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Camino Frances & Europe
  • Lisa Fleming
Currently traveling
Aug 2024 – Aug 2025

Camino Frances & Europe

An open-ended adventure by Lisa Read more
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    Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
    1211

    Sarria to Portomarin

    Oct 14–15, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Yesterday we past the 100km threshold so not far to go now. It was Monday yesterday & we were joined by many school groups of young people Ed’s age walking out of Sarria. Soo different. Many people on the path and in the cafes. Was nice to see Ed quietly observing. Last night Ed was sitting outside our albergue on his phone for ages, which is in incredible location over looking the river, kids were going down to the river & breaking bottles 😊. teens similar the world over. We are no longer in the high mountains but still a bit of up & down walking and lush green farming country. Yesterday we saw a dog and an old farmer asleep in the sun on the side of a field having siesta. It seemed intrusive to take a photo. I’m tired and even though not far to go the km’s feel heavy. We have been on the road for 6 weeks, will be 7 by the time we finish, this is longer than most people. I’m feeling a bit on my own carrying both our discomforts and negotiating our different preferences & not having familiar faces with us & path friends. Last night we stayed in quite comfortable place but they gave us 2 separate top bunks. I nearly cried & a young man with bottom bunk next to us noticed and offered to go in a top bunk so we could share a bunk. I was so grateful, one that he noticed & also to be able to sort our stuff together and not have to climb up and down. It’s hard organising all our stuff, harder from top bunk when we are not together. Then I had a chat with a Swedish woman & i saw her again at breakfast so that felt good. She could see how much effort it is to be with a teen who doesn’t see me. I had a good sleep & we have short day today thankfully. Only 17km to eirexe. We have couple of over 20km days this week then I planned a short day into Santiago as walking into cities can be long and hard with the traffic etc.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
    11112

    Filoval to Sarria

    Oct 12–14, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Hola, we have at last arrived in Sarria which feels like the beginning of the end. Just one week to go now. This is the place where many pilgrims start and do the 100km to Santiago & get the Compostella certificate. I have mixed feelings as we near the end. We are having a rest day today in our first private room with our own bathroom & actual towels. It feels incredible luxury. The sun is shining in the window, we will do washing & have clean dry clothes. The previous night was worst albergue of the trip. I came in drenched & cold and stayed that way. My trousers were still not quite dry in the morning. The night before that I thought I was in heaven perched on top of a mountain with friends & warm fire and incredible beauty. There were also cows and farming. I find that I’m soothed by the fertile lush land where the villages seem to be prosperous. The weather changes quickly. I couldn’t see out the window this morning so much cloud and now it’s beautiful sunny. Goes from rain to sun too. The days have been so full. Walking is slower in the rain and getting dry and clean takes time and energy. That is part of the beauty of it, walk, find a place to sleep, wash, eat. Repeat.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe

    Leon to Villar de Mazariffe

    Oct 2–3, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Quiet rainy day. We spent the morning in Leon and only walked in the afternoon. I wanted to get some souvenirs from Leon and then Ed & I went out for 2nd breakfast & had a little explore before we left. We loved Leon so much we lingered there. Had lovely morning but it was tough wet windy afternoon. I didn’t arrive until after 6 and Ed after 7pm. We have agreed no more taxis and to get in earlier as it’s stressful for me not knowing when he’ll get in and dinner arrangements and washing are difficult. I met a lovely Aussie fellow at dinner named Mike who lives just out of Brisbane and is 84. Impressive. I hope I’m still walking Camino when I’m 84. Ed arrived late for dinner but he caught up pretty quickly. He was sitting with some Americans who doted on him, he was still hungry as had walked hard all afternoon in the weather with no snacks so he went to bar after dinner and got bolognaise and an ice cream. We’re both eating a lot. He said he had very good sleep too!! 😴😊Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Reliegos to Leon

