Finding a Mass on the Camino

My impressions as of Jan 4:
Masses in general are at 7 or 7:30pm(so after your walk for the day) if you stay in a pilgrim-friendly town. Listen for the church bells going crazy. Usually, at the half or quarter hour, you will hear one ring. At the full hour you will often hear the # of strikes = to the hour it is (ie 10 strikes for 10am) 5, 15 or 30 min before mass, the bells will just ring crazily in a seemingly haphazard fashion.

Doors to churches generally remain locked until 30 min or 1 hr before mass, depending on the church, especially in the winter, even the ones that say they are open all day.

Thoughts After 9 Days of Walking

Destination is just a figment of the way distant future that I cannot sense. I am taking it one km at a time, mostly looking down at the paths, noticing the different pavement and colors of the rocks and earth. There is seemingly always sheep dung scattered about the paths, but only once yesterday have I seen the sheep. They were following the shepherd as he was leading them away from the grapevines, which are apparently illegal for them to eat, to some more legal food.

Once in awhile I see the last of the roses and wildflowers, which makes me happy. Blackberry vines are everywhere, but all the fruit has withered away. When I am hungry, I eye the olives and grapes hanging on their branches so close to the Camino, but I don't want to tress pass. Professor tells me since harvest is over, I can now take them since they will just be pruned and thrown/composted. We shall see.

My favorite part has still been the leg from sjpp to roncesvalles. Many people recommend the Camino from Roncesvalles to Logrono, which is nice, but hasn't greatly impressed me as much as the pyrenees. If I walk the camino again, I may want to Walk the le puy and norte routes.

There are way too many people to greet when I am in a city, so I get tired and just look around at the surroundings. When I encounter less people, I am trying to make a concentrated effort to greet them happily. Fyi, greeting with "Feliz ano" or "feliz navidad" really gives passerbys and others the fuzzies. According to my experiment, they tend to say more Buena suerte and buen Camino to you.

My bag is fairly heavy but I don't  really notice the weight anywhere besides the feet. Feet are still good.

Day 9 Najera

Lowdown on Najera: Mass in parroquial Santa Cruz (17th c)at 8pm. Mass here is the latest Ive encountered so far.( Apparently there is also mass at 8am in santa maria real) Priest was super welcoming and gave us a blessing. Pati and I were the 1st pilgrims this year to ring the special pilgrim bell. I was so happy hearing the beautiful sounds! You get to ring the bells 3 times-1 for Jesus, 1 for his mother Mary and 1 for the pilgrims going to Santiago. As you ring the bell everyone that is there for mass sings. He also took time to draw around the sello and gave us a book on all the daily readings for the year. So generous! The locals gave us the impression that the municipal albergue wasn't good, and we saw some sketchy men hanging around the front, so are staying at a hostel across the river. The town itself is hopping at night. Families are outside until 9. Tons of markets as you walk along the Camino into the city- the most I've ever seen in such concentration, but no cheap markets as u get into old town. _----------------------------

Cloudy.  <p>Faith, hope and charity. Mud=lodo or barro. This area I walk through is like Napa. It's a microclimate where I can still see the grapes, almonds and pomegranates on their branches. The economics professor from Madrid pointed out the granadas to me (I was too busy looking at the ground and people ahead of me to notice.) And shared half of the fruit with me. <p>
More than once I've been given a smaller portion of food than others:(, I don't know why... maybe because I'm shorter or look like I don't need as much? However at la Juderia in najera, great portions and the food was amazing! Best I've had yet. Yummy Nata dessert.

<p>logrono: good thing we entered at night. Getting out and into cities with development around is the worst part of the Camino. All the non-nature sucks away my energy and I walk more slowly. Hate hate walking on asphalt. Its like true penance and maybe makes for more effective prayers since sacrifice is involved? My heels and bottoms of feet hurt. I much prefer a soft dirt trail. Wish I could fly like those great big birds flying in the sky.

Several km back yesterday I saw two sprightly looking gals walking not towards navarette. It was strange if they were peregrinas. Think they may have been the two tomas said had arrived by taxi at 9pm, so had turned away. Peregrinos carry their own backpacks and walk unless they're in really bad condition. There have been 2 guys so far who I've seen fall sick during the Camino, prob from pushing themselves too much. They still walked.

