Saturday, May 16, 2009

Astorga



The Palacio Espiscopal, Astorga, one of Gaudi´s better works (in my humble opinion). This is the view from my room at Hotel Gaudi where I stayed in 2007 to recover from blisters. I am here again and this time with no blisters, what a blessing that is. I seem to have been a slow learner as it has taken me five camino walks to solve the blister problem.

The Route Changes
After a long walk I am in Astorga one of my favorite cities along the Camino Frances. The journey along the Via de la Plata (VdlP) was not without its problems, both physical and spiritual, and thankfully my family, Melinda, Katie, Dawn, Caroline, Andree, and Kees are all helping me here. I thank you all who are folling and keeping me in your thoughts. The VdlP is from Sevilla in the south to Astorga in northern Spain and meets the Camino Frances (CF) here so all will change (more later).

Karen
We had over a week of worries about Karen who was suffering from a collapsed lung. Sometimes seemingly better and at other times Karen was not good at all. Then came the horrible night when I was staying at an Albergue, and all pilgrims know, lights out at ten and cellphones off, when Garry called after nine (all pilgrims in bed) to let me know that at that moment Karen was undergoing surgery on her lung. I was awake all night night worried about our beautiful daughter-in-law. I could not turn my BlackBerry on in fear that an SMS would arrive and with the high-pìtch tone the BB has I would have been booted out of the Albergue. So it was wait until two or three the following afternoon to call Houston at the appropriate time. Karen came through surgery fine with the ruptures in her lung repaired and suffering a lot of pain when trying to breathe. The thought of having a tube stuck down her throat to help her breathe made her breathe deeper and now she is at home recuperating. All the best wishes come your way Karen. Love, Ma

Andrée
If you have been following my Blog then you know that I was to meet my good friend, Andrée, from Canberra, Australia, here in Astorga on May 20. Andree was all prepared with backpack, walking sticks, sleeping bag, headlamp and other necessities for a pilgrim and she was diligently practicing walking with her backpack and sticks. Unfortunately one day Andrée fell and damaged a knee. SMS message to me that all was well, no broken bones, so full steam ahead. Then bruising set in from the top of her thigh to the ankle and she has major damage to that leg. Andrée´s doctor has advised against her walking the camino this year. It is sad but best this way or she could have found herself in a Spanish hospital somewhere along the way. For me, we were ahead of plan and walked into Astorga yesterday and will walk out tomorrow gaining three days to allow a slow walk through Galicia. All the best Andrée for a speedy recovery.

Rolf
I have spoken with Rolf almost every week and he is doing well. He had his last chemo two weeks ago and sees his doctors again at the end of this month. As always Rolf I am thinking of you.

Now for the VdlP ...
If I lived on the memory of the last four days of the VdlP my view would be strange. Small pueblos with no real food available. A Bar in one pueblo opened at noon and closed at six offering only Bocadillos (sandwiches). The way was flat and shadeless with two of the days along tarmac most of the way, which is tough on feet but the knees liked the level surface. For one kilometer there was no choice but to walk on freshly sprayed tar, oh the boots at the end of that, they were a sticky mess. The last three Albergues there were only three of us, one I understand why, the guidebook mentions cold showers. However, when we arrived the showers were hot, a new hot water system in place, GREAT! The Alija albergue has to be the oldest albergue that I have stayed in, and quite strange, the women in charge insist on holding your credential until 8:00pm to place the sello (stamp). Oops, like your USA Passport you do not like letting go. In La Baneza the Refugio had hospital beds, not bunk beds, and they were comfortable. A 40 bed albergue and only three of us.

From Sevilla to Astorga the way has been delightful with many birds of prey and when in old woods the cuckoo can be heard, and seen. This always makes me think of Roland who said his camino was going fine when he heard a cuckoo. I adopted this for myself and always smile when I hear a cuckoo. To place the Astorga photo I surfed through some of the photos that I have taken and gosh it seems so long ago that I was in those various places. The beautiful National Parks in the early days, the two very different reservoirs that you walk around, tranquilo and relaxing but you know you have some kilometers to go so must continue on. The cities, Zafra with its wonderful food (Torta de Queso and the best Jamon) and Salamanca the most beautiful city in Spain with its grand Plaza Mayor (with many cafes and restaurantes).

Camino Frances (Via de la Plata)

My Credential (Pilgrim Pass) from Sevilla is completely full of stamps so I needed a new Pilgrim Pass from Astorga. A Credential is what one needs to stay in Albergues and is a record that you are a pilgrim along the way. Last year Bev M. told me she thought this an absolutely ridiculous idea in a conversation but sorry, this system has worked well for many years, if not centuries. I have my new Pass from the Astorga Cathedral and a beautiful stamp from the Pilgrims Tienda where I bought a new shirt. I have shopped at the supermarket for supplies (Shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste) and at the Farmacia for more Voltarem (for my aches) and Pentoderm (blister protection). So I am all set to continue on to Santiago de Compostela (SdC) - although as all pilgrims know, my pack is going to be heavier with the new supplies, YUK.