    Sep 30–Oct 2, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Leon was amazing. We took a rest day here. Leon is my dad’s name & it felt like coming home when I arrived, i felt my dad’s presence and it made it more special. The walks into & out of the cities are long and hard though. It takes a long time to cover the kms on the outskirts of a city. Lots of waiting to cross roads and traffic and industrial areas and shitty outer neighbourhoods. Was beautiful in the morning though. Ed again got late start & sat in cafe and got a taxi the final part of the journey as it was getting late and pretty shitty laborious walking so I suggested he get a taxi… we stayed at a fantastic hostel with little light filled balconies jutting out from the building looking out over cafes and street life, just metres from incredible gothic cathedral. We had such a lovely couple of days, together and alone and with new friends. We ate pizza and churros dipped in chocolate and ice cream and baked cheese cake. I’ve been eating huge amounts of food with all the walking. I think I’ve put on a bit of weight which feels good. We’re well over halfway now… ✌🏾Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Bercianos to Reliegos

    Sep 29–30, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    I walked mostly alone which was a nice change. Sometimes I don’t see as much when chatting along the way., was nice to be with my own thoughts and keep my own pace. I walked pretty quickly as I was a bit concerned about getting a bed as the place had been so full the night before. The town was small & not very notable, not quite as sparse as bercianos but VERY quiet, nobody around. The municipale ended up with lots of free beds. I think many people must have walked further. Ed made good time and we had dinner alone in little bar/restaurant with Spanish people playing cards. I had the best dinner I’d had in a while. Slow cooked chicken that reminded me of my dad’s chicken cacciatore her used to make in crockpot. delicious. Was nice to spend some time with Ed.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Ledigos to Bercianos del Real Camino

    Sep 28–29, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Another day on the Maseta. The towns are free and far between and quite empty. Bercianos was like a ghost town. The hospitalero told us there are very few people who live there anymore, some come for summer holidays but it’s mostly just pilgrims now. Apparently Spain is like a donut with most of the inhabitants around the outside, similar to Australia. The middle is the wheatbelt. Dry and quite empty. Much harder to get coffee and food and provisions like it was earlier in our walk. We stayed in a lovely Donativo in a beautiful old building. We got the last beds, they ended up putting a few pilgrims on the floor on mats. I had to really beg them to let me reserve a bed for Ed as he was again very late in. This time he did get a taxi for the last part of the trip… he was happy to miss the vego pilgrim shared meal & went out to the bar. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the Donativo with older Spanish men with no English singing in Spanish. We all went up to a lookout point to watch the sunset before returning for fruit salad, the meal was prepared by the lovely volunteers who were from Brazil. There was also shared reflection on the Camino learning and candles & a blessing. Beautiful evening. It was a shame Ed missed it all.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Carrion de les Condes to Ledigos

    Sep 27–28, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    It’s been a few days since I wrote. Days have been so full. This was a long day & I didn’t take many photos. 17km stretch between towns. There was a food van set up along the way which had a lot of business, it even had wifi. Ed had no data on his phone so is always in the lookout for wifi. After leaving the albergue very late he ended up sitting at the food van for most of the day. He messaged me at 5pm, with 15km still left to walk. Eeek. We planned that he would get a taxi from the next town but he ended up just walking all the way and got in around 8pm… he missed the shared pilgrim meal ands got a pizza in bar which he was happy with.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Boadilla to Carrion de Les Condes

    Sep 26–27, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    I left Ed to sleep and left in the dark as it was a longish walk and we were going to a Donativo with no booking available. Sunrise is not fully up until 8am now as we move into Autumn. What a day. The wind was even stronger than yesterday and we had a period of rain that was so heavy it was hard to move, it was one foot in front of the other and couldn’t look up. My rain poncho was tied on so tight over most of my face. It protected all my stuff well. Just my legs & feet were sopping wet. We made it to a cafe and got warm drink & food. My gear worked well and dried quickly & it was amazing how quickly such an intense weather experience was in the past. We stayed in a lovely parroquial church albergue and the young nuns played guitar and sang songs with us and asked the pilgrims to reflect on Camino experience then we went into church for a pilgrim blessing & then shared home cooked food. The volunteer hospitaleros were Italian school students doing work experience. It is these moments of community and sharing that make the experience special.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    San Anton to Boadilla

