Pharmacies on Call and If You Get the Flu

The first thing to notice is that in Spain, 

the Pharmacy is called a Farmacia 

and will display a BIG GREEN CROSS.

In Spain there is a term you will want to learn.

It is Farmacia de Guardia 

and it means 

Pharmacy on call.

This is regulated by the local Pharmacy authorities 

and what it means is this. 

There will ALWAYS be a Pharmacy 

open in every area. 

Some will be open until midnight.

Some will be open 24 hours, 

especially in larger cities.

When I say "in every area" 

bear in mind you are walking 

what would be considered short distances

 if you were in an automobile, 

so for instance, 

you may have to taxi ahead an entire stage 

to find an open Farmacia. 

But if it is an emergency, 

you will find one open 'in the area."

Pharmacists in Spain 

are allowed to prescribe many medications 

that would require a doctor's prescription in the USA.  

This means you can walk into any Farmacia, 

tell them or show them your problem, 

and they will prescribe what you need, 

whether it is for the flu, a cold, bedbug bites,

 or an injury.

On one of our first Caminos, 

Joe had a 2d degree burn on his leg. 

We walked into a Farmacia. 

The pharmacist sat him in a chair, 

washed the wound and dressed it, 

and gave him a tube of antibiotics. 

The cost was €6.

With so many pilgrims on the Camino these days,

you may not get that personalized treatment,

but you will find help.

If you have prescription medication that you require,

 please be sure to take 

the GENERIC name for the prescription 

in case you lose it or run out. 

Even better would be a written prescription 

from your doctor.  

You should not have any problems 

filling a prescription 

with one of these, 

unless it is for an opiate, 

in which case there will be a doctor 

in almost every larger town 

who can help you.

Fluimucil Complex

In case you get a cold or flu, 

let me tell you about a miracle drug
NOTE:  This works for ME.
You must be sure it does not conflict 

with any medications
you are already taking so be sure
to let the pharmacist know.

I always carry in my pack while in Spain.

 In fact, it works so good

 I bring boxes of it back with me each year

 because it is not available in the USA.  

It is called Fluimucil Complex.  

Here is a photo. 

FLUIMUCIL COMPLEX

The one above is a newer package 

and even though the "use before" date 

is 6/2018 on the lower one, 

I still use them and they work great.

This is a fizzy tablet. 

Drop it into water and let it dissolve, 

then drink.

I usually just use about 1/4 cup of water.

This magic combination of Paracetamol 

and Acetylcysteine 

allows me to keep walking the Camino 

if I get a cold or flu. 

It is the BEST thing since apple pie, in my opinion.    

It clears my sinuses, clears my head, 

and clears my lungs without making me sleepy. 

The first thing I do each Camino in Pamplona 

is pick up a box of this, "just in case."  

I never walk without it. 

It's that good.

Keep this photo on your phone 

and show it to the pharmacist

and insist on this particular one,

 because there are other types that look like this, 

but don't do the job. 

This one below is ONLY for lungs.

It is helpful for me, 

as I tend to get congestion in the lungs 

when I get a cold or flu. 

It is a powder. 

I pour it into 1/4 cup of warm water, 

stir, and drink it down. 

It will loosen phlegm and help me cough up the crud.

FLUMIL 200 mg

Do not let them sell you any other type 

of Fluimucil or Flumil.

There is another effervescent tablet 

called Fluimucil Forte.

It doesn't work for me.

Here is a photo of it.

There is also a liquid, that for me, does not work.

In the Farmacia, 

you can also buy Compeed 

and other blister helps,

Volteron, which is a non-steroidal 

anti-inflammatory cream,

helpful for sore muscles

and unavailable in the USA without prescription,

Alcohol Romero,

which is Alchol with Rosemary in it,

and wonderful for massaging sore legs and muscles.

You can find shoe inserts,

elastic bandages and compression socks,

a Spanish KT tape,

shampoos and body washes,

awesome organic makeups,

and a host of other products.

It's really worth a visit,

especially in the larger cities.

