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El Camino
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  • James Byrne

El Camino

An open-ended adventure by James Read more
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    🇪🇸 Villafranca del Bierzo, Spain
    James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 29: O Cebreiro - Tricastela

    Yesterday in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    More mountains! We stayed high, walking up and down through some beautiful hills. The cows are back, reminding me of the very start of the Camino. After a big final climb we stopped at a cafe with a HUGE dog called Toby. In Spain they are not 'good boys' there are 'Buen chicos'.

    Tenee had stayed at an Australian albergue and was nice enough to share a little tray of Vegemite with me. Amazing.

    We had a bit of a rest day today with 20kms into Tricastela and an awesome albergue. As our boots were all still soaked this afternoon, the excitement of a dedicated boot warming room by the fire was Incredible. We also had both a top and bottom sheet for the very first time! The English contingent didn't know what to do with the top sheet which made me laugh.

    Dinner was very funny, another reminder of how lucky I am to have an amazing group of people to walk with.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 28: Villafranca - O Cebreiro

    October 31 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Two of the most feared words on the Camino; BED BUGS. We woke up to a fair bit of excitement, with some recognising a bug or two as bed bugs. Notoriously difficult to get rid of, and apparently going around the region at the moment, everyone was a little tense this morning. After a team meeting we decided to head down to the laundromat to wash and dry our clothes with a lot of heat. We also bought and and body spray.

    A few hours later we hit the road, which was certainly not ideal given the 27kms and the massive mountain at the end to climb. The walk itself was quite nice, with rain all day as a companion. We took shelter for lunch in a car port next to the supermarket and relieved Tina of the red wine she had been carrying all day! The owner of the house even drove up and was super nice, insisting we stay.

    I stopped off at a beautiful little church and prayed there for a while, then walked off to town. I had thought we were staying at the foot of the mountain, given how late it was (and how rainy), but when I called Ruben to ask about which albergue he said they were halfway up the mountain! 8kms, 700m incline, in the pouring rain, with only 2 hours till sunset. While I wondered at the wisdom of that decision, off I set. This was some of the hardest 2 hours I've ever done. Praying for strength and having a lot of time to make up, I resolved not to take a break.

    Legs, lungs and heart on fire, I was incredibly happy to see everyone else and walk together in the pouring rain. Everyone was also at the limit which made it pretty special, some people singing, intermittent yelling, and genuinely hugs when we reached the albergue.

    Mass was at 6pm, just as we walked in the door, so everyone let me check in first and duck out. I was glad I did, mass was special. The site of a famous Eucharistic miracle and mass with a lovely Franciscan. We got a lovely stone with a yellow arrow as part of the pilgrim blessing, capping off a challenging but very memorable day.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 27: Molinesco - Villafranca

    October 30 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    This may have been the most beautiful day of all! Walking through vineyards in del Bierzo country during autumn, the colours were spectacular.

    I did a speed walk through Pontferrada which had a stunning castle, and pushed on. I got some good Spanish practice talking to Julio, one of the Spaniards who I think felt a bit isolated by how few Spanish speakers there are at the moment.

    The landscape was stunning, and my day got better when I heard a yell and realised I had caught up to the rest of the crew at the park! Maik, Florence, Brook, Ruben and Tina, it was really good to see them all again. I definitely needed their company and distraction as we rolled through the beautiful hills and vineyards. After another 30+ days my legs were feeling it like they haven't for a long time.

    The town itself is also beautiful, lots of stone and churches. There was also some tourists outside our albergue who asked to take a photo of us, meaning we either looked the part of pilgrims, stank, or both. Our albergue is RUSTIC, but not instagram rustic, pretty authentic. Home cooked paella for dinner!    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler
    1

    Day 26: El Ganso - Molinesca

    October 29 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The mornings company was young Anton from Berlin! A really earnest guy trying to learn all he can from everyone else, we had a great chat. He's also about 6'6 and his pace as we climbed up the mountain was ridiculous, but we managed (or he slowed for me).

    The view from the top was lovely! I dropped a rock at the famous cruz de ferro, which id been given at SJPP, and as I was already pretty damp from the rain elected to push on. First we had a steep incline, potentially to the highest point in the whole camino, and now the descent. It was pretty tough going as it got colder and wetter, both physically and then later mentally.

    Unsure of whether to push onto Pontferrada I arrived in Molinesca and couldn't go past. An incredibly quaint village by a stream! The feet were also relieved after two 30+ days and i was very keen to dry off.

