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Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago
  • Ina Sinclair
  • Andrea Sinclair
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  • Ina Sinclair
  • Andrea Sinclair

Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago

following last year's Camino Baztan from Bayonne to Pamplona Read more
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  • Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago

    Made it to Cirueña

    September 22 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Sitting, what do you expect, in a bar next to my hostel Casa Victoria. Room with private bathroom - more and more important for me nowadays.
    When my alternative rejoined the official camino I immediately noticed the footsteps in the dusty track. (see photo). I was close to arriving except the camino went steadily up for ages and I started to flag. Had a last sitdown on one of those concrete benches in the shadow and made it.

    And instead of another siesta I tried to book tomorrows accommodation. Done. The following night great difficulties. Again the following night. What I had thought would be so easy is turning out very complicated. I keep having to change my stages.
    The last photo shows my last sitdown before Cirueña.    Read more

  • Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago

    Panoramic view on Alternative

    September 22 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Vast expanse of countryside, flatish with a few hills and in the distance in the north the real mountains of one of the series of Sierras which go in parallel with the north coast of Spain. Google will not tell me which is the one I see from here. It is not the cantabrican I know. I am further east and cannot remember.

    So I walked on this camino, easily, gradually gaining height until at last along a ridge for a long time until the ridge walk finished with this stunning panoramic view before dropping steeply and dangerously into the valley below. The track was so churned up by tractors that I went extremely slowly taking great care where and how to put my feet. So no photos!    Read more

  • Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago

    On alternative to Ciruña

    September 22 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Not on the main track any longer. This alternative may well be slightly longer. It is not marked, only marked on my app Mapy which guides me all along. Since it is not marked "publicly" nobody else goes this way. Wonderful solitude. However the purpose of reassuring my family (and myself) that by walking the Camino Francés I would never be quite alone is defeated if I take off alone on alternative routes. I have done this twice now and I really have to stick to my own rules.

    What intrigued me during this walk was the old and new irrigation systems. This is Rioja wine region. Winters everywhere. I had noticed black tubes (0/ ca. 15 cm) lying by the roadside. Then I noticed the old open air concrete conducts(?) and finally the modern tubes "surfacing" and connected to bright blue connections which I don't know the word of. I had the impression the two systems are still being used side by side.

    Comment on the last photo: no footprints in the dust!    Read more

  • Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago

    Final walkabout in Nájera

    September 21 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    So to finish the day with an evening walkabout which is becoming a habit. Churches, shops are shut until 5:30h mostly. And open until 8 pm (churches), or even 10 pm (super or mini markets).
    I am sitting in the old town centre having a bite to eat and a caña. Went to the church Santa Maria la Real which was a convent at one time. It was the burial of the kings of Navarra. Many tombs, lots of them were vandalised. The amazing discovery for me was the fact that this church is built partly into the sandstone hill next to this town. It doesn't come out in the photos.
    Off back "home" ....    Read more

  • Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago

    Day 11. Navarrete to Nájera

    September 21 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Up early, out late. During my sumptuous meal yesterday I slobbered oil on my "good" blouse and my bum bag which I never carry on my bum, but in front. So it had its share of the oil spill. I could not pack my pack last night because my things were wet and hence I left later than planned.
    This is my first pause after walking quite fast for 90 minutes. Have walked 6.5 km of a total of 16. Not bad....
    Arrived! 2 pm. Had a second complete pause, food and siesta, no pipi though. And lasted till here. Am sitting in the reception area of the hotel with nobody attending, two before me and two after me.
    So I deposited my pack within the reception and have come down for my beer.
    Question in connection with some of the photos: how come stones/bolders in this area, in the fields, along the camino are round? All of them, any size, pebbles and big bolders? Was this part of the world under water millions of years ago?    Read more

  • Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago

    Evening walkabout in Navarrete

    September 20 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Finished my day with a visit to Santa Maria de la Asunción. Right by the entrance St James as pilgrim. The church not overladen with imagery(?) except the high altar(?) which was huge and very golden - much like the church of Santiago in Logroño. Then I just took a few photographs on my way "home".Read more

  • Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago

    ...to Navarrete (cont'd)

    September 20 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Finding the camino again coming out of my hotel was easy. Soon the camino went separate from the road, in parallel with a cycling track. Trees all along and it went on for miles, well, for a long time, until it reached an artificial lake which seems to be the centre of a web of rambling walks in this nature reserve one of which is the Camino.
    Almost at the top there was an excellent resting point with a view. So I stopped and just then Marie-Claude came through on my mobile (I had tried to catch her earlier without success).
    We talked for more than an hour which did me a world of good and was quite funny. When I first arrived in this spot there was nobody in sight. And once I had started talking to Marie-Claude there was a never ending stream of pilgrims coming up to where I was in my conversation with Marie-Claude - Buen camino - Buen camino - Buen camino. Our whole conversation interspersed with "Buen camino". So in the end Marie-Claude said Buen Camino too and people were surprised to hear it coming out of my phone!
    Only very few kms to go after this and here I am, sitting on the terrace of a restaurant having a real meal - had my shower, my siesta, a huge mixed salad and a lovely caña!
    Will book my hotel for the day after tomorrow - have to stay two days ahead of myself with my bookings.
    So far I am coping with my heavy pack, but I have picked up the info about luggage carriers just in case. I have the impression the heavy weight strengthens my back muscles....    Read more

  • Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago

    Day 10. Logroño to Navarrete

    September 20 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    This is Sunday and yesterday I forgot to buy food for today. And when checking in I had also declined breakfast - normally too late in the morning. But at this time of the year daylight does not start before 7:30h. I had also forgotten to get the daily stamp in my pilgrim's credential.
    After a sleepless night worrying how I would make it to Navarrete (only 12 km) on an empty stomach - there is nothing between Logroño and Navarrete, not even a food truck - here I am at breakfast in my hotel. Saved!!!
    Will go up now to start walking in a quarter of an hour.
    Photos about walking out of Logroño.    Read more

  • Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago

    Day 9 Viana to Logroño

    September 19 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Andrea has left. I then left an hour later going down at a spanking pace the shady side of the which Vianahillat sits on. After 20 minutes the sun hit me and I realised I had left my sunhat at the hotel. So back up the steep hillside to recover my hat. After that no more problems. Had two sitdown stops and then into Logroño without any problem, arriving at 1 pm.
    There is a huge fiesta going on. Various festivities over several days. Saint Matthew's day is the 21st September - San Mateo.
    Could not get into my room until 3 pm. Siesta and a long sit on a roadside terrace watching the world go by - such a crowd, so much noise. Another nap and finally I thought of trying a little walkabout and ended up in the Church of Santiago. After I had been sitting there for a while mass started, so I stayed, received a pilgrims' blessing, had a beer in one of the bars next to the hotel and here I am in bed at last much later than I intended.    Read more

  • Camino Frances from Pamplona to Santiago

    Shortcut up steep hill to Sansol

    September 18 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Uphill together with Bev (Canadian). We had overtaken her once - loud talk with the Brazilians - as she was walking steadily, but not to fast, by herself. So when I was coming up to her again after she had overtaken us I started talking to her and so we continued together to the next bar. She is walking alone to Sarria where her daughter will join her for the final 100 kms. Like me with Andrea. Only she is having her luggage transported all along, so she can walk with only a small daypack whereas I am carrying 11 kg on my back all day long.
    Any time of course I can call on such a service for one day or more. This is very reassuring for me. And we have just decided that during the last week with the family when the stages are slightly longer I will use a luggage transfer service.    Read more