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Apr – Jun 2023

Camino

France to Spain pilgrimage Read more
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  • Trip start
    April 30, 2023
    Landry caminoCaminoTraveler
    1

    Day 30. Rabanal del Camino

    May 28, 2020 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
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    Pre-Trip

    April 29, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    My Camino journey is about to begin as I’m getting ready to board a plane to Paris from Pearson Airport. After a two-year Covid-induced postponement I’m about to embark on an 800 km trek beginning in France (for one day) then walk from one end of Spain to the other.
    Since April 19, I’ve been at home in Nova Scotia with my parents, comfortably scheduled to leave Cape Breton today, but my plans were abruptly cut short on Thursday, 11:30 pm, when Air France sent an email informing me that their May 1 flight from Paris to Biarritz (southern France) had been cancelled, and my flight to Paris had been pushed up one day earlier to accommodate the new flight to Biarritz.
    This may have been a minor adjustment for someone living in Toronto, but I immediately scrambled - with Cathy’s help from Yellowknife- to cancel my Saturday bus trip to Halifax, and my Sunday flight to Toronto, before rescheduling to accommodate the one-day earlier flight to Paris. Air France did offer a curt apology with an option for a refund if I chose to cancel.
    My main concern is that the trip has already been laid out with hostels/hotels already reserved, requiring that I be at specific places on specified days. As a result, I will be in Paris one day earlier than planned, but, even now, I am wary of the Biarritz connection. I’ve been allotted 75 minutes -if we land as scheduled - to collect my luggage, get through customs, then get to the right gate before embarking for Biarritz. We’ll see what happens!
    When I mention to family and friends that I’m walking 17-28 kms/day for 37 days I’m met with admiration from most, but there are others who feel I’m insane. I’ve always been intrigued by the many people (some followers on this blog) who have completed this pilgrimage. For most, it has been a transformative experience. I’m drawn to the physical element, although from the comfort of this airport chair, it seems more of an exercise in injury prevention than an aerobic challenge. I’m looking forward to meeting the adventurers who choose to go on this journey, often reminded of the story Marylou shares of the young Irish girl who did the whole trip pushing her infant in a stroller. As with most journeys, the quality of the trip is shaped by the people we meet along the way. And, finally, there are those who do this as primarily a spiritual journey. While I don’t question the power of the spirit, my experience is more along the lines of what John Brierly describes as “a spiritual being on a human journey rather than a human being on a spiritual journey.
    So, it’s off to Paris. The adventure begins…and I promise subsequent blogs will be shorter than this one.    Read more

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    Day 2 -France

    April 30, 2023 in France

    No surprise!The Toronto-Paris, red-eye flight was 35 minutes late, so I missed my connecting flight to Biarritz. Luckily, I was rescheduled three hours later and made it there with my luggage in tow. So, all is good
    Right now, I’m in Bayonne, a Basque community in southern France, and tomorrow I’ll be taking a two-hour train to St. Jean Pied-de-Port where the serious walking begins.
    I’ve already met a few pilgrims heading, like me, to St. Jean. In fact, at the airport I teamed up with a couple from Nashville who shared a taxi with me to get to their hotel. We both were unable to access Wifi on our phones, so I went to their hotel hoping to get a room, but no luck. Their hotel was completely booked; however, I was able to get a room at the hostel just up the road. That is where I am now. I did take a few photos, but I’m unable to download them on this app. It’s Sunday afternoon here and I’ve noticed two things: Many families are out walking together, and many others, like I was earlier, are carrying a backpack while pushing a suitcase.
    I think I’ll crash earlier tonight. I don’t sleep well on planes or at airports - not a good situation for someone who has been at either one or the other for 36 hours.    Read more

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    Day 4 St. Jean Pied-de-Port

    May 2, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Today is the day I had planned to acclimatize, then get adequate sleep before starting the challenging first day. My original plan had me arriving here this morning, then getting registered in the early afternoon before exploring the town a bit. St. Jean Pied-de-Pont is set in a valley in the foothills of the Pyrenees. As it turns out I’ve had the whole day to explore the medieval citadel in the middle with the quaint, little town built around it. It was the ancient capital of the Basque region of Basse-Navarre. The streets, many made out of cobblestone, are so narrow that even when walking on sidewalks I can feel the wind shear of fast vehicles.
    The economy appears to rely on farming and Camino tourism. Every second person you see is wearing a backpack and carrying poles.
    I am yearning to get going; I walked the first five kms today to see what it was like, and it is definitely steep in some areas. Tomorrow’s 24 km route is described as “strenuous,” so it will be important to pace myself. This one will be an aerobic challenge. I did the 10 kms -there and back- with my backpack on, during midday, in near-30 degree temperatures, so I’m hoping to get going no later than 8:00 am tomorrow .    Read more