    Sep 25–26, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    What a wonderful day. After our night in the pilgrims hospital ruins with candle lit dinner they took us into mass in the nearby monastery that is home to a group of cloistered nuns. They don’t come out. They were on the other side of a big metal grate during the mass. We could see them though, they were wearing habits and veils. There is one that has lived there for 50 years. Ed stayed in town and we met after mass/breakfast. It was a wonderful solo walk on the vast maseta and by the afternoon the wind was howling like crazy. There was nothing to do but be alive and in it. I loved it. Ed arrived just in time for dinner at 7pm windswept tired and hungry. Wonderful friendships are starting to form.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
    1111

    Hontanas to San Anton

    September 24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    A glorious day. After yesterday’s balked attempt at rest we had short day today., about 6.5km for me and 10km for Ed. He had no data & we walked together fora while and he looked around at things, we picked blackberries & looked at tiny mice & it was grand. I stopped at San Anton a beautiful Donativo in the ruins of old pilgrim hospital with no power so he continued on to Castrojeriz alone & stayed at the municipale., I had long day here spent resting with lovely group of women. My pilgrim family started to form in Hontanas & continued here. We had home cooked vego meal by candle light. I absolutely loved it. Reset my batteries. Ed did well on his own too.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Hornillos to Hontanas

    Sep 23–24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    What a day. I love the Maseta, wide open fields, so expansive. In the morning the wind farms weren’t moving it was so still. I had been feeling overwhelmed with parenting & decided to stop after 10km at an albergue that had a spa. I love a bath or spa. The rest day in Burgos had turned into me waking out to Decathlon twice, & I also hadn’t realised that they would kick us out at 8am to 12, even though we were staying another night. Anyway upshot was it wasn’t actually rest day & today I was struggling, Then we had this mix up & I ended up walking almost all the way back to Hornillos to look for Ed & Ed walked to the next town, poor thing walked 20km in his slides because I had accidentally packed his sock bag into my bag & he had no data so we missed each other. so we both had a big day again. It’s lovely here though & we enjoyed a lovely communal paella & Ed even made an effort to talk to other pilgrims. It was grand 😊Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Burgos to Hornillos

    Sep 22–23, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    20km or so today. Easy walking. The start of the Maseta. Big open spaces. I love the Maseta. Feels so expansive. Ed’s first day walking again and he went really well. We had paella pilgrim dinner but Ed wanted to cook for himself so he went to the tiny shop & got chorizo and tomato and pasta & we had garlic in our bag. His dinner turned out great, I would have eaten with him but I’d already paid. We had no booking and the municipale was full but we managed to get beds. ☺️ we are getting more used to how it all works.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
    111

    Castildelgado to Espinosa

    Sep 22–23, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
    1Our albergue in old building right by the cathedral in middle of town.1

    Atapuerca to Burgos

    Sep 21–23, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Lovely morning walk out of Atapuerca up over big hill but then missed a turn & had a really hard long walk into town on industrial & busy roads. Had a rest day but not restful as we had to leave municipale albergue between 8am-12. I needed new sleeping bag liner & walked to decathlon only to find it was sold when I got there. Then we discovered Ed’s bike had a flat tyre & we couldn’t make the pump or the foam work & it was after 2pm so all local bike shops shut which meant another trek to Decathlon pushing the bike. Ed decided biking wasn’t easier than walking after all & we decided to return the bike. To my amazement rather than the buy back scheme they gave us the money back for the bike. I was so relieved I nearly cried. I walked back exhausted & met fellow pilgrims in a bar. The atmosphere in Burgos on Saturday afternoon/evening was buzzing but relaxed, very comfortable & fun. I think every citizen must have been out it was so full. Had a lovely evening with new and old friends & I had to race back to albergue to miss being locked out.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
    112

    Espinosa to Atapuerca

    Sep 19–20, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Big uphill walk today over a mountain. It was misty and beautiful. Ed did really well on the bike and I enjoyed the beautiful walk. I saw chestnut trees. Atapuerca has important archeological dig site for ancient pre-human species & there is big museum about it in Burgos. A woman cooked up chorizo and lentil soup using greens she collected on the way and i bought wine and bread and figs & salad.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Azofra to Castildelgado

