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The Camino Revisited 2018
  • Rosie Marzouk

The Camino Revisited 2018

We are off to walk the Camino in Spain again, this time starting in Pamplona and finishing in Finisterre, 42 days of walking, with some rest days interspersed. Week first in San Diego visiting Michael’s family, and 6 days in San Francisco on return. Read more
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  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    Now at Santo Domingo de la Calzada

    September 13, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    A really good 23 km walk through countryside that is now more rolling hills, rather than mountains. A few big climbs, but mostly gradual and not too demanding and such lovely scenery that you hardly noticed the effort! At first leaving Nájera there were many vineyards, but as the walk went on we seem to have almost left them behind...there are many fields of wheat stubble, what I think is sunflower stubble, and now there are quite a lot of beets. And always the olive trees. And along the wayside the eternal thistles, dandelions and blackberries.

    We were very lucky today as it was cloudy and cool when we left at 8.10, and the cloud cover lasted until 12.30 which was fantastic as it remained cool. Now it is cloudless and brilliant sun and hot! By 12.30 we were almost here, arrived at the hotel a little after 1.30 I think. A sweet little one star hostal which we stayed at before, very friendly and comfy. We eat tonight at a little restaurant down the street.

    We are now having a beer and will then go to the cathedral which is the famous one with the chickens...according to the legend of the miracle of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Good restful afternoon.

    The wifi at the hotel is almost non existent. I will post this when I can, and add photos also when wifi is possible.    Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    Photos on walk to Santo Domingo

    September 13, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Will try and post a few photos of our beautiful walk, and the henhouse in the cathedral. Live rooster and hen in there, the rooster even crowed ....Amr seeking better wifi at the Parador, but this may work...Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    Now at Belorado

    September 14, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    A very good walk through undulating countryside....it was just over 23 kms. The usual cloud cover and cool weather to start - we set off at 8.15 - but the clouds burnt off and it was sunny from 10.45, so we got fairly hot, but there was a little breeze, and we are not overwhelmed!! And we went through such picturesque areas....to my delight we have finally found sunflowers! Fields and fields of them, now half dead and droopy but still with a gold look. I don’t know what happened to the ones I was expecting earlier - either they had an early harvest, or they don’t do them there any more.

    And today we walked out of the Rioja and into Castilla y León! Progress! No more vineyards - or the occasional one, but not everywhere as they were in the Rioja. Now there are fields of wheat stubble, and fields of stubble cut and lying in rows ready to be made into bales of hay, enormous haystacks and quite a lot of ploughing going on. Very rural and peaceful.

    The end of our walk into Belorado was in a separate path but alongside the busy N-120 which we see near us from time to time most of the way to Santiago. But apart from the noise of trucks and cars, we were surrounded with the beautiful rural panorama. Trucks and cars quite often tooted to us, or yelled out “buen Camino” and we’d wave our sticks.

    We’ve met many people...a group from Malaysia - a Catholic priest and 5 followers, the Canadian sisters, a father and daughter from Cronulla way, a man from Melbourne, several Irish, Americans, a woman from Gold Coast who is a yoga teacher. Germans, Swedes, Japanese....and probably more that I’ve forgotten now. And so many people are doing it multiple times...we find ourselves saying “this is just our second time!” But of course many first timers too, the majority. And, maybe it’s this time of year, but most people would be in 50s or 60s I think. And quite a few in 70s I would guess. Anyway, lots of fun and lots of variety.

    I think I will on principle publish my words first each day, then experiment with photos as they seem to be the stumbling block when wifi is weak. Also, tomorrow we stay at San Juan de Ortega which is a tiny place - just a plaza, church, hostel and hotel...and no wifi. So tomorrow’s report will be published when we get to Burgos on Sunday. The next 2 walks will be the longest, we think, of the whole trip...but we are now in the swing of it and will be fine. We just go at a comfortable even pace, and have breaks if we want...but mainly steadily walk on!    Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler
    21

    More photos from today - Belorado

    September 14, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    A few more photos...somehow this post has jumped ahead of the first one of photos...maybe because the first photo was chronologically earlier!! Who knows, but at least they uploaded!