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    Day 6 - Zubiri

    May 4, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    If yesterday’s hike could be compared to watching scenes from “The Sound of Music” today’s jaunt would mirror “The Bridges of Madison County.” We’ve encountered every type of terrain: grass, dirt road, asphalt, concrete, cobblestone, eroded mountainside with sharp, protruding rocks, mud with leaves up to our knees, makeshift bridges made of rock. Even though we still did a fair bit of climbing today, today’s route was considerably more level than yesterday. Much of today had us walking through the forest, perched on a mountainside, with tree branches canopied over the trail. Overall, it was a gentle, delightful walk. Despite very similar distances, I did yesterday’s walk in 7 hours while it took me 5 hours today.. In fact, if I had not had a booked hotel in Zuniri, I would have walked another 5-10 kms to get closer to Pamplona.
    We’re like a cohort here, frequently crossing paths with the same people even though there are hundreds of us. I met two Irish girls today who were at my hotel in St. Jean, and have frequently encountered them on the trail, I’ve become good friends with a couple from Nashville who I met at the airport in Biarritz, and we’ve gotten together a number of times. I’ve met a couple from Lake Tahoe, California who are avid hikers and they met through their hiking club Tahoe. I’ve met Paul from England who shared his story of five finger shoes and how it helped him combat plantar fasciitis (I’ve included a photo of his shoes). I spent two hours today talking to an HR person from Melbourne who had great stories of his company travels all over the world. He did the Camino 10 years ago, but did not finish it. I’m unsure of his age but I suspect he’s on the shady side of 70.
    He asked me to join him for coffee but I declined because stopping for even short periods, causes my muscles to seize up. Today , I overdosed on magnesium, electrolytes, and water to avert cramping- no cramps today.
    So, I’ve been in Zubiri since 12:30 walking around a bit. Much of the economy, here too, appears to revolve around the Camino. I have no idea how large it is, but it is filled with cyclists. I’m sure at 20 groups of 4-10 cyclists have zipped by in front of our hotel.    Read more

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    Day 7 - Pamplona

    May 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Arrived in Pamplona at about 2:30 pm. Yes, this is the Pamplona of Hemingway, “Running of the Bulls” fame. The first part of today’s walk was quiet, along the Agra River, but the second section was noisier going through city streets leading to Pamplona. Even in Pamplona itself, a city of about 200,000 residents, I weaved through the centre of the city to get to my hotel which was just off St. James Way, another name for the Camino trail. The Camino path is well laid out where we follow yellow arrows or shell-shaped symbols. A lot of pilgrims are taking a day off tomorrow, exploring the many churches and museums Pamplona has to offer. A big feature of every town so far has been the hourly ringing of church bells- sometimes not great for sleeping. The Running of the Bulls (Feast of San Fermin) is a multi day festival in July where bulls are led through the streets by daredevil runners. Some of these runners have been gored by the bulls., but that’s when it gets to be even more entertaining, I guess.
    I wore my sneakers today instead of hiking boots, and it was a good decision for the first 10 kms , but although I have yet to get blisters, I did get hotspots, a precursor to a blister. I have been using Compeed bandages and so far they are doing the job. I’m going back to hiking boots tomorrow. So far, the weather has has been perfect, low 20s with a slight wind.
    My focus has generally been to reach my destination at a reasonable time, get settled, then explore the place a bit, but I’m learning that enjoying the journey, noticing nature, noticing the countryside, chatting with fellow travellers makes this a richer experience. That’s the advice I would give others, but have to discipline myself to do it. I’ve included photos highlighting the different types of terrain I went through today.    Read more

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    Day 8. Puente La Rerna

    May 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    The first five kms today, leaving Pamplona, was mostly city pavements and suburban roads until a place called Cizor Menor. Beyond Cizor Menor we followed pathways through a hill requiring a steep climb (750 m) to the summit roughly 10 kms further. At the summit, called Alto del Perdon, meaning Hill of Forgiveness, there is a sculpture depicting pilgrims either on foot or horseback. Also, there were many wind turbines. It was a bit of a tough climb , but the panoramic views of Pamplona made it worth the effort. At this place, I selected four stones, one for each member of the family, the walked another five kms before placing the stones at the foot of the statue to The Virgin of Irunbides praying for solace and happiness.
    For the first part of today’s walk, I was accompanied by a mother-daughter duo from North Carolina who had connected with a Danish woman named Tina, Tina didn’t say much but looked and acted every bit the free spirit. Upon reaching the summit and looking back at the view, Tina exclaimed in eloquent English, “This is fucking beautiful!”
    The daughter, Sarah, I found out, had spent a week in Yellowknife in 2018, during March when the snow castle was open    Read more

