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Camino Francés 2022
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  • Laura's Adventures

Camino Francés 2022

A 41-day adventure by Laura's Adventures Read more
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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Route variant

    August 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Today I started walking with the Germans, and soon we met the Belgians. We walked kind of together for 4k, until we reached a decision point: the standard route went left, and continued beside a main road, passing by 4 or 5 villages and was 18k long in total. The variant went right, going towards and then beside a river, passing by a single village before rejoining the main path for the last part. This was a slightly longer route but still not much more than 20k, flat and easy, with a chance of shade and quietness. I was sold on the variant, and so was Jan. The others opted for the standard route for fear of mosquitoes near the river.
    I'm very happy with my choice! As the pics show, the path was nice and shaded for the most part. I was not bothered by a single mosquito.
    One reason many people choose the standard route is that they can stop for coffee/toilet breaks at any of the villages on the way. I knew I'd have to carry enough food and water to last for the 20k, because it wasn't certain that the single village on this route would have any facilities. I was thinking, how spoiled I'm becoming... at home I often go hiking for similar distance, in much harder conditions, with certainty of NO facilities anywhere.
    Anyway, Jan and I have no doubt that we made the best choice.
    At Villavieco there was a cafe, but it was closed when we arrived at 8.40. It had a nice outdoor sitting area, so we sat there for a break and ate some of our snacks.
    The cafe opened at 9, so we got a chance to use the toilets, and Jan ordered breakfast. We spent about an hour there.
    We then continued the nice and pleasant walk (though the river was dry).    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Albergue Espíritu Santo

    August 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    All albergues in Carrión have some connection with a church. The place is full of churches!
    But this isn't like the parochial albergue I stayed at in Grañón, which had basic facilities and was by donation. This one has a set price, and it is very clean, spacious and comfortable inside.
    I had read good reviews about it and I was coming straight here. Jan followed and is here too. Without having arranged it, Milka, Svenia and the Belgians also ended up in the same place, and Carol as well - plus other people I don't know.    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    The market

    August 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    As usual, right after check in I wanted lunch. Being Sunday, we were told all grocery stores were closed. We could go to a bar or restaurant, or... go to the market, which by sheer luck was on this weekend (it's a once a year thing).
    We went to the market, of course.    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler
    1

    The river

    August 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    After lunch we walked up to a convent, and passed by the Carrión river. People were in the water, and we found out that the convent was closed until later (many things close for lunch and siesta in Spain).
    So, we went back to the albergue to get our cozies, and went for a swim.    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Another day in the meseta

    August 8, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Today I ended up hanging with Jan all day again. We started the day with the longest stretch between villages in the whole Camino, 17k.
    There was a food truck at the halfway point, and we stopped for a snack. We continued to Calzadilla de la Cueza, where we had smoothies at a cafe on the edge of the village, with a beautiful meseta view from the shade (see pic).
    Then we continued to the final destination for the day, Ledigos.
    The route was fairly flat, 25k total, mostly on a gravel track.    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler
    2

    Albergue La Morena

    August 8, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    I chose this albergue based on the reviews I found on the guide I got in the Camino Forum and gronze.com. Jan just followed me.
    We arrived a bit late, and I was a little worried that it might be full, as we didn't have a reservation (I have made very few reservations if any in the last week).
    I was very surprised to see that we were the first ones, and as of 5.45pm, the only ones here! It's possible that many pilgrims would have gone to the next village, just over 3k away.
    The albergue is small but beautiful, looks brand new, and has very thoughtful details, like privacy curtains for every bed, good quality cotton bed sheets and pillowcases (most albergues provide disposable ones), power point and reading light in every bed, and a free water bottle and piece of dark chocolate for every guest. As good as a hotel.
    There are 2 sets of normal bunk beds, where access is from the long side of the bed. All other sets are like in a box, with access on the feet end of the bed. It's a good design for space saving, but my opinion of the place wouldn't be the same if I had to sleep in one of those.    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Sunrise at Moratinos

