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My Camino de Santiago

A 62-day adventure by Olddustyboots.com Read more
  • Trip start
    October 2, 2022

    And we're off!

    October 4, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    After years of planning, wishing and training, I can't believe that I'm finally in Saint Jean Pied de Port, France with Edith Podruzny, at the beginning of my Camino Frances de Santiago. 800 kilometres of walking through northern Spain on my way to Santiago de Compostela. I'm nervous, excited and in a surreal state. I can't believe it's really happening. Pinch me!Read more

  • Day 1 - SJPP to Orisson

    October 5, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Today and tomorrow are very steep inclinations as we walk up and over the Pyrenees mountains. It's like we're in another world, having traveled back through time into the middle ages. Our only belongings are in our backpacks and our needs become very simple, food, water and shelter. It's brutally hot and our muscles complain as we climb to our first albergue at Orisson, France. Edith really struggled and wanted to quit already, but my training paid off.Read more

  • The Community at Orisson

    October 5, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    It was lovely to relax on the patio at Orisson. The albergue was almost full tonight and during our community supper, we all took turns introducing ourselves by announcing our names, our home country and why we were here. We met people from Japan, European countries and the US. Several people said an angel appeared in my water glass which was a comforting thought. The Camino is famous for unexplained happenings, so angel? or light reflection?Read more

  • Day 2 - Orisson to Roncesvalles

    October 6, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Despite being up early, Edith and I were 45 minutes behind all the other Orisson pilgrims in getting on the trail. I suspected that Edith was very tired and sore from the day before and she found every reason possible to delay our start. Finally, I just started walking and she slowly followed
    But, the day was wonderful. As I climbed the Pyrenees, I heard the tinkle of bells on the collars of cows, sheep and horses grazing on these hills. Fog made the trail magical and spooky and we had to check the markers to make sure we were going the right way.
    Even way up here, the Spanish police showed up to make sure us pilgrims were safe.
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  • Roncesvalles, Spain

    October 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today was a long day of walking through these mountains. I'm so glad I broke the trip from SJPP to Roncesvalles in to two days. Some people walk the 26 km stretch in one day, but that would not have allowed time to stop and enjoy the sights and sounds of the world.
    We could see the monastery from miles nestled down in a valley surrounded by evergreen forests. Arriving at this monastery, where I had pre-booked our albergue bed and meals, we joined the long line to register. This albergue can hold 300 pilgrims at a time and meal times are assigned.
    The dorm was noisy tonight so my sleep wasn't as good. Also, Edith was not very gracious towards some French ladies, which bothered me. But I loved the experience of being here.
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  • Pilgrims' Mass, Roncesvalles, Spain

    October 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    After dinner in Roncesvalles, all guests were invited to a Pilgrim's Mass in this small church that was decorated with German stained glass windows made in 1944. The Spanish Catholic service included reading a list of countries of origin and numbers of pilgrims registered that day. Edith and I were the only Canadians in the ledger today. Then a special prayer was made for good health and protection of all pilgrims on their journey.
    The service brought strong emotions to the forefront. It felt nice to be given a blessing by strangers that cared for us even though they'll never see us again.
    Afterward, the priest invited us down into the crypt below the altar. This domed shaped room was decorated with stars on the ceiling and amazing frescoes and stone carvings. When one pilgrim sang "Amazing Grace", the acoustics brought tears to my eyes. As her voice rose and echoed around me, it was like a choir of angels singing from on High.
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  • Day 3 - Rural Navarre

    Oct 7–12, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Now we've become a trio of pilgrims. Michaela, a woman from Berlin Germany, has joined us for our walk. I stopped to pose at the ionic Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela sign with its 790 kilometres marking. How am I going to walk all that way?
    Our route today winds through beechwood forests, over creeks and past missed covered fountains and rock walls. Everywhere is lush and green and beautiful to see
    We passed through small villages and got to know some of our fellow pilgrims as we passed grazing cattle. Christian and Jenny from Texas were filming their Camino to post on their site. It seemed like they were going to try to make money from their pilgrimage, which was not my cup of tea, but their story was interesting.
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  • Zubiri, Spain

