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LIVE from the Camino The French Way - NobleHiker Chronology

NobleHiker

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Future
13 April 2022

Checked in completed this morning for the flight from Doha, Qatar to Madrid, Spain with a short stop in Istanbul.

Received the QR code from the Spanish traveling app. The process was straight forward except they asked for my seat number which I did not have. So I put in a seat number which I think I will get. The application came through. Once I got the actual seat number after checking in, I went back in and requested a change. They sent a replacement QR code. So I am all set from that aspect.

Everything is packed. My backpack final weight in at 8.80 lbs. What I will put on when I go to the airport weight in at 4.40 lbs. So the total weight of everything will be 13.20 lbs.

I will report back my progress as I progress with my first walk.


Buen Camino.
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
14 April 2022

Up at 2:00am took a shower and got ready. Kissed my wife goodbye and hopped into the Uber at 2:45am.

For fellow walkers who have been following my Camino packing thread, I am reporting the first change to the plan this morning. As all old folks are, I have multiple pairs of reading glasses strategically places around the house so I can never be so far away from one. This morning, I was using the pair at the front door while I waited for my Uber ride. As I kissed my wife and got out of the house, I forgot that I still had on that pair of glasses. Now I have two pairs. I will find a fellow walker who needs a pair of reading glasses 2.0 and donate the extra pair. 😀

The second change was that I picked up a hitchhiker (see photo). Her name is Nobody (with a Capital N). Nobody belongs to my daughter when she was 5-6 years old. As my daughter grew older, she gave away many of her pet. I kept Nobody as I always remember my daughter when I see her. I talked to my daughter last night and she asked if Nobody gets to go on the walk. So Nobody gets to ride shotgun.

B777BD2E-E2D7-4CDF-B0BC-22D8DB51D74F.webp
 
I am sure Nobody will help you meet many Somebodies along the way. Safe trip and Buen Camino. I shall look forward to following your journey.

Am in shock and Awe of your light pack!
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
14 Apr 2022 still

The flight from Doha to Istanbul was uneventful. Landed in Istanbul at around 10:30am. I have not gone this way for several years now. The new Istanbul airport is marvelous, much better than the old one I remember.

I have three hours layover. So right now, Nobody and I are walking around looking at things we can’t afford. Then maybe we drink a beer.

2E010678-5D4A-407A-8334-A22FE5D5C165.webp
 
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I am sure Nobody will help you meet many Somebodies along the way. Safe trip and Buen Camino. I shall look forward to following your journey.

Am in shock and Awe of your light pack!
I got a lot of help from many fellow walkers over the past week or so on how to shave the weight of my pack. We shall see if the plan works.
 
Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
14 April 2022

Up at 2:00am took a shower and got ready. Kissed my wife goodbye and hopped into the Uber at 2:45am.

For fellow walkers who have been following my Camino packing thread, I am reporting the first change to the plan this morning. As all old folks are, I have multiple pairs of reading glasses strategically places around the house so I can never be so far away from one. This morning, I was using the pair at the front door while I waited for my Uber ride. As I kissed my wife and got out of the house, I forgot that I still had on that pair of glasses. Now I have two pairs. I will find a fellow walker who needs a pair of reading glasses 2.0 and donate the extra pair. 😀

The second change was that I picked up a hitchhiker (see photo). Her name is Nobody (with a Capital N). Nobody belongs to my daughter when she was 5-6 years old. As my daughter grew older, she gave away many of her pet. I kept Nobody as I always remember my daughter when I see her. I talked to my daughter last night and she asked if Nobody gets to go on the walk. So Nobody gets to ride shotgun.View attachment 122662
I collected pictures of as many “hitchhikers “ as I could last fall on the Francés. Buen Camino to both you and Nobody.
 
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.
Got to Madrid just fine. I tried my Duolingo Spanish for the first time with the custom agent. It seemed to work as he was smiling. Have you ever seen a custom agent smile? Be honest. I never had until this afternoon.

The QR code worked like a charm. Those with the QR code get on the Blue line and zip through. The Red line was long.

Nobody and I took the AirPort Express bus. The bus stop was just outside of terminal T1, at the end of the taxi line. Cost 5 EU. Cash or credit card. We paid cash. The trip from the airport to Puerta de Atocha took about 30 minutes. We were enjoying it.

We got a bed at the Madrid Downtown Hostel for 20 EU a night. The walk from the train station to the hostel took 30 minutes as we saw so many interesting things.

After checked in, we wandered around for a couple hours. We hope you enjoy the views of Madrid as we did.


All other streets were packed, except this one.

B2530A13-E321-4E0C-A2E7-8D92298A7BF6.webp

AE75B6D6-9657-4B1F-BD26-AD65B14AB308.webp

This mural is ceramic tiles.

Buen Camino
 
14 Apr 2022 still

The flight from Doha to Istanbul was uneventful. Landed in Istanbul at around 10:30am. I have not gone this way for several years now. The new Istanbul airport is marvelous, much better than the old one I remember.

I have three hours layover. So right now, Nobody and I are walking around looking at things we can’t afford. Then maybe we drink a beer.

View attachment 122669
Don't forget a beer for Nobody too, you've got 3 hours.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Buen Camino!
I'll be following your adventure as I'm hoping to start in mid May :)
How can I follow your Camino too?
 
Got to Madrid just fine. I tried my Duolingo Spanish for the first time with the custom agent. It seemed to work as he was smiling. Have you ever seen a custom agent smile? Be honest. I never had until this afternoon.

The QR code worked like a charm. Those with the QR code get on the Blue line and zip through. The Red line was long.

Nobody and I took the AirPort Express bus. The bus stop was just outside of terminal T1, at the end of the taxi line. Cost 5 EU. Cash or credit card. We paid cash. The trip from the airport to Puerta de Atocha took about 30 minutes. We were enjoying it.

We got a bed at the Madrid Downtown Hostel for 20 EU a night. The walk from the train station to the hostel took 30 minutes as we saw so many interesting things.

After checked in, we wandered around for a couple hours. We hope you enjoy the views of Madrid as we did.


All other streets were packed, except this one.

View attachment 122723

View attachment 122724

This mural is ceramic tiles.

Buen Camino
Good to hear you got into Madrid easily. Will be following you on April18, hope to duplicate your experience.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
I forgot to tally the daily cost yesterday:

1. Uber ride to the airport: $8.79 (QAR 32)
2. Plane tickets: $778.00
3. Bus ride to Madrid: $5.40 (5 EUR)
4. Hostel Stay: $20.80 (19.26 EUR)
5. Three beers: $2.70 (2.50 EUR)

We did not buy foods as we were quite full with all the foods they fed us on the plane.
 
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Good to hear you got into Madrid easily. Will be following you on April18, hope to duplicate your experience.
I found out that Friday 15 through Monday 18 are La Fiesta here. As of yesterday, Madrid was packed with people and the atmosphere was very festive. You will catch the tail end of it coming on the 18.
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
15 Apr 2022

Last night was a concert. The room had five sets of bunk beds. All were occupied except one. Three were snorers. A few years back, we were in Chicago during July 4th. We went to see the fireworks on the lake. If you haven’t seen one, you need to go to get the experience. When they shot the fireworks, the symphony played on the radio, in synchronization.
Nobody and I were thinking about that symphony last night. The set of earplugs saved us. Definitely worth their weight. 😂

We head to the Estacion de Atocha now to catch our train to Pamplona.
 
I forgot to tally the daily cost yesterday:

1. Uber ride to the airport: $8.79 (QAR 32)
2. Plane tickets: $778.00
3. Bus ride to Madrid: $5.40 (5 EUR)
4. Hostel Stay: $20.80 (19.26 EUR)
5. Three beers: $2.70 (2.50 EUR)

We did not buy foods as we were quite full with all the foods they fed us on the plane.
Where in Madrid does three beers for €2.50?

Just asking for a friend, obviously.
 
Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
Where in Madrid does three beers for €2.50?

Just asking for a friend, obviously.
You won’t find them if you have them served to you. We got a 16-oz Mahou Clásica 1 EU and two 12-oz cans of Estrella Damm for 1.5 EU in Dia Market on Calle de Santa Isabel then walked down to the plaza in front of Museo Reina Sofia. Took me and Nobody about an hour and a half but nothing better than cheap beers and people watching🍺. One thing I noticed is that the Spaniards do dress up just to stroll. Perhaps it’s the European things.
 
15 Apr 2022 Cont.

The train ride from Estación de Atocha to Pamplona was very nice. Outside of Madrid, the countryside was very open and green. It must had rained the past few days as I could see the grass came up with the deep green. Reminding me of the hills of Kentucky near General Butler State Park.

Then, the further Northeast we went, the terrain turned into dry limestone type soil, reminding me of the Texas hill country.

There were about ten walkers on the train. We assumed they were walkers as they had backpacks instead of suitcases like others.

