Week 5 Astorga and heading towards the Galician mountains

Leaving Arstoga was once again caught up with the bus drama, which seems to continue despite trying so hard to figure it out. Having examined the bus timetable the night before I was pretty certain what to do. I went to the bust stop from the previous day and sat patiently and waited for the bus, which was due to leave at 11.05am. At 10.55 an elderly Spanish couple came over to me and tried to explain something to me about the bus - none of which I could understand a word of. In desperation the old man then fetched his bycycle - gestured to me to pick up my backpack and follow him. He took me down the street and around a corner where to my surprise another bus stop appeared - obviously a bus stop for Sunday buses. What that nice or was that nice? What a spanish gentleman and a true friend of the peregrinos!

Not only did I get to the right stop, but 3 of my friends stood there and waited for the same bus - what a chance meeting - but that seems to happen again and again on this Camino. One can never be sure of who you will meet.

Arriving in Arstoga around mid day, I quickly found the albergue as I knew it was situated very near the cathedral, which wasn´t hard to miss. The albergue wasn´t the nicest I have been it and it accomodated almost 90 pilgrims per night. But I got my bed and was quite happy to play tourist for the next few hours.

Arstoga is a city with almost 15,000 people. It has served as a busy crossroad since Roman times for several important pilgrim routes and contains many historic buildings. The cathedral of St. Marta is beautiful and I was lucky to arive at 12 noon just as the Mass commenced. I am not sure if it was a special celebration, but there were 4 priests celebrating the mass as well as a priest with the role of a cantor. The cantor sang beautifully and one could be in no doubt it was a Spanish Mass as the flavour of the music and the style in which it was sung was very Spanish and particulrly beautiful and moving. I spotted quite a few pilgrims seated around the church which was nice to see. I am quite proud now as I can say PAZ at the sign of peace - not bad for me.

Opposite the cathedral one finds the famous Gaudi building known as the Bishop´s Palace - Palacio Episcopal - however no bishop lives there. Museum de los Camino is housed there and is a vey interesting collection of artifacts from the roman times of trading, pilgrims ect. I am very much looking forward to see Gaudi´s work in Barcellona - he also had a manificant building in Leon which I saw.

The afternoon I relaxed with a couple of girls I briefly had met in Leon - Vibeke from Oslo in Norway and Leonie from Berlin - both girls studying Physiotherapy in Holland as it is a cheeper option. They have had their ´student rounds´all over europe and I think this is another good example of what the European Market does in freeing up trade and the labour market. We ended up going to dinner and have some Tappas - garlic prawns, mixed salad with eggs and olives, potatoes in garlic and finally some lovely mushrooms - a little different but very lovely.

We decided to go elsewhere for our sweets as Astorga is a real chocolate centre of Spain - not sure why but you see chacolate everywhere and in all sorts of colours and shapes. We all bought something delicious and enjoyed the experience.

My two young German friends went out and had a good time, dancing the night away and I wandered if they ever would get in as the albergue close the door at at 10.30 - and I mean close! No excuses will open the door again - not even Aladdin´s secred chant. I asked the girls in the morning what time they came in and they told me 1.30am. I asked how they came in and one told me that she had climed the downpipe to reach the balcony and that way she had opened the front door for her friend.- Yes we often hear that boys will be boys - but now I think we safely can add that girls will be girls - you see these things happen when I am not there to guide them a little!!!

When I came back from dinner there was another supprise as Anna, a girl from America I had meet all the way back at Ventosa, when I first got injured, sat behind the desk signing newly arrived pilgrims into the the albergue. She smiled and said she had seen my name and just had waited to catch up with me. I asked what in heavens name she was doing there and she told me that she had a very bad tendonitis in her ankle and had been at this particular alburque for 8 days and had to stay for another 8 on doctors orders - so I feel I am no hard done by? At least I am now able to freely sight see and move around the cities with only a slight pain - Poor Anne could not move from A to B. When she is able to move again she will take the train to Santiago and thatwill be the end of her Camino - I can tell you that there are many ´tragic´ stories from the Camino as people break down suddenly - the body just telling them that it has had enough!

This morning the Camino reached what many believe is a climax - or at least one of the many important moments on the journey. The Camino is entering the highest point of the whole journey and as no bus goes throught these mountains - at least not the way the camimo does - I decided to take a taxi so I was able to follow the walkers all the way on this special day. I invited Anna to come along as it would give her a day out - she could then take the bus back again to the alburgue. She agreed to come, which made me happy as I had been able to do something to brighten up her camino a little.