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    Day 8 Puente de Reina

    May 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    The first 5 kms today, leaving Pamplona, is mostly via city pavements and suburban roads until Cizor Menor. Beyond Cizor Menor there are pathways through a hill involving a steep climb (750 m) to a summit about 10 kms further. At the summit, called Alto del Perdon, roughly translated as the Hill of Forgiveness, there is a sculpture depicting pilgrims either on foot or on horseback overlooked by many wind turbines.
    It is bit of a tough climb, but the panoramic views of Pamplona are well worth the effort. At this place, I selected four stones, representing each member of my family, then carried them to the statue of The Virgin of Irunbides where I placed the stones at the statue’s feet asking for everyone’s solace and happiness.
    For today’s walk, I was accompanied by a mother-daughter duo from North Carolina, who were joined by a Danish woman named Tina. Tina didn’t say much but looked every bit the free spirit. When we reached the summit, Tina, looking back at the panoramic view of Pamplona, exclaimed in eloquent English, “This is fucking beautiful!”
    The daughter, Sarah , I found out, had spent a week in Yellowknife during March, 2018, when the snow castle was open.    Read more

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    Day 9 Estella

    May 7, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
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    Day 10. Los Arcos

    May 8, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    A pleasant, short 21 km walk today on natural paths. I had only walked 5 km when I came across a place offering pilgrims as much free wine as they wanted from an outdoor spout. We’re in wine country wine country surrounded by by vineyards and olive groves. It was just 9:00 am , so I only took a sip with a little water - very dry. Shortly after the 5 km point, a fork in the road gave us the option of taking a longer, level route or a shorter, steeper one. We opted for the latter. The two routes came together about 5 kms from Los Arcos, today’s destination. I walked the whole 21 kms accompanied by Thomas, from Germany, who did an excellent job maintaining the conversation in English. He is recently retired, and set a healthy pace. He knew a lot about botany, identifying all the plants and birds as we progressed. The only issue was that he identified the German name for each tree type, so I didn’t learn much. We did spot a few cherry trees along with the sound of a cuckoo bird. I did recognize the many oak and pine trees.
    Thomas and I parted in Los Arcos as he went to a town 5 kms further. I later connected with a group of fellow pilgrims a few hours later in the town square. The first thing I enjoy after a long walking trek is a shower, then the next step is having a beer- just one seems to do the trick. Tonight, I connected with a few Americans, two Danes, an Aussie, and a Kiwi. One American, from Michigan, named Tony, was a real treat. He suddenly decided to do this trip two weeks ago, and when his work refused to give him the time off, he quit, much to his wife’s chagrin, they’re still on speaking terms. According to him , the most important job he does is shop for his wife, and three daughter’s clothes . He had us in stitches with one story after the other. His most endearing quality was his ability to laugh at himself.
    Today was easy, but tomorrow is another story. Many people have foot issues and tomorrow’s distance is 50% longer than today, so I’m hoping for an early start.    Read more

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    Day 11. - Logrono

    May 9, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    A long day, 27.8 kms, but good paths, cloudy , 20-degree temperatures with a sprinkling of rain the last 5 kms before reaching Logrono. We had been warned to fill up with water because of the few drinking fonts along this portion of the way. There were some steep sections, but generally short, or shorter than what we’ve experienced. As always, the descents are tougher -walking poles a godsend- but extra caution required, especially when using your knees as brakes.
    I started walking at 6:30, shortly connecting with a young teachers from Melbourne. As predicted, we compared our teaching experiences. Shortly afterward, a slim, 6-foot, four-inch, athletic man wearing a sombrero, garbed in a full priest’s frock, scampered past us while reading a book. He even had a white collar, only stopping long enough to acknowledge each of us as he passed by. I never saw him again.
    I also came across a young father walking the whole Camino with his six and eight year-old daughters. Their goal today was to do 17 kms, but he planned to do the whole route with them in 45 days. He was very impressive. He carried his six year-old up the steep climbs on his shoulders with the eight year-old in tow. As I passed them on the top of the hill I overheard the six year-old complaining about getting tired, to which he responded, “This is the discomfort we talked about dear. Life is about putting up with the discomfort.”
    I spent the rest of the walk into Logrono with a lady from North Carolina, and I reconnected with Thomas from Germany. At 2:00 I checked in to my hotel, rested a few hours then connected with a Kingston couple and a couple from England. We were hungry but nothing open until 8:00 when we went out for sushi. Long day again tomorrow.    Read more

