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Adventure on Camino FrancisAdventure on Camino Francis
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Adventure on Camino Francis

August - October 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. Read more
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  • 3countries
  • 48days
  • 452photos
  • 18videos
  • 7.6kkilometers
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  • TravelerAdventure on Camino Francis
    1521
    Day 18

    To Naverreta and Najera

    September 17, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Day 14 Naverreta and Day 15 Najera - Left fairly early from Logrono and reached Navarrete before noon. Didn’t enjoy the walk because I miscalculated and didn’t have coffee till I got to Navarrete. Needless to say, the day was a bit joyless. Sections of the trek were along a noisy road and I couldn’t listen to my book, so listened to and sang along Bollywood music instead!
    Today was fun, and I’ve stopped for the night in Najera - which turned out to be better than I expected after I crossed the River Najerilla. I’m staying in this old Albergue that is close to the Monastery of Santa María la Real that was consecrated in 1056. There’s a festival in town and loud music and bands everywhere. Hopefully I’ll get some sleep tonight.    Read more

  • TravelerAdventure on Camino Francis
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    Day 19

    Ciruena and Granon

    September 18, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Day 16 in Ciruena and Day 17 in Granon vía Santo Domingo de la Calzada - the all night party in Najera kept all the pilgrims awake. Luckily I could turn my deaf ear to it and get some sleep. The cafés that were supposed to open at 6:30 am did not (open) and we had to get our caffeine in Azofra which had crowds of pilgrims at all their cafes. I found my friend Annika from Switzerland (she told me that she had walked from Geneva to Santiago about 12 years ago). The entire walk to Ciruena yesterday was very pleasant. I had left fairly early and reached Ciruena, a quiet, sleepy village by 11 am. I had plenty of time to wander around - past the little church and have a glass of local red wine and soak in the atmosphere of this cute place. Dinner at the Albergue was communal and the owner had made a lentil stew with vegetables and sausage - it hit the spot!
    This morning I left Ciruena late. I didn’t want to disturb my young room mate so stayed in bed till 6:30 am. The owner provided fabulous hot coffee and a light breakfast. Reached Santo Domingo by 9:00am and everything was closed. They too had pulled an all night party - even the tourist office was closed. I found Santo Domingo to be somewhat elitist - some very important looking people were bustling around and a bunch of expensive looking cars were parked in the plaza. The Santi Domingo church is the first church I have come across that charges for visit. Couldn’t get in through the normal entrance - it was closed for the special event - but slipped in with some other people for a quick look.
    Continued on to Granon. It’s a small cute town with a church and central square. Had dinner in the one restaurant along with other pilgrims.    Read more

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  • TravelerAdventure on Camino Francis
    1211
    Day 22

    Belorado and Villafranca Montes de Oca

    September 21, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Day 18 in Belorado and Day 19 in Villafranca - in Granon I had stayed at a ‘Casa Rural’. These are private homes
    where the host rents out rooms with or without attached bathrooms. In this case I had a private room with an attached bathroom. The price was €50 which is expensive (😀) but it came with the free use of a washer, as well as morning coffee. While I prefer to stay in a private room I have found that it is fun to stay now and then in a shared room or even a dorm. This way you meet some interesting people and share a communal supper. A bed in a dorm can cost as little as €6 - and that is primarily in a municipal albergue where they don’t take reservations - and the early bird gets the worm - which is why some people leave the albergue at 6am or earlier. Last night in Belorado I got a bed in a private albergue. It cost €12. Initially I didn’t like it because there was no place to hang out washed clothes and no place to stretch and do my morning (minimal) warm up exercises. But I met a woman who had just moved from CT to VT, a young Korean woman and another American woman who had gone to a boarding school in Jaipur because her father had been a polo player. She wants to work for Babli at her ‘glamping’ farm - so I’ve introduced them via WhatsApp.
    The trek from Granon to Belorado was quite unremarkable. I’m now in the Burgos region and passed through a number of villages and they all had churches and center squares, but none of their cafeterias were open and I hardly saw anyone but pilgrims. Except in the town of Redecilla del Camino where a man was roasting peppers “pimiento morrón” and a group of people were removing the outer skin. These are canned and sold. When I say roasted I mean charred.
    Yesterday my knees were really hurting so I booked a room in Villafranca - just 12 kms away . This morning the people in my dorm left really early so I was able to stretch and warm up properly. Lo and behold my knees were fine today. I forgot to mention that I had met this guy, Steve, a couple of days ago from Austin, Texas. Turns out he is an ER doctor who grows his own turmeric and ginger. He gave me a few of his home made gelcaps of turmeric + pepper and told me to buy more in Burgos - an anti-inflammatory prescription for my knees! I’ve been having those tablets since yesterday - so perhaps that helped too.
    Villafranca is a very tiny village but has a few albergues, a casa rural and one fairly fancy hotel. I’m sitting at a bar that is frequented by truck drivers - there’s a bunch of trucks parked outside, I’m not sure how they maneuvered through the tiny streets. I wish I spoke Spanish and could talk to them. Next time!    Read more

  • TravelerAdventure on Camino Francis
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    Day 23