As soon as we got of the train, all other walkers were picked up by prearranged taxis. We did not have one because as of last week, we were debating whether to start in SJPP or in Pamplona. The weather was so nice today and the forecast also say we will have good weather tomorrow. That’s just that. For fellow walkers whom have been following me in the polling thread: the decision was made. We made it to SJPP.

We walked over to the Carrefour to get foods after got a bed at the refugio. When we got out, we saw a couple backpackers sat eating in the front. We sat down and ate with them. One was Marc. He was a Frenchman grew up near the Lausanne. He wasn’t walking the Camino, just wandering around. He drank like a fish. For the hour or so, he downed five 16-oz can. No way Nobody and I could keep up.

B080B157-A4A4-40FB-B26F-4B8BB0A5C12A.webp
Nobody enjoyed hot milk at Estación de Atocha

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We are in SJPP

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SJPP - View from the Ramparts

FFFBAABD-64FD-4169-820E-DDD2982A42A8.webp
Refuge Municipal was almost full.

Cost Today
1. Glass of milk: $1.95 (1.80 EUR)
2. Train ticket: $33.93 (31.40 EUR)
3. Taxi: $144.81 (134.00 EUR)
4. Foods at Carrefour: $6.50 (6.01 EUR)
5. Donation for the PP: $2.16 (2.00 EUR)
6. Bed at Refugio: $12.97 (12.00 EUR)
 

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Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
As soon as we got of the train, all other walkers were picked up by prearranged taxis. We did not have one because as of last week, we were debating whether to start in SJPP or in Pamplona. The weather was so nice today and the forecast also say we will have good weather tomorrow. That’s just that. For fellow walkers whom have been following me in the polling thread: the decision was made. We made it to SJPP.
Nice example of the advantages of staying flexible with your plans!
 
15 Apr 2022 Cont.

The train ride from Estación de Atocha to Pamplona was very nice. Outside of Madrid, the countryside was very open and green. It must had rained the past few days as I could see the grass came up with the deep green. Reminding me of the hills of Kentucky near General Butler State Park.

Then, the further Northeast we went, the terrain turned into dry limestone type soil, reminding me of the Texas hill country.

There were about ten walkers on the train. We assumed they were walkers as they had backpacks instead of suitcases like others.

As soon as we got of the train, all other walkers were picked up by prearranged taxis. We did not have one because as of last week, we were debating whether to start in SJPP or in Pamplona. The weather was so nice today and the forecast also say we will have good weather tomorrow. That’s just that. For fellow walkers whom have been following me in the polling thread: the decision was made. We made it to SJPP.

We walked over to the Carrefour to get foods after got a bed at the refugio. When we got out, we saw a couple backpackers sat eating in the front. We sat down and ate with them. One was Marc. He was a Frenchman grew up near the Lausanne. He wasn’t walking the Camino, just wandering around. He drank like a fish. For the hour or so, he downed five 16-oz can. No way Nobody and I could keep up.

View attachment 122800
Nobody enjoyed hot milk at Estación de Atocha

View attachment 122801
We are in SJPP

View attachment 122803
SJPP - View from the Ramparts

View attachment 122804
Refuge Municipal was almost full.

Cost Today
1. Glass of milk: $1.95 (1.80 EUR)
2. Train ticket: $33.93 (31.40 EUR)
3. Taxi: $144.81 (134.00 EUR)
4. Foods at Carrefour: $6.50 (6.01 EUR)
5. Donation for the PP: $2.16 (2.00 EUR)
6. Bed at Refugio: $12.97 (12.00 EUR)
General Butler State Park is one of my favorite places to hike. And the hills there are Kentucky at it's finest. Buen Camino and thanks for sharing so much with us!
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
It's a very Spanish thing. :)
I must not take my wife here. Every time we go out, she always give me THE look. Yes, the one that says “You are going in out in that?” Most of the time, I obeyed because that was the vow she made when I married her. Once in a while, I practiced selective hearing because the worn old t-shirt I have on is sooo comfortable.
 
General Butler State Park is one of my favorite places to hike. And the hills there are Kentucky at it's finest. Buen Camino and thanks for sharing so much with us!
I used to run the loop around General Butler SP, started and ended on the back side. There used to be a small basketball court back there. Another favorite thing I remember doing back there was go to by the Milton bridge which crosses to Madison. On the Madison side, there was a place to play sand volleyball. This was where I learned the term Slow Time. Once in a while, we would pack the car then head up to Covington to the clubs on the river. Too long a go I can’t remember the name of the place. It was on the boat right on the water.
 
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A selection of Camino Jewellery
13 April 2022

Checked in completed this morning for the flight from Doha, Qatar to Madrid, Spain with a short stop in Istanbul.

Received the QR code from the Spanish traveling app. The process was straight forward except they asked for my seat number which I did not have. So I put in a seat number which I think I will get. The application came through. Once I got the actual seat number after checking in, I went back in and requested a change. They sent a replacement QR code. So I am all set from that aspect.

Everything is packed. My backpack final weight in at 8.80 lbs. What I will put on when I go to the airport weight in at 4.40 lbs. So the total weight of everything will be 13.20 lbs.

I will report back my progress as I progress with my first walk.


Buen Camino.
You are traveling light. That's great!
 
I used to run the loop around General Butler SP, started and ended on the back side. There used to be a small basketball court back there. Another favorite thing I remember doing back there was go to by the Milton bridge which crosses to Madison. On the Madison side, there was a place to play. sand volleyball. This was where I learned the term Slow Time
You are traveling light. That's great!
You won’t believe how hard it is to decide not to bring something. We have a large vehicle. When we take road trips, it is always packed. Switching to trying to pack a little as possible was almost a life changing event.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
16 Apr 2022

Last night was better. Just one snorer so we did have a good night sleep.

We didn’t want to get up early but about 6:00am, there were so much noise from walkers getting ready so it was time to get up.

This was when we found that we made the first mistake on the Camino: Never hang wet clothes outside when it cold and misty. The towel and the underwear we hung outside last night were soaking wet still. So you will see something yellow and something white in the photos today…

I got four slices of toasts with enough butter to warranty blockages in every arteries I have. But I figure I am going to need the carb. The place did not have any milk for Nobody.

Said goodbye to this little fellow and left the place at 7:45am.

AB66CEF2-AEED-4AD2-9407-6AE364305001.jpeg

There were about 5-6 walkers ahead of us getting out. It was cool and as soon as we started climbing it got real foggy. Nobody was singing On the Road Again for about half an hour. The hills lasted forever in the fog as we could barely see 50 meters ahead. We made it to the Refuge Auberge Orisson at 9:27am.

9F4E8BA5-B8CC-46C8-92C5-898728E68925.jpeg

We had to stop in for some milk. The place was very cosy. We would have had some beers if the sun was out. We drank a glass of warm milk and left at 9:47am.

F3939691-8613-4109-8349-B9DC1A003B66.jpeg

And it was like magic. We reached above the cloud. The sun came out. The sun rays were warm, competing with the cool wind. It was pure bliss.

34BCF1DC-0544-4E2B-976E-B6B1BACDACCF.jpeg76BBBB44-C313-4689-AB82-30336AFB14C5.jpeg

0957795D-0A66-453E-986E-8FD9F48BE929.jpeg

We reached the cross at 11:07 am. The cloud came back with a vengeance until we got to the other side.
6996EFD6-60FD-4B7B-AEBB-B7EAB205722D.jpeg

By this time, the four slices of toasts, the butter, and the milk were long gone. We were toasted. Then we remembered the three cans of sardines we got from the Carrefour the night before. If you do laundry in the house as much as I do, eventually you will find money either the kids and the wife left in their pant pockets. When you do, you get this feeling… We did when we remembered the sardines cans. The salty little fish were never tasted so delicious.

Now, this is where I say thank to the fellow walker who suggested me to bring a couple ziplock bags. We wouldn’t know what to do with the empty sardines cans.
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
16 Apr 2022 - Still

We reached the emergency shelter at noon and started descending. This is when we discovered our second mistakes. My wife always buy my clothes, yes, all the way down to my underwear. She knows all the sizes I wear and all the colors she likes. In her mind, I can’t coordinate colors. I just don’t understand why green polo shirt does not go with blue pants. And that suits me find because I love her and by letting her taking care of me, she felt happy. I think it’s the shopping part that makes her really happy. But, of course I am old enough not to tell her that. Any how, she loves to buy my clothes and she loves finding bargains. She found me a great pair of shoes knowing I will need a good pair for the camino. It was neither green nor blue so it goes with just about anything. And it was on sales. It fits me fine except it was one size too large. I did my practice walks in it and it worked great. But we live in an place flatter than a pancake. Well, descending into Roncesvalles was not fun as my feet kept sliding over to the front causing my big toes to hit the front. We may have to see how the shoes works out tomorrow.

We worked our way through the forest. The flowers had started to bloom and the leaves had started to came out. We got to Roncesvalles at 1:28pm.


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It was too early to stop so Nobody and I marched on. 790 km to Santiago de Compostela.