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    Day 12. Najera

    May 10, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Another day, another 27.8 kms, although it seemed shorter than that. I left Logrono at 7:30 am after the 7:00 am breakfast. I skipped breakfast yesterday morning to get a 6:30 start because of the long day. Breakfast is included every morning but has varying start times. Breakfast is generally a good meal here: scrambled eggs (sometimes), croissants, cheese, juice, lots of sliced meats, baguettes, cereal, yogurt, grains, and coffees from push-button machines.
    Some people have said that walking can be an appetite suppressant, but I was famished last night after not having eaten all day. I don’t eat and walk. When 6:00 came around I was looking for food, but restaurants around here do not open until 8:00pm, so I had a second beer with a group of friends. Beer is not an appetite suppressant . I then ate too many heavily salted nuts. When 8:00 pm came around we went to a Thai restaurant where I had pad Thai, but it was inordinately sweet. I was so hungry, I ate the whole thing, but didn’t feel great afterwards.
    I did wake up in the middle of the night with an upset stomach . This morning , true to form, I woke up at 5:30, got caught up on news and sports news, then had breakfast before getting on the road by 7:30.
    I have always reached my destination before 2:30; I’ve been always able to check in my room shortly afterwards, have a shower, then have my own little siesta until 4:00.
    Generally, I go out by 4:00 to connect with other pilgrims. It’s easy to I’d identify us by our limp. Tonight, I connected with Fran’s, a farmer from Hungary who had a rough first day, but is doing better, I also, met Hassan, originally from Brazil, but has lived in Florida the past 15 years. He was showing us new shoes he bought today after discarding his hiking boots that, according to him, caused the blisters. His 36 year-old son who is accompanying him feels that his father has “ feet like shit” and that’s the main reason he gets blisters. One of the cardinal rules of hiking is that you break in shoes BEFORE going on a long walk or hike.
    Has sad did share that his wife died a year ago, and that his 36 year-old son has been pushing him to do this. They will be meeting his 38 year-old daughter and 32 year-old son along the way where they will continue the walk together to honour their mother who, in Hassad’s words, “ was a good Christian woman.”    Read more

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    Day 13. Domingo de la Calzada

    May 11, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    A relatively short, 21.4 km trek today. Left Najera shortly after 8:00 am and arrived at Domingo de la Calzada before 1:30 pm. At this morning’s breakfast I sat with an Australian couple, Francis and Lisa, who started from Saint Jean the same day I did. Francis had blisters that got infected so, unable to walk, he’s forced to take a taxi from place to place. Like me, they have all their hotels booked so he will have to take taxis for the next six days to keep up with his wife. Francis is in his 70s, I’m guessing, but in tremendous physical shape and I sense this is really hard for him. He has worked as a university lecturer and researcher on water engineering. Lisa joined me for all of today’s walk through remote and gently undulating farmland. The farmers here plant mostly wheat and canola while daisies, dandelions, Scottish thistle, cornflowers and lots of red poppies adorn our path. One pilgrim shared with me that this journey has body, mind, and spirit segments: the first part is the physical test, the next 250 kms, starting today, is boring, challenging the mind, and the third section focuses on your spirit.
    Another dimension of this walk is the history, churches, and museums. Yesterday, in Najera, Doug Steinburg, a follower on this blog who has done 20 Caminos, suggested I go see the cloister and royal tombs, so I left at 4:00 pm to explore the town. In fact, I even snuck into a guided tour of white-haired, and balding seniors hoping to see something interesting, but after a one-half km walk, I ended at their bus. Their guide spoke Spanish , so I was unable to follow, but it would have been great to have had Doug along, or perhaps that’s fodder for another Camino. At the end of each day most of us are tired and sore. Exploring the history would be a great option if we had another full day here. I did find out from someone at one of the albergues that the royal tombs were next to where he stayed last night.
    After today’s arrival, I showered, washed my clothes in the sink, then napped for one hour. At 3:30 I connected with my Kingston friends. Every shop was closed until 5:00 due to celebrations they’re having here right now. We visited 900 year-old churches before going out for supper. There were a few places open at 6:00 so I treated myself to a meal of octopus for 15 euros. It was a bit chewy.
    We mingled with the locals until 8:00 pm. Seemed like the whole town was at the main square with a queue two people wide extending beyond a city block waiting to get in church. I’m not sure what was happening there. Lots of band music, people in costumes, with families laughing and having fun. It’s almost 9:00 now and I’m planning on going to bed soon. I woke up at 4:45 this morning.    Read more

