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Camino de Santiago
  • Marilyn Mosicki
  • Marilyn Mosicki

Camino de Santiago

A dream to be realized Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 7, 2022
  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    To Orisson

    September 9, 2022 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    I started in St Jean Pied de Port, France and ended my day in Orisson. 8 km hike up the beautiful Pyrenees mountains. Today was not for the faint of heart; a challenge for even seasoned hikers, so I’m told. Breathtaking views. Arrived by noon so able to rest for the day. Every day from now on will be far longer. The photo of the mountains in the far distance is what faced me this morning. Raining and fog enhanced the challenge. But I did it!!!Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler
    2

    To Burgete

    September 10, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    To Burgete. A beautiful sunrise greeted me this morning in Orisson. I left the Albergue at 7:45 am for day two of climbing the Pyrenees. I hiked about 19 km; 70-75% was uphill… again!! I finally reached the summit of 1429m elevation. St Jean, where I started the trail, is 166m. That shows how much I had to climb in two days!! Although it’s awfully difficult going up for such long distances, and carrying a pack weighing 12-15 pounds, I was blessed with amazingly gorgeous landscapes again today. I was able to visit the statue of the Virgin Mary. What a magnificent view she has! Temperature reached about 30°C. Another blessed day!Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    To Zubiri

    September 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    To Zubiri
    Today was a bit more pleasant. I managed
    17 km again and it was more level with some ascent and descent.
    1/2 or 2/3 of the way was paths within the forest so much better than the direct sun. And it was beautiful. My body is holding up really well. Just my toes get sore. When we arrived in Zubiri we walked over a bridge entering the town, so once we were checked into our Albergue we went to soak our burning, aching feet in the creek. It was wonderful!! Hot shower at the end of the day feels real good for muscle overuse, but can’t even describe how good the cold water felt on the feet! Our path is marked to show the way. We follow either a clam-shell type picture or a yellow or blue arrow. And sometimes they are not very distinguishable. I have taken a wrong turn a few times and luckily backtracked before I was too far. Included is a picture that shows how subtle signs can be; two of them in the photo. Sometimes they are more obvious than others, so we sure have to keep alert.Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler
    2

    Day 4 - To Pamplona

    September 12, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    Day 4 - To Pamplona
    Just as I arrived in Zubiri via a bridge yesterday, I left town on the same bridge. This bridge is called “Rabies Bridge”. An old tradition has it that if a dog was walked 3 times over the bridge it was believed to be protected from rabies. Legend from the 15th century says that builders dug into the rock to place a pillar and found a woman’s embalmed body. Santa Quiteria, patron saint against rabies. “When she was being transported to Pamplona to be buried, her body miraculously refused to budge from this spot, so her processional assumed it was a sign that she wished to be buried along the pilgrim road” (Camino De Santiago village to village guide, 2022).
    Today was a very difficult day! I hiked 20.6 km in 36°C searing heat. There was pockets of shade here and there, but not a lot. My water warmed up quickly in my pack. I had to rest far more often today, especially while walking in the direct sun. I became fatigued very easily. I was nauseous and constantly felt over-exerted, at one point thinking I wasn’t going to be able to make it to my destination of Pamplona. We have had a few people drop already, this early, from heat overexertion. So I was actually a little concerned. But I went very slow and tried my best to keep water in me, although it made me even more nauseous. I also tried to take a few bites of food now and then. And I took advantage of resting in the shade whenever I could find some. I went past a creek and the temptation to jump in was almost overwhelming! Not a lot of pictures today; I had to focus on myself. And by God’s grace, I did it!! Presently I’m in Pamplona. I have decided to take a rest day, tour the city, and regroup for tomorrow’s hike. So I’m here for 2 nights.    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 5 - Rest day in Pamplona

    September 13, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Day 5 - Rest day in Pamplona
    Today I had a rest day. Or so I thought. But I ended up walking 10 to 12 km throughout the day. I visited a beautiful church! A famous Catholic in Pamplona called “Catedral de Santa María la Real de Pamplona”. So beautiful, as Catholic churches are! I also shopped for a bag to send some of my overpacking to Santiago to wait for me. It was a nice break.Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler
    2