    Atapuerca

    September 22, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Day 20 - Atapuerca is the site of several limestone caves that contain the earliest evidence of humans in western Europe—fragments of a jawbone and teeth date to over a million years ago.
    I left Villafranca early-ish and my knees were feeling great. I was able to climb up through the thick Oak and Pine forests at a quick pace. Passed through a few beautiful towns and reached Atapuerca in the early afternoon. I bumped into a few pilgrims and spent a pleasant afternoon drinking red wine and eating olives - outside a ‘cantina’. Sitting there under the trees, I felt as though I was in a scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - remember when they are in Bolivia? There was nothing else to do. I had no wifi - I haven’t mentioned it, but I’ve had cell phone issues - apparently although I have enough data leftover (140gig), I am out of roaming on my French SIM. So for the last 5 days have had to rely on wifi. I’ll get a Spanish SIM in Burgos.
    Tomorrow - on to Burgos!!    Read more

  • TravelerAdventure on Camino Francis
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    Day 25

    Burgos!

    September 24, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Day 20 and 21 in Burgos - Arrived in Burgos at about 12 noon on a Friday. I had gotten a reservation for just one day at the Hotel Norte y Londres but begged the woman at check-in to find a way for me to stay here for 2 nights. She did and I was overjoyed! I loved Burgos from the get go. And the hotel, though simple and quite spartan, is right in the middle of the town center. I met up with friends for a fabulous vegan lunch and then headed over to the Cathedral with a friend.
    The Burgos Cathedral is the most stunningly beautiful cathedral I’ve ever seen. The massive structure is Spain’s oldest Gothic cathedral, the third largest in the country, and it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. Despite that and it’s stunning beauty, apparently it remains a ‘hidden jewel’ in Spain’s northern region.
    I took a zillion photos and have posted a few here.
    Apparently Burgos' most famous resident was El Cid. He helped in the reconquest of Spain from Moorish hands - remember the film? He was born in Burgos and there are many sites connected with his life. In the main square of the city stands this statue.
    One set of friends including Purvi and Steve left this morning but I ran into a few others that I had gotten to know and had a really nice dinner with them. One of them was heading back to the US and gave me her sleeping bag. I hadn’t gotten around to buying one - and it’s gotten cold very suddenly. I think I’ll need it!
    I’ve posted a lot of photos and will caption them in the next day or so. Tomorrow I’m planning to walk 20 miles.
    Hope I make it!!    Read more

  • TravelerAdventure on Camino Francis
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    Day 28

    Meseta Part - 1

    September 27, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Days 22 to 24 (Castellanos de Castro, Boadilla del Camino, Villalcazar de Sirga) - the Camino is classified into three sections. The first tests (and may break) your physical well being, the second the mental and the third your spiritual. I am now at the start of the second phase and I can attest to the first. My knees were problematic right through phase 1. I would start off ok every morning but then go into a shuffle where I had to use my arms and the hiking poles to take the weight off my knees by early afternoon. Luckily I decided that I had to do something to fix them - and I did. Most mornings I get up early and do some stretches, muscle flossing (google it) and squats. Gradually the knees have improved, better every day. The last three days I’ve been on the meseta and I’ve walked 30, 29 and 18.5 km respectively with some ease. Today I found 18.5 kms easy and reached my destination at 1pm - really surprised myself.
    Everyone says the meseta is boring and difficult to traverse. I have found it to be quite ok so far. Each day I’ve started off at a fast pace for the first third and then dropped off to a slower pace. For example this morning I set off with these two Aussie guys - pilgrims, and went 10kms to Fromista at a very brisk pace to see the amazing Church of Saint Martin of Tours in Fromista and then have a second breakfast at a lovely little cafe in the church square before continuing on slower. Tomorrow I am walking with a Korean gentleman who I met at the local grocery store in Villacalzar de Sirga. He too is going to walk the 32 kms to Terradillos. Hope I make it!!
    As you can see from the photos - the towns, the churches, the countryside are starting to look similar. Perhaps this is why people get bored on the meseta. I have a few more days of this and will tell you how I feel as the days go on. I think I just love to walk, and hope that feeling stays with me.
    More next time!    Read more

  • TravelerAdventure on Camino Francis
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    Day 31