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    Walk to San Juan de Ortega

    September 15, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Here we are at San Juan de Ortega, and there IS wifi!! In the years since 2013 the guy must have been hounded so much that he finally moved into the 21st century. Don’t know if it will cope with photos, but will try and see. Well, our day....we left Belorado at 8.30 and walked 25.3kms to this tiny place. It says in the book, population 20! There is just a church, beautiful and massive, an albergue, a bar and a hotel....all run by the guy in the bar (not the church)...so a bit chaotic, but the rooms are good, water hot and this area very peaceful. We will have dinner over in the bar with the crowd from the albergue as well, and breakfast is a plastic bag of food given to us tonight!! (Probably a box of OJ, a roll and croissant in cellophane wrapping!)...so we will leave whenever we like in the morning, and stop at the first available bar along the way for coffee and proper sustenance.

    It was a very different walk today, leaving Belorado we continued for a while with the fields and sunflowers, but after reaching a town - Villafranca Montes de Oca - it all changed. We climbed steeply out of the town and up the “mountain” - really big hills here. But it was a magic change - amazing panoramas on all sides, and we found ourselves walking through oak and pine forests, with purple heather, and shade!! So lovely. There was some more gradual ascent, and some level parts. The sun emerged from the morning clouds at 10am so we were very glad of the shade. Stopped for lunch on a shaded seat looking over the valley - had bought some yum local cheese (not unlike Manchego) and had crackers, dates and dried chorizo that we had bought at the supermercado in Belorado for today and tomorrow.

    It was a long walk to finally arrive here, but we do well...we walk at a consistent fairly slow pace - not power walking, and slower than when we do our walks in Manly...but we find it works...we have plenty of reserve and can go up the hills, still slowly, but without getting puffed, and can continue for a long time. Still it was good to arrive this afternoon, as it did get really hot in any unshaded parts.

    We have a nice room, on the ground floor (a huge plus as no bad lugging up stairs) and with the usual two beds put together. This has the advantage that we do each get our own pillow! A few nights ago we actually had a double bed, but the problem was that we had just the one long pillow, and neither of us could do our individual pillow thing!!

    Tomorrow we walk into Burgos, another fairly long walk but not hilly. But there is the boring long entry into the city. We are going to try to do this by an alternate route by the river which will be good if we find it!

    Now will post this and see if it works. Hallelujah!    Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    Burgos - here for 2 nights

    September 16, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Photos from yesterday didn’t upload, but at least the words did. We are now at a very comfortable, modern hotel in Burgos, but the wifi is a bit weak I think, so will write up the day first, then experiment with photos.

    It was, as anticipated a long walk - ended up being 26 kms - though despite our reading up and studying maps, we missed the route we wanted into the city, and ended up walking along a road - first a quiet country road, then a long circuit of the airport, then a straight divided road with a footpath into the city centre through an industrial area - dead quiet on a Sunday afternoon - and once we realised what we had done, we weren’t too unhappy as it was easier than the alternative industrial route we did last time which was very tiresome. We had hoped to go along the river, our best option, but once we realised we had missed a turn it was much too late to go back. It didn’t make much difference distance-wise. And we did end up along the river, but when we got more into the centre...luckily we are familiar enough with Burgos that we worked out how to walk in, and where to find our hotel easily...it was just a long hot 26+ kms!

    But first must mention dinner last night at San Juan. There is no choice of eatery, and all the hotel people ate in the dining room at the bar...we were at a table next to the other Aussies - Jodi the yoga teacher, and Michael and Claire - the father/daughter from Bonnet Bay (and Claire went to the same primary school as Jess, Liv and Ted!). At our table were 2 French walkers who spoke almost no English, so we had a hilarious time speaking French to them, English with the Aussies and Spanish with the waiter (who of course knew them all - enough for waitering anyway)...Amr was very good switching languages constantly, i was much slower getting my brain changing, but it was fun.

