Emails from Camino del Norte  -  August 11th. - September 13th. 2004

 

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Date:

11 September 2004

Comments

Annam is my name in latin - as written on my compostella

...... As you probably have already guessed I am now in Santiago... I arrived yesterday afternoon at 5pm. after 40 km. of speedwalking.... - recieved my Compostella... with my name in latin: ANNAM - 8 days ago I was told by 2 english pilgrims on bikes that they had been waiting out side the pilgrims office for 5 hours to get their compostella... - I walked straight in and recieved my wonderful piece of paper... - leaving the office there was a a loooong line of pilgrims.... - where did they come from.... at least 1-2 hours of waiting. (some times I´m being very luckey).

Bernhard (Bernardum), a german pilgrim I met in Ribadeo and I have walked together from Ribadeo to Santiago... and yesterday we were only going to walk 20km. and then walk into Santiago today.... both both of us... counldn´t stop.... like kast year the numbers on the milestones... kept dropping and was like a magnet just dragging me (us into Santiago).

I´m very happy to be here again.... mostly because I was getting so very tired... that I was actually looking forward for a few days of relaxation.... before going home... I will be leaving Santiago on monday afternoon go to madrid and then to Copenhagen.... and unfortunately back to work tuesday... would like to have just one day... but... that was my choice when planning how and when.....

3 days ago we stopped at a small simple alberque.... in Miraz... and by simple I mean VERY simple.... madress on the floor.... no posibility of cooking and no hot water.... and not very clean... the same night the sky opened and water came down very fast... the sky was lit by so many lightnings.... and the thunder was playing the "BIG DRUMS".... it had already been raing for a few days.... and every thing was wet, muddy and slippery.... - the laundry would take days to dry... - however... when leaving Miraz... - after walking only 1km. we came to the most beautiful part of this journey... a wilderness.... untouched.... big rocks.... a wild nature... nothing was planted by human hands.... it is hard to describe this place... you would have to see thi with your own eyes.... - I have seen many beautiful places along the coast onb this journey..... but this place was very powerful....

So now I´ve done the coastal camino and camino del norte.... - and on day on the camino frances... - I understood that the caminos would meet in Melide... but they met in Arzua... 39 km. before Santiago.... and this is when the camino changed completely... after walking 27 days in "loneliness..." not meeting any pilgrims... (only a few).... to enter the highway (moterway).... the silence and quietness disapeared... - instead it became noisy... and "stressfull". I think that was one reason that I wanted to finish yesterday.... Arzua was the first alberque I met that was full....

This has been a wonderful journey... - very trying in many ways... - I was told that this journey would be a little harder than Camino frances.... - my answer to that is..... NO!!! it is much harder... not only physically but also mentally as it "tests" you in otherways....

I have had days.... thinking What am I doing here.... and days thinking I could do this forever.... I have very good days... and a few not so good days.... - and If you ask me " would you do this journey again??" the answer today would be no..... - the answer might change later... however I would be more than willing to repeat last years journey... which compared to this is a "walk in the park"....

It is a strange feeling - not being out walking today with my backpack.... - I will miss the coastline, the mountains... the wonderfull scent of the eucalyptus trees.... and being able to look the the 50 million stars.... shining bright.... I love those stars... (in the city I can only see the brightest ones....). - I have met many angels on my journey - locals who are more than willing to help in any posible way.... water, fruit, food.... and being a woman who walks alone I have had many offers.... "do you need a ride to the next city...." thank you but no thank you... I do this by foot... though sometimes... it was very tempting... being tired....

I have walked from a fullmoon to fullmoon - slept in a new bed every night.... - I have no idea how many cafe con leche I have been drinking - but at least 2-3 every day... - I´ve tried the wonderfull cider of Asturia.... - the wonderful cheese.... been walking through the basque "country" and through the cantabrian region to asturia... and finally galicia.... - my favorite?? GALICIA....!! just as beautiful as i remember it... iven when it rains.... :-) - Asturia... will come in 2nd.... very beautiful coastlines.... - and beautiful mountains...

I am now getting pretty good at understanding spanish... (when asking for directions... especially...)... but the talking... is another issue.... which I have to work on...

OK.... as said earlier... I will put my diary on my webpage for you all to read... I´ll let you all know when it is ready... and I´ll put some of the wonderfull photos on....

Thank you for for following me on my journey... it has been wonderful to share.... both the good and the bad days....

