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Kevin Esler
Kevin Esler

Kevin Esler

Expatriate Australian retired software engineer Read more🇺🇸Bedford
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  • Aussie Brothers’ Camino
    1

    Torres del Río to Viana

    September 21, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today's route was just a short 11km walk to Viana, a smallish city of about 4000 people.

    Most pilgrims were pressing on to Logroño, a much bigger place, to catch “La Peña de las Uvas”, the pressing of the grapes. We have a preference for the smaller cities. Likely we’ll have breakfast in Logroño tomorrow on the way through.

    It was quite cool when we started walking, about 10C. But sunny and dry and shorts and short sleeved shirt felt great. Perfect weather for walking.

    There was a bit of up and down on a good track through grape and olive growing areas; a stop for a coffee and snack in the bush at Casita Lucia. We arrived at Viana at lunchtime. After getting some necessities from the pharmacy, we had a fine lunch of tortilla with ham, and Coke Zero.

    At 2pm we checked in to Palácio de Pujadas, which is in fact somewhat palatial. Very comfortable anyway, right on the main street and Camino.

    Kevin read that yesterday was World Paella Day and had failed to observe it appropriately so he hopes to make up for that tonight. John will refrain.

    On this leg we left Navarra province and crossed into La Rioja. We think that explains the lack of dual Spanish/Basque signage. Perhaps we’ve left Basque territory.    Read more

  • Aussie Brothers’ Camino

    Villatuerta to Torres del Río

    September 20, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Up early to beat the heat we were on the hoof by 6:20am, which is 90 minutes before dawn. Our destination was about 25km ahead.

    It was deliciously cool walking at that hour but also pitch dark. John has a headlamp so we were able to see the track into Estella. It was an easy walk, we were there in an hour and were across town by 8am, where we stopped for coffee and croissants.

    Not far out of Estella is the monastery of Irache. They make wine there and offer it free to pilgrims through a tap in the wall, along with fresh water for those disinclined to drink red wine at 8:30am.

    Kevin had a sip and added a few drops to his water bottle for a hoped-for medicinal effect. The wine quality was a tad below that of the $1.29 bottle featured in yesterday’s photos.

    From there it was a quite gradual climb to Villamayor de Monjardín. We stopped at the cafe a bit short of there in Ázqueta for an excellent pair of boccadillos and a cold drink. Also a boots off airing of the feet which seems to be a best practice for long distance walkers.

    From there it was a long hot, mostly shadeless downhill into Los Arcos, with a food truck a few km short of town where we stopped again to drink something cold and air the feet.

    We had been unable to find a room in Los Arcos so we phoned for a taxi on arrival which delivered us a few km up the track at Torres del Río where we have a private twin room for the night.    Read more

  • Aussie Brothers’ Camino

    Puente la Reina to Villatuerta & Estella

    September 18, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    After breakfast at the Apóstol Albergue we had a shorter day of about 17km with a few stops. The weather started quite cool but was sunny and warm soon enough. We walked through lots of fallow fields and also vineyards and olive groves.

    We stopped for café con leche in Mañeru; then a foot cooling boots-off stop in a nice olive grove with views to Cirauqui, a very picturesque walled city built on a hill. We had a cold drink and bumped into various pilgrims we’d met earlier. Kevin also spoke to some Brazilian coffee farmers from Minas Gerais.

    Our next stop was where the Camino crosses the river Salado. The water looked tempting so we dipped our feet in the frigid water. It apparently flows out of the bottom of a dam further up the hill. Feet refreshed for the 2nd time, and John’s blister re-dressed, we hoofed it on into Lorca for lunch. But not before stopping at the free-for-pilgrims snack table setup somewhere before Lorca: chilled water and toast soaked in olive oil; good fuel.

    Then we walked a few hot sun-washed kilometers into Villatuerta. We’re in a casa rural called the 643KM. That’s the remaining distance to Santiago. Very nice room.

    We decided on a rest day and checked in for a second night in our casa rural in Villatuerta then took a taxi about 5k to Estella, a beautiful medieval city of 14,000 people.  We ate breakfast and then a had a stroll around the older parts of town. Saw the magnificent church of San Pedro and its adjacent cloister.

