Let’s Get Started…
Tuesday, April 16
Everything matters. Everything weighs something. Each ounce adds up. Any Camino like any journey begins with preparation - checking routes and destinations, buying new gear and equipment, taking stock of what’s still in good shape, and deciding what goes and what stays behind. My backpack will be my house for the next 90 days. Everything that I want and need must fit inside it. I weighed it at 22 pounds - not as good as I had hoped but better than I feared. I arrive tomorrow in Andalusia. Can’t wait to set my feet back on Spanish soil!
Granada
Sunday, April 21
After attending church and visiting the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows in Baza, we traveled to Granada, passing a horse drawn carriage on a main road. We explored the catacombs near Sacromonte in Granada today dating back to the first century, where San Cecilio - one of the two patrons saints of the city and a disciple of Santiago - St. James the Greater - was martyred in the first century. I love exploring sites like this that few Americans and tourists take time to see or even know about. Granada is one of my top ten favorite cities in Spain. It’s got a great vibe, incredible history, architecture, food, and so much to offer and do. Earlier in the day, I played my first doubles game of pádel, and we prevailed. It’s a great game and is incredibly easy to pick up. We ended the day by watching El Classico - the twice a year soccer match between El Real Madrid and Barcelona. I have probably spoken 40 hours of Spanish since arriving less than five days ago. This is the ideal way to learn a language.
Baza, Andalusia
Friday, April 26
Baza was an important city in this region of Andalusia long before Granada was established. Today, Granada has over 200,000 residents and another 150,000 in the surrounding region. Baza has only 21,000 residents, but an incredibly interesting heritage. It has been ruled by Phoenicians, Iberians, Visigoths, Romans, and Arabs, before being reconquered by Christians 500 years before the Christians reconquered Granada, which is only an hour away by car, in 1492. The history here is layered and rich. A highlight yesterday was visiting the casa/cuevas (cave houses) carved into the hillsides outside of Baza. At one very large cave, we had a drink in a casa rural that has a bar, restaurant, and seven rooms for rent, one of which has room for eleven guests to sleep. I met Antonio David, one of the local priests, and had a nice conversation in the plaza mayor of Baza.
Camino Aragonés
Wednesday, May 1
A brilliant day on the Camino Aragonés highlighted by meeting William Bates and his family in Jaca. His mother was co-chair of the Search Committee that recommended me to the Vestry to become the Rector of Christ Church Greenwich. Jaca is a lovely town of 13,000 that swells to 55,000 in the winter for skiing and in the summer for hiking and enjoying the outdoors. It’s a marvelous place. It was hard to leave the albergue in Canfranc. It was perhaps the best that I have ever stayed in. We walked over 23 kilometers today, which was perfect for a second day on the Camino. I have greatly enjoyed reconnecting with my dear friend Charles Schwalbe and sharing the Camino with him.
Santa Cruz de la Serós
Saturday, May 4
You meet the most amazing people in albergues. Manuel (Manu) and Juan José (Juanu) walking companions. Juanu (dressed in black) is almost completely blind. He said that he is one of five people in Spain who has become almost completely blind from stress. They are both in great spirits and good shape. They will walk 25 kilometers over rocky uneven terrain. Amazing! After saying goodbye to them following breakfast, I returned to Jaca to watch the First Friday of May Fiesta Parade, which commemorates a battle won by the troops of Count Aznar in 760 A.D. against the Moors. Four horsemen traditionally lead the parade each carrying a pike with the head of a Moorish king stuck on top. Yes, this is not politically correct, but neither is Spain. Over 800 citizens in this city of 10,000 take an active role in the parade. It closes with the singing of a dramatic hymn followed by lots of eating, drinking, and dancing. If the Spanish love anything, they love fiesta!
Baza, Andalusia
Thursday, April 18
I’m trying to catch up on sleep and adjust to the time change after arriving with little sleep. This is a true Spanish immersion as I’m living in Baza, Spain - a pueblo of 21,000 people - for several days with my Spanish teacher and his family. I’ve had a chance to have long, interesting conversations especially about the history of Spain with my Spanish teacher’s father and brother, both of whom are very knowledgeable. Spanish history fascinates me incredibly. Baza is off the beaten path. Few tourists come here. It’s a perfect opportunity to improve my Spanish, which needs much improvement. They cut off the ends of words in Andalusia. Instead of saying “adios” and “gracias,” they say “adio” and “gracia.” It’s fascinating how languages morph over time in differing places.
Granada Continued
Tuesday, April 23
Granada, Spain is unbelievably rich in its religious heritage ranging from the Moors to the Reconquista by Isabel and Ferdinand - los Reyes Católicos. It’s so much to take in.
Cordoba
Monday, April 29
My Spanish teacher and I drove from Granada to Cordoba. He gave rides to two Spanish students studying in Cordoba. Inside the car they spoke rapid fire Spanish. It was another good experience in language learning. Cordoba is the city of the Jewish and Muslim philosophers Maimonides, Averroes, and Avicenna, who were among the greatest scholars of their day. The latter two helped to translate the works of Aristotle into Latin, creating an intellectual breakthrough in Europe that led to Thomas Aquino’s producing his Summa Theologica. It was the greatest learning center of Europe in its day. Its mosque with a cathedral built inside it by Christians who conquered the city is one of the wonders of the world. Julio Romero de Torres - one of my favorite Spanish painters - spent his life in Cordoba, first designing posters for bullfights, and later capturing the world of Andalusia like no other artist. His former home now houses his museum. I’m now aboard a train heading to Zaragoza, where I will meet my oldest Spanish friend and we will go hiking in the Pyrenees.
