Hola from Nanette.
Today we are in Leon and the students discovered the Spanish department store El Corte Ingles. I think many purchases were made.  We had a very informative tour of the beautiful cathedral in Leon and learned alot about Gothic architecture, flying buttresses, and stained glass windows.  We also toured the Romanesque church of San Isidro, the ancient Roman walls of the city, and saw the Casa Botines which is an early work of the architect Antoni Gaudi and was originally built as a drapery shop.  We will see another Gaudi building tomorrow in Astorga, the Bishop's Palace.  Today was a rest day from hiking but tomorrow we have 16 kms to walk before we arrive at our hostel for the evening.  Everyone is gearing up mentally and physically for the big climb up the hill to O'Cebreiro on Friday.  We have all carried a stone from home to leave behind at the Cruz de Ferro before we start the climb.  Traditionally pilgrims leave a stone to symbolize something they no longer want to carry forward in their lives.

Esta Bien from Eric in Puente Villarente

Yesterday we hiked to a very small town called Burgo Ranero. We’re talking small, like one store, a restaurant and a bar. This town runs solely on money made from pilgrims. There was not a lot to do but it was very nice because our hostel had a large open area, where the group laid in the sun, and played hackie sack and soccer. For dinner, a handful of the group prepared salad and pasta for all. It was delicious and everyone was excited to have food that was not bread, meat, and cheese. It has gotten cold here at night, which is strange considering the heat during the day. Today we hiked to Mansilla de las Mulas. The terrain and views have not been as interesting lately, so today a group of us sang for almost our entire hike. We are looking forward to hiking up to O’Cebreio on Friday, which should provide a challenging but rewarding hike.  In Mansilla we found a great local food market. Many of us bought strawberries, which were 1.70 Euros for a kilo. I don’t buy strawberries a lot in the States but I believe they would be at least 5 times this much. We then bused to Puente Villarente, where we will stay for the night.

Hola from Lauren!

We’ve had lots of interesting experiences over the past few days! The food for breakfast has been mediocre, since it typically includes bread, coffee, and hot chocolate; however, our dinner last night was amazing! It began with traditional paella which included prawns, octopus, muscles, chicken, and rice. Next course was liver, which was not very popular among the students.  After that, we were served lamb, which everyone enjoyed very much.  On top of all the delicious food, the wine and champagne were the best we’ve had yet.  With an amazing meal and high spirits, we provided entertainment for the other pilgrims at the albergue and serenaded them with “Don’t Stop Believing,” “Stand By Me,” and “Living on a Prayer.” With our high energy and enthusiasm, we danced to “Cha Cha Slide” and “Cupid Shuffle” in the dining room – it was quite the experience! The staff moved us to a separate room where we continued our dance party. For me, it was a very memorable night – one that I will never forget! 

The hiking the past few days has been more flat, which has allowed us to explore the cities we’re staying in for the night and get lots of rest. Everyone is looking forward to our day in Leon, which is coming up very quickly.  I’m really enjoying getting to know everyone on the trip and I really think we’re becoming a close knit group.  I’m looking forward to the remaining days and can’t wait to get to Santiago! 

 PS from Nanette:  The "liver" Lauren is referring to was foie gras.

Greetings from Charlotte!

It is now the tenth day on the trail and we as a group have gotten over the initial excitement of global travel and are starting to feel the effects of the pilgrimage. There are more naps, less going out, and quite a few more snores on the bus. This journey is a hard one and we are just over half the distance, but the trail is starting to get harder and each of us are starting to think hard about why we are here.

Some of us came because of difficulties in our personal lives that only the atmosphere of the Camino could help. Some of us are pushing ourselves physically beyond what we previously thought were our limits and are viewing this trip as the starting point of a grand adventure into the world. Whatever our reasons, the sense of community we feel as a group is strong and I personally have developed relationships that will last beyond the Camino.

It’s difficult to sometimes step back from our excitement and personal obligations and simply appreciate the Camino for all its subtlety. Last night we stayed in Carrion de los Condes, a small town outside of Burgos, in a working convent. The juxtaposition of the old, medieval Camino of monks and nuns and old, crumbling stone buildings and the wild, present Camino of bars and festivities. Last night a group of us met up with a few English speaking pilgrims from the British Isles, Canada, and Germany. It was interesting to hear the stories of those who have been working through the Camino only on their feet. One man from Scotland, Ian, had planned on walking the Camino with his father, but, sadly, his father passed away in January, and he is now walking the Camino for his father. A couple of Canadians described their European excursions from Croatia to France. While this program is a wonderful one to immerse ourselves in the Camino culture and to learn the history, but it is easy to forget about the fact that we have a bus and a van to carry our luggage. Meeting other pilgrims, hearing their stories, is a vital and wonderful part of the Camino, and one that none of us are taking for granted.

Hi everybody! We had another beautiful day here in the Spanish plateaus. We walked 19 kilometers from Ledigo to Sahagun this afternoon after bussing about 30 kilometers from Carrion de los Condes. Nanette encouraged us to walk in silence during our hike on the Camino today. It was difficult at first to walk next to someone and not fill the awkward silence, but after a while, we all adjusted well to the change and some people had a great day of personal reflection and alone time. 

We are now staying at Hostal Viatoris in Sahagun. We are all spending time outside in the sun (with lots of sun screen on, of course) playing chess, writing in our journals, and putting our feet up. We have a group dinner planned with our tour guide in celebration of his daughter’s upcoming marriage. We cannot wait for a big, delicious meal.

Well that is all for now, thank you all for reading!

Haley

Hello all!

Today was our first hiking day after two glorious days in Burgos.  This morning we drove to Fromista where Eric gave a presentation about the town’s beautiful church.  From there we began our 18 Kilometer hike to Carrion de los Condes.  The weather was gorgeous: blue sky with fluffy white clouds, a shining sun, and a cool breeze to stave off the worst of the heat.  Best of all, the hike was nice and flat…you could see pilgrims for several kilometers in both directions.  Everyone on the Camino was in a cheery mood.  There were calls of “Buen Camino” all throughout the day. 

Many of us stopped at a little town right before Carrion de los Condes where there was this very impressive church called Santa Maria la Blanca.  It cost a Euro for pilgrims to enter but even just the outside was beautiful.  There was a children’s birthday party or something festive occurring in the plaza with cheery music and bouncy houses.  All the pilgrims milling about had the same destination in mind: Carrion de los Condes.

Here in Carrion de los Condes we are staying at a converted convent.  Nanette led yoga in the stone courtyard which was a welcome reprieve from the soreness brought on by hiking.  The town is quaint and filled with charm, and it is absolutely crawling with other pilgrims from all around the world.  It is such a friendly atmosphere and the locals are so friendly and obliging. 

Well, that’s it for now.  Tomorrow we are off to Sahgun!

From Brittany!!