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Camino Frances

October 2019
My Camino de Santiago journey from St-Jean Pied-de-Port along the Camino Frances route (Way of St James) Read more
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  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 25

    Home to Perth

    October 27, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Having had a few days to relax after reaching Santiago de Compostela (taking in León and Madrid), as well as about 20 hours of flying time, I've finally arrived back home.

    After finishing my Camino, I took the opportunity to do very little for a couple of days, and just let my body rest. It felt good to be able to sleep in a bed again, walk around town without a backpack, and to not feel compelled to pack everything each morning before hitting the road.

    Having arrived home, I have discovered that I've lost over 3kg in the time that I was away. I'm pretty happy with some of the weight loss from my waistline, but have also lost some muscle weight, which I'll focus on putting back on in coming weeks (back to the gym).

    Though I am usually pretty healthy, it surprised me how much the Camino took a toll on my body. In all, the 16 days of walking entailed:
    - 400.6km walked
    - Over 602,000 steps taken
    - One large blister on left foot (protected by Compeed)
    - Prolonged aches and pains in left knee (eventually took care of itself)
    - Swelling and aching in lower right leg (near location of previous broken bones)
    - Chest infection (Bronchitis avoided)

    Landing back in Perth late on Saturday night (October 26th) felt so good! I loved breathing in the cool night air, and most of all revelled in seeing Michelle waiting for me as I walked through the airport arrival gates.

    I look forward to seeing more of Europe, though can confidently say that I won't be planning to stay in hostel-type accommodation again anytime soon. My Camino was everything that I hoped it to be, and so much more. Photos alone don't do it justice - rather, it will be the memories of so many events, places and people encountered along the way. When I look back at my Camino experience, it will be the people I met who made it what it was, to whom I will be always thankful.

    For anyone planning or wishing to walk any of the Camino de Santiago routes, I say GO FOR IT, and Buen Camino!

    One Year Update:
    It is now 5 October 2020, and a year to the day since I began my Camino Frances.

    Not many days go by that don't include memories of my Camino experience. I'm happy to say that I'm still in contact with some of the people I met along the way, and not so happy to admit that I've found the weight that I lost over the distance that I walked.

    This remains to be an experience that I treasure, and don't ever see this changing. In fact, though the world is currently dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, my 2019 Camino has only emboldened me to return for more.

    If all goes to plan, within the next 2-3 years Michelle and I will look at the Camino Portugués, possibly starting from Porto. Part of me would like to walk again from St Jean to Pamplona, so this may be a good way to begin our next journey.

    For my birthday this year, Michelle surprised me with a framed set of my Pilgrim's Passport, Compostela and scallop shell. This proudly hangs on the wall at home, reminding me daily of this incredible experience, and despite the challenges that I faced along the way, it was all worth it.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    11
    Day 18

    Salceda to Santiago de Compostela

    October 20, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Waking up at 4am this morning I knew that there was no way I'd get back to sleep. The prospect of getting to Santiago today was too prominent in my mind to permit any sleep.

    Wary of disturbing other people sleeping, I waited until 5am before getting up and removing my gear to the common area, and having a light breakfast. Els was moving shortly after 6am, and by 6.30am we were both ready to hit the track for Santiago.

    The first couple of hours of the day were spent walking in darkness, and apart for a couple of short rain bursts, was relatively uneventful. A couple of days ago I commented on the frequent placement of waymarkers between Sarria and Santiago, and this morning I was grateful for them. When walking through the dark, it is my greatest concern that I take a wrong turn and have to retrace my steps.

    I came to realise this morning that the early bird, not only catches the worm, but also catches the spider webs. Unfortunately, this typically isn't until I'm virtually just about to walk through it. As a person who has a fear of spiders, this must have looked strange to Els as I frantically attempted to dodge them (mostly unsuccessfully).

    Passing O Pedrouzo shortly after 8am, we were joined by about 30 other pilgrims also making their way to Santiago. Thankfully the early morning light started to remove the veil of darkness, and arriving at O Amenal decided to stop for a rest and coffee.