    Day 6 - To Puente la Reina

    September 14, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Day 6 -To Puente la Reina - 24.1 km 28°C
    Today was a lot of uphill again, and sunny. But it was really quite windy so kept the day tolerable. Pleasant….other than bucking the wind. Hard enough without that.
    People on the trail are absolutely amazing!Everyone cares about everyone else and always ready to help. Like one gigantic family from all over the world. I’ve heard this before, and have discovered it to be true.
    I fell yesterday. Nothing serious. A knee abrasion. I guess I lost my focus on the path which was very rocky, and down I went. About 5 people pounced on me to help. One from Scotland, at least 2 from Switzerland, and possibly the other 2 as well. They helped me up (a feat in and of itself with the heavy pack), handed me wipes to clean my knee, and kept offering any help at all. When I convinced them I was fine, as they were leaving one man said “we are all here to help each other!” Later in the day I saw them further along the path and, after asking how I was, one of the guys said “we’re keeping an eye on you”. Lol. So special!
    Beautiful views as always. A lot of farmland. A bunch of metal statues in honor of pilgrims. On yeah, and an interesting vending machine; only on the Camino!!
    Another blessed day!    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 7 - To Estella

    September 15, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Day 7 - To Estella
    22 km; 25°C
    My guidebook offers a difficulty rating for each stretch of the path. Today was rated at 2/3.
    Puente La Reina was a beautiful quaint little town, a typical European village. I love the old buildings!
    Along the way to Estella I came upon this restful place of tranquility, in the middle of nowhere. Free snacks and refreshments (hopefully a donation offered). A place to exchange things no longer needed…..clothing, books, etc. A sign with a sobering thought as I left. Still 676 km to go!
    I happened upon a
    “Trail Angel” providing water, wine and snacks at no change. Bless the angels! Then finally arrived in Estella!    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler
    2

    Day 8 - To Los Arcos

    September 16, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Day 8 - To Los Arcos
    21.6 km; Temp 21-22°C;
    Difficulty rating 2/3.
    A sidenote, if you click on the map at the top of my trip and then zoom in you will see each stop I make.

    This morning only 3 km out of Estella was an amazing wine fountain!
    “Bodegas Irache”. I am well into the wine vineyards now, and I went through more beautiful forest paths today. Notice the yellow arrow on the tree, guiding our way. A church atop a mountain has me wondering why it was built there and how many people actually attend. I was lucky enough to hear the bell ringing from such a vast distance.
    The intense walking every day makes me thankful for my water being so accessible; that I don’t have to search/reach for it. Alas I arrived in Los Arcos. It was so quiet!! I guess it was still siesta time. But the guard dog was on duty. There was a really amazing church in Los Arcos where I hoped to attend. But there was no mass yesterday. So I lit candles.    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 9 - To Viana

    September 17, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Day 9 - To Viana (Saturday)
    18.4 km; 24°C
    Difficulty – 2/3
    Such a beautiful sunrise as I left Los Arcos this morning! I divided the trip to Logrono into two days. I wasn’t quite ready to do a 27.5 km day yet. So I stayed at Viana.
    I came upon an interesting site. I don’t know who made it (I assume Pilgrims), why it was done, or what it means. But it’s very interesting that pilgrims would take the time to do it. I’m sure it’s continually added to. Many beautiful views of vineyards today! I came across a bullfighting (bull and matador) courtyard on my way out. It would have been interesting to have caught that event. Very Spanish! And yet another gorgeous cathedral. Pretty much every village, no matter how big or small, has a huge gorgeous historic Catholic Cathedral. I wish I could get into all of them. Especially to light a candle. But most aren’t open when I go through.    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 10 - To Logroño

    September 18, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Day 10 - To Logroño
    (pr. Lo-gro-nyo) (Sunday)
    10 km; Difficulty 2/3.

    So today I made it the rest of the way…from Viana to Logroño. It was a short walk and I arrived at 1030 am, just in time for mass in the gorgeous cathedral…in Spanish 😞 But at least I went.
    The “wine festival”, a Mardi Gras of sorts, started in Logroño yesterday and will last for a week. So many people, and so much chaos! I was actually glad to leave.
    A couple from Idaho and I were sitting waiting for a restaurant to open for dinner and we met some people from Logrono who spoke English. After some visiting they decided to invite us and cook dinner for us. So wonderful!    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler
    Navarrete1

    Day 11 - To Navarrete

    September 19, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Day 11 - To Navarrete (Monday)
    13 km; Difficulty 2/3

    Walking these days is a bit tougher than usual. I’m battling a cold which wears me out. My right lower leg, just below my knee, is sore. I think I’m developing a tendinitis.