Be good.... Peace and blessings....

Annem (a certified pilgrim

Date:

05 September 2004

Comments

Hola.....

I know I´ve been quiet for some days - but no internet.... Esta la vida... :-)

I am now in Galicia.... beautiful beautiful Galica... - just as beautiful as I remember it.... soooo green..... only 116km. away from Santiago... My last day by the coast was 3 days ago in Ribadeo. where I had a picknick dinner of the roof of the alberque.... with a view of the ocean.

I have had the most strange days... - the camino del norte works in strange ways... but with angels all over, locals are more than willing to help. My adventure will be described in my diary and put on the website... day by day when I return. I´ll let you know when.

Life is great on the camino - Only a few pilgrims... trying days... with climbing... crossing rivers on fallen trees.... walking in the "jungle" - "......in the jungle the mighty jungle......" some tracks a badly overgrown - but somehow it makes it a bit more exciting as if you are the first one here....

4 or 5 days ago was the absolutly worst.... - 47 km .... I was very very tired..... and the "flecha" (the yellow arrow) took us into the forrest... and up the mountain... but never took us out. We ( a spanish guy and I) got lost.... and spend an hour or maybe a bit more trying to find our way down to the track... - not fun at all..... - finally down in the village where we were to stay for the night.... I was the only chica among 8 chico´s and was treated like a princess.... best part of the day :-)

I have now for 2 days been walking with a guy from Germany - Bernhard... my fist actual conversation, as he is the first one I´ve met who speaks more than 25 words of english...

I really enjoy this journey... -though is has been very tough until now... there has been a few easy days... - the heat and sun is gone... - is has been cloudy for a few days and been raining during the night... last night in abadia there were no alberque so we stayed at a pension... 30 min. after arriving.... there was a complete blackout in the city - all power was gone.... for the whole night...

I´ve said goodbye to most of the pilgrims I´ve met so far as they had to stop - going home for different reasons... but new pilgrims are showing and I´ve found that I´m not supposed to do this alone... - I have only had one day alone so far.... walking into Ribadeo...

I have learned a lot already on this journey.... mostly about my self and I am going so much stronger... in all possible ways... - I am enjoying every moment of this journey and at the same time I´m looking forward to the end... as I am getting very tired... my body screams for a day off.... but it haven´t felt right yet.... I will relax a day or two in santiago and do a bit of shopping.... perhaps a new pair of trousers.... or a belt to keep these ones up.... (i have lost a lot of inches around the waist.... :-)))))) hoping to keep it all off this time...

I´ll write you when I´m in santiago....

Have fun and be good

Annette :-)

Date:

28 August 2004

Comments

Gijón....!! very difficult to say correct as it has to come from your throat..... "GiiiHrrrrrrrrron" and the spanyards keep saying no no no no ..... GiiiiHrrrrrrrrrrrronn.... (!!!)

Well, the climb to day was hard but beautiful..... and the walk into gijón was the "longest" ever... took forever... Gijón is a F...... big city....

Fever is gone and I feel much much better.... Eating all the time - and getting skinny.... why can´t it always be this way.... eating eating eating and get skinny and stay skinny.... (someone please send be a belt - I staring to loose my shorts...).

Today.... or well tomorrow I will say goodbye to my italian friend Carluccia... she is spending one day in this city and the going back to Milano - and Jose Luis (a mexican peregrino) who have joined us is stying with her.... and then maybe later joining me on the camino. For a few days now I´ve been the 3rd wheel... only reason I stayed is that I promised Carluccia that I would walk with her to Gijón... It will be hard saying goodbye as we have gotten to know each other quit well, due to the language barrier. - I always have a hard time saying goodbye.... So It wil just be a quick breakfast and I will be off to Avíles.

However, I´m actually looking forward to have a few days to my self.... alone.... I haven´t been alone since I´v started this... except for when shower and toilet.... maybe I´ll even skip the alberque and sleep under the stars... if the weather allows it... - the heat is stil "killing" - so hot and humid... and the adfternoon sun... well need i say more ?

The Asturian region or the Asturian country as the spanyards call it is absolutly wondrful... I wish I had more time to explore and enjoy.... the food - cheese - wine and not to forget the cider... they makie the most wonderful apple cider... and not served the british way... but with the bottle raised in one arm and the glass lowered in the other.... - 3 glasses and I will sleep as a baby....??