But I caution you not to weigh down

your pack until you arrive in Santiago,

where you will find plenty of Farmacias

and other shops

full of wonderful products

to take back home. 

Again, I suggest you copy the photo 

of Fluimucil Complex

onto your phone

just in case.

It could save your Camino.

I hope you don't need it!

I hope you stay healthy 

and have no problems at all.

But this info might be helpful.

Buen Camino!

Annie

***

NOTE:  I am not suggesting you take any drugs at all.

I'm simply telling you what works for me

You must do your own research

and be sure the meds you pick up in Spain

do not conflict with any you may be taking.

If you would like to walk with a small group,

consider Anniewalkers.

Our next available trip will be Holy Year 2022.

More information at 

www.anniewalkers.com

A Pilgrim is Grateful . . .

The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage, 
and nearly every Spanish person I've spoken to 
feels that way. 

Though some folks may argue 
the Camino was there

long before the Christians embraced it,

we are not in the past.

We are in the present.

And today, 

the Way is meant to be a way of penance

Not easy.

Not comfortable.

In other words, you are expected to suffer.

Pilgrimage: A religious journey; a holy expedition

Penance:  Voluntary punishment, self-inflicted, as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong.

Whether you are Catholic or not,

whether you believe in God or not,

the fact is

you are walking a pilgrimage,

and very little convenience, 
as well as EVERY little convenience,

is to be thought of as a blessing.

Every inconvenience

is to be expected.

So, if you find there are no shower curtains 
on the doors,

or if the food is not good,

or costs too much,

or if you get blisters, shin splints, a sore back,

or even bedbugs,

don't be surprised.

Every challenge is a test 
of your fortitude,

and your gratitude.

Be grateful for a roof over your head at night,

for a bed to sleep on,

or even a nice mat on the floor!

Be grateful for a toilet in a bar,

and buy something to show your gratitude.

Be grateful for the stale bread and jam 

in the sleepy morning,

and the cold coffee 

that will give your body the energy to walk.

Be grateful for the rising sun,

the glorious colors reflected on the water,

the smell of the dew,

the rushing brooks,

the stork nests high above you,

the morning songbirds,

and the croaking frogs.

Be grateful for the lack of electric outlets 

to plug in your distracting devices,

as it will give you the opportunity 

to connect with fellow human beings,

something we've forgotten.

In fact, be grateful for no electricity at all

at sacred places like San Anton

or San Nicholas,

where you get the best meal,
the best view of the Milky Way,

and the best night's sleep

you've had in years.

Be grateful for the comfort of

the snoring pilgrim in the bed next to yours.

Be very grateful for a shower, 

to wash off the sweat and the dust of the day,

and be grateful whether the water 
is hot or cold,

and whether or not there is a curtain.

Be grateful for cool, fresh spring water to drink

from the fountains in every village.

Be grateful for the amazing support

you will receive
all along The Way,

for the bars where you can get a cold drink

and a free tapa to sustain you,

for the local people

who have so much patience with you,

who allow you to dirty their countryside

with your used toilet paper,

to leave graffiti on their sacred rocks,

and national treasures,

who will point the direction when you are lost,

who will feed you when you are hungry,

who will dress your wounds when you are injured,

and give you cold water when you are thirsty.

Be grateful you have legs to walk,

feet to carry you,

shoes on your feet,

and be especially grateful 

when you notice some walk The Way

barefoot and silent

Be grateful for ears to hear 

the morning choir 

that travels around and sings to the pilgrims

in the springtime,

their voices sweet and pure,

the harmonies lifting your soul.

Be grateful for a nose to smell the rain, 

that same rain that is making the trail so muddy,

and to smell the sweat of that pilgrim next to you.

Be grateful for eyes to see 
the beauty of the landscape,

much unchanged for hundreds of years,

the whitewashed buildings,

the crumbling buildings,

the restored buildings,

the rolling velvet hills,

the red fields of poppies,

the waving oceans of wheat,

and the twinkle in the eyes

of the abuelas who offer you 

their ripe cerezas and figs.

