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ST. JEAN PIED DE PORT TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Prelude – Tuesday March 29th – St. Jean Pied de Port

Myself and Kelly set out on our journey yesterday when we boarded the 2.15 p.m. bus to Dublin Airport staying overnight in one of the Airport hotels as our flight was at 9.30 a.m. this morning. Security at the airport was efficient and thorough but considering the recent bombings in various parts of the world it moved very smoothly. The first part of the journey takes us to Biarritz and there were obviously a few other people flying to start the Camino.

We checked with the information desk in Biarritz Airport in terms of the best way to get to St. Jean Pied de Port and an extremely friendly lady  confirmed that we needed to take the bus to Bayonne and the 2.55 p.m. train to St. Jean. While waiting for the bus we got chatting to a young couple, she was from Holland, he from Washington D.C. and they had met in Vietnam while both were teaching there. This was the first of many chats with pilgrims which make this Camino so enjoyable. We continued to chat with this couple while we waited for the train. The cost of the train was only €17.70 for both of us.

There were 2 carriages in this train and it was nearly filled by pilgrims. The train journey took approximately 1 hour and it was a very pleasing journey mainly along by a riverside winding its way through the countryside and the scenery was beautiful.

We reached St Jean Pied de Port at about 4.00 pm and all the backpackers filed up the street towards the centre of the town. Most of the backpackers headed for the various pilgrim aubergues scattered throughout the town and on the way they stopped at the local pilgrim office to get their credentials (Credential de Peregrino) or Pilgrim Passport.

As we walked to our accommodation we passed all these pilgrims queuing for their Credentials. You get your Credential stamped each day usually on arrival at your accommodation but there are many other establishments stamping Credentials including churches and you normally make some small contribution for this service. You produce your stamped Credential at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago de Compostela when you arrive at the end of your Camino as evidence of the journey that you have  undertaken. You then get your certified Santiago Camino Compostela but you need to have walked a minimum of 100 kilometres to receive this particular document.

Pilgrims also generally carry a scallop shell which is a symbol of the Camino and appears everywhere in various forms. You tie the shell to your backpack to indicate that you are a Peregrino. There is a long historic connection between the shell and the Camino with many myths and legends (www.caminoways.com) associated with the purpose/reason for the shell.

We have decided to stay in a guesthouse for our 3 nights in St Jean and the name of the guesthouse is Errecaldia which is situated above the old town and just below the historic Citadelle. We have a nice room with views on two sides, one looking up at the Citadelle and on the other side looking out over the outskirts of the village towards the mountains. The name Errecaldia means valley view in the Basque language, Euskadi.

In walking through the town it is relatively quiet but the town is obviously centred on the Camino and servicing the pilgrims. The other obvious fact is that we are in the Basque region. I was always conscious that on the Spanish side there is an extremely strong Basque identity but had not realised that it was so strong on the French side.

We went for dinner at Restaurant Cidrerie Hurrup Eta Klik which we had seen earlier and we needed assistance with the menu but fortunately the waitresses had reasonable English. We both have Basque dishes. Kelly, squid with rice, potatoes, salad and a dessert of Gateau Basque. I had Basque black pudding which I greatly enjoyed and of course we both had a few glasses of red wine.

 

Prelude – Wednesday 30th March – St. Jean Pied de Port

Started the day with traditional Basque style breakfast which included some ham, cheese , black cherry jam, coffee and of course the obligatory bread which is served with all meals.

After breakfast we decided to explore the town and we strolled down Chemin de la Porte Saint Jacques through the ancient gate stopping at No. 39 which is the pilgrim centre. We went in to get our Credential de Peregrino and also to purchase our scallop shells. This office is like an advice centre for Peregrinos and they provide you with helpful information including a list of all the available accommodation along the Camino. We also get the first stamp on our credentials and this is an emotional moment for us.

We walk further down the street and stop at a store which supplies all manner of goods and gear for the backpacking pilgrims. We purchased ponchos which would provide us with overall rain cover and these ponchos cover not only ourselves but also  include our backpacks. While we have integrated covers with our backpacks we feel that we would get greater protection and coverage with the ponchos. The shop assistant was extremely helpful and interesting. He asked me where I was from and when I mentioned that I was from Limerick in Ireland he straightaway said Munster. Obviously he knew the connection between Limerick, rugby and Munster.

Further down this street we visited the 14th century Notre Dame du Bout du Pont Church which is a red schist (type of rock) Gothic Church. This is an interesting church built by Sancho the Strong of Navarre to commemorate a battle and it stands by the  banks of the River Nive.

 

 

 

 

 

We then strolled along a walkway by the River Nive crossing over a small bridge and walked back by the other bank. The day

was beautiful with the sun shining and we had lovely views of the surrounding mountains. We continued our walk up through the streets of the town to the beginning of the Camino route outside of the town and we could see the direction sign for the Napoleon Route clearly marked with a sign saying Ferme which means that this particular route is closed.

There are two routes over the Pyrenees, the higher trail is over the Napoleon Route and then a lower trail through Valcarlos with both bringing you to Roncevallas. The Napoleon Route is so called because it was the route used by Napoleon to cross over into Spain during the Napoleonic Wars and the highest point is 1410 meters (approximately 4625 feet). Based on the advice we have received we will not be able to cross the Napoleon Route.

Later in the day we climb up to visit the Citadelle and discover that in the centre of this historic building is a secondary school. Each day buses and cars pull up outside our B&B and the school kids trudge and bounce up the steps to the school. The Citadelle was a castle built in the

17th century and is perched on a hill above the town but is linked to the medieval walls of the old town. The town still retains some of its medieval feeling and you can sense this as you walk the walls of the old town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Jean Pied de Port owes its name to its location at the foot of the Pyrenees. “Pied de Port” means “at the foot of the pass” and the town was capital of the Basque Basse-Navarre region. Over its history the town has been a stronghold, frontier town, and a commercial crossroads. Cider is also one of the local products. In walking around St Jean it is interesting to note the facilities which are available in this town of approximately 1,500 people. There are 2 separate rugby grounds, 3 tennis courts, a soccer pitch, outdoor swimming pools and a number of basketball courts.

 

Prelude – Thursday 31st March – St. Jean Pied de Port

What a scene we woke up to this morning with torrential rain which continued for most of the day. Today is also the day when Gerry Younger, one of my best friends, joins myself and Kelly in St. Jean. Gerry is travelling from Munich where he has lived for the past 30 years. Gerry and I had started talking about doing the Camino about 3 years ago as we both had decided that we would be retired when we reached 60 years of age.

When we went for lunch to the Restaurant/Bar Ciderie Hurrup Eta Klik we wore our new ponchos and they really proved their worth as they protected us from the downpour. We shared a table with 2 other pilgrims, one a man from Holland by the name of Rene and the second a girl from Germany. Rene explained that they had just arrived from Biarritz by taxi as there were no trains running due to a strike and this was the first news we had about this strike. We were to meet Rene at various stages throughout the Camino.

Gerry also encountered the same problem with the strike when he arrived in Biarritz at 3.30 pm.  He shared a taxi with 6 other pilgrims arriving in St. Jean at 5.15 pm and myself and Kelly met him at the train station.  This was the first time Kelly and Gerry had met but they greeted each other like old friends. On our way to the  guesthouse we stopped at the pilgrim office so that Gerry could have his details recorded and his Credential stamped.

That evening we went for a few beers but a good number of the restaurants were closed and we went back to the Ciderie again. Kelly and Gerry had the Pilgrim’s menu and this would be the first of many Pilgrim’s Menus or Menus del Dia that would be consumed over the following 7 weeks. We shared a bottle of local Basque wine and strolled back to our guesthouse at 9.00 pm as we intend rising at 6.00 am the next morning to begin our Camino.

 

 

 

 

Camino Day 1 – Friday 1st April, St. Jean Pied de Port to Valcarlos

We rise at 6.00 am to get organised for our first day walking the Camino. Breakfast at 7.00 am and again it is the traditional Basque breakfast of ham, cheese, bread, cherry jam, orange juice and coffee/tea. We set out just after 8.00 am and strolled down through the Porte de Saint Jacques to begin our Camino. As we make our way along the streets of the old town we meet different individuals and groups of Peregrinos starting out on their Camino. We stop and take photographs for some people and they reciprocate for us as we walk through the Porte d’Espagne.

Our host at the guesthouse had given us an alternative route for the first few kilometres and this helped us to avoid walking along the main road. When we came off the end of the alternative route we had to redirect a number of pilgrims who had missed the turn onto the path out into the countryside. This path took us along quiet country lanes general above the main road but running parallel. The route of the Camino is identified by way markers which are generally blue and have the Camino Scallop Shell symbol in yellow and this continues throughout the entire Camino route. Some cities, towns and villages have their own

variations embedded in the footpaths.

This was a beautiful morning and warmer than I had expected so I had to divest myself of some of my clothing. The scenery around us was lovely and initially we were travelling through farm land with wonderful views of the mountains in the distance. Along the way we briefly came back into civilisation and stopped at a shopping centre where we had coffee. Gerry also went into the supermarket and purchased a baguette, ham, chorizo, cheese and tomatoes for lunch. We had also stocked up the previous day with bananas, apples, mandarins, and some cereal bars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today we covered 15 kilometres in 4.5 hours which was very good considering that there were some very steep sections requiring strenuous climbing. We had decided that we would only walk at a

leisurly pace and that we would only walk to Valcarlos on our first day so that we would not overextend ourselves. Valcarlos is a small village with a population of 380 souls with a number of aubergues and is the only place one can stop between St Jean Pied de Port and Roncavalles.

When we arrived at the Municipal aubergue in Valcarlos we were able to get access to the building as there was a couple from the USA who were in the building

and this allowed us to pick out our bunks for the night. The arrangement in these albergue is that once you arrive and have access you can place your sleeping bag on a bunk and it is then taken. This aubergue was not staffed full time and did not open before 1.00 pm each day. We are in a dorm of 10 bunk beds but the facilities here are good, modern and the cost is 10 Euros. We had our lunch in the small kitchen in the aubergue and then retired for a well earned rest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 6.30 pm we headed to the Bar/Restaurant Azkena and had a couple of beers which were .3 of a litre and cost 2 euros. We had the Menu del Peregrinos which cost €12.50 each for a 3 course meal plus a bottle of wine shared between the 3 of us. Myself and Kelly had Haricot beans and chorizo to start and Gerry had potatoes with asparagus. For our main course I had sole served with chips and salad, Kelly had venison stew and Gerry had lamb chops.

We arrived back at the aubergue just after 9 o’clock to find that our dorm was in complete darkness with all the other pilgrims asleep and so we had to quietly organise ourselves for bed. An unusual coincidence from this first night and which happened later in the Camino is that we became good friends with four of the other occupants of this particular dorm.

So ended our first day on the Camino.

 

 

 

 

Camino Day 2 – Saturday 2nd April, Valcarlos to Roncavalles 

We wake at 6:00, I shower and then organise my backpack. We have a breakfast of coffee, some small buns supplied by the aubergue and fruit that we had purchased previously.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As soon as we set out from Valcarlos the road began to rise and continued to rise for a considerable period of time. We walked on the road for about 2.5 kilometres and this was a little bit disconcerting as we needed to be conscious of the oncoming traffic.

The route then turns off onto a track which brings us down to the tiny hamlet of Ganecoleta where we crossed a small stream and take a narrow path
travelling beside the river. This path had a number of points where trees had fallen and to

enable us to climb over these trees someone had cut a small notch in the trees. The scenery, peace and quiet is amazing and at various times we are passed by other pilgrims. After this peaceful stroll through the woods we were back on the road again for another 1 kilometre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then came the most difficult section of our walk today as we travel 4.3 kilometres through beech and hazel woods steadily climbing upwards with some very steep inclines. We had to stop frequently as this is a tough climb which eventually brings you to the Puerto de Ibaneta at a height of 1,040 metres (3,412 ft.). As we walk along we converse with different pilgrims and we notice the wide range of nationalities which is fascinating. Some pilgrims were feeling the pressure having walked from St. Jean Pied de Port and were obviously struggling. One man had to get a taxi to get him to Roncavalles.

 

When we reached the highest point at Puerto de Ibanete which is in the province of Navarre, Spain there was a major gale blowing which made the crossing of the pass somewhat difficult. The gale was in marked contrast to the lovely sunshine and calm weather we experienced while climbing up to the pass and walking through the forest while arduous was beautiful and peaceful. This pass was the scene of the one spectacular defeat of the Emperor Charlemagne in 778 AD and where his commander Roland was killed in an ambush by Basque Tribes. Roland is immortalised in an epic poem Song of Roland composed in the 10th century.

We make our way down from the pass and into our destination for today, Roncavalles. There are only 50 people living in Roncavalles and in addition to the Aubergue there are 2 Restaurant/Bars and a hotel. The aubergue has 180 beds in the newly renovated section and an over of 110 beds in the older part. The facilities here are good and the bunks are set up in pods of 4. Myself, Kelly and Gerry shared with a nice Spanish guy from Malaga. Booking into the aubergue was efficient with the cost of the bunk being 12 euros and we also took the option for dinner and breakfast booked at one of the local restaurants. We

all lay down and had a sleep after the strenuous walk today where we covered another 15 kilometres.

We were booked for dinner at 7.00 pm and we went to the Restaurant/Bar Sabina slightly before to have a beer. A lot of pilgrims were booked in for dinner and we chatted with our Spanish companion from Malaga. Dinner was basic, vegetable soup, some chicken and French fries, with a yoghurt for dessert. This meal was very poor when compared with the Menu del Peregrinos we had the previous evening in Valcarlos . After dinner we went back to the

aubergue, lights went out at 10.00 pm and people settled down to sleep. A feature of this aubergue is that it is generally staffed by volunteers and these volunteers are usually former Peregrinos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camino Day 3 – Sunday 3rd April, Roncavalles to Zubiri.

The lights in the aubergue were turned on at 6.00 and everyone started to get organised. Some people had even left before this time. Back to the same restaurant for breakfast which consisted of coffee, one large piece of toast and an orange. We started walking at 7.35 am but first we stopped on the edge of town to have our photograph taken at the road sign showing 790 kilometres to Santiago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The walk out of town was through a forest path and there was a steady stream of pilgrims heading off this morning. The Sorginaritzaga (Oakwood of witches) forest where we travelled initially were home to a witches coven in the 16th century and 9 women were burned at the stake during it’s repression. Medieval people believed that a white cross could save them from the evils of witchcraft and there is such a white cross on the outskirts of the town of Burguete.

Burguete also has another claim to fame relating to Ernest Hemingway who used to stay with his family in the Hostal Burguete and where there is still a piano bearing his signature. Hemingway visited the province of Navarre where Burguete is between 1923 and 1959. Burguete is a pretty little village which has water constantly running down the main street in a channel laid specifically for this purpose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a steady stream of pilgrims passing through these villages, stopping at the local shops and cafes. After another 3.6 kilometres we stopped for coffee and tortilla (Spanish omelette) in a little village called Aspinal. We also stocked up with a baguette, salami, ham and cheese to have for our lunch along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have been climbing steadily this morning and our next hurdle is the Alto de Mezquiriz at 930 metres (3050 ft.) high. Part of our trek is along the

edge of a main road and also some minor roads but 80% is through woodland. Some of the woodland paths are difficult as the paths have been affected by rain and this slows our progress. Also some of the paths are steep making it awkward to negotiate the downward slope.

 

 

 

 

 

The day is good, the scenery is spectacular and we pass through some lovely hamlets. We have become familiar with various

pilgrims and we exchange a few words with them as we pass each other on the paths. Our next feat is to get over Alto de Erro which is 801 metres (2628 ft.) and having descended from the previous pass we now climb upwards again. At the top we stop at a mobile cafe to have some coffee and a bun to rejuvenate ourselves. We have 3.5 kilometres to get to Zubiri and we are more than happy to arrive as this has been a difficult day especially coming down from the hills with the loose stones and steep inclines.

When we get to Zubiri we find that the first few aubergues are full. A lady from one of these aubergues told us not to go to the Municipal Aubergue but to go 400 metres down the road to a new aubergue by the name of Susseia. Ten pilgrims arrived together at Suseia and we were met by a lovely young lady who assured us that she had room for all of us. She sat us down in a covered area so that we could take off our boots and she brought us a complimentary beer.

This is a lovely modern establishment and is obviously only recently opened. The cost of staying in this aubergue is €15 for bed and breakfast with an extra €10 for dinner. We are sharing a room of 6 bunks with  two English ladies Lois and Joanna whom we have been meeting over the past two days.

 

 

 

That evening we had dinner in a dining room which was like a family room with a beautiful wooden table and pleasant surroundings. Also in the other half of the room there was a couch and armchairs. We were part of the first group for dinner and this group comprised of the 3 of us, our 2 English friends, 3 Korean ladies and a very quiet German guy.

 

We all opted for salad as a starter and this was a lovely salad with produce supplied by the family of our host. Main course was pasta and then we had a lovely dessert of sponge, strawberries, cream and a chocolate, wine was also provided. This meal was far superior to the meal the previous night and we all enjoyed it. The conversation at dinner was very entertaining and the three Korean ladies were great fun, laughing and joking. These three ladies we had met originally in Valcarlos and we had passed each other a number of times during the following two days. We chatted for a little while after dinner and

were in bed early.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camino Day 4 – Monday 4th April, Zubiri to Huarte.

Up at 6.45 am, establishing my morning routine of having a shower, organising backpack and then breakfast. Breakfast was very good and a major improvement on the previous day. Started walking at 8.20 am and finished 8 hours later having covered 20 kilometres.

 

 

 

 

 

We walked back down through the town, across the lovely medieval bridge and out of town on path and road. We have to make

our way past the bleak Magna Magnesita Navarra industrial complex. We pass a waymarker with a lone boot perched on top and it makes you wonder about the story behind the boot. We climb up rocky paths and reach the tiny hamlet of Ilarratz.

Just outside this hamlet is an old Abbey compound containing the parish church of Santa Lucia which has been bought by former pilgrims who have rescued the building from its ruinous state and are now in the process of restoring it. We were given a short tour by a guy called Nick from South Africa who is working on the project. This building may have been built as a fort in the 12th century and converted to a church in the 16th century.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While we were visiting the church it had started to rain and we had to break out our ponchos. We set out again and unfortunately it rained for the next six and a half hours as we walked but our ponchos proved their worth keeping us dry.  The rain made our walking more difficult and slowed our pace. We were travelling through undulating countryside and the downhill portions were testing.

 

We passed through another little hamlet called Esquirroz before arriving at the town of Larrasoana at 11.00 am where we stopped at a small cafe and shop. We met the owner of this establishment who is a Basque Nationalist with a love of Ireland and the Irish. He showed me 2 flags in the outdoor seating area, one an Irish flag and the second a County Down flag. We had coffee, muffins and tortilla which was very welcome. We chatted with the owner and some of the other pilgrims before heading off once again into the rain and the muddy paths.

Our next stop was at a small cafe/bar and aubergue in Zuriain where we drank Rooibos Tea. Following this stop we headed off along the forest path to Irotz. As we walked along the path we came upon a Vulture roosting in a tree quite close to the the path, it is incredible to see

and be close to such a wild bird. We joked that the Vulture was perched there as if waiting for a weakened, wayward pilgrim. When we arrived in Irotz we sat for a while in a sheltered area by the side of the street to rest our feet.

After Irotz we took an alternative route bypassing the town of Zabaldika before going through a tunnel under the roadway. At this stage we decided that we were not going to attempt to reach Pamplona and so we travelled on a winding path which follows the River Arga all the way into Pamplona. Most other pilgrims took the route to Pamplona following the steep path up and over Monte Nerval but we had agreed that we would stop at the Municipal aubergue in Huarte which is located 8 kilometres from Pamplona.

The path to Huarte was level, by the river and easy to walk. We stopped at a covered bench out of the rain in order to eat our bread, cheese, chorizo and ham. Then we walked on and made our way into Huarte. I stopped to ask a young girl for directions to the Municipal Aubergue and she gave me the directions in Spanish. We walked in the general direction indicated and on the way another lady came to us to point out the building without being asked.

When we got to the building the Manager was not there and I had to ring a phone number indicated on a notice to make contact with him. While I was on the phone Saci, a Turkish girl living in Germany whom we had met a number of times came out of a room and she was delighted to see us. Saci was in a room with Marianne from Holland and with the 3 of us making a total of 5 in this aubergue which is capable of accommodating 60 people. No further pilgrims arrived to stay in this aubergue

and we had the place to ourselves overnight. Saci and Marianne had been in the same dorm with us on our first night when we stayed in Valcarlos. This is an older aubergue but the facilities were good and we were very comfortable. The cost of our bunk accommodation in this aubergue is €10 for the night.

