Meeting Jesus (Day 6 - Estella to Los Arcos (22 km))

 Yesterday I feel I met Jesus, not in the religions way, but I got healed by magic hands.

I met Lena - whose middle name is actually Maria, and she has healing powers. 

She is an Osteopat that is a person that understands the body very well and by simple touches can get the body to heal itself. Lena has worked in this field for 17 years and is very passionate about her profession, so even at vacation she cannot stop to work.

Normally I would have been very skeptical about such a thing - but not any more. I have a shoulder that started to hurt 30 years ago at volleyball, smashing too hard, and about two years ago that injury reappeared after playing tennis with my friend Wouter. For the last year or so, probably several years, my shoulder have hurted a lot, and I normally wake several times a night due to pains in the shoulder. But not anymore. I was told that the injury was due to a problem with the AC joint in the shoulder, and relaxation was the cure. Lena could feel with her hands that the problem was at the other end of the bone connected to the AC joint, and by very soft pressure on both ends, and then on the shoulder, she got the body to cure itself, and could describe in real time how she could feel the tissue tighten and loosen and I could at the same time feel the pain rise and disappear. It took about 5-10 minutes, and I slept for first time in at least 6 months without pain, and the pains are just gone, also today the day after. This feels like magic and too good to be true - and I hope it will last. She also cured Nobert, a fellow pilgrem from Hungary that had issues with his angle, and he also got much better. And today it was Corne (at the picture above) with his knee. So we both talk about Lena as jesus with the healing power. Now we just need to see her make water to wine.

And talking about wine - this morning we passed a Wine Fountain - a tap in the wall where you can drink wine. The day started at 6 were most woke up at the hostel and we did the packaging and cleaning. This hostel had breakfast and we all sat together and got coffee and food - a really nice start of the day, which also meant we got onto the street a bit later.

I started the walking alone though the city. Soon I met Nobert - with the cured foot - and we walked together in a really fast pace. We started parsing a blacksmith with nice things.

And then we came to the wine fountain where we used our sea shells to drink water. A bit early with red wine at 8 in the morning, but what will you not do for tradition, and it was one spoon only anyway. A fun tradition.

Weather was good today, no rain, a bit sun, and not too warm, and beautiful landscape as usual. There were only one town in todays 22 km walk, and there we got coffee and a snack. 

The landscape is still so beautiful and below you can watch a small video.

And another one.

And a couple of photos.

We arrived early at Los Arcos, the destination town, about 12:30, and checked into the hostel where we got our beds. 

When you arrive at a hostel, the normal procedure that most seems to follow is: First use the disposable linings to cover the bed, unpack sleeping bag and mummy, find clean clothes and shower. Treat your feet, wash your clothes, and then find lunch. We went to the square at the local town where we got a cold beer and pizza, and were sitting there for about 3 hours, where many other of our pilgrim friends came by and sat down. 

I am now at the hostel, doing reflections and writing this blog. In less than two hours in is dinner time, and then time for early bed. Hostels typically close at 22, so you need to be in there, and people go to sleep directly or earlier. Tomorrow will be a bit tougher, where the distance is nearly 30 km, so we will start early.

Best burger in a long time (Day 5 - Puente la Reina to Estella (22 km))

 I start to get used to the early mornings - wake up at 6, use the panlamp to package the sleeping bag, mummy bag, and rest of gear while still in bed. Most get up at 6, but there are people still sleeping, so I have to be careful with the light. Then up and to the rest room to get cold water in the face, brush teeth, and then package the bagpack, and then onto the streets. Typically I get out at 6:40, and without coffee and breakfast. Again I was lucky that a coffee shop had open 200 meter away, so I stopped for a coffee and a crosaint. Crosaints are not at all like home. They are completely different and so soft and delicios. 

I talked to an older man from Bacelona that could only spanish, but succeeded to understand that he had walked from Barcelona, and in two days will change to the Camino de North route that is along the cost.

Yesterday, we had a nice pilgrems dinner, where we ended up being 9 people. We were sitting outside and had a great time. A pilgrems dinner is offered by many restaurents and consists of three courses, and sometimes even wine and costs between 14-17 eur. So great value for money.

It was raining from the morning, and today I used my poncho and found it much better to wear in easy rain that rain clothes. It covers the bagpack and gives additional protection for rain - the bagpack cover is insufficient - and it is easy to take on and off during the walk without stopping. And it is not as hot since you have bare arms and air can run through the sides.

Met Colin again and we went for coffee after 5 km.

Another 5 km and there was an interrim coffee shop in the middle of a track where you could buy coffee, fruit and cakes - and you could decide what to pay yourself. It is normal some places that the cost is donation based, so you choose how much you will pay.

Today’s track was 22 km and was both uphill and downhill. Below you can see a video of the beautiful landscape we are parsing.