    August 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We left Lédigos before 6am, in the dark, and didn't use the head torch. There were no clouds, and we took a moment to look at the stars. To be honest, they weren't that bright. There was a bit of village light and the first glows of the morning already showing. But I got to see some of the northern constellations, which I'm not at all familiar with, and a couple of meteorites (shooting stars).
    Sunrise came when we were ordering breakfast at Moratinos. The 3rd photo, showing a hill with small openings that look like hobbit houses (you may need to enlarge) was across the road from the cafe. We learnt that they are wine cellars! The Spaniards take their wine very seriously!
    The other photos show examples of mud walls found in the same town.    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Another route variant

    August 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Today, after Sahagún, we had 2 options: the standard route passing by a village or two, or the Trajan variant going to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, a little longer, less traveled, using an old Roman road.
    We chose the latter. By the time we got to the decision point it was getting hot, and we didn't know that there would be virtually no shade, but we would have taken it regardless, as I bet the standard route didn't have much shade either.
    We took a break about 2k before the destination because there was a reat area with lots of shade and a water fountain. After a good pause, we continued to the village.
    The private albergue I saw great reviews for was closed, and we went to the municipal albergue instead. Jan and I were the only guests again.
    We had a very nice evening chatting with Madeleine, the hospitalera, cooking and sharing food.
    The albergue was partially renovated recently. The sleeping area is still old, but toilets and showers are new, and the kitchen was only installed last week!    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Best of Sahagún

    August 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    I loved the door to the old city, and I equally loved the confitería 😋
    I had a smoothie with a piece of cheesecake, just because it looked more substantial than the choc mousse slice... and other various things that I wished I could take away...Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Unexpected extension

    August 10, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    I was sleepy the whole morning. There were kids playing and talking outside my window last night, until after midnight, and I got up at 5.
    I had the best breakfast so far, and it was 'home' made: fruit salad with natural yoghurt and avo on toast. Some albergues lend themselves to food preparation more others.
    We left Calzadilla de los Hermanillos and continued on the Via Trajana. The walk was still mostly flat, with gentle undulations. The fields had corn, wheat and sunflowers, and the occasional tree plantation.
    The track was an ancient Roman road, which in parts has been conserved just like it was 2,000 years ago.
    The target today was Mansilla de las Mulas, about 25k. The morning was relatively cool, cloudy, with a couple of light showers. It was a good temperature for walking.
    When we got to Mansilla, however, the good albergue was full 😣. The other private albergue had more negative reviews than positive, and the municipal was closed.
    We started looking for other options and found room at a nice albergue 2 more villages to the west. This extended the walk to 32k, and the last hour or two were in the afternoon heat.
    We were planning to walk to the last village before León tomorrow, and arrive early in León the next day, to be able to spend time exploring the city. But with today's extension, we're just 1 more village away from León, so we'll get there tomorrow.    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    It was worth it

    August 10, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Albergue San Pelayo at Puente Villarente has a great atmosphere. We're meeting other pilgrims here. I notice some turnover in the people: quite a few that I used to bump into all the time, I haven't seen in a few days - and I am seeing others for the first time.
    Some people only have/had a limited time and walked until it was time to return home and go back to work. Others started walking from Burgos.    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Short walk today

    August 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Walking a lot yesterday meant we were only 12k from León today, and we didn't need to start too early.
    Karl, another German, gave Jan a crash course in ukulele and then walked with us part of the way to León.
    Karl said that the blue flowers in the third picture are known as 'Camino flower'.
    When Jan and I walked alone, he taught me numbers 0 to 12 in German, and I taught him the same in Spanish. Each time we saw street signs with numbers, we practised 😂
    The landscape was more urban today,and we reached the centre of León by 10am. This was perfect to give us time to explore the city for a day.
    Karl is in a rush to complete the Camino ASAP and go home. He stopped for coffee with us, then went on his way.    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    I'm in love

    August 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Rich, dark, with a great body... this is the kind of chocolate I love 😋❤🤣
    I couldn't pass the chance to get a great chocolate con churros!
    Later, after a quick lunch, I went back to the same place, Chocolatería Valor, for a 70% dark thick shake. This is heaven!Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    A few known faces

    August 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Here we bumped into a few people we met before: Maren (German), Dari (French), Joanna (German), Claudio (Argentinian).
    Maren had arrived before us and was checked into an albergue she said was very good, so we checked in there too. We are meeting her later for dinner.