    So this morning everyone set out early, as we had been given a bag with food for breakfast the night before, so we didn’t need to wait for breakfast in the dining room, which is usually 7.30. So by daylight most of us went. We left around 7.40, sun rises at about 7.50 now I think, so it was rather beautiful. And the first part was very beautiful - through pine forest, fairly level, a perfect start. At the first village we stopped for a really good coffee, so all was well. Then we went along a bit and climbed quite a high alto and finally saw Burgos in the distance. It looked not all that far away, but that was in fact the beginning of the long hot part! We zigzagged down, took the unwanted wrong turn which is also marked with Camino signs, and began our long journey on hard road surface. But whichever way, it is a long journey into the city and we are very happy to be here. And to have a whole day tomorrow to wander round and see the beautiful buildings and of course the cathedral.

    Amr, surprisingly is now at the laundromat! We shed all our smelly clothes and will have a fresh start! A good feeling, and all very relaxing. When he gets back we will hit the town. Now to try to publish, and add some photos!    Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    Photos from yesterday - to San Juan

    September 16, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Will try with just 3, and see how it goes. Photos seem to need such strong wifi to upload...

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler
    1

    Now photos on walk to Burgos

    September 16, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    A miracle, the photos went, after an agonisingly long time, and on the second attempt when I put my iPad near the door, not out on the alcove in our room where I had been sitting! So will have another go...not many today anyway, as the walk in to the city is not picturesque. But lovely early morning light, and the view of Burgos in the distance.Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    A day in Burgos

    September 17, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We did hit the town yesterday afternoon when Amr came back from the laundromat bearing a bag of lovely clean clothes. This is such a beautiful city! Squares, trees, narrow streets interspersed with narrow car streets, a rapidly flowing little river and the most magnificent cathedral I have ever seen. It is a little strange to be mixing with normal people, not just walking peregrinos! So yesterday afternoon we just walked around, found familiar places, had a glass of wine and some tapas in a square near our hotel of 5 years ago. The Plaza Mayor, which is surrounded with lovely buildings and is a truly beautiful plaza sadly is being repaved and there are work barricades and barriers everywhere...so it is not seen to its best advantage at the moment! We ended up eating at a place we saw that had tempting food on its list, and had a fairly early night...

    Totally refreshed with a night’s sleep, and we have had a good day. Set off after breakfast to visit the Monasterio de las Huelas, not seen last visit and sounds like a jewel. It was about a 20 minute walk through quite salubrious tree-lined streets only to find it was closed Mondays...a disappointment, but we could see a little through the fence but not the good part inside...so a pleasant walk back along the river and we went to the Castillo, also not seen before. This is high above the city, even looking down on the cathedral, with a panoramic view. A hot walk up many steps, but very interesting. It is really just the ruins of the castle originally built in the XII century, and gone through many phases since. The last was used by Napoleon’s troops, and the French blew up one side before they were sent back in the Spanish war of independence....this war against the French frequently comes up in museums, paintings etc.

    On our return down the hill we had a little refreshment in a cafe along the beautiful tree-lined promenade along the river. This is such a lovely area, and we are going to return there with kindles soon. After our sugar levels restored, we finally indulged in a visit to the cathedral. Such a wondrous building...different chapels added over the centuries and everywhere so exquisitely carved and decorated...you automatically get an audio guide- so much to take in....and impossible to capture in photos. It is at the bottom of the hill, and there are different levels...I took an exterior photo of an magnificent door, and found inside there was an intricate staircase leading up to it in one of the chapels (it is kept closed now) as the level of the floor was metres lower after several stages of re-building.

