After a night of rain, I was preparing to an early start dressed up in a poncho. Thanks to some powerful intervention, while I was finishing breakfast, the rain stopped abruptly and was replaced by a strong cold wind coming from NE. I wore all the warm clothes I had along, and started at about 7:40. Today I took some pictures of what I mean when I call the landscape as endless farmland.

All around me were still unfamiliar faces, situation that was likely aggravated by the fact that I slept in hotel for two nights in a row, and hence missing the opportunity to familiarize with other pilgrims in the hostels. Despite the pain in the leg is still quite excruciating, I decided to spend the next night at the St. Juan de Ortega Albergue. Along the way I met Gaurav, an Indian guy living in Milan due to an university fellowship program, a very reserved Canadian lady, reminding me of a literature professor and a huge Australian with over 1.5m pace span. Apart from these brief encounters, it was another day of reflection spent in almost total loneliness. At the beginning I saw a guy with a little dog, whose enthusiastic jumping all around, with no worries whatsoever, was really contagious. This episode allows me to remember other guys and girls with dogs: Dirk with the dog Einstein, Christine with the dog Cariñho, and another guy with a big shepherds’ dog. Then can walk the Camino with their pet, but mist Albergues do not take dogs, so most of times they have to sleep in tents, and also carrying with them the food and needs for their animals. Christine, a slim figure, was carrying 17 kg but was it complaining that much.

Finally I managed to see Florence  who’s travelling during the night with her white horse, whose poo I noticed almost everywhere during the previous stages.

Finally, 2-3 km before the chosen destination, the clouds broke clear.

St. Juan is s gem of a place, that was worth the day to get there.

The albergue is hosted in the old monastery and can accomodate at least 75 pilgrims in three large rooms situated around the cloister.

I attended the pilgrim’s’ mass at 6 pm with the blessing from the tomb of the Saint, who lived around year 1100 and helped the maintenance of the Camino for the welfare of the pilgrims. The dinner at the local Locanda was not remarkable: pretty much salad, a tuna pie, and either cheese or morcillas (sort of rice, and fried pork meat, rolled in a sort of sausage with pork blood)

A day of atonement and reflection. I started at 8:30am, a bit worried for the persisted pain on the right leg. A couple I met the night before suggested me to take sodium hydrocarbonate to reduce the swelling due to accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. I did not have it with me but I used Alka Seltzer instead and I was surprised to feel graduallly all the aching joints to recover promptly. However the leg was still quite painful but I decided to give it a start anyway at a much slower pace. Actually I felt somewhat relieved to accept my limitations with no urge to be on par with anyone else. Today was in facts the first time I completed the stage without a walking companion since I joined the Camino Frances in St. Jean.

I noticed how the mood of the other pilgrims changed quite substantially since the early days in St. Jean. Then there was plenty of excitement, with a genuine drive to make new friends. Responses to greetings along the road were more open and curious to share personal stories. Now, one week later and some 235 km on the legs, the former group I started with has vanished in the infinite hilly farmlands. The occasional people along the road are all strangers, almost hostile, cutting short comments and jokes. Everyone seems folded on their own purposes perhaps already committed to the inner Camino journey. Along the road today I had just a brief encounter with a mother and daughter from Boston, and a brother and sister from Colorado. No handshakes, no promises for a drink together at the common destination for the day. Now it’s 8:20pm and I am sitting outside at a bar in the Plaza Mayor of this small town, but there is no searching among pilgrims. Everyone seems to rush to buy groceries for tomorrow’s stage, and then disappear in their hostels. The small town is slowly repossessed by the locals who are preparing for their usual dinner at 9pm.

I am going to follow suit. Instead of the usual pilgrim’s menu, I opt for a plate of pinchos and a glass of red wine. I have yet to go to the Pharmacy to buy an industrial supply of Alka Seltzer, and find an hotspot to upload the blog update.

No pictures today apart a sign indicating the entry in the Castilla y Leon province, the largest in Spain.

The wheater has been cool the whole day and with thick clouds limiting the interest in capturing shots of the quite monotonous rural landscape. I took also the opportunity to visit a local peluqueria (barber shop) where Miguel the master barber trimmed my beard to an acceptable level.

In retrospective, one of the worst days so far. In part due to the road, which crosses vineyards and wheatfields, with practically no shelter from the heat. The same road which has been diverted from his original layout and now is either paved or dusty in proximity of highways and partly near construction sites. The villages are scarce and unremarkable. The worst of all is this Cirueña where a massive and horrible housing development near a golf course is constraining the Camino walkway in the midst of deserted homes, like a cemetery of empty shells: not a sign of life, not a chatter of children, only infinite housing estates with sales ads fluttering in the gusts of the wind. For being the Camino a UNESCO heritage, there is very little that has been done to restore it to the original track.

