• NjerdWalking
  • NjerdWalking

Chris’s Camino

Camino Francés April and May 2025 Leggi altro
  • More el Pajar de Oncina

    6 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Mona the dog got excited to see her friend come to the neighborhood

    The host made dinner for little old me. I’m the only one here. All my Camino pals are also miles away. Dinner was excellent. Bread, cheese, sausage, yummy blended veggie soup (I was also freezing so hot soup was extra special) salad, wine, main dish of egg/meat/veggies, and lemon yogurt type dessert. Hit the spot!Leggi altro

  • Leaving Oncina - blisters!!

    7 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Oh no - blisters! And ‘only’ 300km to go!

    So I have off-the-shelf orthotics from my podiatrist. It seems after a few hundred km on these, there is a circle at the heal that loses its structure. This leaves a ring with sharp edges under the surface. So basically it was like i was walking on a wedding ring without realizing it. So now I have a couple pressure-blisters. Booohooo. I fixed the orthotics with moleskin and tape. So not sure if maybe my heals will be ok. I have a shorter day and a rest day coming up.

    This happened to my last pair too. I thought this pair was different, since I could not feel the circle when they were new.

    Also in this footprint: noisy frogs! They croak differently here.
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  • San Justa de la Vega

    8 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Last night’s host, Pablo, told me about this place in the middle of nowhere that was very cool. It had a hippie vibe and you just leave however much money you wanted to, and they had a huge spread of food and places to sit / lay and some baby kitties too.Leggi altro

  • Leaving Órbigo - end of Meseta?

    9 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Leaving Hospital de Órbigo Albergue Verde, we soon came to small town of Villares de Órbigo which apparently has its own garlic festival in the summer. Friendly owner. Got a stamp sello for my pilgrims passport and he gave me stickers too.

    There were some very pretty fields and we had to go over a hill, and I’m wondering if maybe that was the end of what is known as the meseta. Many pilgrims do not like the Meseta, but they must be walking in the dry season. Because it’s awesome April and May IMO
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  • Astorga to Rabanal

    10 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    12.5 miles uphill in the rain today. i’m actually pretty happy my feet and legs and heart and lungs didn’t seem to complain too much for this walk. The weather report called for a chance of rain most of the day. The first hour was fine but then it started raining and it got really cold too. We had hours of sun and hours of rain.

    I walked for a bit with gentleman from Northern Italy, and a lady from France, both were asking me about the new American pope. Then I walked with Wayne from Sacramento area for quite a while.

    We were counting on the reverse jinx, that when Wayne would put on his rain pants that it should stop raining, but it didn’t work out. My Altus poncho worked great again. I was all nice and dry and warm, except my hands froze a little bit and my feet were soaking but all is good. The blisters are not a problem. Kind of gone already

    This Town, Rabanal del Camino, is very small and cute. I went to my first vespers at the tiny Catholic Church which is about 20 feet from my window. The church was built in the 12th century I believe. That was interesting. Lots of chanting in Latin by the monks and the congregation. Afterwards, Crystal From Kentucky and I grabbed a pretty tasty meal at the restaurant across the street.
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  • One Month! - Leaving Rabanal

    11 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    Can’t believe I’ve been doing this a whole month!

    Very cold breeze leaving Rabanal this morning. D’oh! I misplaced my gloves!!! 🧤 grabbed some toe socks and plastic donut-store-grabbin-gloves to keep my fingers dry and from freezing off. 40% chance of rain most of the day. Herd of cattle with large horns on the way out of town. Up up up.Leggi altro

  • Snow!

    11 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    300 meter gain up to Foncebadón, it rained much of that. I stopped for a bit for a coffee and date energy ball, they had a fire going. By the time I left, it had changed to snow. ❄️. For the next 3 hours, it was snowing. Got up to about 5000’ high. Snow was barely sticking to my poncho. Now 3000’ decent into molinaseca.