    Today I walked past a fence that was decorated with hundreds of handmade crosses. It went on for kms. Quite obviously done by pilgrims over likely a long time.
    A landmark in Spain is the ruins of the “San Juan de Acre Hospital”. It was founded in 1185 and it was intended to be a hostel and provide aid to pilgrims. The floor plan was created in the shape of a cross.
    This cow on top of the hill was entering Navarrete. One would think they could get something better to represent them, LOL.
    Beautiful church again and Navarrete! They are everywhere; artistic wonders!    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler
    2

    Day 12 - To Najera

    September 20, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Day 12 - To Najera
    (pr. Nahera)
    17 kms; Difficulty 2/3

    The vineyards are just so awesome and the grapes are amazing! Walking by them everyday, how can you avoid such a temptation? Well, you can’t! Many pilgrims snitch them for a treat as they walk by. You wouldn’t believe how delicious and sweet the grapes are! Vine well-ripened and ready for making wine.
    I came upon a poem written for Peregrinos. Unfortunately it is in Spanish but I will translate it when I can!    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 13 - To Santo Domingo

    September 21, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Day 13 - To Santo Domingo
    (Wednesday)
    21 kms; Difficulty 1/3

    There was such a beautiful, geologically spectacular backdrop to Najera which I took note of on my way out of town this morning. A friend actually had this view close out her window.

    I just love the sunrises. They never disappoint! And such a big sky. Thank love it!

    To the beautiful mountains of northern Spain…….is this the day we say goodbye? Or will we meet again around some bend or over some hill? If so, I will look forward to it. If not, then perhaps again one day. Until then, stay as magnificent as you are!

    We are guided on the trail by many different means. Some are particularly unorthodox! (i.e. arrows on the ground made of stones).

    My right leg bothered me a lot for the first half of today. I discovered that if I stopped and stood with no weight on it, it would
    temporarily feel better. Then I could go for a few hundred metres before having to stop again. That went on for hours. It REALLY slowed me down! But I will do anything to avoid aggravating it further. Some people with similar problems are grounded and have to find a place to rest their injury for days. That is NOT in my plans. But then it’s not up to me. The Camino rules me now.
    My leg felt quite a bit better in the afternoon for some reason. So this afternoon I kept walking and walking until I reached Santo Domingo.
    It wasn’t until I arrived there that I realized I had walked for the last 15 km without a break. Not even stopping to sit down. Not the smartest thing I have done, and I won’t do it again, but I just kept watching for a rest stop and nothing appeared.
    It does indicate my fitness level is improving.

    And here are some beautiful churches. I love going in these cathedrals. They’re so beautiful with all the gold and colours.    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 14 - To Belorado

    September 22, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Day 14 - To Belorado (Thursday)

    It was unusual to see someone wearing a John Deere cap, so I had to take a picture.

    Just can’t get enough of those cathedrals! Church of San Juan Bautista in Granon on the way to Belorado, built between 15th and 18th centuries!

    Who would have thought farmland could be so beautiful. But then my frame of reference is the flat prairies Alberta. All the crops had been harvested already except sunflowers (not sure what all they grow but they do grow wheat and barley). And it’s time to harvest that shortly. It is used for sunflower oil and sunflower seeds. Pilgrims having fun again making faces on the sunflowers 😂

    Iglesia de Santa Maria church in Belorado, built in 16th century.    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 15 - To Ages

    September 23, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Day 15 - To Ages
    (pr. Ahes)
    28 kms; Difficulty 2/3

    Today was not a really nice day on the trail. It was uninteresting.
    28 km is a long way to walk at the best of times, with interesting landscapes for a distraction. I spent pretty much the whole day walking on gravel roads, like service roads, with bush on both sides. Pesky flies were constantly pestering me. There were no servicios for a 12 km stretch of the trail, yet one must continue drinking. I’m sure many people dipped into the bush, including me. But I was probably the only one that got bitten or stung by something on the back of my arm!!! And it hurt like hell….for a long time!! Don’t know what it was, but hope it wasn’t anything bad!

