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Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
  • Grace SHANNON
  • Chris Shannon
  • Grace SHANNON
  • Chris Shannon

Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025

A 50-day adventure by Grace & Chris Read more
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  • Trip start
    June 19, 2025
    Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025

    Chris's Pack

    June 18, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Here's a traditional photo of my entire pack and contents prior to departing for the Camino. All was good until I went to fold the walking sticks and one broke. One more trip to REI but at least it was better now than on the trail. Not shown are the clothes I'll be wearing the first day which adds one light hoodie, shirt, pants, briefs, socks, and shoes.Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025

    Camino Frances Route

    June 18, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We fly from San Francisco to Paris and then take trains to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. We will be walking to Santiago de Compostela. It will take 42 days with five of those being rest days. It's 772 kilometers (479 miles), so about 21 km (13 miles) per day.Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025

    Travel hiccups

    June 19, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    The bad: our plane had mechanical problems and we’ve been hanging out waiting for a new one. The delay meant that we’ll miss our train to St. Jean and our tickets were non refundable.

    The good: they found a new plane for us and we’ll hopefully get to board soon. Double bonus: our train got cancelled because of the heatwave in Paris which means we’re able to reschedule our train trip for free. Now all we have to do is book new train tickets to St. Jean….Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025

    Bonus Paris visit

    June 20, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Our delayed flight meant that we had about 6 bonus hours to spend in Paris until our rescheduled train trip to St. Jean via Bayonne. We put out a call for recommendations on social media and Jeremy and Tina hooked us up for fun things to do in the 5* arrondissement. We got ice cream, walked by the Seine, had beer at a sidewalk cafe and had the most amazing French meal. Now, we’re hanging out at Garre d’Austerlitz, praying that our train actually comes and picks us up. (The last 2 trains were cancelled due to high heat.)Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
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    More Paris photos

    June 20, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Jeremy's recommendation of Comme Chai Tai was a winner. The food and wine were wonderful. Ice cream from Berthillon was tasty but melting fast in the heat as we sat by the Seine. We couldn't get tickets to anything but still enjoyed walking around in the sun, seeing the sights from the outside, and resetting our internal clocks. Our evening train was late but did arrive.Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
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    SJPDP

    June 21, 2025 in France ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    A restless 2nd night, this time in train seats that didn't recline, brought us to Bayonne. From there, a bus for a cancelled train finally brought us to SJPDP, a shower, and a bed. We kept our nap short so as to fight off the jet lag and took in the city. We started with a great lunch at Le Kawa and then walked around the Citadel--now a school--and city walls until the pilgrims' office opened at 2 pm where we received our first stamp in our credentials. After that we lounged on the patio of our lodging before going to a 7pm mass in French and Basque. The day ended with dinner at a restaurant along the river.Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
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    3Bluecrown passionflower1Our lunch on the trail.11

    Auberge Borda

    June 22, 2025 in France ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We started with an easier day of only 8.5 kilometers (5.3 miles) which took us up 800 of the 1400 meters (4,600 feet) we will ascend on this first mountain pass. We stopped in Orisson for delicious food not found on other hiking trails I've been on and bought a bottle of wine to drink later. Then we went on to Borda for tonight's auberge. The fog denied us great views but also kept the sun from beating down on us. Like most auberges it didn't open until the afternoon so we hung out with the cat and our fellow peregrinos. One had walked all the way from Antwerp. Tomorrow we will walk 18 km, finishing the climb and then a steep descent into Roncesvalles.Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025

    Grace’s Day 1 reflections

    June 22, 2025 in France ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Chris already gave a good overview of the food, hiking, and history we’ve experienced, so I’ll share my more internal experiences.

    So far, the walking has been difficult but very do-able. There were a couple of very steep miles today that required me to go slow and take lots of breaks, but it was never super miserable. I don’t think I’ll be terribly sore tomorrow.

    I’ve been looking at the book I made with everyone’s words of encouragement and prayer intentions, and have been holding everyone in my prayers. Yesterday, we saw lots of calla lilies growing around SJPP which reminded me of my maternal grandparents (Grandma Dorothy and Grandpa Ray) so I lit my candle at the Church in SJPP for them. Today, on the toughest part of my climb I thought of the words my friend Patty sent with me “May your steps be a prayer…in hard times, may your sweat and tears be a blessing.” During that same time, we saw lots of butterflies and I thought of my teaching partner, Silvia, who wrote that I should think of her good wishes every time I saw a butterfly (we studied butterflies as our final science unit with the kids this year), so I spent that time praying for Silvia and our TK kids.