    Here's a photo with Maren taken at dinner time. She reminds me of my niece Sarah (a blonde version).    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    The cathedral

    August 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    This is one of the main attractions of the city, and it's very impressive. Jan bought a ticket to go inside, but I went for a city walk instead.

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    The city

    August 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    The historic centre is very nice, with beautiful buildings and the typical twisting little streets and passages, and lively plazas. A lot of inviting restaurants, but very overpriced.

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Dinner in León

    August 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Jan, Maren and I were waiting for our dinner when Murdock, who had met Maren before, walked by and joined us.
    He has the most extraordinary life I have heard of so far on the Camino: he's Scottish, and has been living in Oman for 5 years. Who wants to guess what his job is? I bet no one will come even close! 🤣Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Best pilgrims stall

    August 12, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Just outside the city, we stopped at this stall believing it would be the usual kind of overpriced snack business we have seen at other places. We were wrong! This is a community service. It offers things a pilgrim may genuinely need (including dark chocolate), and we were invited to take anything we wanted and leave a donation for a value we considered fair.
    They also ask each pilgrim to mark their place of origin on the map. The maps in the photos are just for August 2022, and today is only the 12th. No wonder I'm seeing so many Italians and Germans!    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Another variant

    August 12, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    There are about 50k between León and Astorga, and we believe Astorga will be worth spending a night at, so we are planning our walking accordingly.
    The first decision was to take the variant route, via Villar de Mazarife. It's only 3k longer, and much more quiet and enjoyable than the route on the side of the road.
    We saw another half a dozen or so pilgrims on this route, which is a good number (small enough to be quiet, but not deserted, and providing opportunity to talk with other people). There was a French guy, a Korean girl, a German guy and 3 Americans, plus one or two others whose origin I don't know.
    I walked part of the way with JinJu (Korean) and Jan walked with the German guy.
    Our destination for today was Villar de Mazarife, a 22k walk.
    The first couple of hours we walked in urban areas, and then we could see that the meseta is giving way to a new landscape, with some ups and downs, some trees, and some grass for animals to graze on.    Read more

  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Traveler

    Villar de Mazarife

    August 12, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    I stopped for a short break at the last bar before Villar de Mazarife, the destination for the day. The village that follows is 10k away. To make it to Astorga tomorrow, we had to walk 20k one day and 30 the next, or vice-versa. My plan was to do just 20 today, as we started a bit late and it was hot.
    Most of the pilgrims that took the variant route stopped at the same cafe, but not JinJu. She was going slow, and just kept walking.
    Jan was in deep conversation with another German and when I was ready to move on, they still had drinks to take care of, so I went on my way, assuming they'd catch up with me. I told Jan I was going to Albergue de Jesus (sounds like a religious place, but no: Jesus is the name of the owner 🤣).
    I caught up with JinJu halfway to the albergue, and we checked in together. We were given a twin room to share, for the same price as a dorm 😀
    Jan and the other guy were not in sight yet. TBH, I thought that perhaps they didn't like the look of the albergue and went to another one. Jesus' place looks a bit shabby from outside, but it has charm, and by far the best reviews in the village.
    So, JinJu and I settled in, had something to eat, showered, did the laundry... and only then Jan and his mate arrived. They wanted to keep going to the next village (another 10k), so I wished them buen Camino and went to my room for some rest. When I came back down an hour later, Jan was checking in! They had stayed for a drink, and then Jan changed his mind about the extra 10k. Also, all the people we met during the day were staying here. So, tomorrow we're starting from the same place again. It's like we're joined at the hip!    Read more

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