We crossed the official halfway mark between SJPDP and Santiago de Compostela today! We entered the town of Sahagun and took a few minutes to celebrate by getting our pilgrim’s passport stamped and taking a picture to memorialize our 50% accomplishment. (The church bells actually rang 12 noon right as the photo above was taken. That is mid-day, mid-Camino symmetry!). We were momentarily elated…and then we returned to the road…to be rewarded with our first downpour since Day 3. Not complaining!
As we have walked the last couple of days in this relatively tree-less environment, I wondered how people hundreds of years ago built a home without wood…and a good, licensed general contractor. The word is…mud. As we passed the small town of Moratinos today, we saw “bodegas” (storage places for wine and other goods) that were built into the mounds and hills. We have also passed many old homes constructed of the same mud that we have trudged through. Begs the obvious, existential question…do these homes have a “mud room”?
We stopped for coffee today at the Restaurante Casa Barrunta…situated right on the Camino and catering to pilgrims. The walls were covered with historical photographs of peregrinos and the evolution of The Way since the early 1900s. The owner also had photos of himself from his own 5-month Camino walk that started in Croatia…yes…Croatia…all the way to Santiago…nearly 4 times the length of our current endeavor! Now…as a Sales/Marketing person I firmly believe that you should “walk a mile in the shoes of your customer”…but was 1800 miles really necessary? I had to get a photo of the most personally committed consumer market researcher I have ever met. Jose…truly…you accomplished a…Buen Camino!
Congratulations on your halfway mark! Your blog & posts were a treat to read this morning as I found them so diverse from the usual camino blogs – they have an edge to them 🙂 We have great memories with Amy in Burgos including a special mass celebrated for us at the Cathedral by the Bishop. Cheers and Buen Camino!
Thanks, Maria…yes Amy reminded us of her time in Burgos with you! The cathedral there is indeed amazing.
Reason Soooo proud of you, Impressed and happy! And Maybe life chapter 2 is writing?
Thanks, Kyle. Would need a lot more coaching from experts like yourself. It’s been a real pleasure to get to know you this past year. We are sure Darius’ concert was a huge success. Sorry we couldn’t be there. Look forward to attending the next one!
Congrats on the half way point. You look like you are holding up pretty good. Keep on trucking.
Thanks, Mike and Peggy!
Congratulations!!! Halfway there. Sounds like a fabulous trip!!! Love the updates.
You both look great at the half way point! Congratulations. Just keep walking and keep the interesting posts coming.
Hello, the road is a test in many ways, physical and psychic, perhaps these days in a landscape so uninspiring and so repetitive, together with fatigue, the mental part begins to take more relevance … but you can with everything.
Much encouragement and a lot of faith for what remains for you to undertake.
As a curiosity comment that just as the movie The Way has increased the number of pilgrims also the film The Da Vinci Code based on the novel by Dan Brown has generated a tourism that runs through the places in which the film is developed, and something similar happens with the places where the famous Game of Thrones series was filmed.
Sarah about Billy the Kid a long time ago I read a book, whose title and author I do not remember but it is Spanish, it was about a route through the towns of the USA that claim to have the skull of Billy the Kid, and they were enough.
We here in San Fernando, we have the route of the Camarón, the famous flamenco cantaor (singer)
Good night-Good rest-Good way
Thanks, Yayo. You are right about the Dan Brown novels…we also saw this phenomenon in Rome. Let’s talk about the route of the Cameron when we see each other next!
Congratulations, Sarah-san and Dave-san!!! Your shoes tell us how muddy the roads are. Please enjoy the second half of such a great walk. Tanoshinde- kudasai!!!
Domo Arigatou Gozaimasu! Thanks for the note, Nori!
Congratulations! I am told the path is all downhill from here… thanks so much for sharing your trip with us. Drink plenty of red wine — it may not make la Camina muy facil but it will make you think you sound like Ricky Martin when you sing “Living La Vita Loca”. Take care
Thanks, Keith. Es verdad!
Congratulations, Dave&Sarah!
We are enjoying your blog and cheering for you from Japan.
Best wishes on the other half.
Domo domo domo.
250 miles !!!! So proud of you both and loving the blog!