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Walking France and Spain, 2024Walking France and Spain, 2024
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A new walk in the south of France, another pilgrim route from Arles to Lodeve, then 10 days walking the Camino in Spain that we missed last year, on the meseta from Burgos to Leon. Looking forward to another spring walk with the green crops! Leia mais
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  • ViajanteWalking France and Spain, 2024
    11
    Dia 20

    Burgos revisited!

    29 de abril, Espanha ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    It’s already 10.15pm, and Amr is asleep, but I must quickly write up the day. It started early in Barcelona, as our train left at 9.05…we had planned to walk to Sants, over an hour, but good before a 6 1/2 hour train ride…but it was drizzling, and sense prevailed and we got a taxi. We had assumed our train wasn’t an AVE, (have realised that AV is alta velocidad, not sure about the E ?España) as it took so long to get to Burgos, but actually it was a bit of both…it hurtled at 250 kms/hr as far as Zaragoza, then became a normal train shuffling along at up to 150 kms/hr at good patches, and stopping at places we’d never heard of, except Pamplona, which was a bit of excitement! It had 20 carriages, huge, and at Sants we were herded into separate pens - the coches 1 -10 and the 11-20 - and it took ages to get on board, but eventually left only 8 minutes behind time! Eventually the train split, and one lot went to A Coruña and we went to Salamanca, via Burgos. Arrived about 3.40, and right away a bus pulled in and we all hopped on for a ride into the centre - for €1.10.

    Then the exciting event of the day…our reunion with Rachel and Richard…SO good to see them. They had arrived in Spain early Saturday morning, hired a car and spent the weekend driving in the north, in mountains and having a lovely time, and arrived at the hotel shortly after us, having dropped off the car. We are at the same sweet and central hotel of last year, and of 2018, and love it…and I think in the same room!

    So we had a drink and wandered round the town, ending in dinner…just lovely, and will have a great day tomorrow…we plan to get a taxi to San Juan de Ortega and walk the walk into Burgos that we didn’t do last year. It was pleasantly warm when we arrived, about 17° and warmer in the sun, but cools off very quickly once the sun goes down, low single figures.    Leia mais

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  • ViajanteWalking France and Spain, 2024
    Dia 21

    A great walk from San Juan de Ortega

    30 de abril, Espanha ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    We had planned right from the start of this trip that today, unless it was teeming with rain, we would walk from San Juan de Ortega into Burgos, the walk we would have done last year except we got a taxi to the hospital instead. It is the third time we have walked into Burgos, in 2013 and 2018 we tried to walk an alternate route along the river into the city, thus avoiding the long boring walk through the industrial area. And twice we failed to find the turnoff…so we really wanted to succeed this time and have a last chance of getting it right! And finally we did!!

    Rachel and Richard were also keen, and we got a taxi back and set off walking from there at 9am. When almost at San Juan the taxi was hailed by a man, obviously in distress - he was a walker, but his wife was in trouble, and he needed a taxi to take her to the hospital…they were having trouble communicating, and we realised he was French and his Spanish was bad, so Amr stepped in as translator and the taxi driver confirmed that he would drop us off, and come back in 5 minutes to pick them up….what luck for everyone!

    San Juan was lovely in the morning light, totally quiet, as everyone staying there last night had already left, and the next wave wouldn’t arrive till afternoon. It was cold, but cloudless and perfect walking weather. I had forgotten how beautiful this section was, and we hadn’t seen it in spring with all the green fields and bright green new spring leaves.

    We walked comfortably, at a leisurely pace, taking breaks when we felt like it, and having a wonderful time. And studying the Book closely, and Rachel’s maps on her iPhone, we took the right turns, and entered Burgos by the river route…hallelujah! It was a long walk - about 26kms, but Amr’s watch says 28 - and there was a long stretch around the airport, and when we got to the river part, there was still a couple of hours of walking - but we were by then feeling triumphant and knew the end was in sight. And maybe it is after our warm up walking in France, we feel fabulous!!