    On the last kilometer, a passing van left the strong smell of bleach in its wake and that triggered a sense memory of hanging out in my Grandma Ruth’s kitchen so I spent some time praying for her and Grandpa Warren and I felt them walking with me.

    The albergue is full with 13 or 14 pilgrims and I think Chris and I are the only Americans. I just had a lovely long chat with Pia from Sweden about the new Pope, MAGA Christians, and Sweden’s newest wave of immigrants. Looking forward to dinner in a bit. Our innkeeper is a retired chef, and it smells amazing!    Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
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    Bienvenido a España!

    June 23, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We walked 18 KM today, about twice as far as yesterday. About half our walk today was uphill but it was not so steep as yesterday. The weather was mostly sunny and mild. In the morning, the sun kept peaking through the clouds in such a way that mini rainbows kept appearing on the ground right off the trail. I think it’s the closest I’ve come to finding the rainbow’s end.

    Between the magical views and the fact that the climb — while challenging at times — was significantly easier than yesterday, we felt like we were in a fairy tale.

    We had our morning snack at a food truck run by a local shepherd/rancher. He says that he makes his living caring for sheep and peregrinos.

    About 4 km from Roncesvalles, I sent Chris on ahead so I could spend more time soaking in the view (and so I could get my RDA of alone time.)

    We’re currently hanging out a bar, drinking beer and Aquarius (a delightful electrolyte drink that tastes like a love child between Gatorade and Orangina)..

    Next on the agenda:
    Shower and change, explore the town a bit, dinner and then Pilgrims Mass at 8.

    We hope to be on the road by 6 AM tomorrow since the temps will be in the low 90s tomorrow afternoon.    Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
    1The anti-climactic entrance to Spain.11Outside of the church where we attended mass.32

    Route Napoleon and Roncesvalles

    June 23, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Just a few pics of sights along the Napoleon Route over the Pyrenees and Roncesvalles.

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
    We met Khatya from Estonia at Borda. Yesterday was her birthday so we took her out to dInner.
    The obligatory beginning of the day picture. Here you can see the sunrise behind us.

    Camino Day 3: Roncesvalles to Zuibri

    June 24, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Today we walked almost 24 KM (just over 15 miles) in just under 8 hours. We started our walk just before 6 AM when it was cool and absolutely beautiful. It was over 80° by 10 AM and by the time we we were in the hardest part of a very steep descent at the end of the day, Chris’ Personal thermometer read 96° on the exposed rock of the path.

    Walking in the heat was hard – – very hard – – but we had plenty of snacks and drinks (including some incredible sheep’s milk cheese we’d bought from the Basque shepherd in the Pyrenees yesterday) and rested in the shade as needed.

    I’m too tired to write much more so I’ll have to let my pictures and Chris do more of the talking. The Camino is every bit as challenging as we’ve been led to believe, but our 18 months of training is serving us very well. The Camino is also every bit as wonderful as I’d hoped!    Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
    Iglesia de Santiago. It was closed last night, but open this morning.
    There have been fountains of potable water every 5-10 km.Breakfast!1The top word is in Basque.112There are many of these memorials for people along the Camino.21Tortilla!2Puente de la Rabia

    Camino Day 3

    June 24, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    We had planned on getting breakfast in Burguete, but the promised place was closed. We did find an open bar with a talkative barkeep who made us cafes con leche and explained the likely reason for the closure. They were in the middle of a multiple day festival for San Juan Baptista that starts each night with cookouts from 8-12pm. Then the bars are open for free drinks from midnight to 4am. Then there are after parties from 4am to 8am. The bars are open all day during the festival. He had slept three hours in three days.

    In Espinal we were able to get breakfast and share a table with a woman from Kentucky. We would later return her lost hat to her.

    Guidebook said 21 km from Roncesvalles to Zubiri . AllTrails said 22.5. Our watches said 23.25. Not a huge difference unless you're 21 km in and hungry. We had our sheep cheese from the Pyrenees and a croissant to hold us over fortunately. The walk was not extremely hard, but not easy with a few ascents and some parts of the trail being broken up slate. There was a food truck 3.5 km from Zubiri that we probably should have stopped at.