We took lunch after 18 km and got a radler (combination of beer and citrus soda) and one of the best burgers I have had in a long time - in my top 5 ever. Burger with salat and a sunny side up egg as well. It was a small place with just local people and a waitress that could not smile. But we gave so many compliments and smiles for the burger that we finally got a smile from her before leaving :-) 

The last 4 km went fast, and we split - Colin to his hotel, and me to find a hostel. I found one and got my bed, and got then do my washing of clothes, take a shover, prepare my bed, and relax a bit. Now I am exploring the small town that is located on a hill side, so there are hight differences. A lovely little town with a square and a number of restaurants. I am sitting in one now and writing this blog.

Later at 18 the same bunch of pilgrims as yesterday met for dinner and a lot of fun discussions.

A small video from the restaurant 

Now to sleep before 22 km walking tomorrow 😊

A good nights sleep (Day 4 - Pamplona to Puente la Reina (24 km))

 First night where I really slept well. Airplugs are great, so not much snoring is getting through - and sleeping bag has shown its value. The hostels do handout covers for the madress and pillow, but you have to bring your own sleeping bag. Lots of people only have a mumie silk sleeping bag that is really cold, so having a dun based sleeping bag in addition to the mumie has been so good. I got up at 6 and after packing started to walk around 6:40, before sun really come up. I just got 200 meters and found an open bakery where I got my latte, freshly pressed orange juice and a baguette.

This morning was the first for me without company and walking alone was nice. But who told that Spain was warm? Only 5 degrees in the morning… 

It did not take long before I catched up to a german girl Lara, the youngest pilgrem untill now, only 19 years old. We talked for a couple of kilometers before splitting. 

First kilometers where in Pamplona, and quite some traffic.

It was nice to hit a real trail again, and with an accent the view became excellent.

I took a coffee after 2 hours where many other pilgrems also stopped. 

After coffee I talked to the first danish on the camino - a danish power woman that had walked 40 km a day. We walked together a couple of km, and for the first time I found one that I had a bit struggle to keep up with. Otherwise it is the other way around, I am walking faster than most - like to get the puls up and walk fast - and then take longer breaks.

At 13:30 and after 24 km I ended up at the hostel, where I got checked in, got my bed, took a shower and washed my clothes. And funny enough, Pedro, Merel, and Cornel all checked in, so the four of us that met in the train and walked the first day together were now at the same place again. 

We thought Corne was way ahead, but apparently not. He had slept in his tent two days in a row and took a short day today. It is interesting how you meet the same people over and over again - and it is really nice since you build really good connections. It becomes more and more clear to me that the camino is as much about meeting people and building relationships as it is to walk alone and think. We are all on the same quest, but with different purposes of walking, and it is so interesting to discuss our “why” and reflect. People are very open and the deep conversations make you think in other ways than just being in your own mind.

I am sitting in the sun in the garden to the hostel and writing this post, and in a couple of hours we will go for a pilgrem dinner in the town - joining 7 pilgrems all together, the four of us, Colin the Irishman, and two more dutch people.

And a small video of the great view.

Pamplona (Day 3 - Zubiri to Pamplona (20 km))

 Waking upp early at the dorm, and packing around 6:30. Did not sleep well due to shoulder pains and snoring, have not really slept well at all any day. Started walking before 7, again with Colin. Great conversations and coffee break at a really nice place after 3 hours and half way. We got amazing coffee and a sanwich with omelette - and the sun came, so great break for about an hour. We talked to Mark, a UK doctor, and a US lady about immigration and difficulties for people arriving. She worked as a social worker in Colorado with imigrants. 

2 more hours of walking and we where in Pamplona, the city where bulls are running in the streets.

In Paplone I checked in at the largest hostel at the Camino, with more than 100 beds, but a really nice hostel with good facilities. Walked around for a while.

Dinner at a small bar where we got pinchos and a beer - and found a place with craft beers - also from Amager in Denmark.

Rainy day (Day 2 - Espinal to Zubiri (15 km))

 Had a good sleep and breakfast in the morning where I met my new friend Colin, the irish from the day before. We started out walking quite late, around 9, and today with completely different weather. Constant rain and slippy and moody trails, but in good company time flies, and we had lots of discussions about everything from motivation and happiness, generation z and their mental issues, volunteering, the universe, and a lot other topics in between.

After 3,5 hours we decided to stop for a coffee, and we found out that the city we ended up in was our end destination. We had a nice lunch at the first restaurant found.

After restaurant, we went to the hostel we had prebooked beds. Miro and Pedro I walked with yesterday also ended up in the same hostel, and we met them there. We got checked in, and each got a bed in a 20 persons dorm - now with wet clothes hanging all over the place. A warm shower was nice after nearly 4 hours walking in rain with soaking socks - who gave the advice of NOT wearing waterproof shoes?

Interesting to see how it will be to sleep in a room with 20 other people…