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Cal’s Camino Adventures

August - October 2022
A 39-day adventure by Cal Read more
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  • TravelerCal’s Camino Adventures
    1
    Day 9

    Day 9

    September 1, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    VEGETABLES!!!! How I long for some veg!.. to be fair I’ve been having some really nice meals, way better than I’d anticipated, but you don’t get any veg.. I have a mixed salad each evening as a starter and got quite excited last night as it included some sweet corn and asparagus 😀.. the main course, mine is obviously fish, is literally some fish! No accompanying veg or potatoes etc., …
    I’m not a big bread eater, but have found myself eating quite a bit of it so that I’m getting some carbohydrates.. I’ll probably end up twice the size and come rolling home 😳
    I started a bit earlier today due to my accommodation being 2km off the route. It was a lovely morning, considerably cooler ( I started in a long sleeved top !! ) although that didn’t last for long as it heated up really quickly.
    Once again I was walking through wheat fields and vineyards, no olive groves today though… but again, beautiful countryside and scenery.
    Usually when I first start, I pass / see quite a lot of people, but today I think I only saw about 6 in the first hour.. it was a longer walk today, so possibly some were keen to get going early to avoid being in the heat for quite so long.
    I passed the Aussie guy’s after about 90mins or so and they said they’d missed me last night ( they obviously don’t know me 😳 ) and didn’t blame me for not wanting to go back into town, but that I’d missed quite a good night..
    The terrain was a little bit uncomfortable underfoot for large parts today with large gravel sections which I decided I wasn’t a big fan of.
    Went through a lovely village about 12km from Logroño, but i didn’t stop for long as
    I’d bought a couple of nectarines not long before and had them to munch on.
    I get quite a few hello’s now from the same people.. thinking maybe I should take my three legs of man off my rucksack and see if I can get past unnoticed!
    A few short, but steep climbs today and fortunately the downhills weren’t too difficult.
    Logroño is really lovely, so after a refuel and a shower I went for a wander around the old town.
    Whilst out wandering I met, and had a chat with a few people I regularly see, but haven’t spoken to before.. umbrella man, it turns out has hurt his knee and so got a bus today to see if a rest day will sort it out enough for him to continue.. Another older man I see regularly that always says hello was finishing his Camino today feeling very disappointed as his wife had been supposed to join him for the last 100 miles, instead she’s coming to get him to take him home as after a fall the other day he has concussion and keeps getting a bit confused 😕

    Another long day tomorrow, but at least I’m staying really close to the trail tonight which is brilliant.
    Off for dinner in a bit… please please let there be some vegetables……    Read more

  • TravelerCal’s Camino Adventures
    1
    Day 10

    Day 10

    September 2, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Well the excitement rose when I saw “mixed vegetables “ on the menu last night… what tasted like the veg out of tinned scotch broth soup with a fried egg on top is seriously stretching the title 🫤, but it was the closest I’d had in about 8 days, so, yes! I ate it 😬
    I started today by popping a blister and deciding against putting anything on my rubbed heel… the first 5 minutes were really sore, but then all was good.. heading off the wrong way within the first couple of Km’s very quickly took my mind off it.. fortunately a guy who had done it previously spotted me and started shouting for me to come back!!
    To be honest, there were a few sections today that weren’t quite so clear in which way to go. I had a bit of a wobble on the last 4km as I kept going for ages without seeing any signage or any other walkers. Only saw a fraction of the people today on route.
    The route today, was again through wheat fields and lots of vineyards, a bit of a nondescript day really as not much climbing or descending, good to have a bit of a breeze though..
    As today was a longer day I didn’t arrive too early and was able to ( locate 😳 ) book in at my accommodation.. added bonus being laundry facilities 🥳..
    After a shower and a stolen from breakfast bread roll, I went off on search of some fruit.. the nectarines here are amazing.. and ended up in a bar watching the Vuelta with a LOW alcohol beer!!!
    Couldn’t enjoy too much of a good thing as I had laundry waiting to be done..
    Whilst sitting on the steps waiting for my cycle to finish, a guy that I’d passed today and had been speaking to when I first put my washing on, came down and invited me to join him for a glass of wine in the comon area.. I did dither a bit but decided to put my big girl pants on and go 😳.. He was actually a really interesting guy, lives in Geneva, his partner is flying out to join him in a couple of days and he’s hiked and done ultra’s all over the world.