    As the morning progressed, the trail was filled with more people, and I could feel a growing sense of excitement among the pilgrims I spoke with. For myself, I was ready to make the day my last on the Camino, and felt as if I picked up a gear in order to make this a reality. At the same time, with every step I could also feel the blister on my left heel, which had been gradually growing in recent days. The Compeed has done well, but I'm looking forward to resting my feet when I get to Santiago.

    By midday I had reached the outskirts of Santiago, and now would be the relatively uneventful walk through the city to the cathedral and Pilgrim's Office for my compostela. I noticed that unlike people in other towns I'd passed through, people here didn't seem interested in acknowledging Camino pilgrims.

    Upon reaching the centre of Santiago, the sheer number of pilgrims was quite amazing to see, and October is considered to be off-peak. My feet were sore, and I couldn't wait to collect my compostela, then get to my hotel and take my shoes off.

    I think that I will reflect more on this journey in coming days than I will today, as for now I just feel like I need to rest and recover for a day or two.

    I've achieved what I hoped to with this journey, and wouldn't change much of it. I've met some really interesting people, and despite one day of continuous rain, the walking conditions have been very good. My body is a bit sore, but has stood up to the challenge.

    I will post one more entry in coming days to reflect on the end of my Camino, but for now need to rest.

    Steps: 42,000
    Distance: 28.1km
    Distance walked from St-Jean: 400.6km    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    1
    Day 17

    Melide to Salceda

    October 19, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Okay, did I want to walk 25km over 6 hours in constant rain? I suppose that it's a rhetorical question, but I know that it meant more to me to get to Salceda, which puts me in striking distance to Santiago with only one day of walking.

    So I will set out early tomorrow with the view of making it to Santiago by 2pm. The walking conditions are looking reasonable up to then, with possible thunderstorms in the mid to late afternoon.

    Leaving the albergue in Melide at 7am today, this meant two hours walking in darkness, uphill for the first 4km, and in constant rain. To say that these were undesirable conditions is an understatement. However, I had to remind myself that it could have been worse. Passing a rubbish bin, I noticed that someone had painted on it 'Buen f#*king Camino' - at this time I could empathise with the poor soul who felt compelled to leave his/her thoughts behind for the benefit of others.

    Making it to Arzúa by 10am meant that we'd walked 14km in the first 3 hours of the day, and provided the opportunity to stop for breakfast. It felt good to take off my poncho and rain jacket, but only to find that my other clothes had also soaked up some of the rain, though it wasn't too bad.

    Arzúa had been a possible overnight stop in the event that the weather outlook precluded walking another 11km to Salceda. Figuring that I was already wet, and that it was too early to stop for the day, it was decided to continue through to Salceda. It surprised me how easily the time passed, even in continuing rain, as despite this the scenery was still pretty amazing.

    Arriving at Salceda shortly after 1pm seemed like paradise, with a hot shower, and a quiet afternoon to relax. Even though I'm staying at a relatively new albergue, with good communal facilities, it surprises me that people mostly stay in their bunks. I've enjoyed sitting in the common area of albergues, as this allows me to meet other pilgrims and hear their stories. It may simply be a case of people having a lot on their minds as they near Santiago.

    Steps: 38,400
    Distance: 25.1km
    Distance walked from St-Jean: 372.5km    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 16

    Gonzar to Melida

    October 18, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Hit the trail with Els at 7.15am today in the dark and light rain, and all uphill for the first 4km. Not the best of conditions, but it meant that the day could only get easier from there.

    The headlamp purchased in Santo Domingo de la Calzada was definitely a good investment, as despite having the benefit of GPS mapping on my phone, my confidence of being on the right track is based mostly on the Camino waymarkers. This gets me through the first hour and a half of the day until sunlight guides the way.

    I've said it before, but will comment again about the friendliness of the Spanish people. No matter where I walk, a smile and greeting of 'Hola!' will quickly return a smile and wish of 'Buen Camino', much like the way that Australians can pass a stranger on the street and feel free to say G'day. They graciously acknowledge Camino pilgrims, and have always made themselves available to provide guidance along the way.