We set out at 11am and slowly crept up in the mountains, observing walkers working hard to claim the hills.The nature started to change and some wonderful oaks started to appear. However as as the scrubs gradually became smaller and smaller and the pastures covering the mountain sides at the higher altitude started to become visible one really started to feel that this whole change of scenery was an impirtant time on the journey. Two kilometers from the highest pont, La Cruz de Ferro, I asked to be let out, as I wanted to walk the last couple of kilometers up to that important point. There was quite a few walkers around me and everyone seemed to be in a very reflective mood and very quite - each walking with their own thoughts and feelings. The La Crus de Ferro is a powerful symbol on the Camino - a place traditional perigrinoes will put a stone symbolizing the reason for their pilgrimage - maybe something hard they have had to deal with in their life - maybe a decision they have toiled with - maybe a broken relationship - maybe something completely different - but everyone is aware of the importantce of this moment as they stand under the simple cross on top of the stonepile, collected during centuries and quietly adding their small contribution to the story of mankind. A most touching moment and one I will remember for years to come.

I wonder if you can spot the handsome guy at the pole?

I guess I was lucky as I could jump back into the taxi, while the walkers had to make the very tiring and difficult journey down the mountain - and journey very hard on the legs and the joints. It was almost a 30 kilometer walk today and very hot - especially when some of the journey is on a the asphalt road - hot under foot with very little air. And as the walkers arrived late this afternnon, many didn´t look too good. I can assure you that there will be many sore bodies tonight.

The camino has changed a little I feel - as so many new pilgrims have joined the Camino from Leon onwards - people with only a couple of weeks holiday, whi then can reach Santiago within that time. The crowds are getting bigger, the albergues bigger and more noisy and people maybe a little less aware of each-others needs - and the numbers will increase every day from this point on.

The city of Ponferra which I now have arrived in is a fairly big city of almost 60.000 people. It has always been an important city in the mining game which has been part of these mouuntains since the middle ages - gold - iron and other valuable minerals, which since the earliest of times and civilisations have been important trading tools.

This is a picture of the albergue in Ponferra.

I have already been on my tourist tour and seen the Castillo de los Templarios, an old castle from around year 1200, built once again to protect the pilgrims as they went through these mountains. (if you get the impression that these pilgrims have been very important in these part of the world, you are right) The castle has during the last couple of years undergone serious renovations and the Common Market has been heavily involved in the project and I can see from the sign erected at the site, that both Norwey and Iceland have been great contributers to this particular project, which is good to see.

Having spent a fairly quiet afternoon (mainly writing my blog which took more than 2 hours) I went back to the albergue and decided to have a quiet evening and just read a book. It was an opportune time as I really didn´t know any of the other perigrinos and as I said, felt I just needed a quiet evening.

As I was reading a group of young people came and had dinner next to me and I couldn´t help hearing the Australian accent amongst the group. So, that was the end of the reading and all of a sudden I was introduced to this group of young people - 2 sisters from the Sunshine Coast - a German criminal investigator from Munich - an Intalian guy - a Swedish girl working in Gotenburg and finally two Spanish guys - quite an international group, don´t you agree? An hour or so later my friend and fellow school principal from Belgium came and got hold of a guitar and started to play - and could he play. He played the most fantastic blues and all of a sudden the whole place just gathered around us to listen and enjoy the music. It didn´t take long and we sang all sorts of songs, both Italian as well as Spanish - great evening which lasted to 10.30 when the hospitalier came and asked us all to go to bed. Once again a great night just happening (an old guy can´t even get peace just to sit and read - what a shame!)

This morning I started out early as everyone had to be on the road by 7.30am. Still dark I ventured out to find the Estacion Autobuses, which proved not that easy. The streets here in Spain - in a faily large city - at 7.30 in the morning - are absolutely deserted. Not a soul to be seen and only one or two cars venturing down the road. The Spanish time clock is quite diffrent from the rest of the world (I even include Italy in this). The city starts to wake up at around 8-8.30 - quiete slowly and in no hurry. Around 2 pm the shops close their doors and once again the streets become deserted. At 5pm the shops re-open and out of nowhere appear the human race once more - shopping, socializing, having a drink at the bar or just strolling in the street. At around 8.30 the bars and restaurants are overflowing with people eating dinner and not to make the evening end too early, we might get home to bed at around midnight. Who said the Spaniards are stressed? Not me!

