Camino de Levante - La Marcha de la Muerte

Walking into Santiago there was a kind of silence, and yet the city was humming. When a pilgrim comes in from the Camino de Levante people know. It is the longest, and it is the hardest. But for me, a humble man, it was also so very strange. Vic was fine, and I saw him swiping left a lot on his phone which probably explained his disappearance later that evening.  Pregnant women, they made me touch their bellies, same with the infirm. Priests bowed before me. And when I reached the gates of the Cathedral, I don’t mind saying, I wept openly. And, as I was there, my left foot started to bleed - you remember the problem with my left boot - and people gasped. Like Padre Pio with his stigmata, the bleeding wouldn’t stop. And next thing, 12 swallows hovered far overhead, representing the apostles presumably. And then this young, very attractive french woman,  26 or 27, a cellist, came over and rested her finger on the wound and crossed her forehead with my blood, and said, ‘Vous avez...

So, it is over.  We are finally here in Santiago and I start my journey back home tomorrow.  It feels a bit surreal.  I am quite pleased with the accomplishment but disappointed that I was not able to walk the whole way, which is what I set out to do.  Frank’s first blog entry was that one of us wasn’t going to make it.  Well, I made it to the end, but had to miss about 1/3 of the total walking days.  Here’s my stats: *  I walked a total of 28 days out of 42 total walking days (67% in days). *  I walked approximately 535 miles out of a total of approximately 747 miles (71.5% in miles). *  I walked a total of 1.1 million steps during those walking days. For me, there is unfinished business.  I fully intend to return one day and walk the two stretches I had to miss, which will take over two weeks with all the logistics involved. In hindsight, I think we pushed ourselves too hard the first week and when the rain kicked in, I chose roadway o...

Accommodation options along the Camino vary greatly and we stayed in them all.  Here are the types we encountered, starting with most basic to nicest: Albergues (a.k.a. hostels):  these are the most basic options and are available in virtually every village, town and city along the way.  They are your classic hostel situation with shared rooms of bunk beds and shared bathrooms and are very much geared towards the pilgrims doing these caminos.  There is typically no on-site restaurant although they have a self-catering, shared kitchen (and there are some nicer albergues with an on-site bar/cafe/restaurant but those are the exception).  They are first come, first serve, so there is a risk they may be full.  They are also typically free; however, a small donation is generally expected (€5-10).  We stayed in some, usually when there was no other choice available.  When they are busy, which they mostly were, you can count on a loud snorer in the room....

I was just wondering what was the name of that chap I used walk with (and where he was) when I saw this sign and the memories came flooding back.  As chance would have it, at exactly the same time,  I saw a one-armed man with a prosthetic carrying a rather large scythe so I asked him had he seen the Americano. A bit of a strange chap (wearing a hoodie on a hot day as well) but he seemed to nod yes and he dropped me the attached photo. Not sure what it all means to be honest, I’m sure Vic will be fine though....

Vic has already talked about Spanish food but I wanted to add my two cents re. Spain’s famous ‘Menu del Dia’  For €10 you get a starter, a simple main course, a postre,  a bottle of wine and water. So even before you eat anything it’s generally really good value, at least by  Irish standards.  The first course usually includes a mixed salad and sometimes a soup or both. I would say the first plate is often better than the second plate which is the protein plate (fish, chicken, meat, eggs) that can really be hit and mss and the postre could be a yougurt, an apple, ice cream, flan or tart.  As a sidebar, given I have been living in bars for the last six weeks, the way the Spanish drink - I’m talking  rural community now - is quite impressive. They are always drinking, but always in tiny measures. And then they have a menu circa 3pm, or 9pm and a bottle of wine. Some of the house stuff has been ok, some a bit iffy. But the rural men, they drink!  For a na...

Ourense is the last big city before reaching Santiago.  I got to spend a few nights there as I finished my recuperation waiting for Frank to catch up, which he did yesterday.  It’s a nice, scenic city, separated by a river (so lots of different bridges) with a nice old, medieval center.  It’s also set dramatically in a valley with lots of green hills surrounding it.  We are definitely in northern Spain:  specifically Galicia, very green. I started walking again today and it went well - very scenic terrain.  I was about an hour behind Frank and once he confirmed the designated destination of the day, Cea, was a hostel-only situation - as in a room full of bunk beds (referred to as alburgues in Spain), I made the on-the-spot, controversial decision to stay about two miles shy in a nice, hotel with a nice private room and bath.  It had to be done. ( Frank - The thing that hurt the most was the cruel, cold text. Never mind that I had already stopped, show...

