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Camino Frances

August - October 2019
A 46-day adventure by The Big Adventure Read more
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  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 21

    R & R

    September 19, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    Burgos, Spain
    A rest day in Burgos was very welcome. We were able to sleep in and recharge as we played tourist at a leisurely pace. When we went in search of breakfast around 9, there wasn't much activity on the streets. Slowly the city began to show signs of life around 11. We were drawn to the Cathedral of Burgos, an immense, incredibly ornate Gothic cathedral that almost looks as if it were made of spun sugar. The cornerstone was laid almost 800 years ago and completed 22 years later. The architecture, stone carvings, wrought iron work, wooden carving and stained glass take your breath away. It is light and airy, not the least bit dark or dreary like many cathedrals. The altar pieces and artwork include a painting by none other than Leonardo da Vinci. Much history is contained within these walls with tombs of royalty and important figures such as El Cid (not Charleton Heston, but the real deal). El Cid was quite the warrior and mercenary of 11th century Spain, fighting on behalf of both Christian and Muslim kings depending on circumstances. After finishing at the cathedral, we took a touristy little train ride through the city and past many of the sights. We even passed by the town's botanical garden... the quickest I've ever dragged Mike through one. We stopped for the menu del dia, a 3 course lunch of gazpacho soup, lamb chops with potatoes (somehow potatoes show up at just about every meal) and flan. We are doing our best to partake of local specialties. The midday meal seems to be served between 1-3, after which everything, and I do mean everything, closes down until 5pm. The streets are deserted during siesta time and they might as well roll up the sidewalks. Then at 5 the city miraculously comes alive again. People emerge in full force and all the shops open back up. Families, friends, all sorts come out to promenade, from the very young in strollers or carriages to the elderly with canes or wheelchairs. It's time to socialize and staying home vegetating in front of the television doesn't appear to be an option. The layout of the town with multiple squares, parks, and sidewalk cafes encourages social interaction. Wouldn't it be nice if we could import this to the USA? We met up with our new Camino friend Helen for tapas and ended the day comparing notes on experiences so far and plans for the next few days. It's off to Rabe de la Calzada for tomorrow.Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 22

    Burgos in the Rearview Mirror

    September 20, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    Rabe de las Calzadas, Spain
    Burgos was dimly lit with pilgrims as the only sign of life as we got underway today. We'd scarfed down some bakery goodies purchased the night before with a boxed orange juice chaser but were hoping to find some coffee on the way out. The first town after Burgos isn't for 10 km, and we know from experience that getting your Fitbit buzz before coffee isn't a good thing. The first place we encountered was packed with pilgrims on the same mission, with the line out the door. Didn't get up early to waste the day standing in line, so we kept going. Just before we exited the city gates, we encountered a small store advertising the last coffee stop for 10 km and no line. We're in! Inhaling a small plastic cup of what passed for café con leche, we continued on. Today's path took us past wheat fields recently harvested, more sunflowers, and potatoes finally. Potatoes seem to be a staple of most meals here, but thus far the soil was not conducive to such a root crop. Now we know where they grow... on the meseta of course! We walked for a while with a French lady who had been living in England for 20 years and has a grown son there as well. She was concerned about the impact of Brexit and issues it might pose for her since she travels quite a bit. She has a year to figure it out and is contemplating moving back to France. Oh, the trickledown effect of politics. Another walking companion was a Hungarian obstetrician on a sabbatical and due to start an ultrasound fellowship in London in November. We had an interesting conversation about life while comparing notes on healthcare systems. Her English was impeccable, far better than our nonexistent Hungarian. She piqued our curiosity and we'll have to add Hungary to our travel list (after the Camino). We were sorry to part ways, but she's doing 30 km today and we are stopping after 13.3km in the tiny village of Rabe de las Calzadas. The short day will hopefully give Mike's shin splints another day to heal before tomorrow's 27.6 km journey to Castrojeriz. Over lunch we chatted with a fellow who divides his time between Seattle and Argentina. He and his wife are marathoners, covering 30-40 km a day on the Camino. They rented bikes in Burgos for the flat stretch of the meseta, and quickly discovered that it involved entirely different muscle groups not to mention those pitifully uncomfortable little seats. He swore he was thinking of leaving the thing by the side of the road. Easy to laugh at and so glad we resisted that temptation.Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 23