The tentative idea to build a spare day by stretching the stages beyond the guidebook suggestions, it’s coming at a general body fatigue that the precarious nights in the hostels cannot recover.

The experience in sleeping at hostels is generally quite good and cheap. There are plenty of chances to meet new pilgrims and debate on Camino topics while we wait the washing machine or the dryer to finish their cycle. In some private hostels in the villages, the dinner is a common affair and all together we eat the day menu usually in good spirit and a good mood. If the sleeping quarters are organized in modern structures, usually each user has a reserved locker space linked to the bed number and the life in the dormitory can be comfortable. The problems start where the education of some people end, particularly so in old establishments where the common space in not organized and is there for anyone to seize it.
Some people take long time to take out everything from their backpacks occupying all the available common space, and then wander through the dormitory with no apparent business to do. Others pack furiously in the night once they decide to leave at 5am, taking particular enjoyment in pulling zips on and off or chafing with the grocery bags. Fortunately, most people leave quietly at around 630am after having prepared all their belongings the night before. In any case without ear plugs or sleeping shades, there is no even the slimmest chance to gain some sleep. I have seen some guys hiding their ear plugs in their underpants while sleeping on fear of being robbed of the precious stuff. Otherwise you happen to be in the first row of an incredible bassoon and trombone concert, with some fine motif played on the piccolo.

The last incident of the day had been the insurgence of an acute pain on both the lower leg fronts. According to Mario these were cramps, and offered one of his creams to reduce the pain and continue to walk. The “cramps” were my faithful companions for more than half of the day trip forcing me to slow down and stop frequently. I therefore announced to check in at an hotel in Santo Domingo and take it very easy tomorrow. So I did, and filled up the bathtub with hot water and foam, and slowly I simmered into the comfort. I slept in the bath tub for one solid hour and then I rushed to the Pharmacy to buy a tube of anti-inflamatory cream to continue to cure my painful legs.
I met Mario in the main square and informed him that tomorrow I will go solo. He is a good little man and was very concerned since he speaks only Italian with the thick accent of the northern valleys and was quite well supported by my presence. We exchanged our addresses and we hugged each other.

Actually, and I am very sorry to say this, my fellow countrymen are the worst socially developed people. Since they speak no other languages forces me to tag along to other Italians and to hear all the complaints, etc. whereas I’d like to join the other multi ethnic tables and have a bit more varied conversation. With tonight no more Italians, possibly. Exceptions only for lonely 30 years old females…

As this is was expected to be a long stage with temperatures rising to the 30 Deg +, with my new occasional partner Mario from the Seriana valley, we decided to start quite early. He woke me up at 5:45 and by 6:15 we hit the road wearing our head lights. For a good hour we walked in the pitch dark under a canopy of stars. Then the day broke showing off an extraordinary color palette.

My new partner Mario is a very reserved person, religious and very humble. I enjoy to watch him opening up to this new improbable relationship. As the kilometers unfold, he’s telling me about his family, his habits and his very simple life. In no other place I could have had the chance to share my thoughts and my life with this person. I am very grateful of this opportunity.

My influence can be dangerous for him, since the first time I met him he was never eating or drinking anything else than what he carried in his backpack. Slowly I convinced him to have breakfast in some flamboyant pastry cafes, or even dining at a tapas bar.

This in particular is worth to mention. It is in Navarrete, the place where we are spending the night, and is managed by an Italian guy. The choice of tapas is irresistible: so what can be better than a cold beer and a selection if yummy tapas from Antonio?

If any of you happen to be in Navarrete, do not miss to visit Antonio at his Bar Deportivo (941-441-065). I forgot to mention that as we entered the city of Logroño, we enteted also the province of Rioja, home of excellent wines and very warm people.

After a short prayer of thanks for the day and its treasure of secrets and discoveries, in the magnificent cathedral of Navarrete

we headed back to Antonio for the dinner menu, where he surprised us with a specialty made of sweet Navarra peppers filled with baccalao (cured cod fish) and olives, with rice milk in a dark calamari sauce. Divine.

The price still in accordance to the pilgrim’s dish menu (12 euro).