B75E787E-08C0-4FF8-8755-AC576C33F577.webp

From Roncesvalles to Burguete then Espinal, we ran into many vacationers walking the opposite way. We only passed one walker who was in Roncesvalles last night. We forgot to ask for her name. We will do that at the dinner tonight.

We reached Espinal at 3:30 pm. We did not have a reservation but got a bed at the Hostal Rural Haizea.

Tally the cost for today:
1. Glass of milk: $2.16 (2.0 EUR)
2. Bed for the night: $16.21 (15.0 EUR)
3. Dinner: $12.97 (12.0 EUR)
 
I did my practice walks in it and it worked great. But we live in an place flatter than a pancake. Well, descending into Roncesvalles was not fun as my feet kept sliding over to the front causing my big toes to hit the front. We may have to see how the shoes works out tomorrow

You probably just need to try a different lacing technique to keep you feet from sliding forward.

 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
It’s rather liberating isn’t it?
You probably just need to try a different lacing technique to keep you feet from sliding forward.

Thank you. We live and we learn. I will let you know how that go tomorrow. I think there are still some hills.
 
14 April 2022

Up at 2:00am took a shower and got ready. Kissed my wife goodbye and hopped into the Uber at 2:45am.

For fellow walkers who have been following my Camino packing thread, I am reporting the first change to the plan this morning. As all old folks are, I have multiple pairs of reading glasses strategically places around the house so I can never be so far away from one. This morning, I was using the pair at the front door while I waited for my Uber ride. As I kissed my wife and got out of the house, I forgot that I still had on that pair of glasses. Now I have two pairs. I will find a fellow walker who needs a pair of reading glasses 2.0 and donate the extra pair. 😀

The second change was that I picked up a hitchhiker (see photo). Her name is Nobody (with a Capital N). Nobody belongs to my daughter when she was 5-6 years old. As my daughter grew older, she gave away many of her pet. I kept Nobody as I always remember my daughter when I see her. I talked to my daughter last night and she asked if Nobody gets to go on the walk. So Nobody gets to ride shotgun.

View attachment 122662
Love that Nobody hitched a ride. He/she will keep the smile on your face and in your heart. A good way to start a pilgrimage. Buen camino. We arrive on May 8!
 
Holoholo automatically captures your footpaths, places, photos, and journals.
16 Apr 2022 late

We had dinner with eight others.

Mathew from Manchester. Mathew was in the British Arm force. He was in Iraq. Baswar if we recall correctly. We told him we loved Liverpool. 😀. Mathew started in SJPP in the morning as we were.

Amelia from Belgium. Amelia is French but she has been living in Belgium for 15 years. She starts the Camino with Xavier tomorrow.

Xavier (?) is from Portugal. Very interesting gentleman. He speaks Spanish slowly and clearly enough that we could followed well.

José from Spain. He loves John Cash - Man in Black and Folsom Prison Blue. He walked the Camino six times, different sections each year. According to José, this is how most Spaniards walk the Camino.

John and Sara from Ireland. They started in SJPP as we did. We passed them a few km out side of SJPP. This is the second for John and first for Sara.

Suzana (?) and her friend (long Spanish name) are from Spain. They were in Rocesvalles last night.

The foods were okay but we enjoyed the conversation. Mostly English, some Spanish.

Buen Camino
 
It fits me fine except it was one size too large.
I can't imagine letting anyone else buy my shoes for me! But it is better too big than too small! As suggested by @trecile, you might find that a different lacing technique such as "heel lock" lacing will help. Also, try thicker socks or a second pair of socks. Later in the day, you might find that your feet swell a bit and you can remove the second pair.
 
Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
16 Apr 2022 late

We had dinner with eight others.

Mathew from Manchester. Mathew was in the British Arm force. He was in Iraq. Baswar if we recall correctly. We told him we loved Liverpool. 😀. Mathew started in SJPP in the morning as we were.

Amelia from Belgium. Amelia is French but she has been living in Belgium for 15 years. She starts the Camino with Xavier tomorrow.

Xavier (?) is from Portugal. Very interesting gentleman. He speaks Spanish slowly and clearly enough that we could followed well.

José from Spain. He loves John Cash - Man in Black and Folsom Prison Blue. He walked the Camino six times, different sections each year. According to José, this is how most Spaniards walk the Camino.

John and Sara from Ireland. They started in SJPP as we did. We passed them a few km out side of SJPP. This is the second for John and first for Sara.

Suzana (?) and her friend (long Spanish name) are from Spain. They were in Rocesvalles last night.

The foods were okay but we enjoyed the conversation. Mostly English, some Spanish.

Buen Camino
Liverpool fan from Worcester MA, Go Reds!!! :)

Thanks for posting your updates, enjoying following you and Nobody!

Jim
 
Thank you. We live and we learn. I will let you know how that go tomorrow. I think there are still some hills
You probably just need to try a different lacing technique to keep you feet from sliding forward.

You probably just need to try a different lacing technique to keep you feet from sliding forward.

I am happy to report the new lacing technique helps. The forward sliding action had been reduced significantly. Thank you.
 
3rd Edition. Vital content training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
17 Apr 2022

5:30 am, we were definitely not ready to get up, but the noises had already started. We wondered why some walkers wanted to walk in the dark. We were in bed watching walkers getting up one by one. You can tell a lot by just watching. The “organizers” had their stuffs laid out on the bed from A-Z, then started placing them in their backpack. The “where-does-this-go” would put in the bag anything they touched, then realized they put away the tooth paste but the toothbrush was still outside. Out came everything to look for the ziplock bag where the toothpaste was. The “do-I-have-to-do-this” would just sat there, stared at the pile. Perhaps hoping somehow the stuffs would get in the bag by themselves. We were so glad we did not have much to pack.

7:01 am, we were out of the door. The air was crisp. The town was quiet except for the birds chirping away. From the distance, we could see the orange hue over the top of the mountain. The day was made for walking.

Espinal’s Morning
DAEDA8AB-3D33-4056-9474-F97F7AE5D6DB.jpeg

Morning Moon
A5E3F098-B3B7-4B13-B6A1-B7BB1CD6E1CF.jpeg

We learned very quickly that if we wanted foods, we must buy them the night before as nothing was open in the first few small villages we walked by. Even the food truck at the Pass of Erro was still closed.

At the Pass of Erro
D9528C7F-281E-40AB-B6BC-3DEB41C23DC0.jpeg

We walked until 10:10am, reached Zubiri where we could find the first store that was open. So we got milk for me and a beer for Nobody. We know, we know, it is Sunday and before noon…. But we needed breakfast.

D09FAC21-C015-4BCD-B7CF-640675F0D58A.jpeg

By the way, just before Zubiri, there was a grove of flowering trees looked just like cherry blossom. We wondered what they were.
833F0DF7-6EDD-4509-8905-C0345B0B9EB1.jpeg

By noon, we got to Aquerret. We stopped at the little shop by the bridge for a cold beer.

BBEED3A6-C0B1-4B8E-B019-1435BD1BA001.jpegBDC9C03B-677B-403F-B290-6EE04FB99A48.jpeg

Then onward to Trinidad de Arre at 2:18am. By this time, the temperature reached 20 C. It was still pleasant but some walkers would probably get sunburned if they were not paying attention. We got an extra stamp at the church on the other side of the bridge.

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As we approached Pamplona, we walked pass a park where many families were out picnicking. We stopped and had a quick dip the river with a bunch of local kids. That was a riot. Another treat was a gentleman selling iced cold apples and bananas by the abandoned concrete bunker. Then some interesting murals. Not Banksy quality, but interesting nevertheless.
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For the day, we passed about 20 walkers. Two were from Munich, right by the Andechs Monastery. Two were from Brazil. John and Sara from last night. One from Orange County, California. The others we did not strike a conversation.

We reached the Albergue de Jesús and Maria at 3:45pm. We got no reservation but they still had room for us.

We met Mario and Jose from Mexico City. They will be starting tomorrow.

After showered and cleaned up, we wandered around downtown and spent a couple hours at the Plaza de Castillo listening to a free concert. That was a great treat of the day.

And of course, Nobody went running with the bulls.
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We hope you enjoy the day as we did.

They are cutting the lights. So we will tally the cost mañana.

Buen Camino
 
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Wow, you had a long day!

We learned very quickly that if we wanted foods, we must buy them the night before as nothing was open in the first few small villages we walked by.

This will change somewhat now that Semana Santa and Easter are over. Though Sundays are usually iffier as far as procuring food early in the morning.
 
16 Apr 2022 - Still

We reached the emergency shelter at noon and started descending. This is when we discovered our second mistakes. My wife always buy my clothes, yes, all the way down to my underwear. She knows all the sizes I wear and all the colors she likes. In her mind, I can’t coordinate colors. I just don’t understand why green polo shirt does not go with blue pants. And that suits me find because I love her and by letting her taking care of me, she felt happy. I think it’s the shopping part that makes her really happy. But, of course I am old enough not to tell her that. Any how, she loves to buy my clothes and she loves finding bargains. She found me a great pair of shoes knowing I will need a good pair for the camino. It was neither green nor blue so it goes with just about anything. And it was on sales. It fits me fine except it was one size too large. I did my practice walks in it and it worked great. But we live in an place flatter than a pancake. Well, descending into Roncesvalles was not fun as my feet kept sliding over to the front causing my big toes to hit the front. We may have to see how the shoes works out tomorrow.