    So now some downtime. I can almost understand the Spanish need for a siesta, if they live in this climate...the mornings are cool and refreshing, almost too cold, then it gradually heats up with an extremely bright sunlight until in the afternoon it is uncomfortably hot and bright, then at sunset it slowly cools off and becomes cold again over night. I know that sounds normal, but each phase seems very extreme here. Last night our room was still quite hot and we went to sleep with only a sheet half on, but during the night we needed to pull up the duna...we have since discovered that the air conditioning only works when the window is closed, and we had it wide open to let in the lovely cool air!!

    The wifi is again weak, will send this off and then try photos as usual. Cathy suggests lower resolution, but they are just taken on my phone and should not be too difficult normally...and I don’t know how to change it!    Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler
    1

    Photos in Burgos

    September 17, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Will have a shot at the photos...one of the view from the castle down to the city, and the door of the cathedral in the street, and the interior with the staircase leading up to it.

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler
    Church at Tarjados
    1Maseta scene1Looking down at HornillosMaseta and our lunch oasis!Our attic room

    Now walking on the maseta

    September 18, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    This morning we left Burgos at 8 am, and have now started walking on the maseta- such a different world, and so beautiful. It was a 21.5 km walk along very easy gradient, though totally exposed ...the thunderstorm that was predicted for Burgos at 1 pm certainly hasn’t come here - it is cloudless and brilliant sunshine. We are in a small town Hornillos del Camino, in a very lovely casa rural, in an attic room - up to which the busy and delightful host, Samuel, carried both our bags! We have a sloping ceiling and a skylight...very cute, but I must be careful not to hit my head getting out of bed! We are both ecstatic because the wifi is GOOD!

    Now, to report from yesterday afternoon...we went to have our kindle time in the park, and out of the blue raindrops fell...we ignored at first, but it did become serious for about 15 minutes, so we took shelter in a delightful bar, where we had a glass of Rioja in Paul approved glasses!! Then, knowing the next day we started walking again, we went for dinner at 7 pm, the earliest available time! Not a spectacular meal, but we were sitting next to an English couple, who had interesting accents - he was Geordie and she was from Yorkshire....they have been living in Spain for the last 7 years, but we were amazed that they didn’t seem to have the basic elements of Spanish...asked for “vin rouge” (maybe thought it was “European”) or just spoke to the waiter in English...and difficulty explaining what size beer he wanted!! I think walking the Camino was a foreign concept to them! Pleasant enough otherwise!

    So we left beautiful Burgos, and not an unpleasant walk out of the city in the westerly direction, the industrial area seems to be mainly in the east, past the university and out into the countryside again, which gradually turned into the open undulating spaces of the Maseta. It was pretty relentlessly sunny, with occasional breeze, but we did find an oasis to have lunch - a group of shady trees where there is a well from which you can pump up very cold water....just what you need at that point. With tables and seats. Perfect. We had bought more cheese at Burgos and had apples and dates still.

    So we had strength for the last 5 kms or so to Hornillos del Camino. We had a very gentle rise, and saw it down the hill several kms away. Will try to add photos as this wifi may cope! Tomorrow another 20 kms to Castrojeriz.    Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    Now in Castrojeriz

    September 19, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today was a lovely 20.89 km walk to Castrojeriz - starting at 8 am with a delicious 13°temperature and a little fog in the valley where Hornillos del Camino is. As we gradually rose on a very gentle gradient we emerged out of the mist, but the cloudless day remained cool and pleasant for a couple of hours! Such wide open spaces (must be amazing at night to see the stars here) and yet there is variation, and dips and little rivers...I never find it boring...there is stubble from fields of wheat, oats and barley, and still lots of dying and blackening sunflowers, not yet quite ready for harvest. And there are fields of what I now know is lucerne, or alfalfa. Just lovely. Stopped at the halfway point for a fresh OJ, and had lunch near the ruins of a convent just before approach to Castrojeriz. An easy walk, but we were hot by the time we got to the hotel...you see the town in the distance for several kilometres, and as it was early we elected to detour via the church - as the Camino directs us to...then it is a long walk to the actual town, which is a long thin strip at the bottom of a hill, on top of which is another ruined church.