    After a visit to the church, i parked up on the balcony for a pretty well earned beer. Time to recap the days language learning from my podcasts! Super relaxing.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler
    2

    Day 25: Hospital - El Ganso

    October 28 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    It was a sad farewell from an awesome stay at Albergue Verde, and also to Inés and Anne-Cécile as I don't see them again until Santiago.

    I had some ground to make up on the rest of the crew, so walked pretty quick and ended up with a good 33km day.

    I saw American Ben on the way and walked with him and Colin to this donativo rest area which was awesome. They had the cutest football playing dog there! So cute.

    The rest of the day was eerily desolate, so few pilgrims and super quiet towns. I took the off road detours which was nice, until at one point I stumbled upon a baby boar! The path was super narrow with thick trees, so I felt if Mumma Boar came to find me I'd be in real trouble. Heart rate was elevated.

    Feeling pretty weary i stopped at this ghost town, opening the door to an empty albergue. Kind of creepy, but I rang this bell and this lovely Spaniard appeared. He does extreme sports, which includes paragliding skiing! Absolutely mental.

    We had only 6 beds and a an electric fireplace which gave a super cosy feel to it. I had a great chat with 'cousin' Damien Byrne, and the two German brothers Anton and Lucas. A half-cold shower is a fair trade for a bed with a super comfy doona.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 24: Manzarife - Hospital de Orbigo

    October 27 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    -1 degrees this morning! Crazy. My heavy and large clothes from Leon really paid dividends this morning. Florence and Rosie left early and I went for a coffee with Anne-Cécile. Today was Ines's first solo walking day! As I'd been much earlier yesterday they'd asked if I could buy some food from store while it was open (Inés had a very specific list aha).

    I then spent the day walking with Anne-Cécile on her 'freedom day', which would have been a huge relief after 2 months as a full time carer. We had a really great chat about each other's families. Chats on the Camino in an incredible way often get into a very deep and personal topics, and this was no exception.

    The bridge to get into town is an exceptional view, and must have a great story. We had a hilarious hour at the bar with Inés teaching me basic French, me teaching her basic Spanish, and absolutely no common language between us. Body parts was our starting point.

    Given there was only 3 of us at the Albergue, our hosts joined us for dinner, including the 98 year old mother of the man who had founded it. I tried my best language wise, and she was so lovely, sometimes crying and me desperately thinking of words to fit such an emotional conversation. Our hosts, half volunteer hospitaleros, said this was the first time since the albergue started 30 years ago she had ever dined with pilgrims, and i cannot describe the looks on their faces when she kissed us on the cheek goodnight! It was an incrediblly touching moment.

    We played a bit of music after dinner, Jurgen being incredible patient in teaching Inés some drums. Andri would play the guitar and asked me to sing as he didn't know the English words. So funny.

    At one point in conversation I would speak to Anne-Cecile in English, she would speak to Andri in French, and he would speak to me in Spanish, and it somehow worked! It felt like a 'how far we have come moment'    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 23: León- Manzarife

    October 26 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    The body was rested today and the 21kms felt easy! I actually did a workout once I got to albergue.

    I ran into my friends Pilar and Marco again, who I have seen on and off the last few days. They are an absolutely lovely Spanish and French couple, who always are excited to chat. I think I understand 20% of conversations and that is okay. You get more and more used to just being in conversations of Spanish Nad Fench were you don't know at all whats happening, and that's alright. When we're speaking English then its happening to the others.

    Today I took the scenic route and enjoyed a bit of solitude, as a lot of people took different routes today. After the rosary for Brigid Aunty Marg called me which was very nice, and we had a good chat about life and the Camino.

    I've seen 4 spiders today, in Spain! There are cobwebs everywhere in the sky and blowing in the wind, gives fairly creepy vibes to this tiny town. For dinner i cooked up a pancetta pesto pasta, and if you had seen the size of the store I had to work with, I was pretty happy with this result.

    I had dinner with Florence, Anne-Cécile and Inés and played some cards afterwards which was hilarious. "Quems" or "Kemps", not 100% what we were all saying, but it was a lot of fun and my competitive side really came out, at odds with the relaxation of the Camino! Anne-Cécile was very good, always guessing Inés and my signals and I never guessed hers once. A really nice night.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 22: León

    October 25 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Sleep in! With a real duvet and towel! Feels like we are living like kings. Maik and Tina had already bought supplies so i did a huge bacon and egg cookup, which couldn't have hit the spot better.

