Pilgrimsfärd / Pilgrimage

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2005-06-12T12:00:00.001+02:00

10-12 JUNI/JUNE - Dag 25-27 / Day 25-27: Santa Irene - Santiago de Compostela (22 km, 6 hours)

2005-06-12T12:00:00.000+02:00

10-12 JUNI/JUNE: I am there! I have finished the Camino de Santiago de Compostela! It is hard to explain how it feels to have finished the walk - I don´t think it has sunk in just yet. I have heard people say that the effects of the Camino do no hit until some time after you have finished. So what do I think will be the effects on me? Tough question! But my reasons for walking the Camino were to search my soul and clear my head. And that I think I have been able to do to some extent. I also think I have learned a few lessons: patience, that pain is a constant in life, and openess to other people. The last few days here in Santiago have been very nice. It is a beautiful city with a large old town district full of churches and amazing buildings. Every street is full of restaurants and pubs. Constantly I run into to pilgrims that I have gotten to know along the way and we all congratulate each other. We have had several dinners and pub-nights. I have visited the pilgrim´s mass in the big cathedral where the apostel St. James (Jakob) is burried. But throughout the stay here in Santiago it has felt as if my Camino wasn´t quite complete; like something was missing. That was until today. Today I took the buss out to Finisterre, (a small village at the coast which during pre-Columbos times used to be thought of as the end of the world: finis = end, terra = world). From the village of Finisterre I walked about 3 km out on a peninsula (halvö), where the world used to end. Out there I stood about 100 m up on the cliffs looking out the sea. And I felt that the Camino was complete - it`s done. I sat there for about one hour. I said some prayers, made some promises, thanked my great grandmother Oktavia for from another dimension persuading me to do the Camino... and... that`s it, I am done with the Camino. Now the question is: Is the Camino done with me?

9 JUNI/JUNE - Dag 24 / Day 24: Milede - Santa Irene (31 km, 8.5 hours)

2005-06-09T12:00:00.000+02:00

9 JUNI/JUNE: A couple of noteworthy things happened today. Firstly, I was attacked by a flock of killer flies (flugor)! Don`t know if they actually were killer flies, but they sure were nasty! In the morning, I was just walking, minding my own business, when I started noticing that a few flies started to swarm around me. A few minutes later there were more flies; then even more; then hundreds! (okay, maybe 50). And now they were getting close, sweeping by my face and ears. Then they started to try to get into my ears! I started waving my hat and stick- frantically - but nothing helped. I could not scare them off. I tried to increase the walking pace, but they kept up with me. Then I tried to run, but my sore (onda) legs and my backpack didn´t allow more than a 50 m sprint. The flies stayed with me for 3-4 km, before they suddenly disappeared. I don`t know why they were so persistent (ihärdiga) and attracted to me; I thought maybe it was my new skin lotion that I bought the day before (but that is an expensive Nivea), perhaps there was some bird crap on my backpack (but no), perhaps I smelled really bad (but I use Axe Africa, so I should be smelling wonderfully : )) - I just don´t now! Anyway, I am just glad I survived! Secondly, later in the day I saw something funky: A pilgrim walking in the opposite direction (from Santiago) carrying not only his backpack, but on the backpack was a German shepherd puppy sitting - no kidding! The puppy looked quite happy not having to walk in the blistering heat of the afternoon. That guy must be pretty strong; I figure his backpack weighed at least 12 kilos and the puppy maybe 8 kilos. 20 kilos on your back for 800 km will be heavy!!! Thirdly, shortly after I had seen the pilgrim/puppy combo I started ascending a hill. Halfway up the hill I caught up with an old Spanish lady pushing some kind of shopping cart (kundvagn). She looked tired, so I offered to push it for her and gave her my stick. She looked happy, and we continued walking. She started to talk in Spanish and I clearly replied "No etiendo Espanol" (= I don´t understand Spanish). But she kept talking and talking, so I kept nodding (nicka) and saying "si, si" once in a while. I think we had a pretty good conversation. Fourthly, I went up in the middle of night (at 3 am) to look at the stars. Supposedly, the milky way (Vintergatan) is extra illumenous and clear above the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. And it was beautiful; the stars were extremely bright and appeared closer than I ever seen before. I was out there about 15 minutes before I went back to bed. Some trivia: the word Compostela means star field (compo = field, stela = star), and I think the legend has it that some shepherd saw some stars congregating (samlas) above santiago where St James´ remains were burried, so they added "compostela" to the name of the city. Now I only have 22 km to go to Santiago - should be a breese!

8 JUNI/JUNE - Dag 23 / Day 23: Ligondo - Melide (25 km, 8 hours)

2005-06-08T00:00:00.000+02:00

8 JUNI/JUNE: Left the missionary station around 7.30 am. As usual the morning was foggy. At around 10.30 the sun had - also as usual - burned off the last fog. I walked alone, and passed through the town of Palas de Rei, where I ran into the Danish couple, Jórgen and Ruth. I spoke with them briefly and then continued my walk. As the afternoon progressed it got increasingly hotter. By 2.30 pm it had turned into a real scorcher ("skállare") - maybe 35 degrees and a pounding sun. And the last 1.5 hours of the walk was uphill! Arrived in the town of Melide around 4 pm, found the Albergue, and did the usual post-walk chores. I found a bar, and sat down for a beer. A few minutes later, Ursula (the German lady from two days ago) showed up along with Sarah (American, around 40). Sarah is a Ph.D student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, which is quite a coincidence since I have been there twice to play soccer for the University of Tampa. A little later, Lennart (around 65, from Stockholm, Sweden) sat down with us. After finishing our beers, the four of us went to a Pulperia - a restaurant serving only octopus and wine! Apparantly the town of Melide is famous for serving the best octopus in Spain. It was a cool experience! The "kitchen" was out in the open; it was just a big pot where they boiled the octopus. When done, a lady picked one up and cut it into pieces with a scissors (sax). We were served plates with cut-up octopus seasoned with olive oil and some cajun-like spice as well as bread and pitchers of red and white wine. We sat there for a couple of hours, getting a little bit buzzed (berusade). On the way back to the Albergue we stopped for ice cream. It was not hard to fall asleep!