I will walk out of here tomorrow and be reminded of the two previous walks from Astorga, the people I met and walked with in 2002 and 2007. Tomorrow night I will be in Rabanal where I met Maureen and Martin (M&M from Yorks., UK) with whom I walked into SdC in 2007 along with Roland and Wolf. M&M some days the song goes through my head and I have difficulty letting it go. It´s a long way to Santiago ....

There are many more pilgrims along CF and they just keep on coming into Plaza Mayor but I have managed the CF before and will do so again. I see many injured pilgrims, limping, bandaged ankles, blisters, knee braces and more. Hopefully I will not be the slowest along the way.

Well folks this has to be it for today as my brain is fried. I´m sorry folks, I do not have time to check email and my pilgrim brain does not want to go there, sorry. I send love and best wishes to you all and sorry if I have not mentioned your kindness to me.

Luiza

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:33 AM CDT

    Dear Luiza:Oh my, poor Andree. I am so sorry, Andree. I know you are so very disappointed, however, all the planning will not be for naught because you will walk in the future (as I plan on doing). The expert Luiza will just have to take us under her wing, and walk again to guide us and teach us along the way! Maybe it was not meant to be this time, and a better time is in the future. God Bless.
    Luiza, I wish you joy in walking. I know you have been this way before, but there is always something new to experience and something new to see. I so enjoy reading about your adventures and the places you visit, and look forward to your next update. Love, Dawnie

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  2. Dear Luiza, I love reading your updates, they give such a vivid impression of your experiences. (SMS is better than nothing, but frustratingly short.) I'm sorry I can't make it after all, but also grateful I didn't break any bones when I fell. Thanks for the good wishes, Dawn, Kees & Luiza. (I'm still laughing about the e-card from Kees.) The knee will mend, eventually, just not soon enough for this trip. Best wishes to Karen for a speedy recovery and Buen Camino, Luiza and friends! Love, Andree

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  3. Hi Luiza,
    Thanks for your updates. Great to hear you're getting on well. Lots of ups and down - literally and metaphorically!

    I was in Roermond in the south of the Netherlands recently on a weekend away with Baukes family (for his Dads 65th birthday), we were sitting outside a cafe when I turned around and there no more than 4 metres away was a pillar/status with the camino shell on it! Cold shivers again! :-) On closer inspection I saw it was a monument to Santiago and to a choir from the cathederal who walked to Santiago from there a few years ago!

    The monument was outside a cathedral - the Sint Christoffelkathedraal. Turns out that there's an order of Monks there - the order of Saint James (Broederschap van Sint Jacobus) who have set up a refugio in the basement of the cathedral for pilgrims on their way to Santiago.
    The cathedral also has a St James chapel where they have what they claim is the largest relic of St James outside Spain - part of St James arm! (the cathedral was closed though so we didnt get to see that - I only read about it later on the internet.)

    I had never heard anything about Roermonds connection with the camino, so it was a really nice surprise, and a nice reminder that you're always on the camino wherever you are.

    Good old Santiago showing up with a nice reminder and a bit of encouragment! :-)

    I said my Irish blessing for you agian when I saw the shell there, and my thoughts are with you regularly.

    Good luck Luiza. I look forward to reading your updates and wish you lots of love on the way.

    Take care,
    Kim. xxx

    Here's a link about the camino in Roermond, only in Dutch I'm afraid but might be nice for Kees if he doesnt know about it already

    http://www.broederschapheiligejacobus.nl/?id=2&sub=3

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  4. Hi Dawn, Andree, and Kim,

    Thank you so much for your comments and for following me along the way. After this I will create another Blog page for today. Yes, this peregrina will walk with you both, together or alone, one year if she is not too old, but not next year as it is a St. James year and the number of pilgrims along the way will multiply by ten. I certainly feel the difference between the seven years, 2002 and 2009 but I will leave that for the Blog.

    Kim, WOW. Shivers is right. Kees and I stumbled on a yellow arrow in Alicante before heading off to Sevilla so we know how you feel. We pilgrims are always on the Camino, it does not leave us. Thank you so much for the Irish blessing and when the wind changes I always ask for your help (so you are along the way). I will look at your link when I return home and thanks for sending. Yes, perhaps Kees does know about this place.

    And now for the Blog ....

    Love,
    Luiza

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