Camino Sanabres

Camino Sanabres

The Via de la Plata officially ends in Astorga where it joins the Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela. There is another way to complete this walk while still ending in Santiago and it is to walk the Camino Sanabres. This walk begins at Puebla de Santabria and heads westward right above the Portuguese border through Galicia and onward to Santiago. We have decided to take this route for a couple of reasons. One, we have never walked this route before and are excited to see the area. Secondly, it is in Galicia and I have love for this area. I can not explain why exactly but my heart feels excited as if I am coming home. I can always tell when we are getting close to this region. I think that is the reason we are braving the elements to complete this walk.

The weather has been colder and wetter than usual. Many Spaniards say that they are having a late winter this year and they too are a bit surprised by the amounts of  rain and snow for this time of year. I have to admit,  there are times when I feel a bit anxious about it myself. The hardest part is right before I step out into the rain and take my first step. Once I get going I actually enjoy the walk. We have superb rain gear and remain fairly dry throughout the days. Because of the weather there are advisories against walking in mountainous areas and so our route has been redirected onto the old N525. It actually is a beautiful road and I think we saw no more than six cars today. This actually has shortened our walking days and we should be done around my birthday.

We have walked through many beautiful areas and have met many lovely people along the way. We  have had coffee in the mornings with a couple from Holland and suddenly not see them for a couple of days. Out of the blue, they will show up again and we will be sharing the same Casa or Albergue for a few nights. We had a lovely dinner with two Italian brothers and I will never forget when they pantomimed the dinner option of 'rabbit stew' for us. They were lovely to be with.

We walk through the canola fields and inhale the beauty. We never tire of the landscape and have to admit this has been one of our loveliest walks. Someone asked us if walking for so long was hard and the answer is yes, it is. But, it is so beautiful and for us their  really is no other way that we want to experience the culture and landscape of this country.

We will have a thousand stories when we return. Can't wait to share them with you. You are loved...

Buen Camino

El Cubo to Zamora

We stayed in a traditional Albergue in El Cubo de Tierra Del Vino and we had the loveliest time. We had heard that Spain was experiencing a late winter this year and the weather has been colder, wetter, and windier than usual. It is always a welcome sight when we near our 'home' for the day. We had heard about two options in town and are glad we stayed exactly where we were.

Mama Carmen greeted us at the door. She quickly lead us into a warm sitting room where she offered us cold wine, soft bread, and wonderful sausages. After a few moments of chatting with the other peregrino's who had just arrived she showed us to our room. Her son Manuel and his wife Mercedes came by to answer any questions we might have or to assist with any needs that might arise. A heavy storm was predicted for the next day and we had considered taking the bus. We got the information we needed in the event we decided to go this way.

We were invited to eat dinner with their family at the family home nearby. We gladly accepted. We sat at the dinner table with a lovely fire burning and ate a wonderful meal of soup, salad, chicken, bread, spaghetti, local wine poured from a ceramic pitcher, and then flan and fruit. It was a special evening and we felt loved and cared for.

In the morning we had decided if it was raining when we walked out of the door we would take the bus. As we said our goodbyes and looked out the door we could see that it would indeed be a day to get a ride into town. We had agreed to meet another couple at the bus stop if the conditions were such and as we begin to walk away Mama Carmen and one of her other sons picked us up and offered too drive us in to Zamora. Before we could speak otherwise we were well on our way. We appreciated the ride as the rain was so heavy we could barely see the countryside from our warm, dry seat in the car.

We checked into our room rather early and decided to bundle up and walk to the laundry mat to wash and dry our clothes. We drank hot chocolate and ate warm churros while we did this chore. There were a few hours during the day in which the rain subsided and we enjoyed the beautiful city of Zamora.

Back on the road to Montamarta tomorrow. Weather is much colder than we had expected but  the wind has always been at our backs. We will continue northward and are receptive to what lies ahead for us on this beautiful journey.

We find ourselves thinking of you as these days go by. Love this time to appreciate who you are to us. You are loved...Buen Camino.