Be grateful for the grouchy priest

who refuses to give you a blanket when it is cold

because he believes you still have not

suffered enough!

Be grateful for the nun

who stamps your credential,

and sings you songs of blessing

as you sit around with other wanderers

and feel true joy

for maybe the first time you can remember.

Be grateful for the pilgrim plates

that feel so redundant after the first week,

the plates of pasta,

the jars of wine,

the baskets of bread,

the ensaladas covered in fresh tuna.

Be grateful for the Pilgrim Blessing

you receive at Roncesvalles
 or Viana 
or Tosantos

and even if you are not Catholic,

be grateful 
and be touched by the sincerity

of those wishing you so much goodness.

Be grateful for a bar of soap to wash your clothes,

and for clean underwear,

for a line to hang your clothes in the sunshine,

or inside if it's raining.

Be grateful for those who entertain us

with their guitars, their drums, their didgeridoos,

and their voices,

even singing off-key as they walk.

Be grateful for family style dinners,

nearly extinct in our busy modern world.

Be grateful for no wifi,

and ANOTHER chance to bury your iPhone

in your pocket,

and another few moments of 
face to face conversation 

with a fellow human being.

Be grateful for the smell of cow shit!

It is the reason for the  

luscious café con leche you drink each morning,

and the beefsteak on your plate at night.

Be grateful for the tinkling of bells in the fog,

and for the herds of sheep that block your path,

for they provide the cheese in your pack.

Be grateful even for the flies,

because they clear the path of the manure over time.

Be grateful for those blisters on your heel.

They are your body telling you to take better care

of your feet, and not to take them for granted.

Be grateful for the selflessness shown
by a young pilgrim 
offering the bottom bunk 
to an elder with grey hair
and aching bones.

Be grateful for the sun on your back,

the rain on your face,

the wind that buffets you,

the snow that forces you inside

to sit around a warm fire

and again enjoy the company 
of new-found friends.

Be grateful for the taxis and buses

that will carry you from one village to the next

when you have walked all day

only to find a sign on the door saying, "Completo!"

Be grateful for the kind hospitalera

who will put her arms around you

and comfort you

when tears of exhaustion 

overtake you, 
or the pharmacist
who will wash and dress your wounds,
or the pilgrim who will massage and care 
for your weary, blistered feet.

Be grateful for a doorway you can sleep in,

the doorway of a church,

an abandoned building,

a park bench...

Be grateful for your heavy mochila,

and the lesson to lighten your burden

not only on the Camino,

but in life.

Be grateful that you are learning 

what is REALLY important

and what is not.

And lastly,
be grateful for those who complain...

about the lack,

about their needs being unmet,

about the dirty sheets,

and no blankets,

and bedbugs,

and the food not being cooked their way,

about having to wait in line,

having to rush for a bed,

having to share bathrooms,

no mirror,

no towels,

no pillow,

no shower curtain,

about their fellow pilgrims,

about the guy not carrying his backpack,

or the girl jabbering on her phone,

or the old people walking too slow,

or the rocky path,

the muddy path,

the fog, 

the fire crackers at night,

the borachos downstairs,

the lack of porta potties on the path,

the slow service,

the lack of English (in a Spanish speaking country)

the lack of nut-free, lacto-free, gluten-free, meat free meals,

open windows in the albergue,

closed windows in the albergue,

having to climb up on a bunkbed,

about another book being written,

or another video being made,

or the crowds,

or no bed tonight,

or (fill in the blank).

Be grateful you can smile at them,

let their complaints roll off your back,

count your blessings,

and continue on The Way

with a song in your head

and gratitude in your heart.

Be grateful.

Love Annie

A TWELVE THOUSAND EURO fine!

If you are doing a winter Camino 

and plan on crossing from SJPP, 

you must obey the rules or expect 

an extremely heavy fine!

If the Napolean route is closed, 

you MUST take the Valcarlos route.

