Camino Lessons

It's been a month since returning from Camino Tres, and I've learned that the lessons the Camino offers can present themselves unexpectedly.

A week after Dad and I arrived back to San Diego we planned to set off on a 3 day drive to Michigan for a visit with family. The day before we left it rained a little bit, which was a surprise given the current Southern California drought. However, a hurricane off the coast that week had stirred up weather conditions. Little did the news predict but a heavy rainstorm hit San Diego County late afternoon on the day we headed to the Midwest. At our first night's stop in Grand Junction, Colorado, Dad received a call in the evening from a neighbor about flooding in the area where we live. It had rained 4 inches in just 2 hrs., and streets & yards had become rivers of muddy water.

The next morning friends went over to the house to check it out and unfortunately discovered that the garage, house entryway, and storage sheds had been flooded with mud left behind. Upon hearing the bad news, we immediately turned the car around at the point already driven to that morning and drove 1000 miles back home to clean up the flood mess.

Luckily, the house was spared water, but the storage buildings were hit hard. Lots of things had to be thrown out, including some of my artwork. Most of it was stored in portfolios, and the water seeped through to soak drawings, art school projects, and posters I had made.

After four days of cleaning, sorting, and filling dumpsterfuls with ruined belongings, Dad and I set off again to Michigan. It felt good to get away even though there was still more to do when we returned. While driving the endless miles across the heartland I had time to think about what had happened. If I hadn't walked the Camino, the challenge of losing belongings, especially artwork, would have been more difficult.

The Camino teaches to lighten the load, let go of material things, and live in the moment. Walking with just a pack on your back reassesses what's important or necessary to carry. Many pilgrims return home from their journeys and then get rid of stuff. Although I wish the flood hadn't happened, I'm grateful the Camino's lessons prepared me to get through the loss of irreplaceable things.

The Camino has also given me the gift of time spent with Dad on the trail and the opportunity to explore Spanish culture and meet peregrinos from around the world. For all of these experiences, I am truly thankful.

Gracias to everyone who helped & welcomed us along the Road on Camino Tres. Until our paths cross again, Ultreia and Buen Camino!

       

Adios Madrid

The last day in Madrid was spent near the Prado on the museum side of the city. The shaded boulevard in front of the museum and by Buen Retiro Park were good places to escape the sun's rays. In the afternoon we went to the Museo Arqueologico Nacional, whose collection includes metal and terra cotta ex-votos from antiquity. Seeing these forms akin to the beeswax ones I had left at different places along the trail was a perfect way to end our stay in Madrid and Camino Tres.

A statue of Diego Velasquez sits at the helm of the Prado's west side, which is currently being renovated and under cover, literally. Velasquez sits with his painting palette and brush in hand. 

The south entrance honors painter Bartolome Esteban Murillo and is mainly used for school groups. 

While walking around the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens on July 8 we remembered Aunt Ginny.

Virginia Linnea Charn Olson Seeder, 3/2/1920 - 7/8/2010

The impressive renovation of the archeology museum was completed in 2014 and incorporates the original structure.

On display were 3rd-2nd B.C.E. bronze and silver ex-votos from the Shrine of Collado de los Jardines in the province of Jaen in the Andalusia region. Numerous votive objects have been found at this shrine site.  

Also displayed were a few ampullae, which typically contained holy water or oil and were bought by medieval pilgrims as souvenirs or used for healing. Above are 13th-14th c. bronze ones that depict the Last Judgement (on the left) and Agnus Dei (on the right). Iconography for Agnus Dei (Latin for the Lamb of God) depicts a lamb holding a Christian banner. 

Violinists in the Metro filled the station with music.

Police on horseback patrolled the museum area & Buen Retiro Park, which translates as "Park of the Pleasant Retreat." It was established in the 17th c. and encompasses 350 acres.

Boats can be rented to row around the park's lake. In the background is a monument to Spain's King Alfonso XII that was installed in 1922. It's topped with an equestrian statue of the king who reigned during the 19th c. 

Early evening shadows marked the end of the day at Buen Retiro Park and the end of our stay in Madrid. Tomorrow we fly back to San Diego. In the weeks to come I'll post concluding thoughts plus reshape and add info to the blog. 

Hasta luego and Ultreia!

** Camino 2015 has ended but the Pilgrim Pouch is continuing its journey...next to Michigan and Chicago the end of July. 

Madrid museum day

On Tuesday the heat continued, but the temperature was a few degrees cooler, especially in the morning at breakfast. During the afternoon we went to the Museo Nacional del Prado and saw its incomparable collection of Spanish paintings, including works by Bartolome Esteban Murillo, Francisco Goya (Third of May, 1808), and Diego Velazquez, whose painting Las Meninas is the museum highlight.

Another pedestrian friendly street offering respite from the intense sun even in the a.m.