    Interesting looking sunrise with the clouds!
    The church in a particular town had an amazing backdrop!
    Photo of a monument of those that died in that community during Spanish Civil War.
    I have a couple pictures of part of the trail. You can see how the trail was essentially buried in the bush. The second one gives a closer-up look at how steep the other side of the valley was.
    A beautiful fern, three different colours showing three different stages of growth.
    This church was at a place called “San Juan de Ortega” on the way to Ages. It is named “Iglesia de San Juan de Ortega” after Juan Velasquez who is considered patron saint of innkeepers and also the saint of fertility. The church is home to his tomb.    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler
    2

    Day 16 - To Burgos

    September 24, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Day 17 -To Burgos
    23 kms; Difficulty 1/3

    It was a cooler day with misty rain throughout my walk. I am in desperate need of more clothes because I have one pair of pants and the only long sleeve shirt I had I inadvertently left at one of the previous Albergues! And it’s getting cold in the mornings. I’m looking forward to getting to Burgos. In fact I am planning to spend an extra day there to tour some highlights and buy a few clothes.

    Enroute to Burgos I passed a small town called Atapuerca, famous for its archeological site.
    It became a world heritage site by UNESCO on November 30, 2000. This is where greater than 90% of prehistoric humanoid artefacts in all of Europe were found, including a new species identified as “homo antecessor”(dated .77 to 2.5 million years ago) and the last common ancestor of modern humans and Neanderthals. They were thought to have been cannibalistic.

    I had to laugh at what was written on this arrow sign. Some pilgrims have quite a sense of humour!

    The path was particularly difficult in spots today. With lack of concentration it was a recipe for twisting/spraining an ankle or falling and worse!

    I am wondering if anyone can guess what this road sign means!    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 17 - Day in Burgos

    September 25, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Day 17 - Day in Burgos

    I was looking so forward to shopping in Burgos. But much to my dismay and bad timing, today is Sunday and ALL the stores are closed!!! So there will be no shopping which is really unfortunate!

    Today the day started with a confusing and discouraging morning. I looked forward to the day off the trail, yet I was itching to get back walking. I felt lonely and isolated. If I said the Camino Trail does not involve soul-searching, I would be telling a lie!

    But my day improved, thankfully. I moved to another hotel which was closer to the Cathedral and Museum. I was fortunate to be able to tour the Museum of Human Evolution which was amazing!! It contains so much interesting information about evolution and archeological finds, some from the nearby village of Atapuerca which I mentioned yesterday. I have included a few pictures. I won’t bore you with all the things I found interesting, but these pictures are particularly interesting. I recommend you take a minute to read them.
    I then toured the cathedral, which was beyond belief!!! I took a million pictures and here is just a taste. Of course pictures never do justice to something so beautiful!    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 18 - To Hornillos

    September 26, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    Day 18 - To Hornillos
    (pr. Horneos)
    21 kms; Difficulty 2/3

    Today was a VERY interesting day.

    I travelled through a small village and saw a little church that I decided to stop at. There was a nun there who gave everyone a miraculous medal around their neck, put her hands on our shoulders and said a prayer. I don’t know what it was about that little church, but many people became quite emotional when inside. This nun was from the St. Vincent de Paul order who are committed to serving the poor. She told us the story of how she became a nun.
    Many years ago, on this one particular day, she was in Paris with friends. She got separated from them and got lost. She saw a “shrine” and went in, prayed, and asked herself what she should do with her life. She heard a voice tell her that she should join the St. Vincent de Paul order. And so she did. That was 40 years ago! And she has been serving ever since.

    A couple days ago I was phoning around looking for a place to stay at Hornillos. At one hotel I talked to a man named Samuel. He told me if I couldn’t find a place to call him back and he would see what he could do. So I called him back. He set me up at a place about 10 km out of town called El Molino, his parent’s place which is usually closed down but they were willing to open it up for desperate pilgrims. When I got into town I went to see Samuel and he called someone to come and pick me up. By then there was several others that had joined the group to go out there. While I was waiting for the ride I saw a picture on his wall about the movie “The Way” and he proceeded to tell me this story:
    In 2003 Martin Sheen, and Emilio‘s son Taylor did the Camino Trail. I read that they did it by car, I guess because they only had two weeks.
    It turned out that they stayed at El Molino. Taylor and Samuel's sister met, fell in love and eventually got married.
    In 2009 they all went back to Spain for Taylor‘s wedding and stayed to shoot the movie. Samuel told me they shot scenes of the movie at El Molino and a man by the name of Maxi, who was also in the movie, is still at El Molino. So I was anxious to get there and check it out.
    El Molino is a BIG beautiful place that kind of reminds me of the plantation homes in the southern states. I can tell it was an active Albergue at one time, still beautiful, but becoming rundown. Samuel‘s parents live in Burgos and I guess they have Maxi looking after it. I took many pictures and when I have the chance I will watch the movie again to see if I can recognize any parts of El Molino!
    Photo of Samuel and you’ll see a picture of the movie on the wall. If you zoom in you will see it signed by Martin Sheen in 2011.
    You can see Maxi in the bottom left corner of the last picture.    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler
    1

