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Camino Frances

September - December 2022
A journey across Northern Spain in the footsteps of pilgrims under a field of stars to the crypt of St James (Santiago). Read more
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  • TravelerCamino Frances
    11
    Day 12

    The Road to Cirauqui

    September 23, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Traditional multi bed hostels are a joy. Lights on at six, out the door by seven. It's still before sunrise although it's light enough to see and warm enough for a t-shirt. I headed off optimistic about my 15 km walk which was supposed to be an 'easy' day. I've stopped looking at the altitude and descriptions of the path ahead as I'm better off not knowing.

    After a couple of hundred metres I checked the gps to make sure I was on the right path heading out of town. I strolled along as the sun rose and saw two deer jumping and foxes playing. No one had passed me for a while so I got the gps out to double check and found myself 700m off the track. I swear there was absolutely no other path going off but clearly I was wrong. Being slightly stubborn I decided not to retrace my steps but to instead make my own path across the dry harvested fields to rejoin the track further on. While I have to admit that I wasn't sure my plan would work, I did strike it lucky and after crossing a few fields that were easier to walk on than any Camino trail so far, I came across a road that lead exactly where I needed to go.

    Today was full of gorgeous villages and towns, Obanos, Puenta la Reina, Manaru and tonight the hilltop walled Cirauqui. Of course each one was on a hill after a little valley and the Camino seems designed for a long slow wind up followed by a rapid descent.

    Despite my detour I arrived in Puenta la Reina at 10 in time for the shops to open. I had some different blister prevention options to get at the Farmacia and I needed a cap as my hat kept hitting my pack and annoying me. Train with your pack on they said!!

    I meet Nikki from Canada who was travelling with four friends and struggling to keep up with them. This has resulted in a sore knee that was of concern so she was trying to get in to see a physio and then catch a bus to meet up with her friends. We had a good chat about the pros and cons of doing the Camino in a group or alone.

    I caught up with a American mother and daughter team. Yesterday they had sent their bags forward to a hostel that wasn't even open and had figured this out at lunchtime with no idea where their packs had gone. They had walked to the next town to find their bags at the hostel there. Now, on day two, they have got the system sorted and were feeling much more confident.

    Tonight, in my walled city, my feet remain tired, my blisters annoying and I'm not exactly excited about the next 15 km. But this was always going to require some effort in the first few weeks and the delights of the landscape are ample compensation.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    111
    Day 13

    The Road from Zirauki

    September 24, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The road leaving Cirauqui (known as Zirauki in Basque) was a Roman Road, at least that's what the stories say. But I digress.

    Last night I swallowed a little blue pill given to me by a stranger. What happens on the Camino stays on the Camino!!! Don't try this at home. This was after I started a trend where everyone in the hostel room lay on the floor and stretched their feet up the walls in solidarity with my tired feet, and because they agreed that it was a bloody good idea. Anyway as a result of this, and possibly the power of smothering Betadine on your feet, which makes your blisters look much worse, I was offered numerous blister remedies and one little blue anti inflammatory that Jill from Florida swears by for her arthritis.

    Feeling quite spritely this morning I bounded off down the Roman road in search of adventure. For a while I managed to pass an 80 year old carrying a full pack while going up a hill but he got me again on the straight. I did actually walk at the same pace as another group for a couple of kilometres which was a first.

    Unfortunately my feet were back to needing bionic replacement by the 10km mark and the last two kilometers took me the rest of the afternoon. At some point I passed Villatuerte, known and much easier to pronounce in Basque as Bilatorta. Must be that 0.1 % of Basque DNA I have that results in Basque language making more sense than Spanish. There may have been lunch in there as well with an 70ish Italian guy who needed someone to help him finish his bottle of red.

    I'm in ancient territory again tonight with the old city of Estella, founded in 1090 by the then King of Navarre. The buildings date back to the 1200's. Estella was purposely built on the Way of St James to service the pilgrims and honour the Christian god. Spain is a deeply Catholic Christian country and all the many churches I pass still hold several masses each day and everything remains shut on Sundays.

    My photos show a few other Camino wonders, a rest spot in the olive groves built for pilgrims, a table with free or 'donotivo' food left out for pilgrims and my new clam shell. These shells are a symbol of the pilgrimage but I hadn't acquired a commercial one yet to hang on my pack. But my little blue pill supplier also deals in clam shells and now I have a personally collected shell from Mexico. I also have another little blue pill for tonight. After that, I might have to practice my Spanish on the next lucky pharmacist I come across. Spanish for over the counter anti-inflammatory anyone?    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    121
    Day 14

    The Wheels on the Bus

    September 25, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    I tried to figure out a way to walk half of today's 21 km stretch and catch a lift the rest but it didn't seem easy so I decided to take the bus. Tomorrow is also 18 km which I will attempt after today's extra rest, and after that the days stay under 15 km all the way to Burgos.

