Before I go, I thought I might share some memories of just some of the people I encountered along the way.
I understand that a pilgrimage has connotations of a largely solitary endeavour, but in many ways, it's the people you meet and connect with that really makes the Camino. A shared, arduous experience is a great environment in which to really get to know someone and so it proved on my journey.
It’s probably not as apparent as it could be from the daily blog entries, but I was lucky enough to share the path with many, many incredible folk during my Camino. Sometimes for only a short time, many for hours and a few for many days. All were interesting, engaged, good people, many with extraordinary life stories, who were living in the moment and who seemed to be having the time of their lives. It was inspiring and humbling to share their space. I can only hope that I was able to enrich their individual experiences by a fraction of the amount that they enriched mine.
In keeping with the general anonymity of this blog, I’ve made up the names of the (very real) people I talk about below. But it makes no difference.
Miss Lithuania - who was probably the fastest walker I've ever seen. I first came across Tatiana early on in the journey but got to know her a little better when I saw her one morning ahead in the distance when she had fallen and injured herself on a bitumen road. When I caught up, she was bleeding from a large graze on her leg. After a while, and with some first aid, she had recovered sufficiently and was on her way. On the few occasions in subsequent days that I did manage to stay with her long enough to have a chat, or sit down with her for a drink, she seemed a fascinating person with a story I would love to have gotten to know more about. But it was not to be - she was a lady in a hurry!
Don from Sicily - It wasn't his actual name (I don't think), but he was a very charming, friendly, enthusiastic, older guy who I saw a few times along the way. We always greeted each other very warmly. I certainly made sure I did - he seemed more than capable of making you an offer you couldn't refuse…
Romeo and Juliet (an Italian/Venezuelan couple on their honeymoon) - Two beautiful people who I first met in Sarria and who got me out of a potentially difficult situation there when I arrived at the hotel I'd booked into but which wasn't actually where I was staying. They arrived soon after and his Spanish skills helped explain and resolve the mix-up. We also saw them later along the track a few times, by which time she had suffered a painful leg injury and was walking very slowly. Later, they suggested the name of that great pulpo restaurant in Melide, and I finally saw them as they were just about to enter pilgrims square, having taken several hours longer than us on that final day to make it there. But they still had those cute little smiles on their cute little faces.
Pedro from Spain, the Paris to Dakar man - We first met at the Sarria albergue where he was starting his walk. I learned through his broken but enthusiastic English that his main aim was to complete the "Paris-Dakar" in Santiago. He was not a motor sport fan, but a drinking fan, with Santiago evidently renown for the 22 bars between the first (the Paris bar) and the last (the Dakar bar). Completing the Paris-Dakar meant having a drink in all of them. When I arrived in Santiago, I couldn't see either of those bars, but I was assured by a few of the other less-abstemious pilgrims that such a challenge existed and they, too, were up for it. I came across Pedro a few times along the way, including at dinner one night and as we entered the pilgrim square in front of the Cathedral. He was always infectiously happy and friendly. I’ll bet his own Paris-Dakar must have been something to see.
Maribel and Ruth from Spain - I also met Maribel and her friend in the Sarria albergue and we arranged to have dinner when we met again in Portomarin. We also managed to catch up briefly in pilgrims square on the last day. Maribel was a lovely person who worked in a hospital in the south of Spain and had a giggle when I asked her if hospitals also shut down for siesta, as just about every other place in Spain did. Thankfully, the answer was no.
Giuseppe and Maria from Italy - Another beautiful mother and son couple who were my dorm-mates in Ruitelan and who expressed amazement that someone from as far away as Australia would come all this way to walk the Camino. Every time I saw Maria subsequently, she said 'Australia!' in amazement and gave a warm welcome. Guiseppe had walked it before and this time was taking his elderly Italian mother, who fit perfectly - in the nicest possible way - the stereotypes of elderly Italian mothers. He must have had the patience of Job to do what he did. It was great, too, to catch up with them in the Cathedral at Santiago having accomplished their mission.
Sondra and Kristina from Belgium - Two more beautiful people from Belgium who also started at St Jean. I didn't meet up with them until after Leon, and we lost each other again after Sarria. But it was great spending several days with them at various albergues and along the way. As luck would have it, while I was at Santiago airport just about to board the first of my flights home, I spotted Kristina who, with Sondra, was there preparing to take their direct flight back to Brussels. Happily, we were all able to take the time to wish each other the best and say our farewells properly.
Volunteers at Rabanal - This was probably the best albergue I stayed at along the way, due largely to the friendliness of the English volunteers who were running it for a two week shift before the next team came in. They organized a great afternoon tea where all the pilgrims gathered for a chat, and then a wonderful breakfast early the next morning. They also went above and beyond in helping Kristina and Sondra with a nasty bed-bug problem. A wonderful experience.
Hiroki, the Japanese barefoot walker - I first saw this guy walking barefoot on the paved road into Carrion de los Condes. It was early afternoon and the air temperature must have been mid-30s, so it's anyone's guess what it was on the ground. I thought he was absolutely crazy and so I walked up to him, shook his hand and told him so. Hiroki smiled a wistful smile in acknowledgement and continued on his way. His general appearance and the faraway look in his eye suggested he might have actually started his walk in Japan. I saw him several times after that, the last being just out of Sarria. Each time, I made sure I shook his hand and said he was crazy. But it was clear he understood my admiration for, and amazement at, his efforts. What a man!
Ned from Brazil - He was a dorm-mate in Hontanas when I first met him. I admired his beard, his gently disparaging nature toward his home country, his friendliness, and his general presence. He later connected with my Belgian and Czech Camino buddies and we spent a bit of time together toward the end. A great guy.
Sofia from Bulgaria - We were dorm-mates in Portomarin and decided to walk the next day to Palas de Rei, although she wanted to press on to Melide. That was one of the best morning walks of the whole journey with the mist hanging eerily over the forest and we both really enjoyed it. I didn't see Sofia again after our farewell lunch at Palas de Rei, but she was a great walking companion on a wonderful day.
And, finally, of course, my wonderful, incomparable, Belgian and Czech Camino buddies - Kim and Martina. It was uncanny, or perhaps fateful, how early on we just kept meeting up - especially in Leon on that wonderful evening. Spending the amount of time I did with them and engaging as closely as we did in the final week or so, was a highlight of my Camino. If any two people on this planet deserve happiness, it's those guys.
I want to round out this blog with some final thoughts and reflections, which - a few weeks after returning home - I am still trying to put into some sort of coherent form. I also wanted to try and answer a great question that Martina asked of us during dinner in Molinaseca, which I couldn’t really do then. It was - what did you learn from the Camino? (My main response now is that I learned I really, really, loved it. So much so, that I’ve booked to go back and do the Camino Frances all over again in November and December 2016 - followed by the Camino Portuguese from Porto, and finishing with Christmas Day in Santiago! And this time, the only place I plan on booking in advance is the very impressive-looking Parador Hotel adjacent to the Cathedral in Santiago for Christmas Day and Boxing Day.)
Anyway, I thought the priority should be to post the stuff I was writing along the way, which I hope has been of some interest to you as you think about, or plan, your own Camino or use this to reflect on your experience.
I’ll get back with those remaining comments later …
Sunday 11 September 2016
Epilogue (Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 August 2016)
I woke on Wednesday actually feeling quite healthy. The hotel breakfast was befitting the quality of the rest of the place and at 9:30am, I was queuing outside the Cathedral to pay my respects to the man himself - St James. Once inside, I found the brief moments placing my hand on the Apostle statue, and then viewing the silver coffin itself, to be strangely moving.
Then it was the wait for the traditional noon pilgrim mass, where I'd arrived very early to secure myself a front row seat. Unfortunately, like yesterday, there was no swinging of the fabled botafumeiro, but it was a good show nonetheless. I think I understood a couple of words (like, 'no flash photography'), but that was about it.
The rest of the day was spent pottering around Santiago souvenir outlets, and a couple more substantial places, including a few final, wistful, moments in the pilgrims square, before returning for a quiet night at the hotel.
Come Thursday, with my pilgrim days quickly receding, my long-distance flier days were just about to start. They turned out to be as tedious as I had anticipated - via taxi from the hotel to Santiago airport, then to Madrid, to London, to Singapore, to Australia. From start to finish, it was a mind-numbing 39 hours spent in aeroplanes or in, getting to, or getting back home from, airports. And to add to the tedium, my backpack didn't make the transfer at Madrid. I was faithfully promised at Heathrow that, once located, it would be sent on to Sydney and likely arrive in a few days. Hmmmm.
My touchdown at Sydney airport, and the train and bus home on a chilly but sunny Saturday morning, provided a welcome relief.
P.S. Remember how I mentioned in one of my first posts that I planned to run the City to Surf race in Sydney (from the CBD to Bondi Beach) the day after I got back, and suggested that “By that time, I imagine I’ll probably have to remind myself not to take my walking poles to the start line.” Well, I didn’t have to worry about the walking poles - they were part of my lost luggage. It turns out my difficulties were much more elementary. I managed to sleep through the alarm the next morning and missed the race entirely!
Then it was the wait for the traditional noon pilgrim mass, where I'd arrived very early to secure myself a front row seat. Unfortunately, like yesterday, there was no swinging of the fabled botafumeiro, but it was a good show nonetheless. I think I understood a couple of words (like, 'no flash photography'), but that was about it.
The rest of the day was spent pottering around Santiago souvenir outlets, and a couple more substantial places, including a few final, wistful, moments in the pilgrims square, before returning for a quiet night at the hotel.
Come Thursday, with my pilgrim days quickly receding, my long-distance flier days were just about to start. They turned out to be as tedious as I had anticipated - via taxi from the hotel to Santiago airport, then to Madrid, to London, to Singapore, to Australia. From start to finish, it was a mind-numbing 39 hours spent in aeroplanes or in, getting to, or getting back home from, airports. And to add to the tedium, my backpack didn't make the transfer at Madrid. I was faithfully promised at Heathrow that, once located, it would be sent on to Sydney and likely arrive in a few days. Hmmmm.
My touchdown at Sydney airport, and the train and bus home on a chilly but sunny Saturday morning, provided a welcome relief.
P.S. Remember how I mentioned in one of my first posts that I planned to run the City to Surf race in Sydney (from the CBD to Bondi Beach) the day after I got back, and suggested that “By that time, I imagine I’ll probably have to remind myself not to take my walking poles to the start line.” Well, I didn’t have to worry about the walking poles - they were part of my lost luggage. It turns out my difficulties were much more elementary. I managed to sleep through the alarm the next morning and missed the race entirely!
Day 34 - A Rua to Santiago de Compostela (Tuesday 9 August 2016)
Overnight - Hotel Virxe da Cerca
The final day.
I think by now I've accepted that this thing is soon going to end and I'm at peace with that. Doesn't mean I'm very happy about it. Just that I'm at peace with it. Today is all about getting to that square outside the Cathedral and drawing the curtain on my pilgrim life.
Kim and I left A Rua just on dawn with a view to possibly making the famed noon pilgrims mass at the Cathedral. As the morning wore on, and with various recuperative stops, I think we'd resigned ourselves to missing it and settling for tomorrow instead.
The walk itself was again unexpectedly pleasant with long stretches through the woods. Even the section past Santiago airport was fine, unlike that less than satisfying trudge into Burgos past that town's airport all those days ago.
The final few kilometres through the outskirts of Santiago were full of anticipation. Perhaps because it was later in the morning, the crowds were less than I’d thought they would be. But there were still plenty of backpacks (or - more accurately - daypacks) ahead into the distance so there were zero chances of getting lost.
Finally we made it to the edge of the old town, then it was down through narrow laneways housing souvenir and tattoo shops with the occasional bar.
And then the short tunnel leading into the square came into view. On the way through it, I warmly greeted some Camino buddies from a few days ago who had now finished and were heading back to their accommodation.
Down through the tunnel and out into the light and there it was. The extraordinary edifice of the Cathedral (even surpassing that in Leon) was to our left, and pilgrims were resting on their backpacks or hugging and high-fiving all over the large square.
Arriving there really was a special moment.
After a while, a few of us agreed to catch up later, and I stayed in the square for over three hours watching the passing parade of new and familiar faces. It had it all. Chanting and flag waving from proud groups of identically dressed walkers, champagne bottles popping, boots tossed in the air, and all manner of selfies. There was even a marriage proposal which - judging from the sustained applause and the smile on the face of the beaming female recipient - seemed to have been accepted.
A contemplative Swiss woman who I'd met while sitting there after she had arrived earlier in the day said to me that it was only an hour or two between being a pilgrim and being a tourist (she had changed from her walking clothes and looked as if she was on a simple day trip to Santiago). I quite liked being a pilgrim so the comment prompted me to extend my stay there for a time with my boots on and resting on my backpack.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the very impressive (pre-booked) hotel Virxe da Cerca - my most luxurious accommodation of the journey - on the edge of the old town. Then it was off to get the compostela at the pilgrims’ office, where the wait was short and the handwriting of the volunteer behind the counter exceptional. I paid extra to get the optional certificate of distance, and a handy tube to keep them both in.
The night closed with a final dinner and drinks with my beloved Camino buddies, interspersed with a short tour of some very interesting parts of Santiago, guided by a former local who was staying at one of the albergues.
And then it was over.
After maybe a half drink too many, I wandered tentatively back to the hotel, anxious about how my head might feel in the morning.
Weather - Yet another spectacular day in Spain, although the wind picked up quite strongly while I was loitering outside the Cathedral, and it worked to cool things quite a bit.
Health - I finished the walk nursing my lone blister, which was getting rather annoying. But, physically, everything else was fine. Given this was the final day, though, my mental health was suffering a little. But it’s OK.
Food - Pot of tea and yoghurt etc; Can Coke Zero; Gelato; Pastries and baguette; Dinner at Santiago (burger, chips, drinks); Drinks at Santiago bar
Expenses - Accommodation - 75.00; Food/Drink 44.20; Other (Optional distance compostela - 2.00; Tube to hold certificates - 3.00) Total - 124.20
Walking time - 5 hours, 10 minutes (start 6:45am, arrive at Cathedral 12:05pm)
Brierley distance - 21.6km (total 780.2km!!!)
Daily Steps - 31,467
Total Camino steps - 1,240,007!!!
The final day.
I think by now I've accepted that this thing is soon going to end and I'm at peace with that. Doesn't mean I'm very happy about it. Just that I'm at peace with it. Today is all about getting to that square outside the Cathedral and drawing the curtain on my pilgrim life.
Kim and I left A Rua just on dawn with a view to possibly making the famed noon pilgrims mass at the Cathedral. As the morning wore on, and with various recuperative stops, I think we'd resigned ourselves to missing it and settling for tomorrow instead.
The walk itself was again unexpectedly pleasant with long stretches through the woods. Even the section past Santiago airport was fine, unlike that less than satisfying trudge into Burgos past that town's airport all those days ago.
The final few kilometres through the outskirts of Santiago were full of anticipation. Perhaps because it was later in the morning, the crowds were less than I’d thought they would be. But there were still plenty of backpacks (or - more accurately - daypacks) ahead into the distance so there were zero chances of getting lost.
Finally we made it to the edge of the old town, then it was down through narrow laneways housing souvenir and tattoo shops with the occasional bar.
And then the short tunnel leading into the square came into view. On the way through it, I warmly greeted some Camino buddies from a few days ago who had now finished and were heading back to their accommodation.
Down through the tunnel and out into the light and there it was. The extraordinary edifice of the Cathedral (even surpassing that in Leon) was to our left, and pilgrims were resting on their backpacks or hugging and high-fiving all over the large square.
Arriving there really was a special moment.
After a while, a few of us agreed to catch up later, and I stayed in the square for over three hours watching the passing parade of new and familiar faces. It had it all. Chanting and flag waving from proud groups of identically dressed walkers, champagne bottles popping, boots tossed in the air, and all manner of selfies. There was even a marriage proposal which - judging from the sustained applause and the smile on the face of the beaming female recipient - seemed to have been accepted.
A contemplative Swiss woman who I'd met while sitting there after she had arrived earlier in the day said to me that it was only an hour or two between being a pilgrim and being a tourist (she had changed from her walking clothes and looked as if she was on a simple day trip to Santiago). I quite liked being a pilgrim so the comment prompted me to extend my stay there for a time with my boots on and resting on my backpack.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the very impressive (pre-booked) hotel Virxe da Cerca - my most luxurious accommodation of the journey - on the edge of the old town. Then it was off to get the compostela at the pilgrims’ office, where the wait was short and the handwriting of the volunteer behind the counter exceptional. I paid extra to get the optional certificate of distance, and a handy tube to keep them both in.
The night closed with a final dinner and drinks with my beloved Camino buddies, interspersed with a short tour of some very interesting parts of Santiago, guided by a former local who was staying at one of the albergues.
And then it was over.
After maybe a half drink too many, I wandered tentatively back to the hotel, anxious about how my head might feel in the morning.
Weather - Yet another spectacular day in Spain, although the wind picked up quite strongly while I was loitering outside the Cathedral, and it worked to cool things quite a bit.
Health - I finished the walk nursing my lone blister, which was getting rather annoying. But, physically, everything else was fine. Given this was the final day, though, my mental health was suffering a little. But it’s OK.
Food - Pot of tea and yoghurt etc; Can Coke Zero; Gelato; Pastries and baguette; Dinner at Santiago (burger, chips, drinks); Drinks at Santiago bar
Expenses - Accommodation - 75.00; Food/Drink 44.20; Other (Optional distance compostela - 2.00; Tube to hold certificates - 3.00) Total - 124.20
Walking time - 5 hours, 10 minutes (start 6:45am, arrive at Cathedral 12:05pm)
Brierley distance - 21.6km (total 780.2km!!!)
Daily Steps - 31,467
Total Camino steps - 1,240,007!!!
Day 33 - Melide to A Rua (Monday 8 August 2016)
Overnight - Casa O Acivro
It was going to be a long one today so we headed out of Melide just before dawn. It was very quiet early on and even as the day progressed, the crowds weren’t nearly as intense. It probably had something to do with Melide not being one of the ‘end-of-stage’ towns and so presumably most of the Sarria pilgrims would have started the day further along at Ribadiso.
But it was another enjoyable and surprisingly picturesque walk through largely wooded terrain which offered some protection from the weather. Strangely, the final couple of hours of the walk weren’t well described in Brierley's guidebook, and we were never quite sure where we were, or how far we were from possible accommodation.
We stopped for some lunch at O Emplame where we met up with a Chinese girl (who was attending university in Belgium) who I’d first come across in Portomarin. She walked with us until A Rua where we came across a hotel-style place which had a pool and a very nice outdoor space. As the afternoon was wearing on, Kim and I decided just to stop there for the night. While the accommodation was a little more expensive than the average albergue, we decided it was well worth it and booked in.
The late afternoon was spent refreshing in and by the hotel’s large, in-ground pool, with dinner and drinks in the evening at the restaurant adjoining the property.
Weather - It was quite dark for the first hour or so of the journey but the sun emerged soon enough and yet another warm, sunny day ensued.
Health - The blister I mentioned yesterday is still hanging around but it’s not too bad. But it was a long, hot day today and I was fatigued by the end of it.