The bus drove through a wonderful countryside today and the walkers would have had a wonderful trip towards the mountains and a difficult climb tomorrow. Villages seem to appear out of nowhere as we came around a hill and the ususal church-tower came into view.

The city (5000 people) Villafranca del Bierzo is surrounded by mountains (not quite as high as in the southern Europe) and very pretty. The streets are very steep and one has to climb either up or down streets and lanes covered with cobblestones, whereever one goes. The local market is here today and help me to paint a wonderful picture of this small city and its community.

There is a very famous pilgrim church - the Church of Santiago here in Villafrance, with a very famous side entrance facing north called Puerta del Perdon. The story goes that in olden days or maybe just in by-gone days, pilgrims that were not able to continue their journey to Santiago, crossing over the next mountain range (maybe because of bung kness) were able to receive a special blessing and absolution at this door, so they wouldn´t be condemmed for ever (just joking). Inside the church is a statue of St. James himself, dressed as a peregrino. Quiet a history.

The mountain ranges which are to be crossed tomorrow, are quite important for this region, as they determine much of the weather - especially the heavy and frequent rainfall, which can happen from now on. The mountains are the first obsticle the westerly winds, crossing the Atlantic Ocean meet and as such much rain falls between them and the Atlantac coast (quite similar to the weather conditions in and around Melbourne). Due to both this change in the weather as well as the location close to the the ocean, the diet changes to much heavier cuisine - thick soups, stews, and lots of sea food. I just passed a cafe packed with people all eating a plate of something, which looked like marinated pork cubes - but looking closer (without being rude) discovered that is was octopus (not quite ready yet). However it looked delicious and fresh and no wonder that the place was packed for lunch.

I have had some good news today as there is a small bus company providing a bus service for the next three days journey - something I wasn´t sure of. The bus tomorrow will leave at 8am and go to O´Cebreiro - but will leave me a little challenge, which I am sure I will be able to pass. I have to walk 5 kilometers with my backpack to get from the bus stop into the city - I guess that will be the challenge of the day (and I won´t be alone - yesterdays steep decent gave a lot of peole trouble with their legs and they will no doubt accompany me tomorrow). From O´Cebreiro there will be bus services to Tricastela (three castles) and further to Sarria, so I guess so far so good. What happens after Sarria I won´t even worry about.

Once again thanks for all your wonderful messages - I read them often and really enjoy your comments.

Had a quiet evening and just wondered around this very charming village. There are pilgrims everywhere and it is obviously a very popular stop for everyone. The various cafe´s are overflowing and people are just walking the narrow lane ways, looking at the local shops. As the main part of the village is down the valley, wherever you go is up and as the laneways are coubble stones, one has to look where one is walking. Tried to find the place from where the bus will be leaving tomorrow - however I haven´t been successful, so I will have a chat to the hospilero at the albergue - in esperanto I think! It is a very, very hot afternnoon and evning. I belive the temperature this afternnoon reached 45 degrees and that was in the shade. It was so hot I couldn´t even sit in the sun and read - and that´s hot! Imagine there are many, many piligrinos walking in this heat - not wonder they are exhausted when they arrive late in the afternnon - often to a albergue which has no more room - so they have to either find private accomodation or continue to the next village - or as a last option, sleep under the stars.

After a good night´s sleep, with open veranda doors - (definitly improves the quality of the air) I did find the way to the bus and found a few tired or wounded peligrinos waiting as well. Twins (I just corrected myself writing two twins - very imporessive) from the southern part of France as well as a girl from Greece - the first I have met from that country so far. The bus arrived and off we went, driving through some absolutely magnificent country, as we ventured deeper and deeper and higher and higher into the Galician mountains - quite breathtaking views. Finally arrived at a village called Pedrafita do Cebreiro, situated 5 kilometers from my distination of O´Cebreiro. Hence I ventured out for my first walk in quite sometime and was very much looking forward to it. It was 5 kilometers up and up and up - almost 500 meters - hence 1 meter up every 10 meters walking, which is quite a steep raise. However it went wonderfuly well and I so enjoyed the expereince of walking once again. As I already told you the views were magnificent, with the valley of Valcarce laying deep between the steep mountain sides, which seem to never stop. I counted the montain sides as far as I could and stopped at 11, each raising behing the one in front - more steeply - and diffrent colour - a different shape.