    I went for a coffee with Anne-Cécile while Ines slept, called Dad and then headed to the Gaudi museum. I barely knew what to do with the free time!

    I also took a tour of Leon cathedral in the afternoon which was stunning as expected. I saw Ines and Anne-Cecile again at mass at the Cathedral. Ines was very appreciative when I offered her my jacket as she was obviously cold, and she then invited back to their albergue where she was cooking dinner. Marco was there as well, and we had a great chat. He is the funniest guy with also that sensitive side to him. Legend.

    Ines killed it with this chicken risotto and then strawberries and Chantilly cream for dessert. Super impressive for a 16 year old. Dinner was really nice with Ines, Marco and Anne-Cécile. It willl be nice to be back on the trail with purpose tomorrow.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 21: Mansillas - León

    October 24 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    This was a nice day. I had such a good chat with Tina this morning about all sorts of things, really getting to know each other on a personal level. Tina is incredible, hugely empathetic and incredible welcoming. We are lucky to have her.

    This morning was absolutely freezing, with first everywhere and steam coming from our breath. I walked for the first time in my long (and nightime pants) as the weather had really dropped severely.

    Arriving in Leon was great, a big city full of life and beautiful buildings. We booked 2 nights in a room of a hostel and we are all so excited to not pack a bag for a change.

    Before I dinner I did a quick stop at Zara to boot the warm weather wardrobe! My shorts are finally not enough. I got a big flannel which i couldnt be happier about.

    Maik cooked an absolute chef's meal tonight, prawn pasta, and the Anne-Cecile messaged me a bar where all the crew was at. There was real excitement amongst all the pilgrims tonight, rest dsy in a big city! Particularly after the last few days in ghost towns.

    We had a good few beers but i didnt join the 4am crew. Great decision. Rest day will be good tomorrow.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 20: Bercianos - Mansillas

    October 23 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Today was brutal. A good 27kms in crazy wind and freezing cold. I had a headache and generally felt pretty rough. I walked the morning with Andrea, and then some with Rosie and Chris, before my social battery ran out and I just needed to put on some music and walk until the day finished. I will be visiting Zara in Leon and stocking up on some pants and maybe a fleece jacket.

    Manillas is another ghost town, more eerie than quaint. Maybe a reminder that i'm a city boy and need those big lights.

    We had dinner at a strange restaurant but Florence had made a no bake cheesecake which brightened the evening. Ruben also bought us some coffee liquor which is apparently traditional, and that was nice and warming.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 19: Terradillos - Bercianos

    October 22 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    WINDY. Today was pretty tough, all day walking into a strong head wind which added that extra bit of resistance and some wind chill factor. We persevered and unlike some other days I spent most of the day walking with the crew, which was nice to chat the day away.

    I also had a Patatas tortilla with tomatoes which was pretty special, even considering I've had many, many of these by now.

    The walk wasn't super inspiring but we still had a lot of lovely autumn trees and leaves, as well as huge fields of corn. Bercianos is a ghost town, with 120 inhabitants most of whom apparently work in nearby cities and only come here over the weekends!

    Maik, the legend that he is, picked up some beers for us to enjoy once we finally arrived. We stayed in a donativo albergue, pay by whatever donation you choose, and the hospitaleros were the most lovely Canadian ladies.

    Community dinner was really wholesome, and we had a nice chat with Benjamin for his final night before he returned to Berlin. It kind of reminded us all that the Camino will end up some point and that you do return to normalcy, which was slightly sobering.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 18: Carrión - Terradillos

    October 22 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    I left a bit late this morning to make 8:30 Mass at the Carmelitas Convent. Must be in Convent Country! Plenty of monasteries still around as well.

    On the way to mass I met an Americsn lady called Andrea, who didn't know mass was on, so was happy to meet another Catholic and come along. Mass was really nice, and also partly cloistered, which is always interesting.

    I walked with Andrea for a while, and she's amazing. Her family were very nervous about her coming on the Camino, as she's recovering from a brain aneurysm! She had to relearn walking and talking, so hugely impressive thats she's out doing an 800km hike on her own. Inspirational and just told me that "God would do the rest".

    I also saw Gerard Florian at lunch and had a great chat for the afternoons walk. Turns out he'd had a nervous ambulance ride to the hospital after collapsing in the shower! Turned out to be a pinched nerve in his back, not a blood clot, so he's on lighter days but still trekking.