Food - Salad and water for lunch at O Emplame; Dinner etc at A Rua café adjoining hotel
Expenses - Accommodation - 17.00; Food/Drink - 20.10 Total - 37.10
Walking time - 9 hours (start 6:20am, arrive at accommodation 3:20pm)
Brierley distance - 32.1km (total 758.6km)
Daily Steps - 47,395
Total Camino steps - 1,208,540
It was going to be a long one today so we headed out of Melide just before dawn. It was very quiet early on and even as the day progressed, the crowds weren’t nearly as intense. It probably had something to do with Melide not being one of the ‘end-of-stage’ towns and so presumably most of the Sarria pilgrims would have started the day further along at Ribadiso.
But it was another enjoyable and surprisingly picturesque walk through largely wooded terrain which offered some protection from the weather. Strangely, the final couple of hours of the walk weren’t well described in Brierley's guidebook, and we were never quite sure where we were, or how far we were from possible accommodation.
We stopped for some lunch at O Emplame where we met up with a Chinese girl (who was attending university in Belgium) who I’d first come across in Portomarin. She walked with us until A Rua where we came across a hotel-style place which had a pool and a very nice outdoor space. As the afternoon was wearing on, Kim and I decided just to stop there for the night. While the accommodation was a little more expensive than the average albergue, we decided it was well worth it and booked in.
The late afternoon was spent refreshing in and by the hotel’s large, in-ground pool, with dinner and drinks in the evening at the restaurant adjoining the property.
Weather - It was quite dark for the first hour or so of the journey but the sun emerged soon enough and yet another warm, sunny day ensued.
Health - The blister I mentioned yesterday is still hanging around but it’s not too bad. But it was a long, hot day today and I was fatigued by the end of it.
Food - Salad and water for lunch at O Emplame; Dinner etc at A Rua café adjoining hotel
Expenses - Accommodation - 17.00; Food/Drink - 20.10 Total - 37.10
Walking time - 9 hours (start 6:20am, arrive at accommodation 3:20pm)
Brierley distance - 32.1km (total 758.6km)
Daily Steps - 47,395
Total Camino steps - 1,208,540
Day 32 - Palas Del Rei to Melide (Sunday 7 August 2016)
Overnight - Albergue O Apalpador
I'd arranged to walk with Kim, my long-time Belgian Camino buddy, today. She had taken a couple of days off after Molinaseca but had got back on track and was closing in at about 30 kilometres a day. She arrived in Palas Del Rei just after 9:00am and we set off soon afterwards.
I had thought we had seen the last of her after her break, so it was great catching up again and sharing stories of people and places as we wandered along.
The walk through the outskirts of Melide was fairly depressing but closer to the town centre, we spotted the evidently quite famous Garnacha pulpo restaurant that a nice Italian/Venezuelan couple had told us about out on the track a couple of hours before. We stopped there for lunch and the freshness and taste of the pulpo this time was incredible. As we were leaving, and the crowds queuing for a seat were growing larger, the reason for the freshness became very clear. The pulpo-chef was standing in the window taking one octopus at a time out of a tub of boiling water and snipping the relevant parts straight onto the plates.
We had no real thoughts about where to head tonight. Early in this walk, it's all about charging ahead and getting to places with a real sense of purpose. Now, it's almost like I'm figuring out ways of avoiding this thing from ending.
After assessing our health and the heat, we decided that Melide was going to be the end of today, and we found an albergue nearby. But not before getting my first albergue rejection of the Camino. The place looked quite good, but too many others had obviously thought so too, and it was 'completo'.
We spent the evening chatting away for hours at an outdoor bar with plenty of wonderful tapas and an orchestra rehearsing in the town square just up the way.
Weather - Another sunny day that had reached the early thirties by the time we stopped in Melide.
Health - I got a $&@#%£ blister. I don't know how it happened. By now, I thought my feet had become blister-proof. But it's there and it's annoying. I'll see how it looks in the morning and then work out what to do with it, I suppose. The various bites I mentioned last time seem to be disappearing and the urge to itch incessantly is subsiding. Hopefully that's the last we'll see - and feel - of them.
Food - Pot of tea + tortilla at Palas Del Rei cafe; Pot of tea + slice Santiago cake; Melide Pulpo cafe (pulpo, boiled potatoes, cream/custard desert); Various mixed tapas at Melide bar + Pots of tea x3
Expenses – Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 30.00 Total - 40.00
Walking time - 5 hours, 10 minutes (start 9:30am, arrive at accommodation 2:40pm)
Brierley distance - 14.5km (total 726.5km)
Daily Steps - 24,229
Total Camino steps - 1,161,145
I'd arranged to walk with Kim, my long-time Belgian Camino buddy, today. She had taken a couple of days off after Molinaseca but had got back on track and was closing in at about 30 kilometres a day. She arrived in Palas Del Rei just after 9:00am and we set off soon afterwards.
I had thought we had seen the last of her after her break, so it was great catching up again and sharing stories of people and places as we wandered along.
The walk through the outskirts of Melide was fairly depressing but closer to the town centre, we spotted the evidently quite famous Garnacha pulpo restaurant that a nice Italian/Venezuelan couple had told us about out on the track a couple of hours before. We stopped there for lunch and the freshness and taste of the pulpo this time was incredible. As we were leaving, and the crowds queuing for a seat were growing larger, the reason for the freshness became very clear. The pulpo-chef was standing in the window taking one octopus at a time out of a tub of boiling water and snipping the relevant parts straight onto the plates.
We had no real thoughts about where to head tonight. Early in this walk, it's all about charging ahead and getting to places with a real sense of purpose. Now, it's almost like I'm figuring out ways of avoiding this thing from ending.
After assessing our health and the heat, we decided that Melide was going to be the end of today, and we found an albergue nearby. But not before getting my first albergue rejection of the Camino. The place looked quite good, but too many others had obviously thought so too, and it was 'completo'.
We spent the evening chatting away for hours at an outdoor bar with plenty of wonderful tapas and an orchestra rehearsing in the town square just up the way.
Weather - Another sunny day that had reached the early thirties by the time we stopped in Melide.
Health - I got a $&@#%£ blister. I don't know how it happened. By now, I thought my feet had become blister-proof. But it's there and it's annoying. I'll see how it looks in the morning and then work out what to do with it, I suppose. The various bites I mentioned last time seem to be disappearing and the urge to itch incessantly is subsiding. Hopefully that's the last we'll see - and feel - of them.
Food - Pot of tea + tortilla at Palas Del Rei cafe; Pot of tea + slice Santiago cake; Melide Pulpo cafe (pulpo, boiled potatoes, cream/custard desert); Various mixed tapas at Melide bar + Pots of tea x3
Expenses – Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 30.00 Total - 40.00
Walking time - 5 hours, 10 minutes (start 9:30am, arrive at accommodation 2:40pm)
Brierley distance - 14.5km (total 726.5km)
Daily Steps - 24,229
Total Camino steps - 1,161,145
Day 31 - Portomarin to Palas Del Rei (Saturday 6 August 2016)
Overnight - Pension Plaza
A reasonably late getaway this morning, which probably had something to do with the fact that I had great trouble staying asleep last night. The dorm was very stuffy and when I woke up after a short while around midnight, I decided to head out to the common area in the albergue to try and cool down.
In the morning, the two of us left in the dorm decided we’d walk together so we spent the morning chatting away as we walked through the crowds. Sofia, from Bulgaria, was heading for Melide today and was hoping to find a pool somewhere where she could have a swim. It was an excellent walk, made even more attractive by a mist which hung around the forests for most of the morning before it burned off. Interestingly, there were several eucalyptus trees I recognised scattered throughout the forests and I almost expected to see a koala or two slumped up against one of the branches.
When we finally arrived at Palas Del Rei, it had warmed up considerably so we decided to have lunch with lots of cold water before Sofia set off again up the track. I found my pre-booked hotel, which was very basic, and quickly fell asleep. Come dinner time, I wandered into a nearby bar and settled in to watch the first day’s action at the Rio Olympics for the rest of the night.
Weather - Another typical Spanish summer’s day, with the walk finishing during the warmest part of it.
Health - Still scratching a little from what I have to concede now are almost certainly bed bug bites. But they seem to be getting less annoying.
Food - Breakfast at Portomarin albergue (mixed self-serve items, including cereal and juice); Pot of tea about halfway to Palas Del Rei; Pilgrims lunch at Palas Del Rei (salad, tea, water); Dinner at Palas Del Rei bar (salad, pasta, bread basket etc)
Expenses – Accommodation - 25.00; Food/Drink - 27.90 Total - 52.90
Walking time - 7 hours, 45 minutes (start 8:05am, arrive at accommodation 3:50pm)
Brierley distance - 24.8km (total 712.0km)
Daily Steps - 40,126
Total Camino steps - 1,136,916
A reasonably late getaway this morning, which probably had something to do with the fact that I had great trouble staying asleep last night. The dorm was very stuffy and when I woke up after a short while around midnight, I decided to head out to the common area in the albergue to try and cool down.
In the morning, the two of us left in the dorm decided we’d walk together so we spent the morning chatting away as we walked through the crowds. Sofia, from Bulgaria, was heading for Melide today and was hoping to find a pool somewhere where she could have a swim. It was an excellent walk, made even more attractive by a mist which hung around the forests for most of the morning before it burned off. Interestingly, there were several eucalyptus trees I recognised scattered throughout the forests and I almost expected to see a koala or two slumped up against one of the branches.
When we finally arrived at Palas Del Rei, it had warmed up considerably so we decided to have lunch with lots of cold water before Sofia set off again up the track. I found my pre-booked hotel, which was very basic, and quickly fell asleep. Come dinner time, I wandered into a nearby bar and settled in to watch the first day’s action at the Rio Olympics for the rest of the night.
Weather - Another typical Spanish summer’s day, with the walk finishing during the warmest part of it.
Health - Still scratching a little from what I have to concede now are almost certainly bed bug bites. But they seem to be getting less annoying.
Food - Breakfast at Portomarin albergue (mixed self-serve items, including cereal and juice); Pot of tea about halfway to Palas Del Rei; Pilgrims lunch at Palas Del Rei (salad, tea, water); Dinner at Palas Del Rei bar (salad, pasta, bread basket etc)
Expenses – Accommodation - 25.00; Food/Drink - 27.90 Total - 52.90
Walking time - 7 hours, 45 minutes (start 8:05am, arrive at accommodation 3:50pm)
Brierley distance - 24.8km (total 712.0km)
Daily Steps - 40,126
Total Camino steps - 1,136,916
Saturday 10 September 2016
Day 30 - Sarria to Portomarin (Friday 5 August 2016)
Overnight - Albergue Aqua Portomarin
While today's stage promised to be straightforward, it was clear that the whole vibe of the Camino has now changed significantly. Walking out of Sarria, I was met with a whole new group of pilgrim colleagues. There were so many people, I wouldn't have been surprised had a travelator - similar to those common in big airports - suddenly appeared on the track.
Not that this change was a surprise. I had been pointing out to my fellow pilgrims over the last couple of days the following very prescient comment in Brierley’s guide for the post-Sarria stage:
“Note for ‘seasoned’ pilgrims: Beware of signs of irritation at the intrusion on ‘my’ camino - remember that many of the new arrivals may be nervous starting out and the last thing they need is aloofness built on a false sense of superiority. A loving pilgrim welcomes all they meet along the path with an open mind and an open heart … without judgement.”
I'm pretty sure I obliged. I certainly tried to.
Later in the morning, I met up again with my Czech and Brazilian buddies - Martina and Ned - and we walked together until a refreshing lunch at Portomarin, where I had a place booked for the night. While they walked on after lunch, I checked into the albergue and explored the small but attractive riverside town with a very pleasant square surrounding the church.
In the evening, a group of us from the albergue decided to go out and ended up having a wonderful long dinner at one of the church side cafes in the town square.
Weather - Normal service resumed today. Blue skies, warming up after a cool start. Move along - nothing to see here, folks.
Health - The itching I mentioned yesterday started to get particularly annoying today. I hate to admit the possibility, but I think the bed bugs have made their presence felt in a few spots on my upper legs and arms. There's only about half a dozen apparent bites, but they sure look like the bites that have afflicted some other pilgrims much more profoundly. I'll just have to suck it up, I suppose.
Food - Albergue breakfast (mini buffet); Lunch at Portomarin (salad, tea, bread); Pots of tea x2 at a Portomarin cafe; Pots of tea x2 at another Portomarin cafe; Group dinner in Portomarin with a selection of different food etc
Expenses - Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 20.90; Other (Australian flag pin at Portomarin shop - 1.50) Total - 32.40
Walking time - 6 hours, 10 minutes (start 8:05am, arrive at accommodation 2:15pm)
Brierley distance - 22.1km (total 687.2km)
Daily Steps - 32,497
Total Camino steps - 1,096,790
While today's stage promised to be straightforward, it was clear that the whole vibe of the Camino has now changed significantly. Walking out of Sarria, I was met with a whole new group of pilgrim colleagues. There were so many people, I wouldn't have been surprised had a travelator - similar to those common in big airports - suddenly appeared on the track.
Not that this change was a surprise. I had been pointing out to my fellow pilgrims over the last couple of days the following very prescient comment in Brierley’s guide for the post-Sarria stage:
“Note for ‘seasoned’ pilgrims: Beware of signs of irritation at the intrusion on ‘my’ camino - remember that many of the new arrivals may be nervous starting out and the last thing they need is aloofness built on a false sense of superiority. A loving pilgrim welcomes all they meet along the path with an open mind and an open heart … without judgement.”
I'm pretty sure I obliged. I certainly tried to.
Later in the morning, I met up again with my Czech and Brazilian buddies - Martina and Ned - and we walked together until a refreshing lunch at Portomarin, where I had a place booked for the night. While they walked on after lunch, I checked into the albergue and explored the small but attractive riverside town with a very pleasant square surrounding the church.
In the evening, a group of us from the albergue decided to go out and ended up having a wonderful long dinner at one of the church side cafes in the town square.
Weather - Normal service resumed today. Blue skies, warming up after a cool start. Move along - nothing to see here, folks.
Health - The itching I mentioned yesterday started to get particularly annoying today. I hate to admit the possibility, but I think the bed bugs have made their presence felt in a few spots on my upper legs and arms. There's only about half a dozen apparent bites, but they sure look like the bites that have afflicted some other pilgrims much more profoundly. I'll just have to suck it up, I suppose.
Food - Albergue breakfast (mini buffet); Lunch at Portomarin (salad, tea, bread); Pots of tea x2 at a Portomarin cafe; Pots of tea x2 at another Portomarin cafe; Group dinner in Portomarin with a selection of different food etc
Expenses - Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 20.90; Other (Australian flag pin at Portomarin shop - 1.50) Total - 32.40
Walking time - 6 hours, 10 minutes (start 8:05am, arrive at accommodation 2:15pm)
Brierley distance - 22.1km (total 687.2km)
Daily Steps - 32,497
Total Camino steps - 1,096,790
Day 29 - Samos to Sarria (Thursday 4 August 2016)
Overnight - Albergue Albaroque
A short but mostly scenic stage into Sarria loomed today, and after a tea heart-starter, it was on the road with Martina under leaden skies. She had already decided to avoid staying at anything resembling a big town from here on and was going to find an albergue past Sarria.
The walk out of Samos was as pleasant as the walk in, until the optional path met back up with the standard path at Aguiada. After another tea, the town of Sarria appeared in the near distance, and soon enough, we were in its outskirts.
Sarria itself seemed like a real Camino town with albergues on just about every street and fresh-faced, unsoiled, white-legged pilgrims with colourful walking shoes mingling with people like me (29-day beard growth, dusty, sweat-stained, loose, clothing, with heavily tanned lower legs and a world-weary look in their eyes).
It took a while to find my pre-booked accommodation, which turned out to be an albergue on the fringe of the old part of town. I was expecting a plush, centrally located hotel but it looks like I got the pictures mixed up on booking.com.
The afternoon was spent at the near deserted albergue and then wandering around cafes in Sarria, at one of which I had my second and final pulpo meal. I tried, but it's just not for me.
When I returned to the albergue, it was much fuller. In my dorm, a Spanish guy enlightened me about the tradition for (the presumably less abstemious) pilgrims when arriving in Santiago to do the 'Paris-Dakar'. It's not a motor race, but a marathon bar-crawl, with the first bar evidently named Paris and the 22nd 'Dakar'. I think we'll wait and see on that one.
Weather - How can I put this? - IT ACTUALLY RAINED!!!! It was overcast all day in line with advice from a fellow pilgrim the previous evening that there was a 60% chance of rain today. The humidity was evident early on in the walk and the sky looked threatening a few times, but more often some sun started to peak through. Then on the walk into Sarria came the unmistakable, and almost forgotten, feeling of a few drops. The lightest of light drizzle lasted for almost a minute before it stopped, but it was definitely rain. And I was definitely walking in it. An hour or so later, from my albergue window, I could see the showers over the town. They lasted for at least half an hour and were then blown away without much trace. I doubt they did much to disturb the dust on the track, but it sure was refreshing to see them.
Health - I managed to pick up a few bites on the upper body last night which I've been scratching occasionally. I don't think they're the dreaded bed bugs, which have wreaked havoc with some fellow pilgrims along the way, but they are certainly annoying whatever they are. Otherwise, still healthy.
Food - Pot of tea at cafe near Samos albergue; Pot of tea + mini muffins x2 at Aguiada cafe; Muesli bar; Pot of tea + small biscuits x4 at Sarria cafe; Pastries x2 + pots of tea x2 at another Sarria cafe; Sliced ham, brie, baguette, mixed jubes; Sarria cafe dinner (pulpo, ice-cream tub, pot of tea)
Expenses – Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 25.86 Total - 35.86
Walking time - 5 hours, 25 minutes (start 7:40am, arrive at accommodation 1:05pm)
Brierley distance - 14.8km (total 665.1km)
Daily Steps - 31,792
Total Camino steps - 1,064,293
A short but mostly scenic stage into Sarria loomed today, and after a tea heart-starter, it was on the road with Martina under leaden skies. She had already decided to avoid staying at anything resembling a big town from here on and was going to find an albergue past Sarria.
The walk out of Samos was as pleasant as the walk in, until the optional path met back up with the standard path at Aguiada. After another tea, the town of Sarria appeared in the near distance, and soon enough, we were in its outskirts.
Sarria itself seemed like a real Camino town with albergues on just about every street and fresh-faced, unsoiled, white-legged pilgrims with colourful walking shoes mingling with people like me (29-day beard growth, dusty, sweat-stained, loose, clothing, with heavily tanned lower legs and a world-weary look in their eyes).
It took a while to find my pre-booked accommodation, which turned out to be an albergue on the fringe of the old part of town. I was expecting a plush, centrally located hotel but it looks like I got the pictures mixed up on booking.com.
The afternoon was spent at the near deserted albergue and then wandering around cafes in Sarria, at one of which I had my second and final pulpo meal. I tried, but it's just not for me.
When I returned to the albergue, it was much fuller. In my dorm, a Spanish guy enlightened me about the tradition for (the presumably less abstemious) pilgrims when arriving in Santiago to do the 'Paris-Dakar'. It's not a motor race, but a marathon bar-crawl, with the first bar evidently named Paris and the 22nd 'Dakar'. I think we'll wait and see on that one.