    In Zubiri, even though we were into siesta time, we did find a bar open with good tortillas, Aquarius, and beer. In Spain tortillas are similar to potato quiches.

    Now we're resting with our feet in the water before a 7pm peregrino dinner.    Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
    121This bar owner definitely know his peregrino clientele.1Iglesia de San Esteban in Zabaldika.Goodnight Grace. See you tomorrow.41Balise2Albergue de La Trinidad de Arre. Another 900 year old bridge, church, and albergue.Magdalena bridge from the 14th century.5Crossing the most into Pamplona12

    Camino Day 4 - Zubiri to Pamplona for 1

    June 25, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    When we began planning this adventure, we promised each other to walk our own Camino. In Zabaldika, Grace was moved by the Iglesia de San Esteban and the sisters who maintain it. She decided to stay the night in the albergue and catch up with me in the morning. I continued the 8-9 km to Pamplona through a mix of butterfly-filled fields and then the city itself. I'm spending the evening researching the bars around Plaza del Castillo and their various pintxos (aka pinchos, and then tapas as we move westward in Spain).

    Spaniards are either pathological liars or forever optimistic. Every day we have been told that the next day is easy, and it isn't. Today started with several ascents up rolling hills but was easy once we reached the river about 4 km in. The thunderstorm last night that dropped temperatures by about 10 degrees today also helped.    Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
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    1My home for the night. The special room that the albergue reserved for “las roncas” (snorers)2

    From Iglesia San Esteban to Pamplona

    June 25, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    As Chris mentioned, I spent last night at the parochial albergue associated with San Esteban church. I was just too wiped out from the long journey into Zubiri in the heat to go any farther.

    Chris and I’d talked about my taking a taxi into Pamplona, but then San Esteban was so beautiful and Sister Mari Ascunción kindly suggested that I should stay the night in their community hostel. When I explained that I’d shipped my baggage ahead because I use a CPAP for my snoring, S. Mari Ascunción said, “Oh, that’s no problem! We have a special room for snorers.” How could I refuse?

    While Chris was making his beautiful — if hot — descent into Pamplona, I spent the rest of the afternoon settling into the special room that the albergue reserved for “las roncas” (snorers) and napping in the shade of the 13th Century church that stole my heart.

    While Chris was doing his pinxtos field research, I had dinner with 5 other pilgrims and the two volunteer hospitaleros (inn keepers) who spend 2 weeks a year cooking and cleaning and caring for pilgrims as a way of giving thanks for the impact the Camino has had on their lives. Most of my fellow peregrinas and both of the sisters spoke English, but the hospiteleros only spoke Spanish so I got some serious practice in.

    We ended the evening with some prayer, reflection, and sharing in the church’s intimate atrium, halfway up to the bell tower.

    This morning, I woke up before five and was on my way to Pamplona before 6. The walk that had been too hot and too hard yesterday, was refreshing this morning (until I tried to take a shortcut to the hotel and added a couple of uphill kilometers of backtracking to my walk.)

    Today has been a true rest day. We’ve done a tiny bit of sightseeing, but spent several hours this afternoon enjoying the hotel air conditioning and the most comfortable bed we’ve had since leaving home last week.

    We’ve spent the last couple of hours enjoying the delights of Pamplona’s bar and pinxtos culture. We’d love to linger more, but the alarm clock’s ringing at 4:30 tomorrow. We want to make the Alto de Perdón before it gets too hot. It’s supposed to top out in the mid-90’s tomorrow. I intend to stop walking around noon even if it means taking a taxi. Chris intends to walk all the way to our next stop, Obanos.
    Ultreia y Sustreia!    Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
    11Catedral Metropolitana de Santa María la Real de PamplonaCatedral Metropolitana de Santa María la Real de Pamplona2Catedral Metropolitana de Santa María la Real de PamplonaCatedral Metropolitana de Santa María la Real de Pamplona2Catedral Metropolitana de Santa María la Real de Pamplona2Catedral Metropolitana de Santa María la Real de PamplonaCatedral Metropolitana de Santa María la Real de Pamplona21Café Iruña1Café Iruña1Fast, tasty bar food. American bar owners pay attention!1

    Camino Day 5 - Pamplona

    June 25, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Hard to believe we've only been traveling for a week and only 76 km on the Camino. Planes, trains, buses, and trails. Hotels and albergues. More bars than churches.