    The Meseta

    September 21, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 66 °F

    Castrojeriz, Spain
    We had dinner last night with a small group of American pilgrims for the first time in our 18 days on the Camino. Something seemed missing when there was only one language at the table. Afterward we attended vespers at the local convent. The nuns did a great job of welcoming and including the pilgrims, giving a message of inclusivity by observing that we all have red blood no matter our nationality or religious persuasion. Nuns have a reputation for not missing a trick, and those in Spain are no different. One of the pilgrims who straggled in fashionably late was called upon to read the benediction. He did a good job, but bet he'll not be late again. The short service ended with a pilgrim blessing, leaving us with a warm feeling. We left Rabe de las Calzadas at dawn, in anticipation of a long (27.6 km) day. We walked most of the morning with our French Camino friend Natalie whom we'd met on the way out of Burgos. Turns out she was a sailor too, having sailed an old wooden boat, gaff rigged with no engine or electricity, around the Iberian Peninsula many years ago as a newlywed. Listening to her adventures brought back fond memories. The rain from last night turned the clay path into mud with gigantic puddles, caking our shoes and making it feel like we were walking in cement overshoes. Our first coffee stop was Hornillos del Camino, a quaint little village of 58. While we sipped our drinks, a little old lady came in and said it was going to rain. Even though the weather forecast we had seen predicted sun and no rain for 2 days, I assured her that we were prepared. Then in typical American fashion I asked when it was going rain. She looked at me and said it would rain when Mother Nature wanted to, since she was a "bruja" (witch). By golly she was right, and we began to see squalls on the horizon. We hoped it would hold off long enough until we got to our destination. Walking on the meseta is a whole new experience. The meseta is a mostly flat plain with few trees for cover and serves as the breadbasket of Spain. Many pilgrims either take the train or rent a bike to avoid walking it. Heck, we live in Florida, sea level and flat. We are right at home with this terrain. We got this! The funny thing is that when you are on foot and thus moving slow, you notice many things that might otherwise go unnoticed. The lone stalk of wheat that escaped harvest, the colorful wildflowers growing by the side of the road, the piles of compost waiting to be spread in the fields, even the fat little mice who have gorged themselves on wheat all have a certain beauty. We had intended to stop off at Arroyo de San Bol, a little spring with reputed healing waters for a myriad of foot ailments along with a rustic albergue (as in no electricity, which equals no hot water), but it was just a tad too far from the main path to warrant the detour. By noon we'd made it to Hontanas and treated ourselves to a delicious lunch of empanadas, small meat pies and a welcome change of pace from the standard ham and cheese sandwich. On we charged, trying to stay ahead of the rain clouds. When the wind whips up, it really blows here, and it was on the nose most of the afternoon. We broke out the ponchos a couple of kilometers outside of Castrojeriz, but fortunately by then we were walking on the road and not mired in mud. We finally arrived at our lodging about 3 pm, and hot showers took precedence over arrival beverages for a change.Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 24

    On and on and on

    September 22, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Fromista, Spain
    It rained all night but cleared in time for our early morning departure. We've been very fortunate in that regard. While the overcast skies and howling wind are a bit on the cold side, on the exposed meseta it beats baking in the brutal sun. Right out of Castrojeriz we climbed our first hill, Alto de Mostalares, 2,953 feet... wait a minute... we're supposed to be on the flat meseta. Where'd this come from? We had a spectacular view looking back at Castrojeriz before tackling the steep 18 degree descent. Good thing we had our morning coffee. After that it leveled out and we had kilometer after kilometer of already harvested fields with little variation. They say the Camino is part physical, spiritual, and psychological. Today was mostly psychologically challenging, as you feel like you've been walking forever and it's never going to end. Towns were few and far between and the fields went on forever and ever. A big difference between here and the USA is that you don't see any farmhouses or barns in the country. Looks like they live in town and commute to the fields. We've probably walked 30 miles on the meseta between barns, and finally saw our first silo in Fromista. We finally made it to Boadilla del Camino in time for lunch. Lunch breaks on the Camino are interesting, with food, drink and rest al part of the drill. Tending to feet is an essential part of the routine. We all look like a bunch of diabetics who've had the fear of God put in them, stripping off shoes and socks then scrupulously examining our feet for hot spots or blisters. Personal first aid kits contain a variety of foot care products and everyone has opinions on what works best. It's tough to put your shoes back on and get going again. Today we shared lunch with Des, a newly retired high school principal from Dublin. He's adapting to retirement by walking the Camino, though staying sufficiently connected to monitor Ireland's progress in the World Cup rugby match (Ireland soundly thrashed Scotland today). We also ran into Christine, our French physician friend from Atapuerca. The last segment of today's route took us along the Canal de Castilla, a picturesque 17th and 18th century irrigation canal that has a boat to transport pilgrims to Fromista for a very reasonable fee. Too bad it's Sunday and doesn't seem to be running or we would've gladly supported the local boating community. The canal ended in a series of locks right at our destination for the night.Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 25