    Menu appears good tonight , though what I end up with may not be as it was all in Spanish. Happy days…    Read more

  • TravelerCal’s Camino Adventures
    1
    Day 11

    Day 11

    September 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    I’m going to briefly start backwards just incase I forget to mention that I had an absolutely gorgeous meal tonight.. the guy, and his wife, who was the cook/chef, both gave me a hug when I left.. maybe I was a bit too effusive in my thanks … but… YES!!! They gave me VEGETABLES ..😂
    Today was a good walk, well signed after my wobble day of yesterday.. nothing difficult, and lots of it looking like I’m on the road to nowhere, but, with lovely views to the side..
    Nothing major happened, but as opposed to yesterday, it was the last 5 km I met and passed lots of people..it was almost like a handicap race finish, which led to a great atmosphere in the square where everyone seemed to stop for a chat /food or drinks.
    Whilst debating whether or not it was too early to have my 2%lemon Amstel I’ve become rather fond, an Irish guy… I have actually remembered his name.. Jerry!! An Irish runner that’s represented Ireland ( about 20 odd years ago.. bit like me with GB ) and spoke when I passed him the other day, ( recognised the Manx flag ).. started chatting about TT, running, fell running ( both done a few of the same races in UK /Ireland many moons ago) he was doing the Camino to get some fitness back after falling off a ladder in March and breaking two ribs!! Think we sat there chatting like two old ladies for nearly an hour.. hopefully we’ll catch up again somewhere along the way..
    My accommodation was found relatively easily.. phew.. it’s clean, near to the route for the morning and do breakfast before I need to leave!! Who knew I’d get to start loving breakfast, liking olives, Spanish red wine and olive oil on my salad 😳…    Read more

  • TravelerCal’s Camino Adventures
    2
    Day 12

    Day 12

    September 4, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Once again I’m going to have to start backwards .. I’ve just come back from my evening meal… well!! I was sat on a table with a man from Australia, a guy from Germany ..Ben and Deneese from Brazil.. hilarious how we all managed to converse, but we did!! And Denisee ( I’ve no idea how you spell it but it sounded like a cross between the two above )
    Insisted on us sharing the whole bottle of wine as the guys were on beer!!
    They all commented that they saw me everyday.. as I went past 😬😬
    Ben from Germany had packed up his job and apartment, decided to do this and then travel around Europe for 6 months or so…The Australian man was doing it with his son and Denisee was actually just bonkers in a lovely way and I’ve no idea why she was doing it..
    Well, back to this morning.. I set off about 8 ish and it was actually really cold feeling and I thought maybe I should have put my tights on!.. silly girl!! By 8.45 it was really warm, and very soon after boiling hot 🥵
    It seemed to be rolling up and down today, probably a fair bit more up than down, but it was long and gradual.. no vineyards!! not a single one!! But, lots of wheat and loads and loads of fields of sunflowers, which a few weeks ago would have been absolutely amazing, but were now dry and dying. Once again the views and the sky were stunning, apologies if today’s pictures are a bit “ same ie “
    Nothing of interest happened on route, once again in a good rhythm and feeling pretty comfortable and passing people 😬
    Today was a bit like yesterday with lots of people arriving in Belorado at a similar time and stopping at the first cafe / bar for a beer.. I sat chatting to Phil, who comments every day when I go passed and “slow “ Irish Jerry.. they’re hilarious and seem to be having a fabulous time going how they feel and stopping when they want.
    My accommodation today is a room in an apartment. It’s great, really clean, hot shower and close to the route for tomorrow.
    Although I wasn’t particularly tired after my walk this morning, I just couldn’t be bothered going out to wander around this afternoon, so I had a lazy one and lay and watched todays stage of the Vuelta guilt free!!!    Read more