    Meseta Part - 2

    September 30, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Days 25 to 27 (Terradillos de Los Templarios, El Burgo Ranero, Arcahueja) - well folks you will be happy to know that I’m at the end of the Meseta. I have 10 kms to Leon tomorrow morning - it’s the weekend and shops close early afternoon on a Saturday and then don’t reopen till Monday and I need to shop. I need to get some gloves, a warmer jacket and a headlamp for early morning. It’s gotten quite cold and sunrise is later and later - and will be more so after Leon.
    Yesterday I passed the halfway point to Santiago in Sahagun and received my halfway certificate. Today I completed 283 miles - it’s a total of 480 miles to Santiago - all on my two little feet! I do plan to continue on to Finisterre and Muxia which will add another 100 kms or so.
    You’ll also be happy to know that my knees are just fine now and I’ve been doing 18 - 20 miles per day for the last 6 days or so - hence the progress. I have never been happier! I think it’s the endorphins- they’ve really kicked in. I will slow down a bit after Leon so I can enjoy the scenery etc. I think 12 - 15 miles should be my limit.
    But what the recent speed has done is to catch up with several friends and I’m really happy about that. I’m supposed to be dining with 3 groups in Leon on Saturday. These include my Indian friend from Boston, the family from CA that gave me a sleeping bag, the Aussie guys that I walked with a couple of days ago, my young Korean friend that invited me to a chicken dinner at her Airbnb in Burgos and Tony from Tasmania who plans to have a Camino reunion at his home. Not sure how I’m going to handle this group in Leon. Although some of them know each other I may have to have dinner twice. Today I walked again with Peter, the Korean guy who I met in Villacalzar de Sirga a few days ago. He lives in Vegas. He’s doing the Camino for his daughter who died of COVID in the first wave, at the age of 33. I’m going to invite him to dinner with the some of the others.
    I never realized I’m so social, I really get along with all these people. But there have been times when I’ve distanced myself from people. Like the American couple that kept on with “honey this” and “honey that”. I had tacked on to them yesterday in the early morning because they had a headlamp. But he was so overly solicitous and worried that she would fall into a ditch when she was chatting with me that after a while when they bumped into a friend, I took off.
    I’ve been a bit lax about writing and posting daily because when I walk these long distances I average about 3 miles an hour plus stops for food, sights, photos, and just to rest my legs. Then when I get to an Albergue, I check in, shower, wash my clothes, plan and make reservations for the next day, chat with Sunil and anyone else from home that wants to chat and then hang out with other pilgrims and have a drink and then dinner. Sometimes I am in a dorm and share a room with folks that fall asleep at 8:30pm. At other times I don’t have a wifi connection. So it does get tough to upload photos and write something. However I have realized that I forget things very quickly and all these Spanish town and Albergue names merge into one another. It helps to have this blog to keep it straight. You may notice that I added the names of the towns I stayed in at the top of this blog and also the last one.
    Today I’m staying in a hotel in a Leon suburb. Since they cater to the general public and not just pilgrims their restaurant doesn’t open till 8:30 pm - and I’m starving! Anyway this has given me time to update you all. Next post from Leon!    Read more

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  • TravelerAdventure on Camino Francis
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    Day 33

    Leon

    October 2, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Days 28 and 29 - Leon. I can’t decide which town I like more - Burgos or Leon! There is a 7 day festival going on to celebrate the patron Saint of Leon. My hostel is right on the main street through town and all day there are parades going past my balcony and all night people are partying - loudly! I feel that the Spanish don’t care about money and work - they make sure they have fun, and I really like that about them.
    The cathedral in Leon is absolutely spectacular! From the outside it looks beautiful and on the inside it is breathtaking. There are stained glass windows all around at three levels. And what’s amazing is that from the outside the stained glass windows are not at all obvious.
    The other really nice experience was the Casa Botines designed by Antoni Gaudi in 1892. It now houses the Gaudi Casa Botines Museum - devoted to the architecture and construction of the Casa Boutines as well as some history around Gaudi and his works. I never realized what an architectural genius he was and how prolific.    Read more

  • TravelerAdventure on Camino Francis
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    Day 34

    Hospital de Orbigo

    October 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Day 30 - Walked 35 kms today from Leon to the town of Hospital de Orbigo. It was a brutal walk - almost all the way on the sidewalk along a highway. My knees were shot by the time I reached this place. It was a warm afternoon and I was out of water. At the outskirts of town I fell upon the water fountain. Aaaahhh!
    Being me, I signed up for a ‘free’ historical guided tour of Hospital de Orbigo . This very cute 20 something explained the story of the knight who had to charge with his lance and break 300 lances of challengers in order to win his lady love. This event was staged on the bridge leading into town.
    The town is very pretty and I stayed in a cute Albergue. I met a humanitarian nurse, Brenda, who walked to Astorga with me.    Read more

  • TravelerAdventure on Camino Francis
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    Day 36

    Astorga and Rabanal Del Camino

    October 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Day 31 in Astorga and Day 32 in Rabanal - it was a short walk to Astorga, 17 kms and then Rabanal, 20 kms. Astorga is a gem of a town. It’s a small town where locals of all ages gather in the town square to eat, drink and just generally hang out. I mostly sat in the square - plaza España and drank wine with Camino friends. I also visited the local cathedral which is quite imposing but doesn’t really compete with the cathedrals in Burgos and Leon.
    Today I arrived in Rabanal early afternoon. It is a beautiful town - everything is made of stone - house walls, the roads, fences etc. After lunch I went for a wonderful ‘deep tissue’ massage that totally relaxed me and relived the knee aches. In the evening I went to hear Gregorian chants in the local church and then a really good pilgrim dinner with friends. The next few days are supposed to be more challenging. Tomorrow there is a very steep descent in the last 10 kms - about 3,500’. My knees are going to take a beating.
    I could get used to this life - wake up early, pack my 5 things into my back pack, walk many kms, arrive and check into Albergue, shower, wash clothes, eat, drink wine, meet up with friends, sight see, and go to sleep. Repeat the next day.    Read more

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