    The Meseta Continues

    September 23, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Carrion de los Condes, Spain
    We had the grand tour of Fromista last night as we went from place to place in search of dinner being served before 8 pm. We lucked out at 7 pm and were followed in by a gaggle of pilgrims on the same mission. We enjoyed a satisfying dinner with Dermott, a recently retired Irish CPA who lives in Australia. Funny how retirement and family concerns are the same regardless of nationality. In the morning we bundled up for the weather (46 degrees outside) and headed to breakfast. While the Floridians of the group were dressed in layers of wool and fleece with jackets, the Irish stood out in tee shirts, shorts and sandals. Just like a winter in Florida when the Canadians arrive. Morning rush hour began as pilgrims silently stepped out of doorways and got underway. Today’s trek, a mere 19.8km (12.3 miles) over flat terrain is like a walk in the park now that we have our Camino stride. We can afford to slow down for all those Kodak moments today. Although we are bone weary, we aren’t programmed for a rest day until we get to León. Ordinarily we would say to heck with that and just sleep in for a change. But we’ve heard rumors of a pilgrim tsunami behind us. Our timing was great for starting from St Jean Pied de Port as the pass through the Pyrenees was closed for a few days shortly thereafter. We’ve heard that anywhere from 450 to 600 pilgrims started in one day when it reopened. We definitely do not want to get caught up in that. Today’s walk continued through farmland. The amber waves of grain have been harvested but looks like there’ll be another cutting of alfalfa. We passed a mini forest that had obviously been hand planted as the trees were in perfect rows, evenly spaced like soldiers standing in formation. Mike thinks they will be felled down the road for timber. Made it to Carrion de los Condes in time for lunch and ran into our friends Natalie and Helen who we haven’t seen in 2 days. Made a stop in the grocery store to resupply trail snacks as tomorrow we have a very long stretch with no rest facilities.Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 26

    Halfway There!!!

    September 24, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 68 °F

    Moratinos, Spain
    Today's route took us through Terradillos de los Templarios, supposedly the place where the Templars hid the goose that laid the golden eggs, source of their wealth. The goose is obviously long gone, but tributes to the Templars live on. We had an interesting conversation with a local about agriculture in the area. Rather than individual farms, the farms are collectives, explaining the lack of fences demarcating territory. People live in towns or cities since once the wheat is planted it requires little tending. Sometimes about 50% of the homes in villages are vacant, as folks come out for the farming season (migrant farm labor not unique to the USA) and go back to the cities to work in between. Teams with harvesters and all sorts of farm machinery come from as far south as Andalusia during planting and harvesting time. The hand planted groves of fast-growing trees are planted in very moist areas and harvested every 10-12 years to provide pulp for paper as fast growing trees do not provide lumber of the quality from slow growing hardwoods. The fields of sunflowers are government subsidized to encourage crop rotation. The sunflowers are used to make oil but suspect there's not much of a market for that in the land of olive oil. The farmers used to burn the fields, but that's no longer permitted, resulting in an explosion of field mouse populations every 5 years. A village feline demonstrated her mousing skills at a rest stop. She was a momma kitty nursing a litter, so no time for games of cat and mouse. She made short work of a rather plump little critter and moved right along in search of her next morsel. We finished the day in Moratinos, population 58. Moratinos has a large hill/mound into which little caves have been excavated to form bodegas for storing wine, vegetables and whatever. Some date back 500 years. While many have been abandoned, some are still in use and have been known to serve as party central. Trees and rock are in short supply, so bricks of clay and straw seem to be the building material of choice. Oh, and did I mention that from Moratinos it's 376 kilometers to Santiago... we've passed the halfway mark!Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 27