In case you can't read this, 

it is by decree of the government of Navarre. 

I will put it into my own words.

It has been decided that:

1) For safety reasons the crossing of the Napoleon route will be restricted and pilgrims are required to take the Valcarlos route, except for special permit issued by the Rescue Agency in Navarre.

2) The closure date will be listed

3) People not following the rules 

will be prosecuted by the local police.

4) Trespassers will be fined €12,000.  

That is twelve THOUSAND Euros!

5) In addition, the cost of rescue will be as follows:

30€ for EACH rescuer

35€ for ambulance

30€ for jeep, van, or car

1,360€ for sanitary helicopter

1,400€ for rescue helicopter

My Best Advice

Many of my readers have already walked the Camino Frances at least once, some recently, some a few years back. If it's been more than a few years, you may be surprised at some of the changes, the biggest of which is the high number of pilgrims walking and the need to book lodging. Due to social media, an influx of self-published books and YouTube videos, as well as some professional films, more and more people know about the Camino and are walking it, pushing it to its limits.

Whether that is a good thing or not depends on who you ask. It also depends on when you ask. At the beginning of the season, pilgrims are welcome. By the end of the season, they are thought by some more as rude, demanding locusts, destroying the land in their path. 

The truth is, walking the Camino has become a bit of a fad. But even if a person is walking "just because everyone else is," the magic is there. Almost all come home changed. 

The Camino has been known for hundreds of years as a spiritual pilgrimage, a route for penitents. 

Penitence: the action of feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentance. 

The hardships of carrying what you needed on your back, of never knowing where you'd find food and safe lodging, of dodging thieves and surviving the elements were often payment for sins or crimes, and there to teach important and sometimes hard lessons in living a good life.

No longer just a route for known penitents, pilgrims now walk for many reasons, religious, spiritual, touristing, sport, health, and just to say they did it! 

What remains constant are those magical moments, those teaching moments, along with the adage, "The Camino will provide." A pilgrim may not LIKE the provisions, but they will be there, along with those lessons in community, humility and patience. 

Nobody can promise you a perfect Camino. Not many will walk without experiencing some hardship, whether it be blisters, weather, illness, injury to body or spirit, or just extreme inconvenience.

What I can promise is this: you will return a changed human being, and hopefully a better one. 

If this is your first Camino, this is my advice, "Have no expectations - Be prepared to just buckle up, ride the wave, and look for the lesson in every inconvenience, large or small." With an open mind and a bit of preparation, you can have a very Buen Camino! 

Love,
Annie

I have spent the past two days updating my blog postings on last year's Camino.  It's been fun reminiscing and I'm very much looking forward to getting back on the Camino this coming Spring, despite my saying I'd never return.  ::chuckle:: My kids tell me I say that every year!

I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in a "Catch Up Camino" that just hit the major cities, Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, Astorga, and Santiago? When we're walking, we only have a day in each place and there's so much to see there.

I'm also wondering if it's worth doing another "Slow Camino?"  Last year I only had two pilgrims in my slow group, but it WAS fun! A little more difficult to arrange those in between stages, but if I started early, it could be done for Holy Year 2021. 

Maybe I'll post something on the website to see if there's any interest.

I'm also wondering about taking a group on the Aragones Route...

So many Caminos and so little time!

To the person who wanted to inspire love - you didn't!

I just ran across these photos from my 2018 walk and got angry all over again.

WHY does a person do this?
What makes it ok to destroy property that does not belong to them?
What kind of horrible parenting produced this lack of responsibility?

It's good I did not see them doing it because my "inner mom" would have come out and it wouldn't have been pretty. This went on all the way from Sarria to Santiago and I swear, by the time I arrived,I wanted to take away their can and spray-painted their hands and face!

Please people!
Have some respect!
This is NOT the way to inspire love - it does quite the opposite.

New Website Address!!!

I recently bought a domain and transferred my website to that domain.
Then I realized, in horror, I've posted the OLD address in probably 100 posts on this blog.