I (Vic) brought four books on the Camino because long-distance hiking trips are a great opportunity to enjoy a good read.  One really stood out with another a super solid and close runner-up. Book of the Trip:  Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor What a fantastic book.  It tells a fictional story within a historical context, which is about a ship in 1847 traveling from England and Ireland to New York.  It introduces a number of characters seemingly unconnected as the ship commences the journey and what happens and what is discovered over the course of that journey including quite a bit of intrigue as well as murder.  It’s a real page-turner.  It also reads as surprisingly relevant to today as the historical context is people fleeing famine, violence and prosecution, desperately seeking a better life in America - and looked down upon and as inferior by some.  You only have to scan today’s headlines to see this same story sadly repeating itself. Extra tri...

So, while Vic updates me on his latest mani-ped, and tries to find the best Albariño to go with pulpo gallago, I’ve been toiling away, or rather suffering away. Not that I’m complaining about Vic, God knows that fella has been to hell and back with that twinge in his leg.  In Galicia now, really beautifully with lots of farming and mountains.  Mind you, I have a slight problem with my boot, not sure if it is going to make it. It’s been 75% split for two weeks now, but now it’s 100% split - see below. Not great. I’ve got five or six more days to Santiago and having to get new boots at this stage would be very painful, to add to my ongoing suffering (which I’m happy to endure if it saves even one other soul). I know Vic is hoping it goes completely so that I’ll be screwed, but I’m hoping it holds out just a little bit longer. There seems to be no rain forecast which helps a lot. Very unusual, they say it rains 300 days of the year in Galicia. 

On the various long-distance hiking trips that I’ve been on, the quality of the food along the way at various towns, villages and cities has varied greatly.  For example, the first long-distance hike I ever did, the GR-10 trail in southern France through the Pyrenees, I was quite spoiled with generally great food along the way.  The French are world-renowned for taking their food very seriously and this was evident in even the smallest villages where they took great pride in what they served.  It was a trip highlight.  On the other hand, the food encountered during the Scottish Coast to Coast hiking trip (The Southern Upland Way), the less said, the better.  Outside of a couple of exceptions, it was generally horrific - sometimes inedible.  For the record, that is not a fair characterization of British food in general, which can really be very good, but that route, in particular, is fairly remote, not used to tourism and it shows. Now, when it comes to this...

Well, as Frank advances onward (Frank - Someone has to suffer, after all) I am convalescing for several days.  I happen to be recuperating at a quite nice, small, medieval town called Puebla de Sanabria in a very enjoyable little boutique hotel, so while I’m missing out on what I came here to do (walk!), where I have ended up for a few days could be a lot worse. I’m continuing to periodically ice my leg and rest.   Unfortunately, the swelling and pain are still present.  Since the whole point is to rest, the sightseeing is very limited, which means it’s good reading time.  Good thing I have a good book - more on that in a future blog entry. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow to begin contemplating when I rejoin Frank and commence the final walk into Santiago.  My best guess as of right now is hopefully Wednesday. ( Frank - I know a nice ravine to finish Vic off in just after Ourense, put everyone out of their misery) 

Things have changed quite dramatically on the way. We have now connected with the Via de la Plata route (starts in Sevilla). This has led to meeting many more pilgrims and the sun is now fully on the back of our heads as we all head west. In Santiago you can nearly always spot a VDLP hiker as they will be way more sunburnt on their right hand side.  Aside from the sun, there has also been a major change in landscape. No more meseta, now we are walking in mountains, forests, over dams and much more. Yesterday, I felt like I was walking on the African veldt and today it felt more like Connemara. Plus it was blowing a hooley. Great walking in fairness.  Nearly everyone I have met in the last week since hitting Zamora has been retired. The French are all over the place but can be easily silenced by asking about the Vichy government; the Italians will go quiet if you talk about their national football team and, of course,  we all know what not to talk about when you meet a Ger...