Think it is time for baby bird to leave mama bird. Sadly no albergues in azofra nor ciruena are open right now.

Day 8 A Navarette

Clear clear day. Cold front coming and you can really feel it in the evening.

Bought a round of breakfast churros con chocolate for peeps. Said goodbye to most other peregrinos in Logrono since they are either going back home or  to other places by bus ie Burgos or Najera. Thought we had said goodbye to Judit and Ramon in Estella but judit saw us through a cafe window and ran outside as we passed the street next to the logrono cathedral. There are some beautiful statues of Our Lady here and a painting of the crucifixion by michel buonarotti.

I think my body is a little tired today, so taking it easy and staying in navarette. The Ventosa albergue is closed. Mass 7:30pm at baroque church of the Assumption, which is quite beautiful and adorned with gilded grapevines. In terms of interior, I think it's one of my favorites so far since the church size itself is comfortable and I like the proportions. Sang Schubert's Ave maria in there while no one was around at 6:40

Meditating on the importance of names, sacrifice, and the importance of rest and taking that opportunity when it presents itself. You have to just follow the signs. Sometimes you don't go as fast as you want for a reason. All in good time.

Day 7 Logrono

morning most rain I've seen so far and prayed hard that there would be no rain on our way into logrono <p>went through torres del rio and by the temple of the holy sepulchre, in the mudejar style. Yay i can draw from some of my art history seminars. 30km to logrono, ending my time through navarra and entering the la rioja region, famous for its wine. Indeed, there are lots of vineyards here growing in red clay soil. arrived at city center 7:45pm, finding my way in the dark by following the illuminated cathedral towers. Had sit down almuerzo for the 1st time on the way in viana, where cesare Borgia died. <br>
The hospitalero Tomas in logrono is very friendly, but if you don't respect the rules, he has a temper. Rightly so since the rules are for the comfort of other peregrinos ie lights out time and silence in the dormitory and safety as well </p>
Meditation on friendship and gaining true wisdom.

Day 6 Happy New Year 2012

Along the way to Los Arcos, the Camino really took care of us pilgrims. Wonderful breakfast at the parochial albergue. My camelbak full of water exploded in my backpack and I had to dry and clean up, delaying today's start quite a bit. On the way, encountered the fountain of wine and water (real wine for free coming out of the fountain but no wine today) to drink for happiness , and the monastery of irache had bells pealing. That can mean mass time. So I went to see and just when I reached the entrance they swung the doors open. There was our lady and i know she was watching out for me (i worried i might miss the Solemn mass today) Lovely small mass in the chapel where we met, of all people, Pablito who is very famous on the Camino. He invited us to his home and I finally got my shell (concha- a symbol of the Camino, and I had been trying to find an open store ever since starting the Camino, to buy that and a sim card but to no avail because of all the holiday closures). I chose my shell (or the shell chose me, depending on how u look at it) and Pablito measured me for the necklace. Measured pati for stick and gave us walnuts to take. He wouldnt take any food saying he had his garden. When we said goodbye I think I received way too many besos. I remember at least 5-7, and made sure to avoid any on the lips.
Carried 2+ kilo extra food in case I encountered someone hungry along the way today (since it is NY day and no one should start off the year hungry if others can help). Found no one until the evening arriving in Los arcos, where one of the 3 Koreans I met in puente Reina had got separated from the others early morning and had no food on hand. Us that had food made sure he was well fed.

Day 5 Estella New Years Eve

A special day. The parochial albergue I stayed at had a very nice volunteer hospitalero named monserrat and her son Anton, who is quite gregarious. By chance, the albergue was a full house. Everyone filled up the table at dinner. Everyone made sure new years eve dinner was special. We went to the supermarket and bought something special to add to the meal, whether it was sparkling wine, truffles, cakes or really tasty chicken wrapped around a hard boiled egg. Funny thing about the supermarket trip-pati noticed a gang of kids and an older mother/daughter duo stealing food from the market.

A taekwondo master living in Estella randomly met the koreans then invited them and myself to his family'shouse where they treated us to desserts. He also plays saxophone in the band we heard on the street playing Christmas songs. He also explained the tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight came from the marketing of a surplus of grapes in early 1900s