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Band of Trudgers - Virtual Camino

Hi @kaixo, my Fitbit sometimes uploads once I pass midnight and sometimes does not - I can't work out why either, but it's easiest to add the steps in the 'My Walk' section. I'm 3.5 km out of Portomarin. Should have stopped there - if it is raining as it is at home - I'll be wet sleeping under the stars. Have fun. I'm looking forward to walking a real Camino sometime and am enjoying following the way with the photos.
 
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kaixo said:
I made it to Orisson today. I enjoyed the fotos but have not found the video yet.

Anyone have experience with their Fitbit and logging steps? My steps did not upload even though my profile says it is linked.
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Hi @kaixo . To be honest I was wrong - I thought a lot of ideas would have come your way. never mind. Here is a screenshot of a thread in this forum with some suggestions of links to visual recordings of “the Camino“. Once you start, you will need your annual holiday time to be able to watch them all! Enjoy
 

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Thank you @kirkie for clarifying that the videos are on this site.
(I was looking for them on the walking4fun site.)

I’m heading out from Orisson this morning. I don’t think I’ll make it to Roncesvalles but will enjoy the views, ponies, flowers, Griffon vultures, and camino friends.
 
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Hi, Kaixo! Welcome to this band of trudgers . Lots of fun! I'm still trying to figure the ins and outs of W4F myself, and either can't find or don't have some of the features others do. However, at the end of each stage there's a message board and I've been trying to post on it, as well as on this thread. Most of the posts are from a year or more back, but still interesting to see others' thoughts and memories. I'm Jean/Bala and I'm in Najera as of this morning, Stage 9.

I'm still trying to find others on the map. I'm in a Neighbors group that I set up when I clicked on the Friends tab. It shows me the 100 walkers closest to me. My current listing doesn't go further back than Stage 2, so I don't see you yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Jeff Crawley has a good post earlier in this thread that explains Neighbors and how to find them. Worth scrolling back to find it, something I need to do myself. I think there's some way to see everyone on the Camino, but I haven't figured ot out yet.

Regardless, I'm enjoying reliving so much of my real-life Camino. Many memories, good and not-so-good , coming back. Also, I find it a real motivator to walk that little bit extra each day -- "only 2 more miles and I'll make it to the next village, instead of sleeping under the stars." That sort of thing.

I don't have a Fitbit or Garmin, I use a tracker on my phone and log my steps in manually each night.

Hope some of this helps. Buen Camino!
 
My virtual camino brought me through Santo Domingo today, close to Grañon. When we came through Santo Domingo in March this year, just before lockdown, we spent some time with a young couple who had opened a cafe bar near the cathedral for pilgrims. They were looking forward to their first full year in business on the Camino. They've been on my mind as I walked today...
 
Hello @Bala! I see you on my list of friends on W4F. But there are only 31 friends on my list for the entire camino. And there’s only two of us in stage 1. Your list is much more extensive. When I click on your name I see that you are in stage 9 at marker 120.7mi. Cool!

I located the register and left a message after my first day. Yes, it’s fun to read comments left by others. I am going to mix up my comments so they are a blend of notes and observations from my actual camino with what is really happening today on my walk. Let’s call it a virtuality post!

Do you know if it is possible to communicate with other peregrinos on the W4F site, specifically ones who are nearby?

I’ll reread the post by @Jeff Crawley to better understand the nuances of the site. Oh and my Fitbit did auto-upload after my walk this morning. Just made it to the border of France and España.

Buen camino.
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
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.
I hadn't thought about communicating with others on W4F, nice idea. I haven't seen any way to do that, so if you find a way please let us know.

Are you posting under Kaixo or some other trail name? I'll be on the lookout for you. @kirkie @lgailfh and I have been leapfrogging back and forth, everyone else on ths forum seems to be way ahead of me or already finished. Sounds like you're spending a night under the stars. I hope it's clear and not too chilly.
 