Weather - How can I put this? - IT ACTUALLY RAINED!!!! It was overcast all day in line with advice from a fellow pilgrim the previous evening that there was a 60% chance of rain today. The humidity was evident early on in the walk and the sky looked threatening a few times, but more often some sun started to peak through. Then on the walk into Sarria came the unmistakable, and almost forgotten, feeling of a few drops. The lightest of light drizzle lasted for almost a minute before it stopped, but it was definitely rain. And I was definitely walking in it. An hour or so later, from my albergue window, I could see the showers over the town. They lasted for at least half an hour and were then blown away without much trace. I doubt they did much to disturb the dust on the track, but it sure was refreshing to see them.
Health - I managed to pick up a few bites on the upper body last night which I've been scratching occasionally. I don't think they're the dreaded bed bugs, which have wreaked havoc with some fellow pilgrims along the way, but they are certainly annoying whatever they are. Otherwise, still healthy.
Food - Pot of tea at cafe near Samos albergue; Pot of tea + mini muffins x2 at Aguiada cafe; Muesli bar; Pot of tea + small biscuits x4 at Sarria cafe; Pastries x2 + pots of tea x2 at another Sarria cafe; Sliced ham, brie, baguette, mixed jubes; Sarria cafe dinner (pulpo, ice-cream tub, pot of tea)
Expenses – Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 25.86 Total - 35.86
Walking time - 5 hours, 25 minutes (start 7:40am, arrive at accommodation 1:05pm)
Brierley distance - 14.8km (total 665.1km)
Daily Steps - 31,792
Total Camino steps - 1,064,293
Day 28 - Fonria to Samos (Wednesday 3 August 2016)
Overnight - Albergue Val de Samos
A generally aimless day today. My pre-booked schedule means that I need to be in Sarria in two days, but it's only about 25 kilometres away. So this morning, I took my time getting up and didn't leave until 7:40am, by which time the reasonably full albergue was all but deserted.
From Fonria, it was a mostly gentle downhill for about nine kilometres into Triacastela - precisely the opposite of yesterday's opening to the walk. At 900 people, Triacastela (meaning ‘three castles’, none of which remain) is probably the largest town I'll see today.
With no pulpo on the menu, I stopped for a long breakfast/lunch anyway, sitting in the sun for well over an hour. The outdoor cafes adjacent to the track are a feature of this walk and have been great places to stop and relax.
Walking out of Triacastela, I ignored the optional Samos route to Sarria and headed along the conventional path, which ran alongside a road for a couple of kilometres. It then turned up into a sensational bush path with a very pretty tree canopy up and down some hills for a while. About an hour into it, I checked the book and then asked some nearby walkers about which track I was actually on. Each confirmed I had taken the Samos route after all.
Not to mind. Apart from the great walk, Samos itself turned out to be a wonderful little town, with a spectacular monastery which was open for tours. I decided to take the fascinating guided tour where the guide helpfully gave us handful of English speakers a short version of the talk she was giving to her 50+ Spanish customers.
In the evening, I had a lovely long dinner, which included pulpo, with Martina (who had somehow taken the same wrong turning as me and found herself in the same albergue dorm!) and, later, two other Belgian girls - Katrina and Sondra - who I’d also been meeting up with at various points along the way.
Weather - If it's ever going to rain on this walk, the evidently unpredictable Galician climate provides the best and last opportunity. So far, it's been anything but unpredictable.
Health - Again, all good. I'm maybe feeling a little tired after taking hours to get to sleep the other night, and another long while last night. But if an occasional yawn during the day is the worst thing that happens from here on, I'll live with it. And another thing - my trousers fell down as I walked out of the albergue this morning. I obviously hadn't tightened the belt enough to support them as they've become looser and looser over the past few weeks, despite all the pastries and other crap I've been eating. It's just another burden I'll need to bear, I suppose. But I'll do so happily enough.
Food - Pot of tea at Fonria albergue; Mushroom tortilla with bread and salad + pot of tea at Triacastela cafe; Small biscuits x2; Pots of tea x2 at Samos cafe; Pilgrims dinner at an excellent nearby Samos albergue (scallops with lettuce, pulpo, cheese and honey desert, bread rolls, pots of tea x2)
Expenses - Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 27.70; Other (Monastery tour - 4.00) Total - 41.70
Walking time - 4 hours, 55 minutes (start 7:40am, arrive at accommodation 12:35pm)
Brierley distance - 19.3km (total 650.3km)
Daily Steps - 32,327
Total Camino steps - 1,032,501
A generally aimless day today. My pre-booked schedule means that I need to be in Sarria in two days, but it's only about 25 kilometres away. So this morning, I took my time getting up and didn't leave until 7:40am, by which time the reasonably full albergue was all but deserted.
From Fonria, it was a mostly gentle downhill for about nine kilometres into Triacastela - precisely the opposite of yesterday's opening to the walk. At 900 people, Triacastela (meaning ‘three castles’, none of which remain) is probably the largest town I'll see today.
With no pulpo on the menu, I stopped for a long breakfast/lunch anyway, sitting in the sun for well over an hour. The outdoor cafes adjacent to the track are a feature of this walk and have been great places to stop and relax.
Walking out of Triacastela, I ignored the optional Samos route to Sarria and headed along the conventional path, which ran alongside a road for a couple of kilometres. It then turned up into a sensational bush path with a very pretty tree canopy up and down some hills for a while. About an hour into it, I checked the book and then asked some nearby walkers about which track I was actually on. Each confirmed I had taken the Samos route after all.
Not to mind. Apart from the great walk, Samos itself turned out to be a wonderful little town, with a spectacular monastery which was open for tours. I decided to take the fascinating guided tour where the guide helpfully gave us handful of English speakers a short version of the talk she was giving to her 50+ Spanish customers.
In the evening, I had a lovely long dinner, which included pulpo, with Martina (who had somehow taken the same wrong turning as me and found herself in the same albergue dorm!) and, later, two other Belgian girls - Katrina and Sondra - who I’d also been meeting up with at various points along the way.
Weather - If it's ever going to rain on this walk, the evidently unpredictable Galician climate provides the best and last opportunity. So far, it's been anything but unpredictable.
Health - Again, all good. I'm maybe feeling a little tired after taking hours to get to sleep the other night, and another long while last night. But if an occasional yawn during the day is the worst thing that happens from here on, I'll live with it. And another thing - my trousers fell down as I walked out of the albergue this morning. I obviously hadn't tightened the belt enough to support them as they've become looser and looser over the past few weeks, despite all the pastries and other crap I've been eating. It's just another burden I'll need to bear, I suppose. But I'll do so happily enough.
Food - Pot of tea at Fonria albergue; Mushroom tortilla with bread and salad + pot of tea at Triacastela cafe; Small biscuits x2; Pots of tea x2 at Samos cafe; Pilgrims dinner at an excellent nearby Samos albergue (scallops with lettuce, pulpo, cheese and honey desert, bread rolls, pots of tea x2)
Expenses - Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 27.70; Other (Monastery tour - 4.00) Total - 41.70
Walking time - 4 hours, 55 minutes (start 7:40am, arrive at accommodation 12:35pm)
Brierley distance - 19.3km (total 650.3km)
Daily Steps - 32,327
Total Camino steps - 1,032,501
Day 27 - Ruitelan to Fonria (Tuesday 2 August 2016)
Overnight - Albergue Reboleira
Today's alarm was a 6:00am music show by the albergue-ers who then put on a very pleasant breakfast. As odd as it sounds, the music idea worked really well with a skilfully selected playlist, including an Abba tune and the Beatles 'All You Need is Love'.
But I was keen to get away early and tackle the climb. I hit the road just before 7:00am and quickly got into stride. I passed through a village a short way down the road and then crossed over a bridge where the path kicked up quite suddenly. The early part of the climb was along a wooded pathway splattered with horse manure from the horses used by those who decide to pay 20 Euro to get a ride in the saddle to the top.
Much of the walk was a steady climb, sometimes it levelled out for a short way, and in other places it was quite steep.
My face was quickly dripping sweat, and at about 6,200 steps (I was looking out for the moment), the first bead of perspiration fell from the brim of my hat - a sure sign that things were getting serious. It continued dripping for most of the rest of the hill.
The higher we got, the smaller the trees became and the more exposed the path. The sun finally hit the track close to the top. Before that, the hill was either in shade or the early morning gloom. I started feeling for those who had attempted the climb in the heat of the afternoon.
As the walk continued up, I just kept charging along and felt the endorphins doing their thing. I'm sure I was going faster at the end than I was for the first half of the journey and I felt grateful for the endurance training I'd been doing and the effort over the previous 26 days of this walk.
Soon enough, the signage announced we were now in Galicia and shortly after that appeared a small but well-crafted obelisk by the path stating that Santiago was 160-point-something-something-something kilometres away.
I felt the strangest sensation - a kind of sadness or despair that immediately ended the rush I'd been experiencing up to that point. The little obelisk signalled in the most clinical of terms that this thing is drawing to a close. Sure, there have been occasional signs, in various states of disrepair, over the course of the Camino that give a vague indication of the remaining distance. But the brutally accurate nature of this one, and the identically designed ones which followed it at too-frequent intervals, placed into very sharp focus that the end is nigh.
It's also a good indication of the parallel universe (some of) us pilgrims are now inhabiting that such a distance still to walk is almost regarded as trivial.
I finally crested the hill, covered in sweat, 1 hour and 50 minutes (and 13,000 steps) after leaving the albergue. According to Brierley, it was a distance of 9.6 kilometres.
With no plan for the rest of the day, I sat at a cafe in the hilltop village of O Cebreiro (somehow pronounced ‘oh-thay-bray-air-oh’), lingered for a long time over a tea, and then went across to check out the local church. Among other things, it's home to the grave of the chap who evidently reinvigorated the Camino walk a few years ago by implementing the much loved yellow arrow direction system. As someone who has been the beneficiary of these invariably well placed arrows over the past four weeks, I thought I should pay my respects. The statue of him over the grave must also be the only one I've seen which includes sculpted spectacles.
And then as I walked into the church, I bumped into my wonderful Czech Camino buddy Martina and, with our Brazilian friend, Ned, we shared another drink, and decided to walk the rest of the day until we felt like stopping.
For the next couple of hours, the track wound its way around the next valley providing spectacular panoramic views of the landscape below. It was mostly flat or undulating with a tough but short hill coming into Alto do Poio, where we stopped briefly for refreshment. The final few kilometres overlooked yet another valley and led us into the tiny village of Fonfria, and its impressive, modern albergue - the end of today's stage.
The pilgrims (late) lunch at a nearby cafe was great value, although the unavailability of the famed pulpo was disappointing. It meant I had to postpone my resolution, now we are in Galicia, to eat seafood at least once every day. But the taste of Martina’s cheese and honey desert just about made up for it. It was ‘sensacional’ as we say in this part of the world. I’ll definitely be looking to have more of that in the week ahead.
Weather - Not as cold a start as yesterday, but still reasonably cool. Even though we are in the mountains now, the weather is completely predictable and following exactly the trajectory of the past many days. Meaning by the time we walked into Fonfria, it had warmed up considerably.
Health - No issues at all. The body didn't miss a beat up the hill or for the rest of the day. Seeing some of the carnage along the track with so many other walkers, and unworthy as I might be, I do feel a little blessed in this regard.
Food - Albergue breakfast at Ruitelan (coffees x2, glasses orange juice x2, toast with butter x2, mini muffins x2); Pots of tea x2 at O Cebreio cafe; Pot of tea at Alto do Poio; Pilgrims lunch at Fonfria (mixed salad, grilled pork with hot chips and rice, slice cake, pot of tea); Orange
Expenses – Accommodation - 8.00; Food/Drink - 18.00 Total - 26.00
Walking time - 7 hours, 30 minutes (start 6:50am, arrive at accommodation 2:20pm)
Brierley distance - 21.5km (total 631.0km)
Daily Steps - 33,640
Total Camino steps - 1,000,174
Today's alarm was a 6:00am music show by the albergue-ers who then put on a very pleasant breakfast. As odd as it sounds, the music idea worked really well with a skilfully selected playlist, including an Abba tune and the Beatles 'All You Need is Love'.
But I was keen to get away early and tackle the climb. I hit the road just before 7:00am and quickly got into stride. I passed through a village a short way down the road and then crossed over a bridge where the path kicked up quite suddenly. The early part of the climb was along a wooded pathway splattered with horse manure from the horses used by those who decide to pay 20 Euro to get a ride in the saddle to the top.
Much of the walk was a steady climb, sometimes it levelled out for a short way, and in other places it was quite steep.
My face was quickly dripping sweat, and at about 6,200 steps (I was looking out for the moment), the first bead of perspiration fell from the brim of my hat - a sure sign that things were getting serious. It continued dripping for most of the rest of the hill.
The higher we got, the smaller the trees became and the more exposed the path. The sun finally hit the track close to the top. Before that, the hill was either in shade or the early morning gloom. I started feeling for those who had attempted the climb in the heat of the afternoon.
As the walk continued up, I just kept charging along and felt the endorphins doing their thing. I'm sure I was going faster at the end than I was for the first half of the journey and I felt grateful for the endurance training I'd been doing and the effort over the previous 26 days of this walk.
Soon enough, the signage announced we were now in Galicia and shortly after that appeared a small but well-crafted obelisk by the path stating that Santiago was 160-point-something-something-something kilometres away.
I felt the strangest sensation - a kind of sadness or despair that immediately ended the rush I'd been experiencing up to that point. The little obelisk signalled in the most clinical of terms that this thing is drawing to a close. Sure, there have been occasional signs, in various states of disrepair, over the course of the Camino that give a vague indication of the remaining distance. But the brutally accurate nature of this one, and the identically designed ones which followed it at too-frequent intervals, placed into very sharp focus that the end is nigh.
It's also a good indication of the parallel universe (some of) us pilgrims are now inhabiting that such a distance still to walk is almost regarded as trivial.
I finally crested the hill, covered in sweat, 1 hour and 50 minutes (and 13,000 steps) after leaving the albergue. According to Brierley, it was a distance of 9.6 kilometres.
With no plan for the rest of the day, I sat at a cafe in the hilltop village of O Cebreiro (somehow pronounced ‘oh-thay-bray-air-oh’), lingered for a long time over a tea, and then went across to check out the local church. Among other things, it's home to the grave of the chap who evidently reinvigorated the Camino walk a few years ago by implementing the much loved yellow arrow direction system. As someone who has been the beneficiary of these invariably well placed arrows over the past four weeks, I thought I should pay my respects. The statue of him over the grave must also be the only one I've seen which includes sculpted spectacles.
And then as I walked into the church, I bumped into my wonderful Czech Camino buddy Martina and, with our Brazilian friend, Ned, we shared another drink, and decided to walk the rest of the day until we felt like stopping.
For the next couple of hours, the track wound its way around the next valley providing spectacular panoramic views of the landscape below. It was mostly flat or undulating with a tough but short hill coming into Alto do Poio, where we stopped briefly for refreshment. The final few kilometres overlooked yet another valley and led us into the tiny village of Fonfria, and its impressive, modern albergue - the end of today's stage.
The pilgrims (late) lunch at a nearby cafe was great value, although the unavailability of the famed pulpo was disappointing. It meant I had to postpone my resolution, now we are in Galicia, to eat seafood at least once every day. But the taste of Martina’s cheese and honey desert just about made up for it. It was ‘sensacional’ as we say in this part of the world. I’ll definitely be looking to have more of that in the week ahead.
Weather - Not as cold a start as yesterday, but still reasonably cool. Even though we are in the mountains now, the weather is completely predictable and following exactly the trajectory of the past many days. Meaning by the time we walked into Fonfria, it had warmed up considerably.
Health - No issues at all. The body didn't miss a beat up the hill or for the rest of the day. Seeing some of the carnage along the track with so many other walkers, and unworthy as I might be, I do feel a little blessed in this regard.
Food - Albergue breakfast at Ruitelan (coffees x2, glasses orange juice x2, toast with butter x2, mini muffins x2); Pots of tea x2 at O Cebreio cafe; Pot of tea at Alto do Poio; Pilgrims lunch at Fonfria (mixed salad, grilled pork with hot chips and rice, slice cake, pot of tea); Orange
Expenses – Accommodation - 8.00; Food/Drink - 18.00 Total - 26.00
Walking time - 7 hours, 30 minutes (start 6:50am, arrive at accommodation 2:20pm)
Brierley distance - 21.5km (total 631.0km)
Daily Steps - 33,640
Total Camino steps - 1,000,174
Day 26 - Villafranca del Bierzo to Ruitelan (Monday 1 August 2016)
Overnight - Albergue Pequeno Potala
A sleep-in today for the first of three unbooked days before getting to Sarria. The distance before then should really only take two days, but for some reason, I've scheduled three, averaging around 15 kilometres a day. And even though there's a long climb in amongst that, there will be some sleep-ins. Starting today!
I'm not totally sure where I'll get to today, but most likely somewhere at the foot of the steep climb to O Cebreiro, which I can then start on tomorrow morning.
When I finally stepped outside my Villafranca hotel, I was greeted with coldest morning of the trip so far. It stayed that way for an hour or more but after that normal service was resumed.
The track for much of the day was alongside minor roads, and mostly protected from what traffic there was by concrete barriers. The walk was through a long valley and was fitting of another superb Camino traverse.
At the first outdoor cafe I came to (in Pereje), I popped yesterday's thought-bubble about not eating along the way and had a very nice tortilla slice and pot of tea.
Further along at Vega de Valcarce, I stopped for another tea and decided to finish my day’s work at the foothills of the climb at Ruitelan. The Brierley summary of the albergue Pequeno Potala sounded good, so I landed there shortly afterwards and waited in the garden for its advertised opening time of 1:00pm.
I took advantage of the washing machine option at check-in and got all my clothes freshly laundered. Up until then, I had just been hand washing the odd item of clothing when they needed it but it was refreshing to have the lot done all at once.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at a local cafe and back at the albergue sorting my washing and waiting for the albergue’s communal dinner at 7:30pm. The few I've been to have been great value and my hopes were high for this one. They were not disappointed, although it was a bit lonely being the only English speaker at a table of Spaniards whose English was rudimentary at best. No matter.
Tomorrow morning's climb out of the valley is clearly visible from this village and it looks very imposing. Time for sleep.
Weather - The cold start had me thinking seriously about pulling out and dusting off my rain/wind jacket. But of course, this is Spain in summer, there were no clouds in the sky, and I was just being silly. And sure enough, as the morning warmed up, any thoughts of a jacket were long gone.
Health - All good. I did manage to use up some more of my anti-blister wool (which I haven't bothered using since the first week because my feet have been so resilient), but it was done through giving it to a fellow pilgrim out on the track who had stopped for a break because of blister problems. This was just her second day.
