Y'all, spare a prayer for my feet. They are super unhappy.
Days without injury: 7. But does this count when I'd just as soon cut off my feet?
No post yesterday because the wifi at the Cistercian sisters' albergue was pretty weak.
Yesterday we started off in Azofra and zipped through to Santo Domingo, arriving right before the albergue opened at noon. It is an interesting spot, serving as a pilgrim hostel since the 1700s ... And it has retained much of the original decor: wooden beams, plaster walls, and uneven floors.
After we checked in, Gina wandered a bit while I rested, then I managed to rouse myself enough to walk around with her. We visited the cathedral (age: super old) where a rooster and hen live full-time. Long story. Pope Clement VI allowed it in 1350, and the church has kept up the tradition since then.
We sat outside and had beer, patatas fritas, calamari and queso, then went to vespers with the cloistered Cistercian community. Not like hearing the Dominicans of the St. Cecilia convent but whatever, it was an experience. Quick dinner with new friends Kathy and Jeff, then we went to Mass back at the Cathedral (where the chickens live), and then headed back to the albergue because the doors lock at 10 pm.
The albergue has 33 beds spread across two floor; Gina and I were fortunate to have beds in a triple room, rather than in one of the rooms with multiple bunks. Our roommate was Isabel, a recent college graduate from Ireland, who is walking the Camino by herself. She was thrilled to have a bed in a room with just two other people, and to not be on an upper bunk for once. Her feet are mangled; she is miserable from all the blisters. But she plans to press on, like all the others we have met.
Today we left Santo Domingo around 7:45; we stopped around 9:30 for breakfast (cafe con leche, toast and juice) at a very cute and apparently new food truck. Rain started around 12 pm, as we were leaving the town of Viloria de la Rioja. I've posted a few photos from our stop -- a bunch of boys were dressed in some sort of traditional costume. We never learned what the ceremony was, unfortunately. In one photo, you can see two pilgrims in the forefront sitting at a picnic table. They are a man and woman, from China, I believe. We've seen them two or three days.
The rain continued until the town of Vilamayor del Rio, where we caught up with Kathy and Jeff and had lunch at the very nice Restaurante Casa Leon with its friendly Romanian waiter who assumed I was Irish.
I was pretty much done with life at this point, so I took a 10-minute taxi ride to Belorado while Gina walked the final 4.8 kilometers in a little over an hour in the rain. I was ready for a hotel with a private bath and a soft bed, so we're here tonight at Hotel Belorado. We've just had a nice dinner and the waiter/innkeeper has given me a bag of ice for my feet.
One week down! We're looking forward to seeing Ellie Walsh on Thursday in Leon.
Today is Rose Berger's birthday, so it's her day; Gina and I dedicated yesterday to Jack McKenzie, on what would have been his 71st birthday.
Days without injury: 7. But does this count when I'd just as soon cut off my feet?
No post yesterday because the wifi at the Cistercian sisters' albergue was pretty weak.
Yesterday we started off in Azofra and zipped through to Santo Domingo, arriving right before the albergue opened at noon. It is an interesting spot, serving as a pilgrim hostel since the 1700s ... And it has retained much of the original decor: wooden beams, plaster walls, and uneven floors.
After we checked in, Gina wandered a bit while I rested, then I managed to rouse myself enough to walk around with her. We visited the cathedral (age: super old) where a rooster and hen live full-time. Long story. Pope Clement VI allowed it in 1350, and the church has kept up the tradition since then.
We sat outside and had beer, patatas fritas, calamari and queso, then went to vespers with the cloistered Cistercian community. Not like hearing the Dominicans of the St. Cecilia convent but whatever, it was an experience. Quick dinner with new friends Kathy and Jeff, then we went to Mass back at the Cathedral (where the chickens live), and then headed back to the albergue because the doors lock at 10 pm.
The albergue has 33 beds spread across two floor; Gina and I were fortunate to have beds in a triple room, rather than in one of the rooms with multiple bunks. Our roommate was Isabel, a recent college graduate from Ireland, who is walking the Camino by herself. She was thrilled to have a bed in a room with just two other people, and to not be on an upper bunk for once. Her feet are mangled; she is miserable from all the blisters. But she plans to press on, like all the others we have met.
Today we left Santo Domingo around 7:45; we stopped around 9:30 for breakfast (cafe con leche, toast and juice) at a very cute and apparently new food truck. Rain started around 12 pm, as we were leaving the town of Viloria de la Rioja. I've posted a few photos from our stop -- a bunch of boys were dressed in some sort of traditional costume. We never learned what the ceremony was, unfortunately. In one photo, you can see two pilgrims in the forefront sitting at a picnic table. They are a man and woman, from China, I believe. We've seen them two or three days.
The rain continued until the town of Vilamayor del Rio, where we caught up with Kathy and Jeff and had lunch at the very nice Restaurante Casa Leon with its friendly Romanian waiter who assumed I was Irish.
I was pretty much done with life at this point, so I took a 10-minute taxi ride to Belorado while Gina walked the final 4.8 kilometers in a little over an hour in the rain. I was ready for a hotel with a private bath and a soft bed, so we're here tonight at Hotel Belorado. We've just had a nice dinner and the waiter/innkeeper has given me a bag of ice for my feet.
One week down! We're looking forward to seeing Ellie Walsh on Thursday in Leon.
Today is Rose Berger's birthday, so it's her day; Gina and I dedicated yesterday to Jack McKenzie, on what would have been his 71st birthday.
Paging Dr. Scholl! Have you thought of trying an over-the-counter shoe insert?
ReplyDelete(Sorry for being helpy! I'm worried!)
Otherwise, I'm enjoying reading about all of this.
This is Hank btw
DeleteGracias ... Yeah, I’ve bought some heel inserts. I’ve asked Ellie to bring KT tape (?) which I’ve been told could help. A person could set up a foot care booth at any point along the Camino and make some bucks.
Delete