Spring 2025 Camino | FindPenguins

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Spring 2025 Camino Traveler
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Los Arcos and Logroño
Apr 6–8 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
Still with the ups and downs! Yesterday, which was a good bit shorter than today, felt so hard! Maybe the cold moving into my chest contributed, but almost the whole day was a slog. I was sure at the end of the day yesterday that there was no way I was walking to Logroño, and would need to stop in Viana, which was annoying because that would have been only an 18K day but it was the only option before Logroño, a 28 K day. But! Got lots of sleep, felt better this morning, and it was no big thing! In fact the walk to Viana in particular was about as nice or nicer than any stretch so far, with lots of sun, a cool breeze, big vistas and a bigger Spanish sky.

Scored a bed in the municipal, (cheap, publicly run, don’t take reservations), and while the beds are packed in a little it had an ice cold fountain for foot soaking. So nice!!

Hung out this evening with Mike from Iowa, got to a grocery store and also visited the cathedral. These gold-packed Spanish churches! When I looked at the huge, ornate gold retablo (see photo) built around the simple image of a crucified Christ I thought “we humans are obviously crazy, and also so intensely passionate.”

Proud moment for me: saw a pun, in Spanish, on a French phrase and actually got it! Do you?

And!! Saw a sight I was hoping to see, right from the window by my bunk. A stork nesting in a bell tower. They were gone already when I walked in late September last time.Read more
TravelerThe Basques were avid fishers, and the conquest of Navarre was a pivotal point in their resistance--the explosion occluding the moon?-- to Spanish rule. Somewhat assisted by ai:)
4/7/25Reply
TravelerThose storks are enormous—and very persistent year to year in their best building. One of our hosts told us a story of a nest blown down on their street in a storm, and it smashed a Volkswagen on the street below. So glad you’re feeling better and enjoying the huge Spanish sky! Just avoid walking below a stork nest…😂
4/7/25Reply
Traveler Wow!
4/14/25Reply
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Spring 2025 Camino Traveler
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Much better day!
April 5 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
So, today was day 5 of walking and u feel like I’m getting some things sorted out. For one thing, I maybe don’t want to be off stage so much. The last couple of days it led to very solitary walks, and while I enjoyed them - while I enjoyed today’s walk, I do want to connect with some folks at least sometimes. So I pushed a little today, walked 27-28 km and caught up with my group. Or a lot of them anyway as we all seemed to congregate at the municipal here in Estella.

I recognized it as soon as I walked in, and when I opened up my WiFi to connect, I didn’t need to enter the password. It remembered me! Aww! It’s the little things :-)

So yes, I did stride right past a very well marked turn, almost first thing this morning, but it was a 20 minute delay, tops, and it yielded the photo of the big rapeseed field under that sky. I just wish that photo could capture the depth of silence I encountered there. So beautiful.

Then from the sublime to the best donut I have ever eaten, and I mean ever. The coffee was also amazing.

The bridge today makes those medieval ones look like youngsters -it’s Roman! And the picture of the rocky path I am pretty sure is remains of the Roman road.