Food - Slice tortilla + pot of tea at Pereje cafe; Pot of tea at Vega de Valcarce cafe; Magnum-type white chocolate ice-cream + pots of tea x2 + mixed salad at Ruitelan cafe; Almond magnum ice-cream; Communal dinner at albergue (cold soup, mixed salad, spaghetti, rice pudding)
Expenses – Accommodation - 5.00; Food/Drink - 21.90; Other (bag wash at albergue - 4.00) Total - 30.90
Walking time - 4 hours, 5 minutes (start 8:30am, arrive at accommodation 12:35pm)
Brierley distance - 19.3km (total 609.5km)
Daily Steps - 26,864
Total Camino steps - 966,534
A sleep-in today for the first of three unbooked days before getting to Sarria. The distance before then should really only take two days, but for some reason, I've scheduled three, averaging around 15 kilometres a day. And even though there's a long climb in amongst that, there will be some sleep-ins. Starting today!
I'm not totally sure where I'll get to today, but most likely somewhere at the foot of the steep climb to O Cebreiro, which I can then start on tomorrow morning.
When I finally stepped outside my Villafranca hotel, I was greeted with coldest morning of the trip so far. It stayed that way for an hour or more but after that normal service was resumed.
The track for much of the day was alongside minor roads, and mostly protected from what traffic there was by concrete barriers. The walk was through a long valley and was fitting of another superb Camino traverse.
At the first outdoor cafe I came to (in Pereje), I popped yesterday's thought-bubble about not eating along the way and had a very nice tortilla slice and pot of tea.
Further along at Vega de Valcarce, I stopped for another tea and decided to finish my day’s work at the foothills of the climb at Ruitelan. The Brierley summary of the albergue Pequeno Potala sounded good, so I landed there shortly afterwards and waited in the garden for its advertised opening time of 1:00pm.
I took advantage of the washing machine option at check-in and got all my clothes freshly laundered. Up until then, I had just been hand washing the odd item of clothing when they needed it but it was refreshing to have the lot done all at once.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at a local cafe and back at the albergue sorting my washing and waiting for the albergue’s communal dinner at 7:30pm. The few I've been to have been great value and my hopes were high for this one. They were not disappointed, although it was a bit lonely being the only English speaker at a table of Spaniards whose English was rudimentary at best. No matter.
Tomorrow morning's climb out of the valley is clearly visible from this village and it looks very imposing. Time for sleep.
Weather - The cold start had me thinking seriously about pulling out and dusting off my rain/wind jacket. But of course, this is Spain in summer, there were no clouds in the sky, and I was just being silly. And sure enough, as the morning warmed up, any thoughts of a jacket were long gone.
Health - All good. I did manage to use up some more of my anti-blister wool (which I haven't bothered using since the first week because my feet have been so resilient), but it was done through giving it to a fellow pilgrim out on the track who had stopped for a break because of blister problems. This was just her second day.
Food - Slice tortilla + pot of tea at Pereje cafe; Pot of tea at Vega de Valcarce cafe; Magnum-type white chocolate ice-cream + pots of tea x2 + mixed salad at Ruitelan cafe; Almond magnum ice-cream; Communal dinner at albergue (cold soup, mixed salad, spaghetti, rice pudding)
Expenses – Accommodation - 5.00; Food/Drink - 21.90; Other (bag wash at albergue - 4.00) Total - 30.90
Walking time - 4 hours, 5 minutes (start 8:30am, arrive at accommodation 12:35pm)
Brierley distance - 19.3km (total 609.5km)
Daily Steps - 26,864
Total Camino steps - 966,534
Day 25 - Molinaseca to Villafranca del Bierzo (Sunday 31 July 2016)
Overnight - Casa Mendez
I was up early this morning to listen to my favourite rugby league team, the gallant and resurgent Canberra Raiders, record yet another resounding victory and move to third place on the ladder. Coupled with the breakfast offering at the Molinaseca hotel, it was a promising start to what was going to be one of the longer days on the Camino.
But despite being awake reasonably early, I wasn’t especially motivated to get going after last night and didn't leave until almost 9:00am.
The late getaway meant that I decided just to devote the day to just trudging along and getting through the 31 kilometres. I stopped to have a good rest on a nicely shaded bench outside a small (and the only) church in Columbrianos, just out of Ponferrada, where I could hear the enthusiastic Sunday morning congregation singing some stirring renditions of 'Hallelujah'.
I didn't stop in Ponferrada. It looked like a pleasant enough olde worlde town at its centre, but I was maybe getting a little less excited by those sorts of places, albeit the imposing castle in the middle of town did look spectacular. Maybe some other day.
The rest of the day's walk was either beside quiet roadways or on gravel pathways with some solid undulations along the way. The reasonably closely separated villages were picturesque and inviting, but I didn't stop. Today was an iPod day, with plenty of Dire Straits, Yes, Foreigner, Train and such.
The journey ended in Villafranca del Bierzo, a village whose topography closely resembled that of a ski resort. My pre-booked hotel was at the far end of town, and I was happy to be able to spend the evening at the adjacent restaurant before catching up on some blogging and sleep.
Weather - It was still pretty much the same as it’s been for the last week, but today was my latest finish, and the early afternoon heat after a long walk was a challenge. Happily, the winds blowing through the valley worked to cool things down a bit.
Health - Again felt good, but there was a bit of a twinge in the left knee for a few strides when heading up one of the tough but short 15%+ gradient hills in the vineyards toward the end of the day. It was a worrying moment when it first appeared but it quickly went, hopefully not to be heard from again for the next several days. I also thought I'd try walking the day fuelled entirely by the breakfast provided at the hotel, and bottles of water. As it happened, by-passing the usual tortilla and other snacks along the way seemed to make no real difference in stamina, or anything else really. Might keep doing that.
Food - Hotel breakfast (coffee x2, toast with jam, croissant, mini muffins x3); Pot of tea at Villafranca cafe; Restaurant meal at hotel (pasta salad, battered pork with hot chips, vanilla pudding, piece bread, pots of tea x2)
Expenses - Accommodation - 35.00; Food/Drink - 13.20 Total - 48.20
Walking time - 7 hours, 35 minutes (start 8:50am, arrive at accommodation 4:25pm)
Brierley distance - 30.6km (total 590.2km)
Daily Steps - 45,459
Total Camino steps - 939,670
I was up early this morning to listen to my favourite rugby league team, the gallant and resurgent Canberra Raiders, record yet another resounding victory and move to third place on the ladder. Coupled with the breakfast offering at the Molinaseca hotel, it was a promising start to what was going to be one of the longer days on the Camino.
But despite being awake reasonably early, I wasn’t especially motivated to get going after last night and didn't leave until almost 9:00am.
The late getaway meant that I decided just to devote the day to just trudging along and getting through the 31 kilometres. I stopped to have a good rest on a nicely shaded bench outside a small (and the only) church in Columbrianos, just out of Ponferrada, where I could hear the enthusiastic Sunday morning congregation singing some stirring renditions of 'Hallelujah'.
I didn't stop in Ponferrada. It looked like a pleasant enough olde worlde town at its centre, but I was maybe getting a little less excited by those sorts of places, albeit the imposing castle in the middle of town did look spectacular. Maybe some other day.
The rest of the day's walk was either beside quiet roadways or on gravel pathways with some solid undulations along the way. The reasonably closely separated villages were picturesque and inviting, but I didn't stop. Today was an iPod day, with plenty of Dire Straits, Yes, Foreigner, Train and such.
The journey ended in Villafranca del Bierzo, a village whose topography closely resembled that of a ski resort. My pre-booked hotel was at the far end of town, and I was happy to be able to spend the evening at the adjacent restaurant before catching up on some blogging and sleep.
Weather - It was still pretty much the same as it’s been for the last week, but today was my latest finish, and the early afternoon heat after a long walk was a challenge. Happily, the winds blowing through the valley worked to cool things down a bit.
Health - Again felt good, but there was a bit of a twinge in the left knee for a few strides when heading up one of the tough but short 15%+ gradient hills in the vineyards toward the end of the day. It was a worrying moment when it first appeared but it quickly went, hopefully not to be heard from again for the next several days. I also thought I'd try walking the day fuelled entirely by the breakfast provided at the hotel, and bottles of water. As it happened, by-passing the usual tortilla and other snacks along the way seemed to make no real difference in stamina, or anything else really. Might keep doing that.
Food - Hotel breakfast (coffee x2, toast with jam, croissant, mini muffins x3); Pot of tea at Villafranca cafe; Restaurant meal at hotel (pasta salad, battered pork with hot chips, vanilla pudding, piece bread, pots of tea x2)
Expenses - Accommodation - 35.00; Food/Drink - 13.20 Total - 48.20
Walking time - 7 hours, 35 minutes (start 8:50am, arrive at accommodation 4:25pm)
Brierley distance - 30.6km (total 590.2km)
Daily Steps - 45,459
Total Camino steps - 939,670
Day 24 - Rabanal Del Camino to Molinaseca (Saturday 30 July 2016)
Overnight - The Way Hostel
A memorable day on the Camino today. Probably my best day, in fact, but also a sad one.
It all started at dawn with a wonderfully simple breakfast offering at the Refugio alongside other bleary-eyed pilgrims about to tackle the climb to the famed cross (the Cruz de Ferro) and the highest point of the Camino. There was a reasonable sized map of the world pinned to the breakfast room wall, and - apart from prompting a pang of homesickness when I saw the great southern land - I commented to my occasional walking partners that the fact you could actually see our journey on a map of that size was a good indication of the magnitude (in one sense, at least) of what we were doing.
It was then out the door and up the hill. Door-to-Cross was just over seven kilometres and given my penchant for hills and the cool morning, I thought I'd push it a little. I arrived at the landmark, in a lather of sweat, just on 80 minutes later.
I suppose it was going to be an inevitability, but for me, the cross site was a disappointment. It's effectively a large cross attached to a very tall pole. The base of the pole sits atop a large pile of small stones, mostly left by pilgrims with quite personal notes attached to, or poignant words inscribed on, them. Of course, the weather had taken its toll and while a few black pen-marked comments were legible, there were only fragments of papers and other materials which had been lovingly or painfully bequeathed by pilgrims past.
I'd heard several accounts of it being quite a meaningful shrine for many people and had high expectations of it. Alas, it's not in an especially inviting location, virtually abutting a well-used roadway with carparks and facilities nearby. The pile of stones also serves as a magnet for people to climb the short distance to the base of the pole to get the obligatory selfies. In the process, they trample disrespectfully on the stones and bric a brac left by others.
I sat on a park bench some distance away and watched as 10 or 15 lycra-clad cyclists took it in turn to get their photos, some even posing up there with their bikes held above their heads. As I looked around, I didn't recognize anyone in quiet contemplation, although I'm sure people used it for that purpose too. For some reason, I'd also thought the cross was located in an open space with panoramic views to the valleys and towns below. Wrong again. The many surrounding trees block any views.
So all that was a bit of a downer. But, then again, maybe I wouldn’t have been so judgemental if I actually had something to contribute to the pile rather than being a simple spectator?
Moving on across the mountain, I came to the reasonably primitive albergue/monastery at Manjarin, where I had the most awful cup of coffee I've had for many a long year. That said, you couldn't help but admire the simple, funky, atmosphere of the place.
Just as I was about to start the long and difficult descent off the mountain and into Molinaseca, I met up again with Kim and Martina and also Ned, a Brazilian, who I'd walked with at various times over the past couple of weeks. Kim, who started at Burgos, had managed to damage her knee in the interim and was hobbling bravely along. I gave her one of my walking poles (to add to the one she’d recently bought) and decided to walk with her down the long descent while the others went ahead. It was a distressing couple of hours as the afternoon wore on, the sun beat down, and the mountain path never seemed to end.
But she managed to battle through it courageously and when we finally landed in Molinaseca (where, of all things, a sports car rally was taking place), we all enjoyed a long lunch in a refreshingly cool restaurant by the river.
Later that night, for dinner, we did the same thing - only for longer - at a nearby outside restaurant. The dinner doubled as a sad farewell for Kim who is taking a couple of days away from the Camino before resuming, hopefully, with a fully functioning knee. In case we'd gotten hopelessly separated along the way, three of us had earlier agreed to meet for a final Camino dinner in Santiago before my flight home. By some quirk, we seemed to keep meeting up anyway. But this was different. Kim hoped she could still make it to Santiago in time, but there was a pervading sense that this little Camino-buddies meal could well be the last.
We finally bid our farewells close to midnight and wended our way home.
Of course, tomorrow is another day and there's a small matter of another 200+ kilometres to knock over on this thing before moving on. I’m sure there's plenty more great experiences to look forward to in that time, but it's doubtful I’ll experience a similar camaraderie.
Weather - Another cool start for the climb up to the famous cross, warming up considerably in the last few kilometres when we were navigating the steep descent. Despite last night’s prediction, there was not the remotest sign of any rain.
Health - Felt very strong on both the climb and the descent.
Food - Refugio breakfast (coffee x2, vegemite and berry on bread slices); Coffee + biscuits x2 at Manjarin; Can Fanta + small pastries x2; Banana; Pilgrims lunch menu at Molinaseca (artichoke salad, sausage and mash, cream rice pudding, bread basket, pot of tea); Restaurant dinner at Molinaseca (salad, bread basket etc)
Expenses – Accommodation - 42.00; Food/Drink - 33.90 Total - 75.90
Walking time - 7 hours, 30 minutes (start 6:50am, arrive at accommodation 2:20pm)
Brierley distance - 25.6km (total 559.6km)
Daily Steps - 43,150
Total Camino steps - 894,211
A memorable day on the Camino today. Probably my best day, in fact, but also a sad one.
It all started at dawn with a wonderfully simple breakfast offering at the Refugio alongside other bleary-eyed pilgrims about to tackle the climb to the famed cross (the Cruz de Ferro) and the highest point of the Camino. There was a reasonable sized map of the world pinned to the breakfast room wall, and - apart from prompting a pang of homesickness when I saw the great southern land - I commented to my occasional walking partners that the fact you could actually see our journey on a map of that size was a good indication of the magnitude (in one sense, at least) of what we were doing.
It was then out the door and up the hill. Door-to-Cross was just over seven kilometres and given my penchant for hills and the cool morning, I thought I'd push it a little. I arrived at the landmark, in a lather of sweat, just on 80 minutes later.
I suppose it was going to be an inevitability, but for me, the cross site was a disappointment. It's effectively a large cross attached to a very tall pole. The base of the pole sits atop a large pile of small stones, mostly left by pilgrims with quite personal notes attached to, or poignant words inscribed on, them. Of course, the weather had taken its toll and while a few black pen-marked comments were legible, there were only fragments of papers and other materials which had been lovingly or painfully bequeathed by pilgrims past.
I'd heard several accounts of it being quite a meaningful shrine for many people and had high expectations of it. Alas, it's not in an especially inviting location, virtually abutting a well-used roadway with carparks and facilities nearby. The pile of stones also serves as a magnet for people to climb the short distance to the base of the pole to get the obligatory selfies. In the process, they trample disrespectfully on the stones and bric a brac left by others.
I sat on a park bench some distance away and watched as 10 or 15 lycra-clad cyclists took it in turn to get their photos, some even posing up there with their bikes held above their heads. As I looked around, I didn't recognize anyone in quiet contemplation, although I'm sure people used it for that purpose too. For some reason, I'd also thought the cross was located in an open space with panoramic views to the valleys and towns below. Wrong again. The many surrounding trees block any views.
So all that was a bit of a downer. But, then again, maybe I wouldn’t have been so judgemental if I actually had something to contribute to the pile rather than being a simple spectator?
Moving on across the mountain, I came to the reasonably primitive albergue/monastery at Manjarin, where I had the most awful cup of coffee I've had for many a long year. That said, you couldn't help but admire the simple, funky, atmosphere of the place.
Just as I was about to start the long and difficult descent off the mountain and into Molinaseca, I met up again with Kim and Martina and also Ned, a Brazilian, who I'd walked with at various times over the past couple of weeks. Kim, who started at Burgos, had managed to damage her knee in the interim and was hobbling bravely along. I gave her one of my walking poles (to add to the one she’d recently bought) and decided to walk with her down the long descent while the others went ahead. It was a distressing couple of hours as the afternoon wore on, the sun beat down, and the mountain path never seemed to end.
But she managed to battle through it courageously and when we finally landed in Molinaseca (where, of all things, a sports car rally was taking place), we all enjoyed a long lunch in a refreshingly cool restaurant by the river.
Later that night, for dinner, we did the same thing - only for longer - at a nearby outside restaurant. The dinner doubled as a sad farewell for Kim who is taking a couple of days away from the Camino before resuming, hopefully, with a fully functioning knee. In case we'd gotten hopelessly separated along the way, three of us had earlier agreed to meet for a final Camino dinner in Santiago before my flight home. By some quirk, we seemed to keep meeting up anyway. But this was different. Kim hoped she could still make it to Santiago in time, but there was a pervading sense that this little Camino-buddies meal could well be the last.
We finally bid our farewells close to midnight and wended our way home.
Of course, tomorrow is another day and there's a small matter of another 200+ kilometres to knock over on this thing before moving on. I’m sure there's plenty more great experiences to look forward to in that time, but it's doubtful I’ll experience a similar camaraderie.
Weather - Another cool start for the climb up to the famous cross, warming up considerably in the last few kilometres when we were navigating the steep descent. Despite last night’s prediction, there was not the remotest sign of any rain.
Health - Felt very strong on both the climb and the descent.
Food - Refugio breakfast (coffee x2, vegemite and berry on bread slices); Coffee + biscuits x2 at Manjarin; Can Fanta + small pastries x2; Banana; Pilgrims lunch menu at Molinaseca (artichoke salad, sausage and mash, cream rice pudding, bread basket, pot of tea); Restaurant dinner at Molinaseca (salad, bread basket etc)
Expenses – Accommodation - 42.00; Food/Drink - 33.90 Total - 75.90
Walking time - 7 hours, 30 minutes (start 6:50am, arrive at accommodation 2:20pm)
Brierley distance - 25.6km (total 559.6km)
Daily Steps - 43,150
Total Camino steps - 894,211
Day 23 - Astorga to Rabanal Del Camino (Friday 29 July 2016)
Overnight - Refugio Gaucelmo
I left Astorga after a too-comfortable night in a too-pleasant hotel, looking forward to my next albergue. The day - just over 20 kilometres - promised to be mostly uphill and a prelude to the longer, sharper, climb the next day.
As it turned out, the elevation chart didn't reflect how benign the inclines generally were. Which is not to say it wasn't another great day on the Camino - it certainly was, with the past two days just about making up for the ugly first day post-Leon.
The roadside walks out of Astorga were again quiet with very little car, or even foot, traffic and the pathways generally were back to their best. The first and only pre-Rabanal stop was at a very well located and patronized cafe/bar at Santa Catalina de Somoza, which has the distinction of selling the cheapest black tea on the Camino so far. At 70 Eurocents, coupled with a 3 Euro tortilla, it was a bargain. And beautifully constructed it was too. They placed the tea bag into the hot water in the tea pot just so ...
After a few more minutes pilgrim-watching and chatting, it was time to resume, with the uphills having slightly more 'up' than in the first half of the walk. The sun then started making its presence felt, shortening up the shadows and generating some decent sweat on the exposed track.