    It was pretty rainy this afternoon, so we all ended up relaxing over a few bottles of wine. Dinner at the Albergue was lovely, and we continued our streak of finding guitars and having a music session! Great fun.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 17: Frómista - Carrión los Condes

    October 20 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Can't believe it's Day 17 already, halfway there! Today was chilly. I walked in my fleece, gloves and beanie for most of the day (basically all my warm clothes besides long pants). Thankfully the albergues are always pretty warm, and this one is a big converted primary school.

    Today I took the alternate road, which was a little longer but followed the river and had beautiful autumn leaves.

    I saw Brook and Ruben at a bar for a coffee and the man was just the nicest, most smiley man you could imagine. We all walked out of there in a better mood, legend! With Brook and Ruben a bit unsure about whether to go back to Galicia from Tennessee, we had a great chat about moving countries and leaving or rejoining your family and friends.

    With plenty of energy left after today's 20km, Rosie and I decided to head to the nearby park for a little workout! There was some equipment was in a lovely green park with lots of trees, and it was nice for the upper body to do something for a change.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 16: Castrojeriz - Frómista

    October 19 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Back to a nice 25km today, and just started with a detour to the Convent of Santa Clara. This was a beautiful experience. I got to see the finish of the morning prayer (all sung). I've not been into many convents, and the nuns were in a separated area, with the priest on our side but facing them. It was quite interesting, but a really nice mass.

    And then onto the trail! The legs have been feeling stronger and stronger, so i even packed the 2 leftover beers from last night, just to keep the challenge high. I had a good call with Tom, who loves hearing where i'm at and reliving his Camino.

    Today was pretty cold and cloudy, with light rain most of the day. Being positive, its a nice change from sun cream and the heat. I caught up with Benjamin for the last 6 kms and we discussed different old songs and how funny they sound when you're older (some good teenage angst from the Offspring, Blink 182, etc.)

    Frómista feels like a really different town, no beautiful stoned old town, and lots of industry style buildings around. A wide main strip just like an Aussie town! Its Sunday so all shops are closed, so we'll test out the local restaurants tonight.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 15: Hornillos - Castrojeriz

    October 18 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    After a pretty rough sleep thanks to the steam train impression from my Spanish bunks neighbour, we set off in what was a very cold morning. Eventually the sun came out with the blue sky, and when I stopped for a coffee and jamon toast I had a lovely view over the hills.

    I think we have entered "la meseta" which is a plateau known for being super dry and pretty barren. The terrain while pretty consistent the whole day, still had a rugged beauty to it.

    I caught up with Rosie on the trail, and we talked a while about music and her learning the harmonica. I've said she needs to learn "Follow the Sun" by Xavier Rudd, which I played fromy my phone, so will check in a few days to see if theres any progress. Every second person out here can sing or the play guitar!

    Coming into town on fairly fresh legs i decided to put some work in and head to the Castillo on the hill. This certainly got the lungs burning but I had a lovely view in return.

    I ran into Australian Liz in the albergue, who I hadn't seen for a few days, and strangely reminds me of how I picture Grandma at 60. She does have the same greying hair and is also lovely.

    Dinner was chicken pesto pasta! They really don't have much chicken here, so this was a nice change of flavours, and some much needed protein. Dinner was also hilarious, wirh everyone swapping great stories. It is nice to really be able to get to know these people day after day.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 14: Burgos - Hornillos

    October 17 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    With today being only 20km (how quickly your attitude changes), I decided to stay for Mass at Burgos and then begin my walk. It was a feast day so there was pleeeeenty of singing in Spanish during which I was pretty lost, but a nice experience nonetheless.

    10am and I was on the road, much later than my usual start, but there was Rosie also making a start! We chatted a whole range of topics, including about her Dad and among other things, his interest in Satanism. Rosie's child certainly was a lot more challenging than mine, so good on her for being where she is in life.

    I stopped at a tiny town for a Cafe con leche and Coke, now a settled routine, and who should I meet but Benjamin finishing lunch! Continuing what seems a Camino norm, we found our way into the most deep topics, from my marriage breakdown and Catholic faith, to Benjamin's Lutheran upbringing, philosophical questions about life and troubled relationship with his brother. They haven't spoken in 6 years which is sad and surprising given how nice he is, and I was surprised to find out I was the first person that he had spoken to about it, which I hope was a positive experience for him.