Pieces of History Along the Way

Many of you may not know our dear friends Martin and Linda Smith but to us they are like gold. They were the first couple we met at the beginning of our Space A travel life. They took us under their wing and from them we learned the intricacies  of Space A travel. To this day, we still call upon Martin to help us with any travel questions we may have and he always has an answer. I bring this up because today we walked alongside Medina del Campos. While this is not a popular tourist attraction there is an interesting piece of history I happen to know and I know this because of Martin and Linda Smith. It was at their suggestion that we read the book Iberia by James Michener before traveling to Spain. We did and this was the beginning of our love affair with this country with its rich history and lovely culture. Had we not read the book we might not have known about the significance of this small town north of Salamanca.

Medina del Campos is the place that Queen Isabella died. King Fernando and Queen Isabella ruled in the late fifteenth century and are still called beloved in this country. The overcame the Moorish rule and restored Catholicism which is still widely practiced and held sacred today.  But, there is no monument that marks this as the sight of the place where one of Europe's noblest queens died. Instead, it houses the penitentiary of this region. In a country that has a monument for nearly everything and everybody I found this to be interesting. Not as interesting as the rest of her story. It is a long one and I think I shall have you over to tell you of it in its entirety. Sometimes I am in awe of the history we are walking through.

We will walk through many small villages before we arrive in Zamora. As comfortable and familiar as  the small village life is to us is as exciting as it is for us to stop in places like Zamora and Salamanca. We hear Zamora is a beautiful place and are happy to explore this area. We are excited as we continue to live life in this way and all that we are learning along the way.

We think of you throughout the days. You are loved. Buen Camino.

Salamanca

Salamanca

It was interesting walking from San Pedro de la Rozados to Salamanca. We had immersed ourselves in the quiet countryside finding such beauty and solace in our solitude that it felt a bit hard to leave. We learned that there was one school in town and it was attended by sixteen students under the age of twelve. There were two teachers who handled everything except art, music, and gymnastics. Every one knew every one. We found this out in an interesting way when we accidentally took our room key with us after we had checked out. When we stopped for coffee in the next town (about 5 km away) Isabelle immediately recognized the key chain and said she would call Carmen for us and let her know we had it. Her daughter would even drive it over later. 

The countryside was stunning and the air was clear and brisk. We saw no one along the way and quickly were lost in our own thoughts again. We had a picnic atop the highest peak of the day and could barely make out Salamanca in the distance. We were about to transition from one world to another.

Salamanca has a rich history. It's Plaza Major is considered to be one of the best in the world. It is a continuous plaza, four stories high that had, at one time, been used as a bull ring. It is said that on  Friday and Saturday nights the sounds of a lively college crowd could rival those sounds from the crowds attending the bullfights from that long ago era.

It also houses one of the most prestigious colleges in the area. It was built in the mid-sixteenth century and during its first few years of enrollment had over 8,700 students registered in mathematics and medicine. The college is as beautiful as ever and we happened to be strolling through the grounds during a graduation ceremony. What a spectacular sight.

We stayed at a lovely little pension on the Calle Major. We could walk out of our door and be a part of the night life in an instant! Our host recommended some traditional places to eat and we tried all kinds of things which I will tell you about later. The wine was superb and the atmosphere wonderful. We stayed up late and slept in the next morning. It did not rain but was a bit cold. We stopped and bought some warm gloves and are now content and comfortable.

We are growing quite accustom to the nuances of rural Spain and have begun to fit in pretty well. There is always one little thing that indicates we are not from around here. It is our shoes. While everyone is wearing stylish shoes we can be found in either our sandals or boots. It give us away every time. Oh well, no posanada as our Viviana would say, no worries. We are enjoying the good life. Thinking of you and missing you very much.

 Buen Camino.

Jubilacion

We are staying in a lovely Casa de Rural in San Pedro de Rozados. Last night we had a delightful dinner with a couple from France who are also walking the Via de la Plata. Warm bowls of fresh vegetable soup with fresh baked bread, filet of steak and chicken with fresh sliced tomatoes and olive oil drizzled atop, and cheese with a smattering of fresh strawberry marmalade along with a good Spainish wine was how we started the evening. Our conversations were wonderful as we shared stories about our lives and how we gotten to the place where we were now; eating dinner together in the dining room of the Casa VII Carreras in San Pedro de Rozados.