    Killer Calves and Arms of Steel

    September 25, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    El Burgo Ranero, Spain
    Pilgrims dinner last night was an interesting mix of 3 Germans who spoke no English or Spanish, a young woman from Germany currently residing in South Africa and multilingual, a pair of Swedish sisters who spoke English, a Frenchman who only spoke French, and us. We managed to get through it, but the real fun was afterwards, watching Mike armed with google translator carrying on a conversation in French with Bernard, who had worked on ships and submarines. Liberal amounts of red wine lubricated the process and good time was had by all. This morning we scarfed down some fruit and trail mix to get an early start. The sun was a tiny smudge on the horizon and the dark quiet refreshing. In a 0.5 horse town you can't rely on streetlights but fortunately we have headlamps. We made our way to the next town before stopping at the second bar (yes, the place was actually named that... owners must have a sense of humor) for coffee and running into our new friend Michaela from last night. Our paths crossed multiple times during the day. Today’s fields of the meseta were smaller with more variety such as corn, kale, and a vineyard. Trees and bushes formed periodic wind breaks. The soil has gone from white clay when we originally started to rich brown, red, mustard and now red again. Sometimes it's rocky and sometimes not, a continual source of interest. Mid-morning before Sahagun, we passed through 2 pillars marking the official geographic center of the Camino. Yahoo! We've been walking for 23 days and averaging about 4 km per hour. At this point we have killer calves, arms of steel, and abs of...flab? Somehow in the mornings when we get up, doing crunches just doesn't make the list. We'll have some serious catching up to do in that department when we get home. It would be nice to go home with taut, flat tummies, but let's face it. It's probably not happening and besides which surely there are easier ways to lose weight. Of course, the hamburger we had for lunch in Bercianos del real Camino probably didn't help, but after walking for 5 hours we just needed a little protein. We finally made it to El Burgo Ranero around 3 pm. Spirits were flagging, and I don't think I could have gone on much past the 28 km we covered today. When we checked our accommodations for the night, it was a bit of a shock. Looks like we're staying in the town truck stop. Good heavens. Did I book a room for an hour or the night? Somehow the description and reviews were somewhat vague in that regard. But hey, the restaurant is open 24/7 and don't truck stops have great breakfasts?!Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 28

    My Kingdom for a Mule

    September 26, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Mansilla de las Mulas, Spain
    Mike had a restless night, certain he heard knocking on doors until all hours. I, on the other hand, put my earplugs in, snuggled under the covers, and had the best night's sleep of the Camino according to my Fitbit. Exhaustion will do that for you. As for truck stops having the best breakfasts, not so much in Spain. The lone barista was prepared for the coffee onslaught, with saucers prepped with napkins, spoons, and the obligatory 1 packet of sugar, stacked high in the ready position. He was busier than a one-armed paper hanger in a windstorm, with breakfast limited to juice, coffee and pastries. With 13 kilometers to the only stop on the route, I developed a new appreciation for the saying "the Army marches on its stomach". A little protein goes a long way. We stopped mid-morning in Reliegos for eggs and coffee. One of the churches along the way is known to have stork nests on the steeple roof. If you time it right, you just might see the stork babies in the nests. As we passed I wondered, if storks deliver human babies, who delivers the stork babies?? Obviously, I've been on the meseta one kilometer too many. Approaching Mansilla de las Mulas, we can see a mountain range in the distance. Did my Scarlet O'Hara best to not think about that today. After all, tomorrow is another day. Mansilla de las Mulas was a medieval market town catering to pilgrims and did a booming business in mules. Bet those folks back then took one look at the mountains looming in the distance and knew a good thing when they saw it.Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 29