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    Day 14. Belorado

    May 12, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Happy birthday, Nicholas! I awoke this morning at 5:00 to the outside sounds of a concert band playing music with distinctive drums, shortly afterwards culminating with a thunderous cannon going off. The locals were still celebrating the feast of St. Dominic, known for having helped pilgrims. The people in yesterday’s queue were there to receive a piece of bread and an onion slice, symbolic of St Dominic’s help. There will be another queue today, apparently with some other food handed out.
    I got this story from a pilgrim staying in the albergues. Staying in hotels cuts me off a little from fellow pilgrims, but it’s been difficult for them finding places at the auberges this year. Having so many pilgrims creates accommodation issues, and many are forced to leave early in the morning to get a place to stay for the night. The way it works is that you arrive at the hostel before opening time, then you put your backpack in line, then you are given a number. Each auberge has a limited number of beds, so if they are filled, you have to move on to the next one. There are many auberges, but many pilgrims are scrambling to book ahead at auberges that will accept reservations. Some resort to staying in hotels, but most pilgrims try to do it on the cheap. All my hotels are booked and my luggage gets moved, so I have it easy, but I wouldn’t want to deal with the frustration of not being able to find a place while being fatigued.
    I started walking at 8:00 am in 8 degree - colder than Yellowknife- cloudy, rainy weather. There was lots of debris in the streets after last night’s party. Street garbage is rare in Spanish communities I have seen. It wasn’t raining much, but enough to warrant a raincoat and backpack cover.
    I caught up with an elderly Montana couple, avid hikers, who carry tents in their backpacks when the situation warrants. But, not tonight; it’s her 75th birthday, and he has a hotel already booked with a special meal. They were both librarians and so well informed. A lovely couple who enjoyed each other’s company and embraced life.
    A bit further down the road I met Thor, who grew up in Calgary, and graduated from St F X in 1993. He currently lives in Austin , Texas, but employed by Apple has had him living in London, England; Perth, Australia; and Houston, Texas. While at St F X, he resided in MacIsaac House, the same dorm I stayed in. We had a photo taken together. He’s been dealing with blisters, but he will likely cycle after this, trading “blisters on my feet for blisters on my ass.” His wife will be meeting him in Santiago in early June, so he has to get there. Lots of people dealing with foot and leg issues.
    Once again, I walked through rolling hills, lush farmland, and a few small villages today, but much of our path was next to a busy highway with large vehicles. A few of them beeped their horns, likely intended to spur us on, but it only served to startle me.    Read more

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    Day 15. Villafranca a Montes de Oca

    May 13, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    I woke up this morning hoping to be halfway to Burgos - 48 kms away- by now, but I reached today’s hotel 12 kms into my walk, by 9:30 am, so I have a 36 km walk ahead of me tomorrow. I’m in a beautiful village of 60 people, staying in a hotel that’s a converted old hospital built for pilgrims in 1377. Much of the original design has been retained with classic furniture and elegant rooms. There’s also an auberge connected to the same building as the hotel. I’ve included some photos.
    I’d like to be walking by 6:30 every morning, but my starting time often hinges on when breakfast starts. Skipping breakfast has not been a good idea. At this place, breakfast starts at 7:00 , so tomorrow I’ll likely eat when it opens, then start walking after that. On my walk, I usually have fruit with me and some protein or nut bars. I, usually, reach my hotel no later than mid-afternoon, then chat with and eat with fellow pilgrims during evenings.
    The weather has been cool and cloudy, although there were a few sunny breaks today. It was 5 degrees when I started this morning and it didn’t get higher than 12 degrees. Rain is projected in the forecast for the next two days.
    On today’s walk , I did spend some time with Doug from California who has done 4 Caminos and he has his 19 year-old son with him on this one. His son wasn’t around when we were chatting. When I asked him what draws him back each time, his response was the physical challenge and the peace of mind that stays with him a long time after he completes it. He did share that his son, who has Asperger’s is enjoying this walk, but was extremely critical of the California education system for the damage they did to him. I could feel his frustration and sadness. It led to arguments with his wife, a subsequent divorce, and a lot of pain. I did a lot of listening, not disclosing that I was a teacher.
    Common questions we pose to each other of this journey are, “What prompted you to do this Camino?” And “What do you hope to get from it?”One guy from England I was just chatting to, who has done eight Caminos, told me that pilgrims who stayed at the Roncesvalles auberge (2nd night) are given a questionnaire before leaving asking them the reasons they are on this journey and the options are physical, mental, social, and spiritual. He says the response, on the second day is overwhelmingly “physical,” with about 10% who checked off “spiritual.” For those who finish the Camino in Santiago, they are given the same questionnaire, their responses are 85% “spiritual.” Interesting! I’ll let you know what happens to me. Right now, I would say physical-30%, mental-30%, social -30% spiritual-10%    Read more