We rested for a short time to recover from our exertions over the 8 hours on the road, then went across the square to the Cafe

Iteroa for a beer at 7.30. After the beer we walked down the street to find a restaurant and I went into a shop to ask in my pidgin Spanish if there was one in the neighbourhood. One very nice lady stepped out of the shop to give directions and she sent us to the Mahatsa Restaurant.

We ordered another beer and perused the menu. We each ordered a large burger and chips which turned out to be extremely good value, very good food, delicious and cost only €6.50.

 

 

Back to the albergue before 10.00 pm as this is the standard closing time in all municipal albergues. When we arrived back the gate was closed but another group who had been using a different part of the same building opened the gate for us.

A thought on the Camino is that the Camino spirit is extraordinary and the friendliness of people is wonderful. Also Gerry and I are having great chats about life, our experiences growing up, family and friends.

 

Camino Day 5 – Tuesday 5th April, Huarte to Pamplona 

We rise at 7.00 this morning, shower and get organised for the day ahead. We cross the square to the Club Jubilados de Huarte where we get our credential stamped. We meet Saci and Marianne in the Club and they are having breakfast. We have coffee, bocadillos with scrambled eggs and ham and the total cost of of this breakfast was €4 for the 3 of us. This Club seems to be some sort of community facility providing various services and would appear to be catering for senior citizens.

We started out on the route to Pamplona at 8.40 am and our route brought us along a river walk on a wide path which is used by local residents out for their daily walk. Most of the people we meet on this path say “Hola,” Buenos Dias or Buen Camino and some even stop to volunteer directions to guide us on our way. This is an 8 kilometre walk into the city of Pamplona and it is amazing to see the facilities that are available to local people on this walkway. The path and

surrounding park are known as the Parque Fluvial. The park also contain the 16th century Puente y Molina de San Andres (The Bridge and Mill of Saint Andrew) which is now a visitor and exposition centre. The centre is geared towards environmental education and awareness also hosting workshops and offering guided tours. The mill operated as a flour mill from the year 1541 up to the beginning of the 20th century and has now been restored.

Pamplona is our first major city and it has a population of approximately 200,000 people. The path eventually lead us to the streets through the suburbs of Pamplona. We then arrive at the historic Puente de Magdalena, the famous pilgrim bridge. This bridge is considered the most important of the 4 medieval bridges that cross the River Arga as it passes through Pamplona and it was originally built in the 12th century. There is a cross at one end of

the bridge marking the Pilgrims Way as it enters the old city.

Pamplona is named after the Roman General Pompeyo Magno who called it Pompaelo in 74BC, but it was originally a Basque Village called Iruna. We proceeded on to the magnificent Portal de Francia (The French Gate) which firstly leads you along beside the walls of the old town and then into the old town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped at the Portal de Francia to take some photographs and some school children who were up on the battlements started waving and calling greetings to us. As we walked into the old town we met our 2 English friends Lois and Joanna and stopped to chat with them. We also took a photograph as this was the girls last day on the Camino.

 

 

 

 

We made our way to the Albergue Plaza Cathedral only to find that it was completely booked even at this early stage in the day. The receptionist rang a number of other Albergues and found a place for us.

This man was extremely helpful to us and sent us on our way to Hostal Cuitadela 7 which turned out to be excellent accommodation. There were 6 bunks in our room and only one was occupied.

We decided that we would go to visit Pamplona Cathedral and we walked back up through the city streets which are relatively quiet. There is a €3 entrance fee which is a reduction for Peregrinos.

The current Cathedral was built between the 14th and 15th century over a former Romanesque Church. Like many Churches and Cathedrals in Spain this particular Cathedral is quite large. This is an impressive structure with the cloister and other additional areas being very interesting. There is a fascinating display of artifacts from Roman

times and there are excavations showing the remains of Roman walls. The Cathedral also contains the mausoleum of King Carlos III, the Noble and his wife Leonor situated in the central nave. King Carlos united Pamplona in 1423.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we finished our visit to the Cathedral we went to see the historic defensive walls and battlements which are very impressive and look out from the old town towards the modern city.

 

 

 

 

 

We then walked down to Plaza Consistorial and went to a cafe called Al Norte de Sur which has books in addition to coffee and cakes. The cafe was quiet and we started talking to the owner who is from Venezuela. The cafe was opened 9 months ago but it has had to contend with major construction works quite close by for the past 7 months. The cafe has a selection of reading material and also activities for children. This man deserves success and hopefully he will achieve it.

We walked back down through the city into the Cuidadela (Citadel) which is located quite close to our accommodation. The Cuidadela is a historic fort and defensive structure constructed from 1571 onwards to protect Pamplona from the constant incursions by the French  Army. It has now been converted into a 280,000 square metres park with some of the buildings housing contemporary art exhibitions. After walking around the interior we went back to our albergue to rest for a while.

 

 

 

I had been having trouble with hay fever for the past few days and I went to the nearest pharmacy to try to get some medication for it. I had to go to 3 different pharmacies before I managed to get an antihistamine to treat it.

We had decided to go to a bar/restaurant next door for dinner and we had a beer first before getting the menu with our second beer. I had a lovely Sole dish and both Kelly and Gerry had a bocadillo. These bocadillos were huge and consisted of the baguette, together with pork, lettuce and a selection of vegetables.

Back to our accommodation at 9 o’clock and we went to the lounge because we heard the sound of the TV. Some Peregrinos whom we had met previously and who are originally from Bolivia were watching Barcelona v Athletico Madrid in the Champions League. These Peregrinos were a brother and 2 sisters who are living in different parts of the world and this was the first time in 30 years that they have all come together. We watched the remainder of the first half and then went to bed as we intended getting up at 6.00 am next morning.

 

Camino Day 6 – Wednesday 6th April, Pamplona to Muruzabal.

Up at 6.00 a.m. and got ourselves organised in the dark as the other occupant in the room was still asleep. It was interesting setting off at 6.54 a.m. on the streets which were quiet initially but you could gradually see other pilgrims starting to move and all heading in the same direction. You could also see life beginning to stir with some people exercising and others going to work. Some Cafes, Bars and Restaurants were also opening. The streets are well marked with Camino waymarkers and it is easy to make our way through the city out into the countryside.

At 8.20 we stopped at a small bar in Cizur Menur where an old man was serving coffee, bread and jam. We beefed up this breakfast with our own meat and cheese. After our repast we set off down the road to Cizur Mayor and we came upon a group of day trippers as I call them. A bus load of pilgrims gathering to start their walk with small day packs or no pack at all. These pilgrims were a more elderly group and we passed them as we headed out along paths bordered by green fields on either side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shortly after this we began to climb and today we will be ascending Alto del Perdon, The Mount of Forgiveness. This mountain has a collection of wind turbines which loom above us as we climb and continue to grow in size as we approach the summit. The scenery on the climb up the mountain is spectacular and the colours of the green wheat and the yellow of the Rapeseed were beautiful especially when the sun shines. There is also a beautiful scene when the wind blows across the fields causing a

ripple effect on the crops.

While walking between these crop fields Gerry came upon a small clump of clover growing on the edge of one of the fields. This reminds us of Ireland as the Shamrock is worn as a national symbol on Saint Patrick’s Day each year. The Shamrock is actually a young sprig of clover.

 

 

 

 

We stop for coffee and muffins at a little shop with tables and chairs outside in a little village called Zariquiegui. While drinking our coffee our friend Saci arrives and greets us with a round of hugs and kisses.

After leaving this village we continue to climb and we are

steadily climbing towards the wind turbines and also the Peregrinos Monument on top of the mountain. Walking beneath the wind turbines gives you an eerie feeling as these are enormous, ominous looking structures.

 

We reach the summit at 12.25pm and we take some photos of ourselves at the monument but also oblige other pilgrims who want their photos taken. We meet our Australian colleagues Jeff and Deb whom we have been meeting off and on over the past few days. We have fun taking photos of each other in various poses with the Peregrino Monument. This monument is iconic and appears in the movie “The Way”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then begin our descent and in many parts it is difficult as rain has washed away the surface creating loose rocky paths which are steep. We continue slowly on these steep sections as Kelly’s feet are giving her grief and we have to stop a number of times. We stop in Uterga town centre to rest and refill our water bottles. As we had been walking towards Uterga a man approached us and gave us a flyer for a new Albergue “El Jardin de Muruzabal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we approach Muruzabal we take the decision that we would stop at El Jardin. This was a great decision as the albergue turns out to be a gem of a place, it is brand new, has lovely gardens and the family are absolutely wonderful. We meet Alicia who handles reception, her father Jaime who arrives shortly after us and brings his 14 year old grandson Lucas. Alicia’s husband, the man who gave us the flyer arrives with a German pilgrim whom he has collected from the trail as she was not capable of

going further and he transports her in his own car back to the albergue.

Jaime sits and chats with us as we relax drinking a beer which is very welcome as the day is pretty warm. Lucas asks me where I am from and when I reply Ireland he tells me that he was in Gorey, County Wexford last summer learning English. Lucas proceeds to tell me that he is off to Tullow, County Carlow this coming summer to continue his English studies.

Dinner is at 7.00 pm and we have a lovely meal of soup, salad, meat, roast peppers and fruit for dessert. This was the best albergue meal we have had so far and with wine included it was great value at 11.00 euros. We had a most enjoyable dinner with great company and conversation. In addition to myself, Kelly and Gerry we had Mark and Tom from the U.S.A., Helga from Germany, Sara from Portugal but living in Bristol, England, two Korean girls and a lady from Holland. The conversation was very entertaining and Kelly’s description of the shewee and it’s use had the Korean girls bemused and the rest of us in stitches. We covered 21 kilometres on our walk today.

 

Camino Day 7 – Thursday 7th April, Muruzabal to Lorca.

Up once again at 6.00 am and on the road at 7.30 am. We decided to make a detour this morning in order to go to see the ancient Church of Santa Maria de Eunate which is a Church with a historic connection to the Camino and pilgrims. This is a detour of approximately 4 kilometres and it is a beautiful morning as we head out into the countryside.

We have become accustomed to walking with our backpacks. Initially your

shoulders feel the pressure and you get sore but as you do this everyday your body adjusts. The walking in the early morning air is invigorating and you have the feeling of an idyllic experience. Walking in this manner is something I have always imagined doing. We set off each day with no set plan and no target to meet.

 

 

 

 

As one approaches Eunate you get a great sense of history and a feeling of walking in the footsteps of thousands of pilgrims who have gone before us. This Church was built in 1170 and is one of the treasures of the

Camino. The Church was constructed in a most unusual style and is in an octagonal form with a series of arches circling the exterior. There are also gargoyle like heads carved on a number of sides of the Church. The Church complex was also used as a hospital for pilgrims by the Knights Hospitallers and there are many burials on the site, also many scallop shells which are a symbol of the Camino.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we finish our visit at Eunate we travel on to the town of Obanos where we stop  at a small bar for a breakfast consisting of coffee and bocadillos (sandwich) filled with eggs and ham.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After leaving Obanos we pass through the town of Puente La Reine where we stroll through the lovely old streets, stopping at the Church of the Crucifix. This Church is a very simple Church with no decoration which is unusual as most Spanish

Churches are very ornately decorated especially those dating from Spain’s historic Golden Age in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puente La Reine has a beautiful medieval gate and bridge. On the other side of the bridge we met Mark and Helga who were resting after their morning walking and whom we had met in our accommodation the night before in Muruzabal.

 

We travel on steadily and arrive at Maneru where we stop for coffee at a bar and watch a group of Spanish girls dancing with their trekking poles. We had met these girls earlier in the morning as they strode out along the way. They are travelling with a guy who is a brother to two of the girls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He had stopped to chat with us earlier in the day and he had told me that a number of years ago he had spent a month in Ireland working with Fexco (a company specialising in foreign currency transactions) in Killarney. Of course he also enjoyed drinking Guinness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each day as we walk our Camino we take time to enjoy our surroundings, the beauty of the flowers, trees and the wider landscape, the song of the birds which is uplifting and at times it appears as if the birds are serenading or calling to us. We feel that it is important for us to appreciate the wonders of nature around us and not to become fixated on reaching a particular destination each day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Spanish villages are built on hills and each time we have to pass through a village or town it involves some form of climb. Such is the case with the next town called Cirauqui which has some pretty steep climbs. We stop in the middle of Cirauqui to have our normal lunch of baguette, meats and cheese. When we are leaving this village we have to pass through tunnels under the highway a number of times and we discover graffiti which is both interesting and entertaining painted on the walls of the tunnels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we head towards the village of Lorca we decide that we will stay in Lorca for the night as we will have covered 23 kilometres and will have had a long day walking. Lorca is a village with a population of 150 and it has two Albergues.

When we reach Lorca we book into the Albergue de Lorca which has a bar/restaurant and we had two beers before going to our rooms for a short rest. We had to have dinner at 6.30 pm and we had vegetarian paella which was a prepared paella on an individual plate. Once again it is early to bed.

 

 

Camino Day 8 – Friday 8th April, Lorca to Villamayor de Monjardin

Up and on the road in the dark before 7.00 am. We were expecting a very cold morning but were surprised when it did not feel that way. Apart from one wet day the weather has been relatively good. Cold, dry, and windy at times but also sunny at other times. The walk out of town was somewhat muddy but it was reasonably level.

 

 

We stopped at a bar for coffee around 8.25 am in the town of Villatuerta which has a population of approximately 1,100 people.

 

 

 

 

 

It appears to be different in this town in terms of food for breakfast as there are only small buns (Queen cakes) available and not

the bocadillos to which we have become accustomed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our coffee we set out to walk the 4 kilometres to the town of Estella. Outside of Villatuerta we come upon a small isolated church which was open and we went inside to look at the interior. This is the small 11th century  Ermita de San Miguel Arcangel but it is no longer in use. While inside we sang “You are my sunshine” and the acoustics were magic enveloping us as we sang.

On our way into the medieval town of Estella we stopped to take photos at a number of interesting historic sites such as the 12th century Iglesia de Santo Sepulcro. This time we went to a Cafe and met some other pilgrims whom we had become familiar with on our travels. In this Cafe we had coffee and Tortilla (Spanish Omelette).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suitably sustained we wander through town following the scallop shell street signs and come out on the other side of town on the route to Ayegui and the Monasterio de Irache which is the location of a wine fountain where you can get a free drink of wine to fortify yourself for your journey ahead. This fountain supplies wine and water to pilgrims and has become a modern feature of the Camino since 1991. There is 100 litres of wine available each day and inorder to prevent abuse of the privilege the fountain is covered by CCTV cameras. The wine is supplied by the local Bodegas and we sample some wine when we arrive. The local vineyards were granted to the Monastery of Irache in 1072 AD by King Sancho IV of Navarre. Following our little tipple we climb up the hill to the Monastery. This is a very large simple church and we spend some time exploring the church and it’s surroundings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then climb on further up the hill and we had to put on our ponchos as it had begun to rain. We enter a forest where we eventually find a suitable location for lunch and the rain has stopped. After lunch we continue following the trail through the forest and it begins to rain again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way to Villamayor de Monjardin we pass through the village of Azqueta and also walk beneath Monjardin Mountain with the Castle of San Esteban de Deyo on top. This castle has been the site of many battles over its history. We decide that we will stay in Villamayor de Monjardin and when we arrive there we book into the Albergue de Monjardin. This Albergue is a modern building, very clean and looks as if it has only opened recently

After getting settled in we go to a local bar, Bar Illaria and have a few beers. We meet Saci with whom we have a long, interesting conversation about life, our views on life and the afterlife. I told my story about the loss of Margaret, my niece Becky, and my father all in the space of less than 8 months. It was an emotional experience talking about this period in my life and we all became somewhat emotional.

 

 

 

That evening we went back to the same bar and had the pilgrims menu. I had fish soup to start, fish with salad and garlic potatoes for main course, dessert of ice cream and we had a bottle of wine all for the sum of 10 euros each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camino Day 9 – Saturday 9th April, Villamayor de Monjardin to San Sol.

Late start today as we did not rise until 7.00 am.  We have a preprepared breakfast with coffee, some buns plus pre toasted bread with some marmalade. We get on the road at 7.45 am and as the village is on a height we can see across the valley as we leave the village. This is a lovely bright morning and not as cold as we had expected. There had been some mention of snow and later that day we learn that it had snowed in St. Jean Pied de Port and Roncesvalles. Having snow at the start of

our Camino would have made our journey very difficult.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have wonderful views over the valley and the ruins of St. Stephens Castle on the hill overlooking Monjardin look extremely well in the early morning light. We walk down through open fields and farmland planted with crops of green wheat. As we walk along one of the paths we spot some graffiti painted on a wall saying “FREE HUGS” and of course we stopped to take some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then walk along some long straight level paths around fields of green with views of distant hills, some covered with considerable volumes of snow. The next location where we stop is at a small mobile coffee shop effectively out in the middle of nowhere. We had coffee and bocadillos filled with ham and cheese. At this stop we met our fellow Peregrinos, Saci, Marianne and our three friends from Tasmania.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We journey on to the town of Los Arcos which has a population of approximately 1,200 people and which has a long history in terms of the Camino but also has Roman origins. We wander through the narrow streets of this interesting town before exiting through the Portal del Castillo and crossing the bridge over the River Odron.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next destination is Sansol and as we walk towards this village we pass a shepherd who was tending his flock and who also had his sheepdog keeping a watchful eye on the sheep. These shepherds

are hardy souls who spend all day with the flock walking the hills looking for the best grazing and at times spend the night in small stone huts.

Sansol is a small village with a population of about 100 people and it is perched on top of a hill which we climb as we come to the end of our 21 kilometres trek today. We book into the Albergue and the accommodation has a bar and restaurant on the ground floor with 28 bunks in a room on the first floor. The cost of the bunk is 10 euros for the night and you can also have the Menu del Peregrino for another 10 euros.

Kelly went for a rest while myself and Gerry had a beer and as we were drinking our beer the landlady of the Albergue chatted with us. She was a girl from San Sebastián who had spent time in Scotland and had quite good English. We had an interesting time talking about the Basque Country, the issue of how the country is governed, the differences between northern and southern Spain and taxes.

We went for dinner at 7.00 and we were joined by Saci and Marianne. For a starter I had  Peas with Ham, then fish and chips for main course and ice cream for dessert plus the drop of vino. The fish was not great but overall the meal was good and good value. Once again we had good fun chatting with the girls and we chatted about different aspects of life. People were still arriving to the Albergue even while we were having dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camino Day 10 – Sunday April 10th, Sansol to Logroño.

Up at 6.00am to have shower and get organised. On the road at 6:45am and it is still quite dark which makes the navigation difficult especially when you come on a group at a junction in the path and they are all over the place. We head on up through Torres del Rio which is only a half kilometre from Sansol on the other side of a valley through which flows the Linares River.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After leaving Torres del Rio we had to climb the Alto N S del Poyo which is a 570 metre height and has some significance for Peregrinos. There are many petitions placed under rocks, a considerable collection of cairns and also verses and observations. At the top of the peak there is a mobile cafe opening up when we arrive at 8:00am. This is an interesting spot and the owner is also a man of interest. He proceeds to tell us in Spanish that he is also a Peregrino who has completed the Camino

and he shows us a cross that he got in Santiago de Compostela. We have some coffee and toasted sandwiches.

When we finish our breakfast we set out walking again and we shortly begin to descend. We generally have a route which is winding its way gently down the hill. An intriguing feature of this area are the small traditional stone huts used by shepherds. As we are walking along we begin to sing some songs which at times helps to brighten our spirits and shorten our path.

We continue walking the paths and eventually arrive in the town where we stop for coffee at a cafe. This cafe is opposite the entrance to the Iglesia de Santa Maria, a 13th century church where Cesare Borgia is buried. He was the illegitimate son of Rodrigo  Borgia who was elected Pope Alexander VI in 1492. When Pope Alexander VI died Cesare was banished to Spain and died defending Viana in the siege of 1507.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our repast we visit the Iglesia de Santa Maria where 11 o’clock mass is still in session with a relatively small attendance. When we finish in the church we stop at an ATM to replenish our cash supply as it is not always possible to find ATMs especially in the small villages. We wander through the streets and come to the ruins of the church of San Pedro where we spend a short time looking at the remains of this church. We leave Viana through the

medieval stone arch, Portal San Felices. Viana still has its medieval centre and it is very pleasant to wander through the streets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we stroll out into the countryside again the path is mainly downhill as we head towards Logroño. The sun comes out and it is wonderful to walk in the sunshine. As we get closer to Logroño we meet a man from Toyko. He tells that he had previously undertaken the Camino on a bus but he had decided that he would like to do the authentic Camino. We had met him at a sign which indicated that we were crossing from the province of Navarre into the

province of La Rioja and after taking photographs at this sign we walked with him for a time.