We worked our way through the forest. The flowers had started to bloom and the leaves had started to came out. We got to Roncesvalles at 1:28pm.


View attachment 122880View attachment 122879

It was too early to stop so Nobody and I marched on. 790 km to Santiago de Compostela.

View attachment 122881

From Roncesvalles to Burguete then Espinal, we ran into many vacationers walking the opposite way. We only passed one walker who was in Roncesvalles last night. We forgot to ask for her name. We will do that at the dinner tonight.

We reached Espinal at 3:30 pm. We did not have a reservation but got a bed at the Hostal Rural Haizea.

Tally the cost for today:
1. Glass of milk: $2.16 (2.0 EUR)
2. Bed for the night: $16.21 (15.0 EUR)
3. Dinner: $12.97 (12.0 EUR)
Double socks should help with the shoes and prevents blisters.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
17 Apr 2022

Tallying the cost for the day:

1. Breakfast: $5.56 (5.15 EUR)
2. Beer at noon: $3.24 (3.00 EUR)
3. Fruits: $1.62 (1.50 EUR)
4. Beers and snacks: $5.50 (5.00 EUR)
5. Dinner: $8.63 (8.00 EUR)
6. Bed: $11.88 (11.00 EUR)

Breakfast was milk, beer, and cinnamon rolls. Dinner was a plate of kabab with fries and lettuce at Rico Kabab, which was ran by two brothers from Pakistan.

We withdrew cash from an ATM for the first time. The transaction went through fine but the local bank charged a hefty fee. Maybe we look for Santander next time.

Buen Camino
 
17 Apr 2022

Tallying the cost for the day:

1. Breakfast: $5.56 (5.15 EUR)
2. Beer at noon: $3.24 (3.00 EUR)
3. Fruits: $1.62 (1.50 EUR)
4. Beers and snacks: $5.50 (5.00 EUR)
5. Dinner: $8.63 (8.00 EUR)
6. Bed: $11.88 (11.00 EUR)

Breakfast was milk, beer, and cinnamon rolls. Dinner was a plate of kabab with fries and lettuce at Rico Kabab, which was ran by two brothers from Pakistan.

We withdrew cash from an ATM for the first time. The transaction went through fine but the local bank charged a hefty fee. Maybe we look for Santander next time.

Buen Camino
Thank you for your updates.
Are you a Santander customer and this using their arm will avoid fees?

Buen camino,
Howard
 
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.
Thank you for your updates.
Are you a Santander customer and this using their arm will avoid fees?

Buen camino,
Howard
I was just speculating because Santander is a large bank. I don’t have any accounts with them. I will compare my next with my next withdrawal and let you know.
 
17 Apr 2022

Tallying the cost for the day:

1. Breakfast: $5.56 (5.15 EUR)
2. Beer at noon: $3.24 (3.00 EUR)
3. Fruits: $1.62 (1.50 EUR)
4. Beers and snacks: $5.50 (5.00 EUR)
5. Dinner: $8.63 (8.00 EUR)
6. Bed: $11.88 (11.00 EUR)

Breakfast was milk, beer, and cinnamon rolls. Dinner was a plate of kabab with fries and lettuce at Rico Kabab, which was ran by two brothers from Pakistan.

We withdrew cash from an ATM for the first time. The transaction went through fine but the local bank charged a hefty fee. Maybe we look for Santander next time.

Buen Camino
Santander usually charges $7euros. You need a good debit card like Charles Schwab they refund all ATM charges anywhere in the world.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Actually a couple of times someone has posted a little chart with the various banks and their associated fees, but I cannot find it now. Maybe one of the mods know where it might be located? I looked in the resources, but do not find it now.
Edit: Ok, trecile beat me to it!
 
18 Apr 2022

We got it figured out now that no matter how late we wanted to sleep, there would always someone who wanted to get an early start.

Last night, half of the Albergue de Jesús y María was filled by a large contingent of our fellow walkers from Korea. By the time we got back from the concert, most were sleeping. All got up at the same time, right about 5:30 am and turned on all the lights.

So we had breakfast in bed: milk and a banana left over from yesterday. We quickly changed and we found the button on my shor was gone. It must had broke of when we washed the short. In the effort of keeping down the weight of what we have to carry, we left our belt at home. Then we remembered that we brought a few shoe laces. So we tied the pair of shoe laces together and used that to keep the short on. It worked.

We were out of the albergue at 6:53 am, earlier that the days before. The morning was quite colder than yesterday. The thermometer at on of the bank show 11 Celsius. There was a breeze so it felt much coder.

There were many walkers on the stretch from Pamplona to Cizur Menor. This was when we ran into the two Brazilian ladies from San Paolo. And two gentlemen from Cyprus. Our geography was not good. We were thinking Sicily and they kept saying further East. We later looked up the map a learned that Cyprus is an island West of Lebanon and South of Turkey.

Passing Cizur Menor, toward Zariquiegui and up the hill to the wind turbine, there were acres after acres of rap seeds in full bloom.
FAD30DE0-80FD-4455-AEFB-265C3D63E1CB.jpeg22113AA2-AF4D-4EC5-98B9-8AE3A462FCEF.jpeg

In the village of Zariquiegui, we found someone put Sleeping Beauty in jail. We did not have time to rescue her so we moved along.

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We got to the Monumento al peregrino at 9:32am. It was freezing cold plus the wind was howling. There was only on other peregrino there beside us. We only took a few photos and left.
CB2EDABE-248C-4DF1-8A42-D983BA5537A8.jpeg

We must say that getting down from the Monumento al peregrino was extremely challenging. The trails was very steep with loose river stones. We were very slow and careful as it would be very easy to get a twisted ankle here.
 
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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
18 Apr 2022

We got it figured out now that no matter how late we wanted to sleep, there would always someone who wanted to get an early start.

Last night, half of the Albergue de Jesús y María was filled by a large contingent of our fellow walkers from Korea. By the time we got back from the concert, most were sleeping. All got up at the same time, right about 5:30 am and turned on all the lights.

So we had breakfast in bed: milk and a banana left over from yesterday. We quickly changed and we found the button on my shor was gone. It must had broke of when we washed the short. In the effort of keeping down the weight of what we have to carry, we left our belt at home. Then we remembered that we brought a few shoe laces. So we tied the pair of shoe laces together and used that to keep the short on. It worked.

We were out of the albergue at 6:53 am, earlier that the days before. The morning was quite colder than yesterday. The thermometer at on of the bank show 11 Celsius. There was a breeze so it felt much coder.

There were many walkers on the stretch from Pamplona to Cizur Menor. This was when we ran into the two Brazilian ladies from San Paolo. And two gentlemen from Cyprus. Our geography was not good. We were thinking Sicily and they kept saying further East. We later looked up the map a learned that Cyprus is an island West of Lebanon and South of Turkey.

Passing Cizur Menor, toward Zariquiegui and up the hill to the wind turbine, there were acres after acres of rap seeds in full bloom.
View attachment 123055View attachment 123056

In the village of Zariquiegui, we found someone put Snow White in jail. We did not have time to rescue her so we moved along.

View attachment 123058

We got to the Monumento al peregrino at 9:32am. It was freezing cold plus the wind was howling. There was only on other peregrino there beside us. We only took a few photos and left.
View attachment 123059

We must say that getting down from the Monumento al peregrino was extremely challenging. The trails was very steep with loose river stones. We were very slow and careful as it would be very easy to get a twisted ankle here.
In March 2014 I twisted my ankle there.
 
Good to know the Korean Pilgrims are back. Phil saw none last fall, but in the 2018 and 2019 we had a large number of Pilgrims from Korea at the albergues where we volunteered.
 
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18 Apr 2022 cont.

By the time we got down to Uterga, the cloud cleared up and the sun came out. It was a welcoming warmth.

We got to Eunate right at 11:00am as the bells from the Iglesia de Santa Maria were ringing. We sat in front of the church and drank a beer, left over from last night concert.

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It started to get real hot by this time. When we reached Puente la Reina, it got to 21 Celsius. The church of St James the Great was just opened. So we went in for a visit. It was a beautiful church, a bit dark. But we could clearly see everything. We got ourselves an extra stamp.

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We got quite hungry by this time so we stopped and got a nice loaf of bread. We sat and ate underneath the medieval roman bridge.

We saw photos of this bridge taken from the modern bridge nearby. We thought another good angle is from the little park under the brige.

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As we took a break in the next town, Maneru, for water. We had a conversation with Bill and his four companions. They were Mormons from Utah. They wen to VN to help building a hospital then they got an opportunity to go to Montenegro. They took the opportunity and spent time visiting places in Europe. This was their first Camino. They stated this morning in Cizur Menor and planned to stop in Lorca.