    It is a new experience having to start the day knowing that I'll be walking through rain, and I'm grateful that I'll only have to do it for a couple of days at most before reaching Santiago. The weather tomorrow is looking particularly unkind, so will mean either a 14km walk to Arzúa in the case that conditions prevent walking further, or 25km to Salceda (best case). In the event that I make it to Salceda tomorrow, this will only leave 28km to Santiago de Compostela. It would be difficult to get this close and not want to get there by Sunday October 20th.

    It will feel bittersweet reaching Santiago, as even though I will feel the accomplishment of having walked 400km through Spain over 16 days, it means that this adventure will be over. Time will tell how this affects my life back in Australia.

    Steps: 45,000
    Distance: 30.3km
    Distance walked from St-Jean: 347.4km    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    1
    Day 15

    Sarria to Gonzar

    October 17, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    With very little walking done over the past two days (none at all yesterday) it was good to be out in the open air again, and given the fresh surroundings it feels like a fresh start to my Camino.

    Despite a terrible night of sleep, by the time I was packed and leaving the albergue, I couldn't wait to get moving. Fortunately for me, Els is some kind of exercise addict (dubbed 'The Machine'), and together we set a cracking pace in an attempt to put space between ourselves and the multitude of other pilgrims.

    As a compostela can be issued on the basis of walking only the last 100km of the Camino (and a minimum of 2 stamps per day), Sarria is where we see a large number of new walkers and cyclists. This can make for a whole new group of people to speak with, so will be interesting to see.

    After walking nearly 12km in a little over 2 hours this morning, it was time to stop for breakfast. I could almost sense my body digesting each bite of my breakfast tortilla as it hit my stomach, and it energised me to push on.

    I've found that one of the most important factors on the Camino is to carefully manage your diet. It's no surprise that the long daily walks burn a lot of calories, and without the right fuel for the body, you will have no energy. Each meal decision is crucial, and skipping a meal leaves you feeling tired and lethargic.

    Though the weather forecast indicated intermittent rain for the day, we were presented with relatively good walking conditions, with only minimal drizzle for the first half hour of the day. Even with the rain, I enjoyed the cooler weather. Having the right gear for the wet conditions made all the difference.

    In comparison to the stages walked before Burgos, I noticed today that there are many more waymarkers in this area to guide pilgrims in the right direction towards Santiago de Compostela. Also, rather than just an obscure yellow arrow on a rock, the ground or side of a building, the Galicians like the markers to clearly indicate how far there is left to walk to Santiago. Though I can see the purpose of this, I feel that it defeats the purpose when passing three waymarkers that indicate exactly the same number of kilometers to go - and has me feeling that I'm not making much progress.

    Today's picture gallery deliberately includes photos of the walking trail and weather conditions. It was a real treat in contrast to a few days ago.

    Steps: 42,000
    Distance: 30.0km
    Total Distance walked from St-Jean: 317.1km    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 14

    Burgos to Sarria

    October 16, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    So today we say goodbye to Inga. She has been part of this 'Camino family' since Roncesvalles, and today made her way to Bilbao for a more leisurely idea of a holiday. Safe travels, and thank you for your friendship over the past 2 weeks.

    Before boarding a train from Burgos to Sarria today, I had been watching the weather forecast for the Galicia region, which doesn't look great from a walking perspective unless you have the right gear. With everything else waterproof I came to the decision that my shoes weren't going to fit the bill. €110 later and I'm all ready to go. The antibiotics and a decongestant from a Sarria pharmacist have made a difference to my chest, so by Thursday morning I hope to be roaring to head towards Santiago de Compostela.

    With no real walking today, the afternoon was spent on the train with Els. We passed time in conversation as well as you can when you have no common language except for a very small amount of broken German. About 50km from Ponferrada it felt good to be passing through forests again. This had been missed over the past few days of walking through open land.

    A chance find on Booking.com landed an albergue for only €12, which included a nice private bunk (with draw curtain), lockable cabinet for my backpack, and powerpoint within my cubicle. It's amazing how such little pleasures can mean so much!