7 JUNI/JUNE - Dag 22/ Day 22: Morgade - Ligondo (25 km, 7 hours)

2005-06-07T00:00:00.000+02:00

7 JUNI/JUNE: Slept late; didn´t get up until 7.45. Haven´t slept this late in ages! Started walking at 8.30 am. The trail continued passing through lots of small and beautiful villages. I walked passed the town of Pontomarin. At this time I had been walking for about 2 hours and I was getting hungry. I thought about going into Pontomarin to look for a place to eat, but decided to keep walking as I was sure there would be a place along the trail. But I was wrong; I had to walk another two hours before I found a place to eat. At this time I was about to pass out from hunger. Had a chorizo sandwhich. As I was sitting there, Ken, the Canadian, showed up. We walked together for about 1.5 hours and then he decided to stop for the day at a village. I continued walking; the trail climbed rather steeply for about 1.5 hours and then went downhill again. I walked into the small village of Ligonde around 3 pm, feeling tired and having a bit of pain in my shin. In the middle of the village was Fuente del Peregrino, a kind of missionary station where pilgrims can stay the night and eat dinner for free. The place was managed by Cynthia, who was helped by some volunteers. The volunteers were comprised of six American college girls - I am not kidding! (Haley, Mikkele, Emily, Emily, Erin, Erin, all from Chicago) - Eliceo (Spanish guy, around 30), and Itcel (a lovely girl from Mexico, around 25). Naturally, I decided to stay at this place! The bedroom was in the attic (vind) in a barn-like building and had about 10 beds. There were only another 4 pilgrims staying there: Iris (Germany, around 30), Sigfried (Germany, around 65), Mike (US, around 30), and a Japanese girl who stayed in her bed the whole time I was there (apparantly she suffered from heat stroke). The girls belonged to some christian organization through which they had gotten this gig. They were really nice and we did a lot of talking. One of the girls, Emily Olson Driver (with a bull-ring type of piercing in her nose) is of Swedish descent and she is traveling to Sweden later this summer to visit relatives on Gotland. As it turns out, she goes to college with and is a friend of Saul (?) Ekman, the son of Pastor Ulf Ekman, the "Livets ord" guy (previously somewhat controversial religious figure in Sweden). She is gonna visit them too. The girls cooked a delicious dinner for all of us pilgrims. Went to bed around 10.30 pm.

6 JUNI/JUNE - Dag 21 / Day 21: Triacastela - Morgade (28 km, 10 hours)

2005-06-06T00:00:00.000+02:00

6 JUNI/JUNE: Left the Albergue at around 6.45. Walked with Tonya for about 1 hour; then she picked up the pace and walked off. The trail went uphill for a couple of hours, then downhill again. As I descended, I walked into the fog, which seemed to be caught in between the hills - cool! After a few hours, the sun had burnt up the last fog and it was getting nice and warm. I walked into the town of Sarria around noon. I had a sandwich and rested for a while before I continued. After leaving Sarria, I walked through a beautiful area of rolling hills with lots of small villages (maybe 5-6 houses in each village) and fields. The weather was beautiful as usual; around 25 and clear skies. Later in the afternoon I started to feel an increasing pain in my shin, and I decided to start looking for a place to stay. Suddenly I turned a corner and there was a small farm house where you could get a bed for 6 Euros per night. I checked in, sat down and had a large, cold beer! I tried to speak with this French lady who also was staying at this place, but she didn´t know a single word of English - not even the numbers or the days of week! Later, some more people checked in: Ursula (around 40, from Germany, works with ADHD kids - I guess she REALLY needed to walk the Camino), and Ken (about 30, from Toronto, Canada, Software developer). The three of us had dinner together. Just outside the farm house is a marker stating that there are 99.5 km left to Santiago - I am almost there! I can feel the trip is coming to an end. I should be in Santiago on Friday as long as nothing unexpected happens. My plan is to spend the weekend in Santiago and fly back to Sweden on Monday.

5 JUNI/JUNE - Dag 20 / Day 20: O Cebreiro - Triacastela (22km, 6.5 hours)

2005-06-05T00:00:00.000+02:00

5 JUNI/JUNE: I was the last one to wake up. Felt better than last night, so I decided to try walking. Walked very slowly, feeling very tired and weak from yesterday´s fever and stomach problems. The trail followed the crest (kammen) of the mountain. After about 2 hours, I walked through a village where I ran into Sven and two girls: Katia and Tania (both around 30, from Nurnberg, Germany). The four of us continued the walk together. We stopped for breakfast at a bar; there I also made full use of the restroom! The trail continued at an altitude of 1000-1300 m - you can imagine the view! We also walked through several small mountain villages, where the houses are so close to the trail you feel like you are walking through someone´s livingroom. There where lots of cattle and sheep in these villages, naturally resulting in a rather bad odor. I don´t know what smelled worse: the numbing stench from the cow crap or Sven (given that he sleeps outside and doesn´t get to shower too often). After a while the trail started to descent rather steeply. We walked downhill for a couple of hours, and as the trail was leveling we walked into the village of Triacastela. It was now about 2 pm. I decided to call it a day, and checked into an Albergue. The other three continued. One of my room mates at the Albergue was Tonya (30), a lovely girl from Antwerp, Belgium. At a restaurant close to the Albergue I also met the Danish couple from a few days ago: Jórgen and Ruth, both around 65. I had dinner and went to bed.

4 JUNI/JUNE - Dag 19 / Day 19: Villafranca - O Cebreiro (28 km, 11 hours)

2005-06-04T00:00:00.000+02:00

4 JUNI/JUNE: Today has been a day of heaven and hell! Woke up early; actually, I was the first one out of bed - so it is fair to say that I started the stampede today! Left the Albergue at around 5.30 am - still dark. Started walking in a rather big ravine along a highway and a river. I noticed right away that I was feeling a bit dizzy and nauseated, and I couldn´t figure out why - but that would be very clear a few hours later! Walked past a rest area where I saw a guy just getting up from sleeping outside on the ground. As I walked by I spoke a few words with him - really nice guy, looked like a white Bob Marley with blond rasta hair and beard. He had been traveling for about 10 months through Europe and Marocko, and he was gonna finish his travels with the Camino. He said he now was out of money. We said goodbye and I continued my walk. A few kilometers later I realized that I should have given the guy some money - too late now, I thought. And right about this time I realized why I was feeling a bit dizzy and nauseated; I must have gotten some kind of food poisioning, because from now on I had go to the restroom at every single bar and restaurant I passed. At a stop at one bar, the rasta guy caught up with me. We spoke a little. His name was Sven, 37 years, from outside Leipzig in Germany. I gave him 50 Euros. We had a snack together. As it turns out, Sven is also into healing, so he gave it a go on my knee. At least it didn´t make the knee any worse. We continued the walk together, but soon after Sven stopped in one village to look for work at an Albergue. We said goodbye and I continued my walk. I walked through several small, beautiful and picturesque villages. Could have been a nice walk had I not been able to continually look for restrooms everywhere. After about 4 hours, the trail started climbing - really steep! Had it been any steeper, I would have had to use a ladder (stege). And to make matters worse, I was getting a fever as well. About halfway up the mountain I stopped at a village to use the restroom (4 times in 20 minutes). The lady tending the bar noticed that I was having some "problems", and she mixed me a drink of water, lime, salt and sugar. As I was sitting there, Sven showed up. He wasn´t able to find a job in this other village. We continued walking together and he did some more healing on my legs and my stomach. Amazingly, my stomach started to feel better - don´t know if it was the healing or the drink. We finally made it to the top of the mountain and the village of O Cebreiro at an altitude of about 1350 m. Sven continued to the next village, but I decided that I was done walking for the day. Walked into the Albergue and was able to get the last bed! My fever was going up, so I wanted to take a quick shower and then hit the sack. But when I got into the shower there was no hot water! Taking a shower in ice cold water when you have a rather high fever is no fun! But despite shivering like never before I managed to survive the shower and where able to jump into bed for a few hours. Later I woke up, felt slightly better, and took a short walk around the village - all houses where built in stone. From up there you could see for many miles in every direction! I managed to eat a little bit, after which I went to bed. The plan was to stay there another nite if I didn´t feel any better the next morning.

