Dinner on the Camino Santiago - Eastern Spain

I thought I'd digress from my Aragones trek for a day or two

and talk to you about what you might expect in the way of dinner options

while walking the Camino Santiago in Eastern Spain. 

For us walking the Camino Frances, that is mostly Navarra. 

But the foods of Cataluña and Aragón can also be seen at the beginning of the Camino.

Probably because of my Portuguese ancestry, 

the cuisine of Spain is one of my favorites. 

The food just feels familiar to me 

and I´m comforted by the aromas and flavors.

Each region has its very own specialties 

and a Menú del Dia or a Pilgrim's Plate might carry any number of variations.

Because we are used to eating dinner 

between 5 pm and 7 pm in the United States, 

it is often a challenge for pilgrims to get into the habit 

of the late dinner hours in Spain. 

So I suggest that you always have a little food in your pack, 

for those times you just can´t wait 

until the restaurant opens 

or for those days you can´t seem to find a place to eat 

on the section your are walking.

As I discussed in the blog on lunch,

you have many wonderful options for a picnic lunch!

Photo by marcp_dmoz

The food of Eastern Spain, which includes Catalonia, Aragón, 

Valencia and Murcia 

has been greatly influenced by both the Romans and the Moors. 

Spices you wouldn´t think of using 

show up in the most interesting combinations of sweet and savory. 

For instance, it is not uncommon to recognize the flavor of cinnamon 

in a meat dish combined with garlic , tomatoes and roasted peppers.  

Below are a few foods you might find at the beginning of your Camino.

Paella!  

I mention this first because I´m in love with it!

Besides being tasty it is beautiful to look at 

and one of my favorite memories is of a hospitalero 

setting a giant pan of paella in front of us for dinner.  

Paella is made from spanish rice,  flavored and colored by saffron, 

giving it a lovely yellow color. 

Any variety of meat is added, but it is generally seafood 

such as clams, mussels, and shrimp, 

along with chicken and sometimes rabbit. 

Tomatoes and herbs give it even more flavor.

It is traditionally cooked over an open fire in a special pan.

Here is a photo of paella being cooked at a fiesta 

we found ourselves a part of in Azofra in 2006:

It is common for the Spanish to take their paella pan with them 

on a picnic or camping trip and cook dinner outdoors.

If you love paella, and want to take something home,

consider purchasing a ´real´ paella pan while in Spain

and having it shipped to your doorstep.

Spanish saffron also makes a wonderful gift

for your favorite family chef.

It is inexpensive, and very lightweight to ship home.

Shop around. You´ll find the same quality saffron 

for much less money in the local stores 

instead of tourist locations.

It often can be found in pretty little tins and boxes,

perfect for gift giving.

Here are photos of some paella varieties I found online. I will show you several, so when you order the paella, you aren't surprised!

This Paella has shrimp, mussels, and peas

This Paella has Catalonian Sausage, mushrooms, and other vegetables

This is a beautiful Paella with mussels, chicken, sausage, and peas

This Paella has mussels, shrimp, and asparagus and is served with lemon

This paella has chicken, tomatoes, and peas

So, as you can see, paella can be made in a variety of ways, 

usually depending on what is fresh at the market that day.  

A pan of paella, a few slices of bread, 

and a glass of wine is all a person needs to make them happy!

Eastern Spain is famous for its sausages. 

There are are several different types you might see.

Chorizo is the most common.

It is nothing like Mexican chorizo. 

It is a smoked, scarlet colored sausage, red with paprika. 

It can be sliced and eaten without cooking.

It does have chunks of fat in it, but they're lovely and savory! 

Try it!

Arroz con pollo y chorizo (rice with chicken and chorizo)

Another famous Cataluña sausage is the butifarra blanca.  

This sausage is white and the skin is full of pork, tripe, and pine nuts,

giving it a very sweet flavor.

It sometimes contains truffles. 

You can eat it at room temperature, fried, or grilled, 

and it is often added to rice or bean dishes.

Butifarra Blanca (White Sausage)

Las judias con butifarra blanca. 

(White beans boiled and drained in a dish and then served with butifarra blanca.)

An assortment of butifarra; white, black, and the yellow one is made with eggs and pork.

Butifarra cooked on the barbecue with lamb. YUM!

Butifarra negra is usually made of pork belly, the pork blood, and spices.

Butifarra negra can be used in any way the other sausages are used,

in rice, in soup, in paella,

or simply grilled with tomatoes and onions 

and served with bread and a glass of wine.

