We made it! Santiago!

When we were in Portomarin, we went to Mario's place to experience quemada.

Bailey did a great job with the translation.

The Countdown Has Begun

After completing our longest day of hiking on the trip (30km!!) we are now only two days from arriving in Santiago. We are all very excited that we are almost there but sad to be soon leaving the gorgeous Spanish countryside. Here is some of what we saw on the previous two days of hiking:

"Buen Camino" is a common greeting heard on the Camino. It signifies wishing a good journey upon the other pilgrim.

Yellow arrows and/or shells guide us on the Camino 

This week on the Camino...

This past week in Spain has been full of touring cathedrals, exploring historic cities, and lots of good food. Sometimes, though, you can't beat the adventures that happen right on the trail...

First, Jackie became a famous musician and had a rap album cover photo shoot, Camino style

Abby, Libby, and Jackie took a quick siesta on the trail during the long walk into Sahagun

Libby decided that Henry's backpack wasn't pretty enough, and added some much-needed flower decorations
 
Much better!!!

SO MANY EXCITING REALLY REALLY REALLY OLD THINGS

Along our way to Samtiago we've had the chance to stop at some of Spain's historical sights (as a history major I frequently freak out at all the old stuff we see). Yesterday we stopped at an old Templar's castle that was from the 15th century. The Templar Knights used to protect pilgrims on the Camino many, many centuries ago. We all became our inner five year old prince and princesses at the sight of a castle. 

Not only was the castle gorgeous but we got to climb up to the top and see that amazing view of the city (Ponferrada).

The inside of the castle has been turned into a museum displaying old Templar artifacts such as clothing, letters, and paintings. There was also lots of old maps (some didn't even have North America and Australia on them because they were older than New World exploration) and had a Picasso rough draft of Guernica (Anne would like a special shoutout for helping to spell Guernica so gracias Anne). We all LOVED the castle! 

Live from the Camino

Hello to all of our fabulous readers! I promised my mom about a week ago that I would post on the blog (hi mom!) and then I promised Nanette that I would post two days ago, so I thought it was about time I actually did something about those promises. Life on the Camino is amazing. We wake up every morning and walk downstairs to a fully made breakfast, and then we just walk. It's very freeing to know that your only goal for the day is to walk from one city to another, and it's going to be a huge adjustment going back to the real world after this. It's hard to believe we'll all be walking into Santiago in just five short days, and then flying back to Minneapolis two days after that. This whole trip has just been a blur of laughter, sleepovers, food, and many many miles of Spanish countryside.

Yesterday we made the trek to the Cruz de Ferro and then up to O'Cebreiro, the highest point on the Camino. Oh, and we visited the coolest castle of all time, which belonged to the Knight's Templar. Cruz de Ferro was the spot where we finally got to leave the rocks that we all have been carrying with us. Each person's rock is supposed to represent a burden that is to be left behind on the Camino. It was such a cool experience to walk up a hill that was made of all these rocks from all around the world, with each rock representing a story from the person who left it there. I truly felt connected to every other person who has walked the Camino. After lunch was the moment we'd all been waiting for, the trek up to O'Cebreiro. This was the steepest/longest climb of the entire trip. Eight kilometers of pure torture (just kidding, but seriously, it was pretty steep). The good part was that I was mentally prepared for a tough hike, so it really wasn't all that bad in the end. The views as we were walking didn't hurt either. It was absolutely breathtaking by the time we got to the top. Unfortunately, I'm not able to post pictures from my iPad, so you guys will just need to close your eyes and imagine what the views from the top of a mountain in Spain are like, and then wait to see pictures when we all get home! I can't wait to see what the next week has in store for all of us, every step and every day brings us closer to Santiago.

A 30 minute walk???

So I could have sworn someone told me that the hike up to O Cebreiro was a half hour hike. And Nanette telling us that we wouldn't have to bring much up the mountain only reassured me that this would be a short walk. I did know that we would be walking up and up... But as we began the walk I noticed that everyone else in the group had been carrying their backpacks with them. Silly me I only brought a rain coat that was tied around my waist and in the raincoat was my phone and 40 euros. As we began our incline up the mountain someone asked me where my backpack was and I told them something like... Well, this is only a half hour walk and Nanette said not to bring much. I think it was Abby who then in disbelief said something like this hike is actually supposed to be 3 hours! It's 8 kilometers! And there I was, hiking up a mountain, our toughest hike yet. No water, no food, no backpack. It was tiring but the upside is I got to drink from two fountains and didn't have any weight to carry, it was great!

An Ode to Chocolate Cookies

Príncipe, my love Chocolate is imperative For the walk's success

Los animales along The Way

During our hikes the past couple of days I have loved all of the different animales that we walk with along the Camino. Today was especially fun because we passed by some adorable black and white spotted cows and their calves. Of course we had to stop and take pictures while Henry scurred along without batting an eye.