  • TravelerCal’s Camino Adventures
    1
    11
    Day 13

    Day 13

    September 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Day 13, but day 12 actually walking… with it being a slightly longer section today, and because breakfast was at a different location ( can’t not have breakfast now that I’ve discovered it 😂 ) I left my accommodation a bit earlier than usual… I also had to find my way back on to the trail from breakfast 😬..
    So, setting off walking soon after 7.30 ( it’s pretty dark until then anyway ) it was absolutely freezing, my hands were so cold and I felt as though I had an ear infection 😱🥶.. I really should have stopped and put more layers on, but was convinced it would soon be really warm and so I should just walk a bit quicker to start with 😂
    About an hour later it was really pleasant, the sun had come up and my layers came off..
    Although it was quite a long one today, I preferred it to the last couple of days as there was a good bit of uphill and it was back into the trees and plantations for parts of it…. Going along one of the fire tracks there was a pop up stall selling drinks, snacks etc., and it was blasting out “ highway to hell” it did look a bit like that and made me chuckle. The downside being I had the song stuck in my head for the next hour!!!
    I passed a lot of my regular’s, a Polish guy I pass each day said today that he was fast, but I was faster, and the only person who ever overtook him.. it’s not a competition though!!!!
    Once again, must be the fourth or fifth time now, I was asked if I was from Sicily, and if it was the Sicilian flag on my rucksack! Time to check out the Sicilian flag! Wow.. who knew it was so similar to ours? I certainly didn’t!!
    At about 26 km I was just thinking about how some of the towns you go through have fantastic signs and directions, where as others you really have to concentrate, as it may just be the odd yellow mark on a curb stone or bin.. unfortunately, this brought to mind “each peach pear plum” it must beat least 15 years since I last read that to one of the boys… and i spent the next 4 Km trying to work my way through it!!! Maybe it’s time I put my headphones in!!😂😂
    I arrived in Atapuerca earlier than I thought I would, so a pint of my 2% lemon larger ( and a bottle of water ) was definitely on the cards before finding my accommodation..
    The meal tonight was again really nice ( I’m not too sure where my appetite has come from, I’m feeling a bit like Oliver and clearing my plate at most meals 😳 ) the hosts too are are a really lovely couple and the room is great. I’m really tired tonight, probably the food and red wine.. it’s rude not to have a glass, especially when they give me a whole bottle!!!
    Well I’m afraid it’s bedtime for me, I’m shattered, so it’s goodnight from me 😴.    Read more

  • TravelerCal’s Camino Adventures
    2
    Day 14

    Day 14

    September 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Today started off with a nose bleed.. not ideal, but definitely preferable to it happening once I’d got going.
    Breakfast, I have to admit was a little bit disappointing this morning, or maybe I’m just becoming a bit fussy 😬 the orange juice was amazing, but the toast, a couple of bits of toasted baguette was so unbelievably hard that I couldn’t cut it and was terrified i might break a tooth.. that is my biggest fear of happening away from home 😱
    Breakfast challenge accomplished and nosebleed stemmed, it was once again time for the off!!!
    The first 4 or 5km were fab, with an amazing sunrise, which is always behind me and I often miss!
    After that though, it was a really boring walk, the majority of which was alongside the main road, with none of the fabulous scenery I’ve come to expect.
    Due to this, it was actually a much quicker walk over the distance today and I arrived in Burgos relatively early..due to my struggles at breakfast, first stop was a cup of coffee and a bite to eat. This accomplished, I set off for a wander around for a couple of hours.
    The weather today was decidedly chillier, probably due to it being pretty cloudy and windy, I didn’t get warm enough to take my long sleeve top off, and so had to put my coat on too whilst wandering.
    Then the inevitable happened.. beer time!!! Only one little one today as they didn’t have my 2% daytime option 😬
    Before settling off wandering, I had checked out where I was staying, so that i knew where to end up when I was done..
    Time to go check in.. I could feel the desire for a “Nana nap” coming on…. An hour and a half later..,,😳..must have been due to the church bells ringing every hour throughout the night ( I woke up every hour!!! ) .. well that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!
    Opening up my bag to find a leakage from my shampoo wasn’t ideal, but, anything that can leak is in a ziplock bag.. ( I’ve even brought spares! ) so crisis avoided!
    Some things I learned today… if you’ve already packed up and forgotten to put your glide stuff on your rubbed heel, toes etc., then lipsol will do the trick.. just make sure you keep that one as emergency foot glide and have a fresh one for your lips!! ( fortunately I have loads of them! )
    Hairdryers in the hotel ( yep! It’s a posh stop tonight ) are fab for drying your socks and removing the creases from your cardi..,
    Let’s go see if the posh hotel will have vegetable with dinner!!!    Read more