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    Day 16. Burgos

    May 14, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    I had a heavy walking day ahead of me, so I opted for a 6:30 am start. Also, we were expecting rain, forecasted to start at about 10:00 am, so I wanted to get as far as I could before the showers began. For the first 5-6 kms, the terrain was muddy, with a thick, sticky texture that made walking difficult causing a lot of slip-sliding. And the people I met along the way had stayed in the same hotel I was in.
    Once I passed them, I met nobody for the next hour which was very unusual. After that the only person I met was an elderly French man who suddenly popped out of the woods about 50 feet ahead of me. He shared with me that he owned 6 film/sound editing studios in Paris and Biarritz and it was now a family business. He is planning to do the whole Camino at a 12 km/day pace and 15 minutes later I found out why - he had a prostate issue causing a sudden need to pee, so off he went into the woods again. I don’t know what’s going to happen when there’s no woods.
    I continued to the first village, about 12 km from where I started this morning, and there was nothing open, so I continued, but still hardly anybody on the trail. After going through another small village and seeing nobody along the way, I started paying close attention to the signage. We have three ways of assuring we’re on track: yellow arrows, Camino shell, and following other pilgrims. Since there were no pilgrims, I had to pay close attention to the other two. At one point I had not seen another pilgrim for over an hour, but following the arrows led me to path that ended with a T-junction to a busy highway, with no arrow indicating if I should go right or left. Since going right would have had returning to where I came from, I turned left, continuing on a busy highway, but there were no arrows for at least half a km, so I stopped and backtracked feeling I may have taken a wrong turn. One km back, I met two Spaniards , Raphael and Louise (likely misspelled but that’s how he pronounced it) who assured me I was on the right track. Raphael only spoke Spanish, but Louise conversed a little in French. I stayed with them for about 5 kms but difficult for me to maintain their pace.
    The problem with this section is that there are few villages, and Lon stretches without accommodations. I’ve heard of some pilgrims taking a taxi to Burgos to get accommodations, then rehiring a taxi to return them to the same spot the following day. Because of the expense, I’m sure many just stay in Burgos.
    As I got closer to Burgos, I did meet a few more pilgrims, but there was one area where road construction had us pretty close to fast moving vehicles for half a km. Also, we did have to wear raincoats, but only for an hour.
    Overall, I did the 36 km (and a little extra) reaching my hotel by 3:45. Sore feet, but no blisters. The hard part was at the end. I had reached Burgos by km 32, and hoped I was close to my hotel, but Burgos is a big city- took me one and one-half hrs to get there
    Tomorrow I have a free day in Burgos.    Read more

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    Day 17. Rest Day in Burgos

    May 15, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Instead of going for a long walk today, I played the role of tourist. A rest day allowed for the exploration of Burgos, once the capital of old Castile for almost 500 years and home of El Cid, a great Spanish warrior and hero during the 11th century.
    The most prominent structure in Burgos is the cathedral, built in 1221, but not completed until 1567. I did a tour of the cathedral, and as on person commented on in addition to its beauty “this place is a city in itself, with roads everywhere.” It’s that big. It’s known for its spectacular architecture, unique art collection, including paintings, tombs and stained-glass windows. I spent three hours there. I had hoped to see some museums, but they were closed on Mondays.
    I’m going to keep this one short because the photos speak much better than any words I could wield together.    Read more

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    Day 18. Hornillos

    May 16, 2023 in Spain

    It feels good to be back on the Camino trail with fellow pilgrims. Getting out of Burgos was much easier, and more scenic, than entering the city. One of the drawbacks of taking a rest day is getting separated from the group you’ve travelled with, unless they chose to also take a rest day. One person who did that was Doug, from California, but the first person I met was his autistic son, Joe, who Doug had talked about so much. Joe was shy, but very soft spoken, pleasant and enjoying this time with his father. Doug informed me that we were one-third of the way through, that we had finished the physical challenge, and that we were now entering the wilderness of the Meseta, consisting primarily of earth paths across the peace and quiet of endless crop fields like the prairies. This, apparently, is the beginning of the mental challenge.
    Despite the regret of seeing so many move on , I’ve had the opportunity to meet others. Today, I had a good chat, en francais, with Jean Marc, an accountant from the south of France; Jean Marc started his Camino from his home town, and will be ending his walk in three days because of work commitments. He gave me a quick lesson on how to use walking poles more efficiently. I also had an interesting chat with Julia from Ukraine, who discussed the war situation in her country. She said it’s fairly easy for females to travel, but it was a long process for her to get here, travelling primarily by bus. Her boyfriend, an engineering PhD student, cannot travel because of the war, but he will be applying for a student visa to England. So far, her former acting teacher, who became a medical assistant, and her best friend’s boyfriend have become war casualties. She is on this Camino praying for all her countrymen and women. I have included a photo of her and I holding her flag.
    I’m now at a hotel 3 kms from the Camino trail. My travel company arranged a transfer where I was picked up by the hotel’s shuttle van, driven to this hotel, then returned to the same spot tomorrow morning. There are very few hotels just off the trail in this section. It’s nice being out in the countryside. The weather has been cold, 5 degrees when I started this morning with a high of 14. I like it for walking, and no rain. Many people with foot and knee issues, BUT-knock on wood- I’ve escaped unscathed…..so far.    Read more