    October 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We spent the night in an albergue in Zubiri and were in a room that could accommodate 20 people. Bunk beds surrounded the room with one shower/ bathroom. Michaela, Edith, Christian, Jenny and I shared the room with an older couple from Hawaii, and two Spanish men.
    Supper was at a nearby restaurant and Edith, Michaela , Jenny, Christian and I enjoyed the fresh salad so much that they even brought us extra.
    The Hawaiian couple seemed to be griping at each other and the Spanish guys came in after 1 a.m. pretty tipsy and noisy.
    Over cafe con leche the next morning, we talked about renting a private pension so we could have more quiet and better sleep. Hopefully that will help as it's hard to walk long distances when I'm over tired.
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  • Zubiri countryside

    October 8, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Our walks start early and after an hour or two, we stop for breakfast. Mid morning makes for a great snack time and as we head towards Pamplona today, we stopped at this cafe on the edge of a bridge and river. A sandwich, coke Zero and a bathroom make this cafe perfect. Overhanging the river was a huge fig tree. Pilgrims were picking and eating the fruit, but then announced that they weren't quite ripe yet.Read more

  • Pamplona, Spain

    October 8, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We arrived in Pamplona on Saturday and quickly learned that the alberques fill up the weekends. We had to send Michaela, our fastest walker, ahead to secure us beds in a German run place. We planned to stay two nights in this city, but we could only get one night at this spot. Our host was friendly, the bunk beds were clean, but my friend's snoring was hard to sleep through.
    But here we are in the city famous for the running of the bulls and Ernest Hemingway.
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  • Pamplona sights

    October 8, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Because tomorrow is a day off from walking, we walked around Pamplona visiting the main square and San Saturnino church. Spain has so many beautiful churches and this one had a teaching chapel across the alley from the main building. We attended a Pilgrim's Mass in the small chapel which was wonderful.
    We also had tapas in Cafe Iryna which was Ernest Hemingway's favourite pub in Pamplona. In fact, Michaela, Edith and I went through this ornate door into a smaller bar area where a bronze statue of Hemingway stands. We took pictures next to him and then Michaela said we should leave.
    When we got back to the main pub room, Michaela, who understood Spanish, explained that we e had walked into a movie in the middle of being filmed when we were standing next to Hemingway. We laughed so hard!
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  • Churros and Paella

    October 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    This morning we had to leave our German albergue to stay at the municipal one closer to downtown. As we approached the street for our hostel, an older man wearing an apron stopped us to ask if we were pilgrims. Upon finding we were exactly that, he invited us to follow him. So we did, with some trepidation mind you, and he led us to a bakery that had a huge line of customers queued up way down the street.
    He brought us through the line, behind the counter and into the medieval kitchen where wood fires were blazing. He was the owner of this establishment that has been making churros for over 200 years and his kitchen was full of bustling men using a large hose to feed churros dough into large vats of hot oil. Long wooden tongs were used to turn the long coil of dough and finally to lay the churros on a tray where they were chopped into segments.
    Our benefactor served us hot delicious churros straight from the tray. Heaven!
    We later learned that he only opens his shop Sunday mornings until all the churros sell, which is quickly judging by the line of customers. What an honour to be his guests!
    Later, we had tortilla Navarro for lunch and paella for supper in the square near city Hall, all famous dishes in this part of Spain.
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  • Running of the Bulls

    October 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Pamplona is famous for the "Running of the Bulls" where people run in front of a herd of loose bulls. Luckily there were no live bulls wandering the streets when we were there, but there's a magnificent statue showing the event. Close by is a high fashion shopping area and a delicious ice cream shop.Read more

    Trip end
    December 2, 2022