Something you might have the opportunity to try while in Eastern Spain are Calçots. 

These are a variety of green onion that look to me like what I call scallions. 

I'm not sure if they are the same or not.

The most traditional way of eating calçots 

is in a calçotada (plural: calçotades). 

This is a great family and friend affair,

held between the end of winter and March or April (Carnival) 

where calçots are consumed in great quantities. 

They are pulled up, barbecued, then dipped in sauces. 

Pieces of meat and bread slices are roasted in the charcoal 

after cooking the calçots.

Roasting the calçots

Roasted, ready to dip and eat

Fuet is a long, slender all-pork sausage. 

The Pyrenees mountain towns of Osuna and Vic

are especially known for excellent examples of these sausages.

Unlike the Butifarra, another in the family of Catalan sausages, 

fuet is dry cured, like salami.

It is a wonderful ingredient for a bocadillo sandwich on a crusty roll,

but it can also be served grilled or as an ingredient in soup. 

You will often seeing hanging in tiendas.

Fuet

 Pollo al ajillo is what we would call Garlic Chicken.

A sauce made from the drippings accompanies

it but is not added until the very last minute, 

in order to keep the chicken skin crispy.

That crispy skin is, for me, the secret to a perfect pollo al ajillo. 

This just makes my mouth water!

 Sometimes when you order it, it comes in smaller pieces in the sauce. 

It is still great!

Parrillada de mariscos is any assortment of grilled shellfish. 

It is served with a garlic flavored mayonnaise called allioli.

Photo by Juannypg

Cochifrito is a dish prepared from lamb 

fried with lemon, garlic, and paprika.

It is absolutely delicious!  

If you think you don´t like lamb, be adventurous and try this! 

Here is a recipe I found online:

This cochifrito is served with potatoes

 Cochifrito (Lamb with lemon and garlic)

Ingredients

• 875g lean boneless lamb, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon mild paprika (pimenton dulce)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish
• 100ml vegetable or chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• finely grated lemon rind, to garnish

Method

Season the lamb to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

Add the lamb and cook, turning frequently, 

for 6-8 minutes until browned all over. 

Transfer to a heavy-based flameproof casserole

and add the garlic, onions, pimenton, lemon juice, parsley and stock. 

Cover tightly and simmer gently over a low heat for 1 1/2 hours 

or until the lamb is tender. 

Serve immediately, garnished with finely chopped parsley and grated lemon rind.

Seafood is often married with chicken 

for a typical dish such as Llagosta i pollastre. 

Llagosta i pollaster is is lobster and chicken. 

Shrimp or any seafood can be used.

This particular dish is cooked in a hazelnut and tomato sauce 

and is unbelievably tasty!

Are you hungry yet?

Suquet is one of the famous fish and shellfish stews of Catalonia.

It is shellfish, combined with saffron, wine, tomatoes and potatoes.  

Suquet is the diminutive form of suc, or juice, in Catalan, 

which means that this wonderfully flavored dish is more correctly called 

juicy fish stew.

Suquet de pescado (fish soup)

This is a dish you can prepare if you are staying in an albergue with a kitchen. 

But beware!

Your fellow pilgrims will show up in droves, following the aroma!  

To prepare, first sauté the tomatoes which have been split in half.  

Add garlic and minced parsley small. 

When the garlic is clear (but not browned) ,

put in the fish and some water. 

Cook on low until the fish flakes, 

turning carefully so that it does not crumble. 

When it is almost ready, add the Saffron.  

Salt to taste.

Fideus a la cassola. 

The fideus is a home made noodle like spaghetti, only short. 

When combined with pork chops, beef, fish or sausage, 

it is called a cassola.  

There can be  many variations. 

The last Eastern Spanish dish I'll show you is Pastel de carne. 

This is basically a meat pie.

It was brought to Spain by the Moors and is now claimed as a Murcian delicacy.

It has minced meat, chopped boiled eggs, 

and sometimes has vegetables inside.

It is encased in a nice puff pastry crust.

It might come as a slice from a larger pie, or as an individual serving. 

You can often find these cold in pastry shops 

and they are wonderful to carry in your backpack for picnic lunch.

Some have meat, some have fish, so you must ask if you care.

Individual servings

Cut from a large pie

For your postre, or dessert, you might try fresh fruit, 

which is almost alwaysoffered. 

It will be whatever fruit is in season.

The Spanish oranges are so sweet.

There are many pastries to choose from and we'll talk about those later,

in their very own blog. 