When I arrived at the top - 1350 meters in elevation (4300 feet) I found a very different looking village - obviolusly use to snow in winter as the roofs all had small special ´fences´to hold the snow from falling. The roofs were also made from either slate or straw and looked quite diferent from anything I have seen so far.

The first stop was the olderst church on the camino - Iglesie de Santa Maria Real - built around year 900. I took some time just sitting quietly reflecting on my Camino, listening to some quiet music playing in the background. I felt so at peace within myself and a deep sense of joy filled me. I guess four weeks away from the everyday stresses of life, one is able to sit quietly and just feel that sense of deep peace and joy and so very grateful that I have had this unique opportunity to experience this Camino. I lit a candle and placed it under a small statue of Mary and said a prayer of thanks for being loved by so many people - especially my wonderful family. I am truly a lucky man!

I have already told about the huge numbers of perigrinos at this stage of the Camino. When I arrived at the albergue at 12 noon there were already almost 80 people waiting for a bed - amongst these a number of groups from Italy with many young people from various parishes. These groups travel the Camino over a couple of weeks and hence put lots of stress on the available places for accommadation. But easy - I have been told that it will get even busier the closer to Santiago I get. Can´t wait!

During the afternnon I found a small bar to get some lunch. I ordered my usual beer and a plate of specially prepared fish and mushrooms - delicious. However as I was sitting with my beer waiting for lunch to be served, I was presented with you know what - the Galician delicacy of octopus . looking quite harmless yes one may say, even delicious - white meat with a redish surround. I was also pleased that it looked quite dead so I counted to ten and chose a piece without any obvious octopus charateristics - and in it went! I chewed - and I chewed - and I chewed - the taste not bad but the thought! It somehow came alive in my mouth and I thought of Jules Vernes novels - and his mastery description of the giant octopus - and just swallowed the beast. What a CAMINO MOMENT! I did it! The local guy standing next to me just laughed and ate two peaces at once just to prove a point.

When I returned I just sat quetly and marvelled at the surrounds - completely encircled by mountains as far as I could see. If one can´t feel the power of creation at moments such as these, one ought to be dead. As I sat there the weather changed in a matter of minutes and black clouds came rolling in and before long it started to rain. The smell of the rain as it touched the ground was so sweet and just added to the whole sensation of this wonderful moment.

Let me get back to the bus saga, becaused it seems never to end. When getting off the bus this morning, I enquired ( or the French twins did it for me) that I was to catch another small bus the follwing morning to Triacastela at 7am from the same bus stop. Great I thought - finally some clear talk.

So this morning I got up at 5am to start my downhill venture down the mountain to be at the bust stop at Pedrrafita do Cebreiro. Pitch dark and completely surrounded by thick mist or fog - like walking in a cloud - and may I say not too warm(remember I discarded my rain jacket in Ventoso to lighten to load).

However once again it was a wonderful feeling - just to be out there on your own even through I could anly see approx. 3 meters in front of me and had absolutely no sence of moving as I had no reference point. It was just like walking on the spot, with the only noice being my walking poles. Quite a strange sensation. At one point I thought ¨I hope the clicks from the walking poles don't sound like some animals mating call - that´s all I need on this deserted mountain side¨. However the silence was something quite spectacular as when I stood still, the silence was absolute - one alone in the universe. The trip took a little over 60 minutes and was quite steep and as always - downhill is harder for the legs than an uphill walk. It became lighter as I approached the village and the sky started to change colour to the most beautiful pale pink one could imagine.

After a mix-up regarding the right bus-stop (not where I got off the bus yesterday morning - would be too easy or logical) I finally found the stop 100 meters down the road. Relieved I sat down and yes - I was supprised as the bus drove up the montain from where I had just walked down. What is it with these Spanish bus companies? However the drive this morning to Tricastelia was wonderful, the bus following the small roads, meandering though the mountains, covering the various small villages. Once again the scenery was breathtaking and one could only be in awe of such beauty. As I arrived it was only just after 8 am and I already had received the daily sms message from Laraine, wishing me a good day. Still cold from my early journey I walked straight into a cafe and ordered myself breakfast, with a strong, hot cup of coffee. Enjoying this moment of heavenly bliss - I heard the old mother tongue again and fell in talk with a Danish couple doing their second camino as in many years. Had it changed them? Definitly as they had had a sea change and moved to another part of Denmark to a quieter and more fulfilling life. I will spend my day here in this village and expect to see the hordes arriving in a couple of hours taking over this quiet place. I have already found out that they are celebrating a special perigrino´s mass at 7pm tonight, so I will definitely join in that celebration. Until next time - Bien Camino

The Mass was wonderful and the small church was overflowing with pilgrims from all over the world. Once again I was not able to understand word by word what was being said but nevertheless it was a wonderful atmosphere and celebration. The priest gave the following reflection out, which I would like to share with you.

