Adventure on Camino Francis

augustus - oktober 2022

Hi there! I’m off to hike the famed El Camino de Santiago—Europe’s longest and most storied pilgrimage route - starting September 3. I’m taking the Francis Route that starts in SJPDP, France and takes me over the Pyrenees and down into Spain. Meer informatie

30Footprints
3landen
48dagen
452foto’s
18video’s
7,6kkilometer
5,8kkilometer

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Reiziger Adventure on Camino Francis
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- 31 aug 2022 11:08
- ☀️ 25 °C
- Hoogte: 42 m
- Verenigde Staten Connecticut Town of Darien Noroton Heights 41.101078, -73.51051341°6’4” N 73°30’38” W
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Dag 1
All set for the big trek!
31 augustus 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
All packed and ready to go! My pack weighs 12.5lbs - will lead a minimalist existence for the next couple of months. I’m taking a flight to Paris and then a train and bus to St-Jean-Pied-De-Port (SJPDP), France, where I’ll start my trek.Meer informatie
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Reiziger You are awesome! So excited to follow you on your journey…. From the comfort of my couch 😁
31-08-2022Reageren
Reiziger 😆
01-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Haha, Happy to oblige!!
31-08-2022Reageren
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Reiziger Adventure on Camino Francis
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- 2 sep 2022 16:10
- ☁️ 22 °C
- Hoogte: 177 m
- Frankrijk Nouvelle-Aquitaine Uhart-Cize Béhérobie 43.169418, -1.25417143°10’10” N 1°15’15” W
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Dag 3
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
2 september 2022, Frankrijk ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Arrived yesterday. Train from Paris to Bayonne and then a bus to SJPDP. Spent the first night at a farmhouse and second at a B&B. Both inn keepers are super friendly and helpful. Had community dinner with friendly peregrines. What an international crowd - Brazilian, Danish, Aussie, New Zealander, German, British, Swiss, American and French. All under the same roof - many together in a dorm. Except for 2 of us, the rest were under 30.Meer informatie
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Reiziger Great pictures!
02-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Awww you look so cute!
02-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Amazing photos!
02-09-2022Reageren
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Reiziger Adventure on Camino Francis
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- 3 sep 2022 08:47
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Hoogte: 308 m
- Frankrijk Nouvelle-Aquitaine Saint-Michel 43.142628, -1.24148343°8’33” N 1°14’29” W
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Dag 4
Camino Kickoff !!
3 september 2022, Frankrijk ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Day 1 to Borda - was an absolutely beautiful climb to Orisson! I went from singing “I’m leaving on a jet plane….” to “Heaven, I’m in heaven….”
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Reiziger Yay!! You look so good
03-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Surprisingly, I felt v good! Considering I only got a couple of hours of sleep due to jet lag hitting me!
03-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Beautiful weather for hiking!
03-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Yes! Overcast and quite cool.
03-09-2022Reageren
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Reiziger Adventure on Camino Francis
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- 4 sep 2022
- ⛅ 26 °C
- Hoogte: 868 m
- Frankrijk Nouvelle-Aquitaine Arnéguy Bois d’Orisson 43.101433, -1.23873743°6’5” N 1°14’19” W
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Dag 5
Over the Pyrenees - From France to Spain
4 september 2022, Frankrijk ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Day 2 to Burguete - This was a toughee!! About 14 miles slow uphill to 2500’ climb and then a fast descent. I took the longer route that was a little less steep coming down - still felt it on my knees 😀
The day before was also 2500’ climb - but in 5 miles and no descent. I much preferred that.Meer informatie
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Reiziger Absolutely stunning!
05-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Wow this is gorgeous!
05-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger There was a fierce 50mph wind blowing almost all day. Not cold, so very bearable.
05-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger I don’t know. Quite like that fierce look.
05-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Haha!
05-09-2022Reageren
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Reiziger Adventure on Camino Francis
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- 5 sep 2022
- ⛅ 22 °C
- Hoogte: 1.362 m
- Spanje Navarra Auritz/Burguete Orreaga 43.034981, -1.29117543°2’6” N 1°17’28” W
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Dag 6
An easy day…
5 september 2022, Spanje ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Day 3 to Bizkarreta - I couldn’t find a place to stay tonight in Zubiri so booked one in Bizkarreta which is only 9km from Burguete. As I meandered my way to Bizkaretta, I found the cutest little town, Espinal, on the way so stopped for photos and a coffee.