    Then we walked the Calle Mayor, the main street dating back to medieval times, very narrow and lined with 5-6 storey buildings with shops on the ground floor. Coffee and cake in one of them.

    Kevin bought a better phone SIM, and we topped up our supplies for blister wound amelioration, and snacks for a planned early start tomorrow. We walked a leisurely loop through the beautifully shaded park near the river, then found a sandwich for lunch and booked the next two nights’ lodging. We caught a taxi back to Villatuerta after attempting a bus ride. Alas Google Maps had the bus schedule wrong.

    Tomorrow is a longish haul to Los Arcos so we plan to begin at 6am. We are both feeling better after a rest day. There are no restaurants open here in Villatuerta, it being Monday, so we will buy ingredients and throw something together in the kitchen in our albergue.    Read more

  • Aussie Brothers’ Camino

    Pamplona to Puente la Reina

    September 17, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    After an 8:00am stop for coffee and pain au chocolat at a tiny but busy bakery near our albergue we started the day’s walk through Pamplona city and the beautiful park-like grounds of the University of Navarra.

    The route was bisected by the Sierra del Perdón on top of which is a string of wind turbines clearly visible from Pamplona. The climb up was fairly well graded and beautifully scenic, looking out over fallow fields back to Pamplona.

    We stopped a bit short of the top in the village of Zariquiegui for a bocadillo and a cold drink outside a beautiful old church. Then on to the summit.

    It was very windy up there so we didn’t linger for long. The descent was bloody awful. We dropped 200 meters over a very steep 1.5km long track of loose shifting rocks.

    Kevin paused to stop an incipient blister. From there it was a fairly long hot plod to Puente la Reina.

    Total for the day was about 24km.

    Good 3 course pilgrims’ dinner at our Albergue Apóstol.    Read more

  • Aussie Brothers’ Camino

    Zubiri to Pamplona

    September 16, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    After a coffee and croissant at 8:00 we walked out of Zubiri in a dawn mist towards Pamplona. The terrain was gentler than preceding days, dropping about 100 meters over about 24km. The trail pretty much follows the river Arga all the way to central Pamplona.

    We had great walking conditions, cool and dry except for the early mist and a few intermittent spots of rain. Not even worth putting the raincoat on.

    Lunch was at the cafe on the river at Zuriain. Tortillas and cold drinks. We also met up with our Irish friends and other fellow pilgrims we’d met before.

    We covered the last few miles into Pamplona with a group of 4 ladies all friends from Indianapolis, one of whom we dubbed “hot wheels” because of how fast she walks. We did discover part of the speed secret: they have very light packs and a luggage service to move the rest of their gear.

    John has acquired and treated one nasty blister. It might necessitate a shorter day tomorrow.

    We checked into the Casa Ibarrol and performed the usual ritual of shower, laundry.

    John off to seek blister meds. Kevin remaining horizontal for a while.

    After a beer we went searching for food and stumbled on http://www.qwertybar.com. Wonderful 3 course fixed price menu including a glass of wine.

    A real party atmosphere in the streets enjoyed by three generation families.    Read more

  • Aussie Brothers’ Camino

    Burguete to Zubiri

    September 15, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We left Burguete about 9am after a coffee and croissant at the bakery.

    The initial walk was through beautiful dairy farmland with the lower peaks of the Pyrenees looming behind meadows with horses and cows.

    Espinal just a few miles out was time for a café con leche and a chat with fellow pilgrims. Espinal is a beautiful town.

    We made another stop at a great cafe right on the trail at Bizkarreta-Gerendiain. We refueled there with a tortilla de patatas, a potato, cheese and egg tart, and a cold drink.

    Then we did quite a bit of climbing on a dirt and rock track until we found a food truck where the trail crossed the road about 5km short of Zubiri. We stopped for a cold drink.

    The last bit was a very tough downhill slog on a rough and rocky track. Kevin's dodgy right knee started complaining but on the opposite side to the usual. It’s trying to be versatile in its dodginess I guess. We took it slowly and arrived at Zubiri around 3:30pm.

