Amundsons

The Meseta (table from the Spanish word Mesa) refers to the high plains of Castille Spain, and it begins directly after Burgos.  I knew it was coming of course- I always know where the flat parts of any hike are located.  But I am not sure I was prepared for this view of forever as we came up to it.  A path winding up a mountain naturally gives you the next marker to walk to, this path is a constant reminder that you are walking 800km.  It is going to take us at least 7 days and a lot of water to cross the meseta.   Many of the other pilgrims skip this stage, jumping on a bus to the upcoming mountain range (which is certainly coming).  The Meseta is too boring, too hot, too empty, too much nothing, and I get it.   They are not wrong- it certainly is all of those things.  But there is also a majesty to it.  Perhaps I have finally turned into a Midwesterner, but the openness and vast landmass that just doesn't stop can feel just as breathtaking as the mountains. Although Clai

As you might expect, many of the Spanish cities are surrounded by some pretty impressive walls.  Although the current growth of the cities expands far beyond these walls, the city centers are tucked into these protective cocoons.  Entering Burgos the exterior feels like a hard candy shell hiding ancient treasures within. Those treasures of course begin with breathtaking cathedrals.  Pointing you towards God is their job, and they have been doing a pretty good job for oh let's say 7 centuries.  We planned our second rest day for Burgos.  The cities have lots to show off, and we aren't interested in rushing through them.  They also have AirBnBs, which is such a deal for a family traveling internationally.  It provides more of a feel of home than a hotel at a great price.  I'm gonna let Claire show you this one and just say that even with this view it was cheaper than staying at the Super Eight in Greenville. I would never say that I love

After 300 km the common question "why are you walking the Camino?" ends and the question "how are your feet?" begins.   At the beginning of the journey, philosophical and theological ideas rule, I am also assuming the end of the journey will be full of reflection and contemplation.   But we have reached Burgos, and Burgos has no patience for anything but the practical.   The city that proudly announces on their travel tour that they have 30 pilgrim hospitals, which have been running since the 13th century, knows pain.   The path into Burgos is littered with abandoned hiking boots, and many of our traveling companions who were so energetic and hopeful as we crossed the border into Spain have bowed out.   Forced home by blown-out knees, swollen and twisted ankles, and bloody patched up feet to catch the next flight and head back to New Zealand, or Canada, or wherever home might be.   The small blister that didn't heal back in Pamplona has become an open

As a teacher, I live by routines in my classroom.  New experiences have the potential to create two different reactions.  Predictability can help kids feel safe, and their needs met.  When needs are in the bag, new experiences are exciting and have the potential to lead to some really deep learning.  Unpredictability can cause fear and anxiety, suddenly any new learning is lost as kids spend all their energy trying to ensure that they are safe and fed. It's Maslow, he knew what he was talking about then, and it's still true today.  Traveling, just like the classroom, has the potential to cause the same reactions.  Predictable routines created during travel can lead to amazing experiences, deep learning, and create lifelong adventure seekers.  We are somewhat Vagabonds, sleeping in a different place every night, and pretty much everything from the toilet paper to the light switch is new.  So routines don't come easy, but sticking to a few basic, predictable things can ma

The Camino is a path marked by seashells and yellow arrows.  Any intersection, any possible fork in the road has a clear yellow marker indicating the direction towards Saint James.  Whenever we come across a new shell the girls and I yell "Amarillo!" as loud as we can, as if finding an Easter egg.  Jake just follows the arrow.  If my girls get nothing else correct in Spanish 101, they will know the color yellow, oh and "baño por favor".  That one is already deeply entrench with some awkward experiences.  I guess whenever a rag-tag crew of four, finds themselves on a long journey following a yellow marked path to discover the promises of a legendary old man, OZ is bound to come up.  It had been a particularly hard day: a long hike/rain/hills...  we were dragging and thought we had reached our destination when it became apparent we still  had another hour before we were done for the day.  So  before we turned on each other, the question surfaced, if  mom was Dor

So apparently there is a lot of walking on the Camino.  Since our first day September 4th (12 days ago) we have walked 200km (over 120miles for our English system friends).  All on foot with all our stuff on our backs.  The rain, the hot Spanish sun, the wind on the top of the mountains, the mud as we slide down those mountains.... we have walked.   We have 590km to go, but I feel like we are hitting our stride.  The packs don't seem as heavy, which may be because we are getting used to them or maybe cause I made some additional cuts (do we really need clothes?).  Some days are short with only about 15km and other days have been too long with 30km.  But each day we find out something new about ourselves and each other.  We walk a lot through the countryside, our favorite moments are seeing a little village coming up on the path.  They mean a café con leche or lunch or a shower and a bed.  We have walked through countless of the sweetest towns all with their chur

We spent two nights in Pamplona, to rest the feet, and also we didn't want to rush through such a magnificent city.  The Running of the Bulls happens during the Festival of San Fermin, in July, so we missed it.  Which is unfortunate cause I totally would have done it.... maybe. Fortunately, the girls got to run with the statues of the people running with the bulls.  It's just as fun and slightly safer.  We got a really cool tour of the Plaza de Toros, the stadium for the Bull Fights, and the end of the Running of the Bulls. One of my kids has a little bit more flare than the other.    We had our Pinxos (Basque Tapas) at Ernest Hemmingway's favorite cafe.  I downloaded Old Man and the Sea, thinking it would be a good way to spend the evening reading with the girls in  Pamplona.... it wasn't. We ended up watching cartoons in Spanish.    We had big plans for a video in front of Alto del Perdón - Monumento Peregrino.  It's a pretty f

During the decension from the Pyrenees, we crossed the border into Spain.  "Bon Jour" becomes "Buen Camino" not only acknowledging the language change from French to Spanish but also our evolution into Peregrinos (Pilgrims).  The Virgin Mary greets us in what seemed like all the hardest places, and we were able to spend the night in an old Monastery at Roncesvalles. This Monastery has been providing shelter and meals to weary pilgrims for centuries after the cross over the Pyrenees.  We went to Mass and received our Blessing for the journey.  As the priest raised his hands in the ancient cathedral over my family, I knew that he was providing protection greater than anything North Face or Marmot could sell. The Camino is marked well with seashells, yellow arrows, and signs.  Spain is not interested in lost pilgrims, and neither are my feet.   We still need to stay alert to directions, and since I gave my phone away (my burden) to a sweet lady back in Fr

.............. "This is my favorite view of all time"- Claire "Nope, wait. Here it is.  Best view ever!"- Claire "Oh WOW, this is just like that view, but with horses, so this is my new favorite!"- Claire "MOM!!  Can you believe this view, I can't even.  Yep I think I like the view with sheep better than the one with the horses"- Claire "Ahh!  A view with purple flowers!  This has to be my favorite"- Claire  So the Amundsons made it up and over the Pyrenees!  And boy am I glad we packed light.   The Camino climbs over the Pyrenees in 24 km (about 15miles) and ascends about 1,200 meters (about 4,000 ft).  We did all of it, even when the taxi came by to offer a lift.   Lunches have been grabbing a baguette, some sheep cheese, and ham before we leave town.  You get a view and a chance to thank the sheep that provided your lunch.  The pigs weren't around though, because well, you know...