Q & A with Sue :)

My friend Sue Vlahos would make a great reporter.  On a slow day when not much has happened she can still ask questions of people to bring out interesting details one wouldn’t have thought existed.  And when something has actually happened of interest – she’s all about getting the true story.  It’s a wonderful attribute.  So, she had a few questions for me on her own and I actually asked her for more.  It helped me think through what else people might want to know.

How far in advance did you start training?

I started training in earnest in December 2017 – the day that I decided I needed to go ahead and book this trip.  For months, my training consisted of taking our two Shar Peis on long walks.

 

My son had shared this task for a long time but I took it over for the most part in December.  And, in the spring I signed up for group hikes in my area through www.MeetUp.com (our friend Lori had clued me in about this site).

Did you walk every day?

Yes.

How far?

1 – 5 miles with the dogs, depending on the weather.  And, the group hikes were sometimes for 8 miles.

Did you practice with your poles and back pack?

Not the poles, but I did carry the back pack on a couple of the group hikes to get the feel of it.  Not really a practical thing to do when trying to steer two crazy dogs in the right direction – but on group hikes it worked.

Where did you get your pilgrim’s passport & what did it cost?

You can order the Pilgrims Credential in advance online but I got mine at the pilgrim office in St Jean Pied Du Port, France for 2€ (less than $3).

How many stamps did you need to get along the way to get a certificate of completion?

You only need to walk the last 100 km to get your certificate, which is why some people only walk the last 100km and that portion is crowded. But, God bless them – if they only have a few days or a week and want to spend it walking, good for them. The certificate is called a Compostela. For the last 100km you need to get 2 stamps per day “to prove you didn’t just take a cab from one albergue to the next”…though I saw lots of cabs waiting for people at various points during the last 100km – so it doesn’t actually prove you didn’t take a cab. It just proves you got two stamps. Though why anyone would want to lie about it is beyond me. It’s a PILGRIMAGE. Nobody is required to do it!

Did the stamps cost anything?

Stamps are free.  You can get them at bars, cafes, and churches along the way.  Sometimes, in churches for example, there’d be a box out for ‘donativos’ so you could give them a small donation for expenses – but it’s optional.  Albergues also always provide a stamp when you check in. You need a pilgrim’s credential (the book the stamps go in) in order to be able to stay at an albergue. When you check in for the night you present your credential, your passport (or i.d. if you’re Spanish), and whatever the room fee is – anywhere from a donation up to about 15€. Private rooms, if offered, are more expensive.

Did you start walking at day break?

I started walking shortly after I woke up. The earlier you typically start, the better, so you’re not walking in mid-afternoon heat – which I did a few times and survived but was stinking to high heaven when I got there – I mean, more than usual. Typically I’d hike about 5km and then stop at a cafe for coffee and something for breakfast.  I set my alarm though (the exception) the morning I wanted to see the Cruz de Hierro at dawn. Otherwise I didn’t set my alarm the whole time.

What time did you stop for the day?

I stopped walking when I’d reached where I wanted to be. Sometimes I was there by early afternoon.  Sometimes not until almost dinner. Just depended on the terrain and distance.

Did you plan how far you were going to walk each day the evening prior, before you left on your trip, or did you wing it the day of?

I had a really good guidebook that I’d consult each evening to try to get an idea of what was in store the next day.  This is also the point where I’d decide (other than the first day) whether or not to ship my pack ahead.  The downside to shipping the pack is that it commits you to going at least as far as the place you shipped your pack.  So, toward the end of the trip especially (when I was trying to slow down and savor each day) I preferred to carry my pack every day so I could decide to stop if I came across an adorable village and wanted to stay there instead of the place I’d originally planned to go.  This is how I ended up by the beautiful river in awesome, quaint Molinaseca rather than in the city of Ponferrada.

Did you ever take a day off and not walk? It didn’t seem like it from your blog.