    Day 19 - To Castrojeriz

    September 27, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Day 19 - To Castrojeriz
    (pr. Castro-heriz)
    20 km; Difficulty 2/3

    Some mornings I have to drag my butt onto the trail, and some mornings I'm good to go. Today was the latter. Despite having a poor sleep because I was cold, dehydrated, and had a headache, I had energy. It was foggy this morning. Enough to make my hair and scarf wet. But it still made for a beautiful sunrise. I had never heard of a “fog bow“ until today. It’s like a rainbow but with fog.

    It stays dark later in the mornings, and is colder. It’s often around 5° to 7°C and I do not have warm clothes…. as I previously mentioned! I’m still moping about it! Since I missed shopping in Burgos, every village I stay at I hope to be able to buy some clothes, but no luck. Most villages are far too small. Some as few as 60 people…..or less.

    A couple photos of a mini church off to the side of the path where pilgrims can enter to pray if they want to while on the trail.

    A different kind of candle than I usually light. Mine is at the 11 o’clock position from the little green candle! 🕯

    Ruins of the San Anton convent (order of Saint Anthony) just before arriving at Castrojeriz. San Anton is the patron saint of animals and people bring their pets to be blessed on his saint’s day.

    PS. The next blog “To Fromista” somehow accidentally uploaded without being finished. It is complete now.    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 21 - To Carrion

    September 29, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Day 21 - To Carrion

    Today is the day I bought some warm clothes! Yay!! But, first things first…..

    I was just a couple kilometres out of Carrion and I saw this formidable looking cloud. I hurried the best I could. But it got me! 🌧

    I stayed in a lovely convent, of course run by Nuns. After meeting a friend for dinner I went to mass and met a few more nuns.

    Walking the trail every day, town after town, one hotel/Albergue after another, it all seems to blend together. The time passes so quickly. What I thought happened this morning was actually yesterday, and what I thought happened yesterday was actually two or three days ago!!
    By the time we arrive in our town each day, all I really have time for is checking into my room, having a rest, finding dinner, shower, talking to home, and then to bed. So if anything extra comes up, one of those are sacrificed.
    As a result I’m going to take some pressure off and skip ahead with my blogs and TRY to stay current. I will backfill and upload these missed days, with information and pictures, as I have time.    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 22 - To Ledigos

    September 30, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Day 22 - To Ledigos

    Today I have a shorter day, and tomorrow will be shorter yet. That’s because I’m trying to take it a bit easier on my leg and it Is directly affected by where I can find accommodations.
    My leg bothered me quite a bit again today. I actually use my walking poles as a kind of crutches when it bothers me too much. It’s strange
    Because it’ll be just fine and then randomly and suddenly start to hurt. And then it can stop just a suddenly. Tonight I used ice and babied it. So we’ll see what tomorrow brings.    Read more

  • Marilyn MosickiCamino de SantiagoTraveler

    Day 23 - To Sahagun

    October 1, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Day 23 - To Sahagun
    17 kms; Difficulty 1/3

    Had a shorter day today, only 17 km. Started in Ledigos and ended in Sahagún. Tomorrow will be shorter yet. Trying to take it easy on my leg and it’s also dependent on where I can find a place to stay. That determines how far I will walk each day.
    This morning had a very interesting sunrise reflecting on the jet streams.
    The first town I came to was Terradillos. It was a sleepy town. At 8:30 in the morning I didn’t see a single soul except for a few of us pilgrims. The town has a different feel. Old concrete buildings instead of brick. Wide cement streets rather than cobblestone.
    A church from the 13th century belonged to the Knights Templar who were a “Catholic military order responsible for protecting Christian pilgrims”. Knights Templar was formed in 1119 and was headquartered on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The order was popular and successful for about 200 years. The grand master was arrested in 1307 which happened to be Friday the 13th, possibly what started the superstition about the date. He was burned at the stake, and it is uncertain whether it was because of wrongdoing or simply political. The order was subsequently disgraced and disbanded.
    Next I came upon Moratinos which had old bodegas (wine cellars) in the side of a hill, dating back about 500 years ago! Not used as bodegas anymore, but sometimes used to store food like cheeses.    Read more

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