3 JUNI/JUNE - Dag 18 / Day 18: Ponferrada - Villafranca (23 km, 7.5 hours)

2005-06-03T17:12:00.000+02:00

3 JUNI/JUNE: Walked out of the Albergue at around 6.30 am. Took forever to get out of Ponferrada - it sure wasn´t the shortest route out of town. Criss-crossed through down town and passed numerous churches. When I finally made it out of Ponferrada, I hooked up with a French-Canadian connection from Quebec. They were Marie-Josee (25, social worker), Audrey (25, agricultural teacher), and Helen (54, famous French-Canadian actress): Vive la Quebec libre! We walked together and stopped for lunch at the village of Cacabelos. At lunch we were also joined by Marika and Ingrid, the two Swedish ladies I had dinner with last night, as well as a Spanish man that I met in Astorga a few days ago. This part of the trail was pretty "easy" - no major climbs or descents, mostly level. After lunch it started to get a bit hot, and the last part of the trail took longer than expected. I think my map underestimated the distance. I walked very slowly, mostly with Helen as we seem to have the same walking pace. But also because it is nice to rub elbows the the movie stars : ) . I didn't feel much pain today - just some in my shin. We arrived at Villafranca at about 2 pm, and checked into the municipal (kommunala) Albergue. I did the usual post-walk things - took a shower and washed my clothes. We have just finished a cerveza, and today is Helen`s birthday so the four of us are going out to dinner soon to celebrate. But there will not be too much drinking; scheduled for tomorrow is a 28 km walk where the last part is pretty much going straight up! My plan is to try to make it make all the way to the village of O Cebreiro at the summit of the mountain. I think it is at an altitude of about 1500 m. Well, that´s it for now. Hastaluego!

2 JUNI/JUNE - Dag 17 / Day 17: Rabanal del Camino - Ponferrada (32 km, 11 hours)

2005-06-02T20:56:00.000+02:00

2 JUNI/JUNE: Another cold morning - couldn´t have been more than a few degrees above freezing. But of course, we are at an altitude of about 1200 m, so it is colder here. The trail ascended somewhat steeply for the first 4 hours, going through a couple of small mountain villages, one of which was Foncebadon - the deserted village famous for its wild dogs (but I didn't see any dogs). And what wonderful surroundings - on the sides of the slopes there are cattle grazing, and in the distance you can see other mountain peaks; lots of flowers in all kinds of colors along the trail. Above it all, blue skies and a shining sun. This stretch of the trail is the most beautiful so far. And there weren't that many people on the trail either, so it was nice a quiet. At the summit (at about 1500 m altitude) there was a large cross; I don't know the significance of the cross. But at the base of the cross there were a big pile of stones and rocks that had been put there by pilgrims. I put one there as well - it couldn't hurt. Shortly after I passed the cross, the descent started - a steep one. Amazingly, I could hardly feel any pain at all - neither in my knee nor my shin. Perhaps due to my slow pace. After a while I struck up a conversation with a Canadian lady, Kim (from Vancouver, appr 50), and we walked together for a couple of hours. We stopped for a break at a bar in the village of El Acebo, about halfway down the mountain. After that she picked up the pace a bit, and walked ahead of me. The descent was somewhat difficult - very steep and sometimes on very uneven surface. But going in my pace, what can possibly go wrong!? As I descended it got gradually hotter, and unfortunately I ran out of water with about 2 hours to go. At that time I was just passing through the village of Molinaseca, where I should have stopped - not only for water but for the night. Because during the last 6-7 km the pain in my shin started to return. And I was hot and tired. But at least the road leveled out, and I slowly made my way towards Ponferrada. I arrived 11 hours after I left Rabanal del Camino. The Albergue was easy to find, and they had a bed for me. At the Albergue I once again ran into Adam, Philippe, and Antoine. I washed my clothes and took a shower. I went to the supermercado to buy the usual stuff - bread, cheese, wine and some cookies. As I came back to the Albergue I met Marika and Inger, two Swedish ladies (from Uppsala, appr 50) that I shared some strawberries with at the Albergue in Astorga. We have just had dinner together, this time sharing lots of wine. Now I am ready go to bed. Tomorrow is an "easy" walk, only 23 km over mostly flat terrain. Hasta la vista!

1 Juni/June - Dag 16 / Day 16: Astorga - Rabanal del Camino (20 km, 6.5 hours)

2005-06-01T12:00:00.000+02:00

1 JUNI/JUNE: Decided to go for it. Got up early and walked out of the Albergue at 6.45. It was a really cold morning. Wore all my clothes. At around 9 am I could take off the jacket and the long pants. Felt a slight pain in my knee that gradually got worse. It was a gentle climb the entire hike, except for the last 5 km when it got really steep. As usual I walked very slowly, and I arrived in Rabanal del Camino, a beautiful mountain village, at around 1.30 pm. As I walked into the village I saw Sylvia, an Australian lady (appr 55, a "lady of leisure" in her own words), and Les, an Australian gentleman (appr 65, a painter), that I briefly spoke to in Burgos, appr 250 km back. I joined them for lunch. Wonderful people! And as we were enjoying our lunch, the three boys (Adam, Philippe, and Antoine) that I walked with my second day, walked into the village. How weird is that?! I spoke with them too for a while. Sylvia is quite an interesting person. She told me about her previous lives, one in ancient Greece where she had been the wife of some sort of noble man or mayor. Her husband in that life had been overthrown and she had been raped and imprisoned. But she had escaped and been able to free her husband, who later managed to regain control of his territory. Amazingly, a few years ago she went to Greece and were able to recognize the area and cave where she had been kept imprisoned. Sylvia was also confident that she and I had been friends in a previous life! Later that night we went to a small church where two monks chanted - very beautiful and soothing. There was also a blessing for the pilgrims.