Final update: despite here being almost no one around to see it, I put my sign out this afternoon! No chatting happened. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Went to Mass tonight, received a blessing along with two other pilgrims I attended with, which was nice. It was a good day!Read more
TravelerSo glad you had a better day. Such beautiful sights! It’s great that you broke out your sign! Also glad you are staying connected with other Pilgrims when you need that.
4/5/25Reply
TravelerLove the sign!
4/5/25Reply
TravelerLove the pics, the donut looked awesome, and your journal. It must be amazing.
4/6/25Reply
TravelerThanks Tim!
4/7/25Reply
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Spring 2025 Camino Traveler
Long day
April 4 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
I fell asleep last night with a scratchy throat and some congestion. It didn’t progress, just hovering around as a low key crud. Stopped at a farmacía and got some drugs.
Maybe the cold, or just more tired, but I forgot my poles at the albergue and had to go back for them, and also did a lot of extra wandering around Cezur Minor looking for a place to stop. Then tackled a big climb, and right down the other side to arrive here around 5:00. I was a straggler! I hate being a straggler. Much nicer to get in by 3:00, have more time to recoup, do laundry, and feel sorry for the poor stragglers as they stagger in.
Main clue that I bonked a little this afternoon was sitting at dinner, and all I wanted to say in response to the chatty lady with the nearly impenetrable accent who kept wanting to engage was “please stop speaking to me.” Bad pilgrim! I did not say that, of course.
I love all the Spanish windmills.
Metal sculpture is at the top of Alto del Perdón. Always SO windy up there and you can hear the windmills whirring away.
Not sure what Snow White and her band of groupies did to end incarcerated …
The two pilgrims with me are Kevin and Amy, who were at the albergue with me last night.
The in a couple photos of the fountains that liberally dot the Camino. It’s bridges, fountains and doors, people!
Walked on my own today and that was fine by me. May finally put my sign out tomorrow and see if there are any takers, unless this cold has me feeling too crappy.Read more
TravelerSorry to hear that you aren't feeling that great, Allison, and the indignity of straggling, too. I think you've been sensible in delaying the invitation to talk, since there's probably a degree of shock to wear off before people become their normal selves.
4/6/25Reply
TravelerLove your pictures. You look like you belong there! Hope you get feeling better.
4/11/25Reply
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Spring 2025 Camino Traveler
Off stage in Trinidad de Arreglar
April 3 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
You know you’re off-stage (the stops popularized in the major guidebooks) when you’re the only one at your albergue for hours, then think it’s going to be just you and a friendly young Brazilian guy, and then a couple hours later two more trickle in. High contrast from Roncesvalles!
It was a pretty easy, pleasant walk from Zubiri, in light rain the whole time. I walked a lot of the day with Pete, from Wales, then he, like the majority of pilgrims, went on to Pamplona.
I am checking off the historical thing staying here, but it’s quite…austere. Not exactly heated, which is not unusual in spring, and WiFi is available only in the entryway area, across the garden from the dorm area. And no microwave! And no electrical plug in the dorm so I’m perched in the kitchen writing this while my phone charges. In other words, I’m living the pilgrim life! No worries, there’s beer and snacks in the vending machine. All is well.
That Brazilian put me to shame, by the way. He started from Roncesvalles THIS MORNING! Said it was only 11:00 AM when he arrived in Zubiri so he decided to just keep going. Well!
The photos are of my albergue, the medieval bridge right next to it, my dorm, the attached also medieval chapel, the courtyard and the sign for the local town, where I found some lunch and snacks earlier today. Also a slug - for you, dad! And some beautiful European doors, of which there are so many! This American just gawks at it all.
And, last minute update - the heat has kicked in. I think I’ll have a beer.Read more
TravelerGraceful, old bridges and doors. Are the rivers running high or was the winter dry? I've seen a slug, too, and it was me.
4/3/25Reply
TravelerThe rivers look fairly high to me and there’s been a lot of rain recently. You are a poor excuse for a slug, I say.
4/4/25Reply
TravelerHow are the feet holding up?
4/3/25Reply
TravelerSo far so good! Legs are a little achy right now, but no blisters!
4/4/25Reply
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Spring 2025 Camino Traveler
Zubiri
April 2 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 11 °C
Similar to last time, today felt much easier than yesterday, with the exception of the long, rocky, rather treacherous descent into Zubiri. Apparently there is discussion of altering it to make the footing safer, but the geology is such that others do not want it messed with (see photos below.)
The bridge is how you enter Zubiri and it’s just as medieval as it looks.
I’m staying at a somewhat upscale private albergue (only 10 beds in my room!). They offered a dinner, which I took them up on. I’m always so torn! It’s a good chance to socialize, but also, it’s so much…socializing! At the end of a long day, and those dinners end up taking close to two hours. Hard on this introvert!
