Spain
Cirauqui/Zirauki

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    • Day 9

      Puenta la Reina - Lorca

      April 22, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

      Die Sonne scheint, was bin ich überglücklich ☀️nach 5 Tagen Regen und Kälte.

      Danke Puenta la Reina, ich laufe jetzt los. Im Dorf nur liebe Begrüßungen und immer ein lächelndes Buen Camino.

      Ich mache einen kurzen Besuch in der Iglesia de Santiago, ein durchdringender Duft von Lilien empfängt mich, da stehen sie auf dem Altar, die schönen weißen Blumengestecke. Ich bin beeindruckt von dieser schönen Kirche und spüre den Frieden und die Ruhe um mich herum. Ich nehme mir einen Moment Zeit und denke an die Menschen, die krank sind oder gerade eine schwere Zeit durchmachen.
      Nichts ist selbstverständlich in dieser Welt, auch nicht das die Sonne scheint, ich bin mir bewusst, dass es für mich heute ein Geschenk ist.

      Nach einem steilen Anstieg komme ich in dem schönen Dorf Maneru an und bestelle in einer Bar meinen täglichen Café con leche bei dem freundlich lächelnden Patron.
      Was für eine friedvolles Ambiente, gut gelaunt laufe ich weiter und ändere meine Pläne, ich übernachte in Lorca.
      Ich habe wohl gestern den Vogel abgeschossen mit meinen 28 KM. Andere Pilgrims erzählten, sie hätten es ab Pamplona in 2 Etappen gelaufen, okay… das habe ich gestern auch gefühlt.
      Ein wunderschöner Weg führt mich vorbei an Olivenbäumen und Weinbergen, in der Ferne liegt Lorca. Auf meinen Sandalen geht es heute wieder auf und ab, meine Füße brauchen Sauerstoff und keinen beengten Raum.
      Heute schlafe ich in der Auberge De Lorca.
      Als ich ankomme, bin ich todmüde vom Klettern, der Patron kommt liebevoll mit einem Glas Wasser auf mich zu, im Hintergrund spielt Luciano Pavarotti‘s Nessun Dorma, da sind sie wieder…..Tränen vor Müdigkeit, Emotion und den herzlichen Empfang, vor allem das Verständnis zu sehen in den Augen des Patrones.
      Er ruft seine Frau, eine pfiffige Asiatin kommt runter und nimmt mich mit in der 2e Etage im Zimmer mit 4 Betten, sie gibt mir Decken und erzählt mir, dass das Pilgermenü um 19 Uhr serviert wird.

      Dann passiert es…. Ich höre ihre Stimme im Hintergrund. Zuerst dachte ich, ich würde es mir einbilden, aber nein, rate mal.... Maryann taucht auf! Sie schläft auch in meinem Dormitoir und ihr Mann Henk schleppt sich auch in unser Zimmer.
      Ich schaue sie etwas mürrisch an und sie erzählt mir sofort, dass sie gestern ein großes Problem hatte. Gestern? Dachte ich, schon länger oder…
      Ich will nicht unverschämt sein und frage höflich was los ist, da plappert sie schon wieder los.
      Ich dachte, ich hätte sie in Uterga zurückgelassen... nun muss ich wieder mit ihr fertig werden, ach das wird schon.
      Hoffentlich schnarchen die beiden nicht 😅

      Morgen wieder mehr von der Camino, genieße gleich mein Pilgrimsmenu.
      Alles Liebe für euch und liebsten Dank für eure lieben Worten und Unterstützung.
      😘 Buen Camino!
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    • Day 30

      Uterga to maneru

      May 21, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

      Well yesterday the walk up the hill was so steep it was all I could do to stay upright! On top of that I had developed a sore throat, trip to a pharmacy to get medication. I made it though. Today I'm taking the bus to Estelle and have booked in for 3 days to get myself better, as it's no fun having to pack up everyday and cope with reduced energy.
      I met some people from Argentina who now live in Florida and they had to ask me the question "how old are you! " They were amazed.. I don't think it so amazing...but thére you are they insisted on a photograph...then were on their way.
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    • Day 7 - Urtega to Cirauqui - 15km

      September 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

      Today was a much easier day. One reason is I was more prepared, I forced myself to eat and drink and second, Christina walked with me all day. It was very nice getting to know her today. She is from Denmark and has a 3 month leave from work.

      Had breakfast, if you can call it that, A piece of bread with butter and jam and a small croissant, but I am not complaining, at least I put food in my mouth. I set off just after 7:30am and was already on the wrong path within 10 mins. Not far though, so when I got back on track, Christina was just ahead of me. We walked about the same pace (though not on the uphills, she was faster.)

      We were thinking of doing the Eunate option but we got to Obanos and realized we missed the turn off. We had a nice break in Puente la Reina, where I had a coke and tortilla. We sat at a table with a lady who had sprained her ankle who was taking a taxi for a few days and her friends are walking.

      We stopped again in Maneru and I wasn’t hungry but had a small sandwich. We sat for a good 45 minutes, relaxing. Only 2.6km left and got into the albergue around 2. I am in the same room that Jörg and I were in but not the same bed. There is a nice couple in the bunk beds that we had who fell in love on the camino 4 years ago. How wonderful is that?!

      Ok. A little less stressed today. I am just waiting for dinner and relaxing some more.

      TTYL

      Throwback to 2009 from Julie’s Journal

      Today we started out by 7:15. Before we left, I listened to Desiderata with Joerg on the IPod.

      After the usual shower and washing of clothes, Joerg and I went for a little walk. At one point I told him to go on without me, I wanted to just find a quiet bench and write in my journal and read. So here I am. I was thinking a lot about this today. Joerg always walks ahead and I don’t really have the freedom to stop where I want. I sometimes stop and take a picture but if I wanted to stop for any length of time, I couldn’t because Joerg would be waiting. I am tempted to tell him that we should go separately and just agree to meet up at the next stop (i.e. where we are sleeping).