    Grace made it to Pamplona about 8:30 am, which gave us the whole day. We grabbed some coffee, bocadillos (breakfast sandwiches), and pastries before heading to the Catedral Metropolitana de Santa María la Real de Pamplona.

    After that, a quick stop by a farmacia and then ice cream before siesta in our air conditioned room during this heat wave. We made travel arrangements for the next five days which will include four 24 km days. We decided to give up our "rest" day and will instead do day 4 and 5 as shorter walking days when temperatures are predicted to be near 100 degrees.

    Today we had what seems to be the obligatory wasted hour fixing things when the credit card stops working a week into our travels even though credit card companies say travel notifications aren't done anymore. Definitely bring a backup credit card or two when traveling; my tutor suggested at least a Visa and MC as some places don't take Visa.

    Pamplona is a wonderful city to which we will have to return for at least a week someday. It's always alive and welcoming.    Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
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    Pamplona to Obanos

    June 27, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    I know Chris is working on a rundown of today’s sights, so I’ll just share a few thoughts:

    — Starting to ur walk a little before sunrise was key. We were halfway done with our walk — and completely finished with the difficult climb and tricky descent from the Alto de Perdón before 11.

    — We saw the iconic pilgrim monument on top of the Alto de Perdón. It was awfully cool. What I didn’t expect was that there’s _also_ a monument to 19 people who were disappeared during the coup that started the Franco era. I found that more moving, honestly especially given what’s going on at home.

    —I have an easier time pushing myself when the humidity is low.

    — On the Camino, you don’t get a sign unless you’re on the right track. Since the Camino is a metaphor for life, I’m trying to figure out how that little bit of wisdom will help. …still not sure, but I spent the better part of the day thinking of all of the times I waited for a sign to make a change.…

    —Being able to think about and pray for the people on my “blessing book page of the day” really helps on the tough climbs and the last hot KMs of the day…but not on tough descents when all I can focus on is not breaking my ankle.

    —The Church of Mary Eunate was worth the 3KM detour on a sunbaked road. I loved how the Mary on the altarpiece looked so kindly, and the octagonal design was cool to see.

    —Chris takes more pictures than I do because he’s got to do something with himself while his pokey puppy of a wife inches her way along the trail….

    — in tiny Spanish towns, no place is open for dinner until 7:30 or 8, but there’s always a bar when you can get beer, Aquarius and olives.    Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025

    Deep thoughts

    June 27, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    I don't have any at this moment, but I can feel them scratching at my mind's door. Grace has squeezed some into our daily recaps, but I can see that is hard to do. I've written a few not-so-deep thoughts in the comments of photos but those are harder to see. I plan on continuing the daily recaps but might just share other random thoughts separately to keep the recaps at least a little bit streamlined.Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
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    Rose of the Camino, a hybrid released in 2012Café con leche and cream-filled croissantSan Andres Eliza - San Andres ChurchMonumento al Peregrino (Monument to the Pilgrim)1A memorial to 92 people killed by Francos in 1936-1937.More skree and BIG steps1Chapel of Santa María de Eunatechapel of Santa María de EunateIglesia de San Juan Bautista in ObanosStaff, water gourd, and scallop shell symbolic of pilgrims.

    Day 6 - Pamplona to Obanos

    June 27, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We were on the Camino by 5:30am after a cup from the hostal coffee machine and enjoyed the cool morning hours as the kilometers flew by. At 8am, we were enjoying a real café con leche with a cream filled flaky croissant. And shortly after 9am we had gone 14 km and reached our highest point for the day, Alto del Perdón, while the temperature was still below 70. I do not seeing us having breakfast in our departure city anytime soon.

    We descended and took a side trip a few kilometers to the chapel of Santa María de Eunate, a 12th century church restored last century.

    From there it was only a couple kilometers to our albergue, but now it was 95. Fortunately it's a bit less humid on this side so we survived.

    Finding dinner in the small town has been a challenge as things are not matching up to what we could find on the internet and both local taxis were busy. The sign on one restaurant door said it opens at 7:30. If that fails we'll return to today's bar that starts dinner at 8:30.