Tonight I'm somewhere between Najera and Santo Domingo, not exactly sure where. Should I call a cab and then taxi back in the morning? Or just plop down where I am, exhausted, and call it a night 🏕 , something I wouldn't dream of doing IRL? Since this is a virtual Camino and I can do whatever I want, I think I'll try camping. I hope it's a clear, dry night. I want to see the Field of Stars in all its glory.
 
Bala said:
Are you posting under Kaixo or some other trail name? I'll be on the lookout for you. Sounds like you're spending a night under the stars. I hope it's clear and not too chilly.
Click to expand...
On W4F I’m Kaixo! and I have just finished stage 1.
I’m standing at the sign on the way out of Roncesvalles that reads, Santiago de Compostela 790.
Who else took a foto standing there?
 
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I should have stopped in Espinal, now I’ll be sleeping under the stars tonight. I can’t quite figure out where I am on the camino while I’m out walking. Anyone know how to actually stop walking in a town? Besides that, I’m loving this virtual walk, the fotos, the maps,...so many good memories.
Wish there were others in stage 2 with me. Go sign up, it’s fun @ walking4fun.com

I made it up and over Alto de Mezquiriz (955m) and crossed the río Erro on the stepping-stone pillars. A guy on a bike came barreling past through the river and fell. He was fine, albeit wet. His female companion walked across the pillars carrying her bike and made it safely to the other side. Smart cookie.
 
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Bala, hi there. Today, I am at sixes and sevens! I did head out this morning, but on my bike, so it doesn't count. I am the hospitalera in my real albergue, and we are sneaking in a very close friend to share our dinner today. Neither she nor we have any exposure to bad stuff, and our meal will be basically eat and run! I told her to bring a mask with a hole in it so she can eat... I know, this is not a joke. She actually 'belongs' to us, so it is not really a transgression. @kaixo, it is a bit of a lottery, virtually. If you find yourself by a miracle on the exact spot of a town, the world is your oyster re choosing your albergue. I hope to pick up again tomorrow. This is urging me to pay real attention to what the story is for the people on the caminos, those whose livelihoods are at stake. Another impulse to focus on them as I pass through this day.
 
Ahh, @kirkie ! Your own communal dinner. What better way for a peregrino to spend an evening?

I'm still trudging along and the miles are passing by. Yesterday I stopped in Santo Domingo for a cafe con leche, then popped into the church for a few prayers and to say hello to the chickens. Since this is a virtual Camino, all is well in this lovely little town, and the pilgrim scene is lively and vibrant, just as I remember. Then it was off to Grañon, where I spent the night. In my virtual Camino, the Forum couple who served as hospitaleros a while back are there once again, and it was a full house of warmth, hospitality, and friendship. Today being Sunday, we went to mass in the parish church, then shared our communal dinner afterwards. A perfect evening. Off again this morning, but I haven't logged my current miles yet. So who knows where I'm spending tonight. Somewhere good, I'm sure. St. James provides.
 
Imagine, when I wanted to post the steps for today, up came: 8,888. That has brought me to 60% of the way from Los Arcos to Logroño. So who is around? No idea.
I fell today. My own stupidity. The local pharmacist told me to put frozen peas on the ginormous swelling on my elbow. I think he is a genius. How come I never have bright ideas like that? I think I deserve a bit of a treat so I will organise a tent with all mod cons, and wait to see what tomorrow will bring. If you pass me, just go quietly. I will catch you - or not! Tomorrow!!! Pax.
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Oh, no, @kirkie , that sounds like a real fall, not a virtual one. Hope the swelling goes down quickly and you're no worse for the wear. I will remember the recommendation for a bag of frozen peas. A practical idea.
 
I spent last night in Tosantos, just past Belorado. Only two albergues and -- somewhat against my better judgement -- I decided on the parochial. Like Grañon, it meant sleeping on the floor. Two nights in a row? Really? At my age?? But the welcome was warm, the company convivial, the communal dinner prepared with love and laughter. And after a few glasses of vino tinto, who cares about the floor? Up early this morning with the bag rustlers and off to a good start, feeling surprisingly well rested. Who knows what today will bring?
 