    So we are here and showered and washing done and all good. Many of the people we meet along the way are staying here and tonight we plan to have dinner with an American couple, Melanie and Jim. As we set off this morning we again ran into the Canadian sisters, Judy and Dorothy, who are also here, as well as 2 women from NY state and the Aussie father/daughter combo, Michael and Claire. We are all in a rhythm at the moment as these towns are about 20 kms apart, so we see the same people from time to time...there are also a group (or several groups?) of Germans and French, who are all becoming familiar. A good feeling of camaraderie.

    I don’t know how strong the wifi is here, but am hoping! Amr is ecstatic that yesterday’s wifi was so good - he upgraded all his devices, downloaded everything he wanted to, caught up with his emails..!! It was unexpected, as it was a small casa rural. And our attic room, though very sweet, never cooled off as much as I would have liked overnight, despite Amr opening the skylight as wide as he could reach. However, no complaint, and good coffee in the morning! Amr says the wifi is acceptable here!! But I think I’ll send the words first, then try for photos and see how we go.    Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler
    Long shadows - art shot!
    Field of alfalfa1Ruins of conventSanta Maria del Manzano in Castrojeriz

    More photos

    September 19, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    That was successful and Amr wants me to add some more...

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    Long walk to Frómista

    September 20, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    A beautiful walk (again!) today, but one of the longer ones...25.8 kms I think...would consult Amr but he has dozed off beside me...so again we set off in the delicious cool air, which was just as well, as soon after leaving Castrojeriz there is a steep climb (12° ascent), the only demanding part of today, but we managed well with our slow and steady policy! Got to the top not even breathless, except to admire the view, still a little misty. Then it was only a short walk on the plateau and down the other side (this time an 18° descent) also steeply, but this part had been thankfully paved with slightly roughened concrete, so was not hazardous to walk down. Just as well, as we have packed up our sticks since Burgos, knowing that they were almost a nuisance when going on totally level paths...will get them out again in a few days just before León.

    So we did more Maseta walking, and still interesting...I can’t imagine why people sometimes choose to go by bus through this part of the Camino. We crossed a river and into Placencia, another province of the autonomous region of Castilla y León. There are so many autonomous regions...not sure what the federal Spanish government does. So we are still in the grain crop and sunflowers region, and now the are many very green fields of lucerne and also beets. And today we saw something new - a field of lucerne being mowed, or harvested, leaving neat lines of the green leaves ready presumably to be gathered and used as fodder. Not sure if they leave the plants to keep growing to keep cutting off more stems...

    There were 2 little towns on the way, at the first we stopped and had a fresh OJ, and also bought a baguette with jamon and cheese for lunch later (all sliced as we ordered) as our supply of food had run out, and we ate that at one of the rare areas of shade under trees at the top of a rise. Then stopped at the last little town, just 5 kms before here, and had a drink in the little rural hotel where we discovered quite a few of the people we have got to know are staying (after a 19 kms walk)....

    But we happily plodded on, knowing that the last 5 kms were largely beside a canal and fairly shaded and pleasant. So we found our hotel easily having been here before, and have a room looking on to the Iglesia de San Martin - an XI century Romanesque church (consecrated in 1066!) and all is well with the world. I will include a photo from our window, but will have to wait till the sun goes down - at the moment it is pouring in and drying our clothes! Our friends Melanie and Jim, from Mississippi, are also here, so we will also probably see them at dinner tonight, which thankfully can be as early as 6 pm!! They are very good company - quiet, unassuming and interesting - we talk about books, and of course the Camino.