Today I changed walking partner. Deb has expressed the intention of doing meditation along the walk and hence to continue solo. On the other hand I do not mid stretching the stages a bit more and to build some time pad wrt the planned itinerary. So we hugged at a road junction, and thanked each other for the good company and support we enjoyed that far and we split ways.

Another day of great sunshine, and hot temperature as I proceeded in a almost inhabited farmlands. The road climbed to an advantage position from where I had a good vision of the surroundings. I believe I reached total happiness in being part of such beauty.

Along the way I shared some impression with Chris and Frank from California and also with another gentleman from Scotland. Anyway I did not want to compromise my solitary walk and I increased the pace ahead of the small group.

There are many solitary walkers along the Camino. Frank once was showing a paper sheet with the words: “Silent Day” in response to anyone prompting him with the usual greetings. So in general one should be quite careful in approaching others as they may not appreciate excessive familiarity. However, it is a bit disappointing to notice that apart from a few exceptions, most people on the Camino have mundane purposes. Either they consider this just as a vacation, or a gastronomical adventure, or even a odd experience of hostel living maybe just for a few day before reverting to the usual 5 stars hotels. Some have luggage transfer arrangements, some cut short some lengthy portions of the walk taking cabs in between destinations. The credential stamp can be obtained almost anywhere: from churches, restaurants, bars and even aunties selling peaches along the road. So the pilgrim’s passport can be filled up by many stamps regardless whether all the stopovers have been genuinely walked through with sweat and pain.

Even the Camino cannot remain immune from consumerization. The whole phenomenon is a massive attraction fair to bring more and more people to spend money in the Spanish regions cut through by the Camino. Most sections that can be flooded have been paved in concrete slabs and steepest climbs have been facilitated with stairways and hand rails. The concept is to spread out the concept that everyone can do it. The Spanish road admin has even built a highway on the Camino layout. The footpath has been then rerouted alongside the highway totally vanishing the spiritual purpose of the journey with high traffic noise level and pollution.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to find reliable WiFi connections. I  hope that by tomorrow morning I can find a hotspot to upload the chronicle to the server.

The keynote of stage 11 was a crystal clear morning with dry and net shades. The sleepy town of Puente la Reina had at least a good bakery open for breakfast at 6:30am to initiate the day with the best auspices.

On a very quiet spot, crossing an ancient medieval bridge I left a stone with a message of peace for dear friend and her mother who passed away.

The road in many parts is still over the ancient Roman layout.

The modern day pilgrims appear to attract consumerism on the road and it is not infrequent to see small cold drink booths nearby the main highway. This one in particular had on display a full pharmacy of remedies for feet problems.

Ancient time pilgrims were probably already quite happy to have simple refreshments like this fountain in proximity of the city of Estella, or even a fountain that was spilling wine under the control of the Irache Monastery. It is still in operation nowadays but under a local winemaker, and miracle today is that the fountain dries up in case the pilgrim is nor buying a case of their best wine.

A very relaxing stage, cut short due to bad weather during the first part, and the need of some rest and shopping of necessities in a relative bigger village. The key features if the day were the crossing of the Alto del Perdon (Forgiveness Heights) with its famous sculpture dedicated to pilgrims of all times and all ages.

Another significant key note was the visit to the Templar Knights’ little church of St.Maria de Eunate,

and to meet a French couple in pilgrimage with their own donkey “Bebè”.

Deborah and I have developed a very well tuned walking relationship. She is a very determined walker keeping more or less my same pace, and we both know how to keep each other company almost in total silence for kilometers. While I engage almost every other pilgrim we find on our way and do most of the talking, she is more reserved and but takes most of the decisions particularly on which auberge to spend the following nights. We both still have sore legs and weak knees at the end of the day so we have to plan carefully the stops to minimize the risk of serious tendinitis.

It is a pleasant moment when we meet other fellow pilgrims that we have lost traces of, maybe in the village pub around a cerveza and chorizo. The talks are almost the same: where did you sleep last night? How much weight ate you carrying? Where do you come from? What were you doing in life before the Camino, and will you do after?

The largest majority is in a life transition moment: in between jobs, about to or already retired, divorced or widower, most open to new encounters, many not yet in peace with themselves. The large majority of “foreigners”, I.e. not Spanish nor French  are middle-aged women often travelling in pairs or small groups. Many men travel alone and cover very long distances, like if they have no one waiting for them at home.

The variety of mankind that can be found on the Camino is incredible, and for each there is a human story behind. I like to listen when anyone wants to share their stories, and I feel enriched and glad to belong here.