    September 17, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We walked through farmland again. We stayed in a place that isn’t even really a village in someone’s home. Walking through tiny villages. It feels less prosperous area, not as much money around. Less shops & cafes and life, harder to buy things. I have been in a harder place as concerned about Ed. I found a very hidden away little shortbread shop in Grañón, a village with barely any shops, or at least they were not visible because it was siesta time. Spanish villages are deserted in the afternoons and it’s hard to buy anything. I bought lots of shortbread and mango cake. I like to have snacks in my pack, especially now as the villages are thinning out and we might go for many hours without access to much. Big change from previous days.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Navarette to Azofra

    Sep 16–17, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Back to good spirits again. Magnificent walking today through lush farmland. A bit over 22km. It was grape harvest festival in Nájera that we passed through on the way. Ed had good day on the bike. Carried pack on his back instead of the rack. Azofra tiny village with wonderful municipale. We had our own room with beds not bunks & there was lovely outdoor area. The grapes were ripe & ready for picking. I think one of the photos is where they have been harvested & the plants are much smaller. We got paella for dinner in the local restaurant with local La Rioja wine & enjoyed it with friends I had met in Logroño. Delicious. Ed took his separately later. He doesn’t mix with pilgrims. Spends his time on his phone chatting to friends at home. He has also discovered they will sell him alcohol which is unfortunate…Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Legrono to Navarette

    September 15, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Harder day today. The surrounds were beautiful as we walked, lush farmland. Not far 12.5km but there was a headwind and I was tired and out of sorts. Ed’s first day on bike. We strapped his mochilla to his pack with occy straps which didn’t work very well. It was a bit hilly, not too bad riding into the wind made it pretty hard. We stayed in the municipale albergue which was ok. I met a lovely old Japanese woman who was catholic so on this pilgrimage. She didn’t speak English but we gave her some chorizo pasta and she gave us some chopsticks.. Both of us had upset tummies today so neither of us in great spirits. I didn’t even get any photos of him on bike.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Torres Del Rio to Legrono

    Sep 14–15, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    One of life’s perfect days. We rose early and I started walking just after 7 when the sun was still coming up. The light was so beautiful it’s hard to capture with my limited skills but I tried. We walked 22 or so km and wanted to be there by 1 when the municipale albergue opened as you can’t book & they have been filling up. We got there about 12:45 & people put backpacks in a row as the queue so we could relaxe rather than stand in line waiting to open & check in. We then did the standard pilgrim things, showered, did our washing, & got food. we tried small plates they call pintxos which are the tradition in this area. Delicious. Then we walked out into the suburbs to the Decathlon which was not so perfect, hot & lots of big box shops, but ok. We got Ed a mountain bike to finish the Camino on. They have a buy back scheme which we will utilise when we get to Santiago. I got food to cook for dinner but by the time I walked back I was tired & so happy that a Mexican woman offered us enchiladas, another pilgrim wine & later an Italian a bowl of pasta al tonno (pasta with tuna & tomato). It was all simple and good. I offered up a bowl of figs to share. A lovely communal evening in rather than eating out was lovely. Ed walked the whole distance seemingly happily & then the walk to Decathlon too & was in a good mood. We went to bed tired & happy.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Luquin to Torres Del Rio

    September 13, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We walked 20km today and it was easy. No big climbs, easy paths amongst rolling hills with beautiful light in the morning especially. Starting to get the hang of things. We could have easily walked further today but the next town is another 10km and they call the next stretch the “knee breaker” due to the up and down. Tomorrow we will walk 20km into the next city Logrono but now that Ed is more used to it doesn’t feel daunting to push him a bit. Logrono is a city so we will try and rent bike there. Fingers crossed we can. We have both been in good spirits today. Tonight’s meal wasn’t much chop & the albergue lacks character but we’re going to bed tired and happy.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
    Free wine fountain
    21