    We have a great room here: two beds in a room in a very nice apartment with 2 bathrooms and laundry equipment. We’re sharing the apartment with 2 Irish couples from Wexford we’d noticed on the track since Orisson.

    An excellent dinner at this place https://hostalgautxori.com. Food and service highly recommended. I guess it was Navarran Basque cuisine. A short walk from centre of town.    Read more

  • Aussie Brothers’ Camino

    Orisson to Burguete

    September 14, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We enjoyed a very good stay at the Borda. The young owner bloke bought an old farmhouse and barn and renovated it beautifully. He cooked a very good dinner and made us all say a bit about ourselves over the community meal.

    There was a young Korean newlywed pair; a group of 8 French friends of retired age who walk part of the Camino for 2 weeks every year; a very friendly and soon-to-be-retired business person from Portland OR, Lisa L. with whom we had many a good yarn at the albergue and along the track. She’s an expert long distance hiker and fine company.

    After a good breakfast we left about 8am and climbed for 4 ½ hours to the pass at the top, elevation 1430m. From the top we could see Burguete, our destination for the day.

    From there it was a pretty fast descent into Roncesvalles. After a brief chat with Lisa who was lodging there we parted company and walked another 2km or so to our albergue, the Lorentx in Burguete-Auritz. (The double barreled name has the Castilian Spanish name first and the Basque name second.)

    The scenery all the way was quite spectacular and in very fine dry weather. Just a great walk. It’s all farmed country, sheep, cows and a few horses. Astonishingly steep in places.

    Upon arrival at our lodging the next urgent priorities were shower, laundry and beers. Later on we’ll find a good feed.

    The toughest hiking is behind us and all dodgy knees seem to be holding up. One toenail of Kevin's is probably doomed.    Read more

  • Aussie Brothers’ Camino

    Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Orisson

    September 13, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We left St Jean in the dawn glow after breakfast and climbed 650m in altitude over 8km to the Orisson Refuge. We enjoyed a good early lunch here and met some of the steady stream of pilgrims stopping for second breakfast or lunch before continuing the 16 further km to Roncesvalles.

    The scenery was spectacular in every direction, but especially looking back to the French villages in the valleys far below. The weather was cool and breezy with a few welcome drops of rain.

    We met a group of cyclists at dinner last night from near Porto in Portugal. Today they passed us on the track yelling “Oi amigos”. They plan to reach Santiago in 9 days on their mountain bikes, with one of their number in a car carrying the luggage.

    We are two of the lucky few easing into this by tackling the Pyrenees crossing in 2 days. John has booked accommodation in one of the two small auberges in Orisson. Our accommodation for the night is 800m up the road from Orisson, the Borda Auberge at the altitude of 850m. So today we climbed about 700m. It is owned and run by Laurent who converted an old farmhouse and barn and opened in 2021. A beautiful property with amazing views of the Pyrenees.

    Tonight Laurent, an excellent cook, hosts 8 French, 2 Aussie, 1 Dutch, 2 Korean, and 2 American guests.    Read more

  • Aussie Brothers’ Camino
    St Jean from the CitadelSt Jean Pied de Port

    Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

    September 11, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    We travelled from Melbourne and Boston and met in Madrid. Yesterday we made our way to Pamplona, stayed one night, then caught a bus to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France ready to start our Camino Francés in two days time.

    Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is the meeting point of several Caminos de Santiago that spread out across mainland Europe, and it was from here that pilgrims most frequently made the crossing into Spain.

    The tradition continues and the small town is saturated with pilgrims, and pilgrim related tourism, during most of the year. There is an air of excitement and anticipation.

    The Camino Francés (or the French Way) is the most famous of the nine major Camino de Santiago routes. It traditionally starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, before traversing the Pyrenees and continuing across the rolling hills of northern Spain, before finishing in Santiago de Compostela, which is believed to be the burial place of Saint James the Apostle.

    Accommodation for our two nights in St Jean is Gite de la Porte Saint Jacques at the top of the steep Rue de la Citadelle which is the mostly pedestrian spine of the old town.

    We spent our rest day looking around and shedding some jet lag.    Read more

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