    Well Amr has since woken up and found a shop and got a supply of cheese and apples for the next few walks, and is now gone to see San Martin, so I’ll go too. Will add photos later...    Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    More photos from Frómista

    September 20, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Just a few more of the room and view, and early morning view after our climb..(this was yesterday - we are now at Carrión de Los Condes, but yesterday’s wifi gave up)..also, an addendum, the San Martin church is now deconsecrated I believe and is a cultural site rather than a working church.Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler
    32 walkers in the early morning
    Lunch was under trees in the distance1Canal de Castilla

    Republishing photos from Frómista

    September 21, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Something weird happened and too complicated to explain, but yesterday’s wifi published with great difficulty the photos that people have already liked and commented on, but somehow when I now with better wifi put up some more, it thought I was editing and deleted the originals...oh well..here they are again..just for the record...Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler
    Our Maseta today
    Santa Maria la Blanca1Our room2View from our window

    Easy walk to Carrión de los Condes

    September 21, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    I say it was an easy walk because we didn’t arrive hot and bothered, and it was 21 kms on a level track. We saw that this walk had 2 alternatives, one just following the road and the other through fields and by the river...we of course opted for the latter, but you had to be a bit observant as both ways had inviting arrows...and many people chose (or accidentally followed) the road which would have been very boring. We happily didn’t make the fatal error and followed a pleasant path through fields and then along the river, in shade, so for the entire morning we were pleasantly cool.

    We turned and joined the road walkers at a little town where there is a famous Templar church, now a national monument, Santa Maria la Blanca, which we looked at and remembered from last time. From there we also had no alternative than to follow the track alongside the road for the last 5 kms into Carrión de Los Condes. We remembered this stage as rather hot and awful, but there was a breeze and we arrived unruffled!! And we knew where to find our beautiful hotel, right through the town and out the other side on the Camino. It was a monastery and is I think the fanciest hotel we stay in the whole way! So we are enjoying the whole experience, at the moment having a drink and a small snack of croquetas as dinner isn’t till 8.    Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    Walk to Calzadilla de la Cueza

    September 22, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Today was short - 16.5 kms! But it was quite hard work for the last 10 kms or so as it was totally exposed, and no villages between here and Carrión. It was completely flat, and amazingly not boring scenery (though I think some people may not have agreed!) with the usual dead sunflowers, stubble and surprisingly a few fields of corn! Haven’t seen that lately. And rows of trees breaking the monotony.

    So we left our luxury hotel at 8.50, late for us, but breakfast wasn’t till 8. It is such a beautiful place- Monasterio de San Zoilo - was once a Benedictine monastery, hence the cloister outlook from our room, and yes Liv, we actually had a double bed rather than 2 put together. The risk with a double bed is sometimes that there is only one long pillow for the 2 or you, but this perfect place not only had a pillow each, but 3 pillows each!!

    So we set off, with plenty of water for this day in the sun, and got here by 12.40....at the beginning we did have a fair bit of shade, with trees alongside the track, but it was just the end part that was extremely bright and hot. On arrival we sat immediately and had a beer before checking in, and then as we hadn’t eaten our lunch yet, we shared a plate of freshly made seafood paella!! Yum! This was all with the many people we now who are in step with us - ie stopping at the same towns...

    Calzadilla de la Cueza is a tiny place, 5 years ago it didn’t appear at all on Google maps, but my photos actually say that is where we are...We had a drink here with Michael and Claire but they had to walk another 9 kms to another town...poor things...by then we were so relaxed knowing we were “home”...and it may be the last time we encounter them as we are a bit out of sync from now on...they will already be in León when we walk in, but it is a big place (compared to these villages). But we have a very comfortable and convivial group of peregrino friends here at the moment, and will be in sync with them for a while at least.