    Then after a bit of abluting and downtime, we set off into the town for a small wander before meeting R and R in the cathedral square and went with them to the 7.30 mass in a very fancy chapel in the cathedral…it was a pilgrim mass and we all got a cathedral postcard blessing. As we left the promised storm broke, but we had umbrellas and quickly made our way to a nearby restaurant and had good dinner, then back to hotel where Amr spotted the woman who had been so kind to him last when he was there for a week, and she remembered him and great excitement, and we all had a drink in the bar - 2 ColaCao with baileys, 1 baileys on ice, one red wine, one espresso all for €8…(maybe she was giving Amr a special price…? (The breakfast man remembered him too, quite a celebrity round here!). Anyway, a fab night, and tomorrow we set off on the official camino to Hornillos del Camino, about 21 kms…    Leia mais

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  • ViajanteWalking France and Spain, 2024
    Dia 22

    Shivering in Hornillos del Camino

    1 de maio, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    A wonderful day of walking, Amr says it was 21.82kms. But it was cold! We left Burgos a little after 8.30 in our usual blue and cloudless sky, bracing but lovely…but have to admit that soon fingers ached a bit, and it was a bit too cold for comfort, and my blue Lululemon pants seem to feel more breezy…I think it was about 7° but a cold breeze.

    An easy walk out of Burgos, and then an easy, but not picturesque section walking back and forwards to get through and under many main roads and motorways leading in and out of Burgos. But after that it all became spectacular…the amazing greenery of the new crops, the new spring growth in the trees, undulating vistas.

    We paused at a dear little Ermita where we had our camino passports stamped, and were blessed, that we remembered from before. And we stopped for a break at a spot just off the track where there were picnic tables, and suddenly we realised this was where we had gratefully paused last time as an oasis to escape the heat from the very exposed track we had been walking along…SO different, now we wanted protection from the cold (which it didn’t give!)…

    But being cold puts a spring in your step just to keep warm, and it was a great day. The cloudless sky had become scattered with puffy clouds which a couple of times had produced 3 drops of water…but the breeze never let any cloud stay overhead for more than a minute, and the sun shone intermittently. We all remembered that you walk along a plateau with nothing in sight but fields (this time green) and then there is a fairly steep descent and Hornillos, a small village, appears. This time it was magical…a sweet town amongst green fields…in September it was a clump of houses in the middle of nowhere!

    So we arrived, at the little place we stayed at in 2018. But this is May Day and a public holiday here, and everything quiet…our place was closed, with a sign saying “completo” but the door was not locked, so we went in and found a table with keys on little notes - one with Rachel Higgins, and one with Rosemary Marzouk, and room numbers (I think we were the last to arrive and collect our keys!) and found it is self serve today…got to our rooms, bags there, all perfect…except Amr says the shower doesn’t drain well and I’d better have a quick shower so it doesn’t overflow. Also the note said we had a voucher for dinner at a restaurant up the road between 7 and 9 (dinners are included for the next few days) and gave us the breakfast times…so all taken care of and we are very content. R and R have the exact room we had last time, with a sloping ceiling and a skylight!!

    We went for a walk up the road to find where we would be eating, and as we walked along, feeling even colder, some drops started falling and this time we realised that they weren’t raindrops but snowflakes!! They only lasted a few minutes too, and after checking the restaurant, which had a delicious smell of roast chicken, we went back to a closed bar and all had a celebratory drink. Now still cold, with every layer on, but hope they will turn on the heating at night!

    Oh dear, bad reception and difficult uploading..will remove pics and just do words, add photos later…    Leia mais

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  • ViajanteWalking France and Spain, 2024
    Dia 22

    Addendum to Cornillos del Camino

    1 de maio, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    I have managed to put up a few pics on the last post..reception is a bit precarious here, but I have to add a description of our dinner in this (as Richard calls it), half horse town! When Amr investigated earlier at the restaurant, he was told we should come early as it would be busy and crowded, and come at 6.30 (very early for here)…so we wandered up about then, and were seated fine, and a few others we had seen in Burgos also there…there was a long line of tables set up, and we anticipated a large group coming…

    Anyway, all was good, but there were a few mysteries…the very normal set menu was totally usual for a pilgrim menu, but underneath it said, not sure what it referred to, senegales menu….the top man was black, and maybe Senegalese, but ?? And there was a large sign on a wall in some Asian looking script, Amr said maybe Korean, but I’m not convinced, or what it even referred to…anyway, we had a good meal - the usual wonderful salad with tuna, with all the salad ingredients, then chicken and chips (not as good as I’d anticipated because it was pieces of chicken, not a succulent roasted leg)…but then the fun started..