  • TravelerCal’s Camino Adventures
    Day 15

    Day 15

    September 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Well, an update on what I was expecting to be a disappointing meal last night.. WRONG!!! It was seriously fabulous!!
    Today didn’t really start off ideally ( though breakfast was good ). I set off and missed my turn off to the route… mmm.. 1 km later…. I’ve gone wrong!!… 2km later, I’m back on track 👍🏼
    The route today was way better than I expected, everything I’d read had said, your body is now strong enough to embrace the soul searching of the next few days!!!..this has to have been said by somebody that doesn’t suddenly get “Farmyard Tales “ in their head and a need to remember the names of all the characters and animals involved before they end the day!! I got all except the name of the naughty pony… Joe????
    Today’s accommodation is lovely, pretty small and friendly.
    Where I was eating this evening started serving earlier..YAY!!!! Off I trott at 6 o’clock…
    Tonight I ate with Ben from Singapore and Chloe from Taiwan.. food was good and the company excellent, they were a really lovely couple and we shared an extra bottle of red wine.. Chloe’s decision 🤪.. I felt really guilty that I wasn’t walking further today ( again ) but it is what it is and I’ve just got to go with it now..
    My swollen thumb.. who knew you could strain your thumb trying to get shower gel out of the dispenser!! Is still swollen, but a lot less painful, hopefully that means it’s on the mend!
    Anyway.. all that red wine later ( and I had lentils and carrots tonight 🤩 ) means I’m ready for bed…😴    Read more

  • TravelerCal’s Camino Adventures
    2
    Day 16

    Day 16

    September 8, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    I was awake pretty early this morning, I admit I was a little worried that I may have had a bit of a headache as two glasses of red wine is usually my limit 😬… no headache.. result!!
    Breakfast eaten.. It was time to head off…
    There were no worries this morning regarding the route as my accommodation was literally on it.
    It was lovely for walking first thing, no wind today meant it wasn’t quite so chilly.. it was a really enjoyable walk today which surprised me as I wasn’t expecting it to be with not much in the way of hills.. a few long gradual climbs saving the day 😂
    I went passed a guy really tramping on with his sticks ( very popular, can’t believe how many people use them ), when he suddenly came running up along side me to check if I was doing the marathon!! I assured him I wasn’t, he seemed relieved as he just said “very good, very good “.. I think it was a couple of Km’s and my taking a few photos before he believed me and settled back down to his own rhythm.. I also passed Ben and Chloe from last night and after a few words I got a hug from Chloe, discussing the difficulties of being a girl and needing a wee on route last night obviously brought us closer 😀
    One thing I have found amazing so far are the clouds.. I keep finding myself taking numerous pictures of them, they’re fantastic.
    I finished today in Castrojeriz, which is absolutely beautiful, but is like a ghost town, there are no people!!!! AND everywhere was closed, I think one bar and a shop were all that seemed to be open, and even the bar shut at lunchtime… by the time I had my evening meal, breakfast seemed like an age ago and I was seriously hungry!
    With everywhere closed and nothing much to do this afternoon I really wanted to sit down with a book! A proper paper book! No room in the bag, ..I hadn’t brought one .. then i remembered slipping my iPad mini down the side of my bag.. not paper, but it did have my kindle app on it, which was definitely better than nothing.
    Much to Steve’s irritation, I have absolutely no problem reading and re reading books I enjoy.. so what was it to be.. Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights??… toss of a coin decided and Wuthering Heights it was. So I had a really relaxing and guilt free afternoon reading….
    Dinner this evening was fabulous.. but i was VERY hungry…they’d gone out of their way to make an alternative for me as everything that was on this evening’s menu contained meat.. so appreciated.
    I’m feeling pretty sleepy this evening, which is bizarre, as it was a shorter walk today and my spare time was spent lying on the bed reading!!
    Despite my fab meal, I’m already looking forward to breakfast!!!!😂    Read more

  • TravelerCal’s Camino Adventures
    2
    Day 17

    Day 17..