    Tomorrow we walk into Sahagún, past the place where we are photographed on Google maps!    Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler

    Sort of a magical walk to Sahagún

    September 23, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today was 22 kms into Sahagún, but the magical thing was that the day became a memory exactly of what we did 5 years ago. Firstly our Hostal offered breakfast from 6.30 which is great if you want an early start to make the most of the cool morning air. We had gone to sleep early last night as dinner was also early (6.30!!) and our open window was just above where the outside bar tables are, so the conversations below were quite soothing background noise and we dozed off when it was barely dark! So we had an early start at 7.30 when it was just light enough to see the way and follow arrows....and it all came back to us, this is just what happened last time, and we saw the sun rising mystically behind us. Just a lovely time of day.

    At the first little village we stopped for coffee, as the breakfast coffee was too terrible to drink (this is unusual) but this place had just excellent coffee, so we were all happy and had a good start. Then we continued along rolling fields, the usual, but pretty, not as dead flat as yesterday- it did get hot as the sun got higher, and we were very glad of the early start.

    The next magical thing was that as we approached Sahagún and could see it in the distance, we passed a field where last time we saw a man harvesting sunflowers for the first time....well, today he was at it again!! And we also saw more detail...there was a tractor attached to a big container at the corner of the field, and as we watched he drove his harvester over and a big crane-like thing went up and out poured seeds into the container. We didn’t actually see the seeds pouring in as we had gone just round the corner by then, but we did see him drive the harvester over, and Jim took and showed us a video he took of the seeds pouring!! So interesting.

    Then next we came to the spot, just on the home run into Sahagún, where last time we were photographed by the Google maps car! It is near a little chapel, the Hermita of the Virgen del Puente, and there are picnic tables, and columns announcing the “geographical centre of the Camino”....so this is a half way mark from St Jean to Santiago, though over the last 2 days we have passed several announced half way points!!

    So we walked on and our hotel was the first thing we encountered before even entering the city...bliss, as it is now hot. And this is another luxury experience, 4 stars, and very modern! Only downside is that wifi is not at all strong, photos may be a problem... Amr and I walked into town after washing and showering, just for old times’ sake. It was searingly hot and bright, and the city really isn’t all that appealing. Last time we had 2 nights here, and so we spent a day visiting all the historic sites (which ARE interesting), but this afternoon we made our way to the Plaza Mayor where we had stayed in a little hostal last time, had a glass of wine there, checked the hairdresser where Amr had had his birthday haircut - he would have had one if he was open, but it was totally shut - and then we walked back to our oasis hotel, and plan to have dinner here with Jim and Melanie, and 2 women from New York, Joan and Mary Beth, who are also all staying here. The Canadian sisters have been nearby most of the walking day, but are staying somewhere else.

    We are really now into this life, are expert at packing and unpacking just what we need for the night, and feel we can walk on forever!!! Hope that continues...we are not smug, just really enjoying living the dream.    Read more

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler
    Sunrise behind us
    2Coffee breakHarvesting sunflowers

    Photos from yesterday - walk to Sahagún

    September 24, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Yesterday’s wifi refused to send photos, at a smaller, less posh place today, and think it is better!

  • Rosie MarzoukThe Camino Revisited 2018Traveler
    Roman bridge
    32 people on a bale of hay

    Another easy walk - at El Burgo Ranero

    September 24, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We are spoilt with these flat walks...still on the Maseta but this will end soon after León I think. We left leisurely at 8.10, and the searing heat of yesterday afternoon had transformed to delicious cool, and we walked out of Sahagún almost liking the city! It is not beautiful, but we do cross a lovely Roman bridge as we leave. This is an intensely agricultural area....in the distance the silo is taller than any of the church towers!! But today didn’t feel quite as far away from civilisation....there were main roads and trucks on the horizon, but we walked along a little path next to a very minor road, hardly any cars, and with a shade-providing line of trees, and we didn’t even work up a sweat. Extremely comfortable and still interesting.

    So here we are, before 1 pm, in a tiny place, washed and refreshed. Our washing is hanging out on our balcony (hope no one looks up from the bar and sees it!)...and tomorrow is another fairly easy, flat walk of about 20 kms I think, and then we walk into León on Wednesday and stay for 2 nights!    Read more

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