Further on in our walk, we stopped for a quick snack at a beautiful cross monument overlooking Astorga and three camino dogs came along. Two were cute and small, and the other one stole my heart. It was a huge, fluffy, furry gentle giant dog that came right up to us with his tongue hanging out of his mouth in the heat of the day just to see what we were snacking on and to get some good pets. We obliged on the later, but sadly we had finished our fruit and all we had left were apple cores and nectarine pits. Nothing fit for an awesome beast such as this one in front of us. I'm not kidding, I think his paws are as big as my hands!

Abby tells us all about the architect Gaudi while we sit in front of a building he designed in Astorga.

Ready for today's hike!

Wolf Pack

Over the past two weeks the group has grown closer and closer. We have created our own little family, which we like to refer to as "Wolf Pack."

I'm really bad at selfies and missed our lovely Abby in the photo, sooo here is a picture of Abby enjoying siesta in our glam spa hotel. Also, my apologies to Henry, who has long legs that carry him faster than my greatest dreams. 

The Camino has not only served as the path towards Santiago, but as a path for our friendships. This experience has been challenging physically and mentally, but I have learned and grown so much just by walking with this group every day. It is exciting and comforting to travel amongst individuals so different than I. Over the long days walking, feasting, exploring, and our super fun slumber parties we have found great ways to connect with each other despite our various backgrounds and passions. It is so incredible how this journey brings people together. Even apart from our own group the Camino has lead us to make friends with people from all over the world. We are having an international experience that crosses many borders and encompasses various cultures. I am amazed that I am learning so much about myself by learning so much about others. I am humbled to travel with people who emanate so much warmth and grateful for the opportunity to experience it with this more than fabulous group.

Ooooooohhhhhhh Cebreiro Here We Come!!!!

We are in Astorga!! After a lovely rest day yesterday in Leon, we were bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning, ready for another hike!! Since tomorrow is a long day, Nanette decided to take it easy on us for walking today. We bused away from Leon, and walked about 11 km into Astorga. After arriving in Astorga, I gave an excellent presentation on Gaudi outside of the Episcopal Palace in the center of the city. This lovely to building was built for Bishop Grau between 1889 and 1913. Here we observed some of Gaudi's early work and discussed his use of light and geometric shape in both the Palace and his other works.

Now it is around 3:30 and we are all enjoying a siesta. While siestas are slightly inconvenient when you want to go out and explore, they are excellent for napping and snacking!! So when the stores close, we turn in and munch on bocadillos de jamón y queso and candy. After our siesta today we will go explore the inside of the Episcopal Palace and possibly visit the Cathedral as well. Later this evening, Jacky will give another presentation on the Knights Templar afree which I am sure we will all turn in early.

Tomorrow we climb to O Cabreiro, where we will leave our stones that we have carried with us from  the US. With leaving our stones, we leave behind whatever we have personally been holding onto during the Camino. We will take an hour of silence as we make the climb up the mountain, to reflect on our thoughts.

With that, it is time for helado and los cellos! Tomorrow, we walk.

Some photos from the last few days on the trail. We will be in Santiago in 7 days!

Day of Silence

I realize we haven´t been posting on the blog very often. Instead we have been exploring beautiful cities that are older than our country, and making friends with some locals and other peregrinos so how could you blame us?! 

I thought I would touch on the day of silence that we had as we walked out of Santo Domingo and into Belorado. Some of us were a bit apprehensive going into the day knowing that we would not be allowed to talk to each other because we are naturally a pretty social group and we get along really well with each other. However, I was really looking forward to the day of silence and saw it as a good time to just think and let my mind go wherever it wanted to go without trying to maintain conversation. 

We started the day off as a group of silent walkers, but slowly we started separating ourselves into smaller groups. I even found myself walking alone most of the day. I actually really enjoyed it! I went at my own pace, which was pretty fast that day, and I just got to process the fact that I am walking a trail that so many others before me have. I am literally walking in their footsteps. It´s just an incredible experience. This revelation along with the songs that are always going through my head as the other peregrinas will atest to, I entertained myself the whole way. The trail was pretty easy and before I even knew it I was at our next stopping point. 

From what I heard from the other peregrinas, most everyone enjoyed the time to think and process during the day of silence. We hardly have time to think in modern society where we are constantly being bombarded with social media, the latest news stories from around the world and what the Kardashians are up to. On the Camino, all of that fades away and we can find out how our minds work again without all of the distractions. 

We have had a couple of days since our day of silence and I find that I am still having some amazing new thoughts. I´m learning so much about myself, and contemplating ideas that I never would have thought of before walking all of this way. We are currently in Burgos which is only about a third of the way to Santiago. I can´t even imagine what all I will learn by the time I come home! 

