End of day five and so much to post about
So very much has happened in the last couple of days and I only have 21 minutes of counting down 1 euro per 20 minutes internet to post it in.
So I think that yesterday will be one of the most unique days in my life. I woke up from Puerta La Reyna and started walking around 7AM with no real destination in mind but knowing that I wanted to get past the next big city and hopefully onto the next smaller one. Well it just so happens that I managed to do it and along the way about 9 kilometers before I got to Villamayor where I stayed for the night I encountered the famous "Fuente de Vino" or fountain of wine. Now don´t think huge plaze fountain spraying wine every which way. Merely a tap, open and free to the public where you can walk up and fill a glass, a bottle, a keg,... whatever completely for FREE. I thought that it was going to be pretty miserable, but no, it was actually decent and after half a liter of red wine the next 9 kilometers where probably some of the easiest I´ve ever walked in my life. June 25th 2006 the day I walked across northern Spain quite a bit drunk.... Definately up on the charts for one of the most memerable days of my life. (Not that I´m advocating for the drinking of excessive amounts of wine in order to make my pilgrimage easier, but for one day, definately worthwhile :-P)
Then last night, I arrived at this beautiful little Albergue in Villamayor and met up with the two Irish brothers that I hadn´t seen for three days helped them finish off there bottle of free wine, and was settling in to have quite a wonderful evening. The only thing that knocked a hole in that plan was the fact that the Albergue was run by a Dutch organization of evangelical christians. I think about the time one of the women who was volunteering there was unwilling to accept the possibility that what is TRUE for each individual person might be different, was when my hackles went up. Then when they said the blessing for the evening meal and quoted the "I am the way the truth and the light(life?) no one comes to the father but by me" verse I started to realize just how deep of a wound I have from evangelical christianity. Something to think about for the next 400 miles or so....
Then today. I was planning on going to a little town called "something" del Torres, but accidentally walked right through it and ended up having to go 10 kilometers more to Viana, where I had the great fortune to find a private room for the night for only 12 euro´s. Quite a deal if I might say so myself. No having to listen to other people snore tonight, although it is a little bit lonely after having spent the last 5 nights with 20 people or more....
All in all things are going great. My feet only have a couple of blisters. My muscles aren´t too sore and I´m averaging 20-30 kilometers a day. And I´m only a little sun burnt :-P. Who knows what tommorow will bring :-D, for sure more walking, but other than that..... *shrugs*
So I think that yesterday will be one of the most unique days in my life. I woke up from Puerta La Reyna and started walking around 7AM with no real destination in mind but knowing that I wanted to get past the next big city and hopefully onto the next smaller one. Well it just so happens that I managed to do it and along the way about 9 kilometers before I got to Villamayor where I stayed for the night I encountered the famous "Fuente de Vino" or fountain of wine. Now don´t think huge plaze fountain spraying wine every which way. Merely a tap, open and free to the public where you can walk up and fill a glass, a bottle, a keg,... whatever completely for FREE. I thought that it was going to be pretty miserable, but no, it was actually decent and after half a liter of red wine the next 9 kilometers where probably some of the easiest I´ve ever walked in my life. June 25th 2006 the day I walked across northern Spain quite a bit drunk.... Definately up on the charts for one of the most memerable days of my life. (Not that I´m advocating for the drinking of excessive amounts of wine in order to make my pilgrimage easier, but for one day, definately worthwhile :-P)
Then last night, I arrived at this beautiful little Albergue in Villamayor and met up with the two Irish brothers that I hadn´t seen for three days helped them finish off there bottle of free wine, and was settling in to have quite a wonderful evening. The only thing that knocked a hole in that plan was the fact that the Albergue was run by a Dutch organization of evangelical christians. I think about the time one of the women who was volunteering there was unwilling to accept the possibility that what is TRUE for each individual person might be different, was when my hackles went up. Then when they said the blessing for the evening meal and quoted the "I am the way the truth and the light(life?) no one comes to the father but by me" verse I started to realize just how deep of a wound I have from evangelical christianity. Something to think about for the next 400 miles or so....
Then today. I was planning on going to a little town called "something" del Torres, but accidentally walked right through it and ended up having to go 10 kilometers more to Viana, where I had the great fortune to find a private room for the night for only 12 euro´s. Quite a deal if I might say so myself. No having to listen to other people snore tonight, although it is a little bit lonely after having spent the last 5 nights with 20 people or more....
All in all things are going great. My feet only have a couple of blisters. My muscles aren´t too sore and I´m averaging 20-30 kilometers a day. And I´m only a little sun burnt :-P. Who knows what tommorow will bring :-D, for sure more walking, but other than that..... *shrugs*
posted by -J at 10:57 AM
3 Comments:
Sounds fun, Jason. I walked 2 hours this morning and already feel a bit stiff. I can't imagine walking day after day - but it does sound great. It's also amazing that you're able to connect to the internet so often.
We miss you at Chapel Hill. VBS went very well. The Cedar Point trip was good - we went with 47 people and came back with the same 47 people. A good thing. Weather put a bit of a damper on things but we all survived.
Our family is doing a lot to get ready for Guatemala. We enlisted 1 grandfather to cut out 200 wooden, swedish Dala horses for the kids to paint. Lots to do.
Happy Trails -- Shirley
Hows that backpack holding out? Hopefully as well if not better than those feet of yours. I love reading about your trip and check each morning to see if there are more Jason-nuggets in my bloglines. Keep it coming--it's like forcing yourself to read a novel slowly. Not something I'm good at, nor you.
Classes start today...yer missing out on all sorts of discrete and combinatorial mathematics. Or are we missing out on one awesome hajj? Field trip! Today, just for fun, and because I'm thinking of you and you're (now) thinking of me, leave piles of rocks along the path in a numerical sequence and see if anyone in the hostel mentions it. Pick one such that you won't run out of rocks by km 5. :P
hey jason!
hehe, I'm glad to hear that the "fuente de vino" eased your walking and such :) it is such a cool concept, nothing that you'd ever find in America, it seems.
well, my family and I are getting ready for a two week vacation... *ahhh* we have no internet access, which could actually be a good thing, but we won't be able to read or comment on your blog for awhile. however, I will be at Lake Louise the second week, and I can get email there.
tonight we are going to Los Amigos with the Freemans, which should be a lot of fun :D
have a great time walking and keep posting !
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