As we approached Lorca, we ran into a couple from Munich. They were bornes and raised in Croatia and moved to Germany 15 years ago. We talked about Munich and where to have the best beers and pork roasts. They voted for Augustine-Keller. We voted for Andechs Monastery. As we were talking beers, we must stop. We went into this shop on the way out of Lorca. The shop was ran by José Ramón. We ordered an orange juice but he was struggling to get the machine started, so we got a beer instead 😀. Then in came Ana Marie from Marseille of France. As we were talking with Ana Marie, José Ramón turned on the music and everything stopped. The tiny shop wasn’t big enough for the opera he was playing. We were not a fan of opera, but for that moment, we felt like we were Andy Dufresne of Shawshank Redemption, the part where he locked himself in the prison PA room to play his music.

So, don’t forget to stop by José Ramón shop on your way out of Lorca. He stood behind Nobody in the photo. His shop is right across from the Albergue de Lorca la Bodega del Camino.

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By the time we finished the two beers and the opera, we felt we could run a marathon. It was 3:40pm. The sun was still up high and Estella is less than two hours away. So onward we marched.

At 5:36pm we got to San Miguel Pilgrims Hostel. As before, we did not have a reservation but we got a bed.

Rob, the volunteer who was helping the church today, informed us that the boiler was broken. No hot water. So a cold shower we took. It was 🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶.

There was another pilgrim from Portugal already at the place and was cooking something in the kitchen. It smelled delicious. Manuel was his name. His second Camino. He did not carry a backpack. He got all his stuff in a cart and pull it along. I will take a photo and post tomorrow. His pasta soup was as good as it smell.

I will tally up the cost in the morning.

Signing out for today.

Cost for the day:
1. A loaf of sourdough: $2.69 (2.50 EUR)
2. Two beers: $4.31 (4.00 EUR)
3. Tangerine and milk: $1.94 (1.80 EUR)
4. Bed: $16.16 (15.00 EUR)
 
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Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
But not cool that this particular group is turning on the lights at 5:30 am!
I must have been so lucky, I experienced people getting up early and making noise etc, but I never experienced anyone turing on the lights!
 
3rd Edition. Vital content training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
I'm now starting to understand why you started in SJPDP with only 26 days. You walk the usual 2 days distance in 1 day !!!! WOW. How are your feet and legs responding to this ? At this pace you even might be able to walk to Muxia in 26 days lol !!!! Dont forget to smell the roses though. Buen Camino :)
 
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You probably just need to try a different lacing technique to keep you feet from sliding forward.

I almost posted this before I read your response!
 
Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
I'm now starting to understand why you started in SJPDP with only 26 days. You walk the usual 2 days distance in 1 day !!!! WOW. How are your feet and legs responding to this ? At this pace you even might be able to walk to Muxia in 26 days lol !!!! Dont forget to smell the roses though. Buen Camino :)

Thank you for the reminder. I do stop very often to look at and take photos of little whimsical things I saw. Did you see they jailed Sleeping Beauty and the seven dwarfs? They also hung Elvis, you see. 😁

81226E2F-829F-4E00-A432-31D655F1CA1C.jpeg

I walked about the same as other, except that just walk longer hours. I don’t have a set place where I have to stop so I could walk until Nobody wants to quit.

Buen Camino
 
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19 Apr 2022

We forgot to report the first blister of the walk last night. I did not notice that until after taken shower. One of the small toe looked whiter than the other. I got the fluid off and put in a bandage. Good as new. Checked Nobody’s paws. All good as well.

Last night, we got a good night sleep. The only had eight pilgrims. Rob put the six young Spaniards in one room, and Manuel and I in the other. Manuel was very quiet, so were we. We all appreciated that.

5:30 am. We were up but stayed relaxing in bed. It rained outside. We got out of bed and got ready by 7:00 am. Rob provided simple breakfast of toast and coffee. We ate four slices of toasts. We did not drink coffee, but we took four glass of milk. We chatted with Rob while eating. When he was young, his family lived in the Detroit area. He did not remember which area. We traded stories of Michigan: where was the best spot for ice fishing, where to camp in the UP, which section of the Ausaber River is best canoeing, and where to go smelt dipping. We could have stayed for another hour, but, it was time to go. We left at 7:50am.

It rained when we left. Not the heavy downpour kind of rain in the South or Southwest. It was more drizzling. The kind of rains that slow and long which soaks into the ground and brings up cherries, crabapples, tulips, and all other sorts of flowers which blooms in the Midwest in April-May. It did not stop raining until we got to the Fuente del Vino around 8:25am. The wine was flowing very well. Nobody drank a bottle full (360 ml), and I took one with us. Going back to the reason I pack two reused 360 ml bottle instead of one 1 liter bottle because I was speculating that there would be time I have the need to have two different liquids with me. This one turned out well.

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As soon as we finished the wine, it rained again, intermittently all days. We did not talked to any one as everyone was walking quietly in the rain. We counted around 25 pilgrims from Fuente del Vino to Sansol. I had Nobody riding upfront because when it rained, Nobody would get protection.

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The area around Arcos and Sansol was very beautiful with rows after rows of grape vines.

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We reached Sansol at 1:26pm and that would be the last time we saw any pilgrims on the road for the day.

Nobody at the cathedral of Los Arcos

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As we passed Loa Arcos, we were hungry. So we decided to stop at a shop in Torres del Río. We bought bread and cold cuts to make poboy and a beer (it was spiked lemonade) for Nobody.

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This place was just on the outside Torres del Río. We were not sure what it was, but Nobody was having an interesting time poring through the tags.
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The long section between Torres del Río and Viana was also full with beautiful vineyards. We reached Viana at 4:05pm. The rain had then stopped. But it was still over casting sky. Nobody and I were not ready to stop so we kept on walking.

At 6:05pm, we made our way into Logroño. We found a bed at the first albergue we saw: The Albergue Santiago Appostle.

Dinner was a plate of kabab and two beers. We also bought milk and banana for breakfast tomorrow.

Buen Camino


Tally costs for today:
1. Spiked lemonade, cold cut, bread: $5.82 (5.40 EUR)
2. Kabab: $5.39 (5.00 EUR)
3. Milk, two bananas, two beers: $5.27 (4.89 EUR)
4. Bed: $12.94 (12.00 EUR)

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I'm now starting to understand why you started in SJPDP with only 26 days. You walk the usual 2 days distance in 1 day !!!! WOW. How are your feet and legs responding to this ? At this pace you even might be able to walk to Muxia in 26 days lol !!!! Dont forget to smell the roses though. Buen Camino :)

Thank you for the reminder. I do stop very often to look at and take photos of little whimsical things I saw. Did you see they jailed Sleeping Beauty and the seven dwarfs? They also hung Elvis, you see. 😁

View attachment 123106

I walked about the same as other, except that just walk longer hours. I don’t have a set place where I have to stop so I could walk until Nobody wants to quit.

Buen Camino
Loving your blog, especially the photos of Nobody ❤️. We leave for our first Camino exactly 12months today, so your photos are giving me a good idea of what to expect (although I know the weather is never the same year after year). Keep up the great writing 👍.
Buen Camino 👣
 
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As far as the eyeglasses go, I would advise you to keep them. You would not believe how many times I lost a pair of reading glasses or sunglasses on the Camino.

When I was on the Camino del Norte, I stopped by a Santander ATM to use. I have an account with Santander (FYI Santander has Branches in the US in New York, New Jersey and New England) and this still charged me a $7 transaction fee. So, you may want to find an alternative.

Good luck to you, it looks like you are having a great time.

Mark
 
As far as the eyeglasses go, I would advise you to keep them. You would not believe how many times I lost a pair of reading glasses or sunglasses on the Camino.

When I was on the Camino del Norte, I stopped by a Santander ATM to use. I have an account with Santander (FYI Santander has Branches in the US in New York, New Jersey and New England) and this still charged me a $7 transaction fee. So, you may want to find an alternative.

Good luck to you, it looks like you are having a great time.

Mark
Thanks for the thoughts about the eyeglasses. We still have the second pair. For the precise reason
 
19 Apr 2022

We did not mentioned about the trail condition. The terrain yesteryear was rolling hill. Therefore the water drained off the trail well. Only a few muddy spots. One thing we noticed was that when the trail approaching a town, often they paved it with concrete or flagstones. However, instead of building steps, or putting in groves, they left it smooth. It was quite challenging walking down. We couldn’t imagine how to do that with a heavy backpack. Very easy to end up on the behind on those slopes. Shoes with flat soles with not work well in the rain yesterday. Those with big knobs for trails work best we supposed.