One of the best desserts I can suggest is Crema Catalana. 

This is much like crème brulée.

It is very rich, has a layer of caramelized sugar on top, 

and is served cold. 

They traditionally use a very hot iron to burn the top of the sugar. 

Oh my gosh! Are we there yet?

My stomach is grumbling!

Two treats top off the menu of Eastern Spain. 

Those are sweets made from almonds.

One is like an almond brittle and is called turron guirlache.

Turron can also be a softer almond candy.

This variety is white and very chewy.

Another wonderful almond dessert is called alemendras garrapiñadas. 

These are almonds roasted in a pan with sugar and butter and spices. 

The sugar caramelizes and makes a luscious crunchy coating.

 These are a special treat during Christmas 

but you can find them anytime if you look.

Here is a recipe so you can make your own:

Ingredients:
-1 cup of sugar
-1 cup of water
-1 small lemon
-1 cup of almonds without skins
Preparation:  

Combine the water, lemon juice, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and boil five or six minutes over low heat.

Add the almonds and stir slowly with a wooden spoon without stopping. The sugar will gradually be toasted. The fire should be slow so you do not burn the almonds.
Keep stirring until the sugar crystallizes on the almonds.
Grease a surface and when almonds are well crystallized, pour them out to cool.

Ok.. that's it.

I'm going to find dinner!

Next time I'll continue on our search for cena.

Bon provecho!

Annie

See my AnnieWalkersCamino website at 

Anniewalkers Camino

for more information about

Guided Walks on the Camino Santiago 

and on other Pilgrimage Trails of Europe

The Aragones Route - Sta Celia to Arres

Note: Remember, I did not have my camera

so photos have been borrowed from the internet.

I've tried to give credit when I know the photographer's name.

* * *

13 October 2009

What a beautiful morning!

The little white lambs were still in the pasture below my balcony window,

the sun was shining,

and the pilgrims were up and rustling around.

I got up, got dressed, and packed my mochila. 

I was in a really happy mood, having gotten a great night's sleep!

The earplugs weren't needed last night

because I only had one room mate. 

The French couple, whose names were Michele and Michael,

slept in a room by themselves,

the German boy slept in the men's dorm,

and my only roommate was a young woman who did not snore!

I took advantage of the kitchen facilities and made myself a cup of Nescafé.

I've mentioned these packets before,

and they are very handy to carry on the Camino.

You can find them in almost any market

and they taste almost (almost) as good as the real thing. 

Buy Nescafe in convenient tubes in the markets in Spain

I had been told there would be no place open for coffee this morning,

so I sat and enjoyed my coffee as I looked at the map

and decided my next stop would be Arres.

By the time last night I realized the only tienda in town was at the bar,

it was too late to go buy breakfast food,

so I began my walk without eating.

By the time I had walked an hour,

my stomach was complaining and I began to wish for food.

A fig tree?

An apple tree?

A bar where I could get breakfast?

But all I could see ahead was trail,

so I put one foot in front of the other and dreamed of food. 

I remembered a piece of bread and cheese in my pack,

but knew I needed to save that for my lunch.

Less than 20 minutes later, I looked down and

there in the center of the trail were two perfect apples!

They were just sitting there, side by side,

as if they had been left just for me! 

I looked all around.
No apple trees to be seen.
Somebody had left these for a hungry pilgrim.
I laughed and picked them up.

I bit into one and it was ice cold, sweet, and crunchy.

Wow!  That is the magic of the Camino again! 

I ate one apple and saved the second for later.

The terrain was flat and easy

and before I knew it, several hours had passed.

Now I was nearing the Puente de la Reina de Jaca.

Here are some photos of the scenery.

 As you come to the bridge, a road shoots off to the right

if you want to go through this town. 

I decided to bypass it and continue on straight. 

At the crossroads was a picnic area. 

I decided to take advantage of the picnic table and have my lunch.  

I made a cheese sandwich and as I ate, 

I could hear the river rushing past me. 

I began singing, 

"The river is flowing,

flowing and growing,

the river is flowing,

back to the sea..."

Suddenly, out of the bushes came the most beautiful kitten!

He was a grey and brown cat, like a Himalayan.

He was just ethereal!

I couldn't believe this little guy was out here living on his own, he was so young.

There were no houses close by, just a road and forest and a river.

He looked at me with his icy blue eyes and said,

"Meow?"

I laughed and shared my queso with him.

He purred and rubbed up against my legs,

asking to be petted.

