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  • ViaggiatoreBill and Katie's Camino
    111
    Giorno 5

    Cows, Coffee, and a Magic Bridge

    5 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Today's walk started with a pleasant walk from Rocesvalles through the neighboring towns. We passed lots of farms. And caught up with a couple (Mary and Declan) that we have been walking with off and on so we decided to stop for a cup of coffee for me and Katie and their breakfast in Burgette. Burgette's claim to fame is it's where Hemingway stayed and part of The Sun Also Rises is set there.

    We also met Silvio, a retiree from Milan. He had quite the tale to tell about his encounter with the Bomberos, the Spanish mountain rescue squad.

     People walking the whole 800 k are predominantly retirees, like Mary, Declan and Silvio. The next biggest group is college aged people.

    We caught up with a few friends for lunch, Mary, Sharon and Terra and we were searching for a restaurant that served a camelized onion omlette (tortilla). We found the restaurant, but they were out of that tortilla, but the others that we had were great!

    After lunch the trail went up some steep sections and then down a steep washed out decent into Zubiri, where we crossed the Magic Bridge. Legend has it that in medieval times people believed that if their cow had rabies then if they took the cow cross the bridge three times it would magically get cured.    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreBill and Katie's Camino
    Giorno 4

    Lots of up and the down

    4 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Today's walk was from Orisson to Roncesvalles. We were the last ones out of Orisson. And headed up the road and up the mountain to the pass.

    Speaking of the mountain pass we saw both the French and Spanish rescue services doing training runs over the pass with off road vehicles.

    Lots of pilgrims and we were passed by many people coming out of SJPDP. I expected that since I do walk slow! But I get there!

    Poor Katie had to slow down for me on the up hills but I could keep up with her on the down hills. We met a few new people walking including a mother and daughter from Zimbabwe. It was so foggy people actually told us they missed the marker for where the Camino leave the road and it's just a few feet from the road. Check my pictures, you'll see how close it is.

    The up today was long and steady and the down was short and steep. It'll be down hill most of the way for the next two days.

    The Hotel Roncesvalles has a great restaurant and for a price fixed menu you get a whole bottle of wine EACH! We texted our Camino friends and finished the bottles in the bar. Earlier I was trying to teach Declan how to use walking poles because of his bad knees and it did not take, but we had a few laughs after dinner about that.    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreBill and Katie's Camino
    Giorno 3

    Uphills and new peoples

    3 maggio 2022, Francia ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    We were walking only 5 miles today ( 8 kilometers). The man at the Pilgrims office told us it was a 3 hour walk to Orisson, so we decided for a late start. After finding breakfast at a cafe in town we were on way at 10. Katie was real nice she stopped and waited for me many times. She had to, because much of the way was really steep with lots of switch backs. After an hour we had made it 3k with over 6000 steps. The hill was steep! For me and around town or in local parks 6000 steps is just under three miles. It took me a while with my sleep deprived brain (did I mention I barely slept last night?) to figure out that with all the steep hills I was taking shorter steps.

    We met a lot of nice people from (in no particular order) Ireland, Germany, Italy, Iowa, California, North Carolina, and even Connecticut.

    Anyway after a bit of struggle for me, we made it to Orisson in the 3 hours. We had no internet. I think the owners believe in the old adage about pretending it's the 1960's and put your phones down and talk to people. After a lovely afternoon on the terrace we had a tasty communal dinner. And I ordered lunch for tomorrow, because there's nothing between here and Roncesvalles (17k) our next stop, if the food truck doesn't show up.    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreBill and Katie's Camino
    Giorno 2

    Peacocks,Taxis, Wine and Sausages

    2 maggio 2022, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Today was another travel day from Pamplona to St Jean pied de Port (SJPDP). Mandy and Maria's ( the Australians) train arrived at 1:30, so we spent the morning exploring Pamplona. The highlight of the morning was visiting the animal garden. They have quite the assortment of birds including peacocks, as well as deer and a whole bunch of teenagers racing around doing some sort of scavenger hunt. As a matter of fact the deer were very interested in the scavenger hunt.

    We met Mandy and Maria on time and our taxi came on time as well, but it was a tiny Toyota Prius for the four of us with our big backpacks and Mandy and Maria also had suitcases because they were meeting their husbands after they walked the Camino and they were planning on 45 to 60 days to do it. Somehow we all managed to fit into it.

    I thought Italians were crazy drivers, but they don't even hold the candle to the Basques. The whole 45 mile journey was switchbacks up and down mountain sides. And as far as our driver was concerned the speed limit was a suggestion, especially when he was passing somebody on a blind corner.

    We got to SJPDP in one piece though. We had to wait for for our room to be finished cleaning before we could check in, which was basically the housekeeping staff giving us the key while using Google Translate to make the transaction. The next step was getting our credentials and getting them stamped and dinner, that's where the sausages come in and then exploring the town in the evening.    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreBill and Katie's Camino
    Giorno 1

    Pamplona

    1 maggio 2022, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Travel day today. We arrived in Madrid spent a couple of hours in the Puerto de Atocha station waiting for our train to Pamplona. The Gardens in the station are really beautiful. The hotel here in Pamplona is really nice, and the person at the front desk recommended a great restaurant, where we had a wonderful basque burger and some Estrella Galicia. We also took a nice walk around town and I'm looking forward to coming back in 5 days. We're going to meet the Australians (Mandy and Maria) tomorrow to take cab to St John Pied-de Port.Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreMy Camino 2021
    Giorno 10

    After the Walk

    25 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Today was a mix of busy and waiting. I could not get my Compostela yesterday, since the office closed. I was still able to register and got counted for the days totals though. I was one of 1273 pilgrims who went to the office, but my guess is that less than 50 were on my route.