    Camino Family

    September 27, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    Leon, Spain
    Mansilla de las Mulas was a delightful small town with children playing in plazas and medieval city walls still standing. We had dinner at a restaurant in an old pharmacy and met Susie and Peter, a lovely couple from England who had spent considerable time in the Middle East and Far East. After the usual pleasantries the conversation inevitably turned to Brexit. They brought another perspective, feeling like the polarization it was creating was splitting the country not only figuratively, but ultimately literally. They feared the end of the United Kingdom, with Scotland and Ireland leaving the union to become independent countries, and only Britain and Wales remaining. Interesting times ahead. We awoke in the morning to roosters crowing and once again stumbled out into the dark in search of coffee. The small places in town along the route that we had scoped out the night before were locked up tight and we had to walk a few kilometers down the road to Villamoros before finding a place. We shared a table with Felix Sr. and Felix Jr., a father and son duo from Germany. The son had just graduated and was walking the Camino on his own. His father had joined him for a week, sharing the Burgos to León section. He had done the Camino before, but by bike. It was a special time that was quickly drawing to a close. Father was hoping that at the end of his gap year, son would head to the university and study law (like his father) or medicine (like his mother). From Felix Jr's face, you could see that the jury was still out. Back on the road we trucked on. The path followed the highway, passing through Puente de Villarente and Arcahueja. The Camino was slated to become very industrial on the way into León and having had the pleasure of that experience in Burgos, we caught the bus at Arcahueja for the last few kilometers into the city. León is the fourth largest city we will pass through on the Camino. Much of its heritage has been preserved, with ancient city walls incorporated into contemporary buildings and many historical buildings restored and still in use. Cobblestone streets as well as streets made of river rocks set in mosaic patterns wind through the city adding charm and pedestrian challenge. Plazas seem to be tucked everywhere, providing ample room for markets and outdoor cafes. As we sat to have a quick lunch, Christine, our French physician friend passed by and stopped to join us. She is ending her Camino in Leon as planned. Later while touring the cathedral we bumped into our British friend Helen. We've been in this city of 125k for only a few hours, and yet running into friends and familiar faces of fellow pilgrims as if it were a small town. The shared experience of the Camino provides a bond of kinship similar to that we've experienced over the years with our military and sailing families. No matter how far from home, someone's there to greet and look out for you as we take care of each other.Read more

  • TravelerCamino Frances
    Day 30

    Market Day

    September 28, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 73 °F

    Leon, Spain
    We had a much needed rest day in Leon today, reveling in the luxury of sleeping in until 7 and starting the day at a leisurely pace. The moons aligned this time and it's Saturday, as in market day in Leon. Plaza Major is packed with food stalls and purveyors of all sorts of fruits, vegetables, nuts, olives, flowers and sausages. At the Mercado del Conde Luna, a central covered market, the vendors are mostly meats and seafood. Seafood stalls have fish of all shapes, sizes and colors, plus prawns, crabs, snails, and shellfish. As for the butchers, let's just say no part of the animal is wasted. Ears, snouts, feet, tripe, tongue and brains join hearts, livers, kidneys and who knows what all. Add in the assortment of sausages, whole lamb carcasses, and every cut of meat or poultry you can imagine and then some. Moving right along, the next plaza was the garment district with shirts, pants, socks, undergarments, hats and shoes. Ceramics and art were featured in a few other parks and squares. At one point we heard music and spotted a folk group/band marching with bagpipes. Bagpipes in Spain? The Celts were among the people who came to this area, though not as well known as the Moors. The population of Leon was out in full force, shopping, socializing, and enjoying morning beverages and snacks. We hopped on a cute little city sightseeing train that made its way through town, past all the major sights. It took us out past the Convento de San Marcos, a monastery built by the Knights of Santiago back in the 12th century. Over the years it has served as a hospital for pilgrims, a prison, and now a five star luxury hotel (the posh place featured in The Way with Martin Sheen). It's currently under renovation, so no opportunity to recreate those scenes. We ended up in front of Casa Botines, an incredible trapezoid building created by the famous Spanish architect Gaudi (of Catedral Sagrada Familia in Barcelona) for textile merchants. Combining function with artistry, it has been restored as a museum of art, history of the building, and tribute to the architect. Outside a bronze sculpture of Gaudi sits on a park bench, admiring his creation. We managed to cover a lot of territory on our "rest" day but hope to find dinner before the traditional Spanish seating at 9 pm so we can get to bed early. Tomorrow we are on the Camino again.Read more

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