    So today the very short bus trip took less than 30 mins with stops and cost a huge 1.90 Euro. We zoomed past some gorgeous scenery, more hilltop churches and monasteries, and came into wine country with large bodegas, both ancient and new, dotting the hillsides.

    At tonight's destination, Los Arcos, another old cathedral stands in the centre of town. Originally built in the twelfth century and rebuilt and added to over several centuries, the Church of St Mary was decorated over every inch of its inside walls and everyone who walked in was amazed.

    As a pilgrim you cannot eat alone, even if you want to. If you are at a table it eventually fills up with people you've met along the Way. Tonight my table went from me to five others and there were at least six other people I knew that stopped to say hello.

    I didn't tell you how I ended up having lunch with the Italian guy yesterday. I went to have lunch in a proper restaurant instead of a cafe/bar. Because my backpack and clothing identified me as a pilgrim, I wasnt allowed in the nicer part of the restaurant and I wasn't allowed a table of my own. Instead the waitress checked with another customer that they were a pilgrim, then told me I had to sit with him. He was a seventy year old with a hilarious sense of humour who made me drink half his bottle of red wine because his French wife from Paris is a cardiac nurse and he has to report in on what he eats and drinks. He has two sons, one good one that married an Italian and settled down close to home, and one not so good one who made him go grey from worry travelling the world, and who doesn't talk to him anymore because he told him to get a real job.

    At the moment, everyone is at the suffering stage of the pilgrimage. Marie from Sweden has two bad knees and is seeing a doctor to get advice in the morning, Troy from the US has had a bad ankle from the start but doesn't want to tell his kids he may have to stop early, Katherine from the US also is slowing down and not doing more than 20kms a day any more as she knows it's not good for her. Everyone wanted to know how the bus works. My Italian lunch date said the first time he walked the Camino he had a sore leg for three months after and this time he is going slow.

    Today I only have a few cathedral photos for you. Until tomorrow...    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    1221
    Day 15

    Adios Navarra

    September 26, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I was off early and caught the sun rise coming out of Los Arcos. I managed to keep pace with other pilgrims for most of the day for the first time and had to get in a queue for food at the first cafe in Sansol because I was still surrounded by people. I managed to walk 18 km for the first time on the Camino and was in my next accommodation around two o'clock, which was much faster that I was doing earlier in the week.

    Everyday on the Camino so far has been beautiful. Olive groves give way to golden fields already harvested, endless villages with their magnificent bell towers and a smattering of Benedictine monasteries on hilltops. To the north all day were the cliffs of another mountain range and south further hills abound. A wise pilgrim has explained that the Camino is never flat and each day we climb up hill and down dale repeatedly.

    We share the path with many locals walking their dogs and their families, with school children on excursions, with the occasional crazy cyclists and apparently with a bunch of old guys doing a horseback Camino.

    Tonight I spend my last night in the Spanish State of Navarra and the Basque part of Spain. To celebrate I'm staying at the palace, well in a location where there was once a palace. Now it's just a modern hotel built inside the stone facade with bedrooms decorated in regal colours.

    But I soaked in the bath forever My feet are much better and I now only have localised sore spots rather than my whole feet dying, at least that was the case for 15 km. I did struggle with the last three, but I don't have another day longer than today for more than three weeks and lots of shorter days coming up. I might brave carrying my full pack for the 9km into Logrono tomorrow.

    (Sorry about the duplicate photos, can't delete them and to tired to repost the whole thing)    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    1
    Day 17

    Logrono, La Rioja

    September 28, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Whose stupid idea was it to walk 700+ km across Northern Spain by myself? The "I'm getting off the island" excitement has definitely worn off and the "It's a bloody long way to Santiago" reality has set in along with the "it would be much better if I'd brought someone with me to share the fun!"

    Of course, this was all to be expected and in reality the first few weeks have flown by. Most of my Pilgrim friends are days of weeks ahead of me by now but there will be new people to meet again this week.

    I've had my rest day in Logrono, capital of the La Rioja wine region. I did all the practical things like getting some new hiking sandals to try out on the trail, and some anti-inflammatory drugs in the hope that I can walk more than two days without needing a day off. And the laundry, I did that too.

