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The Camino Revisited 2018The Camino Revisited 2018
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The Camino Revisited 2018

August - November 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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  • TravelerThe Camino Revisited 2018
    1
    Day 13

    Peaceful day in Pamplona

    September 4, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We got up late today - I couldn’t get to sleep for ages last night, was so excited....seems silly, but we are suddenly in the world of Camino and you see walkers, and people say “buen Camino” ...and it IS exciting!. Anyway, in this lovely hotel we had a lovely breakfast which has kept us going all day. Again a perfect temperature- such a relief, and no sign of the predicted thunderstorms for tomorrow....but we are prepared for anything - it will just be a blessing if we don’t get saturated!

    So we have had vey pleasant wandering...we walked to the citadel which is now a beautiful park surrounded by the old walls, moats and bridges - had a peaceful kindle time on a seat there. Then we went to the bull ring which is very close to our hotel...we found we could have a tour inside (which we hadn’t done) with an audio guide so we did and it was fun and interesting. I can’t really get into it, but the running of the bulls is such a huge festival here, and I can enjoy the excitement by watching the videos and seeing all the paraphernalia! The Plaza de Toros is immense - can hold about 19,000 people (I think it was in fact 19,720!). I forgot to say, that before the citadel we also went to the cathedral and stamped our Camino passport. It is a lovely building, with fabulous cloisters which fortunately we saw in all their glory last time, as now they are surrounded by scaffolding.

    Now it is 5 o’clock and we are having a break before setting out to eat. I am writing up the day now, which i will do each day from now on - in the afternoon when we finish walking rather than just before bed...we plan to eat tonight at an art nouveau cafe on the square...Amr’s favourite decor, and everywhere prices are similar and food good. Tomorrow it all starts....    Read more

  • TravelerThe Camino Revisited 2018
    Day 14

    Hurray!! First day done and wonderful!

    September 5, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 22 °C

    This has been a wonderful day! We have walked 24.3 kms to Puente la Reina and feel great....that is lying a little, feet and bones a little weary, but nothing that won’t be fixed by a good night’s rest. And, after all that gloom and doom weather forecasting, we had good weather. It did rain lightly as we left, and we wore our ponchos for about an hour. Then we felt it was safe to take them off, and it even got sunny, and high cloud - perfect walking conditions.

    It is a wonderful feeling, walking out of Pamplona, through the rolling countryside and little towns. There was one high uphill - the Alto de Perdon - where there are the metal figures of pilgrims, and a vast panorama. We remembered that, and last time in fact it was cold and windy, but it was sunny and lovely today, quite a party atmosphere as many people stopped for a break...that was about 10 kms before Puente la Reina, but we knew we had done the highest climb. In fact coming down on loose stones was harder!!

    We passed some sunflower fields, but they are not golden and beautiful as we remember- already they are drooping and getting black - I guess the hot weather has made them “ripen” earlier, as we are only 2 days later than we were last time in September 2013.

    So we had a beer even before showering, but now clean and done our washing and enjoying this hotel which we also stayed in last time. Now about to set off and explore this little town. We didn’t last time, as it poured with rain just after we arrived, and we stayed in and didn’t see anything, except in the morning walking out. Will check out the old bridge which was built by the queen (Isabella I think) so that pilgrims didn’t drown crossing the river! Hence the town’s name.

    I have some lovely photos and I think I will make an extra footprint later so that I can add more than the 6 allowed. The first one is an art shot that Amr took as we were setting off down the stairs at our hotel this morning - in the mirror! When we got down and at the door we had to put on ponchos as we discovered it was raining! ....The wifi seems to be weak, so will take off a few photos as that’s usually why it has trouble... this is so frustrating- the wifi here is extremely weak..will send emails (slowly), and will do Words with Friends, but will NOT upload this blog, so may have to wait until tomorrow when maybe will have more success. This hotel is very busy, it is a hostel and a hotel, so there are many people using the wifi..maybe when they go to bed it will get better, but I may also be asleep by then...still not downloading, will take off photos and see if that helps...    Read more

  • TravelerThe Camino Revisited 2018
    1
    Day 15

    Photos from yesterday!

    September 6, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Now at Estella and will see how it goes here to send some photos...before I write about our walk today.

  • TravelerThe Camino Revisited 2018
    Day 15

    Today's walk to Estella

    September 6, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We are now in the bar at our hotel having washed etc and just don’t want to leave, even to explore this rather lovely town. We did walk more than a kilometre through it to get to the hotel (off the Camino) as it is right out the other end. So we saw the huge old churches and squares and narrow streets. The town is surrounded by hills and has quite a colourful history of fending off invaders, and I think was the seat of the kings of Navarra. We are still in Navarra which is basque (until we get to Logroño which is in the Rioja) and signs are bilingual with the rather weird Basque versions before the Spanish.

    Anyway, we set off today at about 8.30 and for some reason thought it would be an easier walk than yesterday...about 20 kms or so...well, as usual it was more - Amr’s Apple Watch said 26!! And the equivalent of climbing 25 flights of stairs!! So you can believe we are a little weary now. Walking out of Puente la Reina we crossed the famous XII century bridge, and then had a lovely even walk until we saw a huge rock face and were glad we didn’t have to climb that...but we did, or the equivalent...the path went relentlessly uphill for a LONG time. We did then have a beautiful walk along the plateau, with a few more little ups now and then, and finally arrived here. Beautiful weather - cool in the morning, but hot in the afternoon, with a breeze. In the last stretch we saw an enormous bird in a field. In the distance I thought it was farming equipment, till we saw that it was moving and flapping wings a little. Amr thinks it may have been a condor, but whatever it was it was huge. Won’t put a photo as it doesn’t show properly how huge it was!