    Hornillas is tiiiiny, as so many of these towns are, which from the right perspective is super relaxing. Really not much more than a street with buildings. I sit writing this out the back of the albergue under the shade of an olive tree. The downtimes in these afternoons post walk are amazingly relaxing, and later i will meet up with the crew for maybe a beer and dinner. What a day, nothing to hate!

    We ended up playing some cards with this hilarious Spanish lady, so loud, full of energy and not a lick of English. It made for a very entertaining game.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 13: San Juan de Ortega - Burgos

    October 16 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    What a sleep! A real mattress with real sheets, heavenly. And good prep for a longer 27km today. This day felt relatively easy on the legs, which has certainly not always been the case.

    I started the walk chatting to Anne-Cecile and Ines and it was great to get to know them a bit more. Ines, as teenagers do, is a little slow in the mornings so we had a sleep in and began the walk at a sunny 8:30am, fully rested. The charity association really is impressive, and I felt quite sorry for Anne-Cecile as Ines can be quite challenging, and she really has to be on 24/7. She was a nurse during Covid as well, so extra brownie points, and very strong in her faith.

    After a few hours it was time to give them some space and walk on, enjoying the walk before we hit the outskirts of Burgos. As the second largest city on the Camino after Pamplona, Burgos has a big industrial area which was pretty punishing to walk through. The old town itself however is stunning, with a lovely park by the river and a gigantic cathedral in the square. It is of course stunning inside.

    We had a beer in the afternoon and, after trying my best to answer questiomd about what confession was and how it works, everyone decided to come to mass at the Cathedral which was really nice. They were a bit shy, so sat in the back pew, which kind of made it feel like my Camino family coming to support me which was funny but also really wholesome. This included Maik, Tina, Benjamin, Ruben and Brook. We met Greg and Rosie for dinner afterwards at a lovely tapas bar with unreal food.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 12: Belorado - San Juan de Ortega

    October 15 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Our coldest morning yet, and my one and only outer layer, a lightweight but super warm fleece, was really put to the test. My decathlon gloves worked a treat but it might be getting near beanie territory for the ears.

    It was nice to have a change of terrain today, a climb into some mountains and blessed shade! Ruben and Brook, seeing me yesterday with my notepad in the square studying Spanish, very kindly offered some lessons on the go. We got stuck into verb conjugations, and it was great to have the balance of a local (Ruben being Galician) and Brook being a Spanish teacher (from USA). Super nice of them to take the time for meand walking and learning felt super productive.

    Partly because of the great views, but also because it's hard to change plan when you're mentally prepping for that final break, I stopped at San Juan de Ortega in a brand new albergue. It was so nice I kind of felt bad, lovely wooden bunks, new bathrooms and even sheets! Actual sheets. A real treat.

    Most of the my 'Camino family' are in different towns for the first time in a while, but we'll all meet up in Burgos. A beer in the main (and only) street of town was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

    Ezter and Zira also dropped by for a drink which was nice. She is desperate to get to Australia and see all the animals so had many questions, and Zira was even more demanding for scratches.

    I also formally met Ines and Anne-Cecile, who I have seen on the trail and in Mass before. Anne-Cecile has done 5 Caminos already, and I believe is either a volunteer social worker for an association that takes girls from tough situations and takes them on the Camino. I think sometimes in juveniles offence situations the judge allows this supervised journey instead of a different punishment because of how great a reductiok in repest offenders the program generates..

    While I am doing this for my own benefit, will walk for 3 months as a full time carer for Ines, giving some lessons along the way as well. Pretty inspirational stuff. 6 of us had dinner at the Albergue together so it was nice to get to know them a little more.

    For dinner as well I finally got my Basque cheesecake! A three course meal and (of course) wine, I really feel I've lived it up tonight.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 11: Santo Domingo - Belorado

    October 14 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today while only being about 22kms really did drag on a bit, a mixture of some beaming sun and also some repetitive walking near the highway.

    A great addition was meeting Ezter from Hungary and her Belgian shepherd Zira. Turns out I'd had lunch in a town which is not far from her village! She was very lovely and had a great sense of humour, and Zira's antics were endlessly entertaining. The walk wasn't very stimulating and a lot near the highway, so this company was very welcome.