31 MAJ/MAY - Dag 15 / Day 15: Astorga

2005-05-31T17:17:00.000+02:00

31 MAJ/MAY: Spent yet another day in Astorga. Went for breakfast to the same bar as yesterday. Apparantly other people as well go there "every" morning; I saw once again the two garbage truck guys in their blue overalls and illuminous orange vests; there was also the man with the striped shirt who seems to start every day with a shot of Tequila (today he had two shots!). I had my usual hot chocolate and croissants. As I was sitting there, all of a sudden Guy walked in, this time accompanied by Lilian (appr 30) from Brazil. We talked for some time before they left for their hike. Later I got my hair cut; the phrase to use is something like: "El corte, manequilla, por favor! (Haircut, the machine, please!). I paid 7 Euros. The rest of day I spent relaxing and napping on various benches throughout town, resting my legs and working on my tan (solbranna). The weather has been beautiful - sunny skies and around 20 degrees. Did my yoga routin at around 2.30 pm in a park nearby the Albergue. My left knee feels fine (but who knows how it feels when I start walking), but I can still feel some pain in my right shin. I will probably resume my hike tomorrow. If the pain comes back, I will either quit or try to buy a bicycle. Soon I will eat my bread and cheese. For dessert I will have strawberries; I bought a lot of them at the local market on Plaza Mayor (the main square)! To drink, a San Miguel cerveza. Hopefully I´ll be in Rabanal del Camino by this time tomorrow. The stage which I hopefully will be hiking tomorrow is around 20 km and ends at an altitude of 1200 m above sea level. That is another 400 m up, since Astorga is at 800 m. Hasta la vista!

30 MAJ/MAY - Dag 14 / Day 14: Astorga

2005-05-30T17:46:00.000+02:00

30 MAJ/MAY: Decided to rest today. I could stay another night at the same Albergue, but I had to pack my stuff and leave during the cleaning of the building. Had breakfast at a bar - hot chocolate and two croissonts (sorry for the spelling). As the pharmacy opened I walked in and told the pharmacist lady: "Tengo inflammacion la pierna, tendenitis, y la rodilla. Quesera Voltaren, por favor?" (I have inflammation in my leg, tendenitis, and in my knee. Can I have some Voltaren, please?"). And she gave me the strongest Voltaren they had, 100 mg in each tablet. After that, I spent most of the day on a bench, just outside the Albergue, from which there is a beautiful view over the surrounding rolling hills and mountains. I read a little, slept a little, read a little, slept a little, etc. The morning was cool, but later it warmed up to about 20 degrees with sunny skies - a beautiful day! Behind the bench there is a patch of grass on which I did my yoga routin. As I finished the yoga routin I heard a familiar voice calling to me. It was Guy, the Australian, who I had met four days and 200 km ago. He checked into the same Albergue as I am staying at. My knee and shin are feeling better. But I will most likely rest tomorrow as well. I want to get rid of these problems, once and for all. But as these problems seem to be getting better, new ones seem to be on the horizon; I seem to have caught a cold. My nose is running and my throat is slightly soar. I may even be running a fever. In other words, another challenge to be dealt with. Soon I am gonna eat my bread and cheese and drink my Rioja wine that I bought in the supermercado. Hastaluego!

29 MAJ/MAY - Dag 13 / Day 13: Villar de Mazarife - Astorga (32 km, 10.5 hours)

2005-05-29T17:44:00.000+02:00

29 MAJ/MAY: Left the Refugio in Villar de Mazarife at around 6.45. Walked very slowly. Felt okay. The terrain was very flat and grassy, and the road was extremely straight - you could see the road for miles ahead. After a while I started feeling some pain in my left knee, and I sort of limbed into the village of Hospital de Obiego. As I did, a local woman started calling to me and indicated that mass was about to start in the village church (at 10.30 am). I went with her to mass; and of course, being a catholic mass with all the sitting and standing, my knee didn`t get much rest. After mass I went to a bar in the village for some hot chocolate and toast. Before I left the village I also visited the local bakery to buy some bread for the road. As I left Hospital de Obiego my knee felt okay - amazingly; but only minutes later the shin splints in my right leg came back in full force! I practically limbed for the remaining 12 km - continually thinking about quitting the walk or buying a bicycle. It`s gotten to the point where I am worried about permanent damage to my shin and knee. I stopped several times to give my legs some rest. And to add insult to injury, as I was approaching Astorga, the sky opened up and drenched me in rain. I found the municipal Refugio (or Albergue, as they are called in Spain) and checked in. It is a big one with appr 250 beds. I have just showered and washed my clothes, and I am now going out for some dinner. Tomorrow I may have to rest again - my patience is under attack!

28 MAJ/MAY - Dag 12 / Day 12: Leon - Villar de Mazarife (22 km, 6 hours)

2005-05-28T12:00:00.000+02:00

28 MAJ/MAY: Back on the road again! Left Leon about 8 am. Took a while to get out of town. Had a cup of hot chocolate at a bar after about 1.5 hours. There I spoke briefly with an English woman and her daughter. They told me about an alternate route that seemed more attractive than the original route, which goes right next to a busy highway - sometimes even ON the highway. Decided to take the alternate route. It was a dirt road, which went out in the middle of nowhere. The terrain was very flat and grassy; reminded me alot of Allvaret on Öland. It was very silent as well; only a few pilgrims and the occasional car and motorbike. A good opportunity for a meditative walk. After a while my left knee and my right shin started to hurt - a lot. Had to slow down; I just about crept forward. But going slow didn't hurt as bad, especially after a couple of power painkillers of 400 mg each - no prescription (recept) needed in Spain! Stopped at a bar in a small village to have a cold beer, and ran into the English lady and her daughter again! Arrived at Villar de Mazarife at around 1.30 pm. Checked into a decent Refugio; not very many people staying there. Had dinner at a small restaurant - french fries and roast beef. The rest of the day I have been trying to be as still as possible. I am hoping my legs will feel better tomorrow as I will try to do 32 km. However, given the pain I feel right now, it will be an impossible task. But I am hoping for a miracle. I have found a good web site that covers the Camino in this region - check it out: http://www.iultreia.com/ . You can find Villar de Mazarife on stage 13A (click on "map" on the menu to the left).

