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Camino de Santiago 2023Camino de Santiago 2023
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Camino de Santiago 2023

May 2023 - June 2024
An open-ended adventure by Kate Read more
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  • TravelerCamino de Santiago 2023
    11112
    Day 14

    Day 10: Los Arcos to Viana

    May 27, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Mileage: 13 miles? Guidebook says about 12, Garmin says 14
    Elevation gain: 1,401
    Elevation loss: 1,230
    Total mileage: 96.5

    I wasn’t sure that my feet would ever function again at the end of yesterday’s walk, but somehow they felt pretty good this morning. A beautiful sunny, cool morning turned into a warm sunny afternoon as we continued to walk up and down the hills. The scenery continues to amaze. We’re starting to recognize quite a few fellow pilgrims who seem to be on the same schedule as us. Tonight we’re in an albergue (hostel) with many people. I think the earplugs will come in handy again!

    1. Iglesia de Santa Maria in Los Arcos
    2. Yes, more
    3. Lots of impressive mountains in the distance.
    4. The village of Torres del Rio
    5. Many of the steeper slopes, especially near towns, are paved like this. You see the paving stones and know it’s about to get steep!
    6. I like the post horn symbol the national mail service uses
    7. Lots of vineyards today. This one reminded me of a Van Gogh painting with all of the crooked trunks. (Vines? Roots?)
    8. We passed several wild cherry trees with ripe fruit today. My family knows how very happy this made me!
    9. The weather was nice but there were So! Many! Gnats! today. They really loved Angela!
    10. Ruins of la Iglesia de San Pedro in Viana. We had cheap but delicious beers and snacks at a table quite near here in perfect weather. Great ending to the day.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino de Santiago 2023
    1
    Day 15

    Day 11: Viana to Navarrete

    May 28, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Mileage: 14.75
    Altitude gain: 1,109
    Altitude loss: 915
    Weather: mostly warm and sunny. A few drops at one point, and it thundered nearby once we got to Navarrete, but overall great.
    Total mileage: 111.25

    We left Viana in another crisp morning. We spent a good chunk of the morning walking through the city of Logroño. It was mostly just very city-like but we walked through a great park as we left the city - tons of trails, picnic areas, a fishing pond. Lots of people out enjoying their Sundays!

    We climbed into Navarette (again with lots of hills today) and arrived at our destination at 3. We stood there stupidly for a while because we couldn’t find our hostel. A nice local stopped to ask if he could help, and when we showed him the hostel name, he said, “Oh, that’s been closed for seven years!” There is a bar and restaurant right where we thought it should be, and this man went in to ask. It turns out that the owners, who are Romanian, just opened last week! We had a good laugh about the adventure. We’re in a room over the restaurant, where we had a really nice if rich dinner.

    1. Forest leading into Logroño
    2. Bridge over the Ebro as we walked into Logroño
    3. Yellow Brick Road!
    4. Iglesia de Santiago el Real in Logroño
    5. Oh, no worries. I am.
    6. Looking back over Logroño with the park pond.
    7. HUGE bull cut out looking out advertising maybe a winery. We’re in Rioja country now, so lots of that happening. Wineries and advertising, not bulls.
    8. Navarrete as we approached
    9. The view from the terrace at our hostel. Nice to watch the clouds and rain roll in elsewhere while we safely waited for our laundry to dry!    Read more

  • TravelerCamino de Santiago 2023
    1111
    Day 16

    Day 12: Navarette to Nájera

    May 29, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Mileage: 10.5 miles or so
    Elevation gain: 722
    Elevation loss: 791
    Weather: beautiful and sunny until we were already in Nájera, when it rained pretty hard for a little while
    Total mileage: 121.75

    Today’s walk of under 11 miles and not too much climbing felt almost like a day off! I’m also figuring out how to help my feet feel better, which is a relief.

    We were expecting rain today, but clear skies met us on our leisurely 8:00 start. There was a bakery next to our lodging but they didn’t have coffee!! We had a couple of nice breaks today and the first one included cafes con leche, so it worked out.

    Even with the leisurely start we arrived in Nàjera relatively early, so we enjoyed some treats and actually did a little shopping! Nothing exciting - I’m going to try some new socks and we had run out of chocolate. Another great day.

    1. Not so many wildflowers now but these hollyhocks wished us well as we left Navarrete.
    2. The eponymous gate of Puerta del Cementerio.
    3. Detail from the gate. Was it St. Michael who slayed the dragon?
    4. So. Many. Vineyards today. Made for a beautiful walk.
    5. The town of Ventosa from a distance.
    6. and 7. More beautiful vineyards
    8. These distinctive stone huts served as shelter for farmers at one point, apparently.
    9. We enjoyed pinchos (tapas) and sangrias (which we saw hilariously translated as “bleedings” in Viana) at an outdoor bar before the rain started.
    10. Street in Nájera after the rain    Read more

  • TravelerCamino de Santiago 2023
    1
    12
    Day 17

    D13: Nájera-Santo Domingo de la Calzada

    May 30, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    Mileage: 14.25 long, hot miles
    Elevation gain: 1,355 feet
    Elevation loss: 804 feet
    Weather: cool and sunny to begin, hot and sunny later with little breeze
    Total mileage: 136

    Today was another difficult but beautiful and joyful day. We had coffee and I ate a little before we left Nájera. Once we left the city it was a day of beautiful rolling fields of wheat and vineyards with mountains in the distance. We did encounter some very messy mud on the trail, and I was VERY grateful that we’ve had such great weather overall. We stopped to rest twice - once at Azofra for a breakfast feast at a cafe and then again at the top of a very long steep hill, where an enterprising young man had sodas, fruit, and other snacks available. Most welcome! We crave fruit but of course it’s heavy to carry it with us. We were very happy to arrive in Santo Domingo in the afternoon.