    If you want to see our actual walking path on AllTrails, it's a pretty cool function. Someone let me know if the link works.

    French Way: Pamplona - Puente La Reina
    https://api-v5.alltrails.com/explore/recording/…    Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
    Puente La Reina by sunrise.113231

    Camino Day 7 — Obanos to Estella

    June 28, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    I told Chris that I would do the more fact filled update so he could gather his thoughts for a reflection, but here we are at bedtime with a 4:00
    alarm set. We hope to finish our 20’KM walk while the temps are “only” in the 90’s. It will be over 100 in the late afternoon tomorrow. Hopefully, we’ll be napping or drinking cervezas y Aquarius (the drinks of Camino champions!)

    Here are the barebones facts:
    We started in Obanos at 5:00 AM
    We finished in Estella a little after 2 PM

    We had to walk almost 10 km (3 hours) before we found an open bar for coffee. The bar we thought would be open at the 6 km mark was closed when we got there. Reader, I cried just a little. Fortunately, we had Aquarius, some “energy cookies,” and an orange to tide us over.

    We caught up with a bunch of other pilgrims at the first open bar and played “leapfrog” with them all day. Having lots of interesting people to talk with helped keep our (my) spirits up when the heat and a little bit of sleep/coffee deprivation almost did me in.

    The humidity was lower so we were able to keep cool by soaking our hat, arms and necks in cool water.

    We visited 3 churches and only two bars. We went to Mass tonight since we’ll be walking all day tomorrow. We thought we were going to a Pilgrims Mass where the preaching would connect to the pilgrim experience, but instead it was a funeral Mass for a woman named Marisol, a grandmother of 89 years who sounds like a lovely woman (from what I could gather with my poor Spanish ) . Rest in Peace, Marisol.    Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
    Leaving Estella
    11No free wine for us. We were walking by before they turn them on.Monasterio de Iratxe11This protects a spring and creates a well.Finally Los Arcos comes into view2Place your bets now. Did we hit the bar or the church first?2

    Camino Day 8 - Estella to Los Arcos

    June 29, 2025 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Another early start to beat the heat had us on the road about 5:15am. We came across an open forge/shop with some cool things and Grace picked up a necklace.

    There was a bar open for breakfast about 8 km in where we also picked up a sandwich for lunch since we knew there was nothing available until our destination in another 14 km. The last 11 km had little shade and no water and was like walking the exposed fire trails back home.

    Even with the early start it was 99 degrees as we entered our destination.
    We found an open bar and enjoyed a pizza, raddlers, and Aquarius while meeting some new peregrinos and reconnecting with others. One of them spent last night in a field because he decided to check out a castle off the route and didn't make it back to a town in time. The whole story is much more interesting but would have to be a separate post.

    Tomorrow is a similar routine, but none of the groceries in this small town are open on Sunday so we'll have to get by on our snack reserves tomorrow until we get to our breakfast destination. Hopefully we can get a liter of Aquarius there and some take-away sandwiches for another long trek without bars or stores.

    AllTrails fly-over of our day
    French Way: Estella - Torres del Río
    https://api-v5.alltrails.com/explore/recording/…    Read more

  • Grace & Chris’ Camino 2025
    Iglesia del Santo SepulcroIglesia del Santo SepulcroFountain outside the graveyardErmita del PoyoErmita del PoyoErmita del PoyoErmita del PoyoVianaIglesia de Santa María de VianaIglesia de Santa María de VianaIglesia de Santa María de Viana

    Camino Day 9 - Los Arcos to Viana

    June 30, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    While it was another scorcher, we planned well and enjoyed our day. We started at 6 am from Los Arcos to beat the heat. We planned for breakfast in Torres del Rio at 8 am and then seeing the church when it opened at 9am. We were only going to Viana so could still beat the heat for the long section after that.

    The trail was much more interesting than yesterday and we enjoyed the walk despite the heat which again neared 100 as we finished. We rolled into town and each enjoyed a bath before stopping by the farmacia for blister care. After that we found some fellow peregrinos at a bar and enjoyed some wine and conversation.

    We were able to see the church before mass and it was quite beautiful. Grace stayed for mass but I returned to the hotel to write this and relax.

    AllTrails fly over: French Way: Torres del Rio - Logroño
    https://api-v5.alltrails.com/explore/recording/…    Read more

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