I fed him more cheese.

He was very happy, and when I packed up, he began following me.

I hoped he would follow me all the way to the albergue 

so he could be adopted by someone who would care for him, 

but about 20 minutes up the road, 

a car passed and frightened him. 

He scampered back into the forest 

and nothing I could do would bring him out.

I hope he lived.

I suspect he did... 

he had, afterall, survived thus far.

I walked until the I saw a sign and a dirt track. 

This section was a short but rough climb up and around a hillside.

The trail went up and around,

up and around,

up and around.

And then...

Arres by Nomadicvignette

there it was, 

the jewel called Arres!

 

by LMGV

Arres by Holzhammer

Arres Albergue

It looked like something out of a storybook, 

the little stone houses

sitting on the tip-top of a hill.

I kept wondering

where they kept the dragon?

As I arrived at the Arres albergue, 

I was surprised to see Loretta,

my little Italian companion from Jaca. 

She had been there since yesterday. 

Her poor face was wrapped in bandages.

She apparently had done a face-plant on her trek yesterday. 

She had two black eyes, 

a big gash on her head, 

and was still feeling very dizzy.  

It seemed to me her spirit was hurt the most, 

despite the physical injuries, 

and I felt worried for her. 

Would she continue on? 

I asked her.

She had not yet decided.

This Albergue was donativo.
I had no cash left, so 

I got settled in, and went off to find a beer, a snack, and some change. 

There is a hotel here with a bar. 

I had a cerveza con limón and chatted with the bartender.

Soon, it was time to go back to the albergue.

We were to help the hospitalero prepare dinner for the pilgrims.

I got a quick shower.

Hot Water! Hooray!

Then did my laundry and hung it out.

There would be ensalada, pollo, and sopa de verduras

with chunks of fresh bread and butter.

Everyone helped prepare the dinner and

everyone ate their fill!

Pilgrims arriving tomorrow would eat 

well or not, according to the amount of donation we left.

I always try to remember this and I left a generous donation.

Chimenea by Rosa Lob

 We took a short break from cleanup when

the local priest dropped in

and took us for a tour of the church.

As usual, there are some wonderful treasures to be found

in the little village churches along 

most of the Camino routes.

This was no different, and I really enjoyed the tour.

By this time, there were maybe 7 pilgrims who had arrived from Jaca

including an entire troop of boyscouts!

The albergue beds had been taken.

Where would they all sleep?

Photo by Jacko the Whacko

 No problem!

There were mattresses stuffed in nooks and crannies,

in the rafters of the building, 

and in the sitting room.

These were dragged out and everyone had a bed for the night.

It really was a lovely place to stay,

and I hope to return sometime.

I slept soundly in the silence of this medieval-looking hilltop town.

There were no city lights,

nor automobile sounds to disturb my rest,

and a velvet sky full of stars

twinkled at me through the open window.

See my AnnieWalkersCamino website at 

Anniewalkers Camino

for more information about

Guided Walks on the Camino Santiago 

and on other Pilgrimage Trails of Europe

The Aragones Route - Jaca to Santa Celia

Photo by David Foster

Loretta and I had decided to at least begin our walk together. 

When you are walking the Camino on any route, 

there is an unspoken rule that each person must walk their own Camino. 

What this means is you might walk with a group, 

or you might walk alone. 

You might start with a walking partner, 

but one of you may want to go faster or slower, 

and it's okay to do this at your own speed. 

One of the most fun things of all is getting to an albergue 

and running into "old friends" that you left on the trail 2 weeks ago.

Or meeting people in Santiago that you walked with 40 days earlier.

So, with this understanding in mind, 

we began our walk together. 

We knew we would eventually part company, 

because I planned on walking to the famous 

Monastery of San Juan de la Peña in this first stage.

I had asked at the Jaca albergue 

what the trail was like up to the Monastery, 

and was told, "It's just a short walk." 

I should have known better.

The kilometers in Spain have a tendency 

to grow longer as you walk.

However, I decided I would go and see the Monastery, 

and then walk from there down into Santa Celia.

Loretta and I set out walking about 7 a.m. 

After about 30 minutes, we found an open bar 

and had coffee and sweet bread.  

There were only two other pilgrims there, 

so we figured the walking would be mostly solitary. 

We strolled through town, past the beautiful park blocks, 

and then came to a place where the signage was not clear.

In Spain, this route is waymarked by yellow arrows 

but also with red and white bars as GR 65.3,

part of the Spanish network of Senderos de Gran Recorrido.