27 MAJ/MAY - Dag 11 / Day 11: Leon

2005-05-27T17:16:00.000+02:00

27 MAJ/MAY: Decided to take another day to rest - the left knee and the shin splints in my right leg are still bothering me. But on the upside, the blisters seem to be going away! And also, I don´t feel guilty or weak for not being able to push on! Before saying goodbye; Gullveig, Diana, Beth, and I had breakfast and visited the cathedral. The cathedral is an amazing building. We spent nearly an hour and a half in there, just walking around and sometimes sitting down in contemplation. Later I bought a pair of Nike sandals. I am gonna try to walk in them instead of in my hiking boots. I think it is better for my feet - better cushioning and more space for the toes. Had a late lunch - spinach sallad and bread and of course a cold cerveza! I have not done any sightseeing - instead I have tried to sit down as much as possible with the hopes of being fit to walk again tomorrow. Today would have been my father´s 61st birthday. Later tonight I am going back to the cathedral to send some thoughts and prayers his way. I miss him muchos.

26 MAJ/MAY - Dag 10 / Day 10: Belorade - Burgos - Leon (Ca 150 km, 2 tim)

2005-05-26T12:00:00.000+02:00

26 MAJ/MAY: Ja, ni laste ratt i rubriken - 150 km pa tva timmar! Med buss! Inte bara har jag lart mig att kapitulera fysiskt; jag kan ocksa "fuska" lite. Jag behover inte bara fortsatta med och slutfora nat bara for att jag en gang har bestamt mig for det! Det maste ocksa gynna mig! Jag har forstatt att vi har alla olika laxor att lara pa El Camino - och jag lar mig nagra av mina genom att ta en vilodag och ta bussen ett stycke framat. Nu kan jag ga lugnt och sansat och njuta av vandringen, utan stress och risk for ytterligare overanstrangningar. Fast, vem vet, det kommer sakert fler krampor. Karin och jag skildes at pa morgonen - hon skulle aka hem till Stockholm. Hon tog bussen mot Pamplona; jag mot Burgos. Pa bussen motte jag Gullveig (svenska, ca 60, konstnarinna, som bor i Kopenhamn), Diana (amerikanska, ca 40+, fran Vermont, 4 barn och man) och Beth (amerikanska, ca 40+, ocksa fran Vermont, 2 barn och man). I Burgos besokte vi den stora katedralen - fantastiskt bygge som startades 1260. Vi smog med en guidad tur, som leddes av en helt otroligt kunnig spanjor. Bl a namnde han att i katedralen ligger begravd El Cid (dod nan gang pa 1200-talet). Guiden hade ett slakttrad som visade att alla kungahusen i Europa (utom Monaco) kunde sparas tillbaka till El Cid! Senare la jag mig och at en glass i skuggan intill katedralen - kunskapsanskaffning ar jobbigt! Vi tog bussen vidare mot Leon kl 17. Tva timmar senare - efter en bastuliknande temperatur i bussen - anlande vi i Leon. Efter en kort promenad fran busstationen var vi inne i centrum. Vi letade efter ett Refugio, men de var alla fulla. Turligt hittade vi ett pensionat intill katedralen (53 Euro per rum). Gullveig och jag delade rum. Vi fyra àt en harlig middag med vin, ol, pasta, kalv och tiramisu - det fortjanar man efter en lang dag med bussresor och sightseeing. Idag ar det 5 manader sedan Jessica togs ifran mig. Hon ar oándligt alskad och saknad.

25 MAJ/MAY - Dag 9 / Day 9: Santo Domingo - Belorado (23 km, 6 hours)

2005-05-25T12:00:00.000+02:00

25 MAJ / MAY: Ja, upp som vanligt, sàdár kl 5.30. En ganska sval morgon, ca 10-12 grader. Framat kl 9 borjar det bli varmt sa att trojan aker av. Pa vagen mot Belorado fanns knappt nagra vattenkranar, sa vi hade ont om vatten nastan hela vagen. Vi hade ett langt stop for lunch och en kort tupplur i graset. Nar vi borjade narma oss Belorado kande jag ett litet stick i hogra benets benhinna. Sen stack det till igen, och igen, och igen. Sen gjorde ont hela tiden. Sen annu ondare och till slut gjorde det forskracklig ont. Forst hade vi tankt att ga vidare till nasta ort, men det var helt omojligt for mig! Inte med den benhinneinflammationen. Vi checkade in pa ett Refugio, och kakade darefter middag med Guy, killen fran Australien som jag mott tidigare. Jag var lite bedrovad over smartan i benet, eftersom jag forstod att jag inte skulle kunna ga vidare imorgon - smartan var helt enkelt for mycket. Att inte vara tillrackligt stark fysiskt for att klara en enkel vandring pa 75 mil kandes jattejobbigt! Jag ar ju stalmannen! Men under middagen satt vi och pratade om meningen med att ga El Camino - och allt klarnade. Det ar ju sjalvklart att jag inte kunde ga vidare utan skulle vara tvungen att vila en dag - jag behover ju lara mig talamod och att vagen ar det viktiga, inte malet! Jag har ju borjat lara mig att kapitulera andligt och mentalt - nu ska jag bara lara mig att kapitulera fysiskt! Det har ar stort! Senare pa kvallen gick vi pa massa. Som vanligt fick vi pilgrimmer en speciell liten ceremoni och valsignelse i slutet av den vanliga massan.

Well, up early as usual, around 5:30. The morning was a bit cool, 10-12 degrees (50-55 fahrenheit). At around 9 it is hot enough to take off the sweatshirt. On the road to Belorado there were hardly any water fountains, so we were low on water the whole leg. We had a long stop for lunch and a nap in the grass just off the trail. As we were approaching Belorade I felt a sting in my right shin. Then again, and again and again. And all of a sudden I felt an excruciating pain that would not go away. We had planned to walk on to the next village, but that was impossible. Not with a shinsplint like that! We found beds at a refugio and had dinner together with Guy, the guy from Australia we had met a few days earlier. I was bummed because I realized I was not going to be able to walk the day after - the pain was just too much. But during dinner we spoke about the meaning of walking the camino - and it all became clear. I need to learn to be patient and to understand that the way is what is important, not the destination. So what can be a better lesson than being forced to take a day off to rest. I have begun to learn to surrender spiritually and mentally - now I am learning to surrender physically. This is big! Later that night we went to mass. As usual at the end of the mass we pilgrims received a special blessing.