    There was a sign saying that there was live music at 7.30…I hadn’t noticed it, but it started, first a man playing a sax and nice background sort of music, but after a while there suddenly started a very loud tenor singing opera and the whole room stopped talking and listened…it was really good, and they alternated, sometimes opera and sometimes light music - jazz, it’s a wonderful world, volare, besame mucho - and Puccini, Verdi, Handel…such a weird and fun time…we stayed on finishing our wine caught up in the vibe. We’re not entirely sure if the tenor was singing really, or joining Pavarotti in a recording…but it didn’t really matter, it was such fun.

    Now back, showered and warm!! The heating had been turned on and all is good…washing drying on the heater and no longer shivering…I’ll try uploading this and then more pics to the walk…    Leia mais

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  • ViajanteWalking France and Spain, 2024
    Dia 23

    At Castrojeriz, cold and beautiful walk

    2 de maio, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Another great day! We can’t work out why the meseta has a bad name, and people get a bus through. We liked it in autumn, and now in spring it is sensational! But it has again been cold…Amr’s app says it was average temperature of 1° during the walk…so you can believe we felt chilly…and I still haven’t taken off my layers…they are the only ones I have, and luckily they don’t get wet and sticky and smelly in this weather!! This is the exact time we would have been walking between Burgos and Leon last year, and looking at photos then, everyone was walking round in shirts and short sleeves…global warming for you!

    Anyway, it is far better to be cold walking, we spring along and it does feel good. And the countryside is just so gorgeous, with the bright green new leaves, and today was very undulating, but no steep uphills. As usual we started out sunny and fine, then clouds gathered and fluffed around above us, and we would welcome the times when the sun shone between them. It is so weird to remember these exact walks we did in previous times as such hot and unshaded stretches!! And when we arrived exhausted from the heat, and that was only in September - I hate to think of doing any serious walking in summer. So what I am saying is that we have been surprised by the cold, but really appreciate how bracing it is, and so much better than the heat…not complaining! The only thing I brought but haven’t worn so far is my shorts, and I expected to wear them every day.

    We had an uphill rise during the first half, and then dipped right down to Hontanas which has a lovely church we visited. Then fairly flat till here, going via the ruined XXIV convent the camino takes you through just before reaching Castrojeriz. It is a lovely approach as you see the town in the distance, with a ruined castle on the hill above, and a large church you pass by at first. It was during this last approach that we felt 3 drops of rain (not snowflakes today) but as usual they didn’t last long. Sadly the church was shut, as it is a good one, and entering Castrojeriz is always weird, as it’s quite a long spread out town with about 3 parallel streets, and you have to walk a long way to the other end where the hotels are, but it is always totally asleep - no signs of life at all! The odd pilgrim wandering around, looking rather dazed…anyway, we found our hotel, and R and R found theirs, as we couldn’t be booked in the same place here, and each have dinner at our own hotels.

    We have stayed at this place twice before, but always get a bit muddled, as there is a building where the rooms are, and opposite is the bar and dining room…and they seem to shut the main entrance to the bar, and you have to enter round the corner…a mystery. In fact, when we planned to meet R and R after we’d all wound down, we couldn’t find any bar open at all, except our hotel’s secret place, where we all had a drink…after they had climbed the hill to the castle, as a little post walk exercise!!

    Now they are doing their thing, and we ours, and we’ll meet tomorrow after breakfast to set out for Frómista.    Leia mais

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  • ViajanteWalking France and Spain, 2024
    1
    Dia 24

    Long walk to Frómista

    3 de maio, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Another amazing day, but quite a long one…about 27 kms, though Amr’s watch says 28…but it again was sensational, except just when we had almost arrived, and were enjoying walking along the canal de Castillo there was a diversion and we had to take a long cut around some works, where it looks like they are putting a highway through…probably only an extra km but it was a bit boring!

    Otherwise it was great - we set off about 9, and it was cold but not icy, and left Castrojeriz and the first thing was a long climb - about 1.5 kms and 900 metres - which we knew from before, but this time it was a sparkling green and amazing panorama back to Castrojeriz. We had always thought wow, but in spring WOW! The you walk across the plateau and down the other side, steeper but fortunately paved so no sliding loose stones, and another great vista on the other side.

    Then it went on, always green and lovely, and undulating, but it was long. There are many wild flowers - rogue yellow rapeseed plants dotted, rosemary bushes now flowering, and we found from Rachel’s app that one rather straggly but pretty flower was “rocket salad” and looked carefully, and smelt the leaves, and it was rocket, arugula. And there are poppies, and we identified a Judas tree flowering beautifully. We stopped for a break (but to my horror they didn’t do ColaCao) and otherwise just plowed on.