Bala said:
Oh, no, @kirkie , that sounds like a real fall, not a virtual one. Hope the swelling goes down quickly and you're no worse for the wear. I will remember the recommendation for a bag of frozen peas. A practical idea.
Click to expand...
It sure was a real fall! The peas trick worked like magic. In fact, going to repeat it now before i zip up the tent...!!! Cover the bag of peas with a towel or some cloth to avoid a skin burn from the cold peas.
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Hi, @kaixo. How are you getting on? John Sikora, a forum member, has some excellent videos on caminos, and it is fairly easy to find them on YouTube. Search for John Sikora, Camino Frances, YouTube, and you should be able to find the section you are on, or will be on, virtually. I am picking up on them myself, starting today. I want to get to Logroño and I have promised myself I will, today! let's see how it turns out.

edit: 14.20 gmt, 3 and a half km to go. Later. Now, a bit of a rest...
 
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Well, I made it to Logroño. Pleasant enough climate and trouble free walking. Wore my mask only in the final half hour, when I was out among the general population. Funnily enough, I met some people whose faces are very familiar... strange things happen on virtual caminos...
Now, a wee read of my current favourite book, and not a bit virtual: The Body, by Bill Bryson. It would never make it into my rucksack on a real camino, that is for sure! Night night, and off we go again in the morning.
 
@kirkie you are cruising along today! I spent last night in the tiny village of Villafranca. I'm loving checking out these small towns and cross-referencing with Gronze where I'd like to stay. Yesterday I chose a single bed at the San Anton hostel. After two nights on the floor, time to splurge! IRL my feet and knee had given out at this point and I had to taxi from Belorado to San Juan de Ortega. So at the moment, every step is new and filled with adventure. Weather's been great, too. Ideal for walking.
 
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Where are you today, @Levi ? Still walking, I hope!
 
@kaixo , how's it going for you? Any more close encounters with a bicyclist?
 
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Ok, @Levi, you shamed me into getting out! The rain has paused... so, a distance of exactly 5km on my Stepz app is saying 4.4 on my walk4fun page. Swinging along, and almost forced out of the footpath by a cyclist who gestured for me to move so he could continue to sail along on the pedestrian part, as the cyclist part is too close to the traffic. He was not best pleased when I stopped. He had to move. Normally, I say: dear self, you know what has to be done, so do it. I just decided to test him. I too cycle along that same path and would never dream of using the pedestrian part. Oh, sorry, you do not need to know this. It was lovely to get out, so once again, thanks @Levi for your encouragement.
 
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@Bala @kirkie @kaixo @Levi @Sue127, wow! Keep walking, pilgrims! I'm nearly at St Juan de Ortega. I think I will pass through there overnight while sleeping under the stars on this lovely, warm summer night I've dreamed up, lol.
Come on, @kirkie, you'll catch me up. @Bala, you're nearly level with me, unless you pass me in the night. You may be ahead by the time I wake up! @Sue127, where are you? I can't see you in my Neighbour's list yet, are you way ahead of me?
 
@igailfh , I stopped last night somewhat short of San Juan de Ortega and should be passing through today. Maybe we'll pass each other and share a cafe con leche or, better yet, vino tinto. Meanwhile, happy memories of staying in San Juan at the inn across the road from the albergue. The two brothers who run the bar are loads of fun, and Mass in the beautiful church was followed by a very moving pilgrim blessing. Afterwards, five of us had a lively pilgrim meal in front of the bar's cozy fireplace. Those were the days, my friends.
 
Hi @Levi what is your name/member number on W4F? I don’t see you in my list of friends.

I have had a peaceful walk today @Bala. No encounters with humans or dogs along the way!

I’m currently in Pamplona. My son lives in San Sebastián so he met me as I walked into town. It is great to see a familiar face and get hugs and kisses. It’s too early for the Encierra but it’s been cancelled this year anyway. I ran in 2004 and my son ran in 2012 and tonight we reminisce with vino y pintxos.

My Fitbit is doing an awesome job of logging my steps. The auto-upload is working!
 