    1. Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real in Nájera. Like quite a few of the very old buildings we’ve seen, it’s having “emergency repairs” done. I’m so glad the government here does what it can to maintain these treasures.
    2. Each state and city has its own Camino markers. Here you also see some of the red rocks near Nájera.
    3. Our €7 feast in Azofra. Those croissants were some of the best we’ve had. They say you should never eat anything bigger than your own head; fortunately I have an giant noggin!
    4. The mud that caked everyone’s shoes and legs the rest of the day. It was a slog!
    5. - 9. More of the fantastic views that no picture can do justice.
    10. It was warm and sunny enough this afternoon that I busted out my parasol. Yes, I know it looks ridiculous, but the shade was welcome!!    Read more

  • TravelerCamino de Santiago 2023
    11
    Day 18

    Day 13 end: Santo Domingo

    May 31, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Santo Domingo de la Calzada is picturesque enough to warrant its own post here. So much history! The food wasn’t great (at least where we ate) but when you’ve walked over a half marathon you don’t care as much!

    There is a network of paradores in Spain - luxury hotels in historical buildings. I’d wanted to stay in one at least once and we did in Santo Domingo. It was amazing! A beautiful old building and the room had a bathtub and especially luxurious sheets - it felt like heaven!

    1. Detail on the Catedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada
    2. The tower next to the cathedral. As with most things I’ve photographed, this doesn’t do it justice.
    3. Store front. I just liked this one, especially with the reflections in the upper windows and the fact that it’s a bookstore. It’s interesting to see how specialized the shops are here. No Walmart!
    4. There are two paradores in Santo Domingo. This is a feature from the one in which we didn’t stay - the Parador de Santo Domingo.
    5. This is from an artistic installation in front of the parador where we did stay - the Parador de Bernardo de Fresneda. This represents a pilgrim asking for help. There’s a whole thing with chickens in this town.
    6. Lovely golden hour light on “our” parador. 14th century, I think? Whoa.
    7. Inside the parador. So beautiful.
    8. This parador is next to a convent. Here’s a walkway leading to the convent. It felt very peaceful!    Read more

  • TravelerCamino de Santiago 2023
    1
    Day 18

    Day 14: Santo Domingo to Belorado

    May 31, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    Mileage: 14.5 miles
    Altitude gain: 1,273 feet
    Altitude loss: 814 feet
    Weather: sunny and warm in the morning, then cool, cloudy, and breezy. Rain in the last three miles!
    Total mileage: 150.5

    We added a little extra mileage in the morning, looking for breakfast, but finally set out on a beautiful morning. Steady ascent throughout the day, with more fields. A lot of today’s trail ran alongside a highway, but beauty everywhere else. Several small villages along the way provided opportunities for sustenance and foot wiggle time. We landed in Belorado at a cozy albergue with many people we’ve seen on the trail over the past few days. A delicious pilgrim’s dinner ended a good day.

    1. and 2. The trail out of Santo Domingo
    3. Many of the village buildings are, as my guidebook says, “emblazoned” with coats of arms like this one. I enjoy the fantastical creatures they tend to feature.
    4. Fun/daunting to see the.Camino stretch out in front of me.
    5. and 6. Each village has at least one beautiful old church. I think this is Iglesia Nuestra Señora de La Calle in Redecilla del Camino
    7. Gate to ?
    8. Lots of Camino graffiti asking the way - this is an especially good one.
    9. So many views like this. I take so many pictures and none of them can even come close.
    10. The view from the balcony outside the bathroom (!) on the third floor of our albergue.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino de Santiago 2023
    1
    Day 19

    Day 15: Belorado to San Juan de Ortega

    June 1, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Mileage: 16 miles
    Elevation gain: 1,709 feet
    Elevation loss: 879 feet
    Weather: cool and cloudy. Perfect for a lot of uphill!
    Total mileage: 166.5

    We awoke to a mostly empty dormitory - Angela said the others arose at 5, although I didn’t hear them. Some impressive snoring, though! Then we found that none of the nearby cafes or bakeries were open, so we had to walk a while to get our coffees, etc. We did find sustenance eventually, of course, including some much-needed smoothies.

