Life's a Stitch

The storm continues at full force and we are glad to have cabbed to our next stop at Atapuerca, home to the prehistoric caves where the earliest human remains ever were discovered in Europe and dated back to over 900,000 years. If the storm lifts we hope to get to the Unesco site. As we left Villafranca we saw a crowd of pilgrims huddled together at the bus stop, a rainbow of ponchos.

We are hanging out unofficially in a cottage that's part of the alburgue where we have reservations for tonight. A departing pilgrim let us in and we've gotten comfy in the common room with a cup of tea. It feels a bit weird to be squatters.

C's been working on his journal while I've finally taken out my art supplies.

Thought this would be a good time to talk about some of the people we've met along the Way. Someone reported that there were people from 58 countries registered on one day at the Pilgrim's Office.

I liked the message this French pilgrim was carrying:

We met a man, about age 70, who is doing the entire Camino in 20 days. Unrealistic? This is his third time. He's carrying a pack of 9.6 lbs as opposed to our fully loaded packs of 22 and 27 lbs. He's drilled holes in his toothbrush handle rather than cut it off in the style of ultralight hikers.

"Oklahoma" is a young woman with whom we've hiked, doing her doctoral dissertation on how modern forms of communication have changed the Camino experience. Her funding for the trip came through at an unfortunate time, she was married just three months ago.

We sat at dinner the other night with an 18 year old Korean boy, doing the Camino on his own.

We've encountered two Scottsmen hiking in their kilts. That could be chilly 😉

There's the husband of a couple from Michigan, who makes beautiful hand made kites from rip stop nylon, and each day on the Camino, flies one bearing the cross of St. James. They are celebrating their 68th and 70th birthdays while on the Way.

Well I think we'd better find out how to make this stay official lest I post from jail tomorrow.