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I almost believe you! In Pamplona! A city I know and love a lot. Enjoy all the vino and pintos. but don't get a sore head...
 
Run Forest, run!
Wow, the weather @kirkie! We have a cool morning but heading towards 90 degrees by midday. Yikes, got to get moving.

@igailfh what is your name/member number on W4F site?
 
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@Bala You did pass me while I was sleeping under the stars! Well done! @kaixo My number is #16118, my name on W4F is Squirrelly. I've added you on my Neighbours group. @Sue127 I've added you now. You're nearly there! Stage 31, so far ahead of us, lol. Fantastic stepping! @FooteK Are you Slomo? Let me know & I can add you too. I can't find @easygoing at all so maybe she has reached SdeC already. Anyway, I'm halfway to Burgos. I hope to get there maybe tomorrow, not enough steps today. But it's Saturday tomorrow so hopefully. I have been to Burgos before (coach tour in 2013) but didn't see enough of it. Looking forward to seeing more!
 
I made it to Burgos yesterday, but was 2km short of the city centre. So I guess I'll be there for breakfast in the morning, & I'll have a look around before I start walking again. W4F had some great pics of statues, I'd love to follow a statue trail around Burgos!
 
I made it to Burgos today too...
Burgos is where I began my first Camino in April 2015. How scared I was as I set off down the street following the yellow arrows....
I thought it was a 'once in a lifetime' thing, but six months later I was back - and I've been back in Spain and Portugal walking caminos every year since. Very thankful.

Burgos is also where this year's camino ended with lock down in early March. We got to the city, the albergues were closing and pilgrims were on their phones booking flights home...

The world had changed.

So, it's on to the virtual meseta now...

Buen caminos Trudgers.
 
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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,-
Greetings! I am about halfway from Logroño to Najera. Will they still have the sign that read: In Najera, everyone is a Najerino. Well it was all in Spanish but the message was very clear. While you are with us, you are one of us. Is it also on this stretch that there was a poem? And a fence with crosses fashioned and woven into the sections? i will see... Solstice day, depending on how you read the skies. In reality, in this place, Dublin: warm, humid, rain winding itself up to unleash a dose of bucketfuls upon us. Glad I got in my first 50 minutes this morning... we’ll see what the rest of the day allows. On my walk I took a couple of photos, for the where did you walk thread. I will post them later, shower and other business now... buen camino, friends!
 
Camino Jewellery
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I arrived in the little village of Hontanas Saturday night, choosing a virtual stay at Juan de Yepes hostel where, of course, I signed up for the homemade paella pilgrim dinner and "mom's" homemade quince dessert. My weather here at home must be pretty much what it's like on the meseta right now, blistering hot under a relentless sun. 🌡 Once it cools down a bit this evening I'll head off again, hoping to make it to the German association's donativo San Nicholas, a stay I'm sorry I missed in 2018. Happy walking!
 
Whoopee-I’ve arrived in Santiago after a visit (for real) to the physio this morning for a knee massage. So excited to have arrived virtually, can’t imagine what it will be like to finally arrive for real. Off for a well earned meal, any suggestions?
 
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Congratulations! You deserve something nice. I have only two experiences of pilgrim eating in Santiago that I remember. One is Casa Manolo, cheap and very cheerful. The other is a very popular
restaurant a few doors to the right when you exit after getting your Compostela. Sorry I can’t remember the name. I know every restaurant is popular, but it was a local woman who introduced us to that one...and of course you need a slice of tarta de Santiago...
 
The Restaurante Tarará? I understand that they are currently open and serving take out meals!
 
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Well done you!

Please give the Saint a responsibly Socially Distanced hug for me - I've still a loooooooooooong way to go, currently counting my chickens in Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Idea: print the image and find someone to make you one. I would be too lazy for that. I would print it and put it in a freezer bag and find a way to attach it to my backpack... virtually speaking. Actually, yes, it is a beauty of a badge. Wear it with aplomb, Sir Jeff!
 
Maybe Ivar can help....
 