Buen Camino
 
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Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
20 Apr 2022

The evening at the Albergue Santiago Apostille was great. The room we were in had five bunk beds. There were five of us on the lower level. We learned now that the lower level was always best as it was less challenging taking stuffs out and getting up/down to go to the bathroom at night. The host gave each of us two blankets to prepare for a cold evening. We slept well and got up rested at around 6:15 am. We ate the two bananas and drank the milk we got from last night. It rained outside and the forecasters called for high temperature of 12 Celsius. So instead of the T-shirt, I kept on my long sleeve technical shirt which I usually wore to bed. In all, I had on three layers: the technical shirt, the long-sleeve FRC, and the windbreaker. Nobody was in rain gear and in the backpack. We left the albergue at around 7:40am.

It rained the whole morning from 7:40am to 9:24am when we reached the fence of crossed. With the rain and the cold temperature, most people did not stop. We stopped to put on a cross of our own. We counted about 20-25 pilgrims on the Camino up to this point.

The fence of crosses.

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The Camino became mud pits because of the rain. We did not think there was a pair of dry socks on the Camino this morning. On the plus side, our short got a free wash.

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Our windbreaker worked well in the shower when we tested it before we packed it for the trip. But it rained so long that the water started to soaked in, causing the second layer to became wet. Pretty soon, all three layers were. We started to feel really cold all the way into Ventosa at 11:50am.

As soon as we reached Ventosa, we stoped by the first restaurant we saw, the Buen Camino. It seemed that all pilgrims walking this morning had the same idea. The place was packed. When we got in, our hands were so cold we could not unzip the pockets to get money. We asked the shopkeeper to help.

Nobody got a coffee (Nobody rarely buy coffee). I got an egg sandwich. We took our time as the shop was warm. The sandwich was quite tasty.

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Restarting after the lunch in Ventosa was extremely challenging. It took almost 15 minutes for us to get back up to our normal pace. It was still raining a good amount. We walked in silence, over the muddy trail.

We reached Nájera around 2:00pm, at which time, the egg sandwich was long gone. We went in got a baguette and looked for some a soda but then we saw the cheap box wine. We were thinking it was cooking wine, but what the heck. The alcohol could keep us warm for a while.

We inhaled the baguette and started drinking the wine. As we got to the hills west of Nájera, the rain stopped. We were feeling really goood downing the cheap wine. By the time we got to Azofra at 3:40pm, Nobody and I finished the wine. For whatever reason, Nobody started singing Sundown, and yes, we were “feeling no pains”.

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The approach to Cirueña was a beautiful close to a great day of walk. We arrived at the Albergue Victoria. No reservación, no problema.

More to come about the evening at the Albergue Victoria…..

The Albergue Victoria was not much to look at from the outside. It was a dull gray concrete building. The inside was very nice and warm, with wood trim doors and tiles. The kitchen had windows looking out to the fields, allowing lots of natural light to come in. The place was tended by an older couple in their sixties.

The place looked half full when we were there. We had the pilgrim dinner together: pasta, seared pork, and ice cream.

There were nine of us:
Four Canadians in their late fifties and sixties (Bill, Konnie, Katie and ???).
Two friends from Malaysia (CJ and Linda), Luc from the Netherlands, a long distance runner who was trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
Christina from Germany (Lake Constantine)

Costs for the day:

1. Lunch (coffee and sandwich): $5.85 (5.40 EUR)
2. Wine and bread: $2.27 (2.10 EUR)
3. Dinner: $10.83 (10.00 EUR)
4. Bed: $17.33 (16.00 EUR)
 
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Plastic bags are good to put over your socks to keep feet dry in wet weather. I always carry them for wet weather.
 
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
Do you have a photo showing how this would be done. Forecast calls for another day or two of rain…
it is not rocket science. I usually bring light weight produce bags. I also bring 3 pairs of socks and hike with double socks. I usually put the bag between a pair of socks but you can wear over sock too.
 

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21 Apr 2022

Sleeping at the Albergue Victoria was perfect last night. Luc, Linda, and CJ were with us in the upper room. They were absolutely quiet. The room was nice and warm.


Lights were out at 10:00 pm. We were up writing then felt asleep, probably at 11:00 pm and did not wake up until around 6:00am.
The view from the bed last night. That was Luc on the other side.
D4D30D05-4B80-40C3-A917-B82F013DC214.jpeg

We drank the remaining milk and decided to skip the breakfast as we were no a big fan of scrambled eggs. We left Cirueña at 7:30am. Peter was a minute before us. He left his wife and the other two ladies behind to walk with themselves.

After about 30 minutes, Luc blew by, showing the perfect form of a long distance runner. We saw him one more time in Santo Domingo de la Calzada where he stopped to get drinks. We never saw him again.

It was cold this morning. The temperature dropped down to 6 Celsius. Overcasting sky with low cloud but calm, no wind.

We only saw Peter in the distance, then Luc. No other pilgrims were on the Camino from Cirueña to Santo Domingo de la Calzada. From there, we started seeing pilgrims on the Camino. Apparently, most pilgrims planned their stop in Santo Domingo de la Calzada as it was a larger town with many services available. Half of the pilgrims we saw from there to Grañón had on small day pack. We assumed they used the luggage transportation services.

At Santo Domingo de la Calzada
9078A4B4-EBE1-4750-8CC9-FF1A14E012FE.jpeg

Reached the entrance of Grañón
51AEE3D9-5547-4A02-9FF6-9C2A72FCC6FB.jpeg9B0F90BA-0FD8-4279-8013-6CE2ED459EF2.jpeg

It took a few minutes to get the photos at Grañón. The wall was nicely done. We stopped at the bakery Panadería Jesus and got a loaf of bread. Getting into this bakery felt like going into a haunted house. The front door opened into a small room. The room was dark, not more than 8x8. The only light came from behind, through the small glass panels on the entrance door. The limited light made the room seemed even smaller. Immediately ahead was a dark wall, with a small door. On the left of this door was a poster, listing all the available baked goods. At any moment, we were expecting some things jumped right out of either side to get us. Nobody clenched tight to the bag, not wanting to open the next door. We mustered all the strength we had, held our breath, an slowly turned the handle. The door screeched, light came out. An aroma leaked out…Ah, fresh baked bread. We swung open the door an found the shop owner stood behind a counter. The shelf behind him was full of many kinds of breads, and cookies, and donuts. We asked for a piece of barguett, paid the man, and walked out, backward. Please do stop by the place. The bread was good. Whatever he put in it.

The stretch from Grañón to Belorado and the few towns after was easy to walk but was very uninspiring. For many miles, the Camino ran within a few hundred feet of the highway. This highway was heavily used by 18-wheelers; thus, there was constant road noises.

We reached Belorado at 1:30 pm, very hungry. This time, we found a supermarket at the Plaza Mayor. We got some beers for Nobody; cold cut pork, cheese, bread; and a bar of chocolate. We made ourselves a po’boy and enjoyed our late lunch.

We had never had the Maestra before. It tasted very much like the Shiner Bock.

53B2F1E3-4FEE-44D7-A98F-1F155B5D8A97.jpeg

We fished our lunch at 2:10pm and left Belorado. For the next two hours, we only spotted four pilgrims ahead of us. We passed two just before Villambistia, and the other two stopped at a restaurant in Espinosa del Camino.



12606954-B537-44AC-94B3-560A7C74858F.jpegAC2AEB6F-F98B-4957-8234-05FD85761E02.jpeg9288934B-825B-4495-9B36-BF3E01B0AF97.jpeg

At 4:30 pm, we got to Villafranca Montes de Orca. The next town was too far for us to continue, so we got a bed at the San Antón Abad Albergue.

The albergue had many rooms. The bed we got was the last in one of the rooms.


4A732488-E33E-4089-ACBA-56B7870C7B0C.jpeg

A hot shower closed out the day. We ate the rest of our po’boy, then walked around a little.

Buen Camino

Cost today:

1. Bread: $1.19 (1.10 EUR)
2. Two beers, porks, cheese, bread, chocolate: $5.31 (4.90 EUR)
3. Bed: $16.26 (15.00 UR)
 

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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
The owners at Panadera Jesus are wonderful bakers. They use a traditional bread oven and also bake meats and casseroles for the townspeople on holidays Susana the wife speaks excellent English and they are very involved in support of the Camino and with the paroquial albergue in town. Glad you were able to stop there.
 
21 Apr 2022

Sleeping at the Albergue Victoria was perfect last night. Luc, Linda, and CJ were with us in the upper room. They were absolutely quiet. The room was nice and warm.


Lights were out at 10:00 pm. We were up writing then felt asleep, probably at 11:00 pm and did not wake up until around 6:00am.
The view from the bed last night. That was Luc on the other side.
View attachment 123271

We drank the remaining milk and decided to skip the breakfast as we were no a big fan of scrambled eggs. We left Cirueña at 7:30am. Peter was a minute before us. He left his wife and the other two ladies behind to walk with themselves.

After about 30 minutes, Luc blew by, showing the perfect form of a long distance runner. We saw him one more time in Santo Domingo de la Calzada where he stopped to get drinks. We never saw him again.

It was cold this morning. The temperature dropped down to 6 Celsius. Overcasting sky with low cloud but calm, no wind.