The walk ended with a climb into Rabanal, and a short wait outside the front door of the very impressive looking Refugio Gaucelmo, which opens at midday. When registration started, the place turned out to be even more impressive, run by some very friendly English volunteers who provided an afternoon tea and very helpful company. Before that, for lunch, I had headed over to the bar across the road for a substantial and delicious pilgrims’ meal.
Later in the afternoon, I wandered into the Refugio’s simple library and started re-reading a book they had there that I’d bought back in Australia as part of my preparation for the Camino. It was called “Walking Home” by Sonia Choquette, and when I first read it, I thought it was a complete load of tosh. My overwhelming interest was in the practical side of her walk, to which she devoted very little space. I had great difficulty then even finishing it as she kept going on numerous tangents about how various seemingly innocuous aspects of her Camino journey - ‘from humbled to healed’ as she termed it - prompted her to recall depressingly painful details of her life and relationships, about which she wrote endlessly. So I was quite surprised after spending an hour or so reading it here that I could now actually see where she was coming from and even started to empathise with her plight.
At 7:00pm, it was time to head to the adjacent church for vespers, where the four resident monks sang verses to each other in what was really quite a moving ceremony. Tomorrow, it’s a day back in the mountains, and I’m looking forward to it.
Weather - Same old, same old. Albeit the talk around the Refugio from those who keep a close eye on these things is that there might be some rain on the horizon. We shall see.
Health - No issues.
Food - Banana; Tortilla slice + bread slice + pot of tea for breakfast at Santa Catalina de Somoza; Apple; Cans Coke Zero x2 in Rabanal; Pilgrims menu at hotel next to refugio (bread basket, seafood broth, grilled chicken with chips, cheesecake slice with cream); Afternoon tea at Refugio (cups of tea x4 + small cake/biscuits x3); Small Belgian chocolate bar; Orange
Expenses – Accommodation (by donation) - 10.00; Food/Drink - 19.50 Total - 29.50
Walking time - 4 hours, 30 minutes (start 6:45am, arrive at accommodation 11:15am)
Brierley distance - 20.6km (total 534.0km)
Daily Steps - 29,734
Total Camino steps - 851,061
I left Astorga after a too-comfortable night in a too-pleasant hotel, looking forward to my next albergue. The day - just over 20 kilometres - promised to be mostly uphill and a prelude to the longer, sharper, climb the next day.
As it turned out, the elevation chart didn't reflect how benign the inclines generally were. Which is not to say it wasn't another great day on the Camino - it certainly was, with the past two days just about making up for the ugly first day post-Leon.
The roadside walks out of Astorga were again quiet with very little car, or even foot, traffic and the pathways generally were back to their best. The first and only pre-Rabanal stop was at a very well located and patronized cafe/bar at Santa Catalina de Somoza, which has the distinction of selling the cheapest black tea on the Camino so far. At 70 Eurocents, coupled with a 3 Euro tortilla, it was a bargain. And beautifully constructed it was too. They placed the tea bag into the hot water in the tea pot just so ...
After a few more minutes pilgrim-watching and chatting, it was time to resume, with the uphills having slightly more 'up' than in the first half of the walk. The sun then started making its presence felt, shortening up the shadows and generating some decent sweat on the exposed track.
The walk ended with a climb into Rabanal, and a short wait outside the front door of the very impressive looking Refugio Gaucelmo, which opens at midday. When registration started, the place turned out to be even more impressive, run by some very friendly English volunteers who provided an afternoon tea and very helpful company. Before that, for lunch, I had headed over to the bar across the road for a substantial and delicious pilgrims’ meal.
Later in the afternoon, I wandered into the Refugio’s simple library and started re-reading a book they had there that I’d bought back in Australia as part of my preparation for the Camino. It was called “Walking Home” by Sonia Choquette, and when I first read it, I thought it was a complete load of tosh. My overwhelming interest was in the practical side of her walk, to which she devoted very little space. I had great difficulty then even finishing it as she kept going on numerous tangents about how various seemingly innocuous aspects of her Camino journey - ‘from humbled to healed’ as she termed it - prompted her to recall depressingly painful details of her life and relationships, about which she wrote endlessly. So I was quite surprised after spending an hour or so reading it here that I could now actually see where she was coming from and even started to empathise with her plight.
At 7:00pm, it was time to head to the adjacent church for vespers, where the four resident monks sang verses to each other in what was really quite a moving ceremony. Tomorrow, it’s a day back in the mountains, and I’m looking forward to it.
Weather - Same old, same old. Albeit the talk around the Refugio from those who keep a close eye on these things is that there might be some rain on the horizon. We shall see.
Health - No issues.
Food - Banana; Tortilla slice + bread slice + pot of tea for breakfast at Santa Catalina de Somoza; Apple; Cans Coke Zero x2 in Rabanal; Pilgrims menu at hotel next to refugio (bread basket, seafood broth, grilled chicken with chips, cheesecake slice with cream); Afternoon tea at Refugio (cups of tea x4 + small cake/biscuits x3); Small Belgian chocolate bar; Orange
Expenses – Accommodation (by donation) - 10.00; Food/Drink - 19.50 Total - 29.50
Walking time - 4 hours, 30 minutes (start 6:45am, arrive at accommodation 11:15am)
Brierley distance - 20.6km (total 534.0km)
Daily Steps - 29,734
Total Camino steps - 851,061
Day 22 - San Martin Del Camino to Astorga (Thursday 28 July 2016)
Overnight - Hotel Ciudad de Astorga
A much more attractive walk today with the Camino back to its best. I was one of the last to leave the albergue in San Martin and cruised up a much quieter track under the early morning sky. I stopped for some breakfast at Puente de Orbigo, and immediately crossed the historic 19-arch stone bridge between there and Hospital de Orbigo. Then it was onward through fields and light forests with no traffic in earshot.
A few decent hills punctuated the walk and at the peak of the last one suddenly appeared a small cafe in the middle of nowhere. Just as I was preparing myself to buy and scull a can of Coke Zero, the proprietor explained it was a free organic juice bar, that we should choose from the range of juices on offer, and that she would add an ice cube to the glass to cool it down. And she said it all in an Australian accent!
It transpires she is a Port Lincoln native who's been here for a year after finishing her Camino here. She seems to be having a great life and she certainly enriched mine.
I was completely refreshed for the long mostly downhill trek into the comparatively large, and very pretty, town of Astorga.
After checking in at the very modern, and my second most expensive, hotel (behind the place in St Jean Pied de Port), I promptly fell asleep for a few hours. This siesta business is catching. When I woke up, I didn't feel like much more than a brief wander around the cathedral precinct, a couple of trips to the excellent gelato shop across the road, and finally, the fairly ordinary pilgrims menu at the downstairs restaurant.
I was thinking today that if (when!) I do this again, I'll just walk straight through all the big towns on the Camino Frances and only stay at the smaller villages. Everything there seems much better value and the people that much more content and engaged. Doesn’t mean, of course, that I won’t be stopping at the frozen yoghurt and gelato shops in the big towns when I do see them.
Weather - Very much the same as yesterday, with the temperature appearing to increase markedly as I walked into Astorga.
Health - All good again - no troubles at all.
Food - Banana; Tortilla slices x2 + bread slices x2 + pot of tea at Puente de Orbigo; Glass orange juice with ice at canteen outside Astorga!; Cups chocolate gelato x2 at Astorga gelato shop; Pilgrims menu at Astorga hotel (bread roll, tuna salad, chicken schnitzel with lettuce/tomato, rice pudding, pots of tea x2)
Expenses – Accommodation - 60.01; Food/Drink - 27.15 Total - 75.71
Walking time - 5 hours, 45 minutes (start 7:20am, arrive at accommodation 1:05pm)
Brierley distance - 23.8km (total 513.4km)
Daily Steps - 34,763
Total Camino steps - 821,327
A much more attractive walk today with the Camino back to its best. I was one of the last to leave the albergue in San Martin and cruised up a much quieter track under the early morning sky. I stopped for some breakfast at Puente de Orbigo, and immediately crossed the historic 19-arch stone bridge between there and Hospital de Orbigo. Then it was onward through fields and light forests with no traffic in earshot.
A few decent hills punctuated the walk and at the peak of the last one suddenly appeared a small cafe in the middle of nowhere. Just as I was preparing myself to buy and scull a can of Coke Zero, the proprietor explained it was a free organic juice bar, that we should choose from the range of juices on offer, and that she would add an ice cube to the glass to cool it down. And she said it all in an Australian accent!
It transpires she is a Port Lincoln native who's been here for a year after finishing her Camino here. She seems to be having a great life and she certainly enriched mine.
I was completely refreshed for the long mostly downhill trek into the comparatively large, and very pretty, town of Astorga.
After checking in at the very modern, and my second most expensive, hotel (behind the place in St Jean Pied de Port), I promptly fell asleep for a few hours. This siesta business is catching. When I woke up, I didn't feel like much more than a brief wander around the cathedral precinct, a couple of trips to the excellent gelato shop across the road, and finally, the fairly ordinary pilgrims menu at the downstairs restaurant.
I was thinking today that if (when!) I do this again, I'll just walk straight through all the big towns on the Camino Frances and only stay at the smaller villages. Everything there seems much better value and the people that much more content and engaged. Doesn’t mean, of course, that I won’t be stopping at the frozen yoghurt and gelato shops in the big towns when I do see them.
Weather - Very much the same as yesterday, with the temperature appearing to increase markedly as I walked into Astorga.
Health - All good again - no troubles at all.
Food - Banana; Tortilla slices x2 + bread slices x2 + pot of tea at Puente de Orbigo; Glass orange juice with ice at canteen outside Astorga!; Cups chocolate gelato x2 at Astorga gelato shop; Pilgrims menu at Astorga hotel (bread roll, tuna salad, chicken schnitzel with lettuce/tomato, rice pudding, pots of tea x2)
Expenses – Accommodation - 60.01; Food/Drink - 27.15 Total - 75.71
Walking time - 5 hours, 45 minutes (start 7:20am, arrive at accommodation 1:05pm)
Brierley distance - 23.8km (total 513.4km)
Daily Steps - 34,763
Total Camino steps - 821,327
Day 21 - Leon to San Martin Del Camino (Wednesday 27 July 2016)
Overnight - Municipal Albergue
It's farewell to beautiful Leon and back on the road. Of the small number of cities I've visited on this trip so far, it rivals Bordeaux in terms of its attractiveness and allure - at least the old parts of each place. My limited experience with the outskirts and suburban areas of both was largely forgettable.
I was tossing up whether to wait for the free 7:30am hotel breakfast or just get going, and ultimately decided the latter. After a couple of slack walking days, I was itching to get back into it so headed out just on 7:00am - with a final walk-by of that incredible cathedral.
The plan today was to make the municipal albergue at San Martin Del Camino - a reasonable 26 kilometres up the road, alongside mostly flat, stark terrain.
Unfortunately, today will go down as probably my least favourite walking day on the Camino so far.
It started promisingly enough with an early morning route through parts of the old town I hadn't yet seen, including a very impressive building which is now a hotel. It has a sculpture of a seated, weary pilgrim in front of it and rivals Le Grand Hotel in Bordeaux for the grandeur and opulence of its exterior.
But it was all downhill from there (metaphorically speaking, at least). The outer industrial areas of Leon seemed to last forever, with the very busy main road, which the track follows, compounding the dreariness of it all. But in the words of the great Forrest Gump when speaking of unpleasant things - "And that's all I have to say about that".
It wasn't a total loss though. The final five kilometres into San Martin Del Camino, still close to the busy road, was much more rural and more reminiscent of some of the great pre-Leon stages. And I had some great company towards the end too, after again bumping into Kim and Martina, who I'd spent the evening with in Leon and at previous points along the way.
After checking into the municipal albergue as one of the first guests for the day, I left my stuff on a bottom bunk (in a dorm with 16 double bunks) and we headed to a private albergue up the road for the pilgrims’ lunch. The highlight was the vegetarian paella, which restored my faith in the dish after a less than appetizing first paella experience at Hontanas.
The rest of the day involved generally lounging around in the gardens of the albergue and drinking tea at the bar across the road. I became convinced that the same half a dozen old men I’d seen at bars earlier on the way were following me when their doppelgangers also appeared in this bar.
Weather - The temperature signs when I headed out of town showed 16 degrees and it warmed up as usual along the way.
Health - A couple of leg niggles that I'd experienced early on made a reappearance this morning, but settled down again after an hour or so. It was almost as if they were saying after their day off - "Hey, what's going on here? I thought we were done with this long distance walking business?" Bad news, fellas - a couple more weeks yet.
Food - Apple; Pilgrims lunch at nearby albergue (bread basket, mixed salad, vegetarian paella, mixed meats); Pots of tea x3 at San Martin bar; Orange; Banana
Expenses – Accommodation - 5.00; Food/Drink - 13.91 Total - 18.91
Walking time - 5 hours (start 7:00am, arrive at accommodation 12:00pm)
Brierley distance - 26.0km (total 489.6km)
Daily Steps - 37,299
Total Camino steps - 786,564
It's farewell to beautiful Leon and back on the road. Of the small number of cities I've visited on this trip so far, it rivals Bordeaux in terms of its attractiveness and allure - at least the old parts of each place. My limited experience with the outskirts and suburban areas of both was largely forgettable.
I was tossing up whether to wait for the free 7:30am hotel breakfast or just get going, and ultimately decided the latter. After a couple of slack walking days, I was itching to get back into it so headed out just on 7:00am - with a final walk-by of that incredible cathedral.
The plan today was to make the municipal albergue at San Martin Del Camino - a reasonable 26 kilometres up the road, alongside mostly flat, stark terrain.
Unfortunately, today will go down as probably my least favourite walking day on the Camino so far.
It started promisingly enough with an early morning route through parts of the old town I hadn't yet seen, including a very impressive building which is now a hotel. It has a sculpture of a seated, weary pilgrim in front of it and rivals Le Grand Hotel in Bordeaux for the grandeur and opulence of its exterior.
But it was all downhill from there (metaphorically speaking, at least). The outer industrial areas of Leon seemed to last forever, with the very busy main road, which the track follows, compounding the dreariness of it all. But in the words of the great Forrest Gump when speaking of unpleasant things - "And that's all I have to say about that".
It wasn't a total loss though. The final five kilometres into San Martin Del Camino, still close to the busy road, was much more rural and more reminiscent of some of the great pre-Leon stages. And I had some great company towards the end too, after again bumping into Kim and Martina, who I'd spent the evening with in Leon and at previous points along the way.
After checking into the municipal albergue as one of the first guests for the day, I left my stuff on a bottom bunk (in a dorm with 16 double bunks) and we headed to a private albergue up the road for the pilgrims’ lunch. The highlight was the vegetarian paella, which restored my faith in the dish after a less than appetizing first paella experience at Hontanas.
The rest of the day involved generally lounging around in the gardens of the albergue and drinking tea at the bar across the road. I became convinced that the same half a dozen old men I’d seen at bars earlier on the way were following me when their doppelgangers also appeared in this bar.
Weather - The temperature signs when I headed out of town showed 16 degrees and it warmed up as usual along the way.
Health - A couple of leg niggles that I'd experienced early on made a reappearance this morning, but settled down again after an hour or so. It was almost as if they were saying after their day off - "Hey, what's going on here? I thought we were done with this long distance walking business?" Bad news, fellas - a couple more weeks yet.
Food - Apple; Pilgrims lunch at nearby albergue (bread basket, mixed salad, vegetarian paella, mixed meats); Pots of tea x3 at San Martin bar; Orange; Banana
Expenses – Accommodation - 5.00; Food/Drink - 13.91 Total - 18.91
Walking time - 5 hours (start 7:00am, arrive at accommodation 12:00pm)
Brierley distance - 26.0km (total 489.6km)
Daily Steps - 37,299
Total Camino steps - 786,564
Day 20 - Leon rest day (Tuesday 26 July 2016)
Overnight - Hotel Spa Paris
An odd feeling this morning not having to load up the backpack, fill the water bottles and hit the road. But I'm not too unhappy about that.
After a very enjoyable evening wandering the bars of Leon, today was about having a closer look at this extraordinary cathedral, navigating the Spanish banking system to get some cash, and indulging in the spa offered as part of the hotel deal. All three were accomplished successfully, albeit not without a struggle in the case of the banking task. After collecting some food at the nearby mini-supermarket, the rest of the evening was spent quietly back at the hotel.
Weather - Still no change
Health - A couple of hours in the hotel spa and sauna this afternoon helped iron out any remaining kinks. Should be good to go first thing tomorrow.
Food - Hotel breakfast (Tortilla slice + bread roll + pot of tea + orange juice); Baguette + Frozen yoghurt with chocolate sauce/pieces while wandering around Leon; Cream cakes x2 + pots of tea x2
Expenses - Accommodation - 49.00; Food/Drink - 14.98; Other (Leon cathedral entry - 6.00; Camino wristband from local tourist shop - 2.00) Total - 71.98
Walking time - nil
Brierley distance - nil (total 463.6km)
Daily Steps - 7,053
Total Camino steps - 749,265
An odd feeling this morning not having to load up the backpack, fill the water bottles and hit the road. But I'm not too unhappy about that.
After a very enjoyable evening wandering the bars of Leon, today was about having a closer look at this extraordinary cathedral, navigating the Spanish banking system to get some cash, and indulging in the spa offered as part of the hotel deal. All three were accomplished successfully, albeit not without a struggle in the case of the banking task. After collecting some food at the nearby mini-supermarket, the rest of the evening was spent quietly back at the hotel.
Weather - Still no change
Health - A couple of hours in the hotel spa and sauna this afternoon helped iron out any remaining kinks. Should be good to go first thing tomorrow.
Food - Hotel breakfast (Tortilla slice + bread roll + pot of tea + orange juice); Baguette + Frozen yoghurt with chocolate sauce/pieces while wandering around Leon; Cream cakes x2 + pots of tea x2
Expenses - Accommodation - 49.00; Food/Drink - 14.98; Other (Leon cathedral entry - 6.00; Camino wristband from local tourist shop - 2.00) Total - 71.98
Walking time - nil
Brierley distance - nil (total 463.6km)
Daily Steps - 7,053
Total Camino steps - 749,265
Day 19 - Puente Villarente to Leon (Monday 25 July 2016)
Overnight - Hotel Spa Paris
Happy St James’ Day from the Camino!
Evidently, today is a national holiday in honour of the patron saint of Spain and there's probably bedlam in Santiago right now with hordes of pilgrims scheduling their arrival for this day - even if they only started a few days ago.
And in keeping with the spirit of national holidays everywhere, I had a big sleep in this morning before the short stroll into Leon and my day off. I stopped for some tortillas and tea about 5 kilometres in, after just sauntering slowly along an increasingly urbanized pathway. In some ways, today is like yesterday's final stage of Le Tour - short, essentially meaningless, and presenting no challenges, but it's got to be done. (For the record, Froome won his third with gallant Aussie Richie Porte in fifth place, about 4 minutes back.) Albeit there were a couple of nice inclines on the outskirts of Leon which I powered up. I'm not sure what it is whenever I see a hill over here - I just get this urge to dig in and get the heart racing all the way to the top, where the sweat starts pouring out.