I walked every day from May 30 – June 30.  However, a couple days were shorter than the traditional ‘stages’ in the guide book.  To slow down toward the end I made two stages into a three day project.

How was the food?

FABULOUS.  Healthy.  Mediterranean.  Simple.

Typical breakfast was wonderful coffee or fresh orange juice & croissant or fruit or a hard-boiled egg, or a Spanish tortilla (which is basically like a quiche – not the flat bread one thinks of when talking about a Central / South American tortilla.)

Lunch was typically something light but would often include local cheese, tomatoes, and Spanish ham (which is thin, smoked ham resembling Prosciutto).  It was everywhere – even in salads.

Dinner was typically off the daily menu – or Pilgrim’s menu – and would include a choice from each: starter, main course, and dessert.  The selection depended on the chef.  My favorite starter was the Galician broth, which I shall endeavor to make the next time I have a hambone, turnip greens,  and some time in the kitchen… https://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/gastronomia/recetas/caldo_gallego.html.  The salads were always what was fresh and seasonal and were not served with dressing.  I learned to love dressing-less salads and have had them every day since I got back home!  Main courses were typically things like paella (especially in the eastern side of the country), chicken, fish, pork, often a vegetarian option – though one place had the option of rabbit … which I took.  First time I’ve ever eaten rabbit (that I know of) and it does taste a bit like chicken.

One other thing I tried in Santiago that I’ve never had before is Poulpo, which is a local specialty.  It’s grilled octopus with potatoes.  Very tasty.

Did you always carry snacks?

Yes.  Didn’t want to get caught out without emergency food.  Typically brought a couple oranges, dried fruit, and carrots (which I shared with various animals). If fruit was a dessert option at dinner, I’d typically take that option and save the fruit for my snack.

When you sent your bag ahead, who did you send it with?

There are designated shuttle services that do nothing but haul backpacks around for pilgrims. I was a little leery about the idea at first but used one the first day because I was poisoned by plane water from my flight over and was ill at about the 5km mark. I started downing electrolytes in my water after that and kept going. About 8k I was completely whooped and asked God for help. I went in to the next cafe to rest and a van pulls up to get packs from the cafe. I asked if he’d take my pack too and how much. It was about 5€ and I was glad to not have the weight with me. I took just my basics with me. Water, food, guidebook, money pack and ids, raincoat (because it was raining), and my walking sticks. That was about it. To my delight my pack was waiting for me at the monastery. No problem.

I used that type of service maybe half a dozen times?    There are several different vendors and I never had any trouble. I’m convinced if my big pack went missing I could still make it across Spain with just the few things that were ‘essential’ enough to take with me in my daypack.

What did the service cost?

Typically 4 or 5 euros per backpack. It’s a set rate just depending on the vendor.

Speaking of your bag, was there anything you took that you wished you’d left at home?

The second morning I left behind at the monastery things that were too heavy or unessential.  A container of Bag Balm …brought for my feet (Spain has excellent pharmacies if I had an infection…which I never did); extra types of first aid tapes (I just used duck tape – which is multipurpose); a really heavy notebook; and a battery charger. That last item was heavy like a brick and unneeded because every place I stopped for the night had a plug that I could charge my phone on using my international charger. After that first day of listening to music most of the day my phone was still 60% charged.  Along the way I lost two water bottles. I still had one Nalgene water bottle and after losing my second replacement of the other bottle I’d lost I just bought water in a disposable plastic bottle and refilled it. Lighter weight, too.

Was there anything you wish you had and didn’t bring?

My list was pretty thorough so I wasn’t hurting for much. However, due to the strenuous exercise – every afternoon my first priority was a shower and washing my hair. I typically wash my hair every other day at home so washing it every day was a bit of a shock. For that reason I wish I’d brought a travel size bottle of conditioner.

Other stuff I bought there that was helpful: magnesium/potassium tablets & a small container of aloe lotion for sunburn.

I noticed sometimes you called ahead for a bed for the night. Was this in towns with few beds, or was there another reason? 