    While at the top, stopped at the Cruz de Ferro (iron cros) in the snow.
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  • Molinaseca

    11 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Longest walk yet for me. 17mi. Steep uphills and downhills the whole time. But my legs survived. After visiting the Cruz de Farrow which is at the top almost 5000 feet elevation, I tried to take the road most of the way down. At one point I went on the trail and then was cursing the muddy wet path that’s like walking in a drainage ditch. After that I took the road all the way down, which is not great, it is very narrow. But you can see traffic coming at least.

    Had super tasty Brazilian feijoada for dinner. Sadly, my gut is not happy with beans in Spain anymore.
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  • Short walk to Ponferada

    12 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Today was a very short walk only about 8 km. I wore my poncho because it was misting, never rained real hard.

    I have a hotel room to myself, it’s not in the best part of town, so I don’t think I will see any pilgrims around at dinner. All my friends have moved ahead for now. Maybe I’ll catch up with them tomorrow.Leggi altro

  • Cacabelos

    13 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    That’s fun to say! Check out this room! Siglo XIX is an awesome spot. Unfortunately their kitchen isn’t open, but I made do. Nice comfy bed. The church bell rings often and is right outside my skylight. Talked for a while with a nice old local Spanish guy at the bar here. He was very talkative and I caught maybe 20% of it.

    Oh, got stung by a bumble bee 🐝 today. Ouch! He must have hitchhiked onto my backpack into my room. Hurt like heck for a couple minutes, love how it went away after that.

    My cough syrup is working great, no coughing at night. With all my medication’s and earplugs and white noise, I didn’t hear the bells ring once last night. Slept very good. ◡̈
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  • Trabadelo

    14 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Made it to Casa Susi’s In Trabadelo. 300+ yr old house / stable converted to albergue by ausie pilgrim Susi several years ago. And Spanish architect husband helps run it. Reviews say she serves some tasty vegetarian food for dinner.Leggi altro

  • Herrerías

    15 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Short day of about 7mi today. In fact, arrived too early to check-in. So stalling with a bocadillo y cerveza. Their sandwiches are huge! But all bread. This is an extremely small village along a small stream. I have been following this river for a couple days and it keeps getting smaller as we climb elevation and pass tributaries. Can’t help but think of fishing with my pal Garrett on these rivers. I have not seen anyone fishing for weeks though.Leggi altro

  • Horse ride up to O Cebreiro

    16 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    The day called for an 1800’ elevation gain right off the bat. I don’t think I would have enjoyed that even if healthy. With my chest cold though, I needed help.

    Luckily, Victor is famous for his horse rides up to O Cebreiro. Victor walks the horses up as us 4 pilgrims enjoy the ride. The only skill involved is to keep the horse in the middle of the path so she isn’t tempted to stop and munch on the nice green weeds. I got the bony old mare. But she behaved well and only munched a few weeds.Leggi altro

  • To Triacastela

    17 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    After my ~8km horse rides, I had another ~21k to walk. Thankfully, no saddle soreness or leg issues. But this was a tough walk for me anyway. A few short very steep inclines. Then a descent that lasted too long! About 1800ft. My feet and legs were complaining, but all seems fine now. The views coming down into Galicia were beautiful.Leggi altro

  • Pintin

    17 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    About 7miles today, so shorter than normal. But my legs were very tired. Seemed to have many many steep descents. Some of the prettiest little valleys though. Also paths that were in shaded troughs with mossy sides.

    I am on the “main” trail. There is an alternate “through Samos” that did not work out due to my accommodations. Samos route is supposed to be really pretty. But this main route was very pretty. So not sure I “missed out” on much, besides a very cool monastery.
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  • Through Saria

    18 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Saria is where most people start the Camino Frances. I had heard things would really change here as it get much more crowded. That was very true! My unscientific analysis is there are 20 times (!) more people on the trail now, starting in Saria. I can base this on seeing 20x more people, often, than what I would see previously. Each major city has increased the numbers, but nothing like Saria.

    Here are some pics of walking from Pintin down into Saria and towards my stopping point, Morgade.
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  • 100km to go!!! - Leaving Morgade

    19 maggio 2025, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Pretty walk today. I left at about 8:30, so the only Saria crowds I saw were a few of the very fastest walkers. It was nice. And a pretty walk! Met a nice lady from Columbia. But then didn’t see her again.Leggi altro