The walkway as we are approaching Logroño is undulating and we have a number of climbs to negotiate. As we reach the outskirts of town there is a woman with a stall outside her house selling various items and she also provides a stamp for our credentials for two euros. While we were sitting near her stall her large umbrella

blew away and I went chasing after it managing to retrieve it for her.

We wind our way into the city with people wishing us Buen Camino as they pass. We decide that we will stay at the private Albergue Logroño and we eventually find our way there as a number of helpful people tried to direct us to the Albergue Municipal. Our Albergue is centrally located and we are happy with the accommodation. In the room where Gerry stays there is a Peregrino from Dublin by the name of Robin.

 

 

We go for a drink at 5:00 pm and Robin joins us. We end up in the Cafe Moderno which is a lovely old style Cafe/Bar. A number of establishments we tried were closing at 5:00 and reopening again at 8:00. It is quiet when we arrive at Cafe Moderno but over the next few hours it gets busy. We had an interesting chat with Robin who was finishing up his Camino and heading home the following day. We

had the Menu del Dia and this was again a very good meal with good quality food for 11 euros.

While we were dining our Camino friends Marianne, Saci and Helga arrived in the Cafe Moderno and we exchange friendly greetings with the girls who have become something of a feature of our Camino. We have one more beer for the road and then we head back to our albergue just after 8:00 pm.

When we get back we find that there is a very noisy crew of Spaniards on our floor who appear to be partying and are very loud. Had difficulty trying to get to sleep due to the racket.

The Camino has already proved to be an amazing experience, walking through the countryside is a wonderful feeling because the peace, quiet and beauty is so invigorating.  Also we are getting a great chance to talk about our lives and experiences. Setting out each day without any agenda is also incredible. This type of journey is something I have always imagined doing and it is a dream come true for me.

 

Camino Day 11 – Monday 11th April, Logroño to Navarette

Up at 6.00 am and on the road again by 7.00 am. A considerable portion of our early walk is on the streets of Logroño and initially we are walking in the dark. After approximately 40 minutes we stop for breakfast at a local street cafe.

When we finish breakfast we continue through Parque San Miguel, a local park winding its way out of the city in a linear fashion. As we walk through the park we meet the three South Korean ladies whom

we had met earlier in our travels in the village of Zubiri. We exchange greetings and throughout the day we leapfrog each other as we walk. There is a small lake in the park with ducks and we stop to take some photographs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On leaving the park we drift on to red clay paths and there are many local people out for their daily walk using these paths in addition to the considerable number of pilgrims. The next part of our route takes us

into the Parque Grajera in which there is a lovely man-made lake, actually a reservoir, created in 1883. There are a number of men fishing in this lake as we pass. Within Parque Grajera there are a large number of walking routes and facilities with people making use of the paths. We stop at a cafe in the Parque and outside the cafe Gerry has fun with a little squirrel who was obviously used to being fed by passers by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next we have to climb the Alto de la Grajera with nice views back towards Logroño. We pass through some nice wooded areas and then we have to walk along a path beside the motorway. There is a tall fence running along the motorway side of the path and this fence is dotted with wooden crosses made by pilgrims from twigs and also waste timber from a nearby factory.

We are now approaching Navarette and one of the sights on the way is a large structure of a bull which is the symbol of the wine industry. We can see the town of Navarette from a long distance as we pass through large vineyards. The town looks impressive as it sits on a hill with the church standing on the highest point.

On the outskirts of the town we come upon the pilgrims Hospital of San Juan de Acre which was erected in 1185. On the path here we notice a long line of processionary pine caterpillars and later we discover that these particular caterpillars can be dangerous especially to children and animals due to the toxic nature of the caterpillar hairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have to climb up the streets into the town and we have decided that we will stay tonight at the Hostal El Cantaro if accommodation is available there. The climb is quite steep and on our way to the accommodation we come upon the church which is an imposing structure dominating a small square. The internal architecture and decoration of the church is extraordinary and somewhat opulent with a considerable collection of gold ornamentation behind the altar. This church was enormous, considering the size of the town, which has a population close to 3,000 people. The church was constructed in the 16th century and is called the Church of the Assumption. There are many

interesting features in this church and also unusual confessionals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continue on to the Albergue which is open and we are booking in at 12 midday but the owner explains that the electricity is off generally in the town until 1:00 pm. Myself and Gerry walk down into the town centre to purchase food for our lunch and despite the power cut we find a small supermarket which is open. After lunch we take a rest for the afternoon. During the afternoon both Marianne and Saci arrive at Hostal El Cantaro and we arranged to meet in the Bar/Restaurant El Molino for a drink at 7:00 pm.

 

 

 

When we meet in the evening I presented both Marianne and Saci with small Shamrock pins as a recognition of our friendship and also to impart some of the luck of the Irish on them. They were absolutely delighted. The restaurant opened at 7:30 and we sat down to have the Menu del Dia.

Our experience so far with the Menu del Dia is that the starters are substantial. I ordered beans for starter but as it happened these were not available. I was offered a selection of Spanish meats which I was happy to accept and thoroughly enjoyed. Kelly had pasta while Gerry had Cuban rice and this was a lovely dish of rice and mushrooms. For main course we all had pork and myself and Kelly had a rib section with plenty of meat. This was a very good meal enjoyed by all of us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After dinner it was back to the Albergue and early to bed. Navarette is another Spanish town with a long history of association with the Camino. People here are friendly and welcoming to pilgrims. The streets of the old town still retain a sense of history.

 

Camino Day 12 – Tuesday 12th April, Navarette to Azofra

Today we started out at 7:45 am and as usual we pick up other pilgrims along the way as people start their day on the Camino. We stop briefly at the cemetery just outside town and admire the 13th century gateway which was transported to this site from the ruins of the Hospital of San Juan de Acre.

 

 

 

 

 

We continue our walk on the red earth paths between vineyards and also some beautiful green

fields. We come to a junction in the path where the path splits and the diversion takes you up to the village of Ventosa which was on the original route for pilgrims. We stop at a cafe in the village for breakfast and we meet some of our Peregrino family, Saci, Marianne, Judith and the Bolivian trio. We only had a light breakfast of herbal tea and fruit before we left Navarette.

 

Leaving Ventosa we begin to climb up and over the Alto de San Anton. We then have to travel to the Poyo de Roldan which is the subject of the legend which states that Roldan slew the Moorish giant Ferragut. Apparently this giant was supposed to be a descendant of the biblical character Goliath.  We are steadily heading towards Najera and passing by open cultivated fields of red earth and vineyards. We pass

through another tunnel under the road and in this tunnel there is amazing graffiti.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we arrive at the Poyo de Roldan we come to a beehive hut and picnic area where we stop for lunch. There is a Spanish guy at this site playing guitar, harmonica and singing while we have lunch. This is obviously his busking pitch as he had a hat out for donations. When we finish our lunch we walk on down the path and come to a small river crossing with a timber bridge.

 

From this bridge we walk into the town of Nájera which was the capital of the Kingdom of Navarre in the 11th and 12th century and also has a strong connection with the Camino. We make our way through the streets and cross the Rio Najerilla which is very scenic with the backdrop of a high rock face behind it and the town providing a very dramatic scene. We pass the Monasterio Santa Maria de la Real which is a 12th century church, burial place of many of the Kings, Queens and knights of Navarre. The town of Najera has a population of 8,500 people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we are leaving town we have to make a rather long climb and we now enter a natural park with pine trees. Once we get over the summit the path levels out relatively speaking. We now have a long straight road into Azofra and on most of this route we do not come upon any pilgrims. When we reach Azofra we decide that it is time for us to stop today as we have covered an amazing 25
kilometres.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We go to the Albergue Municipal as there is very little in the way of accommodation in this town of only 250 souls. This Albergue is basic and the beds are

provided in little cubicles of 2 beds with communal washing facilities. There are not many pilgrims in the Albergue and we are on the first floor where there is accommodation for 20 but there are only 6 of us. The Albergue has kitchen facilities, good wifi, is clean, comfortable and the cost of the bed is €7.00.

There are two bars in the village and both provide a Menu del Dia. We headed out at 5:15 pm for a beer before dinner. The meal was fine and cost 10 euros including the usual three courses and the bottle of vino. My dessert was fruit of the season which was a large orange. I had hake in a sauce for main course and beans for starter. We were back in the Albergue at 8:00 pm and we settled down just after 9:00 pm.

Azofra is another small village which survives because of the Camino and the two bars together with the local shops benefit with business from the pilgrims. The owner of the bar where we ate told us as we were leaving that he would be open at 7:00 in the morning for breakfast.

 

 

 

Camino Day 13 – Wednesday 13th April, Azofra to Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

Up at 6.00 am to shower and get organised for the day. We went back to the bar where we had dinner the night before for breakfast and the owners were both outside having a smoke but as soon as we arrived they headed back inside to arrange the breakfast. We had coffee, juice, chocolate croissant and I also had tortilla (Spanish Omelette).

 

On the road by 7.35 am and the rising sun gives interesting light. We now walk out into wide open spaces which are remote and have gentle undulating farmland. Our next destination point is the town of Ciruena and we climb gently up into this town but come upon a modern landscape which exhibits all the worst excesses of property boom and recession.

 

 

 

While the first property we meet is the golf club which is a nice modern building and open for business. However this is then followed by hundreds of vacant completed apartments many of which are for sale. There is also a considerable block of uncompleted construction and Se Vende (For Sale) is the most prominent sign. The development in

 

Ciruena is obviously a victim of the economic crises, a monument to the madness of the construction boom and it brings to mind the ghost estates of Ireland. The golf club invites pilgrims into the Restaurant/Bar but we decide to walk into the original village which thankfully is some distance removed from the construction site.

We had to divert off the modern Camino path and walk further up into the village.

We eventually get to a bar in the centre of the village. We stop here to have coffee, chocolate donoughts and also some fried chorizo served with bread. This village was originally on the route of the Camino but has now unfortbeen bypassed. Even so other pilgrims like ourselves made their way to the village for coffee. Before we left the village we tried to visit the local church but as with many churches on our journey so far it was closed and not accessible.

The path out of the village takes us onto a wide open pathway and we have six kilometres to walk to Santo Domingo de la Calzada which will bring our total for today to seventeen kilometres. We have decided that we will stay in Santo Domingo for tonight. Walking into Santo Domingo initially takes us through an industrial area and then into the town centre through an area that is somewhat delapidated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the centre of town we stop at the tourist information office in order to get a map and a list of available accommodation. We settle on the Pension Miguel and make our way there to seek a bed for the night. We find the Pension without much difficulty, ring the bell and a woman comes down the street from another premises to let us in and show us the available accommodation. Our host was a lovely woman and gave us advice in relation to restaurants for dinner this evening and also breakfast the following morning.

 

 

 

 

After resting for a while we go out at 4.00 pm to do some sightseeing and the cathedral is where we go first. There is an entry fee of three euros per person and I also included the tower which cost a further four euros. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Dominic (Santo Domingo) and his remains are buried in

the crypt below the cathedral. Santo Domingo the town also gets its name from the Saint as the town grew up around the place where he based himself.

The cathedral is unique in that it houses a special chicken coop where a live cock and chicken are always in residence and each week a different set of birds are installed. The story of a miracle goes that a cock and hen were revived to prove the innocence of a young man who was wrongfully hanged for stealing and in honour of this miracle chickens have a place of prominence in the cathedral. The cathedral is another amazing church with extraordinary gold scenes in one area. The cathedral is also the site of a historic exhibition with various artifacts from different eras

throughout the history of the cathedral.

The story of the man, Santo Domingo is incredible as he was refused entry to a number of monasteries because he was from a poor background. He undertook a considerable amount of work to improve conditions for pilgrims. He built a bridge over the River Oja and he also improved various Camino paths. Saint Dominic lived from 1019 to 1109.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our visit we walked across the square to the tower and I climbed the 147 steps to

the top of the tower where I discovered that it was actually the bell tower. At the top there were magnificent views and I managed to get some amazing photographs of the surrounding countryside together with shots of the bells with the sunlight shining through.

 

 

 

 

 

When I returned to the Square we walked to La Piedra Restaurant/Bar for dinner. Kelly and Gerry had the Menu del Dia

which was 12 euro. I went “a la carte” as I wanted to have Morcilla (Black Pudding) for starter and Bacaloa a la Riojana (salt cod Rioja style) for main course, finishing with vanilla ice cream for dessert. We had the usual bottle of wine and the bill for the three of us was €40.60.

We met our Bolivian friends again and a couple from Mayo whom we had seen a few times over the past few days. This couple are walking long distances and are finishing in Burgos before flying home as they have to return to work. A very enjoyable couple with a good sense of humour and attitude.

We walked back to the Pension expecting to be able to watch the Champions League game involving Bayern Munich but this was not the case. I had to perform a procedure on a major blister which Kelly had on her left heel. While this was a major blister it was not causing Kelly any problems.

Each day as we walk we try to sing a few songs to ease our path and brighten our day. This was another good and we are taking any opportunities to enjoy the sights together with the amazing scenery.

 

 

 

Camino Day 14 – Thursday 14th April, Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Vilamayor del Rio.

Up once again at 6.00 am and we left the Pension at 7.00 am to go for breakfast to the Cafe Bar Tu y Yo as this Cafe opens at 7.00 am. We were the first customers to arrive and we ordered three different breakfast options from the Menu Desayunos (Breakfast Menu). My breakfast consisted of Cafe Solo, Zumo de Naranje, and Tostada con Tomate (Espresso, Orange Juice, and Toast with chopped tomatoes). Customers started to arrive and by the time we left at 7.40 am there were six local men around the bar counter.

Off through the streets where once again you see pilgrims materialise and drifting out of

town along the Pilgrim Way which is very clearly marked in every hamlet, village, town and city. We cross the bridge over the Rio Oja and see many storks who have built their nests on the top of poles along the riverbank. It is an amazing sight in the early morning light. In many locations these poles are provided to try to encourage the storks to build their nests on the poles in preference to the church spires.

 

 

 

 

The sky is enthralling with beautiful light wispy clouds and jet streams.  As we leave the town and make our way out into the countryside the path while wide and in reasonable condition is along the side of the motorway. We have been climbing gently and when we reach the top of the first hill we discover a cross and bench.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first rest break is the village of Granon where we stop for coffee, a bun and a Kit Kat to sustain us for the next part of our journey. Many pilgrims stop in this village.

After coffee we go into the local church which is actually open and there is some interesting architecture and decoration in this church built in the late 14th or 15th century.

After leaving the church we went across to the Farmacia for some medication. The most interesting aspect of this Pharmacy was a dispensing machine which was located outside the Pharmacy. This machine was stocked with a wide variety of items which a pilgrim might need for running repairs and allows 24 hour access to these essential items.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A short time after leaving Granon we reach the border with the Castille y Leon and we now cross into our third region. There is a large marker to indicate the boundary change and we stop to take some photographs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next town is Redecilla del Camino and we pass through here without stopping as we do when we get to Castildelgado. We stop for lunch at Viloria de la

Rioja and we have our usual bocadillos with meats and cheese sitting on a bench in the shade in this village. After lunch we wander further through the village and we stop to chat to two of our Bolivian friends, the two ladies. One of the ladies mentions that she had been taught by Irish nuns who had taught them various songs such as “Come into the Parlour” and “Danny Boy”. Myself and Gerry then broke into song and gave them a blast of “Danny Boy” which was recorded by one of the ladies.

We then headed out of the village and wound our way down the path through the countryside. Shortly the path parallels the road and this is somewhat irritating due to the extraordinary volume of trucks passing but some of the trucks blow their horns to acknowledge us and this is a nice touch. At times the odd car driver will do the same.

While walking along the roadside we spot the Restaurant Leon and decide to stop for coffee. This is an extremely nice restaurant and we sit enjoying the coffee in the peace and quiet. While having coffee we come to the conclusion that having covered twenty kilometres that we have walked enough for today and will stay at this location. We are in a small hamlet called Villamayor del Rio and there is a private Albergue named San Luis de Francia approximately 300 metres down a side road.

We slowly walk down to the Albergue and book in for the night. The cost of our bed is €5, the dinner is €8 and a bottle of wine is €3 making the total for our stay €42. This is a basic facility but it suits our needs for the night, gives us time to rest for the next stage and we are the only Peregrinos booked in for tonight.

Dinner was at 7.00 pm and we go into the dining room at that time. The man of the house set the table and also served us as his wife was doing the cooking. Their son was also there and the father spent some time helping the son with his homework while we were there.

As with all these meals bread is served first and then the wine and water is brought out. For our starter we had a lovely chicken noodle soup, the main course was two pork chops with a nice salad and French fries, followed by yoghurt for dessert. This was a delicious meal and we really enjoyed it, the wine was also tasty. We chatted for a while and went back to our room at 8.15pm. On the way to the room we stopped to say goodnight to the family, complimented them on the meal and thanked them as we would not see them when we left in the morning.

We settle down to sleep at 9.40 pm. The three of us are in a room with six bunks and it is cosy. Again today we were very lucky with the weather and we had a reasonable amount of sunshine. Rain threatened but did not materialise until after we had booked into the Albergue and later it became quite heavy.

 

Camino Day 15 – Friday 15th April, Vilamayor del Rio to Villafranca Montes de Oca, 20 Kilometres

Up at 6.00 am, had the shower, organised the backpack, ate a banana and took my Hay Fever Medication. On the road at 6.55 am and as we left the house all was quiet as our host family had not yet arisen. The morning was dry after the considerable rain of last night. We walked up the road in darkness, crossed the main road, strolled through the village of Vilamayor del Rio and out onto the path which is again running parallel to the busy main road.

Today our walk will mainly be uphill and not long after we leave the village the sun begins to rise directly behind us. We are then treated to a most brilliant sunrise with a bright red sky spreading out from the horizon and briefly colouring all the cloud in varying shades of red. Ahead of us in the west there is a rainbow over our path.

We walk on to the town of Belorado which is approximately six kilometres away. We walk towards the town along a track where on the outskirts we pass an Albergue with many nations flags but no Irish flag. Belorado is another historic town with its origins steeped in Roman times and it has a long history associated with the Camino as Santo Domingo created the Camino path to Belorado.

We walk through the streets of the old town which have a medieval feel to the. There are many murals on walls along the streets relating to the history of the town including battles fought and also the Camino. We pass the Iglesia de Santa Maria where there are storks nests on top on the bell tower.

We now enter the newer part of town strolling the streets looking for someplace to have breakfast. We ask a number of people and walk in the direction indicated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We eventually get to a bar/restaurant at 8.45 am where we have a breakfast of coffee, croissants, toast with tomato and orange juice. This town seems to be

on a different time schedule to all other towns through which we have passed.

In the Bar we meet a young Spanish girl with good English who tells us that she is heading home to Madrid because her feet are in a desperate state. This is very obvious as she has on flip flops and we can see the feet covered in many plasters.

Following breakfast we go into a local supermarket to buy fruit, meats, cheese, bread and chocolate. We make our way through the streets and out of town. We are now on wide tracks with open fields all around.

Next we come to the small hamlet of Tosantos which is divided by the main highway but it has a lovely cafeteria tucked away behind the church. It takes us a few minutes to find this cafeteria and when we get there we order coffee and bocadillos filled with eggs, ham and cheese. As we are sitting at our table a Chinese man sitting alone at the next table starts to talk to us. He was an effusive speaker and he was telling us tales of his exploits on the Camino. One was a story about getting locked out of his Albergue due to arriving back after closing time but the lady owner of a Chinese restaurant where had eaten took him back to her house, put him up for the night and her husband also fed him.

We have an enjoyable break here and then get out on the road again. The path is pretty good, level and with wide open spaces. As we walk out into the countryside we look to our right And we can see the Ermita Virgen de la Pena, a church built into the cliffs up behind Tosantos. In this church there is a 12th century image of the Christ Child but the church is locked and only open on rare occasions for fiestas.

 

 

 

 

We pass by the little hamlet of Villambistia before we come to the village of Espinosa del Camino where we stop, sit by the side of the street, drink some water and eat a Kit Kat. We make our way over the wide open spaces and we see our destination in the distance. As we walk down the hill towards Villafranca Montes de Oca we pass by the ruins of the 9th century Monasterio de San Felix de Oca. The walk into town meanders back close to the main road and this walk is a bit uncomfortable.

Once we get into the centre of town we climb up the rather steep hill to the Albergue San Anton Abad which is attached to the Hotel by the same name. The story behind this Albergue is interesting as the owner of the Albergue and hotel was himself a Peregrino who following the successful completion of his Camino wanted to give something back to the Camino in thanks so he established the Albergue. A bunk bed is €6, a single bed €10, and a double room €45.