We were joined by a young man from the UK and it was lovely to chat about our reasons for being just where we were this evening. It was fascinating to me to hear the tales of adventure that had lead us all to this place. We had met many people along the way who were walking much faster than we were and had aspirations of walking many Camino's while they were here. In their season they were hoping to get in as many miles as they could before heading home. I heard my self say that these journeys had become a joy to us in in a different way than it was for them. The villages we stayed at along the way we're not just mere check marks on our credentials. It was not about the destination or miles that mattered any longer but moments to experience the joy of being just where we were. We are not sure of how long this season will be as it is now but we want to experience it fully. We have nothing to prove to anyone as if taking a ride on a cold and windy day could diminish the beauty of our walk. The French woman commented, "Ah, you must be Jubilacion" ...the Spanish word for retired. I had to stop for a moment to consider the beauty of that word as we sat in the company of like minded individuals. 

In the morning when we woke up we could feel the miles of our arduous climb yesterday and just decided to alter our plans. We will stay another day in San Pedro de Rozados. We will sit on the warm patio and drink hot coffee with our toast and jam. We will walk through town, stop at the market in preparation for our upcoming travels, wash our clothes and allow them to dry in the warm sun and then, right in the middle of the day, we will take a nap. Yes, we are jubilacion, and we aren't forgetting it. Not for a moment.

Thinking of you so very much. Buen Camino.

Salamanca Tomorrow!

I can not believe how quickly the days and miles are going by. We are in San Pedro de Rozados and about 20 km from Salamanca. We have heard how lovely Salamanca  is and are excited to be there soon.

We have meandered through many little villages and each one of them has been a little different than the one before. Banos de Montemayor was quite cosmopolitan with its museum, bookstore and library. We walked about 2.5 miles away into Puerto de Bejar and sat in the sitting room of a countryside Albergue near the fire while our hostess made us coffee and fried egg sandwiches for lunch. Clean sheets were flapping in the wind after she had hand washed the laundry from the night before. She ran the only place in town where one could stop to eat, drink, or spend the night and it was refreshing to rest here for the moment warm and full after a hardy lunch.

As we transverse the countryside we continue to be  awestruck at the beauty of the ever changing landscape. The crisp blue sky provides the backdrop for the exquisite cloud formations that seem to change from moment to moment. Wildflowers spill on to the roadsides in a variety of vibrant colors and design  and this does not go unnoticed as we move along this Silver Road. The changing hues of the beautiful earth catch our eye as if we had not seen anything as lovely as this before.

We are here. Content. Exactly where we should be for this moment. Free, again embracing the unencumbered life.

You are so loved. Buen Camino.

On the Road to Caceres

We are doing well as the days go by and the landscape captures our heart and soul. We have come to love and appreciate the simple beauty here and are quite content in our solitude. We feel stronger each day and have grown accustomed to the traveling life. We have met some lovely people and have, as always, been enriched immensely.

I have always been an avid walker. From my early days of parenthood when an early morning walk was my only time I ever had to be alone to these long distance walks there is a transformation that occurs within me as my feet repeatively hit the ground. It is my time of prayer and connection to God and I have come to depend on it so very much. It is also a time to reflect upon things that I might have overlooked in the busyness of my days. I find that I yearn for these moments more often as I get older.

Two, seemingly small events, occurred in Caceres and Casar de Caceres and I found the miles onward gave me plenty of time to think of  them. We were out in the Plaza Major in Caceres and, interestingly, in a bar in Casar de Cacerres on two consecutive evenings. I began to watch as the families came together. The kids all congregated as they often do with the girls dancing with each other and the boys  playing soccer. The young moms all stood together chatting a mile a minute and the adults with older children were drinking beer or coffee.  The excitement in the air felt familiar to me and I realized it reminded me of the Sunday afternoons when I am with my family. I also began to think  of my grandmother and my mother and of the gifts they have shared with me and that I have now come to treasure. It is the value of family and the importance of connecting with them and maintaining those relationships that I treasure most. Sometimes that is hard and sometimes I fail at this but it is the deepest desire of my heart and one I hope is known to those I love.  I have had many of hours to think of this these last few days and hope that I too will leave that legacy with my children. 

Although we were outsiders we were able to enjoy these evenings in a way that no one could imagine but us. We move on tomorrow with the expectation of heavy rains for the next few days. We will alter our route a bit with shorter days but will continue northward. 

We think of you as the days go by. You are the anchor that brings us home. You are loved...

Buen Camino.