Uneventful easy walk to Fromista and Poblacion. Freezing thick fog in the morning. Walking through it, my backpack came out frosted. Started warming up around 1. Even the pavement stones in the square were slippery and icy at 1.
The church (11th c) in Fromista all the tourists visit as the best example of Romanesque architecture is OK, but maybe I'm just jaded after visiting so many other churches along the Camino (11th-16th c). It definitely has been extensively restored and is in the best condition I've seen of churches its age. It has been deconsecrated, so doesn't have that holy atmosphere. Im always unsure about what to think of deconsecreated spaces like this and the jerome monastery cloister space in lisbon, which i thought was really superb manueline architecture, but now feel like museums. There was a huge group of Spanish tourists I walked through and one old lady came up to me, clasped my hands, and said buen Camino slowly, the way you would say something to someone who doesn't speak your language. It was kind of funny, but said thank you since she seemed kind. I said buenos dias to the people, but most just stared, deciding amongst themselves what ethnicity I was, not asking. Meh, not like I had the energy to walk backwards and enter the convo anyway. Always walking forwards. Heh. And I was hungry.
Stopped walking early enough to enjoy a few hours of warm sun where I read, prayed and listened to the birds chirping and eating berries, all the while sitting. Yay sitting.
Albergue tonight with one other person, an Italian Franciscan brother currently living in San sebastian. Albergue has no heating-boy am I glad for my sleeping bag. The brother's genius idea for heat - boiling water for steam. Helped a bit. As soon as the sun was setting, I hopped into my sack to just warm up and chill before dinner. The brother and I swapped stories and then went to the bar for hot chocolate. Very interesting how he's a movie critic, teacher and played soccer. He recommended some nice chapels and holy places to visit along the Camino. He wants to buy me breakfast and then pray his special rosary mysteries with me while we walk the beginning of tomorrow's Camino. Then he's off to Burgos to wrap up his pilgrimage, so bye bye. One thing he said that is interesting-he recommends 2 experiences to his youth. 1 - the Camino to know and understand yourself. 2 - volunteering in Calcutta with the sisters of charity for outward service to others. If you're not praying there, you're dead.
The church (11th c) in Fromista all the tourists visit as the best example of Romanesque architecture is OK, but maybe I'm just jaded after visiting so many other churches along the Camino (11th-16th c). It definitely has been extensively restored and is in the best condition I've seen of churches its age. It has been deconsecrated, so doesn't have that holy atmosphere. Im always unsure about what to think of deconsecreated spaces like this and the jerome monastery cloister space in lisbon, which i thought was really superb manueline architecture, but now feel like museums. There was a huge group of Spanish tourists I walked through and one old lady came up to me, clasped my hands, and said buen Camino slowly, the way you would say something to someone who doesn't speak your language. It was kind of funny, but said thank you since she seemed kind. I said buenos dias to the people, but most just stared, deciding amongst themselves what ethnicity I was, not asking. Meh, not like I had the energy to walk backwards and enter the convo anyway. Always walking forwards. Heh. And I was hungry.
Stopped walking early enough to enjoy a few hours of warm sun where I read, prayed and listened to the birds chirping and eating berries, all the while sitting. Yay sitting.
Albergue tonight with one other person, an Italian Franciscan brother currently living in San sebastian. Albergue has no heating-boy am I glad for my sleeping bag. The brother's genius idea for heat - boiling water for steam. Helped a bit. As soon as the sun was setting, I hopped into my sack to just warm up and chill before dinner. The brother and I swapped stories and then went to the bar for hot chocolate. Very interesting how he's a movie critic, teacher and played soccer. He recommended some nice chapels and holy places to visit along the Camino. He wants to buy me breakfast and then pray his special rosary mysteries with me while we walk the beginning of tomorrow's Camino. Then he's off to Burgos to wrap up his pilgrimage, so bye bye. One thing he said that is interesting-he recommends 2 experiences to his youth. 1 - the Camino to know and understand yourself. 2 - volunteering in Calcutta with the sisters of charity for outward service to others. If you're not praying there, you're dead.
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