Today we made good time and following a short rest we went for some lunch. In the afternoon the Albergue filled up. When we meet at 6.00 pm we are surprised by Saci who has arrived in the afternoon and we decide to have a beer in the cafeteria. The cafeteria is a lovely room with a fine fire, lovely furniture and surroundings. We meet some other members of our Camino family here also.

We go to the restaurant for dinner at 7.30 pm and the Menu del Dia is 12 euros. I have Sops de Ajo (Garlic Soup) for starter, a lovely rabbit stew for main course with ice cream for dessert. This was a lovely meal and we all enjoyed it. We have great craic and discussion with Saci who is a bit of an amateur philosopher. Saci has had an interesting life having been born in Istanbul and has spent a considerable portion of her life in Germany where her parents moved when she was young.

After we finish dinner Kelly and I spend some time in reception trying to use the Internet as we have had a number of days without wifi or with poor quality wifi.

 

Camino Day 16 – Saturday 16th April, Villafranca Montes de Oca to Ages,
17 kilometres.

Up at 6.00 am, have a shower and then a light breakfast in the communal kitchen in the Albergue. It has been raining heavily overnight and it continues to rain this morning. We put on our ponchos which cover both ourselves and our backpacks.

We start out from the Albergue and begin what Kelly calls a “death march” as we immediately begin to climb uphill. This is a steeper ascent than anything we have experienced to date. The initial part of the climb is slow because the rain has washed out a lot of the mud in some areas making a very rocky path and in other areas the path has become extremely muddy. We have to climb up 700 feet in the space of three kilometres and this becomes very slow climbing due to the considerable volume of

water on the path.

The first peak we reach this morning is the Alto Mojapan at 1,100 metres(3,609 feet), altitude also in this area is the Fuente Mojapan (Moisten Bread Fountain). We are walking through some forested areas this morning and these forests are ancient oak woods and pine trees.

 

As we walk on further the rain stops and we come to the Monumento a Los Caidos. This is a Spanish Civil War Memorial which commemorates the 30o people who were executed the early months of the war in 1936 and were executed for their political views and defending freedom. This is a very emotional place and it brings back to my mind a ceremony which I attended back in Limerick at the Memorial erected in Merchants Quay at the Council Offices

about 18 months previously in memory of the Limerick men who fought in this war especially the six who died. We stopped for a while here pondering the enormity of what had taken place in this location.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The descent after this is very steep and crosses the Arroyo Peroja, a small river valley with another extremely steep climb up the other side. Conditions worsen and after another slow walk we stop to have some food in the shade of the trees. Our Danish

friends also join us here. This location is like a wood art gallery with some fascinating pieces of carved artwork some of which remind me of Native American totem poles.

During our stop here the rain started again and did not stop until we reached Ages in the afternoon. This has been our worst day so far and some of the walking was difficult due to the volume of water on the path and also the wind was blowing directly into our faces. We stopped at a bar in San Juan de Ortega for coffee and buns and we joined many other

pilgrims who filled the small bar. Many pilgrims decided to call it a day stopping here for the night but we decided to carry on to Ages as we hoped to get to Burgos tomorrow.

We booked into the Albergue San Rafael handing over our Passports and Credentials as the owners are obliged to record details of our Passports. When I went back a couple of hours later to collect I thought that I had also been given Gerry’s Credential but when I call to give it to him it turned out to be for a chap named Stephen who was in the bunk overhead Gerry.

 

 

Later when we were at dinner in El Acquimista Stephen came in and asked if I had also been given his Passport Card. I went back to the accommodation with him and checked our credentials and sure enough there was his card nestled in the middle. Stephen was relieved as he was going home the next day.

The El Acquimista was an interesting establishment run by a unique couple. It was a cosy place with nice furnishings and in some ways was reminiscent of the old style Pub/Shop in Ireland. The man of the house ran the shop side of things and there were quality meats and treats for sale here.

The lady of the house was the chef and she rattled off the menu which I had to interpret but this took a few rattles before we got it right. All three of us had beans for starter, this was a lovely dish with beans, black pudding and chorizo. Kelly had chicken for main course and ordering it turned into a hilarious scene as she mimicked a chicken to get the lady to understand her order. Gerry and I had chuleta, nice pork chops with French fries and salad. We also had a nice bottle of wine which cost 8 euros and our total bill came to 38 euros. Our host gave us a digestivo to finish our meal. This was a lovely meal in a nice setting.
Camino Day 17 – Sunday 17th April, Ages to Burgos, 24 kilometres.

Up once again at 6.00 am to get going for what should be a long day as we try to reach Burgos where we intend to take our first complete rest day. We went to the El Acquimista for breakfast where I had a lovely pie stuffed with vegetables, heated and served with a nice slice of Jamon and tomato.

On the road at 7.44 am and we walk the few kilometres along the straight road to Atapuerca. Atapuerca is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is now recognised as the location of the earliest known human habitation in Western Europe. It is estimated that humans were living here 1.2 million years ago but the archaeological dig is still ongoing. There is an Interpretative Centre here but naturally enough it is not open at this hour.

After Atapuerca we move out into the countryside and we begin to climb a hill where the Cruz de Matagrande is situated at the top. This is a difficult climb due to the rain the previous day and the path is wet, soft, muddy and rocky. On the way we chat to a man from Balbriggan by the name of John. When we come down from this height we stop for coffee at Cardenuela Riopico with a lot of other pilgrims.

Today there are a lot of pilgrims on the road and we are travelling close to a group of young South Koreans who are obviously having fun on their Camino. This group had also stayed in Ages last night and had consumed quite a few bottles of vino

as they had called into El Acquimista a number of times to purchase bottles while we were at dinner. Gerry and I sing a few songs as Saci who had joined us outside Atapuerca was anxious to hear us sing and the South Koreans are also fascinated as we sing.

A large part of the remainder of our walk was on roadway which was relatively quiet country road but nonetheless it is always a worry when you are walking on actual road.

We continue on our journey winding our way towards Burgos but first we arrive at Vilafria and stop once again for coffee. We are now about 8 kilometres from Burgos city centre.

After coffee we continue towards Burgos and we are passing through a large industrial area. At Burgos city limits we come to a major tyre production facility and as we go by you can smell the rubber. There is quite a lot of activity around this facility and it must be shift changing time.

This is a long slow walk into the city and while we can see the Cathedral which is our landmark we do not seem to be getting any closer, also the distance signs seem to be a little confusing. We come upon a bar called Plan B and this seems to be appropriate so we decide to stop to have a beer. Rejuvenated by the beer we commence once again walking towards the Cathedral checking a number of hotels on the way. Kelly, myself and Gerry settle on the hotel Nortes y Londres for two nights to have a little bit of comfort but Saci moves on to another establishment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We agree to meet at 6.30 pm to go for dinner and when Saci arrives she tells us that she has seen a restaurant which has a Pilgrims Menu so we decide to go to this restaurant. First we decide to have a beer and then when we go to the restaurant initial there is some confusion as we are told that the restaurant does not open until 8.00 pm but it turns out that we can eat the Pilgrims Menu in the bar. The Pilgrims Menu here is different than we have experienced to date in that there are only two choices for starter and two for main course. I have had a stomach bug for the past few days and decided not to eat but we had some nice wine.

We go back to the hotel after dinner and for the first time in seventeen days we do not have to get up early in the morning. This break is long overdue and in hindsight we should have taken a day off earlier in our journey.

 

 

 

 

Camino Day 18 – Monday 18th April, Burgos.

Our first day off and we still woke early but it was great not to have to get up nor to have to get organised. As I am still having issues with my stomach I decide to go to the Farmacia to get something to deal with it. When I get to the Farmacia I explain my predicament in my pidgeon Spanish and I am given some medication. When I get back to the hotel I take two tablets, eat two bananas and this seems to do the trick for me.

We do some washing of clothes and head out at 11.15 am to get some breakfast. Gerry is already out and about and has had his breakfast so we go to a local Cafe/Bar where we have bocadillos with ham and eggs together with some tortilla made with onions.

Following our breakfast we stroll down the street to the cathedral where at the ticket office we meet Dave one of the Peregrinos from Tasmania and we go into the Cathedral with him. The cost of our tickets is 50% of the normal entrance price and is €3.50 per person. We also get our Peregrino Credentials stamped.

When you enter the Cathedral you get an audio guide and this is of great assistance as we wander through

the Cathedral. This is an amazing place and the variety of chapels, paintings, decorations, statues and stone caskets is incredible. The scale of the construction and the work to create the Cathedral is astounding. I passed a comment that to create the masterpieces in the Cathedral would remind one of the craftsmanship in some of the Buddhist Temples we saw on our Silk Road trip last year. The dedication and creativity of the people who erected this Cathedral is awesome. This Cathedral of Santa Maria is 13th century and is considered one of the most beautiful in all of Spain. This is also the location where El Cid(Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar) and his wife Jimena are interred.

After we finished our visit to the Cathedral we went for coffee with Dave at one of the restaurants on the opposite side of the square to the Cathedral where we sat at one of the tables in the square. We have a long chat with him about his move to Tasmania and he also talked about life in South Africa where he still has family.

After coffee we say goodbye to Dave before we walk down to the end of the square where we then met the American Peregrino

who is walking the Camino in sandals and we stopped to chat with him also.

We then go to an ATM and Farmacia for Compeed and a brace for Kelly’s knee. We return to the hotel to relax, snooze and also ring Kelly’s Dad. We had a nice chat with Dennis, Kelly’s father and he has been keeping an eye on our travels. I think that he is very proud of Kelly and her achievements which when you look at it are considerable. How many people walk 200

miles over 17 days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have not seen Gerry all day and we get a text from him at 5.29 pm asking if we are still alive. I send back a text and a short time later I ring when I get no response. It turns out that he has not received the texts that I have sent to him and this explains why we have no met up during the day.

At 6.30 pm we meet in the lobby of the hotel and Jeff and Deb turn up together with Saci. The 6 of us go down the street for a drink to catch up as we have not seen Jeff and Deb for some time. Jeff had some back trouble earlier in the Camino, he had to get some treatment and send his backpack forward for a

number of days. There are companies/drivers who for a fee will transport your pack from one destination to another and Albergues and hotels will organise this for you. Jeff and Deb are a lovely couple from Melbourne.

We have a beer and then decide to go for dinner. We wander down the street by our hotel and stop at a nice place to look at the Menu del Dia. After I translate the menu I see at the bottom “media Dia” which when I ask means that it is only available for lunch.

We walk further down this street and come to a bar/restaurant with a Menu del Dia for 12 euros with ten choices for both starters and main courses. We

decide to eat here and it turns out to be a very good choice. I have an omelette with black pudding and peppers for starter and for main course Bacalao a la Riojana with ice cream for dessert. This is the best Bacalao I have had. There are three bottles of wine provided for the table and we leave a small amount in the third bottle.

We have great craic and chat during the evening and Jeff talks about different walks he has completed including trekking the Anapurna Way in the Himilayas last year. We walk back to our hotel and say our goodbyes. Deb, Jeff and Saci are staying another day in Burgos. I think that Saci is afraid that she will not see us again but much of the time you end up bumping into many of the same people as you walk this Camino. We are hopeful that we will meet again as we are striking up great friendships with people on this journey.

 

Camino Day 19 – Tuesday 19th April, Burgos to Hornillos del Camino,           21 Kilometres.

Once again up at 6.00 am as we had agreed that we would meet in the lobby at 7.00 am to begin our Camino again. We set off walking up the streets but we have not gone too far when we find a cafe open and go in to have breakfast. This Cafe turns out to be across the street from the Municipal Albergue and very shortly people start to arrive from this establishment.

 

 

 

 

We resume our walking and we see a most beautiful sunrise as we pass by Burgos Cathedral. The Cathedral is such an amazing building and we stop to take some photographs from our location which is on

a raised level behind the Cathedral. We continue our walk through the streets and there are droves of pilgrims making their way out of town. This is a rather long walk out of town and we pass through a rather unkempt park before stopping at a pub for some more coffee.

 

 

 

 

 

After this stop we begin to head out into the countryside but we do not reach the edge of Burgos until we have walked about 8 kilometres. We meet a guy called Paul who was born in Alberta, Canada but has an Irish Passport and lives in Coventry, England. We end up having coffee with Paul at the next village

Tardajos. We have a good discussion about life and our perspectives on the Camino. We then end up walking to the next village with Paul. Gerry and Paul have a good chat and Paul then leaves us when we reach Rabe de las Calzados.

We stop again for coffee in a lovely little bar in Rabe de las Calzados where we are given a small bowl of soup which the owner told the barman to give to us. The owner also asked Kelly what countries we were from

After we leave Rabe we begin to climb up onto the Meseta and this is a unique environment on an elevated plateau with endless fields of crops, poor soil and little shade. As we walked along the Meseta the birdsong was amazing and constant. It was as if the birds were hovering overhead. We also spot a shepherd moving his flock along the scrubland and you can hear the bells of the lead sheep as the move along. The wind rustles the crops and you can hear the gentle brush of the wind through the crops.

We stop in a shaded area for lunch and one other pilgrim also stops here. We have been passed by a considerable number of pilgrims throughout the morning but after lunch very few pass us.

We walk on across the Meseta and finally spot Hornillos del Camino in the distance. We begin the downward climb to the village and the journey often appears longer when you can see the village but you cannot get there quickly enough. We are

joined by a girl who has been walking close to us for a while. She is a lady who walked two weeks of the Camino last September and is now doing a further two weeks. This lady has her Camino split in three and taking the opportunity to walk when she can.

When we walk into the village an Irish guy from Waterford arrives on a bicycle and he is readily identifiable as he has a bag with Dun Garbhain on the side. We stop to chat with him for a short while.

We stop at the Casa Rural Sol de Sol and book in here for the night. An interesting story from this Casa is that the guy who books us in tells us that his sister is married to Martin Sheens grandson. Martin Sheen

had stayed in this Casa in 2011 during the filming of the “The Way” and when his grandson came to visit he met this guys sister. Another story of romance on the Camino. Kelly and I end up many times on this journey telling people our story, how we met on the Silk Road and came to be on the Camino.

It begins to rain very heavily after we are settled into the Casa. We meet at 6.00 pm to go for dinner at an Albergue up the

street which also has a Bar/Restaurant attached. This place is busy with lots of pilgrims but we manage to get a table and order a beer. About three quarters way through the beer I get the urge to get sick and I get to the toilet in time before I throw up four times. I had been feeling unwell all afternoon and as soon as I clear the stomach I feel fine again.

I decide not to eat but Kelly and Gerry have piazza with Vino Tinto and I have a Brandy Veterano to settle my stomach. We go back to the Casa at 8.00 pm and settle down to sleep at 9.30 pm.

 

Camino Day 20 – Wednesday 20th April, Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz, 21 kilometres.

During the night it had continued to rain and we awake to the sound of raindrops and thunder. Down for breakfast at 7.00 am as we had a long first stretch before we would get coffee and something to eat. We ate a breakfast of coffee, toast and croissants.

We get on the road by 7.46 am and we follow the path out of town and into the countryside. Once again we climbed up onto the Meseta but the climb was gradual. When we got to the plateau our problems started as the path was completely flooded, muddy and in some parts impassable. This was slow, ackward walking and in places we had to walk off the path along the edges of the fields. We were passing through fields that stretched away on either side of us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wind was at our backs and in one respect this made things a little easier. Once again the birds were singing even in the rain. Pilgrims were strung out on the path and at times you could see them dotted along the path both in from and behind.

Our first stop was in Hontanas which is a pretty little hamlet with a nice approach as you come down off the Meseta. We stopped at the tiny chapel of Santa Brigitta before

having coffee at El Purtido. After coffee we wandered out of this delightful little village and the rain had stopped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our journey is generally downhill and winds along the side of the hills before eventually passing the abandoned village of San Miguel. This path is not as bad as earlier in the day but it does require care and attention. Not long after we started this morning we were joined by Paul who walked a considerable portion of the first leg with Gerry and had a long chat with him. Then Michael (the American pilgrim walking in sandals) caught up with us and himself and Paul continued on their way together.

Early afternoon and we came to the spectacular ruins of San Anton, this magnificent ancient monastery spans the road. We spent some time enjoying these ruins from the 14th century. This was a monastery and hospice of the Antonine Order.

 

 

 

 

 

We now move on towards Castrojeriz which shortly appears on the horizon at the end of a very long road. We slowly make our way towards the village which is very impressive as it is set on a hillside with a ruined castle on top. This is a long village and we walk into the village climbing all the time before we come to the

Ultreia Albergue which we decide will be our accommodation for the night. This has been another difficult day as the mud has been particularly sapping. After booking into the accommodation we have a rest and decide that we will meet at 6.00 pm to go for a drink.

At 6.00 pm we wander further up the village and stop at a local bar where we find some other pilgrims. We have a welcome beer and then we go into the dining room for dinner which is a Menu del Dia for €10. I had Ensalada Mixta to start, with Grilled Chicken for main course and Ice cream for dessert. We walk back down the village after dinner and there are some great views out over the valley and hills.

Back in our accommodation our host gives a demonstration of an amazing wine press which is part of the building structure and he explains the process in Spanish and English. He then takes us down to the wine cellar where he outlines the history of this part of the building. Some of the arches down here have Roman origins and it is amazing to think that you are touching something that someone would have touched almost 2,000 years ago. These tunnels were incorporated into the defender system for the castle and had a link to the castle on the hill. We have a small drink of young wine in the cellar.

 

The variety of pilgrims we meet is amazing and most surprising of all is the number from Australia and New Zealand.

 

 

 

 

 

Camino Day 21 – Thursday 21st April, Castrojeriz to Boadilla del Camino,   20 Kilometres.

Up again at 6.00 am and ready to go at 6.45 am but when we tried to open our bedroom door it would not open for us no matter what we tried. I tried to ring Gerry but each time His phone went into voicemail. I then tried to ring the Ultreia where we were staying but I could not make the owner understand our predicament. Gerry arrived up at 7.10 am to check on us and I explained the situation to him. Gerry went off to get the owner but he was reluctant to open the door. Gerry

eventually persuaded him to open the door and of course when he tried the lock it opened without difficulty.

We went up the street to La Taberna where we had dinner last night and we ordered coffee with bocadillos filled with Jamon y Queso. When it was time to leave it had started to rain again so we dressed up in our ponchos. I have great respect for the owners of the cafes/bars/restaurants such as La Taberna as they work extremely hard over long hours. When we arrived before 7.30 am this man already had his tortillas cooking and he would have worked late last night. This is something you see throughout the route of our Camino. Many of these people are extremely friendly and helpful.

This village is particularly long and we walk through the streets before going on a path out into the fields. We can see the path stretching ahead of us and climbing steeply up into the hills in the distance. We walk along in the rain and come to a footbridge where the water is flowing strongly. There is also a roadway which is now cut off due to the volume of water which is obviously very muddy. The rain is blowing into our faces as we begin to climb. This is a pretty steep climb and in the space of one kilometres you climb approximately 500 feet to the top of the Alto de Mostolares.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we get to the top the rain has stopped and we have now arrived on the Meseta which is flat for a few kilometres before descending sharply on the way to Itero de la Vega. To get into the village we have to cross a bridge and as we do you can see that an enormous area of land has been flooded by the recent

rain. We walk along by the river and it is amazing to see the areas of land flooded.

We stop at a local cafe/bar for sustenance before heading off again. Our next destination is Boadilla del Camino and we arrive there in the afternoon at about 3.00 pm and find a most wonderful albergue “En el Camino” which has a hotel attached. We were taken to the hotel as this is where the double rooms are located.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We meet Gerry for a drink at 6.00pm and he comes to the hotel. We go to the communal dinner at 7.00 pm and we meet Marianne who is staying here for a couple of days because she is having back problems, so she has to rest. We have a most wonderfully enjoyable dinner and good fun with Marianne. I was seated beside a lady from Hamburg who has good English and we chatted on and off during the meal. The meal is €10 and for starter we had soup with lentils, while for main course I had fish and Kelly had beef. Dessert was a choc ice and there was plenty of wine to share.

 

After dinner we go to see the albergue. There are beautiful gardens with all sorts of Interesting art works sited throughout. The Albergue is a family run place and the family are very friendly. The establishment is very well run and maintained. Kelly and I walk back to the hotel. We order a drink but take it back to the room as there are people talking loudly and it is impossible to have a chat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camino Day 22 – Friday 22nd April, Boadilla del Camino to Carrion de Los Condes, 28 Kilometres.

Up at 6.00 am and on the road again by 7.00 am. We walk the 6 kilometres to Fromista and stop for breakfast of coffee and tortilla. While we are in the cafe sitting by the window we see Marianne passing by and she is obviously holding herself very upright due to the problem with her back. She is also sending her backpack forward in transport as she is unable to carry it.