Almost everyone in my room is complaining about how cold it is. I am quietly thrilled that it’s cool after a very hot, stuffy night last night punctuated by a man tumbling as he tried to get out of his top bunk. It sounded quite dramatic but he assured us he was fine. I also had a top bunk, which is a challenge, but I negotiated it without mishap.
Tomorrow I will make my first change from last year, stopping before Pamplona. Honestly I like the small towns better, and I’ll be staying at one of the oldest continuously running albergues, in one of the most complete medieval monasteries on the Camino. Pictures tomorrow!Read more
TravelerAbsolutely beautiful, Allison! Excited to follow along :)
4/2/25Reply
TravelerGreat pics!
4/2/25Reply
TravelerA fall on that section could be nasty. Good that you got through it.
4/11/25Reply
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Spring 2025 Camino Traveler
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Roncesvalles
April 1 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
I’ve still got it! Despite being older and somewhat less fit than the first time I successfully crossed the Napoleon Pass and found my bed in Roncesvalles. And yes, if you’re wondering, my feet hurt like hell! But do not appear blistered. Success!
Today’s sunny, warm weather was in sharp contrast to the crazy storm that tried to blow us off the mountain last time. I could actually take in the beautiful views.
I also got to observe controlled burns in progress throughout the day, at one point up close. Got one foot in the black! If you ever fought wildfires you know what I’m talking about:-)
Dad, no slugs today, you’ll have to make due with a happy looking French snail. Kathy, you get a pic of cute French donkeys. You’re welcome!
Tomorrow’s big decision: do I unfurl my sign and see what happens? I’m feeling more nervous about it than I thought I would. May see how good or not I feel tomorrow…Read more
TravelerDonkeys!! Cute snail 🐌 Im sending love to your feet!
4/1/25Reply
TravelerMy feet thank you!!
4/1/25Reply
TravelerEscargot anyone?
4/1/25Reply
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Spring 2025 Camino Traveler
St Jean Pied de Port!
March 31 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
Today was a long travel day - two hour car ride, two flights, then a 90 minute shuttle. Tiring, but it all came together and the drive into SJPdP under a very blue sky and among newly green trees and steep Pyrenees very much set the stage for tomorrow.
The pilgrim dinner at my albergue was delicious and the owner was warm and very good at helping a bunch of new pilgrims warm to the experience. That said, I’m so ready to disengage from humans for a few hours, and I’m so looking forward to getting under way tomorrow!
Joseph, the hospitalero, asked each of us to give a book title length statement of our intention for this Camino, understanding it may well change and evolve. I said “Listen deeply, love well.” I know! SO cheesy! But it does summarize well my hopes for this pilgrimage, so I may as well put it out there.
The photos are of the Pilgrim Office, where you pick up your credencial (pilgrim passport) and some basic information, and a shell. The other is of a controlled burn I saw as we drove into town. Fuels management in the Pyrenees!Read more
TravelerInterested to see how your intention may or may not change as your journey evolves! Enjoy!
3/31/25Reply
TravelerLubna, so am I!
4/1/25Reply
TravelerFeeling the anticipation with you!
4/3/25Reply
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Spring 2025 Camino Traveler
Reconnecting
March 29 in England ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
I arrived in Great Britain yesterday, power-sleeping my way from Madrid to London, where I was picked up by David and Ollie, good friends Morgan’s and I made on our first Camino. It was so amazing to see them in person again. They fed me proper fish and chips and I had the best sleep last night, after an epic journey from Duluth to Chicago to Montreal to Madrid to Gatwick.
Today we went on a scenic walk at the Devil’s Punchbowl, and they took me out for a lovely creme tea. I have now had clotted cream and yes, it is all that.
The tree is a rather ancient Yew tree, by an old well and an old church, very iconic.
It’s been really nice too, to get to meet their respective partners, Irena and Millie especially after having heard all about them as we walked the Camino.
Tonight, and this does seem just a little unfair after having already done it at home AND still being jet lagged, the clocks will spring forward an hour. Which means it’s now midnight here, so I’m sending this report and then turning out the lights.Read more
TravelerGlad you made it safely and had such a warm welcome!
3/29/25Reply
TravelerGreetings from the mid-continental winter you escaped, with hail on Friday, a frozen sheet of ice everywhere yesterday, and six inches of snow last night. The critters are all fine.
3/30/25Reply
TravelerI’ve been wondering! Sunny and warm here in the UK…
3/30/25Reply
TravelerProbably closer to 9" by the end. Would your friends consider adopting a yank?
3/31/25Reply
TravelerCan’t rule it out!
4/1/25Reply
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Spring 2025 Camino Traveler
On my way!
March 27 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
So here I am, waiting to board in Duluth! This time I did NOT forget my Swiss Army knife in my backpack, so I will enjoy its company when I arrive in Spain. An early win! My sisters brought me here after a fortifying breakfast at Duluth Grill. Thanks ‘sters! An auspicious beginning!Read more
TravelerBon voyage! Quite the baguette!
4/2/25Reply
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Trip start
March 27, 2025