Santa Cecilia, Spain
Thursday, May 2
It rained all morning. Said farewell to my dear friend, Charles Schwalbe, who joined me for two days of hiking. Logged a meager 15 kilometers. Recited the Jesus Prayer in English and Spanish and listened to a podcast on Hemingway in Spain as I slogged through the rain. Arrived at albergue, showered, ate a great lunch, and slept like a log. Dried everything off. Enjoyed the company of fellow pilgrims. The body can only do so much.
Undués de Lerda
Sunday, May 5
Last night I slept in Undués de Lerda - a village of 30 people with many second homes for people who seek a house in an utterly quiet setting in the countryside of the Spanish Pyrenees, but who are rarely here. I was the only pilgrim in the albergue last night. Life is simple. Wake up. Pack up. Eat breakfast. Trek and trek. Find an albergue. Unpack. Shower. Siesta. Read a bit in Spanish. Have dinner. Sleep well. Repeat. The countryside is lovely. The people are friendly. Life is good on the Camino Aragones. This was how the Camino Frances was 45 years ago before it was discovered and became so famous and over traveled by people from around the world.
Guadix
Friday, April 19
Guadix is the rival city of Baza. For hundreds of years, there has been a festival called “el Cascomorres,” which is incredibly tribal and as important for these two communities of 20,000 as the running of the bulls is for Pamplona. Google YouTube Redbull Cascomorres to learn more. Today, I played pádel for the first time. It was great fun. It’s a major sport in Spain and is picking up across the United States.
El Castillo de Calahorra
Thursday, April 25
A man’s home is his castle. El Castillo de Calahorra sits in an incredibly strategic location overlooking the Sierra Nevadas. We visited it after spending the day roaming the Alpujarras, a mountainous region dotted with small villages of white houses nestled in the hillsides. We were in search of Yegén, a pueblo of 200 houses where the English author and hispanista Gerald Brenan - author of South to Grenada - lived for seven years. What we discovered was like walking into a novel as we conversed with residents who actually met and knew him. Dinner was served at 10:45 pm after a long day.
Arrived in the Pyrenees
Tuesday, April 30
My good friend Charles Schwalbe from Spain and I started the Camino Aragonés this afternoon after he picked me up at the train station in Zaragoza. This is one of the least chosen caminos - the way less traveled as Robert Frost would say. We arrived in the Pyrenees, picked up our credentials, which are like passports allowing you to stay in albergues (which resemble youth hostels). The albergue where we are staying tonight is in the tiny village of Granfranc (population 50). The albergue is wonderful. It is clean, new, and well-constructed and well-maintained for pilgrims. It’s a donativo, which means that there is no required charge. Pilgrims merely leave a donation signifying what the stay has been worth to them. Because we didn’t get hiking until 4 pm, we only hiked 15 kilometers, which is a perfect start for a first day. We trekked up to Somport, which lies on the French/Spanish border and hiked back down, passing many bunkers from the Spanish Civil War or World War One, lots of wild flowers and orchids, rushing streams, singing birds, and a handful of pilgrims from Brazil, Sweden, France, and Australia - all of whom are sleeping here tonight. While walking, my mind flutters with all kinds of thoughts as memories flash by like a life review and giving me time to ponder the significance of many moments in the past.
Camino Aragonés
Friday, May 3
Today, I walked backwards without a backpack and just my walking sticks heading in the direction where I had come from yesterday in order to visit three ancient monasteries off the beaten path of the Camino Aragonés. The town of Santa Cruz de la Serós with a population of 100-150 is charming. The romanesque monastery there is lovely. From there I took the much longer main road by accident instead of the very steep but much shorter Camino path leading up the mountain to visit the new and old monasteries of San Juan de la Peña. The old monastery dates to the 11th century and the new monastery dates to the 12th century. The old monastery is where many of the kings of Aragon are buried. It’s carved right into the wall of one of the Pyrenees mountains. The ancient religious stone carvings and capitals never cease to amaze me, especially those from the Romanesque period. It took me six hours to reach all three sites, but it was worth it. Having worked hard to get there, I rewarded myself with a taxi ride back to my albergue. One of the big surprises was seeing the Women’s Tour de España pass immediately outside the old monastery in Santa Pedro de la Peña. These brilliant athletes were racing at great speed down the mountains where I had just walked and were carrying on in spectacular fashion. Sometimes I wonder why I hike these caminos, and at other times I wonder how I could not be drawn to walk them.
Undués de Lerda, part 2
Monday, May 6
Last night I slept in Undués de Lerda - a village of 30 people with many second homes for people who seek a house in an utterly quiet setting in the countryside of the Spanish Pyrenees, but who are rarely here. I was the only pilgrim in the albergue last night. Life is simple. Wake up. Pack up. Eat breakfast. Trek and trek. Find an albergue. Unpack. Shower. Siesta. Read a bit in Spanish. Have dinner. Sleep well. Repeat. The countryside is lovely. The people are friendly. Life is good on the Camino Aragones. This was how the Camino Frances was 45 years ago before it was discovered and became so famous and over traveled by people from around the world.