 

 

 

 

Our initial walk was along the banks of the Canal de Castille and it was very pretty with a beautiful sunrise, interesting birdsong but with train horns shattering the peaceful morning every now and again. We have to cross the lock gates to enter the village of Fromista. These lock gates are neglected, overgrown and with water seeping through the stone.

When we left Boadilla del Camino this morning we followed a track which took us up onto a tree lined path as the Canal is at an elevated level. We had not gone far along the path when it began to rain but despite the rain we have the lovely sunrise, the calls of ducks which is in contrast to the other birds. The sound of the train whistles blowing is a sound that we have not been hearing previously.

 

 

 

 

This Canal de Castilla is an 18th century canal used to transport crops but has fallen into disuse with the advent of modern transport. The lock system at Fromista is very impressive even though it has fallen

into disrepair but there are plans to repair the system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After breakfast we walk through the town and we now join the many pilgrims heading out along what is called the Peregrino autopista which is a path along by the side of the road leading all the way to Carrion de Los Condes. This is a specifically manufactured Senda or Walk and it is not a natural path but it does make walking easier. We stop for coffee at a bar in Poblacion de Los Campos where the owner explains the route and distances to us in Spanish and sign language.

 

 

As we leave the town we cross the Rio Ucieza and again join the Senda before stopping in the square at Revenga de Campos. I visit the Church of San Lorenzo XII where there are two nuns praying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then walk on to Villamentero de Campos and we stop at The Chiringuito de Villamentero which was a most unusual place. We have some lunch here while watching all the interesting happenings. At

this Chiringuito there are donkeys, ducks and dogs and you can stay in a Tipi if you wish.

After lunch we walk on to Villalcazar de Sirga and sit on a bench to rest for a while. There is a bus tour of Spanish school children also stopped at this town. We walk towards our final destination today but the rain starts again.

Today myself and Gerry have spent a good time talking about old times and characters from Limerick. Kelly decided to listen to music to help her on her walk and distract herself from her aches and pains. Again during our journey today we meet some of our Camino friends whom we have met along the way and we exchange some chat with them.

For the first time on our walk we pass a couple who are taking their time. We stop briefly to chat with them and they are from Georgia and Florida in the U.S. We finally arrive at Carrion de Los Condes and it takes us a little bit of time to get to the Hostal Santiago where we have decided to stay for the night. It is about 4.40 pm when we get to the Hostal and we rest for about an hour.

At 6.00 pm we go to the Restaurant – Bar La Muralla which was recommended to us at the Hostal. We sit and have two beers before I ask the waitress for the Menu. She reads the options for us which are from five starters and five main courses. The three of us go for the Ensalada Mixta for starter, while I have fish for main course and both Kelly and Gerry have steak. The salad was a meal in itself and overall this was another good meal. Back to the Hostal and we rang my Mother with both of us having a good chat with her. In bed and asleep by 10.00 pm.
Camino Day 23 – Saturday 23rd April, Carrion de Los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza, 20 Kilometres.

Once again up at 6.00 am and meet at 7.00am to begin our day walking. We stop at a local panaderia where we buy three freshly baked pans filled with chorizo as once we leave this town we firstly have a 17 kilometre stretch with no village.

We walk up through the quiet town and head to the Bar El Pichi where we stop for breakfast. As we arrive two locals wander in obviously on the go from their Friday night out. There are also another 4 or 5 customers in the bar drinking whiskey and coke and other concoctions. A few try to engage in conversation with us and we exchange some words telling them where we are from. We discover that the Bar owner had been a Toreador and there is some bullfighting memorabilia on the walls including a poster with “El Pichi” on same.

Our Danish friends Freda and Lis spotted Gerry and called in to say hello. After saying goodbye to our Spanish friends we walk on through the town crossing an old bridge with interesting features and from which we can see extensive flooding. After crossing the bridge we pass San Zoila a former monastery and then make our way onto a minor road which continues for approximately three kilometres before we take another sandy path.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once again it begins to rain, while all the countryside around us is flooded and there is considerable volumes of water in the dykes. In one location a whirlpool has been created by the water flowing into a culvert.

 

 

 

There are a sizeable number of pilgrims on the move since early this morning. We are passed by a young German girl with her dog Pepe who is also on the Camino and each day this girl has to find accommodation which will also take Pepe.

Today will be our longest single stretch where there are no facilities available but there is a new covered rest area after approximately 10 kilometres with a mobile coffee shop parked there and this is very welcome. There is also a nice gathering of pilgrims at this stop with a good chat and banter taking place. I sit beside a young guy whom I had seen previously but had thought that he was German. It turns out that he is actually from Galway and Niall is his name.

 

 

 

Another surprise at this location was an American guy by the name of Tom whom we had met in Muruzabal and he had been having trouble with an ankle injury. Today he was walking with Niall from Galway. While we were there having our chat a young American girl slipped into the dyke up to her neck. She took it all in good humour and laughed but this could have been a tragic accident. Gerry, gentleman that he is gave her his cape so that she was able to change her clothes.

Also at this rest stop were a lovely couple from New Zealand, Harold and Christina and while there chatting they gave their address to Gerry. Another New Zealand guy arrived on a bike, chatted for a while and the next time we saw him he was in the mobile cafe being ferried to the next town as his bike had developed a puncture.

We get back on the path and slowly make our way to Calzadilla de la Cueza arriving

there just after 2 o’clock in the afternoon. We meet our Danish friends sitting outside the Albergue and they are enjoying a beer. We book into the Camino Real Albergue which costs €5.00 each but we get two bottom bunks. This Albergue has a bar so we go to have a beer with our Danish friends and have a good chat with them.

After the beer we go to our bunks for a well earned rest. At 6.00 pm we go to another bar to have a drink and we also have the Menu Peregrino. We have the salad for starter and Kelly and I opt for the Salmon which is baked in foil with vegetables. We are back in our bunks by 8.30 pm and lights go out shortly afterwards.

 

 

 

Camino Day 24 – Sunday 24th April, Calzadilla de la Cueza, to San Nicholas del Real Camino, 18 Kilometres.

There were approximately 20 pilgrims in our dormitory last night and there was a little bit of snoring. I woke at 4.15 am and did not get back to sleep again. People did not rise so early this morning and it was 6.30 before the light was turned on. We had breakfast in the Albergue, coffee, juice and tortilla. This is a family run operation and the Hostal where we had dinner last night also seems to be part of the same family operation.

 

 

 

We get on the road at 7.45 am and it is an absolutely beautiful morning with a lovely sunrise. As we start walking the sun is shining but the moon is also prominent in the sky. The morning is chilly and there is frost on some cars parked in a shady spot.

We walk out of the village and onto a track a running by the side of the road. After about an hour walking we come to a spot which is impassable. Someone has improvised using a short plastic post to bridge the flooded dyke between the track and the road and we are able to cross safely. We wait for some other pilgrims who are just a short distance behind and also give them some help to them to cross.

 

 

We arrive in Ledigos after approximately two hours and stop for coffee as do many others. We chat with our four English Camino friends and some others also. We had also met our Danish friends walking along the road and they headed off ahead of us. It is so wonderful to head off in the morning without any set agenda and no destination. It is delightful feeling to have such freedom without a care in the world and to be able to enjoy the sun, scenery, birdsong, and our company.

 

Next we come to Terradillos de Los Templarios which is another quiet hamlet but which in the past was a stronghold of the Templars but nothing remains of the past but the spirit of the Order. The local Albergue is named after Jacques de Moray the last Grand Master of the Templar Order. We stop at the bar in the Albergue and have some more refreshments.

When we left the Albergue we passed a young guy whom we have met previously and who is travelling with his skateboard. He had found some space in a five a side soccer court and he was practicing some tricks.

We walked on out into the countryside and it was really beautiful here. We met an old man on the path with his two dogs and he was collecting snails. He showed us one that he had just picked up. He told us that he gets eight euros a kilo for the snails and that they were beautiful with ham.

We next come across a memorial to the Rev. Philip Wren, a Methodist Pilgrim who has passed from this life in May 2013 on the Way. It is amazing to see this memorial which is one of many we have seen but you never actually hear about these pilgrims who have fallen on the Way.

 

Winding our way into the hamlet of Moratinos the first thing to strike you is that this place looks like something from Middle Earth as there are Bodegas carved into the Earth on the edge of this hamlet. These are caves which were and in some cases are used for wine making and storage. When these were originally carved is not known but some are at least 500 years old based on the wine presses and other materials found in some. Wine making in this area goes back over 5,000 years to Roman times. There are still a number of local families involved in wine production.

In this hamlet we passed Tim an American man who is doing as much of the Camino as he can. He is an elderly gentleman who is travelling with his sister and her daughter. He is also writing a poem about the Camino experience. His sisters daughter died three years ago. We go and sit in the porch of the Church and rest for a while. While we are there we sing “The Banks of the Ohio”. Another interesting sight here is the very unusual scarecrow in a garden on the way into the hamlet.

Returning to the track we see in the distance a young pilgrim who had stayed in the same Albergue as us last night but he had arrived late. He appears to be struggling and eventually we catch up with him but he indicates that he is alright when we show concern.

We stop in Laganares Albergue in San Nicholas del Real Camino for something to eat. We have covered 18 kilometres today and we decide that this is sufficient for today as the next town Sahagun is at least another six kilometres away, probably more by the time we get there. This is a lovely Albergue and we take three bunks at nine euros per bunk.

I have some Morcilla to eat which is cooked in a very unusual way. We also was our clothes in the washing machine and hang them out to dry. This is a warm day and the sun is hot when it shines between the clouds. The walking was relatively easy today with gentle rolling hills. It turns out that we are the only three pilgrims staying here tonight.

We come down at 6.30 pm to have a beer and to wait for dinner at 7.30 pm. The food is soup or pasta to start and meatballs or fish for main course and we all have ice cream for dessert. The cost of our meal is ten euros each. We discover that this is a family run Albergue, father, mother and daughter.

 

 

 

 

 

The daughter has good English and we ask her who painted the paintings on the walls to which she replied that she was the artist.

This girls name is Patricia and she explained the meaning behind some of the paintings. She goes on to explain that she is also a performance artist and that her speciality is exploding fish. She is shortly going to Madrid for an exhibition of her works in a small gallery. She tells us that her father does not understand her work but he is obviously proud of his daughter. We have a very enjoyable conversation and Patricia also shows us her website. We are asleep by 10.00 pm.

 

 

 

Camino Day 25 – Monday 25th April, San Nicholas del Real Camino to Bercianos del Real Camino, 18 Kilometres.

Up at 6.00 am and ready to leave by 7.10 am. The Albergue is in darkness and the village is quiet as we walk down the street. This morning us again very cold but it is a lovely fresh morning with a nice sunrise. Our first destination this morning is Sahagun where we intend to stop for breakfast. It is extremely quiet on the route and we come upon very few pilgrims.

 

 

 

 

We are walking at a slow pace and this has benefitted both myself and Gerry. We have not suffered any injuries or stress, have been able to take in our surroundings, enjoyed the scenery, birds and birdsong. Kelly at times feels pain in her feet and she has made a considerable achievement in spite of this discomfort.

We move on to the outskirts of Sahagun and there is a pretty little Ermita (Hermitage) called Virgen del Fuente which has a beautiful little bridge leading into it. The Church is 12th century and situated in a pretty, peaceful grove by the Rio Valderaduey. In the surrounding rest area there is pitched a small tent with an interesting Harley Davidson parked beside it. At this Ermita we pass through the gates of what is identified as the geographical centre of the Camino Frances (French Way). Today is the date of a local pilgrimages to this Ermita but it is early and the pilgrimage has not commenced yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walk into Sahagun and as is the case in many towns we come in through a commercial zone. Kelly is getting tired of her boots and decides to donate them at a local recycling bin at the side of the street. We stop for breakfast and the town is very quiet with very little in the way of shops or

restaurants open possibly because there is a holiday due to the pilgrimage taking place today.

We meet our English friends who have decided to spend an extra night in Sahagun. They are not very happy due to the level of inactivity in the town but they are going off sightseeing. After breakfast we walk down through the streets but we are disappointed as we were expecting a more historic town centre. I know from

reading that there is a more historic route through the town which takes in the historic buildings but as in all our walking to date we have been following the Camino markers.

Leaving town we pass over the Roman bridge spanning the Rio Cea which has been rebuilt in the 11th and 16th centuries. We pass through the “The Copse of Charlemagne’s Lances”. This name relates to a legend that Charlemagne’s troops lances were planted at this location and turned into Poplar trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About 3.7 kilometres outside of town there is an alternative route which goes off into the countryside but which has a long stretch of 24 kilometres without

any facilities to have a break or stop for the night. We opt to make our way to Bercianos del Real Camino as this is on the original Camino Frances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It takes us about 3 hours to get to Bercianos and just outside town there is a nice little Ermita, Virgen del Perales with a lovely little altar. We have our Camino Credentials stamped at this Ermita and continue up into the village.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We go to the Albergue Santa Clara which has double rooms and also a dormitory with 8 bunk beds where Gerry ends up sharing with seven Spanish ladies.

We go for a beer and something to eat for lunch. After

lunch we go back for our siesta arranging to go out again at 6.00 pm for dinner. In the afternoon Gerry goes on a walkabout of the village to find some place for our evening meal. It turns out that the Hostel Bar Rivera, where we had lunch is the only option for food this evening.

We have a couple of beers as the meal is not available until 7.30 pm. We all have salad to start and both myself and Gerry have chicken for main course. Kelly has the pasta starter as her main course. We have ice cream for dessert and the usual bottle of vino tinto. We have a good chat with an Englishman and his daughter. This man was raised up to his 16th birthday in Spain and his family then moved to England. Therefore he had good Spanish and could communicate quite easily with local people.

The Albergue is a nice facility even though we are sharing bathroom facilities. On the stairs there are two soft toy rats and these remind us of Rosie and Rattie who accompanied us on our Silk Road trip last year. The walking today was relatively easy with no great climbs and we travel on paths for most of the day.

 

Camino Day 26 – Tuesday 26th April, Bercianos del Real Camino to Reliegos, 22 Kilometres.

Up at 6.00 am, I have a cold shower this morning as sometimes happens due to the fact that lots of people have showers at night using the limited amount of hot water available. We go down for breakfast at 6.30 am and we are on our way by 7.20 am.

 

 

 

 

 

Firstly we walk to El Burgo Ranero on a path by the country road through fields with crops. Some people have left before us

but there are many behind us. The railway line is also very close beside us and we see and hear many trains throughout the day. Walking on El Burgo Ranero reminds me of coming into some towns in the U. S. or Australia.

 

 

 

For once we are walking into town on the flat and you can see various elements of the town set out before you. We walk down the very straight Calle Mayor and stop at a bar for refreshments along with other Peregrinos. When we finish we walk on down the street towards the church stopping to take photographs of the Storks together with their nests which are built on the four sides of the steeple. The nests are very impressive due to their size and the fact that they are perched on the four corners of the

steeple. Storks are a feature on our journey and we regularly see their nests.

Walking and talking is great and Gerry and I have had long discussions about different aspects of our lives both personal and working lives. We have also spent many hours talking about Limerick and the many characters we have known over the years. Kelly has described us as being like a couple of teenage girls chatting, laughing and giggling.

The Camino is generally not a stroll in the park and I think that many people are not prepared for the efforts required to make your way along this journey. This can be a tough journey both physically and

emotionally. Kelly has grown both physically and mentally on this Camino. Kelly’s determination is amazing and she has described the journey as “A death march across Spain”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next stage of our walk to Reliegos is 13 kilometres long but the path is adjacent to a quiet country road as the national road and motorway veer away from our route. Although the railway line is not too distant from our path. We are now in wide open spaces and the day is quite warm. We stop at various locations along the way either on benches or at picnic areas of which there are quite a few on this particular stretch. Much of this path has trees growing alongside providing an element of shade which must be very welcome during the summer.

It is a long drawn out walk into Reliegos and as we come down the hill and path into the village we see the Albergue Piedras Blancas II which is basked in sunshine with many pilgrims having lunch outside. We decide to check on the possibility of getting accommodation here. The Chef is the owner and when he is free he takes us up into the Albergue to see the accommodation. We are the first to book into this Albergue which is lovely with rooms at €40 and beds, not bunks at €8.

After we book in, put our gear on our rooms we go for lunch of beer, albondigas, Serrano ham and eggs, and a portion of fries. We have arrived here at 2.30 pm after seven hours on the road and we go for a siesta at 3.30 pm.

Looking out the window of our room I spot our friend Marianne walking back up the hill down which we had walked coming into town earlier in the afternoon. After about 10 minutes I spot Marianne and Saci coming back down and I ran out to catch them but by the time I got down to the bar I met Saci. It turns out that Gerry had seen Marianne earlier and called to her from the balcony outside his room. Saci decided to stay in the same accommodation as us. When I got back to the room I told Kelly a half assed story about Gerry to explain my quick exit from the room as I did not want to ruin the surprise of meeting Marianne and Saci for her.

We went down for our usual drink at 6.00 pm and Kelly had a wonderful surprise when she saw Saci and was even more delighted when Marianne arrived for dinner at 7.00 pm. We have great fun catching up and after 7.00 pm we sit down to have the Menu del Dia. The girls have walked 31 kilometres today but are not showing any signs of ill effects.

The Chef takes our orders, five salads for starters, two pasta, two fish and chorizo

and eggs for main course. This was a lovely meal and we spend a great time chatting about our experiences since we last met. We also try to catch up on other pilgrims but generally we talk about ourselves.

Pilgrims are still passing by this albergue even at 9 o’clock. We finish at 9.15 pm and say our goodbyes. Marianne and and Saci both intend walking to Leon tomorrow but separately. When saying our goodbyes to Marianne we witnessed a most magnificent sunset and we all stood for a while enjoying the colours.

 

 

Kelly, I, Gerry and Saci are the only Peregrinos staying in this Hostal tonight and this is hard to understand as it is a lovely place. This has happened a number of times and you can put some of it down to destination towns which are listed in books written for the Camino leading people to head for these destinations. We have tried to stay after from these destination towns as we call them as we can easily find good accommodation in other towns or villages.

Asleep by 10.00 pm tonight.

 

Camino Day 27 – Reliegos to León, 10 Kilometres Walk, 18 Kilometres Bus Ride.

Up again at 6.00 am and back on the road by 7.00 pm. Another lovely morning and as we walk out of Reliegos we enjoy the beautiful sunrise and the appearance of the sun above the horizon. We can also see the mountains in the distance with a most amazing mystical scene as the early morning fog sits above the ground shrouding the mountains in a white veil.

 

We are walking to the town of Mansillas de las Mulas which is approximately six kilometres away and we intend having breakfast there before taking the bus into Leon.

 

 

 

 

When we reach Mansillas de las Mulas we walk to a nice cafe near the bus station and have a very pleasant breakfast. We get to the station about 9.25 and we are told that the next bus is leaving at 9.40 am but it turns out that to be 10.15 am before the bus leaves. There are some other pilgrims travelling on this bus and it is only €1.65 for the 18 kilometres trip. John Brierly in his guide book for the Camino suggest taking this bus

in order to avoid the monotonous and energy sapping walk by the motorway. As we travel on the bus we can see pilgrims walking along the paths beside the motorway and we actually see Marianne, Saci and some other pilgrims we know.

When we arrive at León bus station we get off and cross the river on a pedestrian bridge leading to a lovely tree lined park on the opposite side of the river close to the city centre. Kelly has identified a hotel for us to spend the next two nights and we walk up through the streets which lead us directly beside the cathedral, along the way we bump into an Australian pilgrim whom we had briefly met in St Jean Pied de Port. We have no difficulty in locating the hotel, the

Infantes de León which is only a short distance from the Santa Maria de León Cathedral and it is €108 for two nights.

After booking into the hotel we have lunch and then relax for a few a hours before going out to visit the Cathedral. The entrance fee for the Cathedral is €6.00 and there is no discount for pilgrims. We get the audio guide and this has five sections explaining the history, architecture, various aspects of the building and the reconstructions. This is without doubt a magnificent and outstanding structure but it does not have the beauty of Burgos Cathedral. The Cathedral is nicknamed the House of Light due to the lighting effects created by the 1,800 square meters of stained glass windows. The audio guide while providing a lot of information is a small bit confusing as there are no indication numbers. We spend 45 minutes going through the cathedral and we also go to see The Cloister and Museum but as there is a €7 charge and only 30 minutes opening time left we decide not to go in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is 6.35 pm and we decide to walk around to find somewhere to eat but we discover that there is nothing open for food at this time. We stop at a local bar to have a drink and the barman confirms that there will be no places available for food before 8.00 or even 8.30 pm.