    Have not seen any sunflowers at all today, but some vineyards and olive trees, plus many fields of stubble. And we saw a large crop of asparagus!! This time we recognise it - last time the feathery leaves confused me...thought it may be fennel, but didn’t smell right.

    Anyway, it is wonderful fun, and we are recovering from the tiredness and aching bones...we even had a beer in the Plaza de Fueros on our way to the hotel, as we suspected we wouldn’t want to venture out again. Not as many walkers here as last night - a smaller hotel - so the wifi is much stronger. Here’s hoping this will upload fine, and will put some photos.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Camino Revisited 2018
    1
    Day 15

    More from Estella

    September 6, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Am so happy with the wifi after yesterday’s fiasco, that will add a few more from today. We are waiting till 7.30 for dinner...it doesn’t get dark till quite late, 9 or later, so it feels early. And the sun doesn’t rise till late - can’t remember exactly, but about 8 am or so, so we get up almost in the dark, to be ready in the morning. And Amr wants me to put a photo of the big bird!Read more

  • TravelerThe Camino Revisited 2018
    1
    Day 16

    Beautiful Walk to Los Arcos

    September 7, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Today was great...it was still 24 kms, but it was undulating with gradual inclines, and through spectacular countryside. I have to say that I am relieved, as yesterday when we arrived at the hotel I was so hot and tired, I wondered if this was going to be fun after all. But today we set off with a different mindset - determined not to push too hard - we didn’t think we had been pushing hard - but today we almost sauntered! And also we stopped for a proper lunch - bacon and cheese bocadillo, apple - I don’t think we ate enough yesterday, just picked on a sesame bar....anyway, we are very happy and feel excellent.

    This is quite a mountainous area, there are mountains in the distance in every direction, and so many beautiful little hill towns. I am sorry there no sunflowers now, but there is still a spectacular panorama in every direction. More and more vineyards, with grapes ripening and looking heavy, olive groves, and we saw several fields of asparagus.

    This morning, soon after leaving Estella we passed the Fuente de Vino - the wine fountain for pilgrims...a monastery has a tap in the wall where anyone can get wine - there is also a spigot of water beside it! So even though it was only about 9 am we lined up and had a taste (handy that you can then fill up the bottle with water again). We didn’t do this last time...too intent on reaching the destination, and the morning not exactly a wine drinking time! But we got into the spirit of it today, and it was very drinkable wine! There is a webcam there that shows it all....

    Anyway, here we are in Los Arcos at a very nice hotel (different from last time) and we have a great room on a corner, looking over a square and trees, and close to everything - this is a very small town. And it is so good that dinners are included...we don’t have to think about where to go, and it is like going to a restaurant each night - the food is so good, many choices, and beautifully presented. And we are always so hungry!!    Read more

  • TravelerThe Camino Revisited 2018
    Day 17

    Another great day - Saturday in Viana

    September 8, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today was meant to be less than 20 kms but of course it ended up being almost 22, but it was good as we weren’t doing the extra 10 kms into Logroño! We split the distance here last time, and tomorrow we saunter into Logroño - even if it ends up being 12km who cares! We did work hard though today. As usual it sounded fairly easy, with one serious climb, and it did start with beautifully even terrain through the still beautiful countryside. But then we did climb up and down to rivers, or river beds, past the usual hill towns, past olive groves and vineyards, and arrived here at about 2 o’clock.

    We left Los Arcos at 8 am, having first stopped for fresh OJ in the square. The sun rises at 7.45 so the square was so different at sunrise than in the afternoon when we arrived - then full of tables and umbrellas and a buzz of walkers mostly relaxing after the trek and sheltering from the very bright sun. (This is the famous square where 5 years ago Amr bandaged the leg of the Rheinmaiden!!). It is blissfully cool in the early morning, about 13°, but as the sun gets higher it does get quite hot...my southern arm and leg (the left as we are heading west) are getting quite sunburnt...

    So we had a good day’s walk - passing and repassing familiar people who are in the same rhythm as us. This keeps changing as people stay at different places, but sometimes the same people are around for a few days. And a babble of many languages - all good, great camaraderie, but as we walk people thin out as everyone goes at a different pace.

    Viana is a lovely small town, and we have wonderful memories of the superb hotel we stayed in before (and the dinner!) which we are again at. My brain had totally forgotten the outskirts with modern apartment buildings, and the outer streets we had to walk through to get to the old centre, which is much as it was in the Middle Ages. Our hotel is in the one main street through the centre, and as we approached what a surprise! Something was afoot...there were explosions, which we later realized were fireworks, but we could hardly walk along the street - crazy crowds - we did realize it was Saturday, but this was something more than a normal weekend...Many people and their children wearing white shirts with red handkerchiefs round their necks like what you see in Pamplona for the running of the bulls...and this is what it is, Viana’s own festival - today is the day before celebrations- the actual running is thankfully tomorrow afternoon after we will have left (I think Amr is a little disappointed, but I am happy)! Actually, we would have a perfect view from our hotel window...As we arrived there was a parade, with huge effigies and a band, which was why we found we were going against the tide. Already along the street there are barriers up to protect windows etc from the bulls, except the many cafes and restaurants which will be open till tomorrow but the metal barriers are there ready to be put into place. The hotel tells us that tonight there are festivities and music that starts at 10.30 pm!! So it promises to be a noisy night, but what a fun weekend to be passing through! Dinner isn’t till 8.30 tonight either, so we will head out now and have some tapas to tide us over.

    Just tried to publish but it wouldn’t upload...I thought it was strong WiFi but will take off all the photos and do them separately...I think they are really good, but will see if the words will go...    Read more

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