The walk into Leon old town, which is where the cathedral and my hotel are located, was not nearly as soul-destroying as that into Burgos, a town of roughly equal size. And apart from my first sighting of a KFC sign in weeks, it was actually quite pleasant.
The hotel itself is well positioned in a large pedestrian boulevard and the room is all that can be expected. There is free use of their spa and breakfast both days is included. I think I made a good choice with this place, although I’ve been wondering over the past few days whether a day off was going to do more harm than good. We'll see how it turns out.
The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around Leon old town, the feature of which is the very impressive cathedral. Just before 8:00pm, I decided to see if it was holding a mass, but was advised at the gate that it closed to the public at 7:30pm.
Just as I was about to re-enter my hotel, I was hailed by a fellow pilgrim from Belgium (Kim) who I'd first met on the trail out of Burgos. She was with another pilgrim, from the Czech Republic (Martina), who I'd also spent a short time with earlier along the way and who seemed to be suffering quite a bit from blisters and other ailments. They were with a local girl they'd met up with who was showing them the sights of Leon. They invited me to join them and the rest of the evening was spent in a whirlwind of beautiful old town bars, munching on tapas and sharing stories - mostly from Sarah, our very knowledgeable and engaging guide. It ended at a bar, soon after 1:00am, where some local musicians were jamming away. A wonderful night. I think I made the right call on the Leon rest day!
Weather - No change
Health - Ditto
Food - Tortilla slices x2 + pot of tea at Arcahueja; Can Coke Zero on way into Leon; Baguettes x2 + frozen yoghurt cup with chocolate while wandering around Leon; Cream cake + pot of tea at Leon bakery café nearby to the hotel; 1 litre chocolate milk; Various mixed tapas as part of evening visits to Leon bars
Expenses - Accommodation - 49.00; Food/Drink - 34.05 Total - 83.05
Walking time - 3 hours (start 8:45am, arrive at accommodation 11:45am)
Brierley distance - 12.0km (total 463.6km)
Daily Steps - approximately 25,000 (my trusty pedometer zeroed at midnight when I was out on the town, so I was unable to get the correct reading. This fairly conservative estimate is based on what I'd seen earlier in the day, and my movements since.)
Total Camino steps - 742,212
Happy St James’ Day from the Camino!
Evidently, today is a national holiday in honour of the patron saint of Spain and there's probably bedlam in Santiago right now with hordes of pilgrims scheduling their arrival for this day - even if they only started a few days ago.
And in keeping with the spirit of national holidays everywhere, I had a big sleep in this morning before the short stroll into Leon and my day off. I stopped for some tortillas and tea about 5 kilometres in, after just sauntering slowly along an increasingly urbanized pathway. In some ways, today is like yesterday's final stage of Le Tour - short, essentially meaningless, and presenting no challenges, but it's got to be done. (For the record, Froome won his third with gallant Aussie Richie Porte in fifth place, about 4 minutes back.) Albeit there were a couple of nice inclines on the outskirts of Leon which I powered up. I'm not sure what it is whenever I see a hill over here - I just get this urge to dig in and get the heart racing all the way to the top, where the sweat starts pouring out.
The walk into Leon old town, which is where the cathedral and my hotel are located, was not nearly as soul-destroying as that into Burgos, a town of roughly equal size. And apart from my first sighting of a KFC sign in weeks, it was actually quite pleasant.
The hotel itself is well positioned in a large pedestrian boulevard and the room is all that can be expected. There is free use of their spa and breakfast both days is included. I think I made a good choice with this place, although I’ve been wondering over the past few days whether a day off was going to do more harm than good. We'll see how it turns out.
The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around Leon old town, the feature of which is the very impressive cathedral. Just before 8:00pm, I decided to see if it was holding a mass, but was advised at the gate that it closed to the public at 7:30pm.
Just as I was about to re-enter my hotel, I was hailed by a fellow pilgrim from Belgium (Kim) who I'd first met on the trail out of Burgos. She was with another pilgrim, from the Czech Republic (Martina), who I'd also spent a short time with earlier along the way and who seemed to be suffering quite a bit from blisters and other ailments. They were with a local girl they'd met up with who was showing them the sights of Leon. They invited me to join them and the rest of the evening was spent in a whirlwind of beautiful old town bars, munching on tapas and sharing stories - mostly from Sarah, our very knowledgeable and engaging guide. It ended at a bar, soon after 1:00am, where some local musicians were jamming away. A wonderful night. I think I made the right call on the Leon rest day!
Weather - No change
Health - Ditto
Food - Tortilla slices x2 + pot of tea at Arcahueja; Can Coke Zero on way into Leon; Baguettes x2 + frozen yoghurt cup with chocolate while wandering around Leon; Cream cake + pot of tea at Leon bakery café nearby to the hotel; 1 litre chocolate milk; Various mixed tapas as part of evening visits to Leon bars
Expenses - Accommodation - 49.00; Food/Drink - 34.05 Total - 83.05
Walking time - 3 hours (start 8:45am, arrive at accommodation 11:45am)
Brierley distance - 12.0km (total 463.6km)
Daily Steps - approximately 25,000 (my trusty pedometer zeroed at midnight when I was out on the town, so I was unable to get the correct reading. This fairly conservative estimate is based on what I'd seen earlier in the day, and my movements since.)
Total Camino steps - 742,212
Day 18 - El Burgo Ranero to Puente Villarente (Sunday 24 July 2016)
Overnight - Albergue San Pelayo
Yet another day of long roadside walking on the 'sende', as this part of the walk is apparently known. I'm still really enjoying the starkness of it all, although it seems some of my colleagues out here aren't too keen. I heard today that one person, knowing what was in store, simply caught a bus from Burgos to Leon to avoid it all. Each to his/her own, I suppose.
A largely uneventful day was punctuated with tea stops at Reliegos and Mansilla de las Mulas before pressing on to Puente Villarente and this very pleasant garden albergue, which seems to be home tonight to just four of us, out of a possible 30+ beds. The albergue owner confirmed some earlier comments I'd heard that July and August were both really, really slow times on this part of the Camino.
This afternoon, I got with the program and had a long siesta before the pilgrims’ dinner at the albergue. It was then off to bed - after air-guitaring to the 11 minute live version of Sultans of Swing on YouTube about four times in a row. Mark Knopfler is a legend!
Weather - Very similar to yesterday and the few days before. Coolish, then warming up with not much cloud.
Health - Feet are improving and remain the only minor health issue. No gastro problems. No other aches or pains. And the early sunburn on the back of the legs has evolved into a deep tan. Things are going surprisingly well so far - touchwood! It was in stark contrast to the plight of the Slovakian guy I had dinner with who's immediate future on the Camino is in doubt after developing a debilitating ankle problem.
Food - Tortilla slice + Pot of tea at Reliegos; Apple; Pot of tea at Mansilla; Gel; Handful shelled peanuts; Albergue dinner (bread basket, mixed salad, grilled chicken and hot chips, crème caramel)
Expenses - Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 14.50 Total – 24.50
Walking time - 6 hours, 10 minutes (start 7:05am, arrive at accommodation 1:15pm)
Brierley distance - 25.4km (total 451.6km)
Daily Steps - 35,696
Total Camino steps - 717,212
Yet another day of long roadside walking on the 'sende', as this part of the walk is apparently known. I'm still really enjoying the starkness of it all, although it seems some of my colleagues out here aren't too keen. I heard today that one person, knowing what was in store, simply caught a bus from Burgos to Leon to avoid it all. Each to his/her own, I suppose.
A largely uneventful day was punctuated with tea stops at Reliegos and Mansilla de las Mulas before pressing on to Puente Villarente and this very pleasant garden albergue, which seems to be home tonight to just four of us, out of a possible 30+ beds. The albergue owner confirmed some earlier comments I'd heard that July and August were both really, really slow times on this part of the Camino.
This afternoon, I got with the program and had a long siesta before the pilgrims’ dinner at the albergue. It was then off to bed - after air-guitaring to the 11 minute live version of Sultans of Swing on YouTube about four times in a row. Mark Knopfler is a legend!
Weather - Very similar to yesterday and the few days before. Coolish, then warming up with not much cloud.
Health - Feet are improving and remain the only minor health issue. No gastro problems. No other aches or pains. And the early sunburn on the back of the legs has evolved into a deep tan. Things are going surprisingly well so far - touchwood! It was in stark contrast to the plight of the Slovakian guy I had dinner with who's immediate future on the Camino is in doubt after developing a debilitating ankle problem.
Food - Tortilla slice + Pot of tea at Reliegos; Apple; Pot of tea at Mansilla; Gel; Handful shelled peanuts; Albergue dinner (bread basket, mixed salad, grilled chicken and hot chips, crème caramel)
Expenses - Accommodation - 10.00; Food/Drink - 14.50 Total – 24.50
Walking time - 6 hours, 10 minutes (start 7:05am, arrive at accommodation 1:15pm)
Brierley distance - 25.4km (total 451.6km)
Daily Steps - 35,696
Total Camino steps - 717,212
Day 17 - Sahagun to El Burgo Ranero (Saturday 23 July 2016)
Overnight - Albergue Hospederia Jacobea El Nogal
After yesterday's near marathon effort, it was always going to be a short day today, and so it was. I left the albergue in Sahagun just on chucking-out time and then headed back to the bakery cafe for a farewell pastry or two and some tea for breakfast.
Then it was a steady flat walk alongside a roadway, much like over the past few days, until the village of Bercianos del real Camino, where I stopped again for an ice cream and some tea.
After that, another 7.5 kilometres of similar terrain saw my arrival at El Burgo Ranero. The municipal albergue had not yet opened so I went to a private one across the road, in a 9-bunk dorm, where I was the first to arrive. It was quite basic, but then again, these days, my needs are also very basic.
The afternoon was spent in a nearby bar having a very satisfying pilgrims lunch and watching Le Tour (where Chris Froome wrapped it up in the mountains and Richie Porte finished a creditable fifth ahead of the Paris procession tomorrow). The Raiders won too, by the way, although I got my time zone calculations wrong on that, so when I turned on the iPad, I immediately discovered the happy news.
I'm going to miss the routine of following Le Tour for the rest of this trip. Being able to watch entire stages without falling asleep, and in daytime, has been a real novelty for an antipodean. A consolation, I suppose, is that the Rio Olympics will start soon enough, so no doubt I'll be tuning into that now and again to see how the Spanish athletes are dominating the world sporting stage. Oddly, they never seem to do much when I'm watching the Olympics in Australia, where, of course, Australian sportspeople are the kings and queens of the world.
The evening was a quiet one at the albergue where still only 1 of the 9 bunk beds is occupied! I also paid a visit to the (slightly busier) municipal albergue over the road and chatted with some pilgrim colleagues there who offered me some of the remnants of their yummy communal meal. I silently castigated myself for not waiting the extra few minutes this afternoon for that place to open.
Tomorrow could be another shortish day, probably a 19.3 kilometre effort to Mansilla de las Mullas. I may go slightly further depending how I feel, to leave an even shorter run in to Leon the next day.
Weather - A mostly mild and sunny morning warming up a little as the day progressed. In fact, the forecast for at least the next week seems identical - highs in the low 30s, lows in the mid-teens, and still no sign of rain.
Health - The feet were still a bit tender after yesterday's punishment, but otherwise all good.
Food - Cream pastries x2 + Pots of tea x2 at Sahagun cake shop; White chocolate mini magnum ice-cream + Pot of tea at Bercianos del Real Camino bar; Can Coke at El Burgo Ranero albergue; Almond mini magnum ice cream at El Burgo Ranero; Pilgrims lunch (pots of tea x2, mixed salad, chicken/chips, cheesecake with cream); Mini cornetto ice-cream and miscellaneous food from municipal albergue visit
Expenses - Accommodation - 8.00; Food/Drink - 20.10 Total - 28.10
Walking time - 4 hours, 35 minutes (start 8:05am, arrive at accommodation 12:40pm)
Brierley distance - 17.9km (total 426.2km)
Daily Steps - 27,786
Total Camino steps - 681,516
After yesterday's near marathon effort, it was always going to be a short day today, and so it was. I left the albergue in Sahagun just on chucking-out time and then headed back to the bakery cafe for a farewell pastry or two and some tea for breakfast.
Then it was a steady flat walk alongside a roadway, much like over the past few days, until the village of Bercianos del real Camino, where I stopped again for an ice cream and some tea.
After that, another 7.5 kilometres of similar terrain saw my arrival at El Burgo Ranero. The municipal albergue had not yet opened so I went to a private one across the road, in a 9-bunk dorm, where I was the first to arrive. It was quite basic, but then again, these days, my needs are also very basic.
The afternoon was spent in a nearby bar having a very satisfying pilgrims lunch and watching Le Tour (where Chris Froome wrapped it up in the mountains and Richie Porte finished a creditable fifth ahead of the Paris procession tomorrow). The Raiders won too, by the way, although I got my time zone calculations wrong on that, so when I turned on the iPad, I immediately discovered the happy news.
I'm going to miss the routine of following Le Tour for the rest of this trip. Being able to watch entire stages without falling asleep, and in daytime, has been a real novelty for an antipodean. A consolation, I suppose, is that the Rio Olympics will start soon enough, so no doubt I'll be tuning into that now and again to see how the Spanish athletes are dominating the world sporting stage. Oddly, they never seem to do much when I'm watching the Olympics in Australia, where, of course, Australian sportspeople are the kings and queens of the world.
The evening was a quiet one at the albergue where still only 1 of the 9 bunk beds is occupied! I also paid a visit to the (slightly busier) municipal albergue over the road and chatted with some pilgrim colleagues there who offered me some of the remnants of their yummy communal meal. I silently castigated myself for not waiting the extra few minutes this afternoon for that place to open.
Tomorrow could be another shortish day, probably a 19.3 kilometre effort to Mansilla de las Mullas. I may go slightly further depending how I feel, to leave an even shorter run in to Leon the next day.
Weather - A mostly mild and sunny morning warming up a little as the day progressed. In fact, the forecast for at least the next week seems identical - highs in the low 30s, lows in the mid-teens, and still no sign of rain.
Health - The feet were still a bit tender after yesterday's punishment, but otherwise all good.
Food - Cream pastries x2 + Pots of tea x2 at Sahagun cake shop; White chocolate mini magnum ice-cream + Pot of tea at Bercianos del Real Camino bar; Can Coke at El Burgo Ranero albergue; Almond mini magnum ice cream at El Burgo Ranero; Pilgrims lunch (pots of tea x2, mixed salad, chicken/chips, cheesecake with cream); Mini cornetto ice-cream and miscellaneous food from municipal albergue visit
Expenses - Accommodation - 8.00; Food/Drink - 20.10 Total - 28.10
Walking time - 4 hours, 35 minutes (start 8:05am, arrive at accommodation 12:40pm)
Brierley distance - 17.9km (total 426.2km)
Daily Steps - 27,786
Total Camino steps - 681,516
Day 16 - Carrion de los Condes to Sahagun (Friday 22 July 2016)
Overnight - Municipal Albergue
A long, long day, where I passed the halfway mark on this little pilgrimage.
With no particular ailments apparent when I awoke, I decided fairly early on that I'd try and reach Sahagun today and stay at the municipal albergue there. The day started out well with the first 17 kilometres out of Carrion along a flat, open, Roman road with no places for refreshment. Even so, I was making reasonable time and didn't end up stopping until Ledigos, where I had a traditional mixed salad and cup of tea in a small bar where a small group of old men exchanged banter among themselves and with the staff, in between smoke breaks outside. From my limited experience of these places, this seems to be what many older men in rural Spain do with their days. Good luck to them, I suppose.
It was then on through Terradillos de los Templarios, the scheduled end of Brierley’s stage, to Moratinos, where I again stopped for a tea and a very nice chocolate mousse. The final few kilometres into Sahagun saw some increasingly stronger protests from the feet, but they performed admirably and we ambled into the municipal albergue after almost 9 hours, 50,000+ steps, and an impressive (for me, anyway) 40 kilometres on the road.
The Sahagun municipal albergue was more popular than the only other one I've stayed at so far, with half the 60 or so beds filled by the time I arrived (compared to 1 of 16 filled in my other municipal albergue at Cardenuela Riopico). It was housed in an old church and for just 5 Euro for the night, was excellent value for the relative opulence it offered. It also reminded me once again of my naïveté (in hindsight, of course) of booking hotels when places like this dotted the route.
After a short rest, I hobbled around part of this very pretty old town until I came across a pastry cafe, and promptly took up a seat and chomped down several of their specialities washed down with a few pots of tea. It had to be one of the best, if not least healthy, meals I've had so far. But man can't live by ‘ensalada mixt’ alone!
An hour or more later, after thanking the most gracious and hospitable shopkeeper and asking her what time they open in the morning (a very convenient 6:30am), I simultaneously waddled and hobbled out of there and wended my way back to the albergue.
After sitting in my bunk for a while and realising it was too early to go to bed (and thinking my recent diet might be a little short on protein), I decided to head to the bar next door for a very nice hamburger with pot of tea nightcap. Now I'm ready to crash.
I'm still not sure about my destination tomorrow, but it's highly likely to involve less than half of today's effort - and a midday finish at the latest. (A rugby league match involving my favourite team, the Canberra Raiders, is being streamed from 1:00pm Spain time, so that, followed by the penultimate stage of Le Tour, takes care of my Saturday afternoon.)
Weather - Another cooler, overcast morning with a few clouds remaining during the day. It was still warm, especially in the last hour or so, but not as punishing as recent days.
Health - All good, apart from the feet protesting the significant extra distance. They'll have a nice rest soon enough.
Food - Gel; Apple; Mixed salad + bread basket + pot of tea at Legidos cafe; Chocolate mousse desert + pot of tea at Moratinos albergue; Cream pastries x4 + pots of tea x3 at Sahagun cake shop; Hamburger + pot of tea at Sahagun bar
Expenses - Accommodation - 5.00; Food/Drink - 22.40 Total - 27.40
Walking time - 8 hours, 50 minutes (start 6:55am, arrive at accommodation 3:45pm)
Brierley distance - 39.8km (total 408.3km)
Daily Steps - 55,305
Total Camino steps - 653,730
A long, long day, where I passed the halfway mark on this little pilgrimage.
With no particular ailments apparent when I awoke, I decided fairly early on that I'd try and reach Sahagun today and stay at the municipal albergue there. The day started out well with the first 17 kilometres out of Carrion along a flat, open, Roman road with no places for refreshment. Even so, I was making reasonable time and didn't end up stopping until Ledigos, where I had a traditional mixed salad and cup of tea in a small bar where a small group of old men exchanged banter among themselves and with the staff, in between smoke breaks outside. From my limited experience of these places, this seems to be what many older men in rural Spain do with their days. Good luck to them, I suppose.
It was then on through Terradillos de los Templarios, the scheduled end of Brierley’s stage, to Moratinos, where I again stopped for a tea and a very nice chocolate mousse. The final few kilometres into Sahagun saw some increasingly stronger protests from the feet, but they performed admirably and we ambled into the municipal albergue after almost 9 hours, 50,000+ steps, and an impressive (for me, anyway) 40 kilometres on the road.