    A restaurant right across the road provided a great three-course meal of the day, including a bottle of red wine for just €16 (about A$26).

    The film 'The Way' inspired me to walk the Camino, and I'm happy to have come to Spain and do it. However, I've experienced a lot that the film didn't mention. This includes; the realities of sleeping in albergues, the unreliability of shops throughout the day (including opening times), the exhaustion that can go with climbing hill after hill, the physical afflictions that you might fall victim to (I've had a few), and the fact that pilgrims are rarely seen wearing stylised fashion (as was done in the film) - opting instead for lightweight clothing that packs well and dries quickly (fortunately I was prepared for this last one).

    The prospect of rain tomorrow has me wondering how my Camino experience will change, but I suppose there's only one way to find out.

    Steps: Not counted
    Distance: 0km (all by rail)
    Total Distance walked from St-Jean: 287.1km    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 13

    Cardeñuela Riopico to Burgos

    October 15, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Burgos is a city that I've been looking forward to seeing. However, the walk into Burgos is extremely dull and boring. There is an hour and a half of walking through a commercial and industrial zone, which is quite depressing when compared to the open spaces that I've enjoyed over the previous 10 days. Further, when we left the albergue this morning, shortly after 8am, the temperature was barely above freezing.

    One opportunity of arriving on Burgos was to visit a doctor. I've felt that if I don't, there's a chance that my cough could become bronchitis. After checking into the hotel, I found my way to a local hospital, and was seen in less than 30 minutes. I have to say that the quality of medical care was excellent, and was happy to pay the €60, leaving with a prescription for antibiotics and paracetamol - which was filled only a short distance down the road.

    Meeting up with Els and Inga, we found a restaurant for our final dinner together. Inga is off to Bilbao tomorrow for some sun (hopefully), while Els and myself will get a midday train to Sarria, from where we'll walk the final 115km to Santiago de Compostela.

    It has made sense to have a Camino family. I don't think that any of us intended to form a walking group, but it has given us strength in numbers. This relates to motivation, decision-making, looking out for each other, and for sharing learning. It will feel different over the next week due to the different setting, as well as the language barrier when talking with Els. Thank goodness for Google Translate!

    Steps: 20,500
    Distance: 14.0km
    Total Distance walked from St-Jean: 287.1km    Read more

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  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 12

    Villambistia to Cardeñeula Riopico

    October 14, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    It's amazing to see the difference that a single day can make. At the end of yesterday it felt as if I was dead on my feet. Today however, it felt that all of my physical ailments had mostly disappeared, and my stamina boosted beyond what I've felt so far.

    My left knee is good, virtually no pain or swelling in my right ankle, a developing hikers rash on my feet is less severe, and the blister on my heel hasn't worsened.

    After leaving Villambistia this morning, lightning could be seen in the distant pre-dawn sky, with a foreboding threat of rain later in the day. As forecast, the sky opened up at 11.00am, which is when I was grateful for the poncho and rain pants that I'd been carrying for the last 10 days. Fortunately, I was only 500 metres from a small village, with the perfect little bar to wait out the rain for the next couple of hours over a couple of coffees.

    After the rain cleared, the air felt fresh, and the clouds eventually parted enough to let some sunshine through, further lifting the spirits. Upon arriving at our intended destination of Atapuerca, reading of an albergue at the next village of Cardeñuela Riopico sounded appealing enough to walk another 6km. It turned out to be a good decision, with a comfortable bed, amazing showers, and room to move freely around the bunks (unlike last night). It's likely to be a cold night, with an expected mininum of 4 degrees Celsius. Glad I spent a little extra on a warmer sleeping bag.

    I've decided to have a night of relative comfort in Burgos tomorrow night by staying in a hotel, which is only a 14km walk from here, making it my shortest walking day yet. Leaving Burgos on Wednesday the 16th will be 2 full days ahead of my plan. It makes me wonder whether I should keep walking for a couple of days, and then get a bus to Sarria, meaning that I could walk the last 100km to Santiago de Compostela. This would still enable me to get the church-issued compostela for walking the Camino de Santiago. I'll ponder this over the next couple of days.