St. Al

The Prado Museum opened in 1819 and features neoclassical architecture. The north entrance honors Francisco Goya -- a statue of the painter faces the building. This picture was taken after 8:00 p.m. when the museum closed, and visitors had dispersed.

The Jeronimos entrance on the east side is the main entryway and part of a major expansion project completed in 2007 under museum director Miguel Zugaza Miranda. Hedges grow on the lobby roof.

One side of the entrance lobby...

...the other side with gift shop and cafe

The cloister of the church San Jeronimos el Real, which is adjacent to the Prado's main building (called Villanueva), was dismantled and then rebuilt as part of the expansion project. Each stone of the structure was put back in place as it appeared in the original cloister. The rectangular rail in the foreground is a skylight that looks down to galleries below.

San Jeronimos el Real is a Baroque church from the 16th c. The modern expansion with the rebuilt cloister can be seen above. This structure is connected to the main Villanueva building by underground floors that include galleries, storage areas, and restoration rooms. 

A plate of Padron peppers at El Olivar tapas bar were in order after the Prado.

Old and new architectural styles mix on the street Gran Via. We walked past these buildings on the way back to the hostel.

Madrid

During the first day in Madrid temperatures began soaring early morning, and by afternoon it was well over 100 degrees. Finding shade or an air conditioned shelter became the goal along with some sightseeing. Tomorrow weather predictions are for the same.

Although we're in Madrid, the Camino is still close at hand. There's regional Camino associations and a Camino de Madrid route, which connects to Camino Frances in Sahagun.

Covered streets offer shade.

By Puerta del Sol (Gate of the Sun) there's a plaque that marks the spot where Napoleon's troops in 1808 massacred Spanish protesters. They were rebelling against the emperor's appointment of his brother as king of Spain. Painter Francisco de Goya's Third of May, 1808 (at the Prado Museum) depicts this tragic event.

A "Menu del Dia" late lunch was at the air conditioned Restaurante-Cafeteria Europa -- yet another good Rick referral. We ate at the bar as he suggests.

The Almudena Cathedral provided a peaceful retreat. The Neo-Gothic church was completed in 1993 one hundred years after construction began. 

Modern Byzantine inspired art graces the dome above the altar.

A massive 5,000 pipe organ covers the west end. 

Only in Spain would there be a shop dedicated to jamon, a national staple.

Chocolateria San Gines is open 24 hrs. and famous for their churros with chocolate.

Some street and plaza names are designated in tile. 

Adjacent to the cathedral is the Royal Palace built in the 18th c. and Europe's largest. It's still the official residence for Spanish royalty and where state ceremonies are held, including official dinners attended by U.S. presidents.

Up the grand staircase Dad goes. 

From the palace doors you can look out to the expansive Plaza de la America where official ceremonies take place and where the evening heat hung in the air.

To Madrid

Sunday afternoon we left Santiago for Madrid on the 2:50 train. Before leaving, I spent the morning walking through the medieval streets one last time and also watching arriving pilgrims. Later Dad and I took a tour in English of the cathedral's rooftop.

A group of young Spanish pilgrims reach Obradoiro Plaza. Often groups sing or chant as they enter this space & then drop their backpacks in a heap before taking pictures. 

Another group, which included kids thru adults, were all dressed in green T-shirts and arrived singing to celebrate their Camino journey.

Our guide for the rooftop tour, Laura, tells us about the history of the cathedral's architecture. She describes it as Romanesque "dressed" in Baroque, a more ornate style that the cathedral's builders patterned after the Vatican.

Granite tile steps made it easier for guards during the Middle Ages to walk around the roof and watch out over the city.

This cross atop a ram sculpture was where medieval pilgrims burned their clothes before they entered the cathedral. The burning not only got rid of smelly garments but also served symbolically as a cleansing of the soul & the beginning of a "new life." The cross most likely was located on the ground rather than the roof, which would have been more difficult for pilgrims to reach.

The back view of St. James -- he looks out over Obradoiro Plaza

The cathedral's two west towers are being cleaned of lichen and grime accumulated over the centuries. The tower to the right is already done. Our tour group agreed that the original moss covered granite had more character, and we liked it better than the cleaned up version.

On our way to Santiago's train station we bumped into guide Laura. She was walking her boyfriend to the station where he was traveling to Madrid too. Laura has an art history background and is originally from Granada.

A rail with shells & St. James' crosses at the train station.

Our hostel in Madrid wasn't far from Gran Via, a popular avenue for locals & tourists that has lots of high end stores, hotels, and restaurants. It's quite different than Santiago's cobbled medieval streets we wandered along earlier in the day. Another change was Madrid's weather -- we arrived in a heat wave (over 100 degrees) -- much hotter than Galicia's cooler temperatures.