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    Day 19. Castrojeriz

    May 17, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    I stayed at a quaint hotel last night along with seven other pilgrims. The hotel itself was like a large house consisting of six guest rooms, each with their own bathroom, a small bar, an even smaller dining room, and a reception area that wasn’t much larger than a walk-in closet. The proprietor shuttled us back and forth, registered us, carried luggage up the stairs and ran the bar that served the 3-4 locals who were there. I arrived there shortly after 2:00 pm, then showered, napped for 30 minutes, then sat on the terrace to write my blog. Dinner started at 7:00, so that’s when all 8 hotel guests gathered at one table in the dining room (photo included). When we registered the proprietor asked us if we wanted dinner, but the reality was there was no other place to eat in this small village. We were 4 Americans, 3 Canadians, and 1 Australian. That was when a lady, I’m assuming his wife, came out offering us a great meal: soup (chicken,potatoes), salad (Mediterranean) , pork medallions, and choice of dessert ( fruit salad, flan, or ice cream). While the lady served us , the proprietor sat back chatting and joking in Spanish. Some people at the table knew enough Spanish to translate, keeping us apprised of what he was saying. It was a great family atmosphere and I was able to pick up enough to find him entertaining. We had many good laughs with him picking on me because I was the solo hombre (the only man).
    At 7:30 am we had a quieter breakfast, with only the lady working, and shortly after 8:00 am the proprietor shuttled us back to the same place he had picked us up yesterday. Once again, it was cold (5 degrees) , but few clouds, and after an hour or so, a strong tailwind picked up. Hundreds of wind turbines here. The walking was easy today, a 20 km trek, mostly level, with a stop at the small pilgrim village of Hontanas, and later at the ruins of a 9th century castle.
    Today, I connected with a young girl from Austin, Texas who recently graduated with her doctorate in physiotherapy. This trip is her reward to herself for having finished her schooling before going to a full-time job in Vail, Colorado. Two people she had previously met, an agronomist from Chile, who grows all kinds of berries, and a Spanish literature teacher, joined us. The Chilean spoke English fluently, and translated for the literature teacher, who just spoke a little English. My sense is that 70% of the pilgrims speak Spanish as their first language, which makes sense since we’re in Spain. If I were to come again, I would try to learn more Spanish beforehand. Chatting with other pilgrims makes the time fly by. So many interesting stories. However, early in the mornings, I do enjoy my reflective time. We’re generally quieter then, less apt to chat.    Read more

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    Day 20. Fromista

    May 18, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    A 24.9 km day that started with a steep climb up the Alto de Mostelares this morning where we had magnificent views of the valley behind us. We stopped at a tiny auberge in a chapel along the way before connecting with a canal that brought us into the town of Fromista.
    Once again, I started this morning in 5 degree weather, but the shining sun made walking enjoyable, providing I maintained a brisk pace. At the Alto de Mostelares summit, I reconnected with the same three people I was with yesterday. Cat, the physiotherapist from Austin, spent some of her day helping pilgrims with shin splints and foot issues. One thing I learned is that if you massage your feet, you should do it upwards rather than downward. Apparently, it improves the circulation. For shin splints the best thing to do is to rest, but many struggling with this ailment have to slow their pace. Stopping was not an option for them.
    I had a great discussion with Joachim, the Spanish literature teacher who knew more English than I thought. He gave me excellent insights on Don Quixote, arguably the best novel of all time. I learned from him that de Cervantes, the novel’s author, died the same day as William Shakespeare. We then moved on to Shakespeare, comparing Henry V St. Crispin’s day speech to William Wallace’s speech in Braveheart.
    Francisco, the agronomist from Chile, owned a huge raspberry business in Mexico, although he did live in Chile, that employed over 3000 workers. He sold that business, which he says provided France with 50% of their raspberries, for an even larger blackberry business. I suspect he’s very wealthy, but he chooses to stay in auberges, living simply and communally. One thing that left a mark on him was stopping at a small church where a very elderly nun volunteered her time providing pilgrims with small religious medallions tied with a simple string. She did this with such a sense of purpose, feeling it was the most important job in the world, while expecting nothing in return. He, especially, cherished the extra one she gave him for his mother back in Chile. I have included photos of my three friends and the medallion; I had stopped at the same church and was given the same one.
    It was very windy again today and our walk was disrupted when an elderly lady was bowled over by a cyclist right in front of us. She was stunned, incurring extensive cuts, bruises, a swollen nose that bled incessantly and possibly broken. Many people stopped to help, and the cyclist, who had just sped past us, was quite apologetic. This lady’s son was understandably irate, but once her senses were restored, she smiled, forgave the cyclist, and thanked everyone.    Read more

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    Day 21. Carrion de Los Condes