    Estella to Luquin

    September 11, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Most of these photos are Estella. I’m beginning to learn that most of these villages are incredibly beautiful little stone cobblestones streets and walled places with amazing bridges and big gates to protect them from invaders. We took the alternate route to Luquin which was a lovely shaded forest walk. Only one bar(cafe/ restaurant) here. The albergue said the bar was open until 3 & then reopening at 6. We went there to get some lunch but kitchen closed and reopening at 7 so Ed cooked us some pasta with churissso & garlic that the albergue had in the kitchen. We shared with another pilgrim from Germany & drank with vino Tinto I got from the famous “wine fountain” where they offer free wine on tap to pilgrims at Irache https://www.irache.com/es/fuente-del-vino.html . We ate on the terrazzo and the light was so beautiful over the fields. I thought if I was an artist be lovely to try & paint the light. There was a cathedral right across from us & from our 3rd floor albergue window the bell was just metres away and when the bell rang we both jumped it felt so close we could feel the vibrations.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Maneru to Estella

    Sep 11–12, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Lovely day walking through farmland. Olives, grapes, fig trees on the side of the road. Even a working windmill. Easy day 17km with no hard climbs. Ed was getting the hang of it, found the walk ok. We stayed in a luxury albergue overlooking the river, still shared bunks but everything was nice, proper sheets rather than disposable and smaller room, just 4 people in our room with 2 normal beds and our own bathroom. Ed had a big plate of pork ribs for dinner, best dinner for him so far. He wants to get a bike and I have started investigating, I visited a bike shop in Estella and also Decathlon. I’m in two minds if it’s a good idea…Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Zariquiegui to Maneru

    Sep 10–11, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Ed’s longest day of waking today 18km. It was easy enough until after lunch when we had longish steep uphill with no shade in blasting sun. I think Ed was a bit dehydrated, he had a headache. Mañeru was incredibly historic. It seems most people live in beautiful old buildings. Our albergue had an incredible carved stone floor in the entrance way. There is a photo of Ed there, probably a bit hard to see. Even the little downmarket supermercado was in a historic stone building. We bought olives stuffed with anchovies in little serving size tins and ate with a tooth pick. Shared a lovely pilgrim meal with the other guests and drank local vino Tinto, ie red wine, as we are now in a wine region.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe

    Pamplona to Zariquiegui

    Sep 9–10, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We had a short walk today maybe 12km. It was hot though with short climb into town. Tomorrow a bit more climb then steep down and apparently after that mostly flat for a good while. Ed is keen to ride a bike so I’ll look into hiring one. That will be good so we can cover a bit more distance each day. Ed fell asleep late afternoon for the evening so I went into Pamplona for dinner alone. I got to talking to a pilgrim in a bar and lined St my watch and it was 9:45. The door to albergue get locked at 10 so I jumped up& rushed home and got there with 2 minutes to spare almost suffering the same fate Ed had suffered the night before. The landscape is quite different now. Fields of sunflowers and haystacks, expansive and open with windfarms dotted about. We met a lovely couple from Melbourne. Unfortunately Steve has a lurgy he picked up on the plane so their Camino is not going the way they planned. It’s challenging for me to mould my walking to fit with Ed and be ok with that. I feel like I’m missing out on the people I meet that walk further and then I don’t see them again so hard to find my people. I’m working with my mind to be at peace with the Camino I’m on.Read more

  • Lisa FlemingTravelerCamino Frances & Europe
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    Zabaldika to Pamplona

    Sep 8–9, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Easy short walk into Pamplona only 8km or so. Lovely farming country and quaint farmhouses. Ed ended up walking with me as his albergue shut the doors at 10pm & he got back from his pizza at 10:15pm so was locked out. A shock at first, he called me & tried a hotel but they said he was too young & illegal for them to take him so he got a taxi to my Donativo albergue just about 10km away. What an adventure to be alone & locked out at night on the other side of the world. we both managed not to panic & found a solution. We walked together this morning again. Had breakfast in an ordinary town which was not touristy so was interesting to see ordinary apartments & simple Spanish life and people. Then arrived into Pamplona which is a decent sized city with incredible history and cathedrals & a citadel, ie wall around to protect from invaders. Pamplona is having festival so full of life and music in the streets. A joy to be amongst. A mix of old Viking looking stuff with drums and clarinet kind of instruments, and also church bells and choirs singing beautifully. We ate churros dipped in chocolate, not for the last time I think 😊Read more

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