Well, after walking another full day and a partial morning the next day following the last blog entry, I, Vic, had to wave the flag of defeat again.  The lower leg pain just became too much as I hobbled into the village of Olleros de Tera.  Although I’m not positive what exactly is the problem, the two most likely suspects are a shin splint or tendinitis.  ( Frank - could be both, the lad is crippled, ah well, that’s the way it goes sometimes, fair play for walking yesterday, it wasn’t a pretty sight)  Yesterday, Frank spotted another medical clinic along our way, so I went in again using Frank’s EU medical card and got another shot in the bum to help with the pain and inflammation.  Now, it’s clear I need to supplement that with a few days of rest and periodically ice it.  It’s quite disappointing but I am hoping to salvage the final week going into Santiago. I’m waiting now for Frank to arrive into today’s destination, Mombuey, and then tomorrow, I’ll tak...

Well, we’ve completed another day and are now resting in our destination for the night, Tábara.  We have just around 200 miles left to go and are currently anticipating arriving into Santiago either Monday or  Tuesday, May  27th  or 28th - 12 or 13 more days to go, and I, Vic, just completed my 8th consecutive day of walking in a row. Unfortunately, that lower leg pain issue has begun to resurface the last two days - although not yet debilitating - and I also find myself fighting a small cold.  I rarely ever catch a cold, so I’m definitely thinking my body is feeling a little rundown.  But, I am fully committed to finishing this mother of a Camino. ( Frank - It’s obvious that Vic is really enjoying himself at the moment! Which is great ‘cos I haven’t seen him in days since he went off with that South Korean chick - Yung-Kim I think it was- a one armed piano teacher from Seoul with leftist tendencies)  As I walked into Tábara this afternoon, I noticed s...

I hope to get another Compostela from the Bishop of Santiago. This will wipe all my sins to date. I’m not sure what Vic’s status is in that regard what with the whole Russian/ Jewish /Mongolian thing. Maybe 50% given they did crucify God and that can’t sit well with the Bishop. A question for the purists perhaps.  Zamora has a very cool historic center with the usual ten 12th century churches, and great bars and restaurants on the Plaza Mayor. Those in the know, however,  favour the tapas area at Plaza del Maestro. 

So we have now completed week 4 of this Camino.  Of those 28 total calendar days so far, 27 were actual walking days due to one jointly-declared rest day during week 1 that was due more to bad weather than a real need to rest, although I’m not saying the rest wasn’t welcome as the first week was pretty brutal.  Of those 27 actual walking days, Frank the Machine has done all 27, while, I, Vic, have done 20.5 of them due to that bad lower leg/upper ankle pain that started up in week 3.  The good news is after those rest days, I’ve completed the last 5 walking days in a row and feel good.  I’m hoping I can now complete the last 2 weeks.  The longest hiking trip I’ve ever done prior to this was just over two weeks, so this is, by far, the longest stretch of walking I’ve ever done. ( Frank - Vic is the real machine, I was just luckier. I’m better looking mind you, no doubt) Our destination today was Toro, which is located up on a bluff.  That means, of course, t...

This is either a common grass snake or else the Northern European viper whose venom can turn the brain of a grown man into that of a woman in ten seconds. Terrifyingly indeed but I was very brave.  I never saw a snake before in Spain although I have met a few chicas around the place as you do. 

News from the front, Vic is back!  And touch wood, apparently healthy. See photo below. I, for one, am very relieved, I don’t think I could go through another AT&T blog - too much time on his hands. Although by all accounts, there is some drama about his TV provider. Anyway, here’s to Vic, who, by the way, wants to dump me and do a Camino on his own, now he’s figured it all out. Charming! 

The town of Avila, like Toledo, is worth a blog entry of its own.  Another nice, medieval walled town - very picturesque.  It’s like a smaller, less touristed version of Toledo.  It’s been a nice spot to have rested in the last two nights for me, Vic, and Frank has enjoyed his single afternoon and evening here as well. After mailing about 5 pounds worth of backpack contents back home, I am now ready to try walking again tomorrow.  I’m hoping it goes well and I can walk a good portion of the remaining three weeks.  We’ll see.