    Got to the lovely canal de Castillo before reaching Frómista and stopped in a bar before even finding the hotel. Finally I had my ColaCao, and it was in a ColaCao glass!!! A first! Also, while we were sitting there an American pilgrim came up to Amr and said how much he loved the hat!! I thought all who have commented would appreciate that…Then found our hotel, all in the same one tonight, and a new one for us. A very modern ecohotel, and large modern room and such a huge bed we will lose each other. All meeting for dinner later, at a restaurant they have given us vouchers for.    Leia mais

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  • ViajanteWalking France and Spain, 2024
    12
    Dia 25

    At Carrion de los Condes

    4 de maio, Espanha ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    After climbing out of the enormous bed in last night’s hotel (I’m sure it could easily sleep 4!), we set out at about 8.30. And we are now staying at probably the best hotel of the trip tonight (though León will be similar), the hotel Monasterio San Zoilo, an ex monastery and almost like a parador. We’ve been here twice before and so were anticipating a lovely stay. All the hotels have been good, and very varied, but a few stand out.

    It was a fairly easy walk, 20 kms and flat, and we took the more scenic route through the fields and by a river, the alternative being a track beside the road for 15 kms. And it was warmer today, with all the layers on it became almost too many, and just before we arrived Rach and I shed a layer…that just means comfortable….we weren’t shivering for ages afterwards like we were 2 days ago! But it was windy, and we arrived very windswept….but no rain! We are so lucky…

    So despite being fairly flat it was very pleasant and brilliant green countryside, and many birds twittering and Rachel has an app that identifies birdsong! Such fun, we often hear nightingales which I’ve never consciously heard before, also cuckoos, warblers, and today the way was dotted with beautifully flowering tamarisks.

    A highlight of this segment is a visit to a wonderful church - Santa Maria de la Blanca - a Templar church in a small town, Villalcazar de Sirga, about 5 kms before arriving at Carrion. It is a magnificent building and we enjoyed seeing it again…it closes for the afternoon at 1pm, so there is always that deadline as you walk, but we were in good time…

    Had a beer and some croquetas in the bar here before we even checked in. Now relaxing and unwinding. Amr soaked his feet in the bidet just because he could…he is very proud of all the hat comments! We have dinner here at 8 or so and should be good.    Leia mais

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  • ViajanteWalking France and Spain, 2024
    1
    Dia 26

    At Calzadilla de la Cueza, a tiny town

    5 de maio, Espanha ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    We left our beautiful San Zoilo hotel a little after 9 this morning. Breakfast was at 8, but we knew the weather was unreliable and could get bad later, and it was only about 16 kms. And we knew that tonight would not be as fancy as last night. And I must mention dinner last night, fashionably at 8.30, even the half pension menu was great and it was rather fine dining. Amr, Rachel and I had grilled vegetables for our entrée, and it was a beautifully arranged plate of so many veges - artichoke, peas, beans, eggplant, leek, carrot, pumpkin, zucchini, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts and even bok choy! served with a romesco type sauce, just delicious and a full meal in itself as is often the case in Spain, pilgrim menus anyway….then you have some form of meat and potatoes…

    So today’s walk was maybe the least spectacular of the meseta, and if walked not in spring, or in bad weather, may cause people to blacklist this section, as it was basically flat and straight, with just a little undulation at the end when you thankfully come across this village hiding just under the horizon. But we had a good walk, and of course it is now green and beautiful, with quite a lot of yellow fields of rapeseed or some mustard crop, and ploughed fields waiting for what I think will be sunflowers, as we saw them before here. There were many moments of beauty.

    One excitement for me was that I discovered my new phone, which I use as a camera and on wifi but has no SIM, can use the app I had downloaded for identifying plants…I had assumed it needed some internet connection, but just decided to try instead of asking Amr or Rachel, and it worked…it is all downloaded!! This was such fun for me, and I trailed along testing plants and flowers. There are so many wild flowers along all the edges - came across some poison hemlock which was the most interesting find of the day.

    Another funny thing happened when we were having a break at one point - there are benches and picnic tables dotted around here and there, and even once a coffee truck sort of set up - there was a woman with a hat like Amr’s!! She said she’d bought it in Australia, but admitted she didn’t know where it was made..! So it’s not as unique as we thought, even though we bought it in a small French village and it is made in Nepal. But Amr wearing it is unique!