24 MAJ/MAY - Dag 8 / Day 8: Najera - Santo Domingo (22km, 8 hours)

2005-05-24T12:00:00.000+02:00

24 MAJ/MAY: Up at 6; yet another late morning! Left the hotel around 7 am. Stopped after an hour in the village of Azofro (?) for coffee and hot chocolate. The weather is beautiful; sunny skies and around 20 degrees. Today we walked a bit faster, in spite of blisters and knee aches. As usual we make frequent stops. We stopped for a late lunch on top of a big hill, did yoga, and had a short nap. Arrived in Santo Domingo at around 1 pm. The first Refugio was full. The second one didn´t open until 4 pm. We put our backpacks in the "backpack-line" outside the door; we were in places 14 and 15, and the Refugio has 32 beds, so we were pretty sure we were gonna get a bed. We ate lunch in a small park next to the Refugio. At 4 pm the Refugio opened and we were greeted by the manager, a very angry madame. She yelled and bossed people around. I put on my most charming smile, and she lowered her voice from 200 decibel to perhaps 110! The Refugio is one big room with beds everywhere. We were assigned two beds in the corner. I did laundry, and here I am at the computer. Now I am ready to go for a bite to eat. Hastaluega!

23 MAJ/MAY - Dag 7 / Day 7: La Grono - Najere (28km, 11 hours)

2005-05-23T12:00:00.000+02:00

23 MAJ/MAY: Vi sov till kl 6 - sovmorgon! Skont att slippa hetsen och stressen vid toaletterna! Vi lamnade pensionatet kl 7 och gick genom staden. La Grono ar en ganska stor stad, ca 120 000, sa det tog en bra stund att komma ur stan. Vi stannade for frukost i en park strax utanfor stan. Dar traffade vi Guy, ca 30, fran Australien. Aven han hade ont i knat, sa vi alla tre vandrade vidare tillsammans - alla med varsitt knabandage. Vadret var harligt - sol och ca 20 grader. Senare tog vi en langlunch i graset, foljt av en kort tupplur. Knat kanns battre, men tyvarr har jag fatt lite blasor och skoskav pa fotterna - inte skont. Runt kl 16, med ca 2 tim kvar att vandra, passerade vi en back. Dar satt vi med fotterna i det kalla vattnet en bra stund. Vi haltade in i Najere, bara for att upptacka att vandrarhemmet var fullt. Egentligen ar jag inte sa besviken - det ar ganska skont att bo pa hotell! Efter att vi checkat in pa ett hotell hade vi picknick i solnedgangen bredvid en flod. Vi at brod, ost, oliver, jordgubbar och mork choklad - mums!

22 MAJ/MAY - Dag 6 / Day 6: Los Arcos - La Grono (27 km, 10 hours)

2005-05-22T12:00:00.000+02:00

22 MAJ/MAY: Karin och jag vandrar ihop idag oxa. Mitt kna ar battre, dvs hanterbar smarta; hennes nagot samre. Vi gar jattesakta och stannar ofta for att fika och bara njuta av tystnaden och omgivningarna. Vid ett stop rakade vi satta oss bland bade vild rosmarin och timjan. Luktade fantastiskt gott och vi tog nagra kvistar och kryddade varan pain riche. Nar man sitter ner sa passerar manga pilgrimmer; manga kanner man igen sedan tidigare, och alla ropar vi "buen Camino" (ha en bra vag) till varandra. Vid ett av vara stopp blev jag stucken av en geting pa foten - lugn, jag overlever! Efter ca 18 km kom vi fram till Viana, dar vi satt ner och kakade en treratters-lunch: gronsaker, lamm och jordgubbar med gradde. Sista 9 km mot La Grono vandrade vi med Arnoud, ca 60, fran Holland. Han ar biologilarare. Hans forsta fru dog i cancer for ca 5 ar sedan. Innan hon dog satt hon ihop en lista med kvinnor bland vilka hon ville att han skulle hitta en ny fru. Efter hennes dod skrev han till en av dessa kvinnor ett langt brev dar han forklarade hur det lag till. Hon blev tydligen lite overvaldigad och tagen forst, men efter ett tag borjade de traffas, och nu ar de gifta sedan ett par ar. Harlig historia! Nar vi kom fram till La Grono var det fullt pa Refugio. Vi blev rekommenderade ett pensionat i narheten. Nar vi kom dit var dorren last och det fanns bara en dorrtelefon. Jag tryckte pa den, och forsokte pa engelska forklara att vi onskade ett rum. Tyvarr pratade inte personen engelska, sa konversatioen gick trogt. Till slut drog jag till med "vacancio", dvs en spansk version av engelskans vacancy eller svenskans vakans. Det var tydligen ratt, for i hans nasta mening av smattrande spanska snappade jag upp ordet "persona". Sjalvsakert drog jag till med "dos", och sekunden senare knappte det till i dorrlaset! Rummet hade tva sangar och var helt okay. Skont med lite utrymme och eget badrum. Vi gick en svang, drack ett glas vin pa en restaurant, sen godnatt.

21 MAJ/MAY - Dag 5 / Day 5: Estella - Los Arcos (22km, 7 hours)

2005-05-21T16:10:00.000+02:00

May 21: Mornings are always the same; someone wakes up, starts fiddling with his/her stuff, and all of a sudden everyone is up trying to get ready - it´s like a "getting-ready frenzy". I survived the stampede in and out of the bathrooms and a half hour later, I walked downstairs and met up with Karin at 6.30 am, just as planned. We started walking, in a very slow pace. Couldn´t go any faster because we both have knee problems. But, maybe it was meant to be; maybe there has been a divine intervention giving us knee problems so that we would be forced walk slowly and thereby enjoy everything: the view, the weather, the smells, the birds, etc... Karin also turned out to be an expert on flowers and trees. She has been a good teacher, so now I can pick out a bunch of flowers e.g. (don´t know the English names, so I write them in Swedish) vallmo, fankal, akersenap, blaklint, fikontrad, bjornbar, etc... We frequently sat down to rest. During our last break we said prayers, did Coelho´s seed exercise, and the yoga routin. Amazingly, after the yoga I noticed a significant improvement in my knee! The last part in to Los Arcos was very flat. We arrived at the Refugio in Los Arcos at around 1:30 pm, had some lunch, and laid down to rest for a while. At 8 pm we went to mass, after which we cooked tortellini and drank Rioja wine. Not a bad day!

