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Camino Frances & Europe
  • Lisa Fleming
  • Lisa Fleming

Camino Frances & Europe

An open-ended adventure by Lisa Read more
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  • Lisa FlemingCamino Frances & EuropeTraveler
    21

    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 FlemingCamino Frances & EuropeTraveler
    12

    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 FlemingCamino Frances & EuropeTraveler
    11

    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 FlemingCamino Frances & EuropeTraveler
    1

    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 FlemingCamino Frances & EuropeTraveler
    1
    11

    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 FlemingCamino Frances & EuropeTraveler

    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 FlemingCamino Frances & EuropeTraveler
    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 FlemingCamino Frances & EuropeTraveler
    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

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