    September 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Well.. I know I seem to have developed an appetite I haven’t had since I was about 15… but .. croissants 🥐.. Eeww!!! Panic at breakfast thinking that was possibly all I was going to get before a longer walk today, I held my breath and struggled through half of one!! … It wasn’t 🙄.. toast followed 😀and a dodgy cold omelette like cake 😬… but the Orange juice was amazing and I’m warming to coffee…
    Time to go… a really lovely morning with a strange low hanging mist in the distance, but much warmer than it’s been for a few days.. found my way out of town ok as I was once again staying on the route.. I hadn’t bothered looking at the route for today as I assumed it was another flat one!! Well, imagine my joy to discover after the first couple of km’s I had “Bob’s hill” only for about 2km!! 😀 Totally made my day!! I love the hills!!!
    The low hanging mist I mentioned.. mmm .. it suddenly went freezing once I was down the other side and had to walk through it.. all good and part of what turned out to be a really enjoyable stage with a bit of everything.. though I apologise if my pictures are all a bit “cloudy “ again 😬.. but seriously, the clouds ARE amazing!!
    Met the gorgeous Chloe on route again today.. I think the two ladies ( sisters ) from Vancouver must be with the same company as me, as we seem to be staying in more or less the same places .. we both love it when dinner is before 8.. imagine our giddiness to discover it was from 6.30 this evening!!!
    On my arrival here today, I was a bit too early to check in, so obviously it was an opportunity to go for a beer ( lemon 2% I might add!!! )
    Anyway, a guy that I didn’t realise I passed every day said to me when he walked in “ you drink beer and still walk straight past me!! I’m not too sure why I apologised, but I did 😬..
    Shower and Nana nap later, i went for a wander round and to check my way back to the route for the morning, it was by then seriously hot and required another ( 2%, for those thinking I may be developing a drink problem ) beer 😳😂🍻
    The meal tonight was really good, they let me have both bits off the first section which was great and what I wish I could do more often..
    Another day in the bag and I’m still ok, do all good 😊…    Read more

  • TravelerCal’s Camino Adventures
    1
    Day 18

    Day 18

    September 10, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Fair to say I woke up feeling a bit tired this morning.. I’m no party popper and I love a good band!… but!.. 3am really is kind of late to finish playing… especially when I’m getting up soon after 6.. but hey ho…
    Waiting to go into breakfast .. it’s always a busy one.. a guy that had said hello last night at dinner, asked if I was going the whole distance… I said I was, asked if he was, he asked where I’d started, I said St John, asked where he had… he said Germany!! I sort of blurted / squeaked out WHAT 😮.. he then asked if he could join me for breakfast!! Feeling a tad rude about my response, I said yes of course!!😬
    Turns out, Norbert, from Bavaria, set off walking from Germany, to do the Camino!! He’s a bit tired ( really??!! ) and had lots if blisters.. but hoping to finish by the end of September as he’s flying back on 2nd October.. what a guy!!! I imagine I’ll catch up with him again ( he’s said he’s stayed in a few of the same places as me up to now??!.. who knew?! ) .. he’s staying in a monastery tonight and I’d love to hear about it.
    He must have seen my three legs on my rucksack as he seemed to know I was from the Isle of Man, and said it had always been a dream of his to have raced the TT, but it just hadn’t worked out.. what a small world we live in..
    The walk today wasn’t actually all that interesting, but it was just a fabulous morning to be out walking and appreciating how lucky I am to have the health and fitness to be able to do, and enjoy this walk. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it was just a feel good morning!
    If I’m totally honest, I had very low expectations of where I was to finish today, but, it’s a really lovely place, small, but absolutely vibrant and just so different from the last two places.
    It’s a little bit sad, but I got seriously excited that I count do laundry here too!! Showered, changed, laundry sorted, I went off for a wander around.. yep!! I ended up in a bar with a beer watching the last 59km of the penultimate stage if the Vuelta!
    My dinner this evening was at a different location to where I was staying…. VEGETABLES!! YES!!i had the most amazing plate of vegetables…I’m so hy.. it really is the small things…    Read more

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