The Sahagun municipal albergue was more popular than the only other one I've stayed at so far, with half the 60 or so beds filled by the time I arrived (compared to 1 of 16 filled in my other municipal albergue at Cardenuela Riopico). It was housed in an old church and for just 5 Euro for the night, was excellent value for the relative opulence it offered. It also reminded me once again of my naïveté (in hindsight, of course) of booking hotels when places like this dotted the route.
After a short rest, I hobbled around part of this very pretty old town until I came across a pastry cafe, and promptly took up a seat and chomped down several of their specialities washed down with a few pots of tea. It had to be one of the best, if not least healthy, meals I've had so far. But man can't live by ‘ensalada mixt’ alone!
An hour or more later, after thanking the most gracious and hospitable shopkeeper and asking her what time they open in the morning (a very convenient 6:30am), I simultaneously waddled and hobbled out of there and wended my way back to the albergue.
After sitting in my bunk for a while and realising it was too early to go to bed (and thinking my recent diet might be a little short on protein), I decided to head to the bar next door for a very nice hamburger with pot of tea nightcap. Now I'm ready to crash.
I'm still not sure about my destination tomorrow, but it's highly likely to involve less than half of today's effort - and a midday finish at the latest. (A rugby league match involving my favourite team, the Canberra Raiders, is being streamed from 1:00pm Spain time, so that, followed by the penultimate stage of Le Tour, takes care of my Saturday afternoon.)
Weather - Another cooler, overcast morning with a few clouds remaining during the day. It was still warm, especially in the last hour or so, but not as punishing as recent days.
Health - All good, apart from the feet protesting the significant extra distance. They'll have a nice rest soon enough.
Food - Gel; Apple; Mixed salad + bread basket + pot of tea at Legidos cafe; Chocolate mousse desert + pot of tea at Moratinos albergue; Cream pastries x4 + pots of tea x3 at Sahagun cake shop; Hamburger + pot of tea at Sahagun bar
Expenses - Accommodation - 5.00; Food/Drink - 22.40 Total - 27.40
Walking time - 8 hours, 50 minutes (start 6:55am, arrive at accommodation 3:45pm)
Brierley distance - 39.8km (total 408.3km)
Daily Steps - 55,305
Total Camino steps - 653,730
Day 15 - Boadilla del Camino to Carrion de los Condes (Thursday 21 July 2016)
Overnight - Hostal Santiago
A reasonably comfortable day today with a mostly flat walk in warming weather. The first short stage was nearby trees and ran alongside a canal, while the final 19 kilometres from Fromista was a nice gravel path paralleling a minor road.
The guidebook suggested an alternative route away from the road and seemingly in amongst some trees, but with my experience of the Maseta in mind, I was happy to gravitate toward the brutalism of the standard route. It turned out to be something of a grind, but I arrived at Carrion in good time.
A couple of interesting sights on the trek today were my first Camino runner (he looked like a typically efficient ultra-marathoner and I don't doubt his capacity to make it to Santiago within the week), and first barefoot walker. He was an Asian guy who appeared to have picked up a deep Spanish tan and gave the impression he'd started his Camino much closer to his own continent than this one.
Carrion de los Condes is the biggest town I've been through since Burgos and I took the opportunity to stock up at the supermarket. I spent most of the rest of the day eating it at the very impressive, pre-booked, hostal Santiago (Froome starred again at Le Tour with the courageous Porte picking up a few more seconds) in preparation for an early night.
I also spent some time figuring out where I'll go tomorrow. My next booked hotel is in Leon, so for the next three nights, I'll be doing what many pilgrims have probably been doing most of the way so far - improvising.
Basically, there's about 95 kilometres to Leon, at an average of 24 kilometres a day between now and my booking. Tomorrow, there's a few options and an early start gives me the option of cranking out a 35+ kilometre day if I feel so inclined and then cruising into Leon with some short days. We'll see what happens.
Weather - A cooler, overcast early morning which typically warmed up significantly as the day pressed on.
Health - The right foot was again the villain today, with a blister appearing on the heel which needed to be bandaged before the walk. Other bits of that foot then started straining at various places as we went along. Annoying but not dramatic.
Food - Ham bocadillos x2 at Fromista cafe; Mixed salad + Cup of tea at Villalcazar de Sirga; Groceries at Carrion supermarket (asparagus, mixed salad, bag of biscuits, peanuts, ham, Brie cheese, baguette, mini yoghurts x4, apples x3)
Expenses - Accommodation - 35.00; Food/Drink - 15.87; Other – 0.22 tip at Fromista café for drying my credencial that had suffered some water damage Total - 50.87
Walking time - 5 hours, 50 minutes (start 6:45am, arrive at accommodation 12:35pm)
Brierley distance - 25.1km (total 368.5km)
Daily Steps - 36,319
Total Camino steps - 598,425
A reasonably comfortable day today with a mostly flat walk in warming weather. The first short stage was nearby trees and ran alongside a canal, while the final 19 kilometres from Fromista was a nice gravel path paralleling a minor road.
The guidebook suggested an alternative route away from the road and seemingly in amongst some trees, but with my experience of the Maseta in mind, I was happy to gravitate toward the brutalism of the standard route. It turned out to be something of a grind, but I arrived at Carrion in good time.
A couple of interesting sights on the trek today were my first Camino runner (he looked like a typically efficient ultra-marathoner and I don't doubt his capacity to make it to Santiago within the week), and first barefoot walker. He was an Asian guy who appeared to have picked up a deep Spanish tan and gave the impression he'd started his Camino much closer to his own continent than this one.
Carrion de los Condes is the biggest town I've been through since Burgos and I took the opportunity to stock up at the supermarket. I spent most of the rest of the day eating it at the very impressive, pre-booked, hostal Santiago (Froome starred again at Le Tour with the courageous Porte picking up a few more seconds) in preparation for an early night.
I also spent some time figuring out where I'll go tomorrow. My next booked hotel is in Leon, so for the next three nights, I'll be doing what many pilgrims have probably been doing most of the way so far - improvising.
Basically, there's about 95 kilometres to Leon, at an average of 24 kilometres a day between now and my booking. Tomorrow, there's a few options and an early start gives me the option of cranking out a 35+ kilometre day if I feel so inclined and then cruising into Leon with some short days. We'll see what happens.
Weather - A cooler, overcast early morning which typically warmed up significantly as the day pressed on.
Health - The right foot was again the villain today, with a blister appearing on the heel which needed to be bandaged before the walk. Other bits of that foot then started straining at various places as we went along. Annoying but not dramatic.
Food - Ham bocadillos x2 at Fromista cafe; Mixed salad + Cup of tea at Villalcazar de Sirga; Groceries at Carrion supermarket (asparagus, mixed salad, bag of biscuits, peanuts, ham, Brie cheese, baguette, mini yoghurts x4, apples x3)
Expenses - Accommodation - 35.00; Food/Drink - 15.87; Other – 0.22 tip at Fromista café for drying my credencial that had suffered some water damage Total - 50.87
Walking time - 5 hours, 50 minutes (start 6:45am, arrive at accommodation 12:35pm)
Brierley distance - 25.1km (total 368.5km)
Daily Steps - 36,319
Total Camino steps - 598,425
Day 14 - Hontanas to Boadilla del Camino (Wednesday 20 July 2016)
Overnight - Hotel Rural En El Camino
Another early start for another long day. The first part of today's journey was quite flat and pleasant to Castrojeriz via the ruins of an ancient convent at San Anton.
After a quick tea stop at Castrojeriz, there was a stiff climb out of the place, with road signs describing it as a 12% gradient for just over a kilometre. Parts of it were reminiscent of the first day up the Napoleon Route with plenty of shallow breaths and the heart pumping away. But it was worth it. The view at the top down to Castrojeriz and the surrounding countryside was most impressive.
The rest of the walk was on endless, gently sloping, and mostly straight, country tracks with good views of distant walkers. The long stretch into Boadilla del Camino with the sun beating down remorselessly and no end in sight tested the sanity somewhat. The dry winds forced lots of drinking and with the water bottles nearing empty, it was a relief to finally see some buildings come into view.
My pre-booked hotel here is quite modern and something of an oasis in this town. And I spent most of the afternoon in it watching Le Tour (Froome continued his stranglehold in the mountains while Porte made up a little time with a strong showing) and catching up on some sleep. It was very warm late into the night last night at Hontanas making it difficult to get to sleep.
After a short wander around town (it’s impossible to have a long walk around this place), I had a snack at a nearby cafe and then spent some time watching Camino clips on YouTube.
Weather - Most of the morning was reasonably cool in largely overcast conditions. But once the clouds burned off, I really started to feel the heat, especially during the last 8 kilometre trudge into Boadilla del Camino, where the hot wind and road dust made for fairly unpleasant conditions.
Health - A couple of right foot issues late in the walk on the heel and, later, on the outside of the foot, but nothing serious. They fixed themselves after a good lie down.
Food - Banana; Pot of tea at Castrojeriz cafe; Big salad and Pot of tea at Itero de la Vega café for brunch; Gel; Banana; Orange; Pot of tea + Slice of cake + White chocolate mini magnum ice-cream at the nearby albergue café in Boadilla; Pots of tea x2 at hotel
Expenses - Accommodation - 35.00; Food/Drink - 14.40 Total - 49.40
Walking time - 6 hours, 40 minutes (start 6:25am, arrive at accommodation 1:05pm)
Brierley distance - 28.7km (total 343.4km)
Daily Steps - 41,350
Total Camino steps - 562,106
Another early start for another long day. The first part of today's journey was quite flat and pleasant to Castrojeriz via the ruins of an ancient convent at San Anton.
After a quick tea stop at Castrojeriz, there was a stiff climb out of the place, with road signs describing it as a 12% gradient for just over a kilometre. Parts of it were reminiscent of the first day up the Napoleon Route with plenty of shallow breaths and the heart pumping away. But it was worth it. The view at the top down to Castrojeriz and the surrounding countryside was most impressive.
The rest of the walk was on endless, gently sloping, and mostly straight, country tracks with good views of distant walkers. The long stretch into Boadilla del Camino with the sun beating down remorselessly and no end in sight tested the sanity somewhat. The dry winds forced lots of drinking and with the water bottles nearing empty, it was a relief to finally see some buildings come into view.
My pre-booked hotel here is quite modern and something of an oasis in this town. And I spent most of the afternoon in it watching Le Tour (Froome continued his stranglehold in the mountains while Porte made up a little time with a strong showing) and catching up on some sleep. It was very warm late into the night last night at Hontanas making it difficult to get to sleep.
After a short wander around town (it’s impossible to have a long walk around this place), I had a snack at a nearby cafe and then spent some time watching Camino clips on YouTube.
Weather - Most of the morning was reasonably cool in largely overcast conditions. But once the clouds burned off, I really started to feel the heat, especially during the last 8 kilometre trudge into Boadilla del Camino, where the hot wind and road dust made for fairly unpleasant conditions.
Health - A couple of right foot issues late in the walk on the heel and, later, on the outside of the foot, but nothing serious. They fixed themselves after a good lie down.
Food - Banana; Pot of tea at Castrojeriz cafe; Big salad and Pot of tea at Itero de la Vega café for brunch; Gel; Banana; Orange; Pot of tea + Slice of cake + White chocolate mini magnum ice-cream at the nearby albergue café in Boadilla; Pots of tea x2 at hotel
Expenses - Accommodation - 35.00; Food/Drink - 14.40 Total - 49.40
Walking time - 6 hours, 40 minutes (start 6:25am, arrive at accommodation 1:05pm)
Brierley distance - 28.7km (total 343.4km)
Daily Steps - 41,350
Total Camino steps - 562,106
Day 13 - Burgos to Hontanas (Tuesday 19 July 2016)
Overnight - Albergue Juan de Yepes
My earliest start so far, at 5:45am, with a long day ahead. The path out of Burgos was a little gloomy with a few twists and turns through the city before passing through the outer suburbs and then into the countryside. I stopped briefly for a warm slice of tortilla for breakfast at a shop in Tardajos before pressing on to Hornillos Del Camino.
The Meseta straddles Hornillos and takes full effect on the way to Hontanas, where the temperature started climbing and the wind blew warmer and warmer. I have to say I found the endless barley fields and flat, desolate, landscape a wonderful experience, but I can see how it can work to unnerve many a pilgrim.
The arrival into Hontanas was the end of a great journey, shared mostly with a very interesting and over-packed Belgian I met on the track. Kim was just starting her Camino at Burgos. (Somewhat embarrassingly, I only learned her name days later in Leon - until then, just about everyone I met was ‘the guy from Denmark’ or ‘the girl from Russia’ etc.)
Hontanas also offered the prospect of a cool shower and a restful sleep. The albergue had a communal dinner, featuring paella and other delicacies so I made sure to book in.
The afternoon stroll around town was a brief one, past the temperature gauge that showed 35 degrees at around 3:00pm, then back to the albergue (top bunk, all six bunks full).
After a nap, it was time for the very convivial communal dinner, with a Brazilian, the Belgian, 2 French, 3 Italians and me. Apart from the paella, which (according to those who know paella much better than me) wasn't the best, the food was generally good. A brief walk through the local church, which is in serious need of repair, ended the evening.
Weather - Nice and hot as the day warmed up, although most of the trek was covered in the more conducive early morning weather.
Health - Again felt very strong. I drank a lot of water, but the feet are holding up well and - happily - there's nothing of any note to report at all.
Food - Gel; Tortilla slice at Tardajos; Pot of tea at Hornillos cafe; Biscuits x3; Apple; Pots of tea x2 at albergue; Albergue communal dinner (bread rolls, big salad, meat paella with bones, rice pudding)
Expenses - Accommodation - 8.00; Food/Drink - 15.50 Total - 23.50
Walking time - 7 hours, 30 minutes (start 5:45am, arrive at accommodation 1:15pm)
Brierley distance - 31.5km (total 314.7km)
Daily Steps - 47,517
Total Camino steps - 520,756
My earliest start so far, at 5:45am, with a long day ahead. The path out of Burgos was a little gloomy with a few twists and turns through the city before passing through the outer suburbs and then into the countryside. I stopped briefly for a warm slice of tortilla for breakfast at a shop in Tardajos before pressing on to Hornillos Del Camino.
The Meseta straddles Hornillos and takes full effect on the way to Hontanas, where the temperature started climbing and the wind blew warmer and warmer. I have to say I found the endless barley fields and flat, desolate, landscape a wonderful experience, but I can see how it can work to unnerve many a pilgrim.
The arrival into Hontanas was the end of a great journey, shared mostly with a very interesting and over-packed Belgian I met on the track. Kim was just starting her Camino at Burgos. (Somewhat embarrassingly, I only learned her name days later in Leon - until then, just about everyone I met was ‘the guy from Denmark’ or ‘the girl from Russia’ etc.)
Hontanas also offered the prospect of a cool shower and a restful sleep. The albergue had a communal dinner, featuring paella and other delicacies so I made sure to book in.
The afternoon stroll around town was a brief one, past the temperature gauge that showed 35 degrees at around 3:00pm, then back to the albergue (top bunk, all six bunks full).
After a nap, it was time for the very convivial communal dinner, with a Brazilian, the Belgian, 2 French, 3 Italians and me. Apart from the paella, which (according to those who know paella much better than me) wasn't the best, the food was generally good. A brief walk through the local church, which is in serious need of repair, ended the evening.
Weather - Nice and hot as the day warmed up, although most of the trek was covered in the more conducive early morning weather.
Health - Again felt very strong. I drank a lot of water, but the feet are holding up well and - happily - there's nothing of any note to report at all.
Food - Gel; Tortilla slice at Tardajos; Pot of tea at Hornillos cafe; Biscuits x3; Apple; Pots of tea x2 at albergue; Albergue communal dinner (bread rolls, big salad, meat paella with bones, rice pudding)
Expenses - Accommodation - 8.00; Food/Drink - 15.50 Total - 23.50
Walking time - 7 hours, 30 minutes (start 5:45am, arrive at accommodation 1:15pm)
Brierley distance - 31.5km (total 314.7km)
Daily Steps - 47,517
Total Camino steps - 520,756
Day 12 - Cardenuela Riopico to Burgos (Monday 18 July 2016)
Overnight - Hostal Manjon
A good sleep in before a short walk today into Burgos ahead of a couple of very hot, tough days straight after. Most of the first part of the walk was on quiet roads and around the airport while the second was a long, long grind through the outer industrial suburbs of Burgos. I found the hotel in good time and rested up for a short period before setting out to have a look around.
As the temperatures soared above 38 (accordingly to the temperature signs around the town), I found a frozen yoghurt shop that I came back to after finishing off the first yoghurt very quickly, and then a pastry cafe with a TV which they agreed to switch to Le Tour.
In return, I sat there eating and drinking for the next hour or so. This included a plate of churros with a big cup of chocolate dipping sauce. Probably not the best temperature for that sort of thing, but I saw it there behind the counter, and I'm in Spain, so I just had to have some. It wasn't long after I started feeling my stomach rebelling, so I thought I'd better leave and sleep it off back at the hotel.
A pleasant, cooler, evening wander around the local church and supermarket finished the day.
Weather - Not too bad this morning. Some temperature signs indicated mid-20s as I walked through the seemingly endless Burgos industrial area but it shot up in the afternoon after I'd finished my walk.
Health - Feeling strong and healthy after a good rest the night before but also a little nervous about some long hot days ahead.
Food - Gel; McDonald's on walk into Burgos (Bacon and Cheese McMuffin + Coffee + Kit Kat McFlurry); Bread stick; Tubs frozen yoghurt with white chocolate and milk chocolate syrup x2 while walking around Burgos - it was a really hot day!; Burgos café while watching the bike race (Bowl frozen yoghurt with marshmallows + Bottle water + Pots of black tea x2 + Churros with cup of chocolate dipping sauce; Chocolate ice-cream cone; Groceries at Burgos supermarket (Apple, Oranges x2, Tubs of Yoghurt x2, Bottle water, Jar of asparagus, Box of biscuits)
Expenses - Accommodation - 25.00; Food/Drink - 29.56 Total - 54.56
Walking time - 3 hours, 15 minutes (start 8:35am, arrive at accommodation 11:50am)
Brierley distance - 11.1km (total 283.2km)
Daily Steps - 30,538
Total Camino steps - 473,239
A good sleep in before a short walk today into Burgos ahead of a couple of very hot, tough days straight after. Most of the first part of the walk was on quiet roads and around the airport while the second was a long, long grind through the outer industrial suburbs of Burgos. I found the hotel in good time and rested up for a short period before setting out to have a look around.
As the temperatures soared above 38 (accordingly to the temperature signs around the town), I found a frozen yoghurt shop that I came back to after finishing off the first yoghurt very quickly, and then a pastry cafe with a TV which they agreed to switch to Le Tour.
In return, I sat there eating and drinking for the next hour or so. This included a plate of churros with a big cup of chocolate dipping sauce. Probably not the best temperature for that sort of thing, but I saw it there behind the counter, and I'm in Spain, so I just had to have some. It wasn't long after I started feeling my stomach rebelling, so I thought I'd better leave and sleep it off back at the hotel.
A pleasant, cooler, evening wander around the local church and supermarket finished the day.
Weather - Not too bad this morning. Some temperature signs indicated mid-20s as I walked through the seemingly endless Burgos industrial area but it shot up in the afternoon after I'd finished my walk.