I´m excited to walk again tomorrow after a good rest day full of exploring and chocolate soup! (Yes, it´s everything you´ve dreamed of)

We had a great tour at Atapuerca where the oldest human remains in Europe have been found. Libby and Anne helped our guide Raquel compare skulls.

Mucho rest in Logroño and Santo Domingo

Today we had the day off in Logroño. That being the case, we all took advantage of our extra time to sleep in. That was awesome. After another delicious breakfast, most of us enjoyed another small nap. Yes, I know, it sounds like all we did so far was eat and sleep. BUT, once all of us were awake and ready to conquer the day we all set out for the town. I still don't understand how we navigated the city, but thankfully Abby has a wonderful sense of direction to guide us through the streets. We successfully found the Mercado de Abastos, a charming market throughout the street. The produce there was absolutely stunning. Here is a picture for you to indulge in the beautiful colors of the lunch we shared...

We ate our lunch at the fountain in the middle of a plaza, right between a little rose garden and an ampitheatre. (See above photo) Definitely a great place to enjoy the sun. I still cannot believe how many parks and plazas there are throughout the city, such lovely places to stroll and enjoy a peaceful moment. Also, because these parks are nice places to push strollers carrying little young humans, we have seen many babies, no complaining here. So cute! 

We took a bus to Santo Domingo and toured the Cathedral Santo Domingo de la Calzada and walked through the museum. It is an amazing experience to walk through this space that carries so much meaning for both the town and the pilgrimage. Being in these spaces that are so old and so well-preserved have allowed me to reflect on the values of them in these communities and my own values as well. I feel blessed that we have the opportunity to experience them while on our journey.  

Now, we are off to find a yummy restaurant for dinner in Santo Domingo. Until next time!

-Libby

A Much Needed Rest Day

After several long days of hiking it's a relief to have a day to rest and explore Logrono and Santo Domingo. All of us have enjoyed the shopping (mostly Zara) and going out with the group. The organization of the trip is great--we start and end our hiking early enough to get to see the towns we stay in, if we're not too tired. Thanks goodness for siestas!

Rest Day!!!

Holy cow the Camino is awesome!!! After four days of walking, my body feels very sore but also very powerful. We are blistered and bruised, but none of us care, because we are too busy having fun!

Spending 6 hours or more everyday walking sounds like it could be pretty boring from an outside perspective, but with the company we have, you never get bored. Spending time getting to know each of the beautiful women (and Henry!) is amazing. It is crazy to think how quickly we all can become so close.

The other peregrinos are also great company. We have been walking with people all over the world, from places including: South Korea, New Zealand, Holland, France, Brazil, England, Canada, and the list goes on. Each of these individuals brings to the Camino their own unique perspective and cultural values.

Tomorrow we have our first day of walking in silence. We will be walking 24 km in the heat and sun. This will be a testing experience for all of us, but I think we will all be better for it. While we each walk our own Camino, we are never alone on the Camino. So even though we are in silence, we are surrounded by other peregrinos who are also on their own journey.

Students on the Puente la Reina (Bridge of the Queen).  Thanks Vanessa for the lovely photos!

It is not always sunny on the Camino!

We are a little behind with postings but here are a few photos of the group and some of the scenery.

Yesterday was a big hike from Pamplona to a small town called Puente la Reina. The weather can be pretty unpredictable on the Camino, but it appeared it was goin to rain from the very start. Sure enough, when we were at the very top of the highest point on the trail for miles, the storm started. Wind, rain, and hail made for quite the experience. On the way down the hillside, the trail was washed out and had become a muddy stream.

For all the challenges that the weather presented, I expected some griping from the group. It had been easy going to that point, but it certainly wasn't easy anymore. And who could blame a soaked, cold pilgrim for being a little bummed out?

But I so underestimated the group. As we walked down the hillside, they greeted everyone we passed with a huge smile and a warm "Buen Camino!" In the middle of a thunderstorm they were making the most of the experience, and were even brightening the day for our fellow pilgrims. Needless to say, I was so impressed.

After the storm the sun came out and we finished the day with only some dampness left in the boots. Today was another long walk to Logroño, but we'll be resting tomorrow. Stay tuned for more updates!

See you...today?!

I can’t believe the day is finally here! Although it is very early in the morning and I am probably more than half asleep, I can’t wait to get to the airport and begin this journey with all of you! As others have said, whenever I tell anyone what I will be doing in the next few weeks I get reactions of absolute shock and amazement. This has definitely brought on some unexpected nervousness on my part, but I’m sure we can handle every challenge that lies ahead of us! See you soon!!