Promote your Camino Project on the forum
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Bearing in mind the profits from this go towards the upkeep of a refugio struggling with the present difficulties . . .
 
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Jeff Crawley said:
Bearing in mind the profits from this go towards the upkeep of a refugio struggling with the present difficulties . . .
Click to expand...
Oh dear, I thought it was just a personal gift, Jeff, I didn't realise the story behind it. Else I would not have been so cheap with my suggestion. Sorry about that.
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
kirkie said:
Oh dear, I thought it was just a personal gift, Jeff, I didn't realise the story behind it. Else I would not have been so cheap with my suggestion. Sorry about that.
Click to expand...
No, don't be silly. That one was a gift, from a long time friend (from my first Camino in 2001) who lives in Canada, but there's no reason why an enterprising person couldn't get their own design together - look at the lovely ones Ivar sells.

Competition time for a Forum C19 patch maybe?
 
@Sue127 Congratulations! That's fab! You are marvellous! That's quite an achievement during a pandemic. Have you got great walks around your home area? Enjoy the excitement & keep anticipating the RL arrival. So well walked, Sue! 🐿 Squirrelly
 
igailfh said:
@Sue127 Congratulations! That's fab! You are marvellous! That's quite an achievement during a pandemic. Have you got great walks around your home area? Enjoy the excitement & keep anticipating the RL arrival. So well walked, Sue! 🐿 Squirrelly
Click to expand...
I don’t have many walk really close by though I am lucky to own fields. Many of my steps were clocked up working outside and walking the dogs. I’m planning on doing a longer one soon along a nearby river, asking my OH to drop me maybe 20km away and then I walk home. I haven’t done any long walks for quite a while, but have walked more than 25 km/day when doing the coast to coast in the U.K. (though that was a few years ago). So looking forward to walking for real.
 
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I am really trudging, virtually. About 10km to reach Najera. Today is actually weather to match the virtual route. I just closed the shutters and the curtains to keep the albergue cool. I learned the benefit of that in Zaragoza many moons ago. I intensely dislike being in the gloom, but the proof is in the fact that the house stays cool. So, siesta time, yippee!
 
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A selection of Camino Jewellery
Hi, fellow trudgers . I'm part-way into the 18-km stretch out of Carrion de los Condes, so I guess it was another night under the stars. . I hope it was as pleasant as our evening here at home. (And I hope I stocked up on food before heading out for the night. ) With a little luck the food truck partway through will be open this morning for my cafe con leche and some fruit. @igailfh we seem to be walking almost side by side the past few days , so let's plan on stopping for a well-deserved ice cream and lemon Kas when we get to the next village.
 
Getting there. Another 6 or so to go. Maybe I will make it to the albergue this evening. The actual path is usually all for me but today I had to walk through the smoke of a barbecue and then had a wee chat with some other vecinos. They were curious as to why I had three plastic bottles filled with water standing against the gate... they were happy to have their curiosity satisfied.
 
Good job it wasn’t a night like here, in Normandy. We had a fantastic storm, thunder, lightening, high winds and rain. You’d have been a little damp. Hope you meet up, if not with Kirkie then another pilgrim, to share ice-cream
 
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
I must have just conked out, with the oppressive clammy heat. Ah well, a pot of coffee to start me off, I spy a coffee machine ahead, and a little half hour walking will impel me. I should reach Najera! before lunch...
Getting there! and yes! the poem is still there!

I found a thread on said poem, and here it is, so you can follow it up if you want to.
 
Thank you Kirkie; that was such an interesting thread and I may have passed the poem, knowing nothing.
 
On the real CF, we arrived at the new/temporary albergue with beds for 100 persons in one large room. It was a tight ship, run with precision by a hospitalera who knew what she was doing. It was the holiday for a band of young people and they delivered a massive box of bocadillos for all and any pilgrims. We also had free access to the lovely swimming pools with grass all around to lounge on. No cultural visits happened! I am nearly there. Just a little extra effort and i can check out the virtual procedure for arriving nowadays...
 
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A selection of Camino Jewellery
Sounds wonderful. Where is this @kirkie?
 
