds simple even in a grand cathedral. After the mass rhe priest called for all rhe pilgrims to come forward, he then led us into a room with the church treasures, the greatest of which was a flemish painting that was a masterpiece. If you move through the world with your eyes open it is an exciting place.p

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Passed a memorial to people killed during the Spanish civil war, this was an important part of Helene’s life so of course we heard about it as children. Franco seized control of spain in a military coup followed by a bloody civil war, Hitler used it as an opportunity to test out his equipment in support of Franco. American leftests went to spain to support the spanish republic, most died, they were the heros of Helene’s youth, the Lincoln Brigade. The north of spain wasn’t a front so the deaths were mostly people killed by Franco for political reasons, Franco was the only fascist that survived WW2, democracy was not restored until the 70s. Last time I was in spain it was a fascist

country.

Here is me in my Pigrim garb. It was taken by a fellow pilgrim from luxemburg. I have a habit of asking questions that I have asked before, this drives Ellen crazy. In trying to avoid this with the “where are you from question” which is uniquitos as yoy meet people. I discovered that my recall time for these kinds of things is annoyingly slow. It takes me a long time to remember the answer to the question that I have already asked. I think this is the reason I repeat the question. I dont give myself time to access my hard drive for things that arent in core. This trip is a good time to practice because of the small set of questions asked.

check out the price on the wine.

I am arriving places early now. Partially because I am not carrying my pack. It didnt fit me correctly, my waist is quite invisable but quite high and the pack i bought didnt fit so I bought a great day pack and have been shipping my pack ahead for 5 Euro a day. Not a big expense but limits your flexibility the current plan is to buy a new pack and ship the old one and the daypack ahead to santiago. When I get home I will return the pack as it did not work for me. however doing this requires timing as post offices close at 2:30, There was a cultural featival in the town square today.

The church in Los Arcos was incredable for such a little town, I wanted to hear it’s organ but it is only played on sunday during Mass . maybe today I will hear one in Vianna, I am always a little uncomfortable watching the Eucharist because it must be such a powerful ritual. When we pass the matzo at our seder we are in communion with those at the table with us, for the catholic they are in communion with god, which I think of as a metaphor for humanities better nature.

Saw a gem of a church on the way, the christians had hired a moor as an architect. The christ was so human and was nearly 1000 years old. The crucifiction, hard for me to understand but makes for great art.

Have had my first problem, I neglected to cut my toenails and the pressure of the shoe on one has created a sore. This has happened before, what will happen is that the toenail will fall off and the sore will heal, untill then the pain will remind me to cut my nails.

Arrived at 2, I have hit my stride, felt like I could do anouther 5 miles. The cheap spanish poles were better than mine, more solid and not as noisy. However If I had waited, at my albergue there were a pile of poles for the taking. I bought a simm so I am connected me new phone is 34 617277318, apparently what everyone uses here is whatsapp, I hope I can put back the old simm when I return. Simon from England, sitting accross from me, says that the waves of wheat are the spirits of the dead.

https://davids-camino.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/img_0164-1.mov

So tired today, I lost my treking poles. The new ones I bought are far inferior to the ones I left somewhere. This Aubergues requires a 3pm checkin or you might lose your place. 12 miles is a long way when your walking. Picture one is the queens bridge actualy no queen had anything to do with it.This is a stand in the middle of the trail, fresh fruit, No set price donate what you wish.

This is the first day that I was not exhausted when I arrived. Met another musician, we really werent able to jam but he knew some american songs so i got to sing. Because I took a day in pamplona i lost my cohort, but met a completely new group. This is an experience out of place and time that is unique. A lot of people do it again and again, I dont think that is what i am looking for.

The peak I climbed looked so far away when I began but was eventually crossed, it is a metaphor for life Your goals appear distant but if you keep going they will be reached, I include a part of anouther spititual message. The churches along the way seem intent on reminding the pilgrims why they are pilgrims but no one talks about it.