    I also slept a lot. The body is adjusting both to walking and the opportunity for a siesta. The shops in Spain never seem to be open. Most are open from 10-2 and some from 5-7 with the odd big store open 8 hours a day.

    Cafes, normally called bars, are open longer but often the kitchen is shut until 8pm but there is a selection of tortillas (omelettes) and bocadillas (snacks) displayed on the counter. Alcohol and coffee seem to be served all day long.

    I really do prefer the villages and countryside than the cities, and will think twice about whether to have a rest day in a city again. The Camino seems always to go through the historical heart and pass by all the must see sights so nothing is missed if you follow the Way.

    Of course, the main attraction of La Rioja is the wine and I'll be passing by many vineyards over the coming days.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    111
    Day 18

    A Walk in the Park

    September 29, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Today was quite literally a walk in a park. After a kilometre or so in Logrono suburbia the Camino took me to a city park followed by the Grande Parc Logrono which spread past the city outskirts into the nearby fields. Another five kilometres and I was at my next nights stay in Navarette.

    The new sandals were a dream and I set Logrono talking with my stylish sock and sandal combination. My wide feet, already splayed more that normal from those barefoot years in Indonesia's steamy climes in my childhood, may be permanently even wider if I walk 600km in sandals but at least my toes aren't numb and ready to fall off at the end of the day. No hobbling was involved. Mind you I felt pretty good the first day after a rest day last time too so let's see how the week pans out. It was flat and mainly paved too so no dust and loose gravel in the sandals on day one, take two.

    I saw squirrels. 😍😍😍 And ducks. The water is low and Spain and it's vineyards are looking a bit worse for wear after their intense summer heat wave. It been trying to rain for several days now but never more than a few drops falls, not enough to wet the pavement. It's colder than I expected but it's a bit early in the season and it's supposed to warm up for a week or two in a couple of days.

    My accommodation for the night is on the main street in another old town on a hill, next to the church whose bell will chime late into the night. I love standing on my little balcony overlooking the Plaza and the street and watching life in Spain. My little balcony on the first floor is about level with the bar across the street that has tables out on the paving in front of the church. Could be a noisy spot tonight.

    This town Navarette, has a bit more life to it. So many of the town's I've walked through so far have seemed almost closed. There has been hardly anyone around except pilgrims and a few shops and bars for pilgrims. Most buildings in these old hilltop towns are shuttered and I wonder if anyone lives there or if they are holiday homes. Maybe the occupants head off early to work in the cities. Navarette is a bit more alive but it feels more industrial and maybe there are some jobs around that keep it going.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    1
    23111
    Day 19

    Rain drops keep falling on my head

    September 30, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Walked my first day in the wind and rain. Learnt the Spanish word for cold - frio. It was a drizzle most of the time, just enough that stopping for a rest anywhere was a bit cold and miserable. Thankfully the weather is warming up again from tomorrow and by the middle of the week it's going to be way too hot.

    Day two after a rest day I was a bit hesitant about the 18 km. I was also out of supplies and there weren't necessarily going to be shops or cafes today. I headed out about 9.15 hoping I'd find a decent breakfast and some snacks before I left town. On the first corner I found an open cafe and scored bacon and eggs for breakfast and some supplies for the road. Last night I'd had a lovely pilgrims menu of lentil soup, stewed beef cheeks and egg custard with Robert from the US who I'd meet in the laundromat in Logrono the day before - so I was suitably well fuelled for my day out.

    I also found Andrea from the US and Geraldine from Ireland just finishing breakfast. I'd meet Geraldine in Los Arcos a few days back but Andrea and I had been chatting, passing each other and having lunch together since back before Pamplona. They headed off but my breakfast was quick and I caught up with them just a little way out of town.

    I thought I'd brave walking with them for the day and would hopefully be able to keep up. I thought a little company might help a cold wet day to be a bit cheerier and that also it might stop me from dawdling the second half of the day. It was a good decision. They are both lovely companions and while I had to walk faster, they needed to rest when I did and were a great distraction from the weather.

    We took a slight detour into the only village near our path today and had a lovely early lunch before walking through vineyard after vineyard across the countryside. We were given some lovely wine grapes to eat along the way and made it into town not long after three.

    I'm hostelling tonight but while I booked a dormitory, I've scored a room with just myself and two others. Susanna from Hungary says it's the nicest room she's had since she started so I am being thankful I can have a private room when I want and company if I feel the need.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    11121212
    Day 20

    Monastic Life

    October 1, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Before starting my journey today I had a walk through the Monastery of Santa Maria in Najera. While communal dinners and growing your own veges sounds idyllic, all these cathedrals and monasteries are dark cold places and I think the beauty of their architecture would wear off pretty quickly. Especially with the decorations of endless crypts, paintings of Jesus on the cross, etc, etc that make them extra cheery.