I love this poem. We said it in 5 (maybe 6?) languages at the prayer service at La Faba. As the only native speaker of English in the group, I had the privilege of reading it in English. So moving, so touching, and at that particular point in my journey it was difficult to make it through without dissolving into tears. Yes, who called me? Who still calls me?

Good memories.
 
Najera. I made it. Never the same, though. Water never stands still. Thinking of lots of people affected by Covid 19.
Oops, I had so many balls juggling in the air yesterday I thought I had posted this.
In real life I was doing the equivalent of trying to fit into my sister's clothes when she was away at college: she always found out. I was actually trying to force a powerpoint into an attachment but it was too large. A whizz kid I know took my poor effort and turned it into a lovely mp4 and it is parked in my dropbox now for the people connected with it to access without any trouble. Why did I not think of that? I will play around with that before the end of this virtual CF!
Tiptoe to the bathroom, back to the virtual bottom bunk, six rows along, middle right...
 
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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.

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Off I went, and am having a break. For how long?! Gosh, I had better not get too used to this virtual style of walking a camino. Not with the Baztan on my horizon, whenever that will be. Did you all hear of the folk who camped above a football pitch, and then a game started, rather late, lasting till 11pm! They were kind to write about it so nobody else would get caught out! (stage 9, after Najera)
 
Half way to Santo Domingo, from Najera. Ah well, the weather is perfect, I will set up the tent shortly. Hasta mañana chicos! (Inclusive language)
 
Trudging along.

IRL the weather has been perfect, so I've been doing a lot of walking. On my virtual Camino, I spent a night with the wonderful Benedictine monks in Sahagun (who are open IRL, if I read correctly ), got my Halfway Certificate (for some reason more valued than my Compustela ), celebrated mass with the sisters, and then enjoyed a fabulous communal dinner. One of the best places on the Camino.

Headed off this morning, not sure where I'll end up. But that's what it's all about. Yes?
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
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,-
Wow! @Bala, you've raced past me again, lol, but I'm through Sahagun & walking on. Bala, you're on Stage 19, I'm on S 18, & @Levi is on S 17. We could have a socially distanced picnic maybe. Have you seen @kaixo is powering along? @Canterbury Pilgrim, @kirkie, & Kaixo are all close. I think @Sue127 might be at Finisterre by now. I wonder if she'll go on somewhere else? IRL I had a great walk on Sunday with my local Camino Pilgrim group. It was great to have the chance to walk & talk, though we did try to keep some distance. No-one wants to be sent home again. I hope you're all well & happy, walking in the sunshine on our virtual Camino.
 
Hi there! how lovely to reach Santo Domingo. It is raining. Never mind.
I wonder, what the chances are? I will have a wee sit down and then try to find out...
 
@kirkie, well done! @Bala, when I entered my steps this morning I had passed you again - by .1 of a kilometre! So close, time for a glass of sangria? Lol!
 
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@igailfh Thanks for the update on where our fellow forum members are. I think I've just about gotten everyone's forum name and trail name correctly, except @Jeff Crawley . Are you @Canterbury Pilgrim?
 
Little by little, one step at a time. A visit to a beautiful baptismal font in Redecilla del Camino, and a short break to take off socks and shoes and give them a bit of air. Heaven! Up and off we go, adelante!
 
Camino Preparation Guide
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.
Well, I just work with clay and the font predates me by rather a lot, so... !!! I take no credit!
Imagine! I am within shouting distance of my destination for today, Belorado. I will trudge a few more steps, because I want to go to the same albergue we went to in 2006. I can't wait to get showered and into my relaxing clothes and get the feet into the teeny weeny little pool. This isn't the pool, but it gives you the idea. The cold and wonderfully soothing water... bliss.