    So much uphill today! It was a tough one, and I was very happy to finally see the tiny village of San Juan. We’re on upper bunks (I guess you have to get up at 5 for a lower bunk!) in a monastery-turned town albergue with many other people tonight. Hope to get some good sleep because tomorrow will also be long.
    1. Ermita de la Virgen de la Peña outside Tosantos. Wild.
    2. Double-fisting breakfast beverages!
    3. and 4. The first part of the day was rolling farmland.
    5. Monastery ruins outside of Villafranca Montes de Oca
    6. Steeple in Villafranca from above because the serious climbing began here.
    7. Looking back over that valley
    8. and 9. Forest for the rest of the day
    10. Still lots of blooms!    Read more

  • TravelerCamino de Santiago 2023
    1
    1
    Day 20

    Day 16: San Juan de Ortega to Burgos

    June 2, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F

    Mileage: 16 miles
    Altitude gain: 581 feet
    Altitude loss: 1,030 feet
    Weather: cloudy and cool enough for a sweatshirt in the early morning; warmer later, and the rain started after we reached Burgos
    Total mileage: 182.5

    Today was physically much easier than yesterday, but the long walk into and inside the city of Burgos was harder mentally. That said, I did train on city streets, and it felt more familiar!

    Moments I didn’t take pictures of:

    -The old man in the village of Cardeñuela Riopico who gave strawberries to a pilgrim in front of us (he shared) and then gave each of us a rose before motoring off with a wave.

    -The 30 minutes where we were walking and walking and walking around the perimeter of the airport without seeing another pilgrim or a trail marker and being sure we were lost (we weren’t!).

    -The best falafel (pronounced “fa-la-FELL”, FYI) I’ve ever had. Random Middle Eastern place on our way through Burgos.

    Overall another good day. We’re living it up in the big city - sock shopping, laundry (we were asked to do this by the locals, LOL) and a beer while our clothes washed. Dinner at a vegan restaurant (!) near our hotel. We haven’t seen the big sites of Burgos yet since I chose a hotel (no bunk needs tonight!) on the near side of town. I’ll make a separate Burgos post tomorrow.

    1. We walked out of San Juan into the mist. Very picturesque if chilly (my clothes didn’t dry at all at the monastery!)
    2. Mural in Agés, the village where we had breakfast
    3. More lovely wildflowers today
    4. And more flowers along the trail
    5. We stopped by the trail and another pilgrim offered to take this. It’s nice when they’re good photographers!
    6. These views don’t get old!
    7. The vegan gang in Orbaneja is small but mighty.
    8. These are weeds. By the side of a busy road. In an industrial part of Burgos.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino de Santiago 2023
    Day 20

    Day 16/17: Burgos

    June 2, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Maybe everyone else already knew this, but Burgos is beautiful! We entered through an industrial area that wasn’t very pretty, but the older part of the city is just lovely. The woman at the front desk of our hotel recommended that we walk down a paseo by the river instead of through the city on the official camino as we left the city, and this was great advice! (Almost every hotel desk clerk has made a suggestion like this!) We did pop back into the city streets to see the famous cathedral, and it is amazing. My words and photos are utterly inadequate here. Unfortunately it closed too early yesterday and opened too late today for us to be able to go inside. We need to come back to Burgos!

    1. Lion on the Arco de San Juan. I like watching for lions, and these were especially interesting (and well-coiffed) ones.
    2. Street in the old part of the city. It was hopping on a Friday evening!
    3. The vegan feast that we devoured. This is more like what I eat at home, although this is obviously better. I’m enjoying trying Spanish foods but it was nice to eat this way for a meal. We did perhaps negate any health benefits by stopping at a gelateria on the way back to the hotel!
    4. Statue of el Cid near Puente de San Pablo.
    5. Statue of el Cid’s wife. Apparently the only way for a woman to have a statue erected in her honor here is to marry or birth someone important.
    6. Puente de Santa Maria
    7. 8. 9. The famous cathedral. Unbelievable.
    10. On the Paseo by the river.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino de Santiago 2023
    Day 21

    Day 17: Burgos to Hornillos del Camino

    June 3, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    Mileage: 14.5
    Altitude gain: 430
    Altitude loss: 564
    Total mileage: 197

    We looked around Burgos a bit after some breakfast and then reluctantly made our way out of town. The route out of town took us by the university, which we enjoyed, and then put into the countryside again.

    Lots of grain fields again today. I was feeling pretty worn out by the heat, such as it was, when we stopped for lunch, but then the afternoon storms rolled in and cooled things off nicely. We did have to walk in the rain for much of the last three miles again, but it wasn’t too bad. We had our first glimpse of the meseta today (albeit clouded over) before descending into Hornillos for the night. We were so tired and wanted to eat dinner before that tends to happen here, so we had a delicious improvised feast from the little grocery store and went to bed by 7:00.

    1. A bit of today’s trail ran alongside the road, which fortunately wasn’t a busy one.
    2. A little church in Rabé de las Calzadas. Pretty sure this is a nun - she was leaving the church as we approached.
    3. We decided that this is the mayor of Rabé de las Calzadas. He led us all through the town and then disappeared with another pilgrim after we left town.
    4. - 8. Views as we climbed onto the meseta and tried to outrun the rain.
    9. The view down into Hornillos
    10. Made it! Of course this word has nothing to do with horns, but we enjoyed it anyway.    Read more

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