Knowing I was going to be gone from home such a long time (approximately 7.5 weeks) and would be very reliant on my mobile phone as my only device and link to the world and back home, I, Vic, knew I had to secure the right overseas traveler package with my provider, AT&T, before I flew out to balance both coverage and cost for such a duration. After speaking to them before I flew out, they offered a package called Passport as the best (and only) option for me.  It covered a 30-day period, which meant I’d need to renew it once during the trip, and it cost $150 for the 30 days and provided 3MB of data.  I was skeptical that this would be sufficient (and didn’t like the need to contact them to renew) and pressed them about more robust packages, but they said that was it.  So, with this activated, off I went. Well, sure enough, about a week into the trip, I started getting texts warning me I was approaching the 3MB limit - not even 25% into the 30-day package.  So, o...

It would be remiss of me not to mention Vic’s injury situation. You’d have to say he was unlucky. He makes a comeback on the Torrijos stage and it’s mostly hard road walking with no respite. I get slightly injured and the next day I’m walking on grass. It’s better to be lucky than good I guess.  That said, Vic has slightly gone crazy out here. Firstly, there was the beautiful Veronique from Lyon at Hotel Juanita in La Roda. Then there was the Italian mother daughter combo at El Toboso while I’m staying in the convent there praying for the masses. It’s not for me to comment on a fella’s personal proclivities but he definitely could have done with more sleep.  And then there is the vino. Look, the wine is good here but Vic seems to be enjoying it a little bit too much, if you get my drift. The last few days, for example, I’ve dragged myself into town, drenched in sweat, suffering for the mob, and inevitable there’s Vic, looking resplendent with an ensalada mixte and a refreshing...

After walking for almost two weeks in the plains a big change in the last few days. Compare the two pictures below. Two days apart. The bottom picture was taken just after San Martin del Valdeinglesias - I could have been in Connemara (hope you spotted the yellow arrow by the way). There was a climb today to over 1000 metres which was rather taxing in the sun and somewhat unexpected after Cebreros. Almost straight up. I also saw the rather strange sight of 100 goats being escorted by a sheepdog and two other dogs - without any shepherd or farmer in sight. That’s what I call ‘routine’.  Definitely as we got nearer Madrid there was greater signs of affluence in the towns and a lot more electrification. Vic was somewhat harsh in his comments about some of the more agricultural towns we stayed in but they were functional for trucks and tractors. But now towns like Escslona and Maqueda have much nicer Plaza Mayors and the surrounding vineyards even have tasting areas. There is money nea...

After resting for 2.5 days, I, Vic, felt well enough to commence walking again upon leaving Toledo (great city, by the way, highly recommended).  Unfortunately, this turned out to be a pretty brutal stage - about 24 miles with no towns or villages to break it up until towards the end - and I limped into our destination with the same lower left leg in pain.  I was wrecked.  Actually, we both felt that day was tough - at least that’s what Frank said to my face. ( Frank - It was brutal, I don’t know how he did it with that leg. It was a mistake to attempt it, my fault. Though I should probably stop referring to him as ‘De Gimp’) .  Alas, the next morning, despite my best intentions to slog it through, I simply couldn’t.  It just wasn’t realistic to walk that day’s length with the amount of pain I felt.  So, once again, I had to get a taxi to our next destination.  Very disappointing.  But then some light.  Fortunately, our destination, Escalona,...

As Vic says, a labyrinth of tiny,  narrow streets on a hill overlooking the plains. Fabulous. What a great medieval town. And the Alcazar is definitely something to write about. Never mind the cathedral.  Mind you,  the walk up those steps with a pack was Nepal-like  but made the beer taste all the sweeter. Overrun with tourists but the locals seem really helpful, would be a great place to come mid-March I think.  Big day coming up for Vic tomorrow. If his shins don’t hold up then it may be time for a Luca Brasi; fittingly I have lined up sardine sandwiches for the mid-morn break. And unlike a Paddy Quirke - our murdering Tipp farmer - there will be no ‘disposal’ problems. Plenty of vultures in these parts.....