They slept at the pilgrim’s hostel that night, and continued their descent into Spain the next morning, walking 17 miles in six hours. “It is said that the ‘the way is the goal,’” Liam told us. “The significance [of the Camino] was easy to see as we went through breathtaking sites, monuments, ruins and the path itself. “We walked with Fabrizio, a guy from Korea, Brian from Ireland, and a tennis instructor from Chicago,” Liam added. “I was in my environment – I spent a lot of time talking college basketball with the guy from Chicago, and we really moved!” Liam was always in front of the group. At the end of the day, they arrived in the small town of Larrasoana, showered, went to market, and later joined up with peregrinos they met in St. Jean. Liam and Jose arose early and walked for five hours towards Pamplona. As they followed the path out of Larassoana, they found their way blocked by ten loose horses. After walking a combined total of approximately 45 miles, they still had no blisters. An hour into the walk, Jose and Liam stopped for breakfast at local café by a river. “I was completely at ease in my surroundings,” Liam said. “I really enjoyed watching Liam socialize and talk soccer with the people at our table,” Jose added. “He ended up discussing Manchester United’s chances in the soccer league with the New Zealanders.” Fabrizio arrived shortly thereafter and continue to Pamplona with the pilgrims from Beachwood. As the small group reached Pamplona, they were joined by other pilgrims they had met along the way, and they decided to walk a few more miles to Cizur Minor, where they found a nice place with bunk beds, showers, a kitchen and free Wi-Fi – all for 10 euros each. Liam was asleep by 8 p.m., which was good, since they were climbing the Alto del Perdon (“Mount of Forgiveness”) the following day on their way to the Rioja region. Of course, before falling asleep, Liam watched a soccer game on Spanish TV. The climb up the Alto del Perdon was cold, and some snow“ I“I o u n d iit A L L iin one place!”! ” f found t n one place flakes were falling. At one point, a local recommended they rest at the next village and wait for the snow to stop. They thanked him respectfully, but since our pilgrims are from Cleveland, they kept going. Along with breathtaking views, they saw several Aging memorials to people who had Aging Resources died on the Camino. Resources Help for It was a long day before reachHelp for Me & ing the Town of Puente la Reina, Mom where Liam enjoyed dinner at a Hubby & local bar with three TVs showing Dad Spanish soccer, which gave him enough energy to mentally psych himself for his five-mile walk the next day. One Campus. Many Solutions. One Person at a a Time. One Campus. Many Solutions. One Person at Time. As their journey continued, 4 MarcusPost Hospital Rehabilitation Marcus Post Hospital Rehabilitation Liam and Jose crossed many me4 HomeHealth Services Home Health Services Skilled Nursing and Personal Care dieval towns, including Cirauqui, 4 Marcus Post HospitalPersonal Care Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Outpatient Occupational & Speech Therapies where they met a British woman 4 Outpatient Occupational & Speech Therapies 4 Peter B. Lewis Aquatic & Therapy Center Home Health Services who was doing the Camino by 4 Peter B. Lewis Aquatic &Physical Therapy Aquatic & Land-based Therapy Center herself. She had heard about Aquatic Living Shoppe Skilled Nursing and Personal Care Adaptive and Land-Based Physical Therapy Liam, so upon meeting him, 4 Adaptive Living Shoppe Daily Living Products Emergency Response & asked if he was the eleven-year4 Door to Door ResponseNon-emergency Transportation Outpatient Occupational &Daily Living Products Emergency Reliable and Speech Therapies old-boy doing the Camino. Adult B. Lewis Non-Emergency Medical Transportation 4 Peter Day Center 4 Door-to-Door, Aquatic & and Enrichment Therapy Center They continued their journey Daytime Personal Care 4 Adult Day Care on unrestored Roman roads Housekeeping Land-Based Physical Therapy Aquatic and Plus Daytime Personal Care and Enrichment and crossed a Roman bridge, Light Housekeeping & Heavy Cleaning which Fabrizio managed to cross, 4 Housekeeping Plus 4 Dialysis Living Shoppe Adaptive Light Housekeeping and Heavy Cleaning Service despite having serious problems Menorah Park Aging Resources Emergency Your Fingertips Information at Response and Daily Living Products 4 Dialysis with his ankle. With tears in his 4Residential Park Aging Resources Menorah Options: eyes, this 26-year-old Italian man 4 Door-to-Door, Non-Emergency Medical Transportation walked the last few miles and The Information at Your Fintertips R.H. Myers Apartments 4 Adult Day Care Stone Gardens Assisted Living Residence made it to Estella. Residential Options: Wiggins Place Apartments Liam and Jose walked the last The R.H. MyersAssisted Living Residence Daytime Personal Care and Enrichment Menorah Park Skilled Living Residence Stone Gardens AssistedNursingResidence forty-four miles in three days – Wiggins Place Assisted Living from Estella to Torres del Rio, to 4 Housekeepingm e n o r Residence r k . o r g w w w Plus Menorah Park .Skilled Nursinga h p a Home Logrono, and then to Najera, a 27100 Cedar Road * Beachwood,OH 44122 Helen’s Light Housekeeping and Heavy Cleaning Service Place Memory Care Apartments town from which Liam’s ancesCall Beth Silver at (216)839-6678 tors came. Jose took Liam to 4 Dialysis w w. m e n o r a h p a r k . o r g w the Santa Maria la Real Church, 27100 Cedar Road • Beachwood, OH 44122 were Liam saw the tombs of his 4 Menorah Park Beth Silver at (216) 839-6678 Call Aging Resources ancestors. They were impressively Information at Your Fintertips carved stone coffins, but Liam was impatient and more interested in going outside to kick his soccer ball. They left Najera the Residential Options: next day, drove to Barcelona, and flew back home. The R.H. Myers Apartments Their gear was cleaned and put Stone Gardens Assisted Living Residence away, but plans are already unWiggins Place Assisted Living Residence derway for their return to Najera Menorah Park Skilled Nursing Home next spring to pick up where they left off. Helen’s Place Memory Care Apartments In all, Liam walked 120 miles in eight days, some of it quietly, some of it with friends he had 27100 Cedar Road • Beachwood, OH 44122 made on the way, and some in Call Beth Silver at (216) 839-6678 deep conversation with his dad. Life, ,Made E a s i e r L i f e M a d e Easier ALL Menorah Park Center for Senior Living Menorah Park Center for Senior Living Menorah Center for Senior Living One Campus. Many Solutions. One Person at a Time. w w w. m e n o r a h p a r k . o r g July 2014 n Beachwood Buzz 47 Aging Resources rces Aging Resou