    Benjamin did a big bolognese cook up for dinner, and almost like they knew, one of the hospitaleros came out and asked if anyone played guitar! I told Benjamin if he played I'd try sing. This was a lot of fun, and I wish I'd filmed this German joke song he taught us. Another great night with the crew.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 10: Najera - Santo Domingo

    October 14 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    A great days walk today, it actually felt like rest day because it was only 21 kms. We arrived into town about 12:30 which was really nice.

    Today I met two new folks, Tenee from Sydney (went to Bennies) and also Vivienne from Biarritz. Both absolutely lovely girls who were full of chat, so the metres passed very quickly. Comparing French and English slang was hilarious, and Vivienne had many swear words to share.

    Town today, Santo Domingo, had a very old "old town", and in the Cathedral was the tomb of St Dominic! Of course the cathedral was stunning, and the mosaics around the tomb were incredible. For my first time ever, I also saw chickens in a cathedral, which dates back to a famous story about St Dominic saving a boy from hanging and resurrecting two chickens (the full story makes more sense). The cold footpath at our Albergue was absolutely incredible on the feet.

    Maik, as is his wont, went way overboard and cooked us a 3 course dinner, with a soup to start, sausages and mash, and a chocolate yoghurt to finish. And a few bottles of wine to boot, this was great. Florence and Benjamin got very deep into the philosophy while the rest of us could only look on with very little understanding. I got the feeling there's more to Benjamin than meets the eye and I'm keen to unravel a few more layers.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 9: Logroñ - Najera

    October 14 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Today started in a beautiful park just outside Logroño, filled with little rabbits, beautiful red squirrels and a sunrise over the lake. The squirrels were a bit aggressive haha but a lovely start.

    I started solo, doing my daily Spanish learning, and felt like I powered 13km to the first stop at Naverrette for the ritual Cafe con leche. We are fully into Rioja wine country, so there were plenty of vineyards and pretty dry terrain.

    At a park I saw Laurent who was treating himself to a shot of Ricard (because it was Sunday), and also had a chat with two American girls who were trying to shake off a pulled muscle. After 3 rest days in a miniature town they had started off again, but one was limping pretty badly. They'd sent their bag ahead and I hope they find someway to continue, but it did make me thankful that I'm only sore but still functioning.

    Today was 30km and I felt every step the last few kilometres. Thankfully at a rest stop I caught up with Ruben and Brook for the last stretch, and had a really nice chat. They unfortunately lost their newborn son a few months ago, such a sad story, and are out here trying to process the grief and get away from it all. They said they have had many reminders of Sonny on the Camino but for some reason they bring a lot more joy than the reminders from home, so I'm glad their finding some peace.

    We did a simple cook at our simpler albergue, 6 euros a night! Incredible. Benjamin picked up the guitar and played a few songs for us (including TNT by ACDC), which was a very wholesome camp fire vibe. Snoring tonight was pretty rough, but that's life in a 40 bed dorm room!    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 8: Los Arcos - Logroño

    October 11 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    The big day begins! Today was the longest walk so far, about 28km to the city or Logroño. Sunrise today was absolutely beautiful. I kept a pretty sharp pace in the morning doing only brief coffee stops before arriving in Viana, where I saw the Florians and Maik!

    I'd never caught Maik before as he's always out early and had a decent pace on him, so that was an achievement. Viana was a beautiful little stop and Maik and I walked the rest of the day together. An absolutely lovely guy from Rostok Germany.

    We chatted about Maik doing the Camino with his foster daughter, and some of the challenges he's had. There's a 12 year old German boy walking at the moment which Maik thinks may a foster child accompanied with a social worker. He said he'd like to do this as well, bringing kids on the Camino and give them some good grounding early in their life, hopefully preventing challenges later on. Great guy.

    The last 5 kilometres today really stretched out, but we kept a sharp pace before arriving in beautiful Logroño. It was kind of nice to be in a slightly larger city, and as he went for a beer we found Laurent in the main square and sat down for a chat.

    Post siesta I headed out to Decathlon and bought a new backpack. Absolute incredible amount of difference! Felt like I was floating. All the weight off my shoulders and the straps no longer cutting into my waist. Some of the best 70 euros i've ever spent. Our hospitalero, a lovely 80 year old Spanish man, also seemed quite taken with my bag, so gone to a good home!