    We arrived here at 2 pm and were happy that we had beaten any really bad weather. It was cool but not freezing, though it was very windy which was hard to walk through. But maybe the wind helped keep the rain at bay because we had odd spots of raindrops occasionally, but nothing that required ponchos (though some pessimists put them on and had them flapping madly in the wind). Checked into our basic but more than adequate rooms, had a drink, and people were arriving wind blown and drenched poor things….we were so happy to be warm and cosy by then. They had walked further, from the town where yesterday’s lovely church was. Dinner here at 7.30, all good.    Leia mais

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  • ViajanteWalking France and Spain, 2024
    1
    Dia 27

    Another spectacular walk - to Sahagun

    6 de maio, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We are debating whether this is the best walk so far, but I think the ones with panoramas from high places rate well too! But we have certainly had a wonderful day - 22 kms - 5° and misty when we set off at 8am, and by about 10.30 mist burnt off and it was sunny and perfect for the rest of the day, temperature rose to a comfortable 16° and I shed a fleece layer for the first time I think!

    Today’s meseta was undulating all the way and so beautiful with the green fields and wildflowers. Rachel and I identified wheat and barley with some difficulty, the crops look similar, but slightly different greens, and already they have the stems of grain visible, all with variations, and I’m always curious to know which is what. And to my delight I recognised a field as we approach Sahagun where twice before we have seen a man harvesting sunflowers. It is now ploughed and with furrows ready to be sown, so it confirms my theory that the fields everywhere which aren’t waving with grain crops are waiting and ready to be planted with sunflowers.

    We also passed, and paused, at the little Ermita about a km before entering Sahagun where we were immortalised by the Google map truck in 2013! It was such a beautiful day, unlike yesterday’s wind and threatening rain, that we took it easy and stopped for refreshments several times, often meeting people we have got to know who stay in the same places…some Americans, Canadians mostly…you get quite festive and it is fun. A couple of women have had bedbug bites which makes me nervous…I haven’t thought about them and all our places seem so good, but of course the best places can get them…so here’s hoping my luck continues!

    And we have been so fortunate with the weather - last night it rained soon after we arrived and during the night there was quite a storm, but all gone by morning, except some puddles and muddy patches now and then. We arrived here about 3. This town is the centre of a huge grain area, and when you first see a vista of the town you see an enormous silo towering over everything else, rather than the usual church tower and steeple. So we celebrated with an arrival beer - so sunny and bright that Amr and Rich sported Hawaiian shirts!    Leia mais

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  • ViajanteWalking France and Spain, 2024
    Dia 28

    Easy pleasant walk to El Burgo Ranero

    7 de maio, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    An easy basically flat walk, 16 kms, along country roads today. Not spectacular views, but consistently pleasant and everyone we met in good humour probably because the weather continues to be perfect for walking. Cold at the start, about 5°, and fingers aching if not in pockets, but warmed up to comfortable but never hot. I actually wore my shorts for the first time this trip! …and put my hat back on..no wind…The path want beside little roads and was lined with plane trees to provide shade - much needed when days are hot, but at this season we welcomed the sun and walked along the road now and then.

    We stopped for coffee/ColaCao at a bar and had lunch sitting on one of the many benches provided along the way…delicious cheese that we’d bought at Sahagun, crackers, apples and chocolate..arrived at 2 and easily found our lodgings - different one from our usual, but similar and good. When we arrived the man running the place was very busy doing lunches and drinks for many people and we waited, not being at all in a hurry. He was funny and joking and brought Rachel and me a lemon drink while we waited (Amr and Rich were getting provisions for tomorrow at the shop which was miraculously open)…the wife appeared too, and checked with us for dinner tonight as we are having dinner there…we hadn’t realised then but they close on Tuesday afternoons and dinner only available for residents, home made by her…so she gave choices one of which was paella which we chose and greatly looking forward to it…we could see it was one of the things on offer when they are open…

    Still all very busy so we had a drink and serving of croquetas while we waited, yum, and finally went to the rooms…simple and fine…but not ideal for the washing I had planned with the afternoon sun - no plug - but just so peaceful. When we arrived there was a lot of talking and laughing and lunching but in the afternoon siesta mode it is all dead quiet. The towns always seem people-less except for pilgrims, but now even they have disappeared!

    We went for a walk round the town which didn’t take long - up our street and down the other - and when you come to the end you are right out in the country again. Many fields neatly ploughed and waiting for planting - if they are all for sunflowers it will be a spectacular panorama of gold! Now back, downtime, sharing photos, Amr watching something on Netflix and dozing. All good.    Leia mais

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