20 MAJ/MAY - Dag 4 / Day 4: Puenta la Reina - Estalla (25 km, 6 hours)

2005-05-20T12:00:00.000+02:00

May 20: Woke up early - as usual. Don´t need an alarm clock. The sound of 30 people trying to pack their backpacks in the dark is enough to wake up the dead. Left the Refugio shortly after 6. As I left the village, I walked across the famous bridge in Puenta la Reina, which I think means "the queens bridge". The sun came over the horizon at about 7.30 am. I walked alone except for the everpresent pain, which now had spread to my left knee as well. And a few hours later, I would have been happy to have "only" the foot ache. In other words, from then on, the knee ache took precedent, and completely overshadowed all other pains in my body. For years I have had a bum left knee, and it sure isn't getting any better from walking a million miles a day. As the sun came higher up in the sky, it got really hot. And the trail wound all over the place due to construction work at a lot of places. There were some rather steep climbes as well. A few times I actually thought that I was not gonna make it all the way to Estalla. The knee pain was really getting to me. But somehow I managed to continue, limping and swearing. Shortly before Estella, I stopped outside an old church. There I said some prayers, did Paolo Coelho's seed exercise, and my yoga routin. After that I took a short nap on a table (!) just outside the church. I walked into Estella at about 12.30 pm, and found the Refugio right away. Got a bed, washed my clothes, and laid down for a half hour. Got up and limped to a pharmacy to buy a kneebrace and some anti-inflammatory cream. As I got back to the Refugio, I met Karin, from Stockholm. We bought food and wine and had dinner together. She kind of looks like my sister, Susanne, and, get this, Karin is also a nurse! Karin, who also had knee problems, and I decided to walk together the following day. At the refugio I also met some other people that I had met earlier on El Camino, for example Don (Korean, but lives in Vancouver, Canada, works as an editor for a Korean newspaper in Vancouver) and his wife (Soon, also Korean). After dinner, a good conversation and half a bottle of wine, I went to bed.

19 MAJ/MAY - Dag 3 / Day 3: Pamplona - Puerta la Reina (25 km, 7 hours)

2005-05-19T12:00:00.000+02:00

May 19: Slept like a log. Woken up by people starting to move about, getting their things ready. I slept in the top bed of the bunk bed. I jumped down, and as I hit the floor, an indescribable pain eminating from my feet and ancles wreaked through my entire body. I stood there for half a minute, shaking, and comtemplating whether to climb back into bed and stay there for the day. However, I thought of Jesus and his suffering from torture and on the cross, and given his suffering, I thought I could surely endure some "measly" foot ache. Got dressed, packed my gear, and walked out the door at about 6.45. Took a while to get out of Pamplona. I walked by myself, only accompanied by a constant and increasing pain. After a while I caught up to a man, from Spain. We chatted for a few minutes - I in English and Swedish, he in Spanish. I think he said he once visited Kiruna (Sweden). Or maybe he meant Coruna (in Northern Spain)?! I went up a rather steep climb, lasting for about 3 hours. Finally reaching the summit, I could see for miles in every direction. I took a short break to enjoy the view, then I started the descent. If the pain was bad during the ascent, it was nothing compared to during the descent. Descending in pain for about 1.5 hours, the slope finally leveled out. I reached the village of Obanos at which I had another 5 km to go to Puenta La Reina - 5 km of plain torture. I finally staggered into to the Refugio in Puenta la Reina at about 1.30 pm, got a bed, and washed my clothes. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon lying in the shade of a tree on the lawn behind the Refugio - with my feet elevated. Later, I went to get some food - bread, cheese, beer, a chocolate bar, and one chocolate chip cookie! At the refugio I met a group of 7 Swedish women, 2 of whom were from Vaxjo. I later went to mass in an old but very beautiful church. Decorated with lots of figurines and lots of gold color and with a wooden floor. It was a ceremony of constant standing and sitting, standing and sitting... And then communion, which I also took, even though I am not catholic. I figured we are all equal in the eyes of God, so how can anyone get upset. After church, I had one more beer, and then I headed for bed.

18 MAJ/MAY - Dag 2 / Day 2: Roncevalles - Pamplona (45 km, 9,5 hours)

2005-05-18T12:00:00.000+02:00

18 maj: Vaknade tidigt – fortfarande mörkt. Tittade på klockan, den visade 5:27 – trodde jag. Satt mig upp och började plocka ihop mina saker. Tittade på klockan igen – denna gång med glasögonen på – nu visade den 3:35... La mig ner och dvalade en stund. Till slut gick jag upp lite efter kl 05:00. Plockade tyst ihop mina saker. Kl 06:10 var jag ute på stigen, och det började bli ljust. Målet för dagen var Pamplona – 45 km! Efter ca 5 km såg jag några hjortar korsa stigen. Jag trampade på genom leriga fält och stigar. Det regnade en aning. Gick igenom några byar – inte en människa syntes till. Nästan som spökbyar. Stannade och provianterade kl 8 i en liten supermercado. Strax därefter blev jag upphunnen av Adam (från Polen), Philippe och Antoine (båda från Frankrike). De hade startat från Normandie i Frankrike och redan gått i ca 40 mil – tokstollar! Vi slog följe. Det var ett stort misstag. Jättetrevligt, men grabbarna höll en nästan omänsklig takt. Men jag bet ihop och höll den svenska fanan högt. Kramp i musklerna runt båda vristerna (!) stoppade mig inte. Jag höll deras takt för de nästa 8 timmarna. Vi gick framförallt på leriga stigar, ibland någon mindre stigning och nedförslut. Vädret blev bättre ju närmare Pamplona vi kom och solen tittade fram. Grabbarna stannade i en by 5 km före Pamplona. Äntligen kunde jag slå ner på takten. Sista biten stapplade jag fram. Hittade ett Refugio i norra delarna av Pamplona. Tvättade mina kläder, duschade. Gick sedan till Plaza del Castillo, lapade sol och tog en öl. Därefter till ett internet-kafe – och här är jag nu. Benen värker och det är nog inte säkert jag kan traska så långt imorgon – kanske inte alls. Vi får se när jag vaknar. Nu ska jag gå och käka, och sen i säng. Hasta la Vista, baby! I’ll be back!

May 18: Woke up early – still dark. Looked at my watched, it showed 5:27 am – that was at least what I thought. Got up and started to gather my stuff. Looked at my watch again – this time with my glasses on – now it showed 3:35 am. Laid down again and dozed off for some time. Got up again at appr 05:00 am. Packed my backpack. I was out the door and on the trail at 06:10 am – just at first light. The goal was to reach Pamplona – 45 km (30 miles) away! 5 km into the hike I saw a few deer crossing the trail just ahead of me. I walked through muddy fields and trails – accompanied by a slight drizzle. I walked through a few villages, and around 8 stopped at a store to buy some food. Shortly thereafter three guys caught up with me – Adam (from Poland), Philippe, and Antoine (both from France). They had started their pilgrimage in Normandie, France, and had already been walking for about 400 km (275 miles) – crazy people! I decided to tag along with the guys – but that turned out to be a big mistake. Nice guys, but their walking pace was just unbelievable. I dug deep and kept up for the next 8 hours - in spite of near lethal pain in both my feet. I could not to let them think we Swedes are a bunch of sissies. We walked primarily on muddy trails, and negotiated the occasional hill. The weather improved as we approached Pamplona – and we could finally greet the sun. The boys stopped at a village just before Pamplona. Finally I could slow down! I staggered the last part into to Pamplona. Found a hostel, washed my clothes, and took a shower. Limbed over to Plaza del Castillo, sat down in the sunshine and had a well-deserved beer. Then I went to an Internet café – where I am right now. The lower part of my legs are killing me. Not sure I can walk that far tomorrow – maybe not at all! We’ll see when I wake up. Now I am gonna go to dinner, and then to bed. Hasta la Vista, baby! I’ll be back!