Here are some of the marks you might find:

In France, this route is called the Arles Route,

and is mostly a single route.  

However, once you reach Aragón and Navarra there are variants, 

mainly to famous monasteries. 

So here we stood, an hour into the day's walk, 

already stumped.

We stood pondering and discussing for a moment 

and a truck of workers stopped near us.

I asked them, "which way to the Camino?"  

They pointed one direction, but Lorette insisted they were wrong.  

I decided to follow my gut and the advice of the locals,

and Loretta and I parted company. 

She went one direction, and I went the other.

After a while, I saw the sign indicating the cut-off trail to the Monastery. 

I turned off to the left and walked through an empty field, 

following the signs to the base of a rough-looking trail. 

I walked through an area that looked like a dump,

past an abandoned car,

and finally saw another trail sign.

It looked like the trail had been washed out. 

But I had heard this trek had been done by others,

so I worked my way up the rocky gully.

It was very difficult climbing, 

sometimes on my hands and knees. 

In some places, the steep trail was completely washed out.

I am not in bad shape, but I'm not an athlete, 

and there were times I just had to stop and catch my breath.  

I thought, "I sure hope this Monastery is worth the effort!."

The following photo is NOT of the trail I walked, 

but is an excellent example of how it looked:

Near what I thought was the top of the trail, 

the stark red mud began to sprout vegetation 

and I worked myself into a small forested area. 

All of a sudden, around the corner came a man carrying a basket,

just like Little Red Riding Hood. 

Was this the wolf?

 Turned out to be a gentleman mushrooming. 

He had a basket full of mushrooms 

and when I asked him how far to the Monastery, 

he pointed up the trail and said,

"not so far... just keep going."

Ok...so I "kept going" and after a bit, 

the trail widened out and I was at the top of a mountain

looking into a beautifully lush farmland valley. 

I thought, "Thank God, I made it!"

I walked and walked and finally reached the village

which wasn't really a town at all, 

but a group of private houses.  

I soon realized that this was not my destination. 

There were no shops, no bars... just houses and a church.

I passed through this village, 

then finally saw a sign pointing up another road saying simply,

"Monastery."

I kept walking.  

I walked, and walked. 

Eventually I was in an area with hills on each side of the road. 

Suddenly the silence was broken by gunshots. 

BIG gunshots!

I thought, "Holy crap! Is somebody shooting at me?" 

Then ahead I saw a parked car. 

When I got closer, I saw the car was being guarded by two pit bulls. 

Oh great. 

Here are the dogs I keep hearing about,

but not on the Camino Frances!  

On the car was a sign saying:

Peligro!

No Pasar!

Batida de Caza!

which basically means

 

DANGER!

DO NOT PASS!

HUNTING Area!

Yikes! 

What the heck?  

They are shooting shotguns along the Camino?

I sat down and took a break, 

wondering what in the heck to do.

I was just too tired to go back to the main road.

I'd been walking over 3 hours up this trail. 

I could only pray,

"Please let them finish hunting or send a car or a taxi. 

I need help!"

I decided to keep walking. 

The Monastery couldn't be too much further.

Taking wide berth around the pit bulls,

and ducking every time I heard a shotgun,

I continued on my way.  

Soon, two people appeared on the trail.

They told me not to worry. 

They said it was safe to walk, 

that the men were hunting up in the hills, 

not near the trail. 

They said the Monastery was only 2 kilometers further.

So I continued to walk. 

I walked, and I walked. 

Two more hours. 

What I KNOW was much further than 2 kilometers.

Now I was in a moonscape of what appeared to be

an old riverbed full of giant boulders. 

The traveling was difficult. 

The trail was washed out in many places 

and I had to scramble on my hands over rocks 

and down steep embankments.

I heard the church bell in the valley striking 12 

and I knew I had now been walking for 5 hours. 

And it wasn't easy walking - it was hard climbing and rock scrambling

all the time carrying a backpack. 

I was tired.

I was hungry.

I was out of water.

I climbed over a motorbike

that had gotten stuck in the rocks 

and had been abandoned.  

Apparently, young people like to rock scramble on their motorcycles

in this area, so be aware. 

I started up another embankment 

and two people came toward me out of the brush.

I said hello. 

They responded in French. 

My French isn't great, so I asked in Spanish,

"How far is it to the Monastery?"

They replied, "1.5 to 2 hours."

TWO MORE HOURS????

My heart sunk. 