Gerry decides to go off to get a paper, find a place to eat and watch the Champions League game between Bayern Munich and Athletico Madrid. So we head back towards

the hotel, stop for a drink and then we go back to the Cafe/Bar in the Hotel. The Cafe/Bar is busy with people playing cards and this includes a number of people with wheelchairs. It would appear that there is a residential home in the neighbourhood for people with disabilities.

As it is after 8.30 pm food is being served. Our waitress was very efficient and we order chicken burgers with fries. This was a nice change from our normal Pilgrim or Menus del Dia.

 

 

 

Camino Day 28 – Thursday 28th April, Leon.

As we do not have to travel this morning we do not set our alarms and we do not wake until 7.25 am. We take our ease in getting organised and we decide not to have breakfast in the hotel. We walk towards the Cathedral but stop at a Cafe to have a breakfast which consists of coffee, orange juice, tortilla and chocolate croissant and costs €7.50.

After breakfast we go to the local tourist office to get a map of Leon and also to check on the location of local shops selling outdoor goods as Kelly needs to replace her boots. Having received details of the location of outdoor goods shops we walk in the direction of the shops mentioned by the girl in the tourist office. However on our way we are surprised by Saci and

stop to chat with her. We end up going for coffee with Saci at a nearby restaurant and Saci tells us about her walk into Leon.

After this coffee break we walk on to one of the outdoor goods stores and meet a nice friendly Spanish shop assistant with very good English. This guys brings out a variety of different boots and shoes so that Kelly can try these on. Kelly spends some time checking out the various different footwear and eventually settles for a pair of Meindl trekking shoes which she feels suit her feet best. By coincidence I have a pair of Meindl boots which I find are excellent.

While we are on the shop we meet a couple, Jim and Peg, whom we have met further back in our journey. Jim is 73 years old, wears an earring and is trying to change his life. We chat for a while about our experiences.

While we are in the shop a man comes in and asks if I speak English, he is checking on the location of the local albergue and I give him directions as I had seen this building the previous evening. This man tells us that he had set out on the 7th April from St. Jean Pied du Port walking the Napoleon route over the Pyrenees but had to stop at Orisson as there was two foot of snow on the ground and that more snow had fallen overnight. He was transported back to St. Jean in a

van the next morning and had to recommence his journey from there on the lower route.

Later we met the young man called Niall from Galway whom we had met on 23rd April on our way to Calzadilla de la Cueza. We stopped and had a good chat with him. He told us that he was leavin Leon that morning and he was in the company of a young American girl whom we had also met on the 23rd. It is amazing how we

continue to meet people that we have met previously at different stages along the Way.

We walked to the Gaudi building to take some photographs and then we continue on to the Museo San Isidoro de Leon to get a blank Credential for Muireann so that she will has this when she joins us in a few weeks time. As we are at this Museum we decide that we should visit it and we pay the €5.00 cost which turns out to be well worth the price.

Within the Museum building there is a considerable body of historic objects and manuscripts on display in the various different sections. We visit the Treasure Room, Chalice Room and Library on one level. Some

of the objects are caskets dating from 11th century, a unique piece of Viking art from the 10th century which is carved from reindeer horn. Another interesting object is a Chalice made from two Agate Roman cups which were decorated in the 11th century by Dona Urraca. These cups have been venerated since the 4th century as the cup used by Jesus at the last supper. There is also a Visigothic-Mozarabic Bible dating back to 960 AD.

We then visited the Cloister which is the most ancient Romanesque Cloister in Spain and celebrated the first European Courts in 1188. Another fascinating piece is a rooster made from gold and copper and this was the wind vane on top of St. Isidoro Church. It is Persian and possibly dates from the 7th century. The last area of interest is an area dubbed the Sistine Chapel of Romanesque art and this area holds the remains of 23 Kings and Queens.

 

When we finished our visit to the Museum we went next door to the Church but mass had started so we did not stay too long. While there we happened to see a priest at an open confessional waiting for people to avail of the sacrament of confession and confess their sins. This open confessional is unlike anything you would see in Ireland.

After completing these visits I rang Gerry and we arranged to meet at Cafe/Bar just off the Plaza in front of the Cathedral. Saci also spotted us while we were there and joined us. We ordered wine and we were given the usual pincho(tapa) with each drink. By the time we had finished with the wine and pinchos we did not have any specific lunch as we had enough in what we had received. The total cost for our four glasses of wine and an Aquarius was only €9.60.

We went back to the hotel to rest for a couple of hours and met Gerry at 5.30 for a few drinks. We had intended having an early dinner but we discovered that the kitchen in the hotel did not actually open until 8.30 pm. We had to wait until 8.30 before having dinner as this scenario of eating late is repeated throughout the city. The hotel appears to be used as a centre for the local community and the hotel staff are very attentive to the needs of the local people who come in especially with those who have some form of disability.

 

Camino Day 29 – Friday 29th April, Leon to Villar de Mazarife,                        24 Kilometres

Up at the usual 6.00 am and we leave the hotel at 7.00 am. As we were passing through the Cathedral Plaza I noticed some ladies who appeared to be lost. These were Czech ladies who had arrived this morning and they were looking to get a Credential as they were starting their Camino. I gave them directions but explained that I was not sure if the premises was open.

 

 

 

 

When we came to the Boccalino Bar we decided to stop for breakfast. After breakfast we started our walk through the streets, arrived at the Plaza San Marcos before crossing the bridge over the Rio Barnesga. We then continued to walk out through the outskirts of the city and an industrial zone which seems to go on forever.

We stop for coffee in La Virgen del Camino on the very edge of town. After coffee we walk out of town and start walking what we think is the correct alternative route. Before long we stop, return and go on in a slightly different direction. This transition on the edge of Leon is confusing as there are a number of possibilities but a truck driver gives us direction. This is the only location where I have come upon this confusion and a lack of clear directional signage. Once we get this sorted we move

away from the Autovia which is the motorway and it would not be pleasant to have to walk beside this roadway.

We now begin to walk out into the countryside pausing briefly for a rest at Fresno del Camino. Then we climb for a short while before coming into the hamlet of Oncina where to our surprise there is a mobile style cafe service with many types of drinks and food. This is what is called a “Donativo” where you donate what you

think is the appropriate amount for the items that you use. We have some drinks, I take some bananas and we also take some chocolate. The facility is run by a man who does this on a voluntary basis. This was has also completed the Camino and he is very helpful. The donations we make also pay for the structure used to provide this service.

While we are there four ladies from the US arrive and one lady asks the man running the Donativo for a bano(toilet). The man points to a derelict building and suggests that she go there but the woman is somewhat taken aback. The man also says in Spanish that the woman has a vast expanse of nature to use. Later we see this lady coming out of another derelict site outside of town looking much relieved. It seems that these ladies had only just

started the Camino today from León. Unfortunately “bush pee” is one of the realities of the Camino and bathroom facilities are not always available when you require them.

We now walk out into the open countryside and the sun is shining. There are crops in the fields which create a very colourful scene in conjunction with the sky looking as if it was painted with light brushstroke clouds. We make our way to Chozas de

Abajo and to the bar in the main square where we get some sustenance. I had a tuna empanada, Gerry a toasted bocadillo of chorizo, and Kelly a slice of tortilla.

After lunch we walk on slowly to Villar de Mazarife and it takes us about 70 minutes to cover the four kilometres to there. We book into the private albergue Tio Pepe and the three of us share a room with Tim Griffiths a Canadian man whom we have met at different times along our Way. Villar de Mazarife is a pretty village with a welcome feel to it and the entrance to the village is impressive.

 

The Menu del Dia is served at 7.00 pm on the bar attached to the albergue. There are three choices for both starter and main course. The starters are minestrone soup, potato and cod soup and pasta salad, the main courses are chicken on wine, albondigas, and hake. The food once again is good and the cost per person including wine is €9.

There are four Irish people at the table beside us, three from Dublin and one Meath man. I interpret the menu for them and chat with them after the meal. These people have just started today in Leon and they intend walking for a week.

After finishing dinner we walk out into the square to take some photographs as it is a lovely evening. While outside we start conversing with two American ladies, McDuff and her friend who had started the Camino in St. Jean Pied du Port on the same day as ourselves. McDuff was an insomniac and books double rooms to avoid sleeping in dorms  with all the usual snoring which normally takes place.

After chatting to these ladies we go back into the bar to have a drink. I order a Brandy Magno and get a nice measure. I think that the lady of the house likes us because we gave a tip when paying for the meal and she rang the bell to acknowledge the tip. I had to explain to the Irish crew the reason for the bell ringing.

 

 

Our decision today to take the alternative path was a good decision as it took us away from the motorway/national road and even though we had to walk for a time on the local road this was much more enjoyable that walking all the time beside the busy national routes with considerable traffic. One of the things which struck us when we reached the countryside was the beautiful birdsong which we could hear. Also when walking on the streets of Leon we noticed a very strong smell of exhaust fumes.

 

Camino Day 30 – Saturday 30th April, Villar de Mazarife to Santibanez de Valdeiglesia, 20 Kilometres.

Up at 6.00 am and I go straight into the shower but no one has arisen yet and I have a peaceful shower. We are ready and downstairs at 6.40 am as we understood that breakfast would be available from 6.30 am onwards. The lady organising breakfast arrives at 6.50 am and within a short period of time we we were able to have a breakfast of coffee, orange juice, tostada and croissant before getting on the path at 7.35 am.

Once again it is a beautiful morning and while waiting standing at the front door I start talking to another Irishman who is walking the Camino with his wife. Donal and Pauline have been doing the Camino over the past two years and hope to finish it this July.

Gerry walks on with them for a couple of kilometres.

We are surprised by our Dutch Camino friend Marianne who catches up with Kelly and I. Marianne walks with us for a while chatting before she heads off and meets with Gerry at the entrance to Villavante where we stop for coffee and tortilla. After our break Marianne heads off walking on her own as she likes to do from time to time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are still walking on the country roads but slowly we are moving towards the main roads but we stay off as long as possible. We sit to rest for a while before we enter Hospital de Orbigo. We meet our American Camino friends Jim and Peg as we arrive at the Puente de Orbigo, the magnificent 13th century bridge which legend has it was the site of a medieval joust between Don Suero, a knight from Leon and some foreigners.

It is a delightful walk across this historic

bridge leading you into this town, once a location of the ancient Order of St. John and the Knights Commandery of this order maintained a pilgrim hostel in the town. Each year in Hospital de Orbigo there is a medieval festival centred around Knights and Jousting. There was a famous jousting tournament in 1434 which took place in this town and this forms the basis for the annual festival.

In the centre of town we stop for coffee at a nice restaurant where our Camino friend Saci joins us. After coffee we walk on through the town and at the outskirts we turn right onto a track taking us out into farmland leading towards the village of Villares de Orbigo. This is a delightful little village with a

lovely band of trees through which we walk into the village.

When we come out the other side of the village we begin climbing up a hill which has some road construction works that appear to be in limbo. When we come over the top of the hill there is a beautiful view towards the village of Santibanez de Valdeiglesia. Walking down the other side of the hill we meet a man standing by the side of the road outside a property which is going through a reconstruction. We get chatting to this man who is English. He tells us that he bought the property cheaply and is slowly transforming it with the intention of eventually moving permanently to the area to live there.

When we reach Santibanez de Valdeiglesia we book into the albergue Camino Frances and Kelly gets the last bottom bunk. The three of us together with Saci are sharing with three other Peregrinos, a young German guy, an American lady and a Spanish pilgrim who sleeps a good portion of the time. We go for our usual beer at 6.00 pm and the American lady, Linda who is from Kansas joins us.

The Menu del Dia is eight euros and we

have salad to start followed by chicken for me as my main course. After dinner we decide to have another drink and both myself and Gerry have Magno brandy. We have a great chat with lots of laughter. We have another round of brandies and we get into fits of laughter as the chat rattles on. The brandies are Spanish measures which are about double an Irish measure and only cost two euros each.

 

We talk about Michael the American pilgrim who has been doing the Camino in sandles. We have discovered from conversation with him that he builds currachs, a skill he learned from a man from Connemara. We wonder about his life and his reasons for doing the Camino as this is not his first time doing the full Camino. Michael also makes musical instruments from seashells and has a website relating to this aspect of his life.

When we get back to the room it is in darkness and all the other pilgrims are asleep.

 

Camino Day 31 – Sunday 1st May, Santibanez de Valdeiglesia to Santa Catalina de Somoza, 22 Kilometres.

Awake at 5.50 am and head off into the shower in the darkness of early morning. We have breakfast at the albergue and start on the road at 7.30 am. Heading out of the village through a farmyard we are soon climbing on what appears to be foundations for a new road with a path beside it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a beautiful clear morning with the frost on the ground creating pretty crystal effects on some of the plants. As we continue to climb we come into a different type of scenery with scrubland on either side of our path. It is nice to be walking in the countryside once again and going through some forested areas. At the top of our climb we reach a plateau before we begin our descent into St. Justo de la Vega.

On this plateau we stop at La Casa de Los Dios(The House of the Gods) where David, a Spanish man from Barcelona has set up a little shop/cantina where he provides a range of fruits, chocolates, teas, coffees, and all on the basis of Donativo (you contribute what you consider is the fair value of what you take). This is a most unusual hacienda and a welcome stop where we get chatting to the Australian girl who is David’s partner. This is a lovely oasis with colour and spirit which must be most welcome to pilgrims during the summer when the weather is hot.

 

 

We walk on further and arrive at the Cruceiro Santo Toribio which has a large cross and seating area overlooking St. Justo de la Vega with the town of Astorga in the background. We walk down to St. Justo de la Vega and then decide to walk into Astorga town centre before having something to eat. This journey turns into a

long slog to get to the Plaza Cathedral. We start out by crossing a very unique bridge over the railway line and this is by far the longest pedestrian bridge I have ever walked or seen over a railway line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We get directions from a local man who advises us to take a different route from that signposted as it would be more direct. Following these directions we make our way uphill as usual to the Plaza Cathedral where we find a Cafe/Bar right beside the Cathedral and where we have coffee and tortilla in peace and comfort.

Once we finish our second breakfast we go out into the Plaza(square) and we take some photographs of the Episcopal Palace

of Astorga. This building was designed by the famous Catalonian architect Antoni Gaudi, was begun 1889 but not completely finished until 1936 and is one of only three Gaudi buildings outside of Catalonia.

While we were in the Plaza we meet with Michael the American pilgrim and currach builder. We stop to chat with him about our experiences since last we met and we discover that Michael had a sinus infection which had him laid up for three days.

As we were chatting to Michael I saw a man coming across the Plaza in what turns out to be a Leitrim GAA jersey. When he hears that we are from Limerick he proceeds to tells us that he was in Limerick from 1974

to 1978 attending N.C.P.E. (National College of Physical Education). This man’s name is Fergal and he is a retired P. E. Teacher.

We go in to visit the Cathedral and mass has just started. Once again this is another massive structure with many side altars together with extremely high vaulted roof. There are approximately eight priests on on the altar but it is still possible to visit the Cathedral without disturbing mass. The mass is relayed on television screens scattered throughout the cathedral.

 

 

After we finish our visit, take some external photographs we walk through the streets and on the edge of town we sit to consume some buns that Gerry has purchased on Astorga. A little bit further down the road is the former medieval Hermitage of Ecce Homo which is now a small chapel. Ecce Homo is Latin for Behold the Man which are supposedly the words used by Pontius Pilate when he presented Jesus to the crowd before his crucifixion.

As we approach the chapel we notice some activity and on the hillside opposite we see a procession with some large flags being carried together with some statues. As this is the 1st May I reckon that this is a procession in honour of the Virgin Mary. We stop to look at proceedings and after some time the procession makes it’s way down the hillside passing in front of where we are standing as it winds its way towards the chapel. This is a colourful scene with music while each large flag has a group of people(mainly men but also some young girls) associated with carrying the flag who take turns carrying the flags which are quite large and heavy, requiring a special brace strapped to the body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We move on to Murias de Rechivaldo where we stop at Bar Cris to have a round of Aquarias(mineral sports drink) and some water. While we are outside drinking

the owner comes out with a plate of four small meat skewers and four small fried eggs on bread. This was a lovely gesture on his part and while a pincho/tapa is part of the drink culture in Spain, what we received was above the norm.

During the day it had become quite warm and sunny. Little did I realise that I was getting slightly sunburned and it was only when I took off my bandana that the contrasting red of my face and white of the top of my head became obvious. There is little shade and it gets warmer as we are climbing on our way to Santa Catalina de Somoza. We meet an interesting character walking towards us who is like something out of a spaghetti western, dressed as

he is somewhat like a cowboy leading his horse along the path. He appears to be someone who travels from place to place carrying his belongings with him on his horse.

We stop at the first albergue in Santa Catalina de Somoza and we manage to get a room there. This was a lovely albergue and there were a lot of people we knew staying here tonight. When we came down for our usual beer we were joined by our Australian Camino friends Shane and Fiona together with our friend Fergal from Leitrim and also Linda from Kansas. There were a group of Spanish men playing cards in the bar and having great fun with each other. It reminded me of times past seeing people in Ireland

playing the card game 45. Our albergue is the El Caminante and it’s location gives it a great opportunity and advantage to capture the pilgrims as they enter the village.

We all sat down to eat dinner together and we had a great time chatting as some of those around the table had travelled extensively. For dinner I had the Ensalada Mixta to start and Pork joint for main course. We all ordered what we thought was Cheesecake for dessert but this turned out to be a variation of Flan.

 

Camino Day 32 – Monday 2nd May, Santa Catalina de Somoza to   Foncebadón,  18 Kilometres.

Up as usual at 6.00 am, shower and down for breakfast at 6.40 am. We meet Fergal who is having trouble with a swollen instep and we learn later that he has to stop to get this injury treated. When we set off at 7.17 am it is a beautiful morning. We move out into the countryside and the initial part of our walk is on a track beside the road.

We come to a cross with a picture and a lovely verse by Linda Hogan, a Native American writer,

“Walking. I am listening to a                                                                                                               deeper way. Suddenly all my                                                                                                             ancestors are behind me,                                                                                                                   Be still, they say. Watch and                                                                                                               listen. You are the result                                                                                                                     Of the love of thousands”

The number of people who have died on on the Camino from natural causes or been killed by cars is extraordinary and we have seen many memorials particularly in this area.

We moved through the countryside to El Ganso and this is a village which has suffered from dereliction but there is some sign of redevelopment and there is a

Cowboy Bar !!!. There is a lovely Albergue/Cafe/Shop with great character, style and colour where we stopped for some coffee and supplies. The local church in common with many churches has storks nesting on the bell tower and these were very visible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After coffee we wander on through rocky paths, climbing and then through some forest paths. Along the way we meet a young guy called Paul who is originally from Limerick, the South Liberties country

but he is living in Dublin for the past 20 years. We chat for a while and then Paul walks on again but we meet once more in Rabanal del Camino when we stop for further sustenance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rabanal del Camino is a village with a long history associated with the Camino. The Knights Templar are supposed to have had a presence here in the 12th century with the intention of looking after the safety of pilgrims. This is another lovely village benefitting

from the upsurge in interest in the Camino. The village is coming to life again with some lovely touches such as a nice garden area and the restoration of the local church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we leave Rabanal del Camino we continue to climb through some lovely hillside paths with beautiful snow topped mountains in the distance. Arriving at Foncebadón we will have climbed 400 metres(over 1,300 ft.) today. Foncebadón is a village undergoing enormous change with a considerable number of buildings being restored. The streets in this village are effectively mountain paths.

 

 

 

We find accommodation in a new albergue which is not totally finished and you can actually smell the newness of the wood in the building. We get a room for €60 and we are the only three people in this room. When we are booking in our host tells me that the symbol for this albergue is a leprechaun and this is the local symbol for the village. The name of the accommodation is “El Trasgu de Foncebadón”.

 

This evening we go to a local albergue operated by a German guy by the name of Mario, it was close to our accommodation and also has a Cafe/Bar. This guy is writing a cookbook and this evening he is cooking a paella. When we went in for the meal at 7.00 pm we were seated at a table of Eight including ourselves. There were three other Americans(not including Kelly), our Camino friend Marianne and a girl from Austria. It was fascinating that three of the men at this table were widowers, Tom from San Francisco whose wife passed from this life four and a half years ago, Albert from Los Angeles whose wife passed five years ago and finally me with Margaret passing

almost four years ago. I spent some time talking to Tom, telling him about my life experience, in general how lucky I had been in my life and also how Kelly had now come into my life.

After dinner we had a brandy and then it was off to bed.