The main feature of this stage is the passing through the city of Pamplona. According to the guidebook, the city should have been skipped entirely as too contrasting with the quietness and the serenity of the Camino trails. Honestly I liked the city and how has been layed out to preserve the ancient past as a fortified and walled city, and the modern viability requirements. The medieval center is very alive with beautifully restored ancient buildings, hosting a variety of small bars, restaurant and cafes. The remains of the impressive fortifications are embedded now in green city parks which actually complement very well the spirit of the Camino. The few pictures I have taken shall be added later once I can download them from the other camera.

Today I’d like also to share some reflections on something that got my attention along the way.

“Worrying is praying for something we do not want”. This was noted by an unknown pilgrim in Zubiri. If I only were able to put only 10% of the energy I spend on worrying and preparing for the worst, into a direct visualization of what I really want, I guess it would be already a turning point. I shall pay attention to my inner worries to transform them into positive prayers.

One pilgrim today told me: “I am afflicted by all sort of sore body parts. Everyday I have plenty of reasons to quit. Then I hear my mind speaking to the body: “Dear body, I am not to quit because of you. I see that there is suffering, but you better come to terms with it and accept your limitations with less drama”. I was considering my own experience in dealing with pain. Was I able to dominate the pain or the other way around?

One of the limitations of the Camino layout is that, in some cases, its original trail has been displaced by modern urbanistic and logistic needs. Maybe it’s a new road, or a new residential area, or maybe the development of an industrial area. Yet the modern pilgrims continue to follow the new layout, obedient to the new way marks, often walking on paved suburban roads or facilitated trails with stone pavements. Often the layout seems to aggravate the difficulty with sudden uphill climbs followed by steep down inclines. Why is that so? The Camino teaches patience and endurance to the mind, by focusing on the purpose instead of the shortcuts.

As the mid afternoon skies turned menacing with dark clouds assembling over the Alto del Person, a small mountain range whose crest is evenly marked by the presence of hundreds of giant modern day windmills, I decided to check in in a quiet village of an unpronounceable name: Zariquiequi.

A truly wonderful day with lots of energy flowing from me to the nature and from the nature to me. The experience in Roncesvalles where there is a reception structure capable of hosting more than 300 pilgrims per day, has been unique for grandiosity and also for the humility of receiving such attention level and facilities for just 10 euro per night. The overnight accommodation is provided by brand new restorations of the ancient monastery buildings.

Lots of volunteers really are there to help out in any way they can. For 2.70 euro they wash and tumble dry a load of laundry. So you can arrange to combine yours and other pilgrims’ stuff to make a full load. Anything that a pilgrim want to leave behind is arranged on a table where other pilgrims can take in case of need.

The breakfast in the dormitory is provided by vending machines or by the nearby restaurant. The group I am walking with decided to start at 7:30 so I just took a basic selection of hot chocolate and a candy bar.

The morning air was crisp and chilling, but I took a few moments for some shots around the place.

Last but not least I had someone to take a picture of me near the famous milestone sign with the road distance in front of us.

By then I was totally electrified and ready to go. After I short while I left down neat a white stone cross a stone for my NY cousin Mary Anne and her husband Jon.

Almost everywhere wanderers leave a stone with different meaning. The recurring theme is to regain balance and the stones are often arranged in a very precarious ways.

Water is abundant and the various streams give lots of opportunities to soak the sore feet for some momentary relief.

Here are some of the co-pilgrims that are sharing a part of the Camino with me: Deb from Ontario, Stig from Vancouver, an unknown German lady with an ingenious Camino cart.

Now is dinner time. Enjoy your meals, peregrinos!

I am writing from Spain whose border was crossed today through the Lepolder Pass in the Pyrenees. It has been a very long stage with an elevation of about 2,000 meters. I am very tired and ready to go to sleep at 8:30pm. So I will try to take some picture of this amazing place dated back to the year 1000 and involved with the religion war by Charlemagne against the Saracens. It is now the arrival point in Spain of all the pilgrims from all over the world. During the walk today, I was surrounded by over 100 people doing the same effort and coming literally from all world countries, many Japanese, Koreans, South Africans, Brazilians and so on. It is the most energetic group of people I have ever seen.

We started at 7:30 after breakfast in the Auberge in St.Jean, served by the owner Mrs Daniele and her very vital voluntary assistant Keiko, a Japanese playing many instruments.

The climb was almost immediate and the valleys were full of clouds in the early morning hours.

Soon the sky opened on a scenario of total freedom with horses, cows, sheep and humans coexisting and happy to be there at once.