17 MAJ/MAY - Dag 1 / Day 1: Bordeaux - St Jean Pied de Port - Roncevalles (hiking: 24 km, 6,5 hours)

2005-05-17T12:00:00.000+02:00

17 maj: Tog ett tidigt tåg från Bordeaux till St Jean Pied de Port, byn där mitt El Camino äventyr skulle börja på allvar. Gick och fixade mitt Pilgrims-pass. Det ska man ha för att få sova på Pilgrim-vandrarhemmen som finns utmed vägen. St Jean är för övrigt en mycket vacker liten by. Dock var leden dåligt markerad inne i själva byn, så jag höll på att gå vilse innan jag ens hade kommit igång! Hur som helst hittade jag ut ur byn och in på El Camino-leden. Hade inte mer än kommit ut ur byn förrän det började gå uppför. Och så fortsatte det i cirka 5 timmar! Brant! Efter ca 1,5 timmar gick jag ifatt en dam, Margareth, 59, från Australien. Hon hade ingen vandringsstav så jag gav henne en av de två jag hade (mor, jag köper en ny till dig när jag kommer hem). Margareth och jag fortsatte uppför Pyreneerna, i lite regn, men framförallt blåst, vilket gjorde att det var iskallt. När vi passerade ca 1000 m höjd gick vi igenom molnen, det var lite kul. Det var som att gå i en riktigt tjock dimma, man så ca 10 m. Jag trodde aldrig att det skulle sluta stiga. För varje sväng man tog kom ännu en topp som vi skulle över. Till slut nådde vi toppen på ca 1400 m höjd. Det började gå nedför, och strax gick vi in i Spanien - hola!. Margareth, som var en liten och nätt kvinna (ca 1,60 och 55 kg) höll takten bra. Men jag märkte att hon började bli lite trött mot slutet. Då det verkade som hennes ryggsäck var tyngre än min erbjöd jag henne att vi skulle byta den sista biten. Jag krängde på mig hennes ryggsäck och höll på att kollapsa! Kan inte förstå hur lilla Margareth kunde bära den i 6 timmar. Efter en halvtimme med den på ryggen var jag redo att kasta den nedför ett stup! Efter en lång nedförslut på leriga stigar och genom bokskogar nådde vi till slut Roncevalles, efter ca 7 timmars vandring över Pyreenerna. Där tog vi in på ett Refugio (vandrarhem för pilgrimmer). Det var en stor stenbyggnad inuti vilken där fanns en stor sovsal med plats för ca 70 personer. Jag käkade en Pilgrimsmiddag bestående av pasta, forell med pommes frites och yoghurt!?! Vi drack vin därtill. Efter middagen gick jag på en katolsk mässa i kyrkan intill. Sedan hoppade jag i säng. Ljuset på vandrarhemmet släckted kl 22. Strax därefter bröt värsta snark-kakafonin ut! Tänk er ca 50 män i samma rum! Jag trodde väggarna skulle rasa! Tackar Gud för mina öronproppar.

May 17: Took an early train from Bordeaux to St Jean Pied de Port, the village where my El Camino adventure was to really start. I went to a tourist office to get my Pilgrim credentials, with which you get access to Refugios (certain hostels for Pilgrims). St Jean is a beautiful village. However, the El Camino trail was poorly marked within the actual village, so I almost got lost before I even started my hike! I finally found the way out of the village and onto the El Camino trail. Right away, the trail started to climb up the Pyrenees. The steep climb continued for the next 5 hours. After about 1,5 hours I caught up with a lady, Margareth, 59, from Australia. She did not have a walking cain, so I gave her one of the two I had. Margareth and I continued up the Pyrenees in a slight drissle and a hard wind, which made it freezing. We walked through the clouds as we reached an altitude of about 1000 m (3000 ft). It was like walking in a very thick fog – the visibility was about 10 m ahead. I never thought we would stop climbing. As we turned a corner, there was always a new peak we had to conquer. Finally we reached the summit – at about 1400 m (4200 ft). We started to descend, and shortly thereafter we crossed the border into Spain – hola! Margareth, who is a very petite lady (roughfly 1,60 and 55 kg) kept up the pace very well. Towards the end I noticed she was getting tired. As it appeared that her backpack weighed more than mine, I offered to swithch backpacks the rest of the way. I put her backpack on my back – and just about collapsed! I cannot understand how tiny Margareth could carry that thing for 6 hours. After a half hour with that thing on my back I was ready to throw it down a steep drop! After a long descent on a muddy trail and through a beech forrest, we finally reached Roncevalles – a 7 hour hike across the Pyrenees! We checked in to the Refugio – a stone building with one large room containing appr 70 beds. I had a pilgrim dinner – pasta, trout with French fries, and yoghurt!?! To drink we had wine. After dinner most of us went to mass in a church nearby. Then I headed for bed. They turned off the lights at the hostel at 10 pm. Shortly thereafter an amazing snoring-cacophony commenced. Imagine appr 50 men in the same room! I thought the walls would come tumbling down. Thank God for my ear plugs!

16 MAJ/MAY - Prolog/Prologue: Copenhagen - Bordeaux

2005-05-16T12:00:00.000+02:00

16 maj flög jag från Köpenham till Bordeaux. Flyget var 2 timmar försenat från Kastrup, så jag hann fyllna till på en bamse Carlsberg på flygplatsen. Efter landning i Bordeaux tog jag buss in till mitt hotell, som låg mitt i sex-shop distriktet. Tog en bira på en någorlunda anständig restaurant. Därefter blev det godnatt.

May 16, I flew from Copenhagen to Bordeaux. The plane was two hours late leaving the airport, so I had time to get a buzz on a huge Carlsberg. After landing in Bordeaux, I took the bus to my hotel, which was located in middle of the red light district. Had one beer at a somewhat decent restaurant. Then I went back to the hotell and went to bed.

2005-05-14T19:35:00.000+02:00

(Click on map for larger picture/klicka på kartan för större bild).

El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, "The Way of St James" is an ancient pilgrimage route also known as the Camino Frances. An 800 km pathway that follows the Milky Way (Svenska: Vintergatan) from the French medieval citadel of St Jean Pied de Port to the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela, the legendary resting place of St James the apostle.