So today, my job is going to be to try to find and update that information.

In the meantime, my new web address for the group Camino walks is:

www.anniewalkers.com

Completing the Via de la Plata

Several years ago, Joe and I began walking the Via de la Plata. Against advice from seasoned pilgrims, we chose to walk in summer.  Big mistake!  For those who haven't read about it, the trip blog begins here:

http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2011/11/8-days-on-via-de-la-plata-day-one.html

We got as far as Fuente de Cantos and decided to toss in the towel.
We then jumped up onto the Camino Frances.
I left my blue and yellow "Walking the Via de la Plata" guidebook at the albergue in Leon and have always regretted it. If you happen to find it (my name is inside) I'd pay to get it back!

In 2013, I picked up where I had left off, in Zafra, and walked a few more stages.

This time I finished at Caceres before having to go meet up with my walking group in Pamplona:

Here is that blog thread:

http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2013/05/zafra-finally.html

Now, Joe and I are talking about finishing up this route. 

We looked at airfare and found tickets

round trip from LAX to Madrid for just over $400.

I just couldn't pass that up!

Since Joe hasn't walked the stages from Zafra, 

I will walk those sections again with him.

We hope to finish up in Astorga,

then travel to Segovia

where we have reservations for Holy Week.

At the bottom is our tentative schedule.

I've made all the necessary reservations,

and now my only concern is getting my foot and my Morton's Neuroma

to a point where it won't bother me too much to walk.

I've ordered special inserts for my new New Balance shoes.

I'm doing water aerobics and stretching each day,

and am lifting free weights 3 times a week.

As soon as the weather permits,

I'll begin walking every day.

Right now, it's 105-112 here in the desert 

so much too hot to walk!

Gearing up means I'll have to buy a new pack.

I sold the Jade 128 last year.

I'm looking at packs between 128 and 130,

and am especially interested in the top-loading Deuter.

Unfortunately, Arcteryx no longer makes the pack

I carried for so many years.

And... I'm on a strict budget!

Using The Budget Mom's workbook.

So far I've been SHOCKED at how much cash I've been wasting!

Ok.. here's our tentative schedule.

Of course, nothing is set in stone.

We'll ride the wave . . . 

-->

Date	Day	Village	Km	Albergue
5-Mar	Thu	Arrive Madrid
		Train or Bus to Zafra		Hotel Plaza Grande
7-Mar	Sat	Villafranca de los Barros	20	Albergue Carmen
8-Mar	Sun	Taxi to Almendralejo, Walk to Torremejia	14	Alberge Rojo Plata
9-Mar	Mon	Merida	16.5	El Templo Suites
10-Mar	Tue	Merida
11-Mar	Wed	Aljucin	17	Albergue St. Andre
		Thermal Baths
12-Mar	Thu	Alcuescar	22	Albergue
13-Mar	Fri	Aldea de Cano	15.4	Albergue
14-Mar	Sat	Caceres	23	Apartamentos BeHoliday
15-Mar	Sun	Caceres		Albergue
16-Mar	Mon	Cacer de Caceres	11.4	Albergue
17-Mar	Tue	Embalsa 664.26.27.42	23	Embalsa Albergue
18-Mar	Wed	Grimaldo	20	Abergue
19-Mar	Thu	San Gil	21	Albergue
20-Mar	Fri	Carcabosa	14	Señor Elenas
21-Mar	Sat	Oliva de Placecia
22-Mar	Sun	Aldenueva del Camino	19.5	Albergue
23-Mar	Mon	Calzada de Béjar	26	Albergue
24-Mar	Tue	Fuenterroble	21	Albergue
25-Mar	Wed	San Pedro de Rosados	28.6	Albergue
26-Mar	Thu	Salamanca	25	Los Angeles Plaza
27-Mar	Fri
28-Mar	Sat	Urb. El Chinneral	22.6	Albergue Casa Saso
29-Mar	Sun	El Cubo de la Tierra del Vino	15	Albergue Torre de Sabra
30-Mar	Mon	Villanueva de  Campeon	13.5	Albergue Peregrino
13-Mar	Tue	Zamora	19	Albergue Peregrino
1-Apr	Wed	Fontanillas de Castro	25	Albergue
2-Apr	Thur	Granja de Moreruela	12.5	Albergue
3-Apr	Fri	Benavente	25.5	Albergue
4-Apr	Sat	Alija del Infantado	22	Albergue
5-Apr	Sun	La Baneza	20.5	Albergue
6-Apr	Mon	Villares de Orbiga or Astorga	24.5	Albergue or Hotel ???
7-Apr	Tue	Astorga
8-Apr	Wed	Segovia
9-Apr	Thur	Segovia
10-Apr	Fri	Segovia
11-Apr	Sat	Segovia
12-Apr	Sun	Madrid
13-Apr	Mon	Madrid
14-Apr		FLY HOME		`