We only saw Peter in the distance, then Luc. No other pilgrims were on the Camino from Cirueña to Santo Domingo de la Calzada. From there, we started seeing pilgrims on the Camino. Apparently, most pilgrims planned their stop in Santo Domingo de la Calzada as it was a larger town with many services available. Half of the pilgrims we saw from there to Grañón had on small day pack. We assumed they used the luggage transportation services.

At Santo Domingo de la Calzada
View attachment 123294

Reached the entrance of Grañón
View attachment 123295View attachment 123296

It took a few minutes to get the photos at Grañón. The wall was nicely done. We stopped at the bakery Panadería Jesus and got a loaf of bread. Getting into this bakery felt like going into a haunted house. The front door opened into a small room. The room was dark, not more than 8x8. The only light came from behind, through the small glass panels on the entrance door. The limited light made the room seemed even smaller. Immediately ahead was a dark wall, with a small door. On the left of this door was a poster, listing all the available baked goods. At any moment, we were expecting some things jumped right out of either side to get us. Nobody clenched tight to the bag, not wanting to open the next door. We mustered all the strength we had, held our breath, an slowly turned the handle. The door screeched, light came out. An aroma leaked out…Ah, fresh baked bread. We swung open the door an found the shop owner stood behind a counter. The shelf behind him was full of many kinds of breads, and cookies, and donuts. We asked for a piece of barguett, paid the man, and walked out, backward. Please do stop by the place. The bread was good. Whatever he put in it.

The stretch from Grañón to Belorado and the few towns after was easy to walk but was very uninspiring. For many miles, the Camino ran within a few hundred feet of the highway. This highway was heavily used by 18-wheelers; thus, there was constant road noises.

We reached Belorado at 1:30 pm, very hungry. This time, we found a supermarket at the Plaza Mayor. We got some beers for Nobody; cold cut pork, cheese, bread; and a bar of chocolate. We made ourselves a po’boy and enjoyed our late lunch.

We had never had the Maestra before. It tasted very much like the Shiner Bock.

View attachment 123300

We fished our lunch at 2:10pm and left Belorado. For the next two hours, we only spotted four pilgrims ahead of us. We passed two just before Villambistia, and the other two stopped at a restaurant in Espinosa del Camino.



View attachment 123302View attachment 123303View attachment 123305

At 4:30 pm, we got to Villafranca Montes de Orca. The next town was too far for us to continue, so we got a bed at the San Antón Abad Albergue.

The albergue had many rooms. The bed we got was the last in one of the rooms.


View attachment 123306

A hot shower closed out the day. We ate the rest of our po’boy, then walked around a little.

Buen Camino

Cost today:

1. Bread: $1.19 (1.10 EUR)
2. Two beers, porks, cheese, bread, chocolate: $5.31 (4.90 EUR)
3. Bed: $16.26 (15.00 UR)
The next stretch might be a little muddy if raining.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
The owners at Panadera Jesus are wonderful bakers. They use a traditional bread oven and also bake meats and casseroles for the townspeople on holidays Susana the wife speaks excellent English and they are very involved in support of the Camino and with the paroquial albergue in town. Glad you were able to stop there.
I'm making a note of this. I so love good bread. Mind you I'm down 35 pounds this year so I probably should stay away from the bread until the Camino. Then I'm eating all of it haha.
 
I'm making a note of this. I so love good bread. Mind you I'm down 35 pounds this year so I probably should stay away from the bread until the Camino. Then I'm eating all of it haha.
It is right on the main drag past the square and the church. Also a small tienda on the same side of the street is run by another community family. As hospitaleros in Grañón all the businesses (bars, stores, bakery) were super supportive of pilgrims. We often had pilgrims who were brought to us for care or who saw the light in the church tower and were then brought to us by townspeople even at night. There is no real oven in the albergue so we always took anything that needed to be baked (chicken, casseroles, etc.) to the panaderia to be cooked before evening Mass and then the whole albergue would go back to get it together and "sing for our supper" in the middle of the street as payment for the service. Susana would return our meal to us after the need for songs had been satisfied and usually issued some crazy wigs or hats to those who were to carry it all back to the albergue. Grañón is really a special Camino community. Townspeople are very proud of the albergue and they are thrilled that it is now reopened for Pilgrims.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
22 Apr 2022

We slept well last night so we were awake at 6:00am. It was cold last night. The temperature dipped to 4 degree Celsius. The forecast called for some rain so it could be another trek in the mud.

We did not go to the store last night so we had nothing for breakfast. We drank some warm water and headed out at 7:10 am.

The sky was somewhat cloudy. The sun started to rise as we climbed the hills. The rain in the past couple days left some muddy stretches.

C7E5CA89-6AA1-45F9-AE73-53C11AD7878F.jpeg

As we got closer to the top, we got the breathtaking view of the snow capped mountains to the Southeast.EB2972FD-0AD7-46F8-A7C8-D871C7650361.jpeg
This stretch of trail seemed to be on a logging road. Occasionally, we heard chainsaw and saw piles of cut wood. We came upon a strange site where painted wood poles and figures were put up on either side of the trail. We speculated that the place would probably be a good stop in the summer.
F0A8ADF8-26D9-425A-AD87-ECC172AB7CDF.jpeg

We reached San Juan del Ortega at 9:45am. This village was small but it had a beautiful and well kept square in front of the church.

BB2561F4-4BD1-4DE1-8E13-810ED36E0798.jpeg

We did not stopped as the shops/restaurants were still closed. As we were leaving the village, a few young pilgrims passed us. They were in the same albergue with us last night.
88A14B28-C3F1-4799-B4FD-F4A2B914DF89.jpeg

The right leg started to act up at this point. It was neither the Achilles not the calf. It was the tendon that connected the two. It seemed to hurt more going uphill than downhill. We were limping along, trying to take as much weight of the right as we could. We walked that way into Agés. Then continued on to Atapuerca, taking the route through the villages, as the Camino has an alternate path right after Agés.

3A387547-6B2F-4F1F-895D-F68790E194B4.jpeg
1053FE0C-D9CE-43B7-ACC2-0864F33EA54A.jpeg

As we passed Atapuerca, dark clouds started to move in. It started to sprinkle. We stopped for lunch at the Bocatas San Miguel in Cardeñuela Río Pico. Beer and sausage for Nobody. An egg, bacon sandwich for me. It was at 1:00pm.

6B8215B7-6083-46F6-AE27-0DD622D9F0AC.jpeg

We were the only one in the restaurant. The shopkeeper was a lady, probably in her late thirty, early forty. She had a tulip in a glass at the counter. I told her I could not buy my wife anything so I sent her a photo of a tulip instead.

C4E9148F-DBD0-4847-B120-6F2466DA7B86.jpeg

From Cardeñuela Río Pico to Burgos, it rained hard at time. We were soaking wet again. We could see three pilgrims ahead of us making through the streets toward downtown Burgos. The Camino signs were not as well seen in Burgos comparing to Pamplona or Logroño. But it was a straight shot into downtown, so we were fine in the rain.

4:25pm, we made it to the Hostel Catedral Burgos. We had no reservation but there was a bed for us. We fumbled through three sets of electronic locks to get to the room where our bed was. It must be necessary in the big city.

There were five sets of beds in the room. All lower beds were occupied. The shower was steaming hot.

All in all. It was another great day walking, rain and all. Time to go find a beer for Nobody.

Buen Camino

Cost for the day

1. Lunch (a beer, a sausage, and a sandwich): $6.47 (6.00 EUR)
2. Dinner: $11.77 (10.90 EUR)
3. Bed (including breakfast for tomorrow): $23.18 (21.50 EUR)
 
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It is right on the main drag past the square and the church. Also a small tienda on the same side of the street is run by another community family. As hospitaleros in Grañón all the businesses (bars, stores, bakery) were super supportive of pilgrims. We often had pilgrims who were brought to us for care or who saw the light in the church tower and were then brought to us by townspeople even at night. There is no real oven in the albergue so we always took anything that needed to be baked (chicken, casseroles, etc.) to the panaderia to be cooked before evening Mass and then the whole albergue would go back to get it together and "sing for our supper" in the middle of the street as payment for the service. Susana would return our meal to us after the need for songs had been satisfied and usually issued some crazy wigs or hats to those who were to carry it all back to the albergue. Grañón is really a special Camino community. Townspeople are very proud of the albergue and they are thrilled that it is now reopened for Pilgrims.
Thank you for the info! That's wonderful. I cannot wait to visit!
 
buy some of this stuff and apply morning and night.
 

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Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
Phil and I served at San Miguel in summer 2019. Sorry the water was cold for you. There was always something that needed some repair while we were there, too.
The owners at Panadera Jesus are wonderful bakers. They use a traditional bread oven and also bake meats and casseroles for the townspeople on holidays Susana the wife speaks excellent English and they are very involved in support of the Camino and with the paroquial albergue in town. Glad you were able to stop there.
I have been very lucky to be a hospitalera at Grañon two different years and it was a treat to live in the friendly village for two weeks and get to know Susanna, the baker who helped me learn some Spanish, and Irina and Amadeo, owners of My Way, the wonderful bar across the street from the church. Grañon is a very special place!
 
buy some of this stuff and apply morning and night.
Thank you, I will look for it tomorrow if the leg doesn’t get better. I am counting on the self healing capacity of a human body. We shall see. I did walk around a little looking for foods last night and did not notice the pain.
 