      The downside to this is that I do really enjoy his company and he takes care of me and I love that. I have never had someone do that for me before and I really like it. I have finally realized that I don’t need to always prove to myself and the world that I am strong and independent. I know it and so do most of the people who meet me. So why not enjoy having someone take care of me. One of the problems is that I love Joerg so much that it hurts. I know he cares very deeply for me and is showing me affection when he can (with hugs and smiles etc.) but I want more. I want a relationship. I want to kiss him, hold him and be with him.
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    • Day 8

      Etappe 5 - Estella 1

      September 19, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

      Gegen 6.30 Uhr sind wir wieder auf dem Weg. Frühstück gab es in einem Café in Puente la Reina.
      Nun haben wir ca. 8 km zurückgelegt und durchwandern erste Weinanbaugebiete. Der Wein ist recht klein und angetrocknete Trauben schmecken schon wie Rosinen. Landschaftlich fühle ich mich hier fast wie in der Toskana.
      Kurze Pausen in kleinen Café bei Café con leche, frisch gepresstem Orangensaft und Banane - 😋lecker!!!
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    • 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.
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    • Day 14

      Day 7-Cirauqui

      September 10, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

      Today was a day of almosts. We left Uterga at sunrise when it was nice and cool out. We were supposed to walk 12 miles today but it was more like 14 miles. I had the bright idea to detour a couple of km to see a mysterious church called Santa María de Eunate. It's in a valley surrounded by farmland and nothing else. There's no record of its origin, only alot of supposition. We had to wait a half hour for the church to open (we were early, they were late).

      Because of this detour, we ended up having a steep ascent into Obanos and it was starting to heat up. We trudged along and stopped for patatas bravas in Puente la Reina. The stretch between there and Mañeru reminded me of the American River trails. The first almost occured on this stretch. The Vuelta a España (Spain's answer to the Tour de France) was coming through this area today. We saw two helicopters fly by really low so we knew the cyclists were going by at that moment. Twenty minutes later, we ascended to the road they just passed through.

      We arrived in Cirauqui, our final destination of the day, to the whole village finishing up a wine festival. They were all wearing a wine glass on a harness around their necks. It looked like a good time we almost had.

      The almosts really don't matter. I had a physically challenging, but fun day with my honey. And we have a great private room with our own bathroom and balcony.
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    • Day 10

      Cirauqui, Lorca and Villatuerta

      September 27, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

      We have arrived in our destination for tonight, Villateurta, about 18km of walking. We passed through two more hilltop villages. The descent from Cirauqui was on an ancient Roman road and bridge over the stream in the valley.

      Before Lorca we walked under a canal, see photos.

      We walked with a very nice woman, Annabelle, from Majorca. There is a picture of her on a bridge with Sue. It was nice to be with her when Lorca sounded an emergency horn, followed by a PA announcement in Spanish. We asked if we need to take shelter! She laughed and said, "No they are just telling the town that the new Covid vaccines are available tomorrow". Whew!!!!

      Our albegue tonight is beautiful, newly renovated building in yet another hilltown, just opened last summer. Sue and I are relaxing in the common room with a bottle of vino Tonto and some snacks, while our laundry is in the washer.
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    • Day 11

      Day 8

      August 29, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

      Cirauqui to Villamayor de Monjardin - 23ks
      Left 6.45am arrived at 2pm
      As you can see, it was dark when we left Cirauqui the terrain was reasonably flat and so we made good time. With it being cooler, it certainly helps, and because we intended a longer hike, we had our bags transported. Again, we only had a sprinkle of rain. This made a huge difference to our speed of travelling. We saw fields of 🌻 but they were all dry and ready for harvesting.
      We had a lovely time in Estella, then we went to the wine fountain, yuck!!! I don't particularly like red wine. Villamayor de Monjardon is a pretty village set up on the hillside.
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    • Day 10

      Pamplona - Puenta La Reina & Cirauqui

      September 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

      Day 6 and 7 in Uterga and Cirauqui - This was a beautiful hike. First a significant ascent to Perdón Peak walking along gigantic windmills overhead and then stopping to take pictures of the monument of the Santiago Way which depicts a group of pilgrims from different periods crossing the line of windmills. Very iconic. After a very steep and rocky descent (that almost killed my knees) stayed last night in a cute Albergue in the town of Urtega.
      Left early this morning and had a much needed breakfast and coffee in Puenta La Reina. Admired the 13th century doorway of the Santiago church and crossed the Arga River over a beautiful Romanesque bridge to get to tonight’s Albergue in Cirauqui.
      Cirauqui is a beautiful medieval village perched on top of a mountain. The path to Cirauqui goes through recently harvested grain fields, vineyards and several fig trees growing along the side. The albergue overlooks the Romanesque church at the top of the hill - just one more final climb for the day!
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    • Day 18

      Prendre le temps

      May 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

      De marcher pas par pas malgré les difficultés que le chemin te présente, prendre le temps de s'arrêter de respirer, d'observer ce que la nature t'offre, la satisfaction d'enlever ton sac lorsque tu prends une pause, le goût d'un breuvage lorsque tu as soif, la nécessité de boire de l'eau, 4 km a l'heure et prendre le temps d'accepter la durée du périple de la journée, se souvenir que l'humilité et la résilience te voisine et prendre le temps de savourer, se rendre compte qu'on est bien petit devant le grandiose. La douleur physique ne devient que distraction et ne doit pas dominer l'inestimable.

      Les vrais valeurs humaines se dessinent lentement et deviennent les nouvelles priorités

      Buene camino
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Cirauqui/Zirauki

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