It's happening!

With the night before our departure coming to a close, I could not be more excited as I stare at my packed suitcase. After a very busy school year, I can not wait to spend three weeks exploring the Spanish landscape and culture while on the Camino. Anytime that I tell someone that I am off to Spain soon and doing the Camino they express jealousy since it will be such a great adventure. Even in the midst of nerves to be only traveling outside of the country for my second time and for the blisters that are to come, I am very excited that our journey starts tomorrow!

12 more hours!!

Helloooo! I’m Libby. As I am reading all of your blogposts I am getting more and more excited to truly get to know all of you as we travel the Camino together! I am absolutely excited to see what is to come in Spain and to experience it with you all. Thankfully, we only have 12 more hours until we will be at the airport, which seems crazy. Two weeks ago tomorrow seemed like it couldn’t come soon enough, and now it is basically here and I don’t even know how to cope with my excitement. Although school literally just ended (yay), I’m so stoked to be able to have the Camino as our classroom and explore the ways in which this trip will integrate intellectual, spiritual, and physical challenges. There is so much on my mind right now that putting words into sentences is becoming difficult, so with that I’m going to go re-evaluate my packing job one more time…See you tomorrow!!!! WOOP WOOP

Do We Really Leave Tomorrow?

It seems like just a few days ago it was March and this trip seemed so far away. People have been asking me for months what I'm doing this summer, and when I tell them I'm hiking El Camino Santiago, I'm almost don't believe it. I'm sitting in a pile of things I still have to pack, and have essentially vacated my apartment. However, I'm not sure I'll realize THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING until we set foot in Roncesvalles. Nevertheless, I am so excited for the trip and the adventure it will surely bring. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to start my summer with this fantastic journey.

Pre-Departure Thoughts

Hey there, my name is Bailey! As I am putting on the finishing touches on my packing for this amazing trip that we are about to embark upon, I find it astonishing that the time has come for us to take on the Camino together. I am so looking forward to this adventure and the people that we will meet and the close friendships that this journey is sure to create. I'm excited, but also nervous for all of the challenges that I'm sure the Camino holds. I'm going into the trip remembering "There's no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone".

This trip means so much to me not only as a traveler, but also as a Christian. The past two years, around the same time of the year, I've gone to a wonderful camp for Christian student athletes where I have grown in my faith. I am excited to use this time on the Camino to continue to learn and experience things in a brand new way and in a new environment.

I am a tad more nervous because I am coming off of a bout with the infamous viral infection of mono. I'm feeling much better, but I know I haven't been able to walk around and train as much as some of the other peregrinas before this trip. Hopefully my previous athletic training is sufficient and my shoes are well worn from other hikes.

Hello, my name is Anne! I am so excited to leave for Spain tomorrow. It is hard to believe that the plan is leaving in less than 24 hours. I am a little nervous because, although I have traveled quite a bit in the past, this trip is unlike anything I have ever done before. Mostly I am excited though. I cannot wait to arrive in Spain and begin the walk, as well as meet all the other peregrinas who are going on this adventure with me. I am sure that everything will fall into place perfectly as soon as we are a couple of days into the trip. I cannot wait to see everyone at the airport!

Preparing!!

Hello all, I am Abby! I am so excited to be sharing this journey with you all.

It is hard to believe that we will all be on a plane, traveling halfway around the world, only 48 hours from now. I have never been to Spain, so this is going to be a completely new experience for me. I am very excited to experience the culture of Spain and the Camino. At this point I have a lot of anticipation, and I cannot wait to start the journey!

Along with being excited, I am also honored. I am honored to be given this opportunity, that so many people will never get. For me, this is just another amazing experience that I get to partake in. However when I share our travel plans with others, they have so much respect for us all for taking ourselves on this journey. This has helped me realize how lucky we all are to be able to take a few weeks of time and indulge in this life changing experience.

With that, I look forward to getting to know you all! Good luck packing and preparing, and I will see you at the airport!

Hello all! My name is Henry. I went on the Hiking Through History trip two years ago after my freshman year and am returning this year to assist Nanette as a global seminar assistant...

Here we are just a few days away from the beginning of our adventure. When I went on the trip two years ago, it was a bigger group and I knew only one person before we left. Now, coming back as a teaching assistant and having practice-hiked with most of the peregrinas, I know that it will take no time at all for this year's group to become as tight-knit as I can imagine. After a long day of travel on Wednesday and a day or two of hiking, we'll all be getting along like old friends.
Some connections made along the Camino can last a lifetime. In the last few days I heard that we'll be meeting an old friend from the last trip during our final days in Santiago. I couldn't be more excited.

I'm so thrilled for this new adventure with these new traveling companions. Here are some pictures from the last trip just to whet your appetite.