    The claim to fame of this mornings monestary was that it was built backing right into the cliff where an earlier statue of the Virgin Mary had been located so the statue remains in the cave which is now part of the cathedral.

    I then headed off along country roads, first through more vineyards, but then into the next valley where the countryside changed to harvested fields. There was no shade and it was about 25 degrees Celsius. A month ago it would have been 40 degrees here for pilgrims and 25 with no shade was bad enough.

    My body is taking it's time adjusting to walking every day and being three days since I had a rest day there was a fair bit of protesting going on. We (me, my body and mind) made it the 15km as planned but it was pretty slow going with lots of long rest stops required when some shade could be found. Given this is a Catholic Pilgrimage I should have been aware that significant suffering would be required.

    I have a pilgrim dinner at the hostel tonight with a completely different bunch of pilgrims and have planned a very short walk tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    1
    Day 21

    Santo Domingo

    October 2, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Took the slow stroll a mere 7 km to Santo Domingo de la Calzada. This was to stop some new blisters from growing and let them dry up, to line myself up for 6 12km days into Burgos and to take a bit of extra time to see the sites in Santo Domingo.

    I was in town by ten o'clock along with two ladies from Minnesota that had been at last night's pilgrims dinner. We spent a good two hours chatting, touring the cathedral (which like Pamplona was a must see) and having a stroll around town. After deciding they liked the idea of a 7km day as well, they headed off by taxi to their next nights accommodation to catch up with their friend who wanted to walk 30km.

    Saint Domingo was a friend to pilgrims and instead of joining the monastery he set about trying to makes pilgrims lives better. He was a practical fellow and built roads and bridges. He was also apparently skilled at reincarnation and brought back to life a innocent pilgrim who was sentenced to hang. The local councillor, when told that the boy was alive, declared that he was as alive as the chickens used in his chicken soup lunch. The chickens in his soup then apparently started clucking. Since this time descendants of said chickens have been kept in the cathedral and are sometimes released at festivals!?!

    These qualities clearly made Santo Domingo very popular and his cathedral (which was originally started in 1158) very rich which in 2022 makes for an interesting cathedral and museum. Generously they can still afford to turn the lights on so you can see all of God's glory whereas many smaller church's require a donation for the lights to go on.

    The Spanish are very conscious of wasted electricity. I understood this would be the case due to the current rising cost of power (thanks Putin!) but this has clearly been a focus for quite some time. Every type of accommodation I have stayed at, every bar, cafe or public toilet has timers on the lights. Apparently Spanish people can be very quick in the loo because I only needed to turn the light on 15 times the other day. Blokes beware as swinging around in the dark trying to find a light switch could be a real disaster. Needless to say you are often surprised to find yourself in the dark with no idea where the light switch is and if you're lucky some widely waving arms will trigger a sensor but sometimes the sensor or a switch are nowhere to be found.

    Tonight I'm staying in a little bit of luxury at a Parador. More about that in tomorrow's post.    Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    1
    Day 22

    The Parador

    October 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    If you've watched the Martin Sheen movie 'The Way', there's a scene where he shouts his pilgrim family to a night at a fancy hotel. That's a Parador Hotel and it's a Camino tradition to stay in one.

    Last night I stayed in the Parador de Santo Domingo Bernardo de Fresneda. Paradors are state owned hotels built in significant historical buildings such as hospitals, monasteries and this one is built in a convent. There is also a museum and chapel as part of the convent complex.

    While my room is not like Martin Sheens, l clearly didn't spend enough for that, it is definitely the most comfortable bed I've had, and has some nice comfy chairs which have been lacking almost everywhere. And the photos show how beautifully the old buildings are restored and decorated. I think it's a great way to preserve and use some of the many historic buildings along the Camino. Apparently there are nearly 100 Paradors in Spain.

    The rest of this post was supposed to be about my walk today but instead I tested positive to Covid and have squirreled myself away in an apartment in Santo Domingo to see what happens. I technically don't have to isolate here but I don't want to spread it, stay in hostels or make myself sicker. The Parador didn't have room service or even a fridge so I have moved around the corner, shopped and got some more Spanish drugs. Today I don't feel too bad. Fingers crossed 4 vaccinations was enough to make it short. I'll start posting again when I'm back on the road.    Read more

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