 

 

 

Camino Day 33 – Tuesday 3rd May, Foncebadón to Molinaseca, 18 Kilometres 

Up and ready for breakfast by 6.45 am. We went back to the Cafe/Bar where we had dinner last night and we had a breakfast which got us underway. We were charged a lot less than the cost outlined but as far as we were concerned was a suitable cost. Our thoughts are that Mario has a very efficient operation but I reckon that I have had better paella.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a problem with some so-called “Pilgrims” who deface information boards, leave graffiti in inappropriate places, steal mileage markers and leave rubbish in the countryside. The message in the photo above says it all. This information board was located in a scenic location with a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.

Today we are heading up to the Cruz de Ferro which is about two kilometres from Foncebadón. Cruz de Ferro is one of these places which have become iconic in terms of the Camino and some of this relates to a scene from the movie “The Way”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

However as we get closer to the summit emotion takes over and many thoughts come into my mind. I think of Margaret but also think of Kelly and our future together. It is interesting to see how the Cruz de Ferro

has become such an iconic place for people, observe them leaving behind notes and tokens with their problems, thoughts and memories. When we arrive at the Cruz de Ferro we have to wait for a little while as there were a number of people there before us and each person takes some time as they climb up the mound before spending a short time in thought at the cross.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we leave the Cruz de Ferro the path initially is quite good and easy walking. We

have climbed up to 1,505 metres (4,938 ft.) at the cross and we descend some bit to the village of Manjaron which reminds me of the deserted village on Achill Island due to the empty stone cottages. There is a unique Albergue run by an idiosyncratic character called Tomas. This albergue has no electricity and Tomas is now the only resident of this village.

We are climbing steadily in an area where the scenery and views are spectacular. At times you can see for miles in all directions. We climb up to 1515 metres which is almost 5,000 ft.  Then we begin the descent which turns into a nightmare for Kelly as we make our way over the rocky surface which at times is quite steep. We are travelling through forest at times but it has become pretty hot as the sun rises in the sky and I discover that my elbows have become sunburned, so I endeavour to keep them covered as much as possible.

We next pass through Acebo, a nice mountain village with a new albergue with all the mod cons plus a swimming pool. On the way out of the village there is a sculpture of a bicycle erected as a memorial to a pilgrim who died at this spot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stop at the next little village, Riego del Ambros and at the Bar when we enter there is one other pilgrim eating. This pilgrim is a young man from Galway and we chat briefly to him before he goes on his way. For our lunch we decide to have two raciones

(rations or portions), Ensaladilla Rusa (Russian Salad), a potato based salad and Patatas Bravas, a dish of diced potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce.

Gerry and I also had a beer each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is very hot when we start out on the trail again as we wend our way over and around the mountains towards Molinaseca. There are lots of lovely flowers beside the trail and the sides of some hills are covered in white flowers. Kelly finds this part of the journey today particularly challenging due to the rocky terrain. Eventually we get to Molinaseca and cross the quaint old bridge into the centre of this beautiful village.

 

 

 

The first albergue we try for accommodation is fully booked and the lady there points out some other accommodation which is also full. We get a place at Casa Rural Torre de Babel which only has a few rooms but this is a lovely place and a welcome comfort after what has been the worst days walking yet on the Camino. It was after 5 pm when we reached this accommodation and we had been on the go today for ten hours. This was by far the most difficult day on the Camino and this was the view of other Peregrinos

whom we spoke to later on that evening.

We went for our usual Menu del Dia at a restaurant just up the street and this included two bottles of wine. We were eating at a table on the side of the street and we met our Danish friends Fred and Lis and also Jim and Peg our American Camino friends. We had some good fun chatting with these couples and Jim told us that he had fallen a number of times today before being carried across the bridge into the village.

Molinaseca is a lovely village with a very nice atmosphere and has a quaint historic air about it. This is a village to which I would like to return in order to spend a few days sightseeing and enjoying the unique atmosphere.

 

 

 

Camino Day 34 – Wednesday 4th May, Molinaseca to Camponaraya,              20 Kilometres.

Once again we rise at 6.00 am and get on the streets by 7.12 am. The streets are quiet and there are no bars or cafes open as we walk the narrow streets to make our way out of Molinaseca. We slowly wander along the road to Ponferrada where we stop for breakfast at the first bar at 9.15 am.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way to Ponferrada we stop by the side of the path at a cross which has been erected in memory of a Irish Peregrino who died on the Way in 2005. We take a few moments in thought and we then place a small Shamrock pin on the right arm of the cross.

 

 

 

 

 

We also meet a number of Pilgrims on the path to Ponferrada including one American man who speaks about his tendinitis which had flared up recently. When this man went for treatment the medical staff he met thought that he was having a heart attack and he was whisked off to Leon where it was determined

that he was not in danger of a heart attack. After some treatment he had to start walking again from Leon.

We also heard about an Irishman who had been airlifted off the mountain yesterday because he collapsed. We learn later that all was well with this man and his problem was that he had become dehydrated. We also discover that this man was one of the group of Irish people we had met the previous Friday in Villar de Mazarife.

After breakfast we walk into the centre of Ponferrada and this is another town with very historic buildings and an interesting castle. At a cafe across the road from the castle we meet some English and Canadian friends and we stop for some time to talk to them. Then we walk along by the walls of the castle and up isn’t the Plaza Mayor which was a hive of activity? This is another town that I would like to visit again. Many Pilgrims stop here for a day or two to take a break and view the sights. We move on out of the Plaza Mayor and wander through the narrow streets before arriving at the modern streets which lead us to the outskirts of town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is quite hot as we walk to Compostilla and we stop at a local bar to get some refreshments. From here the path is unusual as we have to walk through the middle

of a building bringing us to a church which has nice frescoes in shaded porches around the outside of the church but once again the church is closed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We next walk into the town of Columbrianos and Gerry stops at a Pasteleria to buy some lovely local pastries. We sit in a shaded spot outside the shop to eat one of the pastries. After finishing the pastry we walk out of this town and Gerry carries the remaining pastries in his hand for another couple of kilometres until we reach a crossroads with a water pump. We stop at this crossroads to eat the remaining pastries.

We are moving slowly as it is difficult walking in the heat. We see an advert for the Naraya Albergue in Camponaraya and we decide that we will stop there for the night. Gerry walks on ahead to check on availability but he gets pissed off because the distance is further than it said on the advert. When we arrive

there we have a welcome beer before we decide to book in for tonight. It is nine euros for our bunk in a compact room with four bunks but it suits our needs. Later that evening we are joined by a German guy who has an interesting mouthpiece to prevent him from snoring.

We go for our usual beer at 6.00 pm and chat about dinner. I walk down through the village to check out other eating establishments but I discover that this is a

long village and it would be an ordeal to walk to another restaurant for dinner with the prospect of a long walk back at the end of the evening.

When I return we go for dinner in the bar attached to the albergue and this turns out to be a very nice meal. I have Lenguado (sole) with salad and fries. After we finish dinner we discover that the girl behind us is from Buttevant and trained as a nurse in the Regional Hospital in Limerick but is

gone from Limerick since 1989. This girl now lives in Dublin, has been doing the Camino France’s for the past five years and intends finishing it this year. We have a nice chat with this girl and then head to our bunks where we are joined by the German pilgrim.

Addendum: When I am back in Limerick I was preparing for the trip Kelly and I were taking to South America. I went to Sheila the nurse in my doctors clinic and was speaking to her about out Camino experience.  Sheila  started talking about a friend of hers, a nurse who had also been on the Camino and it turns out that it was this nurse from Buttevant that we had met in Camponaraya. The world is indeed a small place.

 

Camino Day 35 – Thursday 5th May, Camponaraya to Villafranca del Bierzo, 16 Kilometres.

Up at 6.00 am and get ready in the dark until we are all awake. This is one of the issues with staying in multiple occupancy rooms as out of respect for other people you cannot turn on lights until everybody is awake. This morning we have breakfast in the bar attached to the albergue. Many mornings we start walking and stop for breakfast along the way.

 

 

 

 

Just before we start walking a young guy arrives at the albergue with a bottle of wine two thirds full and he is looking worse for wear. We see this guy a number of times throughout the day and each time we see him he is drinking beer from cans.

 

 

We had decided the previous evening that we would walk to Villafrance del Bierzo today. Our intention is to get to the tourist office in Villafranca del Bierzo in order to check if it is possible to get a bus to Sarria tomorrow. It would not be possible for us to walk to Sarria by Saturday as the distance is too long. If we get to Sarria on Friday that would mean that we would have a rest day before we begin the final week and we are being joined by Muireann and Christina on Saturday.

 

We walk out through Camponaraya which is another long town and we arrive at a wooded area on the outskirts. Before we reach the end of the town we come upon a beautiful seating area with two rows of benches facing each other, a lovely sculpture with the whole area shaded by trees. This is another town which makes an effort to portray a good image.

When we come out of the wooded area we cross the motorway on a pedestrian bridge. We are now on gravel paths and the countryside all around us is covered by vineyards.

Next we arrive in the town of Cacabelos where we stop for coffee and tortilla. This is another town which is geared to the Camino and there are nice old narrow streets. We stop briefly at a small museum which has an eclectic collection of religious memorabilia housed in an old small church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nearby there is also an interesting mural on the wall of a house regarding environmental concerns. As we

approach the edge of town we stop to look at an old and very large wine press. Close by is an unusual albergue set around an 18th century church  with 70 rooms in chalets with two beds apiece. This town has a long history of association with the Camino.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we leave the town the road rises and we have to climb upwards along by the side of

the main road before turning off onto a side road and then onto a path winding its way through the vineyards of which there are many. The vineyards are interesting and make a colourful sight with their neat rows and the different angles of the rows. The vines are also cultivated in different ways and we presume that this has something to do with the different grape varieties being grown. The day is overcast and there is rain predicted for later in the day but thankfully this does not materialise during our walk.

We wander down into Valtuille de Arriba and this is as sleepy a hamlet as you will find anywhere. It is almost like a deserted village but it is occupied. Many of the buildings in the hamlet are old style wooden structures with the second floor overhanging the street below and in some cases you would be fearful of walking beneath the overhanging portion. The hamlet looks a little bit like a set from the Lord of the Rings.

When we leave this hamlet we are again walking on country paths, climbing up and over the undulating hill. This particular area is known as “El Bierzo” with its own traditions and it is somewhat like a county within the Province of Leon. The area also markets its wines as being from the “El Bierzo” region. In the distance we see an interesting white house set on the top of a hill and surrounded by mature trees. This house has a commanding position

overlooking the countryside all around it.

We begin to descend towards Villafranca del Bierzo and we enter this town of 5,000 souls by the side of the Iglesia de Santiago, an 11th century church set on the hillside just above the town. We make our way to the Plaza Mayor and from there to the Tourist Office which is closed but there are a number of pilgrims waiting for the office to open. We get the information we need and it will be necessary for us to go to Lugo first and then take the bus from there to Sarria. The cost of the tickets is ten euros each and Gerry buys the tickets at a local tobacco shop. While waiting at the Tourist Office we start chatting to the other pilgrims and one of these is a guy called Fred who is now living

in the UK but had lived for 48 years in New Zealand. We chat with Fred for a while and meet him again later in the day.

We book ourselves into the Hotel San Francisco which is a One star hotel in the Plaza Mayor. We go for lunch at one of the restaurants in the Plaza, Cafe Sevilla and we have Pulpo a la Gallega(Octopus Galician style), Gambas al ajillo(Garlic Prawns) and Patatas Bravas(Spicy Potatoes) together with three large beers.

That evening we go back to the Cafe Sevilla where we have a beer before Kelly and I order salads, Kelly’s an Ensalada Mixta and mine a Ensalada Sevilla. Kelly also orders fries but Gerry does not order any food having had enough at lunchtime.

it is interesting sitting in the Plaza watching the pilgrims, some we know and others not. We see a young guy whom we have see along the way and he is on his skateboard, hence we christen him Skateboard Guy. Accompanying him is a flute playing Johnny Depp lookalike who has been playing his flute at different stages along the Camino. A little while later the flute players girlfriend arrives and asks us if we have seen him. She recognises us from a previous meeting and we tell her which direction to go. This girl tells us that she had a problem coming down the mountain the previous day and had to take a taxi to get herself to Villafrance del Bierzo. We see another pilgrim with bloody heels walking in sandals.

Gerry and I have a few brandies Magno, while Kelly goes back to the hotel. It is nice chatting about our journey so far and the expectation of the arrival of Gerry’s wife Christina and my daughter Muireann.

 

Camino Day 36 – 6th May, Villafranca del Bierzo to Sarria.

During the night it had begun to rain and when we wake this morning it is raining heavily. We have decided to sleep in this morning and not go to breakfast until 9.30 am. However we do not sleep so late and I am reading at 7.15 am. Breakfast in the bar downstairs is a buffet style affair and it is good by comparison with lots of breakfasts we have had on our journey.

After breakfast we go back to our rooms to get ourselves organised. When it is time we start walking through the streets down to Bar La Charola which is the location of the bus stop. We walk through the rain drenched streets in our ponchos and arrive down early at the same time as Fred the man from New

Zealand. To our great surprise when we enter the Bar we meet our Danish friends Fred and Lis and we have a nice reunion with them. I then give each of them a Shamrock pin with which that are delighted and put them on straight away. We have great fun chatting with them while we wait for the bus which is slightly late. It was also great to meet with Fred and Lis as I had said to Gerry that I should have given them the pins when we were in Molinaseca.

The journey to Lugo takes 75 minutes and as the bus drives out of Villafrance del Bierzo we can see pilgrims walking along the paths outside the town. There are other pilgrims on the bus and some of these are on their way to Sarria to start their Camino. On

the bus journey the scenery changes dramatically and we are seeing mountains with forests.

We arrive on Lugo at 1.40 pm and the next bus to Sarria leaves at 1.45 pm. The tickets to Sarria cost €3.70 and it is great that we have no delay. We say goodbye to Fred and Lis as they are going on to Santiago de Compostella.

We arrived in Sarria at 2.15 pm and we decided to go to the Casona de Sarria where we are booked in for Saturday night. When we arrived at the accommodation we were met by Marcela and Antonio who were very welcoming and friendly. They have accommodation for us tonight and they put the three of us in a room with six bunks but we end up as the only people in this room.

After we get booked in we walk around the streets to get food and we end up in a local

establishment called Bar Taperia where we have raciones of fries, lomo and bacon. The bartender gives us some Jamon and bread while we are waiting. This meal turns out to be perfect for us and we enjoy the food immensely.

That evening on the recommendation of Marcella we go to the Roma Restaurant. Gerry and I have the Menu del Dia with Vegetable Soup to start and then grilled Salmon for main course. We had a Cruzcampo Reserva Beer and of course the Vino Tinto. The walk to and from the restaurant was lovely as it is along a path by the river.

 

Camino Day 37 – Saturday 7th May, Sarria.

We agreed that we would have breakfast at 8.00 am and when we went to the dining room there were various other pilgrims at breakfast. Breakfast was excellent and Marcela our host was very attentive offering further coffee, toast, eggs etc. We talked with an American couple Rocky and his Colombian born wife who were continuing their Camino today. Later when the other guests had left Marcela brought her mother down to meet with us and this started a conversation which lasted for four and a half hours.

Marcella’s mother is a most interesting lady, 81 years young and still travelling the world. This woman has had a fascinating life and currently lives in Uruguay. Over her life she has lived in various other countries and Marcela was born on Chile. Marcela’s father had passed away three years ago.

Tonight our accommodation is in a different location and it is a house which has been converted for rental accommodation but has not yet been used for this purpose. Marcela sets up the accommodation for us and her partner Tonio(Antonio) piles us into his car and drives us up into the old town to the property at Calle Maior. This is a beautiful property which had to be renovated and modified into a boutique accommodation. There are 2, 3 and 4 bed rooms and the

whole place is tastefully decorated in a very modern style. We will be the only people in this accommodation tonight.

After we settled in we went across the road to the Restaurante Mesón Tapas where we had Pulpo(Squid), Ribs, Patatas Fritos, and Chorizo with Vino Tinto. In the afternoon Gerry and I go for a walk around town. Certain parts of the town look neglected and a bit rundown but the historic centre is full of Albergues and Cafe/Restaurants. On

the way back from our walk we stop at the Roma Restaurant. In my best pidgin Spanish I book a table for 7.30 pm as Muireann and Christina are due to arrive this evening and I want to be sure that we have a nice restaurant to celebrate their arrival.

While Gerry goes to the Bus Station to meet Christina we go to a Bar near the Roma Restaurant to wait for them. Muireann is also on the way but the bus information is

somewhat confusing. Gerry meets Christina and they both arrive to the bar where we introduce Kelly and Christina together. We go to the restaurant as it is nearly 7.30 pm and we are not there too long when I get a call from Muireann to say that she has arrived. Muireann when she reached Lugo decided to take a taxi to Sarria with three guys from Cork as they were not sure when they could get a bus. It was great to see Muireann arrive and it was a little bit emotional.

We had a most enjoyable meal with great craic between us as we catch up on life. We wander back to our accommodation along the banks of the river and up through the streets. Tonight Kelly, I and Muireann are sharing the three bed room.

 

Camino Day 38 – Sunday 8th May, Sarria to Portomarin, 24 Kilometres.

We get up at 6.00 am and we are ready for breakfast by 7.00 am. We walk down the streets to La Casona de Sarria and Antonio is outside having a smoke. He had offered to collect us from the accommodation but we had told him that we would walk down. Antonio asks in Spanish how we got on and I told him in Spanish that the house was excellent and that we had a good night there.

Marcela greets us like old friends and we sit

down for a fine breakfast. Marcela offers scrambled eggs in addition to the other foods available. Staying with Marcela and Antonio has been a wonderful experience and it was nice that Muireann and Christina got the opportunity also to meet with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

W e are on the road before 8.00 am and across from the Cassona de Sarria is the Camino route. We are immediately walking on country paths and we have to

don our ponchos as it has been raining overnight and continues to do so this morning. The scenery is beautiful, green and in some ways it is very much like Ireland. We begin to notice that pilgrims are coming in greater numbers and this is obviously due to the fact that many people(including Christina and Muireann) walk the last 115 kilometres as this is the minimum required to get the Compostela when you reach Santiago de Compostela.

 

 

 

During the morning the weather improves and this makes for lovely walking, sometimes through open countryside and at other times along forest paths. We also come upon some interesting churches and we stop to visit the ones which are open. Considering that we are on the Camino route it is amazing to see the number of churches which are closed and this has been a feature since we commenced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another interesting feature of this particular area are the unusual drying stores for corn. These structures are narrow, built on concrete stilts with red brick which has multiple holes through the brick and this is obviously to allow air to circulate through the store as the corn dries. Some of these structures are ornate and have tiled roofs with a cross on top. There are also some amazingly beautiful flowers around houses and beside the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we reach Paradela we pass below the 100 kilometres marker and this is a magical moment for myself, Kelly and Gerry. We are now walking along

paths with stone walls on either side and these walls are covered with moss. The whole scene is one of myth and mystery.

Today we have decided that we will try to reach the town of Portomarin. During the day which was the first day walking for Muireann and Christina they had taken off at a serious pace but we continued to walk at our normal pace. From time to time Muireann and Christina would stop to wait for us to catch up to them before they would take off again.

 

 

Later in the day we told Gerry, Christina and Muireann to walk ahead to Portomarin to find accommodation as we had passed the last available albergue and the day was moving on. The last kilometres are difficult and we could see Portomarin in the distance. When we make our way down the path to Portomarin we could see the long bridge over the lake leading into the town and on the other side a steep bank of steps climbing up into the town.

 

We reach the bridge, walk across it and admire what is a lovely walk into town. The lads have taken two rooms in the first hostel we reach and Muireann is going to experience the bunk accommodation.

Saci is also in town and comes to meet with us as she had seen Gerry arrive so we all go for a drink.

We meet at 7.00 to go for dinner in the Mirador Restaurant next door which is packed but we manage to get a table. The Restaurant has a nice view out over the lake. We have the Menu del Dia and the service is good.

This morning at breakfast we meet Maura a lady I had met the previous evening while waiting for Gerry and Christina and whom I had directed to the Casona de Sarria as she was having difficulty finding it. Maura is from Donegal but working in Derry and Strabane. Maura has visited this area many times but had never walked any of the Camino.

 

 

Camino Day 39 – Monday 9th May, Portomarin to Palas de Rei,                        26 Kilometres

We are up at our usual time of 6.00 am and we go next door to the Mirador Restaurant for breakfast. At 7.35 am we are on our way and as the town is at a height you can see the pilgrims walk down the path and across the bridge leading you out of town. The view is lovely looking out across the lake even though the morning is overcast and there is some rain about.