    So far this month there have been approximately 22,000 registered pilgrims who completed the way. Overwhelmingly they walked the Camino Frances. If you see a Camino movie or YouTube channel about the Camino, it will most likely be about the French Way. 344 Americans did the walk so far this month. And out of the 22,000 people, most walked, a little over 1000 people bicycled, 34 rode horses and 15 people in wheel chairs made it.

    I returned to the Pilgrims Office at 9 am to see a long line winding around the block. That line was to get a ticket to then be called to submit my documents for the Compostela. Remember those stamps? I was going to have to show my credential with the stamps to get my Compostela. I got ticket number 316. While I was waiting I went out souvenir shopping, because the people in the pilgrims office told me it would be at least 2 hours before I was called. The ticket thing is actually kind of nice, because you don't have spend your whole time stuck on line.

    I was finally called just after 12 noon. The process was easy: I went up to the window and they looked up my info when I registered and counted the stamps and confirmed the dates. I was issued the Compostela with my name in Latin. Actually the text of the Compostela is all in Latin. I also asked for and received the Certificate of Distance. And a cardboard tube to take them home in. It's funny all the guidebooks say I walked 117k but my certificate says 113. It doesn't really matter and I do like the Latin name.

    To celebrate I got lunch on a fixed price menu with wine, bread, Galician Soup and roasted meat and coffee all for 11 euros.

    I did miss the pilgrims mass though. It was at 12 and there is limited seating due to Covid and long line because of the limited seating. One day..... and maybe I will see the Botafumeiro.

    The rest of the day was taken up making sure I had my travel documents ready including taking a Covid Test. You can't get back in the country without one. Actually it may not matter soon, because there are rumors that the European Union will close to Americans after Labor Day since we never reciprocated the reopening.    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreMy Camino 2021
    Giorno 9

    Santiago

    24 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Getting refreshments after walking into Santiago de Compostela. I swear my feet were hurting more and more as I entered Santiago de Campostela. Just after the 3 kilometer marker we could see the towers of the cathedral peaking over the the city rooftops. At 2k we could really see them clearly.

    I'm having some refreshments and cakes at Almorzos. My friends say it is the best place for cakes and sweets in the city, I saw a girl there who was limping and whose feet are all bandaged up, a real perigrina.

    The cake I had was a Santiago torte served Galician style with coffee liquor poured over a cross cut into the slice of cake.

    The next stop was a visit to the cathedral and a visit to the tomb of St. James the apostle. Then on to get our Compostelas (completion certificate) but the Pilgrims Office was closed for the day.

    All good things come to an end. My Spanish travelling group of friends were not doing this for religious reasons. But one was still grieving for the loss of her husband. Anyway they had to depart. So it was a bitter sweet ending for the day.

    Tomorrow is Compostela, laundry, and Covid test time. I need to test negative to be able to return to the US.    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreMy Camino 2021
    1
    Giorno 9

    Enchanted Forest

    24 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    On the way in to Santiago de Compostela we passed through a section of woods called the Enchanted Forest. We also stopped at a café and took some silly pictures.

    Two of the ladies were walking with, now forever known as Dos Chicas, Nuria, and Mireya, were supposed to leave Siguiero with us. But they took the wrong bus from the hotel and finally caught up to us on the way. Their bus pulled up as we were crossing a bridge along the raod. Apparently they were shouting at the bus driver to stop the bus when they saw us! The bus ride did disqualify them from getting a Compostela, since it is mandatory to walk the entire last 100 kilometers. See my other post today about the perigrina with bandaged feet. People will do what they must to get it. Or they will return again.

    I got all the selos (stamps) I needed for my Compostela by lunch time (at least 2 selos for everyday). We were also comparing pilgrims passports with another group of perigrinas who had different covers than ours. The ones issued by the church in Galicia are different than the ones you can get at tourist information office for example. They are all acceptable.    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreMy Camino 2021
    Giorno 8

    Siguiero

    23 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    This was the longest and hottest day so far. But now I'm just hanging out at the patio of the hotel. It was another great day.

    After my first coffee break I was hoping to stop at one of the cafes further down the roaf for breakfast or lunch, but they were all closed. And as usual I fell behind the group. But I met a new group of pilgrims, Jennifer and her son Jose from Barcelona and Mireya and Nuria from Madrid. We had a lovely walk together. We found picnic spot and all shared what ever we had for lunch.

    On the way we met an old women walking on the road with great mellon and a huge beat. She was so sweet, Mireya stopped to talk to the women and she offered to make us dinner! We declined though, because we still had a ways to go.

    On the way into Siguiero we stopped at a bar, Clube Hipico Deixebre / Gamping Corredoira do Camiño Inglés to get some refreshments and found my original group of walkers and puppies!    Leggi altro

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  • ViaggiatoreMy Camino 2021
    Giorno 8

    Fantasy Land.

    23 agosto 2021, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Fantasy land

     I didn't get far before I had to make a pit stop. And this where I ended up! Actually across the street from the sculptures. I didn't expect to see a dinosaur on pilgrimage route.

    It was a beautiful morning leaving Meson do Vento. I left my hotel on my own and ran into many people I know at the café. We left the café together but since I walked slow I was soon left behind.

    That is what I expected and what happens on the way, we all walk at our own pace and visit with others for a bit while walking. Little did I know that the café would be the only place open along the way today.    Leggi altro

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