    Steps: 40,500
    Distance: 29.7km
    Total Distance walked from St-Jean: 273.1    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    1
    Day 11

    Santo Dom. de la Calzada to Villambistia

    October 13, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    This morning started out as excellent for walking. The sky was covered with a light layer of clouds, and there was a comfortable ambience that made the journey very pleasant.

    However, not long into the day strong headwinds provided some unwanted resistance to the morning walk, sometimes kicking up dust. I've found that this can affect my breathing, so I did what I could to keep from inhaling it.

    I spent some time this morning listening to ABC Radio, as I felt a need to hear the Aussie accent and get up-to-date on domestic events. Funnily enough, someone being interviewed had a mantra for getting through life's challenges - "Go hard, or go home". I kept this in mind throughout the day, particularly during the last few kilometres.

    Our little trio appears to often include a fourth member, with a fellow pilgrim (Phillippe from France), who has followed the same pace over the past week. While having a talk with him a few days ago in Pamplona, I discovered that his son is currently studying in Perth, so he got quite a kick when he discovered that I'm from the same city.

    It was a good thing that I'd had a decent breakfast before leaving Santo Domingo de la Calzada, as being a Sunday the options for open eating establishments were very limited. Fortunately, there were regular opportunities for filling up my water bottle, as I've found the afternoon Spanish sun unbearable without a decent supply.

    After passing through three villages with no reasonable options for a meal, we found a charming and welcoming restaurant in Belorado. At €12, the meal (including la Rioja red wine) was effectively an early dinner.

    Arriving this evening in Villambistia was a welcome end to the day, with us staying an albergue that is also the local bar. I suspect that the noise may extend into the evening.

    The good news is that my knee is now feeling better, though I'm having to be careful about potential inflammation in my right lower leg that I mentioned yesterday. I also discovered my first blister this afternoon on my heel, so will keep it dry tonight, and apply a blister cover to it in the morning.

    Steps: 42,500
    Distance: 29.7km
    Total Distance walked from St-Jean: 243.4km    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 10

    Ventosa to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

    October 12, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    If there was a day that would test my resolve, it was yesterday. I walked in the afternoon sun to the physical protest of my lower right leg above my ankle, adjacent to a broken bone injury that I suffered 17 years ago. Further, I was hoping that the warm dry air would help clear what I felt was a budding chest infection. Whilst I most wanted to go to bed, I believed that I'd get through with fortitude.

    Falling asleep at 9pm, and waking at 6am feeling refreshed gave me a renewed sense of confidence and determination to push on. Thinking that a 25km day would be sufficient, it surprised me that I wanted to walk another 6km from Cirueña to Santo Domingo de la Calzada. This puts me a full day ahead of a loose schedule that I'd put together before leaving Australia. This now gives me some flexibility to slow down if I need it.

    At this stage of the journey I find that each step is carefully considered given the effects that it could have on a sore ankle joint, or a developing blister. This may pertain to avoiding a large stone, or not slipping of a high street kurb.

    Given that I've now been on the trail for a week, I keep seeing a few of the same pilgrims at various points along the way, recognisable sometimes when a few hundred metres ahead, with the telltale signs of the way that they walk, their packs, or even their pace. However, the number of familiar faces is decreasing due to the distance that I'm covering each day, so it is welcome to arrive at an albergue and see someone who has kept a similar pace.

    I made my first language error a couple of days ago when I asked a cafe operator for advice about where to refill my water bottle. Confusing the word 'Puente' (bridge) with 'fuente' (fountain), I effectively asked him to direct me to the 'water bridge'. His quizzical facial response quickly told me that my Spanish wasn't quite as good as I had wanted to believe. When I pointed to my empty bottle he kindly offered to fill it for me. I've come to learn that like most people, if treated with respect the Spanish are very gracious.

    An unexpected but short thunderstorm ordered me to quickly retrieve my laundry from the washing line. With the modern conveniences that we take for granted not available most of the time, I had no option but to accept a light shower.

    Steps: 46,000
    Distance: 31.1km
    Total Distance walked from St-Jean: 213.7    Read more

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