Bizkaretta is also nice, but not much going on here and couldn’t find any restaurant open. Luckily the Inn keeper made a delicious meal for 9 of us pilgrims.
I’ve been listening to Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises and todays trek was the perfect setting for it!Meer informatie
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Reiziger Such Spanish hospitality!
05-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Yes!
05-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger A few days back I learned, thanks to bumbling along in Wordle, that the corner masonry blocks are called quoins. Now they are everywhere in your pics. 😂
05-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger You learn something new everyday! Now I know it too 😀
05-09-2022Reageren
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Reiziger Adventure on Camino Francis
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- 7 sep 2022
- ⛅ 26 °C
- Hoogte: 470 m
- Spanje Navarra Pamplona Plaza Consejo 42.812496, -1.64410142°48’45” N 1°38’39” W
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Dag 8
Made it to Pamplona!
7 september 2022, Spanje ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Day 4 and 5 Pamplona - Had to make up for the easy day before - walked 32 kms from Bizkaretta to Pamplona - with some significant climbs and a serious descent! Luckily I ran into a woman who had done this route before and she knew where to find the elevator that takes you up to the walled city of Pamplona. Saved me about a hundred steps up 😀. Spent 2 days in Pamplona to recover from it!
Having listened to Hemingways book en route and to the vivid description of the 7 day bull festival I decided to check out the bull ring. They had a self guided tour with photos and videos of the whole process including the famous bull run. I’ve added a video of a small section of their show.Meer informatie
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Reiziger I like the path!!
07-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Amazing!! Really made up…
07-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger 20 miles! Wow, you rocked it! Enjoy the sights.
07-09-2022Reageren
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Reiziger Adventure on Camino Francis
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- 9 sep 2022 18:41
- ☀️ 24 °C
- Hoogte: 490 m
- Spanje Navarra Cirauqui 42.675751, -1.89226242°40’33” N 1°53’32” W
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Dag 10
Pamplona - Puenta La Reina & Cirauqui
9 september 2022, Spanje ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Day 6 and 7 in Uterga and Cirauqui - This was a beautiful hike. First a significant ascent to Perdón Peak walking along gigantic windmills overhead and then stopping to take pictures of the monument of the Santiago Way which depicts a group of pilgrims from different periods crossing the line of windmills. Very iconic. After a very steep and rocky descent (that almost killed my knees) stayed last night in a cute Albergue in the town of Urtega.
Left early this morning and had a much needed breakfast and coffee in Puenta La Reina. Admired the 13th century doorway of the Santiago church and crossed the Arga River over a beautiful Romanesque bridge to get to tonight’s Albergue in Cirauqui.
Cirauqui is a beautiful medieval village perched on top of a mountain. The path to Cirauqui goes through recently harvested grain fields, vineyards and several fig trees growing along the side. The albergue overlooks the Romanesque church at the top of the hill - just one more final climb for the day!Meer informatie
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Reiziger 🙌🏾
09-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Magnifica!
09-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger iOS tried to autocorrect “dogsbody” 😂. Not in the business of expanding vocabulary 🙄.
09-09-2022Reageren
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Reiziger Adventure on Camino Francis
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- 11 sep 2022 21:49
- ⛅ 28 °C
- Hoogte: 425 m
- Spanje Navarra Estella-Lizarra 42.670849, -2.02876542°40’15” N 2°1’44” W
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Dag 12
Estella
11 september 2022, Spanje ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Day 8 and 9 Estella - Arrived here, in Estella, yesterday via Lorca and Villatuerta - small towns with prominent churches. The walk was quite uneventful with the usual ups and downs through fields and of course laden fig trees, olive trees and grape vines.
Today I wandered around Estella and saw it’s beautiful old buildings. The tourist office is in a Baroque Palace and the town museum that houses the works of Gustavo de Maeztzu is in the former Romanesque palace of The Kings of Navarre. There were also two churches to see after climbing 100s of stairs - and being a Sunday, everything was only open from 11:30am - 2pm! Needless to say I had a busy afternoon!Meer informatie
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Reiziger Hope you slid DOWN the banister 😁
11-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger That’s a lot of steps!
11-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Beautiful!