    May 19, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    We barely got started this morning when the Australian couple I was walking with noticed Philippe, a guy from Montreal who they had acquainted, frantically walking in the opposite direction. He stopped long enough to tell us he had already walked 5 kms before discovering he didn’t have his passport, so was backtracking, hoping he had left it at the auberge. Not a good start to his day.
    Judy, the one who did most of the chatting, ran her own farm, raising about 40 Black Angus cattle near Sydney, commented a lot on the Spanish irrigation system. She was impressed with the tractor diesel engine pumping water to the middle of the field. She also noted there were no farmhouses anywhere because farmers and their families had to live in towns or villages. She was impressed with their healthy crops, unlike Australia where it had been so dry. When I asked her if they used pesticides, she railed against against the “greenies ,” her word for environmental sympathizers, perhaps what some in Canada would call “tree huggers.” She had no use for them, characterizing them as freeloaders who did not work, smoked dope, survived on government handouts, and only generated energy when it came to protest.
    Setting a faster pace than them, I moved on trail next to the highway until a small village named Villalcazar, site of a Templar church. I was planning on going in but even more intrigued by a woman sitting at the café next to the church when she said to me, “You can get a miracle in there,” to which I replied, “OK, I’m open to anything.” Inside we’re not only decorated panels depicting the life of St. James, but also Father Mark was there, the athletic priest from Australia who strode past us a few days ago while reading a book. He must have carried his own chalice, hosts, and vestments because he offered us a mass all in Latin. It was a flash from the past for me with the priest facing the altar most of the mass. Some people knelt on the cold, stone floor for the full hour without sitting back on their haunches. He offered communion to us on our tongues while we knelt. I kept thinking, my dad would love to be here. I withstood less than 5 minutes of kneeling and that was enough for me. We started with 8 people and ended with about 20. I’ve included some photos.
    Overall, an easy walk today- 19.3 kms.    Read more

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    Day 22. Calzadilla de la Cueza

    May 20, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Knowing that today‘a destination was only 18.8 kms allowed for a later start, so I got on the trail by 8:45. Not any hills on this flat and somewhat featureless landscape. There were no facilities - and no water - until we reached our destination, Calzadilla de la Cueza, a very small village that likely would not exist if were not for the Camino. I had a good breakfast before departing.
    Since I left so late, I didn’t encounter many people I met before. I did connect with Jeff, from Florida, who was an expert on how to retire in Europe. He says the only requirement for getting a residency visa in Portugal is showing that you have $13 000 in a Portuguese bank account, or proof that you have equity that adds up to that much. If you do that, you cannot work there but you do get access to their healthcare.You can top off healthcare for $280/month. These are US dollars. He doesn’t appear to be more than 50 years old living off the passive income of his real estate holdings in Florida. He doesn’t have any kids, but does have a girlfriend who booted him out of her house. That’s why he’s on the Camino.
    I then moved on to two people from Minnesota: Susan, a retired librarian from the University of Minnesota, and Susan, a retired nurse. We spent almost two hours discussing our favourite books and writers. Susan was passionate about Alice Munro, a Canadian writer, also one of my favourite, so we discussed many of her short stories, many set in rural Ontario.
    I reached the hotel by 1:00 pm, when I reconnected with people I had met before, and Jeff joined us too. By mid-afternoon, after showering and doing our wash - and comparing our washed underwear hanging from our windows - we congregated on the hotel’s terrace. We were three Canadians , three Americans, two Australians, and two Brits, later joined by a German lady and another Brit. Much of the discussion revolved Jeff’s retirement possibilities and two female farmers, a cattle farmer from Australia and a sheep farmer from England. This is a great way to meet people from different countries, in interesting professions done in a family atmosphere.    Read more

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    Day 23. Sahagun

    May 21, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today’s 23 km walk brought me to a town called Sahagun, full of ancient monuments, churches, monasteries, and history. The earth terrain is similar to what I’ve been walking on the past few days with occasional shelter from hedges covered in sweet smelling yellow flowers.
    There was a short climbing section with a little grade; otherwise, it was fairly flat. I arrived at the hotel by1:00 pm and it took me 20 minutes to check in. The proprietor knew no English, and all I know in Spanish is “hello” and “good day.” I tried some French, but no luck, so we essentially played charades for 20 minutes.
    After that, I showered before going out to explore the town. Not much open during afternoons. This is roughly the halfway point of the Camino, and they issue halfway certificates at the Pilgrim Office, but it was closed. Sunday appears to be family day, but little happens until mid to late afternoon. We’ll see what happens this evening. I did meet Father Mark on his way to the Pilgrim Office, who asked me if it was open. I informed him it wasn’t, then asked if I could take a photo with him. The photo shows his walking attire, with him wearing his best Sunday shoes.
    As I was leaving this morning’s hotel, one of the American ladies with us yesterday couldn’t find her purse which contained her money, credit cards , and passport. She had planned on taking a rest day there, but I hope she was able to retrieve her stuff. Also, there was a German girl there from Hamburg, the one who took our group photo yesterday, who was having a hard time. She had been on the Camino at the same time last year, but only got as far as Burgos, when she got news that her mother had died. She continued from Burgos this year on the same day exactly one year later, but it doesn’t appear she is going to go much further. She couldn’t sleep at all last night and doesn’t have the strength or energy to go any further. She is just overcome with sadness. Many pilgrims are grieving.
    I did reconnect with the Minnesota couple for a while, but spent most of my time with a couple from South Africa, Steve and Monica, who have now retired to Belize. They had spent 5 years in the US before moving to Belize. They observed that one of the largest groups of retirees in Belize are Canadians.    Read more

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