I tried calling ahead a couple times when I shipped my pack ahead on really long uphill days so I’d have a bed at the location my pack was being shipped. But I actually just left messages and hoped they understood me. It wasn’t really necessary to call though. If the place had been full I would have picked up my pack and walked to another place down the street. I made an actual reservation for the ‘hippie’ place at the top of the mountain because it was at the end of a long uphill climb and it sounded like a fun place (on paper) – but it turned out to be a grimy, hot, fire hazard – so, I walked out and went to another place.  The only time I thought it was crucial was when I approached Santiago and found out there was a massive music festival and hostels and hotels were actually filling up. That’s when the Rick Steves recommendation came in handy. And I didn’t freak out, knowing the travel industry, that they charged me double for the first night for a nice hotel room due to city-wide selling out. That first night was 120€ (about $145?) and the other nights were almost half. It was a fabulous location near the cathedral and was super comfortable. And still quite reasonable for a nice hotel room in a major city

Was there ever a time when you had trouble finding a place to stay?

I never really feared not having a place to stay (other than needing to plan ahead for Santiago).  The guidebooks are pretty accurate about the number of beds in each town.  During the first three days I got the last bed available in the place I’d set my sights on (though there would have been other options.)  After that I figured that God was looking out for me so I shouldn’t stress it.  And, indeed, I always had food, shelter, and a shower…and only once was the shower cold.

How did your feet hold up?

Other than a small blister on one of my toes the first day – I didn’t have any foot trouble.  I had a really comfortable pair of hiking boots that I’d worn in a bit prior to the trip and that had enough room in them to let my feet expand (everyone’s do).  I brought 3 pairs of wool socks (the only tricky thing was making sure that at least one pair was completely dry when I started out for the day), taped my hot spots the first couple days with duck tape until they toughened up a bit, and slathered my feet with Vaseline before I put my socks on so that there was no chance of friction (which causes blisters).  When we stopped for coffee it was common for pilgrims to take their shoes and socks off if out on a café patio to let our feet cool down…only on the Camino!  I also always wore sandals in the showers so that I wouldn’t come into contact with any potential community foot fungus.

When you returned, how was it for you adjusting to life…after Camino?

I missed my family and do enjoy being home but I do also miss the walking and the community of the Camino.  It’s said that one’s Camino actually starts when you get back home – that’s when the effect of your walk takes hold.  I’m hoping for that.  I see areas of my life that need calmness, gratitude, self-control, perseverance, and peace.  I know that the God who walked with me through those trails is sufficient to provide this and everything else I need.

On lighter notes, the Camino has also had immediate effects in ways I wouldn’t have guessed.

Amnesia.  I completely forgot how to log into my work laptop from home.  And I forgot my current password for my work iPad.  My buddies in IT will probably have to scrub it and start over.

Healthier eating.  I’ve been converted to dressing-less salads, for example.  The last couple Saturdays I’ve gone to the local farmer’s market and stocked up on veggies.  This past weekend I roasted corn, peppers, mushroom caps, and zucchini on our grill. Also boiled half a dozen beets.  Then cut everything up to be tossed with lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes for this week’s lunches.  Everything tastes great with just a little salt & pepper.

Clothes don’t fit.  When I got home I went through my closet and donated two bags of clothes that didn’t fit anymore – I was swimming in them.  I bought a pair of jeans, three pairs of nice work trousers, two pairs of yoga pants, and a pair of shorts – all of which would fit in half a bag – and I consider my closet now fully stocked. I started with way too much originally!

Yoga, my pastime friend, has now become a necessary evil.  I don’t know if it’s the effect of swapping a lot of fat for a lot of muscle over the course of one month – or because I stopped walking so suddenly – but my flexibility is completely out the window.  I can still touch my toes – but I can barely sit cross-legged.  So, I’m going to make a point to not miss a class so I can get my flexibility back.  Flexibility is a good thing!

Are there any questions you still want to ask that Sue didn’t capture?

More later…