Question: Do you like the fall or the spring better? 

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Wynette. Hmm. It’s hard to say. They are different. Last time we started April 1st. As we walked then, weather gradually got warmer and we saw more and more pilgrims. Now weather is gradually getting colder and we’re seeing fewer and fewer pilgrims. In spring everything was lush green which was beautiful. Now we see a lot more variation which is pretty, too.

Last time, I thought all the crops were the same (monoculture) because, once we got out of La Rioja, wine country, all the fields were filled with a green grass plant. We assumed it was wheat or barley. But we now see more variety. Corn, sunflowers, sugar beets, hay (alfalfa?). I was hoping we’d see amber waves of grain this fall trip but haven’t seen that at all. We must have arrived after the wheat harvest.

So far the amount of rain is about the same. October weather has been similar to April. A little less wind on the Meseta.

We have seen some fall color, mostly yellow and gold, in the leaves. In the spring we saw the baby leaves appear. Both lovely.

I was concerned that by this time of year the people who run the albergues, hostals, bars, restaurants, etc, would be sick of us peregrinos and thus not be as kind and helpful. However, that has not been the case at all. Well, they are probably weary, but continue to be so nice to us.

Question: Have you met different types of people this trip?

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Wynette. We still see a wide range of nationalities. The dramatic difference is we’ve met a lot more American pilgrims. We checked the September 2014 statistics and we US pilgrims have more than doubled since September 2013. Probably an even bigger increase since April 2013 when we were here before. Last night we stayed at a terrific albergue that served a vegetarian dinner. There were 11 pilgrims at one big table. All of us spoke English natively. Two were from Australia (in photo above), one was from Canada, and the rest of us were from the US. The Camino has been well known in Europe many years and now that’s starting to happen in the US.

We also met more Spanish pilgrims in the first weeks. Last time we hardly met any the first 680 kilometers. Many Spanish people do the Camino but I think that up till recently the vast majority did only the last 100 kilometers which is what is required to get a Compostela certificate in Santiago.

Question: How do you use the bathroom when you are walking all those kilometers?

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Wynette. As mentioned in a previous post, the bars are a godsend. They always have a loo which is usually pretty clean considering how often it is used each day.

The bars have creative ways to tell you which is for the señoras versus the señores. E.g., above photo.

Rarely are there paper towels to dry your hands, just an empty towel dispenser or one of those electric hand dryers. Europe has twice as strong electricity as the US so the dryers are stronger but I still don’t have patience with them so always leave with dripping hands.

And, yes, I know what you are thinking.  Unlike the yellow arrows, sometimes a bar doesn’t appear on the Camino when you need one. Much of what we have passed through is deforrested farm land so it’s been a challenge, but I’ve always managed to find something. Usually a clump of tall bushes. Once about 200 feet into a plowed field behind a huge pile of rocks. Once under an amazing weeping willow tree. In just about every such place the pieces of toilet paper on the ground show it’s been used for the same purpose by many thoughtless pilgrims.  It’s in these situations that I envy the guys.