So that's the plan, Stan!
See you on the Camino!
Love,
Annie

I'm Taking a Group for Holy Year!

From the Pilgrim Office website...

***

Holy Year

In 1122 Pope Calixtus II gave Compostela the privilege of granting a plenary indulgence to those who visited the shrine of the Apostle in the years when the Saint's day fell on a Sunday.  This is recorded in the Bull, Regis Aeterni, issued by Pope Alexander III in 1179.

In the years in which the Feast of St. James (25th July) falls on a Sunday, that year is celebrated as a Holy Year.  Therfore there is a Holy Year every 5, 6, and 11 years.  The last Holy Year was in 2010 and the next is in 2021.  During Holy Years there is a considerable increase in the numbers of pilgrims to Santiago, who may enter the Cathedral by the "Holy Door" which is only opened during that year. 

The Plenary Indulgence (aka "The Jubilee")

The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession).  An indulgence is the full remission of all temporal punishment (time spent in purgatory) up to that point in a person's life. Individuals can gain Plenary Indulgences for themselves and for the deceased.

In order to gain the Jubilee Indulgence individuals must:

• Visit the Cathedral of Santiago where lies the Tomb of St. James the Great
• Say a prayer, at least the Apostles Creed, the Our Father and a prayer for the intentions of the Pope. It is also recommended that the individual attend Mass.
• Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (go to confession) and Eucharist (go to communion) within 15 days before or after the visit to the Cathedral.
• Indulgences can be gained at other times in the year through performance of other acts of devotion. These are outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

***

Well, I've gone and done it.

I've set up my website again 

and we're taking two groups to Santiago in May 2021 

for the Holy Year!

Keeping my fingers crossed 

my mother's health holds 

and I can get enough pilgrims for this 

very special Camino which may be my last.

More information available at this link 

as I build the website. 

It should be finished in the next few days.

Firm prices won't be available until the first of the year when I can finish making my reservations.

www.anniewalkers.com

Come join us?
Just 2 spots left!

Holy Morton's Neuroma!

I was hoping to possibly lead another group this year sometime, but two things have decided against walking the Camino this season:

1) I developed a Morton's Neuroma on my right foot, and it's VERY painful to walk. I really don't want surgery so I'm just treating it at home and praying it will resolve by next season.

2) My mother fell and broke her hip, her femur, and 3 ribs and she needs me here to care for her. I've been at her house since March, when I slept in the St. Jose hospital parking lot in my van while she had her surgery to repair the leg. I'm now in her house until she gets off the walker and can be alone.

So if at all, it looks like perhaps I'll walk NEXT season.

I have taken the Anniewalkers website down for now. Once I know I'll be taking another group, I will put it back up and notify people here, but I was getting so many requests and it got sad having to tell folks I wasn't taking a group this year.

Van life has been wonderful. Can't wait to get back on the road. My mom should be ok to leave by next month so I'm hoping to head home to Portland, Oregon to visit my kids and grandkids by the first week in July.

I guess that's all the news for now. Thank you all who continue to follow me. I promise to get back on the trail sometime soon.

Until then,
Buen Camino!
Annie