The Camino....the way....the road

What is the ´Camino¨?

Are we walking to achieve human and spiritual objectives?

Are we searching on the culture of the little villages along the way?

Or is it a sport? Tourism? A holiday?

The ´Camino¨is not for simple tourism"; the physical effort is worthy of higher things.

On the ´Camino´you can seek and find yourself.

On the ´Camino¨you can find brotherhood through shared vision, projects and plans.

On the ´Camino¨you live amongst others.

You climb a stairway of values, the good and the bad.

Getting to know yourself, you can get to know Jesus Christ.

The ´Camino´was born from the faith of our ancestors, who were seeking something;

The clear aim of Faith is to express our inner selves, the life within us.

The´Camino´is universal; throughout the world there are those who think it is better to exclude others; the ´Camino´shows us otherwise.

On the ´Camino´you need -

To believe that humans have more virtues than vices.

To accept that those mistakes we make along the way are only signs of our humanity.

To carry on along the road, although at times we fall; by rising up, you learn.

To belive through love, and not from fear. If you have fear, you may not love.

To believe freely - Faith is not a burden.

Not to be slaves but to accept love.

If you sense love, you will sense all that is around you.

There are marks and signs along the ´Camino¨, but you must seek for directions within yourself.

All those on the ´Camino´must along the way, seek to help Jesus Christ in his task in working for a better world.

Parroquia De Santiago Perigrino

De Triacastela, Galacia. España

Parroco Augusto Losada Lopez

Quite wonderful and thought provoking I thought, as the ´Camino´is so hard to describe. Just as I waited to get into the internet cafe this afternoon to write this latest report, two spanish school teachers were waiting to get in (one was born in England which made the conversation a little easier) and we discussed why the Camino is so special - why we were having this conversation, as in ´real life´ we would never even have started the conversation. It is one of the most powerful effects the Camino has on people. Quite special and wonderful.

Otherwise last evening I had a very interesting conversation with a young spanish girl from the northern part of Spain, who spoke about not beeing from Spain but from the Basque Country. She felt very strongly that this part of Spain, consisting of 7 regions - 4 in Spain and 3 in southern France - had a claim on independance and supported the political fight to achieve this. She explained that the movement had become strong, especially follwing Franco, who had supressed the Basque culture and language for many years ( similar to Catalonien north of Barcelona). It hit home to me how little we generally know about world affairs and the problems people in different regions of the world face on a daily basis.

I arrived in Sarria this morning, not quite sure if I would get any accomodation in this city, as the rumours had gone out last evening, that all beds already had been taken. However I found one, but there is no doubt that the crowds have started to ascent on the Camino. Sarria s the last starting point for peole who wishing to obtain a Compostela - a special certificate for pilgrims who have walked at least 100 kilometers on the way to Santiago.

Sarria is also the last big city before Santiago, approx. 13.000 and I found a much needed bank and a hole in the wall, to get a few more Euros, before the final stretch.

You might have picked up that my social life somewhat has quietened down the last two days and there is something in that. With the large groups of people coming in, it is much harder for everyone travelling on their own, to make contact, as people in groups seem to stick together.

And just as I started to feel a little hinch if fustration, the lovely Eithlin from Ireland, who I spoke about at least two weeks ago (she left me a book and an apple - that one) all of a sudden walked past me and what a wonderful is was to see a know face. We share lunch together and spoke about the crowds and how it had impacted on the Camino. As we sat there, one after an other peregrino came by and said ´hello Gunnar ´ and Eithlin asked me - Are you some kind of UN deligate on this Camino, or what was your problem with people not speaking to you. (however I have to add that the hello´s came from peole I only have ´slept ´with and never had a meaningful conversation with - just clarifying)

Despite doctors advice I have decided to give the walking another try and will start tomorrow morning, cutting the daily task in half and as such walk approx. 10 kilometers instead of the 20 and see how I go. I really hope and pray that I will be able to get on the road again and who knows, make it all the way to Santiago. Wouldn´t it be wonderful (and save me from having a go at the Spanish bus system). If you all say a little prayer for me, I am sure it will be OK.