Tuesday 10.26.2010


The Camino de Santiago

Our longest driving day of the entire trip is never a welcome thought, especially since it has to start with a bus ride. We actually set an alarm clock this morning so John can be out the door by 8:00 to catch the bus to the free parking area. All goes well even though John may be unaccustomed to the urban work-day routine of standing on a moving bus crammed with a hundred others into a space meant for fifty for fifteen minutes. We’re just spoiled. He parks illegally when he gets back to the hotel, so hurriedly grabs Mary and the suitcases, smooches with Leire (who helps carry the suitcases), and we’re off at 9:00.


Today comes in a few different parts. First is a beautiful sunlit morning driving out of San Sebastian up through this furthest west tip of the Pyrenees. The highway follows a valley that is tucked between craggy peaks that are only shadows of those further east, but still impressive to we flatlanders. We continue to climb, even after leaving the mountains, onto a broad inland plateau that stretches throughout the entire center of the country. The high desert, at an elevation of about 3,000 feet, is arid with sparse vegetation reminding us of why the Spaniards may have felt comfortable in Mexico and the southwest as they populated the new world.

Monique is taking us on a zigzag route again today and we hope she knows what she is doing. We drop southwest for several hours until we reach Burgos and then make a v-shaped turn back to the northwest through Leon. Here we pick up the Camino de Santiago, which is the attraction of the next couple days. The Apostle St. James, Santiago in Spanish, allegedly traveled this route after the death of Christ to spread the news of Christianity to the furthest reaches of the world, that is, northwest Spain. After returning to the holy land, St. James was martyred and his remains, stolen away by his followers, were returned to the site of his influence.


St. James remains were “discovered” in 813 in Santiago de Compostelo just in time to implore that his spirit help defeat the Moors and preserve Christianity. Since then, millions have made the trek from all over Europe to follow in the footsteps of Santiago as a pilgrimage to the preservation of Christianity and the Church and to reconnect with one’s spiritual inner self. In the church in Arles, St. Tropheme, annual pilgrimages were organized to walk the 500 mile route and now more than 100,000 people do some part of it each year. It is required that one must walk at least the last 100 kilometers to be considered a true pilgrim.

As we travel today we are following the “Camino” for about 100 miles and often see the pilgrims, some in traditional costumes, on the trail next to the road. Our route has small mountain ranges, sierras, interspersed with sections of arid flatlands. Where we motor across bridges spanning deep ravines, the pilgrims follow the paths down to the bottom and then back up the other side. Being a pilgrim isn’t for sissies.


We reach Santiago de Compostelo just before 6:00 after a whirligig drive through town, get checked into our hotel, get directed to the discount parking ramp and are on the streets for an evening walk by 6:30. The city is packed with tourists/pilgrims so we limit our time to an exploratory hike, a view of the Cathedral and a peak at restaurant menus. We are back in the room for a break at 7:30.


There is a recommended restaurant about two blocks from our hotel so we go “early” at 8:30 but the dining room is full. We go for our next Spanish food experience, which is the “Racione.” These are plates of simple foods or a combination of things not intended to be a dinner, but more of a large appetizer. We can get these in the bar so we order a couple glasses of red wine, a plate of local cheese topped with anchovies, a plate of peppers and thin sliced pork shoulder and an avocado salad. Unbelievable. This is our new way of eating in Spain, replacing the new way of eating we discovered yesterday. We’ll see what tomorrow has in store.


We’re really beat tonight so the reading in bed lasts for two minutes.


Today’s weather: Sunny and very cool. Low, 34 (in the mountains), high 60.