Arriving here had been difficult since the CF path from Zubiri was covered with ice and snow; I had mainly walked on the verges of route N-135.
As the only pilgrim I could sleep not in the dorm but in a tiny cell behind the church altar in my sleeping bag covered with their blankets but NO heat ! All truly was freezing!!
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.
Camino Frances
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port,
55 rue de la Citadelle
photo taken October 13, 2015
The famous red door of the municipal albergue with its welcoming shell was ajar. Crossing that special threshold symbolically always began my new camino adventure; it is a magical entrance to another way of life, the camino way....Serendipity prevails.
For me the Camino Frances could ONLY begin at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, this picturesque Basque mountain town in the French Pyrenees.
From the Baztan, 2017.
Nearing the top of the highest hill of this short but hilly camino, the way climbs above tree line on an ancient road. The edges are marked by massive standing stones, presumably winter waymarks.
16 March 2024,
VDLP section between Embalse del Alcántara and Cañaveral. Ghostly sheep appearing in the mist. A beautiful day. My walking friend and I continued to Grimaldo because (there no longer being an Albergue at the embalse ) we had taken a taxi from
Casar de Cásares to the embalse ..to start the day from the embalse …. .
Camino Frances
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Porte de Saint Jacques
photo taken October 14, 2015
A new day was dawning in the eastern sky beyond the medieval Porte; soon my last camino would begin as I turned away from the Porte to walk west toward Orreaga/Roncesvalles on the original pass through the mountains which rises from the Cols des Cize/Urhart-Cize on the east to Ibaneta on the west.
Levaniego + Vadiniense.
Cuevas de Altamira.
I took advantage of the afternoon visiting the caves of Altamira.
A very important prehistoric site. Two kilometres from Santillana del Mar.
I took the following photo in Le Puy as I started on the Via Podiensis in May 2022 ...
I was a little disappointed. I thought I could make out that it was a scallop shell that basically indicated the transition from the city of Le Puy, into the Camino countryside. I wished I could have gotten a higher perspective. But then I realized there is a better perspective ... from Google maps! Et voilá
Just after dawn in a cold mist I set off alone thrilled to be moving towards new adventures on this 3rd CF but my first in winter. As always I would follow the Valcarlos alternate route.
Signage on the Valcarlos route often included miniscule yellow arrows rather randomly attached to trees, logs, etc. One often hoped that you were going the right way!
Hi all .. quiet time of the year, up here in England hunkered down against the winter wolf ... so .. idle thought and based on the dinner guest question.
If you could walk on Camino with someone...
A Pontevedra news website has an article about a proposal to allow reservations to be made for Xunta albergues. The idea was raised at a meeting of hospitaleros last year and is being supported by...
Hi all,
I am thinking about taking my baby (she will be about 4-5 months) on the camino this spring.
I have walked quite a few caminos and I think the Frances or Portuguese would be a good...
Hi everyone! I’m so grateful for this forum. I’ve already learned so much.
I’m doing the GR65- Via Podeinsis followed by the Camino francés from August -November of 2025. I have my ticket...
Musings post-Camino:
As I continue to process and digest my Camino experience this past summer, I’m struggling trying to understand why this has been such a huge deal for me, and puzzled why for...
Has anyone taken one-to-one Spanish lessons online with Spanish teacher prior to a camino? Did you find you got good value doing it over Zoom versus an in-person Spanish class? I’m wondering if 10...
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