There is no way I could walk two more hours in these conditions 

and then still walk the kilometers to Santa Celia from the Monastery!

(Well, I COULD, I just didn't WANT to!)

There is no place to sleep at the Monastery. 

I do not have my tent - 

I left it in Santiago at the Travel Center. 

What in the world would I do now?

This was a difficult moment for me.

Emotionally and physically, I was drained. 

If I had KNOWN before I set out how hard this walk was going to be, 

I could have either mentally and prepared myself with food and water

or taken another route. 

Maybe I would have hired a taxi to take me to the Monastery. 

Maybe I would have kept my tent and planned on sleeping there. 

But now, I only felt exhausted and overwhelmed.

These lovely people sensed my distress 

and offered me a ride down to the main road.

I gladly accepted.

I climb into their van and we head out across the valley

to a road pointing the way to the highway. 

I was shocked to see the main road was EIGHT MILES away!! 

I would have had to get up to the Monastery 

then down 8 miles to the main road, 

and then on to Santa Celia. 

I didn't have that kind of stamina, 

especially after the climb up the rocky trail. 

I would have had to sleep outside with no tent.

I am sure I could have done it if I had to, 

but at that moment, 

I was so happy that this French couple had rescued me!  

I couldn't help myself... I began crying in relief.

We drove and drove, 

around hills and through gorgeous forest. 

We finally reached the main road,

just a short distance from where I had left it that morning.

I was sniffling as I got out of their van. 

They hugged me and offered me food and water. 

"Would you like a little bread to eat?"

Photo by Frenchforfoodies

I was so hungry, not having planned for this adventure!  

I accepted, crying, thanking them profusely.  

They asked if I'd like a ride to Santa Celia. 

I declined.

I needed the time to pull myself together.   

More hugs, and they left, beep-beeping their horn down the road. 

It made me laugh, and I needed that more than anything!

I walked about an hour. 

I could smell food.. .literally. 

And then to the left was a wonderful bar 

where they grill your food on order over an open fire.  

I was so happy!  

I ordered a big old beer with lemon and studied the menu. 

Then I had them bring me a giant mixed salad 

and beef with roasted peppers. 

Time for celebration! 

I was alive!

The beer and the food revived my spirits 

and I continued on to Santa Celia. 

I took a right turn through a residential area, 

past fenced empty lots, 

and finally into the village itself.

I passed a bar which also was a tiny tienda,

but I had eaten, so I continued on to the albergue.   

There was a lot of road construction going on and I had to detour several times. 

When I reached the albergue,

there was nobody there, 

but a sign on the door said the Pilgrim should go in 

and make themselves at home.

So I did.

The albergue was a sweet little place 

with dorms for men and dorms for women. 

It had a nice kitchen with pots, pans, dishes, cutlery. 

It had a washing machine!

And upstairs was a bank of computers.

I wish I had photos to show you.

If anyone has photos of this albergue they can share, 

I'd love to add them to this posting.

I took a bed near the french doors, 

knowing I could crack them open in the night if it got too stuffy. 

Then I took a shower and waited for others to show up.

Soon 5 other Pilgrims showed up. 

One was a German boy who had just come from the Monastery

I had tried all day to reach!  

He told me he had walked from HERE and back today 

and that the hospitalera had allowed him to stay an extra night 

so he could make this journey. 

This is what I would suggest to any pilgrim wanting to see the Monastery. 

Either pay a taxi to take you up there from Santa Celia 

or walk from HERE up the main road. 

That washed out trail is a difficult one, 

and unless you are in really great shape or have a tent,

I can not in good conscience suggest it. 

Taking the main road from Santa Celia and back makes a lot more sense.

Another single Peregrina showed up, 

and then a French couple in their 60's. 

They were very nice, but also very tired. 

They had decided to take a taxi tomorrow to the next stop - 

her feet wouldn't carry her another kilometer. 

I absolutely understood!

Loretta never showed up

and I worried 

that she may have tried the trail to the Monastery also.

I wondered where she ended up?

We all pooled our resources that night and shared dinner. 

The French couple brought a bottle of wine 

and that healed my aches and pains from the climb.

I slept like a rock, 

listening to the lambs bleating in the field below my window.

My! What an adventure this was!  

I was absolutely exhausted,

but woke up thankful to have made it to Santa Celia.

See my AnnieWalkersCamino website at 

www.anniecarvalho.weebly.com

for more information about

Guided Walks on the Camino Santiago 

and on other Pilgrimage Trails of Europe