We head off into the forest walking and we also have to do some walking by the roadside. Again today the trail is busier with more pilgrims than we have experienced to date. When we get to our first stop for coffee it is crowded and for us it is incredible to see the number of pilgrims who have gathered here as we have only been used to small groups or very few people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We speak with some people we have come to know but make a mental note not to stop in these kind of situations. It is a bit off putting as we have not experienced this type of crowding before and it is a somewhat uncomfortable. We move on from this cafe at Gonzar

Today we have a considerable climb and we are climbing through forest. Early in the climb we come across an older couple who are interesting as they are accompanied by a dog who carries bags on either side much like panniers on horses but much smaller. The dog seems to us to look like a Huskie.

As we climb and make our way through Castromaior

and Hospital de la Cruz we are continuously saluting people and exchanging greetings as it is the done thing to salute with “Buen Camino”. For us it is a bit uncomfortable due to the number of pilgrims and we are not impressed with the number of day trippers.

 

 

 

On one part of our climb we meet a man called Alex who is one of a group of people from Derry who are walking to raise funds for Foyle Hospice?. We have some good craic with him and a number of the people from the group travelling with Alex. Alex is a widower for the past 27 years but he seems to have met another woman in the past few years and he is thinking of getting married again.

We walk on and stop for a light lunch at Ventas de Naron. Just on the edge of this hamlet there is a small church, originally a Knights Templar hospital in the 13th century but after it collapsed a new church was built in the 19th century. We visit this little chapel to get a Camino stamp and we discover that the man inside is blind so we help him to place the stamp on our Credentials.

After Ventas de Naron we have to climb again and pass by the Sierra Ligonde?.At a particularly difficult part of the trail Gerry helps an American lady who is travelling with two other ladies. We had hoped to stop in Portas but when Muireann, Gerry and Christina go ahead to check there are no places in the Inn. In a

rather dismissive voice they had been asked if they had a reservation and this was the first and last day this happened to us. This occurred a number of times when the lads were checking for accommodation and what made it somewhat irritating was the sight of cases in reception areas where people are what we would call tourist pilgrims.

We now have to make our journey five kilometres longer and travel on to Palas de Rey which is further than we had anticipated. As we get closer to Palas De Rey we hear the sound of thunder and then it begins to rain. Eventually we are in a full thunderstorm and the rain is Incredible together with the thunder and lightening.

Muireann, Gerry and Christina had walked ahead again and found accommodation for us at the Hostal Castro. I follow directions from texts I receive from Muireann but we have to stop for a while first to allow the storm to pass. We make our way down into the town and the lads are delighted to see us as they were on concerned about us due to the storm.

The Hostal Castro is a lovely new accommodation and when we arrive we have a beer. Saci is again with us and the six of us are sharing a six bunk dormitory. When we settle in I go back with Gerry and Muireann to have a beer and a chat.

We go for dinner in the restaurant in the Hostal where we meet Giovanni an Italian man whom Christina had met on her way to start the Camino. We have a most enjoyable meal from the Menu del Dia and we are served by a lovely young man with good English. At the end of the meal we get a digestivo and the waiter tells us that he has friends working in Temple Bar.

As usual it is early to bed but the craic is mighty and Muireann is in great form. It is interesting for us to see all the activity in the Cafes and Bars during the day as we have been used to much quieter days prior to Sarria. Over the past two days Muireann has been walking with Gerry and Christina both together and

separately and has been having great conversations with them.

After dinner we decided that we should book a place for the next night considering the volume of pilgrims we have encountered both yesterday and today. We eventually decide that we will try to book the Albergue Os Albergue in Boente. With my poco Espanyol I make the call and engage in a conversation in pidgin Spanish, pidgin English with the man who answers the phone. I book the five of us in one room for tomorrow night.

This means that we have to walk a minimum of 20.3 kilometres tomorrow and we normally have not tied ourselves to setting a target in case we need to stop earlier but we feel much more comfortable knowing that we have the accommodation booked.

 

Camino Day 40 – Tuesday 10th May, Palas de Rei to Boente, 23 Kilometres.

The usual start for us but when we arrive downstairs we discover that breakfast is not available until 7.30 am so we decide to walk on and find some place along the way. We do not have to go very far before we find a Cafe/Bar where we stop for breakfast.

Our friend Saci had left us at the Hostal Castro but as we walk down through the streets of town we meet with her again and she decides that she will walk with us. Saci also decides that she is going to stay walking with us into Santiago de Compostela later in the week.

 

 

We are on the way again by 7.35 am,  we head out of town and onto forestry paths. These paths are magnificent and at times are so peaceful, mystical and romantic. Due to the heavy rain we come across many parts of the trail that are muddy with some areas full of water requiring us to step across these watery areas on rocks. There are six rivers to be crossed today and some of these rivers have beautiful, historic bridges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We pass through San Julián do Camiño which is a classic Camino hamlet with a little 12th century church. Further on we stop at Casa Domingo and have some coffee with cake. This Casa has a large concrete scallop shell and we take some photographs. The greenery and light is beautiful as we walk towards the village of Casanova. Having the name of Casanova conjures up a different image but the village has no connection with the lothario of the same name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only problem with our walk today is the large class of Spanish students who are also on the path. These students are walking the Camino for this week with some teachers and guides.

We have to walk by a large industrial on the way to the village of Furelos where we stop for lunch and I have some ham and cheese. We have a most interesting conversation with a lady who arrives at the restaurant with her husband. This lady starts a conversation with us in Spanish and when she learns that we spent the previous night in the Hostal Castro on Palas de Rei she proceeds to tell us that her son is a waiter in the Hostal. We realise that her son was the young Spanish waiter who had served us the night before and who has friends working in Dublin. This lady speaks quite quickly and I can understand a lot of what she says but my Spanish is not good enough to engage in a proper conversation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch we make our way through the sizeable town of Melide and once outside the town we are back onto the forest paths again. Gerry, Christina and Muireann walk on to Boente, our destination for tonight. When we arrive at the edge of Boente they are having a beer and we stop for one. As we  move on towards our accommodation a most unusual thing happened. An old lady came out of her house and started calling to us. When I looked over at her I realised that she wanted some one to zip up her left

boot. I obliged and she seemed happy after that.

When we arrived at the accommodation, Albergue Os Albergues it is a bit rough and ready. The owner was a character who looked like as if he had stepped out from a western movie and had been christened by one of the earlier pilgrims as Buffalo Bill due to his overall appearance together with his long hair and bushy beard. Saci decided not to stay with us and booked into the albergue next door.

The Albergue Os Albergues has seen better days but it suited our needs to a degree. In this albergue as in many others when you book in you get a paper bed sheet and pillowcase. Usually in these particular Albergues I would sleep in my sleeping bag and put my own pillowcase on the pillow. Tonight I will be using my sleeping bag liner and Muireann will be using my sleeping bag.

Saci calls to meet us at 7.00 pm and we go to the albergue where Saci is staying as there is a Menu del Dia there. This is a much more modern establishment. The waitress here was excellent, very efficient and the service was quick. Even though this girl was under pressure she was able to smile and joke.

The food was the usual Menu del Dia with Vino. Muireann has to be careful with her food due to her various allergies and during the day she often has a bocadillo(baguette sandwich) with ham or cheese or both as this is safe. Frequently Muireann has a salad for starter and chicken for main course but again salad in Spain is often served with egg which is one of the allergies.

After dinner we go back to our accommodation and some have showers as often the water is hot at night but will be cold in the morning. Some of our conversations this week have been hilarious and again this evening we end up having uproarious laughter talking about all sorts of issues including our experiences along the way.

Tonight again we decide that we need to book our accommodation for the next night and Kelly searches the Internet finding a new albergue which has just opened in April. Once again I use my poco Espanyol to book the six of us into the Albergue Alborada which is also a Pension.

 

Camino Day 41 – Wednesday 11th May, Boente to Salceda, 22 Kilometres.

Up at the usual time and into the albergue next door for breakfast. We have coffee, orange juice, bananas and tostada. On the road by 7.25 am and it is still somewhat dark but the sun is rising over the horizon as we walk into the forest once again. Today is another day when we have set a target for ourselves which today is approximately twenty kilometres by the guide book but by the time we arrive at our destinations we will always have walked an extra few kilometres.

 

 

 

This is a nice morning and the sun is breaking through the clouds. We have a number of climbs today and the first of these is as we enter the village of Ribadiso da Baixo which has a beautiful setting with a medieval bridge beside one of the oldest pilgrim hospitals which has been given a restoration.

 

It gets warmer as we climb towards Arzúa. We have to cross under and over a number of roads and crossing roads is a bit worrying at times. On the motorways or busy national routes there are tunnels under the roads but on the minor roads you cross these directly. Generally the tunnels have graffiti but in this area the graffiti is ugly and not like the colourful, artistic creations we saw earlier in our Camino.

It is a rather steep climb up into Arzúa and when we walk through the town we are once again in the countryside. We see many beautiful flowers such as Calla Lillies and Wisteria. The dappled light through the trees is lovely and there is a touch of magic in walking through the forest when it is bathed in this light. Another feature of walking through the forests are the very tall Eucalyptus trees with their shedding bark which creates interesting effects as the falling bark drapes over the branches of other trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I walked for a good part with Muireann. It was great to be able to spend time walking with her in the relaxed peace and quiet of the forest, taking the opportunity to chat about life and the future. Again during the day we have great conversation, interaction and craic as we walk along. We stop for lunch in Calzada and we have omelettes sitting in the sunshine outside the restaurant.

We walk into more forest after lunch and in some of the areas the planting of the trees appear as if they were planted with mathematical precision. The trees are planted in rows of straight lines, evenly spaced apart, creating unusual lighting

effects.

We walk through A Calle, a small hamlet with traditional buildings and some magnificent Wisteria bushes. We arrive in Salceda just before 4.00 pm and book into our accommodation at the Pensión/Albergue Alborada. This is a lovely new property and the lady who meets us is most pleasant. My poco Espanyol is working and our host has a little English.

 

 

 

The six of us have a room to ourselves in a ten bunk room. The bunks are twelve euros each and we have proper sheets and pillowcases. There are very good bathrooms directly off our room, one for the girls and one for the boys. Kelly and I hand in our washing which costs four euros for the wash and three euros for the drying.

 

It was raining when we go out for our usual pre dinner beer and we cross the road to the Bar Verde which is a most funky spot with hundreds of teeshirts hanging from the ceiling. In the bar before is skateboard guy, we had met this guy further back along our Camino and when we met him today walking through the forest he was without his skateboard. When I asked him if he had lost it he explained that he had given it to a

little girl back in the previous small town. He had come upon this young girl who had a very poor thin skateboard with wheels which did not turn properly so he left his board with her. When we complimented him on his generosity he stated that he would be back in the U.S. on 1st June and would have access to another board then. I told him about my son Eoghan, his interest in skateboarding and how when he was twelve years old we made skateboard ramps in our front garden.

 

 

 

There was no food available in the Bar Verde so we walked along by the main road up to the Meson A’esquipa for dinner. We shared some starters but some of our group were not happy with the main courses as they were somewhat cold. This was our dearest meal this week but a number of other pilgrims also ate in this Meson.

 

Our accommodation Alborada has only been open for fifteen days and the lady who booked us in was wondering how we had heard about it. We explained that Kelly had found the details of the accommodation on an App which she has on her phone. Once again we struck it lucky in terms of our accommodation. Our host at the Alborada booked our accommodation for us for the following night. We are going to stay in monastery accommodation on Monte de Gozo which is only approximately five kilometres from Santiago de Compostela.

 

Camino Day 42 – Thursday 12th May, Salceda to Monte de Gozo,                     25 Kilometres.

We rise at the usual time and we are on the road at 7.02 am. The Meson A’esquipa does not have breakfast ready when we arrive there so we walk on until 8.00 am. We go to the Meson Brea in the hamlet of Brea for breakfast. We meet the lovely lady from Holland whom we had met on the trail yesterday and she had stayed in the Meson Brea last night. This lady had stopped yesterday to talk to Kelly and I as she had seen us exchanging a kiss and she got very emotional about her husband. She said that she realised that she was a very lucky woman to have such a good man.

 

 

After breakfast when we are walking we have to cross the main road a number of times at crossings where you push a button which activates flashing lights on triangular signs by the roadside warning motorists that pilgrims are crossing the road. Pilgrims have been killed on these particular stretches of road where we are

walking today.

We once again walk into more forest and we have to climb up Santa Irene hill as we move towards O Pedrouzo as I thought. Unfortunately I was wrong as we bypassed O Pedrouzo unknowingly which increased the distance we had to travel before we stopped for lunch. We did not stop at Amenal either, therefore we had to travel over sixteen kilometres before we had our lunch.

 

 

 

This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we ended up having a lovely lunch in Lavacolla. As there were six of us we were allowed into the Comedor (dining room) and we had plenty of space for ourselves. I ordered a number of different dishes for us to share including Pimientos de Padron (fried Padron peppers sprinkled with seasalt), Gambas al Ajillo (garlic prawns), and Chorizo al Vino (chorizo in red wine) which I shared with Muireann.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was a good stop for us, reviving and leaving us with a much shorter walk to our destination. Our walk just before lunch took us around Santiago de Compostela airport bringing us close to the motorway where we could see a sign on the roadside stating eleven kilometres to Santiago de Compostela. Along

the walking trail there are waymarkers at different points showing the number of kilometres remaining to reach Santiago. Unfortunately many of these have been vandalised by idiots who remove the little plaque with the kilometres as souvenirs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stop at Casa de Amancio in order to break our journey and have a beer. While we are there we get talking to a Canadian family about our respective Caminos. We set off on the final leg of today’s journey and reach Monte de Gozo just after 5.00 pm. Monte

de Gozo means the hill of joy, so named because pilgrims reaching the top of this hill exclaimed their joy when they saw the spires of the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

Our accommodation for tonight is at the European Center of Youthful Pastoral & Peregrination John Paul II. Monte de Gozo has become a location of enormous activity relating to the Camino and there are literally hundreds of beds here. We are booked into three rooms, all rooms in this accommodation are twin rooms. There appear to be only twelve to fifteen people staying here tonight and it is only twelve euros each for our bed.

We meet in the Bar/Restaurant to have a few beers before we decide to have our last Menu del Dia together. While around the dinner table we each share our thoughts on our Camino experience. It is nice to share our feelings on what has been an amazing experience. The six of us have some nice thoughts and everyone has particularly enjoyed the past week that we have spent together.

We decided to stay in Monte de Gozo tonight as it is only five kilometres from Santiago de Compostela and it is our intention to get up early so that we can arrive into Santiago early in the day.

 

 

Camino Day 43 – Friday 13th May, Monte de Gozo to Santiago de Compostela.

So on our final day we rise at the usual time of 6.00 am, have breakfast and get on the road just after 7.00 am. It has been raining overnight and it will continue to rain for a good part of the day. As we leave Monte de Gozo we are the only Peregrinos walking the road, slowly moving towards Santiago de Compostela in the dark. The clouds are thick this morning limiting how far we can see and and the city is shrouded in mist. We reach the outskirts of the city at 7.44 am and shortly thereafter we stop for breakfast.

 

 

 

We are back on the streets of Santiago at 8.27 am, moving along the busy streets, meeting more and more pilgrims as we all walk towards the Cathedral in the centre of the town. I met a man, originally from Liverpool who has been living in Santiago for many years and who was walking his

son to school when he heard my voice which he recognised as Irish prompting him to stop briefly for a chat. This man stops again on his way back down the street after dropping his son at school and he tells me that we are approximately twenty five minutes away from the Cathedral.

 

 

 

We continue to walk the streets following the Camino signs bringing us closer to the Cathedral. At 9.07 am we get our first sight of the Cathedral spires and finally at 9.21 am we walk through the tunnel leading down into the Plaza where I, Kelly, Gerry and Saci link arms to walk to the centre of the Plaza in front of the Cathedral. Muireann and Christina join us in the centre where we take photos, kiss, hug and congratulate each other on completing our Camino. It is very quiet in the Plaza and there are no other

pilgrims that we know. It is somewhat anticlimactic when we are in the centre of the Plaza.

Next we decided that we should go about getting our Credentials as we had heard that at times large queues develop leading to long delays. We were looking around for directions but as we were a Spanish man came up to me  and asked if we needed help. I explained that we were looking for the route to the Pilgrims Office and this

man said that he would walk with us to show the way. We had a conversation in Spanish most of which I understood and we worked out that we were both the same age. This man tells me that he had worked in the wine industry in Bordeaux. He shows us the location of the Pilgrim Office and as we say our goodbyes he gives Muireann the traditional kiss on both cheeks as I had told him that Muireann is my daughter.

 

Firstly we have to go through a security check on our backpacks and once this is completed we join the queue which is not very long for the our Santiago credentials. This process takes about thirty minutes and I get the the Latin version as I tick the spiritual box. I also get the distance certificate. We had heard that the previous day there were three hour queues and we are delighted with our luck which has remained with us all throughout our Camino.

 

 

We decide to go for a second breakfast and also have a celebratory drink. We wander around the streets enjoying the atmosphere and activity.  At 12 O’clock there is a special pilgrims mass so we go to the Cathedral but beforehand we have to leave our backpacks at a storage facility in a shop close to the Cathedral. This storage service costs two euros each and we consider this to be good value.

 

 

Luckily we go in early for the mass and we get seats because the Cathedral fills up leaving latecomers standing. Mass is entirely in Spanish except for a brief prayer  by an Irish Priest. This is a long mass and somewhat withering as the priest delivers a long sermon in Spanish. We get up to leave at the communion but as we go around to to the exit door we realise that the swinging of the enormous Thurible. We end up directly in line with the Thurible with the ceremony only taking approximately five minutes and then it is all over. This was the most

exciting part of the mass as the swinging of the Thurible does not always take place but I have seen this on television and there is a rumour about that someone has paid a certain sum so that the ceremony will take place.

Once we collect our bags Saci decided to say goodbye and we exchange kisses and hugs with her before walking to our Hotel for tonight. The Hotel Avenida is just outside the old town and within easy walking distance for us. We meet at 3.15 pm to go,for something to eat. We go to a restaurant close to our hotel and we order some dishes to share. We have a few beers and then the waiter comes to tell us that he has to close at 5.00 pm.

We walk up the narrow pedestrian streets and back around by the Cathedral to see if we can meet any of the Pilgrims that we know. It is raining once again and we walk around the Cathedral to the tunnel through which we entered the Cathedral Plaza earlier today where now there is a Galician Piper and a drummer playing music which to our ears sounds very much like Irish music. We stop and listen for a while before moving on up the street which is one of the main thoroughfares to the Cathedral. We stop at an interesting Pub for a drink where we have a good long chat.

 

Later we walk down the Rua Caldeiriera looking for someplace to eat and we settle on the O’Piorna Restaurant. There are a number of Reserved tables here but one group has not arrived and the waiter gives the table to us. This once again turns out to be a great find and we all enjoyed an excellent meal. Our waiter was excellent, very friendly and accommodating.

 

 

 

Back through the streets to our hotel, into bed with no agenda for tomorrow, nor any walking long distances with our backpacks. So ends our journey, our Camino as Peregrinos walking across Spain. This finishes  a journey that I had long thought about, walking for weeks with no daily agenda, stopping whenever or wherever you find yourself at the end of the day.

So ends the “craic”.

Epilogue 

Many people continue their journey to Finisterre and Muxia and these featured in the movie “The Way” but we had decided that Santiago de Compostela was our destination. Myself and Kelly did hire a car and visited both locations over three lovely days. Both Finisterre with it’s lovely beach and Muxia with it’s Church on the rugged Atlantic coast are well worth a visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking the Camiño has become hugely popular in recent years and the pilgrims now come from all corners of the world. When we started in April there were a large number of pilgrims but once you advance into May the numbers increase dramatically. This lead to problems with accommodation for those starting from St. Jean Pied de Port and created a bit of a scramble each day.

From our perspective we were only affected on a few days in the last week of our Camiño which was a little irritating as we had been walking for six weeks at that stage. We

heard during our final week that those pilgrims starting out in St. Jean Pied de Port that week were having problems with sourcing accommodation and that the 180 bed albergue in Roncesvalles was full during the week. Again from our perspective it was wonderful to be in a position to complete the Camiño Frances in one attempt and we would recommend doing it this way if possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking the Camiño is a wonderful journey for whatever reason you undertake it and there are many many reasons why people make this journey but for us the abiding memory will the many amazing people we met along the way, people with whom we have formed wonderful lasting friendships. The opportunity to spend time with people we love also added to the special journey as it allowed us time without all the usual daily distractions to chat about life and enjoy each other’s company. So ends another chapter in life but one which will provide beautiful memories and incredible stories in the years to come.