23 Apr 2022

We did not have a good night sleeping last night. The snoring was fine, we got used to that now. It was something new. There was a young man from Sweden in the room. He did not keep his phone on vibrate; so about 1:00 am, the phone rang twice. He answered and spoke on the phone at length both times. It was hard to come back to a deep sleep afterward.

We drifted back to sleep and woke up 6:45am. We got ready and went to breakfast which we paid 3.50 EUR for. The breakfast was simple with toasts, cereals, orange juice and milk. There was coffee but we did not think we needed it.

36A57808-50E7-4B71-974A-857E4103D308.jpeg

The thing about an “all you can eat” is that it enticed people to eat more than they should. So did we. Nobody had two glasses of milk and two glasses of orange juice. I had eight (yes, eight) pieces of toasts with four bars of butter, a pack of crackers, and two packages of soft cake. Nobody and I were fully stuffed.

We took off at 7:50 am. It was cold (4 Celsius) with light sprinkling.

The stretch to Tardajos was bland with typical city parks and city sidewalks.

5769B2E1-F8D2-46F0-A6B4-54E0814E8681.jpegA0275CBA-3042-4315-90FD-24285CA924DC.jpeg

The light sprinkling continued 10:15am when we reached Tardajos.

Tárdanos had an interesting church with a nice bell tower. A large bird, looks like a crane, had built a nest on the bell tower.

061F7327-B748-4DC3-8611-16D116F669A8.jpeg

Ad soon as we left Tardajos, all h$&&, broke loose. The rain came down hard. The wind howling in excess of 20 mph. The strong wind pushed the water where it should not go. After awhile, our clothes were 95% wet.

The wet clothes stuck to our body causing out body temperature dropped rapidly. We knew we could not go far today. We were quite sure the 15 or so pilgrims on the Camino at that time felt the same.

Five kilometers to Hontanas, we were broken. All we could do at that time was putting one foot in front of the other.

The Albergue Juan de Yepes could not had came a moment too soon. We came in to get bed at 3:30pm, soaking wet.

We got a bed with out a reservation. There were two Korean pilgrims and an Australian already unpacking when we arrived. Immediately, four more came in after we did. It seemed all pilgrims started in Burgos stopped at Hontanas.

After cleaning up, we had a couple beers with CJ and Freeman from Seoul while waiting for dinner.

Dinner served at 6:30pm. Salad, rice, and dessert. The rice, cooked with chicken, was full of flavor. We had good conversations with fellow pilgrims. And everyone loved Nobody.

4993F0BA-F21F-4F4E-86C9-2798754D8766.jpeg

Cost for for today
1. Three beers: $3.86 (3.60 EUR)
2. Dinner: $12.95 (12.00 EUR)
3. Bed: $12.95 (12.00 EUR)
 
Last edited:
A selection of Camino Jewellery
23 Apr 2022

We did not have a good night sleeping last night. The snoring was fine, we got used to that now. It was something new. There was a young man from Sweden in the room. He did not keep his phone on vibrate; so about 1:00 am, the phone rang twice. He answered and spoke on the phone at length both times. It was hard to come back to a deep sleep afterward.

We drifted back to sleep and woke up 6:45am. We got ready and went to breakfast which we paid 3.50 EUR for. The breakfast was simple with toasts, cereals, orange juice and milk. There was coffee but we did not think we needed it.

View attachment 123453

The thing about an “all you can eat” is that it enticed people to eat more than they should. So did we. Nobody had two glasses of milk and two glasses of orange juice. I had eight (yes, eight) pieces of toasts with four bars of butter, a pack of crackers, and two packages of soft cake. Nobody and I were fully stuffed.

We took off at 7:50 am. It was cold (4 Celsius) with light sprinkling.

The stretch to Tardajos was bland with typical city parks and city sidewalks.

View attachment 123454View attachment 123455

The light sprinkling continued 10:15am when we reached Tardajos.

Tárdanos had an interesting church with a nice bell tower. A large bird, looks like a crane, had built a nest on the bell tower.

View attachment 123457

Ad soon as we left Tardajos, all h$&&, broke loose. The rain came down hard. The wind howling in excess of 20 mph. The strong wind pushed the water where it should not go. After awhile, our clothes were 95% wet.

The wet clothes stuck to our body causing out body temperature dropped rapidly. We knew we could not go far today. We were quite sure the 15 or so pilgrims on the Camino at that time felt the same.

Five kilometers to Hontanas, we were broken. All we could do at that time was putting one foot in front of the other.

The Albergue Juan de Yepes could not had came a moment too soon. We came in to get bed at 3:30pm, soaking wet.

We got a bed with out a reservation. There were two Korean pilgrims and an Australian already unpacking when we arrived. Immediately, four more came in after we did. It seemed all pilgrims started in Burgos stopped at Hontanas.

After cleaning up, we had a couple beers with CJ and Freeman from Seoul while waiting for dinner.

Dinner served at 6:30pm. Salad, rice, and dessert. The rice, cooked with chicken, was full of flavor. We had good conversations with fellow pilgrims. And everyone loved Nobody.

View attachment 123460

Cost for for today
1. Three beers: $3.86 (3.60 EUR)
2. Dinner: $12.95 (12.00 EUR)
3. Bed: $12.95 (12.00 EUR)
The bird you saw was a stork. I am surprised you have not seen them before. They are usually all over the cliffs by Najera. The walk to Hontanas was probably a muddy slog. It is one of those places you do not see until you are there.
 
it is not rocket science. I usually bring light weight produce bags. I also bring 3 pairs of socks and hike with double socks. I usually put the bag between a pair of socks but you can wear over sock too.
bloody genius haha. I wonder if the local grocery manager will think I'm peculiar when he see's me scoping out the produce bags next trip!
 
23 Apr 2022

We did not have a good night sleeping last night. The snoring was fine, we got used to that now. It was something new. There was a young man from Sweden in the room. He did not keep his phone on vibrate; so about 1:00 am, the phone rang twice. He answered and spoke on the phone at length both times. It was hard to come back to a deep sleep afterward.

We drifted back to sleep and woke up 6:45am. We got ready and went to breakfast which we paid 3.50 EUR for. The breakfast was simple with toasts, cereals, orange juice and milk. There was coffee but we did not think we needed it.

View attachment 123453

The thing about an “all you can eat” is that it enticed people to eat more than they should. So did we. Nobody had two glasses of milk and two glasses of orange juice. I had eight (yes, eight) pieces of toasts with four bars of butter, a pack of crackers, and two packages of soft cake. Nobody and I were fully stuffed.

We took off at 7:50 am. It was cold (4 Celsius) with light sprinkling.

The stretch to Tardajos was bland with typical city parks and city sidewalks.

View attachment 123454View attachment 123455

The light sprinkling continued 10:15am when we reached Tardajos.

Tárdanos had an interesting church with a nice bell tower. A large bird, looks like a crane, had built a nest on the bell tower.

View attachment 123457

Ad soon as we left Tardajos, all h$&&, broke loose. The rain came down hard. The wind howling in excess of 20 mph. The strong wind pushed the water where it should not go. After awhile, our clothes were 95% wet.

The wet clothes stuck to our body causing out body temperature dropped rapidly. We knew we could not go far today. We were quite sure the 15 or so pilgrims on the Camino at that time felt the same.

Five kilometers to Hontanas, we were broken. All we could do at that time was putting one foot in front of the other.

The Albergue Juan de Yepes could not had came a moment too soon. We came in to get bed at 3:30pm, soaking wet.

We got a bed with out a reservation. There were two Korean pilgrims and an Australian already unpacking when we arrived. Immediately, four more came in after we did. It seemed all pilgrims started in Burgos stopped at Hontanas.

After cleaning up, we had a couple beers with CJ and Freeman from Seoul while waiting for dinner.

Dinner served at 6:30pm. Salad, rice, and dessert. The rice, cooked with chicken, was full of flavor. We had good conversations with fellow pilgrims. And everyone loved Nobody.

View attachment 123460

Cost for for today
1. Three beers: $3.86 (3.60 EUR)
2. Dinner: $12.95 (12.00 EUR)
3. Bed: $12.95 (12.00 EUR)
Wow, when we have stayed at Juan de Yepes they didn't serve dinner until 8 pm! Same meal though, chicken paella.
 
Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
Everybody loves Nobody!
Of course they do … she’s adorbs.

I have to say that I am a bit confused, however. Is Nobody a lamb or a cat? I thought she was a lamb, but that last picture looks like a cat, and you did mention her paws (not hooves) one time. Also, well, umh, she’s a bit of a lush (especially given her size), and most lambs aren’t that way, but cats? Oh, yeah, they like the sauce.
 

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