Traveling with Joe

Today is day 2 of my rest days.  4 out of the 6 people in our group decided to take two days off here because we were exhausted from the constant walking and lack of sleep and because Leon is a beautiful city. I was here in October and got a decent tour of the old town but this morning I took off and saw quite a bit more a very modern part of the city bordering a beautiful river and parks.  

I had to go back to the Vodafone store to top off both my cell phones.  They were scheduled to expire just days before the trip ended and I didn’t want anyone to worry if they couldn’t reach me for 4 days.  Then I walked for 2 hours to find a particular store that you can only find in Spain.  I had promised I would try to find a gift there for someone and it turned out to be a nice journey.  I probably bought a shirt they will hate but I got to see parts of Leon that were actually quite nice.

But My plan to do an elaborate picture post is not going to pan out.  The days on the road, the strange beds, the gigantic dinner we had last night and a world-class bout of homesickness have put me into a funk and “creative” and “funk” don’t go well together.  So here’s just a brief collage of where we’ve been and, again, I hope to do better soon.

So, back in time to day 1 approximately 20 days ago.  We arrived in northeastern Spain after a significant snow storm.  The path from France was closed and we were forced to walk on the road for the first few kilometers of our Journey.  This after skipping about 6km that was the usual starting point.  After what we countered later, this snow turned out to be a blessing in disguise; it was beautiful.

We eventually got our groove after losing a little altitude and were able to walk along the snow lined trails.  At this point we had not gotten any rain so the snow was sticking nicely but the trails were not freezing over.  This kind of cold without wind, snow or rain is actually excellent walking weather.

My memories of the Camino from October included many trails with the trees arching overhead.  At first, except for the snow, I thought the walk might be very similar to what I had just done.  That thought quickly went away however as the days progressed.  Even though I was only here 5 months ago, most days I only barely recognize a few of the more prominent landmarks.  It has turned out to be a great experience – again – because it’s a totally different experience.

We Learned an interesting phenomenon about Spring snow and rain.  After we got down below the normal snow level we had a night and day of fairly intense snow.  I’d say there was a solid 6″ of snow everywhere.  It was stunningly beautiful to walk in and the hillsides that had been a verdant green were now all solid white.

Then it rained all night.

ALL that snow melted overnight and created runoffs that threatened to overrun the creek banks and drainage channels.  In fact, in places they did and the Camino trail was flooded.  Marji and I got out early and got past the worst of it but others were diverted by the Police and had to walk alongside a very busy highway.  We elected to do that for a bit but the large trucks going by were unnerving.

But far worse than any truck was the mud.  Not only did it stick to the bottom of your boot making each show weigh pounds more than you were accustomed to, it also stuck to the ground every step you took.  We had to walk mile after mile after mile in a gooey muck that resisted any attempt at cleaning.  For a few nights in a row I had to take my boots into the shower and wash and scrub them off.  Yes, I wash my boots at night.  They take care of me all day long and I won’t put them to bed dirty.  Plus, if you try to walk in a boot covered in dried mud you leave a trail everywhere.

So we get into Leon on Thursday which is the beginning of the processions for Semana Santa (Easter Week).  If you’ve never seen one of these it’s worth looking on YouTube.  The first time I saw one I was living in Madrid complete unaware of this tradition.  I heard noise outside our window and drums beating so I opened the curtain to find 300 men dressed like Ku Klux Klan men.  In this case, they were in all white.  Now I know that each “Fraternity” wears a different color but I still can’t get over the similarity to the Klan uniforms.  The processions consist of hundreds of men some of them carrying gigantic platforms with statues of Jesus on the Cross, Virgin Mary, and even a Gold Chariot; all of which weigh thousands of pounds.  The platform is surrounded by a dense phalanx of men and they walk to the beat of a drum.  They stop frequently to rest which means it takes hours for these processions to make it through their route.  I’m told we have another one passing by around here at  7pm tonight.  Thankfully we have multiple exits and can slip out past them because the crowds are enormous and enthusiastic.

Seriously though, doesn’t this at least resemble a Klansman?  Imagine hundreds of them marching to the beat of dozens of drums; it’s quite a sight.

 

As you can see from the weather app on my phone, we are having beautiful days with freezing mornings.  I have tried repeatedly to get the Guide to schedule our departure for 10am instead of 9am but “That’s how they’ve always done it” so we have to dress for arctic temperatures then strip down within an hour.  We can leave our extra clothes in the van when we run into it during the day but they have us getting up in the dark, walking for a maximum of 7 to 8 hours which leaves at least 4 hours of light and still time to clean up before most restaurants open in Spain.  “But this is how we’ve always done it”.  Just an FYI; If that is the best answer you have for any question then it is probably wrong.  If I had taken that as Gospel during my career as a Builder I would be poor, live in remote suburb of some shit-hole town and drive an old car.  That answer to any question is a sure sign that arrogance has set in.  I’m happy to argue that point with anyone anytime. Why?  Because that’s how I’ve always done it.

 But it’s not all cold and snow or just green fields of wheat.  While most of the flowering plants and trees are just starting to bud, there are a few that are out in full force.  If I had been in a more photographic mood I could have shot a lot of the fruit trees blooming but my camera has stayed in my pack a lot on this trip and, the other morning I was admiring how fragrant one of those trees was when I noticed a bee just about to climb into my nose.  I decided to admire the flowers from a distance but at least I shot a quick pic of this one with the phone.   In the Fall there were a lot of leaves and some flowers but everything was waning.  It’s fun to see thing starting to come out of hibernation.  We’ve got a few more weeks so by the time we hit Santiago, Spring should be here in force.  

But before we get there we have close to 400km (250 miles) left to go and once we cross the mountains into the next province we are almost sure to hit rain.  It ain’t over ’til it’s over.   

March 4, 2015

Joe Jeter