Health - Feeling strong and healthy after a good rest the night before but also a little nervous about some long hot days ahead.
Food - Gel; McDonald's on walk into Burgos (Bacon and Cheese McMuffin + Coffee + Kit Kat McFlurry); Bread stick; Tubs frozen yoghurt with white chocolate and milk chocolate syrup x2 while walking around Burgos - it was a really hot day!; Burgos café while watching the bike race (Bowl frozen yoghurt with marshmallows + Bottle water + Pots of black tea x2 + Churros with cup of chocolate dipping sauce; Chocolate ice-cream cone; Groceries at Burgos supermarket (Apple, Oranges x2, Tubs of Yoghurt x2, Bottle water, Jar of asparagus, Box of biscuits)
Expenses - Accommodation - 25.00; Food/Drink - 29.56 Total - 54.56
Walking time - 3 hours, 15 minutes (start 8:35am, arrive at accommodation 11:50am)
Brierley distance - 11.1km (total 283.2km)
Daily Steps - 30,538
Total Camino steps - 473,239
Day 11 - Villafranca Montes de Oca to Cardenuela Riopico (Sunday 17 July 2016)
Overnight - Municipal Albergue
I'm winging it somewhat today. I have a booking in Burgos tomorrow, and a couple of 30+ kilometre days after that, but tonight will be a mystery. Burgos is about 35 kilometres from Villafranca so I'm thinking of doing around 25 kilometres today followed by a restful day's stroll into Burgos tomorrow. Meaning a welcome return to an albergue somewhere tonight.
The walk itself was excellent for the most part, with lots of shaded paths and a couple of challenging hill climbs - the second as the heat really started to make its presence felt.
For the first time, I also managed to get lost, missing the fairly obvious track after stopping at the quite poignant 1936 memorial to a civil war atrocity. As I walked down towards a wind farm, I realized I hadn't seen one of those magical little yellow arrows for a while so I stopped and checked the guidebook. All in all, I probably lost a kilometre or three, but no harm done. At least I managed to get a close up look at one of the wind turbines that dot the landscape around here.
I had a break for breakfast/brunch at the small town of San Juan de Ortega and another at Atapuerca for a lie down in the shade before tackling the second big hill of the day.
After a long, exposed roadside walk, Cardenuela Riopico suddenly appeared and I decided I'd down tools here and stay at my first municipal albergue. As it happened, I was the first one there and had my choice of 16 beds in the dorm. And when I headed out for the pilgrims dinner at the cafe at around 6:30pm, after a long lie down with a few naps, I was still the only one there.
My naps meant that I missed what turned out anyway to be the not so important next stage of Le Tour. I’ll get back into it tomorrow.
Weather - Today's forecast was 34 degrees, and it sure felt like it out there. Albeit, I'm extremely proud of my walking shirt which seems to offset a lot of the heat on the track. Regular soakings of my hat in the fountains along the way worked well too.
Health - All good. Nothing other than a bit of fatigue at the end, although not as bad as yesterday given the couple of stops I had along the way. The backs of my legs are getting pretty badly burned with the constant east to west morning walking, but I put lots of sunscreen on today. I must have gone through about 2.5 litres of water today too.
Food - Gel; Ham and cheese empanada (cold) + Cup of tea + 250g packet of biscuits at San Juan de Ortega; Can Coke Zero at entry to Cardenuela; Gel; Pilgrims dinner at Cardenuela café (a sensational big salad, grilled chicken with hot chips, bread rolls, pots of black tea x2, bottle water, mini yoghurt tub)
Expenses - Accommodation - 5.00; Food/Drink - 16.90 Total - 21.90
Walking time - 6 hours, 20 minutes (start 7:25am, arrive at accommodation 1:45pm)
Brierley distance - 24.6km (total 272.1km)
Daily Steps - 40,071
Total Camino steps - 442,701
I'm winging it somewhat today. I have a booking in Burgos tomorrow, and a couple of 30+ kilometre days after that, but tonight will be a mystery. Burgos is about 35 kilometres from Villafranca so I'm thinking of doing around 25 kilometres today followed by a restful day's stroll into Burgos tomorrow. Meaning a welcome return to an albergue somewhere tonight.
The walk itself was excellent for the most part, with lots of shaded paths and a couple of challenging hill climbs - the second as the heat really started to make its presence felt.
For the first time, I also managed to get lost, missing the fairly obvious track after stopping at the quite poignant 1936 memorial to a civil war atrocity. As I walked down towards a wind farm, I realized I hadn't seen one of those magical little yellow arrows for a while so I stopped and checked the guidebook. All in all, I probably lost a kilometre or three, but no harm done. At least I managed to get a close up look at one of the wind turbines that dot the landscape around here.
I had a break for breakfast/brunch at the small town of San Juan de Ortega and another at Atapuerca for a lie down in the shade before tackling the second big hill of the day.
After a long, exposed roadside walk, Cardenuela Riopico suddenly appeared and I decided I'd down tools here and stay at my first municipal albergue. As it happened, I was the first one there and had my choice of 16 beds in the dorm. And when I headed out for the pilgrims dinner at the cafe at around 6:30pm, after a long lie down with a few naps, I was still the only one there.
My naps meant that I missed what turned out anyway to be the not so important next stage of Le Tour. I’ll get back into it tomorrow.
Weather - Today's forecast was 34 degrees, and it sure felt like it out there. Albeit, I'm extremely proud of my walking shirt which seems to offset a lot of the heat on the track. Regular soakings of my hat in the fountains along the way worked well too.
Health - All good. Nothing other than a bit of fatigue at the end, although not as bad as yesterday given the couple of stops I had along the way. The backs of my legs are getting pretty badly burned with the constant east to west morning walking, but I put lots of sunscreen on today. I must have gone through about 2.5 litres of water today too.
Food - Gel; Ham and cheese empanada (cold) + Cup of tea + 250g packet of biscuits at San Juan de Ortega; Can Coke Zero at entry to Cardenuela; Gel; Pilgrims dinner at Cardenuela café (a sensational big salad, grilled chicken with hot chips, bread rolls, pots of black tea x2, bottle water, mini yoghurt tub)
Expenses - Accommodation - 5.00; Food/Drink - 16.90 Total - 21.90
Walking time - 6 hours, 20 minutes (start 7:25am, arrive at accommodation 1:45pm)
Brierley distance - 24.6km (total 272.1km)
Daily Steps - 40,071
Total Camino steps - 442,701
Day 10 - Granon to Villafranca Montes de Oca (Saturday 16 July 2016)
Overnight - La Alpargateria
An all uphill day today, with the path rising steadily from around 700 metres to almost 1,000 by the end of the day. And it's warming up! I stopped at the local Granon shop for their cheap breakfast special on the way out, then continued on through the various villages and towns stopping only a couple of times to fill water bottles.
The path was the same glaring white gravel with only intermittent shade and a few less comfortable inclines.
I also encountered a couple of polite albergue touts along the way, a sign that there are plenty of beds out there. And judging from the quiet at my very comfortable hotel here in Villafranca, and the absence of any other walking boots in the boot rack in the foyer, I could well be the only customer.
I arrived at Villafranca Montes de Oca slightly fatigued but in good time and spent the next few hours recovering. I even managed to nod off watching the fairly soporific stage of Le Tour on my pre-booked hotel room TV (won by Cavendish in a sprint finish). A quiet walk around a quiet little town before dinner completed the day.
I woke up this morning feeling a little tired so I won't worry about an alarm tomorrow. Best to get as much sleep as my body thinks it needs to navigate some tough days ahead.
Weather - Low 30s today with mid 30s for the next few days. Going to need lots of water, and discipline!
Health - Nothing other than fatigue at the end. The bandaged left heel was a little less problematic today.
Food - Small potato omelette on bread roll + Coffee + Glass orange juice at Granon; Gel; Apple; Orange; Gel; Mini magnum ice cream; Omelette on bread roll x2 + Cups of black tea x3 at Villafranca bar
Expenses - Accommodation - 22.00; Food/Drink - 13.10 Total - 35.10
Walking time - 5 hours, 55 minutes (start 7:10am, arrive at accommodation 1:05pm)
Brierley distance - 27.7km (total 247.5km)
Daily Steps - 38,199
Total Camino steps - 402,630
An all uphill day today, with the path rising steadily from around 700 metres to almost 1,000 by the end of the day. And it's warming up! I stopped at the local Granon shop for their cheap breakfast special on the way out, then continued on through the various villages and towns stopping only a couple of times to fill water bottles.
The path was the same glaring white gravel with only intermittent shade and a few less comfortable inclines.
I also encountered a couple of polite albergue touts along the way, a sign that there are plenty of beds out there. And judging from the quiet at my very comfortable hotel here in Villafranca, and the absence of any other walking boots in the boot rack in the foyer, I could well be the only customer.
I arrived at Villafranca Montes de Oca slightly fatigued but in good time and spent the next few hours recovering. I even managed to nod off watching the fairly soporific stage of Le Tour on my pre-booked hotel room TV (won by Cavendish in a sprint finish). A quiet walk around a quiet little town before dinner completed the day.
I woke up this morning feeling a little tired so I won't worry about an alarm tomorrow. Best to get as much sleep as my body thinks it needs to navigate some tough days ahead.
Weather - Low 30s today with mid 30s for the next few days. Going to need lots of water, and discipline!
Health - Nothing other than fatigue at the end. The bandaged left heel was a little less problematic today.
Food - Small potato omelette on bread roll + Coffee + Glass orange juice at Granon; Gel; Apple; Orange; Gel; Mini magnum ice cream; Omelette on bread roll x2 + Cups of black tea x3 at Villafranca bar
Expenses - Accommodation - 22.00; Food/Drink - 13.10 Total - 35.10
Walking time - 5 hours, 55 minutes (start 7:10am, arrive at accommodation 1:05pm)
Brierley distance - 27.7km (total 247.5km)
Daily Steps - 38,199
Total Camino steps - 402,630
Day 9 - Najera to Granon (Friday 15 July 2016)
Overnight - Residencial el Cuartel
Another day, another long walk. Can't yet say I'm getting used to it, but each morning's packing is certainly becoming more efficient. With not much of a dinner last night and only a late breakfast offered at the wonderful Hostal Hispano, I decided to pop into the early opening cafe recommended by Brierley just across the river. It was a good spot.
The day was scheduled to be another long and reasonably cool-ish one, ahead of a few 35+ degree stinkers predicted to be coming up very soon. And while there was barely a cloud in the sky, it remained very mild all morning. When I stopped for a leisurely lunch around 11:30am at the popular town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, it was actually quite bracing sitting in the shade outside the cathedral.
There had been a couple of solid climbs on the walk up to that point to make another lengthy trudge that little more interesting. I’m also finding that I’m tending to go harder up hills. I'm not sure why, but it certainly provides a great reward when a hill is crested.
The final few kilometres up to Granon - my stop for the day - were in open, gently rising country along mostly gravelly paths with the sun now doing its best work. From all I've heard and read, I expect these are the sorts of conditions I'm going to encounter along the famed Meseta and beyond in the next few days, so I better start getting used to them. It's sure going to be a test.
My pre-booked hotel is a little out of Granon with only a communal TV. For some reason, the cycling channel is showing a tennis match at the appointed time for coverage of Le Tour, so I went and had a lie down. After a short nap, the coverage resumed (Froome increased his lead with a solid time trial while Porte moved into the top 10).
Afterwards, it was time for a final evening wander around the village then back home to prepare for day 10 on the trail.
Weather - Much sunnier today but quite mild and breezy. It warmed up toward the end but it wasn’t at all discomforting. That's not far away though!
Health - No real issues today. The left heel is still a little painful a few hours after the end of the walk. I might bandage it tomorrow and see how it goes. At the moment, it only seems to start complaining toward the end of a stage.
Food - Bocadillos x2 + Coffee; Gel; Big salad with bread roll + Cups of tea x2 at Santo Domingo de la Calzada (this is my new favourite meal!); Chocolate ice cream; Apple; Packet white chocolate biscuits + Potato Omelette on bread roll
Expenses - Accommodation - 20.00; Food/Drink - 20.50 Total - 40.50
Walking time - 7 hours, 5 minutes (start 6:50am, arrive at accommodation 1:55pm)
Brierley distance - 28.0km (total 219.8km)
Daily Steps - 42,172
Total Camino steps - 364,431
Another day, another long walk. Can't yet say I'm getting used to it, but each morning's packing is certainly becoming more efficient. With not much of a dinner last night and only a late breakfast offered at the wonderful Hostal Hispano, I decided to pop into the early opening cafe recommended by Brierley just across the river. It was a good spot.
The day was scheduled to be another long and reasonably cool-ish one, ahead of a few 35+ degree stinkers predicted to be coming up very soon. And while there was barely a cloud in the sky, it remained very mild all morning. When I stopped for a leisurely lunch around 11:30am at the popular town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, it was actually quite bracing sitting in the shade outside the cathedral.
There had been a couple of solid climbs on the walk up to that point to make another lengthy trudge that little more interesting. I’m also finding that I’m tending to go harder up hills. I'm not sure why, but it certainly provides a great reward when a hill is crested.
The final few kilometres up to Granon - my stop for the day - were in open, gently rising country along mostly gravelly paths with the sun now doing its best work. From all I've heard and read, I expect these are the sorts of conditions I'm going to encounter along the famed Meseta and beyond in the next few days, so I better start getting used to them. It's sure going to be a test.
My pre-booked hotel is a little out of Granon with only a communal TV. For some reason, the cycling channel is showing a tennis match at the appointed time for coverage of Le Tour, so I went and had a lie down. After a short nap, the coverage resumed (Froome increased his lead with a solid time trial while Porte moved into the top 10).
Afterwards, it was time for a final evening wander around the village then back home to prepare for day 10 on the trail.
Weather - Much sunnier today but quite mild and breezy. It warmed up toward the end but it wasn’t at all discomforting. That's not far away though!
Health - No real issues today. The left heel is still a little painful a few hours after the end of the walk. I might bandage it tomorrow and see how it goes. At the moment, it only seems to start complaining toward the end of a stage.
Food - Bocadillos x2 + Coffee; Gel; Big salad with bread roll + Cups of tea x2 at Santo Domingo de la Calzada (this is my new favourite meal!); Chocolate ice cream; Apple; Packet white chocolate biscuits + Potato Omelette on bread roll
Expenses - Accommodation - 20.00; Food/Drink - 20.50 Total - 40.50
Walking time - 7 hours, 5 minutes (start 6:50am, arrive at accommodation 1:55pm)
Brierley distance - 28.0km (total 219.8km)
Daily Steps - 42,172
Total Camino steps - 364,431
Day 8 - Logrono to Najera (Thursday 14 July 2016)
Overnight - Hostal Hispano
A new distance record loomed today, at 28.9 kilometres. Happily, the run of mild weather was forecast to continue and the pathway elevation looked similarly benign.
The stroll out of Logrono was very pleasant, but much of the rest of the day was a bit of a grind. No real hills and just mainly wide, gravelly paths stretching on and on. The clouds broke during the morning, but a cool breeze continued throughout so I didn't raise much of a sweat.
I took a couple of short breaks at some restful picnic spots off the track, and once through the outskirts of Najera, which seemed to go forever, I found my pre-booked hotel very quickly.
Earlier in the day, in Navarrete, I passed a German dorm-mate from back in Zubiri who was nursing a foot swathed in bandages. It involved lots of blood and he was undecided about his immediate future out there. A really nice guy, but a fellow dorm-mate of ours that night, a German girl, described his snoring to me (after he'd left that morning) as the worst she'd ever heard! Somehow, I just slept through it.
After arriving in Najera, I went looking for a bar to watch the Mont Ventoux stage of Le Tour and have something to eat. However, it seems the siesta is particularly closely observed in this town and the whole place was dead. When I returned and described my plight (in a shrug-of-the-shoulders sort of way), the hotel receptionist took pity on me and offered to make a big salad with a pot of tea to consume in front of the hotel’s big screen where the race was showing. What a place! (It actually turned out to be an extraordinary finish to the race with Froome and Richie Porte crashing into a camera-bike toward the truncated summit of ‘the giant of Provence’.)
A quiet stroll around the maze-like streets of the old part of this town by the river finished the evening.
Weather - Perfect again
Health - A couple of twinges in the right leg below the knee, similar to the pain a few days back, but not long-lasting. The left heel and outside of the right foot are also playing up a little toward the end of these longer stages.
Food - White chocolate bar; 1/2 baguette; Gel, Apples x2; Big salad with bread roll + pot of tea; Cream roll and Cream bun; Small bag mixed jubes
Expenses - Accommodation - 36.50; Food/Drink - 13.70; Camino fridge magnet from a local Najera tourist office - 2.50 Total - 52.70
Walking time - 6 hours, 15 minutes (start 6:55am, arrive at accommodation 1:10pm)
Brierley distance - 28.9km (total 191.8km)
Daily Steps - 44,307
Total Camino steps - 322,259
A new distance record loomed today, at 28.9 kilometres. Happily, the run of mild weather was forecast to continue and the pathway elevation looked similarly benign.
The stroll out of Logrono was very pleasant, but much of the rest of the day was a bit of a grind. No real hills and just mainly wide, gravelly paths stretching on and on. The clouds broke during the morning, but a cool breeze continued throughout so I didn't raise much of a sweat.
I took a couple of short breaks at some restful picnic spots off the track, and once through the outskirts of Najera, which seemed to go forever, I found my pre-booked hotel very quickly.
Earlier in the day, in Navarrete, I passed a German dorm-mate from back in Zubiri who was nursing a foot swathed in bandages. It involved lots of blood and he was undecided about his immediate future out there. A really nice guy, but a fellow dorm-mate of ours that night, a German girl, described his snoring to me (after he'd left that morning) as the worst she'd ever heard! Somehow, I just slept through it.
After arriving in Najera, I went looking for a bar to watch the Mont Ventoux stage of Le Tour and have something to eat. However, it seems the siesta is particularly closely observed in this town and the whole place was dead. When I returned and described my plight (in a shrug-of-the-shoulders sort of way), the hotel receptionist took pity on me and offered to make a big salad with a pot of tea to consume in front of the hotel’s big screen where the race was showing. What a place! (It actually turned out to be an extraordinary finish to the race with Froome and Richie Porte crashing into a camera-bike toward the truncated summit of ‘the giant of Provence’.)
A quiet stroll around the maze-like streets of the old part of this town by the river finished the evening.
Weather - Perfect again
Health - A couple of twinges in the right leg below the knee, similar to the pain a few days back, but not long-lasting. The left heel and outside of the right foot are also playing up a little toward the end of these longer stages.
Food - White chocolate bar; 1/2 baguette; Gel, Apples x2; Big salad with bread roll + pot of tea; Cream roll and Cream bun; Small bag mixed jubes
Expenses - Accommodation - 36.50; Food/Drink - 13.70; Camino fridge magnet from a local Najera tourist office - 2.50 Total - 52.70
Walking time - 6 hours, 15 minutes (start 6:55am, arrive at accommodation 1:10pm)
Brierley distance - 28.9km (total 191.8km)
Daily Steps - 44,307
Total Camino steps - 322,259
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