My Camino has been abundantly full of people so far and you will have noticed that I have not written any blogs on the wonderful flora and fauna of the Juntas of Spain that I am walking through. That is not because I haven´t noticed it but because I do not know the names of the many flowers or even the birds. Those I do not know I name myself so although Linnaeus may turn in his grave, I am happy- but it wouldn´t help you as you wouldn´t recognise the names either.
I watched an ant 3 days ago drag a piece of bark 10x its size across a sendero (see later). It was amazing and I was transfixed. What a feat! I so much wanted it to succeed that I stood and guarded its path until it reached the other side. It looked like an achievement way beyond walking 800km across Spain.
I have seen Griffon Vultures, Storks, Corn Crakes, Red Kites, Starlings and Swifts. Red poppies are ubiquitous and there are the most gorgeous deep blue wild flowers. I am now in the Junta of Castilla Y Leon and each region is fiercly independent. As far as I can see no one is a Spaniard- they are either Basque or Catalan etc.
They are not a people who seem to have many problems with obesity, the national sport being speed walking first thing in the morning and then later in the evening. The government has built 'senderos' to encourage their population in this sport. Senderos are concrete pavements away from traffic mostly through parkland and walked by all ages-fast! Jogging is also very popular, as is tennis.
Spaniards themselves seem very welcoming to us 'pelegrinos'. Yesterday morning at 6am I was walking through countryside when a divine smelling elderly 'father christmas' old man embraced me in a bear hug with a big smackeroo on each of my cheeks. He drew the sign of the cross on my forehead, then continued on his way with his bag of snails that he had collected (yummy breakfast coming up!) His smell lingered for ages and was very welcome.
All the hotels give 'pelegrino rates' and 'pelegrino menus', which are normally 9 to 11 euros for a 3 course meal including wine, bread and mineral water. The Albergues are amazing and rarely charge above 8euro, most being 4 euro.
A glass of wine anywhere is 70p!! yes 70p.
The Spanish are late to bed and late to rise, eating their main meal at lunchtime after which they take a 3 hr siesta. No one is going to die of overwork here, which is probably why they are so relaxed and happy. The Camino route also brings in an enormous income to local remote villages, all along The Way, so I don´t pretend it is pure altruism, but there is definitely a sense of something completely different as you walk- a Presence, a History steeped in spiritual seeking. Something that is so much bigger than just your own Camino.
They write fantastic English menus and so far I have been offered the cake chef, brave potatoes, illustrated salad, and roast pudding.
I have been walking through farming country and love the smell of the sheep, cows and chickens. Sadly, all the pigs I have seen so far or to put it more correctly, not seen, but smelt and heard ( sad pig sounds) are intensively reared. Iberico ham is a local speciality but I will not buy it at home after this trip after hearing those awful wails, unless it states free range, which I would find hard to believe having walked from one end of the Junta to the other.
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