Uhhhmmm...... cider.......

I´m learning a lot of spanish (and Italian) and of course I always end up mixing it all up.... - I understand now a "whole lot" - but have difficulty to pronounse....

Well, 2 more weeks.. of walking... I´ll keep you posted.

Be good..... Peace and blessing from The camino del norte - (or the coastal route....).

Annette, Peregrina.

Date:

26 August 2004

Comments

Isn´t life just beautiful - it has so many gifts...

"............. I feeeel good... I knew that I would...nanananana.............." (qoute: James Brown).

There has been some hard days... climbing the mountains... - som fantastic ocean views. Yesterday.... when walking from Colombres to Llanes it was like being in paradise. Such an amazing trail... waling on a dirttrak - along the coast - looking at the water playing a game with the naked raw cliffs... and the mountains on the otherside - and the few moments you couldn´t see the ocean we were walking in a eucalyptus forrest... What a beautiful day for walking.........

I´ve just found that none of you have recieved the loooong email I sent from Castro-Urdiales.... What a shame... - but to make a short recap when I say WE ... it is Carluccia and I - Carluccia is a wonderful Italian girl - Who unfortunate will go home when we Reach Gijon in a few days... she has to return to her daughter. and I will continue "alone"

This camino is very different... VERY.... alot of walking is on the national roads... watching out for cars so it is difficult to find that peace... but yesterday it was all worth it :-) I´ve taken 50 pphotos yesterday... but unfortunately a camera can never catch the emotion you have when being there... though I would like to share that with you all...

Onlly change the scenery so far is the mountains has become more naked... it so so green anymore...

Lots of walking on the roads, watchiong out for cars... some driving very close... - walking (climbing) in the mountains.... - it is not like we climmb high - but it is steep and hard on the knees...

Accommodations is not always easy to find.... and sometimes you have to find alternatives... and 2 times we had to take to bus in order to have a place to sleep... (strange camino - but I wounldn´t miss it). In Itziar - we had to beg the priest to sleep in the church - as all pensions/hotels - youth alberques in the area are all FULL FULL FULL....!! - so we slept (or tried to) on hte hard cold ceramic floor) - In Mendate we slept with mice.... YES !! MICE... a man had warned us to stay there... but we were tired and exhhausted so we didn´t listen.... mice..... (yyiikkkkk) - In Santoña we slept in a tent available for pilgrims... - it has rained hard all night and when we woke up we had snails in the tent... (hahaha) snails.... how did they get in??

Anyway - I enjoy every moment of this.... and my conclusion so far is... that if is true that you get your sins forgiven when walking the camino... Then Camino Frances is for small sins.... and Camino del Norte is for BIG sins.... - which makes me wonder.... WHAT DID I DO ??? (or is it what I didn´t do ??)...

So much to tell so liittle time....

I have moved from the basque "country" to the Cantabrian region and now I am in Asturia... the make such wonderful cheese.... (Mmmmmm..... cheese.....). In Galicia... hte camino will meet with camino frances.... 70-80 km before Santiago (in Melide....).

Today we took the bus to Ribadesella.... (may be it is cheating....??) - reason... for a couple of days I´ve been sick... walking with a fever... and a cold... but I´m getting much much better... thought I would take the day of - relax and to keep schedule... move 30 km by bus...

well.... better spend some time writing my danish friends now.... I´ll keep you posted... and when I´m back in Denmark... my diary will be available on my website so you can read all about my journey.... I´ll let you all know when....

Take care, be good.... behave.... if you can.... ;-)

Hasta Luego Una peregrina loca

Date:

12 August 2004

Comments

Hola.... everybody...

I am now in Irún - arrived today shortly after noon. No signs or yellow arrows from the train station left me in vain for a short moment...... I asked a local police officer for directions and he almost took me by the hand and led me to the "Albergue de peregrinos", where the hosptalera met me with a big smile..... you are the forst one she said.... but now a few others by foot and bike has "booked" a bed. The Alberque is new and small.... but very cozy.

Tonight we will go to mass and have the blessings as they do them in Roncevalles... And tomorrow the journey begins.... and I will walk to San Sebastian. There is no Alberque in San Sebastian and being a holiday city I bet the hotels and hostals are expensive... as I might go caming with my "rain poncho" and my walking stick.... Hoping the night temp. woll not drop too much.

Well, Take care, have fun and be good. Camino blessing to you all.

Annette :-)