    For dinner we went to Calle del Laurel, an awesome street full of bars and restaurants. Turns out tomorrow is the National Day of Spain, so it was absolutely heaving! Such a cool vibe and nice to be back in a city with some life. A dinner highlight was Benjamin biting into what he thought was a dessert brioche, but what looked like chocolate turned out to be black aioli, topped with squid!    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 7: Estella to Los Arcos

    October 10 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Day 7

    A nice selection start today, getting out and seeing stars and a sunrise was beautiful. With Caroline from Birmingham we walked through town to the monastery/winery which has a wine fountain for pilgrims! It felt only right to have a few mouthfuls from my shell, and it was surprisingly good, even at 8:30am.

    We saw a lot of familiar faces our ritual Cafe con leche stop before pushing on through the heat. I was pretty excited for lunch, having found an empanada bigger than an a4 sheet of paper! I did share this however and still had some leftover for afternoon tea.

    We saw Albert again who is a lovely Korean man doing the Camino in cross! Always a smile on his face, legend.

    I spent a lot of the heat walking with Laurent who use to own a small butter and jam factory! Lovely guy who had just heard about an impending 2nd grandchild. He'd walked out the door of his house in the Puy valley in France. We talked about rugby which was great, not many other fans on the trail so far.

    Los Arcos (the arches) is another small yet beautiful online, with a staggering cathedral given the size of the the town. Today's 21km was a bit of a rest before tomorrow's 27km to Logroño, but will be nice to be in a big city again.

    A few beers and dinner with our Camino crew was a lovely finish to the day. I also joined German Rami for some yoga before bed which was much needed for the legs. The man is like rubber and made me think I'd probably benefit from a few more sessions.

    I also went into the Cathedral, which was stunningly decorated as usual, and was lucky enough to hear the choir practising! They also had a harpsichord and an organ that looked like something out of Pirates of the Carribean. Incredible atmosphere in the dark.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 6: PDLR to Estella

    October 10 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Feeling much in the rhythm now, hamdwashing clothes and packing the bag each morning.

    Despite feeling that, my towel fell where I had clipped it to my bag to fully dry, resulting in a backtrack adding 2km to my day!

    On the 2nd way out crossing the beautiful bridge I got talking to a lovely old Spanish man, who tested my Spanish before thankfully switching to English. He told me that in the 1920's there was actually a lot of Basque people who came to Queensland and picked sugar cane! Who would have thought.

    I ducked into the church where he was heading for mass, and then off I went. Today had some nice solitude, listening to my Spanish podcasts and a little bit of music.

    As the legs were getting tired I was thankfully distracted chatting to Galician Ruben and later on Romanian Mano. Such interesting stories. Mano is on his 5th Camino in a row, working seasonal jobs in French vineyards to give himself a lot of downtime. He is thinking about quitting the Camino because the physical challenge isn't as exciting anymore. I talked a bit about some of the more mental reasons to walk but I'll have to wait and see if I come across him again.

    Estella is a great little town, apparently where the Spanish lords of Navarre had a magna carta moment against the King, which is interesting given it feels quite small.

    Before Mass tonight we did a communal dinner in the kitchen which was very nice. New additions of Germans Maik and Benjamin, and also Tina and Gregorio from Australia (although Gregorio is Spanish, leaving home when Franco came to power). Very wholesome vibes and plenty of wine.    Read more

  • James ByrneEl CaminoTraveler

    Day 5: Pamplona - Puenta de la Reina

    October 8 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Back on the trail! A few stretches later i met Henry at the park and off we went. Today was a cool day, with very different scenery as we exited Pamplona into very dry, yellow fields. The sun got pretty intense, maybe its an Australian thing, but it seemed no one else was concerned about suncream.

    We walked with Brook (USA) and Ruben (Galicia) for the morning who were awesome chat. I had questions about Galicis, knowing really nothing, and Ruben was very funny. Apparently Galician is basically half Spanish half Portuguese, so he can understand both.

    In the afternoon we stopped at a statue of Mary and said hello to a lady we'd seen a few times, who turned out to be a Norwegian great grandmother! Her pack was almost bigger than mine, so absolutely huge respect for her. She'd just done a section with her great grandson. Incredible. My best guess would be maybe 84.

    The string of villages as we arrived into Puente de la Reina were all really nice, particularly Obanos. The bridge (Puente) was built by a Spanish Queen about 1,000 years ago to help the pilgrims of the time  which is crazy to think of.

    Mass was very nice, and after the pilgrim blessing I met a bloke called Greg who schooled at Joey's and teaches at St Greg's! We had a good yarn before I headed off for dinner and a wine.    Read more

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