11-09-2022Reageren
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Reiziger Adventure on Camino Francis
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- 13 sep 2022 15:53
- ⛅ 26 °C
- Hoogte: 500 m
- Spanje Navarra Sansol 42.55415, -2.26774242°33’15” N 2°16’4” W
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Dag 14
Villamayor de Monjardin and on to Sansol
13 september 2022, Spanje ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Day 10 Villamayor de Monjardin and Day 11 in Sansol - From Estella to Villamayor was a nice 11 mile walk past the Iratxe monastery, on the side of which is a popular fountain that dispenses water and/or red wine. I could only take a sip of this - too vinigery for my taste!
Villamayor is a small town and I stayed at a wonderful Albergue run by volunteers from various countries - a German, 2 Italians, 2 Dutch and 3 Americans. I stayed in a dorm with bunk beds with 2 Korean women, one Swedish girl and one Canadian man who snored all night! But the dinner was amazing! The volunteers set up tables on the terrace overlooking the Romanesque Church and distant vineyards. 21 pilgrims and 8 volunteers from about a dozen or more countries ate under a sky threatening to rain, along with the thunder and lightening! Managed to finish before the heavens opened up to pour out the much needed rain.
Soon after dinner we were invited to a meditation and prayer session. We came together in a low cavernous room set up with low sofas and cushions and dim lights. Mint tea was served. After some spiritual mumbo-jumbo and meditation we sat around and everyone recounted experiences on the Camino. It was very nice, peaceful and very, very friendly - a special Camino experience.Meer informatie
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Reiziger I was wondering about the photos… relieved that they are coming…
13-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger 😀
13-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger What’s going on with the knee?
13-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger My osteoarthritis acting up! It’s the extra weight of the backpack, so for a few days am having my bag transferred….
13-09-2022Reageren
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Reiziger Adventure on Camino Francis
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- 15 sep 2022 19:03
- ⛅ 23 °C
- Hoogte: 410 m
- Spanje La Rioja Logroño Teatro Bretón de los Herreros 42.465046, -2.44861242°27’54” N 2°26’55” W
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Dag 16
From Sansol to Logrona
15 september 2022, Spanje ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Day 12 and 13 in Logrono - The Albergue Palacio de Sansol turned out to be an amazing place. It was a 320 year old palace lovingly restored by the current owner, José Maria. His family had owned it in the early 1900s and then sold it. Jose bought it back for €30,000 in the 1990s and more recently spent a millón euros to restore it into a really charming albergue.
The pilgrim dinner was cooked by Jose and consisted of a watery soup of what looked like celery to me - but turned out to be artichoke stems. I was among the 5% that didn’t particularly like it (it needed some masala). Luckily there was a twenty-something sitting next to me who was starving and had my share - so was not wasted. This guy is an aspiring actor from LA - so we took a selfie I can show off one day.
The next morning, yesterday, I reluctantly left Sansol - I had such a nice room, I wanted to hang out - and made my way to Viana, the halfway point. That path, all 11 kms - was a complete knee buster - there were seriously steep climbs and descents all the way to Viana. At Viana I found I had caught up with all my dinner friends who had left at 6 am because there was a bull festival happening in town and they were hanging out waiting for it. I watched the fireworks and the procession with them but didn’t wait for the bull run because of the timing. I had another 10km to get to Logrono.
Logrono is a vibrant town. One neighborhood is devoted to tapas/pinchos bars and people hang around there snacking and drinking. Nobody eats dinner till 9 or 10pm. The town has a beautiful cathedral, Santa María de Palacio, and I got a much coveted stamp in my pilgrim passport - the lady at the tourist office said that it was hard to get.
Last night, as I sat outside with a glass of red Rioja, some of my Sansol friends showed up and we ended up having more wine along with some a amazing but weird tapas. Surprisingly the 2 glasses of wine didn’t give me a headache!
I spent 2 nights in Logorno. And btw, I’ve completed a hundred miles walking the Camino….Meer informatie
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Reiziger Congrats on 100! Love the photo descriptions—feel like I’m there with you.
15-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger 👍🏽
16-09-2022Reageren
Just what we’re having! We have cheeks and feet too! Miss you! [Juliet]
15-09-2022Reageren
Reiziger Haha, you certainly have some cheek!!
16-09-2022Reageren
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