 
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Stage 11, 241.2km. By this stage on the real camino, I would have been over my blisters. This time - ha! By some strange miracle - not a blister in sight. And here I say loud and clear: my walking companion is a medical doctor, but more important, she has experience of living in the Basque Country, and of wild walking. She used the needle, the betadine, the thread, the plasters... and they worked a treat on me. So, don’t do as I do, but hope your blisters heal up as safely as mine did.
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
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.
250.1km walked. On the real CF, the first photo was one of a few photos taken, showing my response to the challenges ahead - Villafranca Montes de Oca. My inner thoughts: are you serious? I could see the rise and dips far ahead. The real photo in the albergue in Belorado showed up just now, so here it is.

 
Yay, nice to see you, Kirkie. I found a better remedy for blisters. My first Caminos I had so many blisters, so painful, & a nurse walking with me did the needle & thread thing for me. The blisters healed & then I grew a new crop, lost two nails, etc. Next Camino I hoped for the best but got blisters anyway. After a week I switched to open sandals & bye bye blisters! I walked the rest of the Camino, walked Hadrian's Wall, & did lots of sightseeing on foot. No more blisters! Haha, I like sandals!
 
Good to hear from you, @igailfh and that your go to cure is to wear sandals. I alternate. My keen sandals are so old they make my feet cringe, and my new Merrill ones are still the new kids on the block. I do prefer shoes though, with regular airing stops. It will be a while till I try that regime out on any camino. No problem. virtual is good enough for me at this point. Where are you right now? Virtually speaking of course...
 
Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 30 to April 2
On and on I go. This would never do on a real camino! However, it is very pleasant. No rush, no need for foot care, and the magic albergue is always open and ready to offer a cuppa. I am still heading to San Juan de Ortega. There, in real life, a German pilgrim shared his enormous bocadillo with us. We did not stay there, we kept on plodding on...
 
No walking for me today, the rain is coming in torrents. So it's a good time to take a rest.

I ended yesterday somewhere shortly past Astorga, where I seriously overindulged on chocolate and churros. After all, it's a virtual Camino and I can eat as much as I want. I'm looking forward arriving in the lovely little village of Rabanal, where IRL I spend a wonderful three nights on retreat with the monks. If this rain keeps up, I may do it again. Otherwise, on to Foncebadon and then an early morning arrival at the Cruz de Ferro.

Slowly but surely making my way to Santiago. I'm really impressed with how far I've come since the end of May. Even if I do say so myself.
 
Well, I've been the lovely city of Léon today. No, hang on, that was Newcastle, Co Down where the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea .

I once spent a lovely and luxurious night in the Parador in Léon. Hope to do that again some day!

Onwards....
 
More 2024 Camino Guides available
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
We went in to have look around in 2006. The pilgrim rate would have stolen a good few of our rations for the rest of the camino! However, it did calm the savage breast to be in out of the heat, and in a space of quiet comfort. I think I will stop short of including a version of the Mountains of Mourne sweeping down to the sea!
 
Ho hum... in Atapuerca. On the real stop in Atapuerca, a friend came from Pamplona and picked up 3kg of stuff we knew we did not need to carry. I think it took her about two hours driving... On this virtual camino, I have been dilly dallying, and am on day 39!!! sitting out, virtually, in the garden, airing the feet and just breathing in and out. I will have a look for the restaurant where we ate, that day in 2006. It was on the way out of the village, on the right hand side. Isn't the brain amazing? I mean, why did that piece of useless information stay hidden in a crevice and then just now - up it popped! I have just begun a book: The Idea of A Brain. I look forward to learning a lot.
 
On and on, and gladly on, I go... Half way to Burgos today. I can smell my second breakfast coming down the track! No matter how I try, this photo keeps coming up when i try to post one of the way ahead... ah well, maybe i am dreaming and I am actually still in Dublin, out at the wooden bridge...
 
Camino Jewellery
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Hi everybody, I too have passed Atapuerca and have Burgos in my sights (have been busy studying and consequently dragging my feet) so 270ish kilometres down the road or 1/3 of the way to SdC!
Soon be time to make an important decision . . . How to tackle Burgos?
Do I:
  1. turn left where the old Civil Guard barracks was and head south through the refuse tip?
  2. turn left and head down towards the river way - must admit have never walked that way
  3. turn right and go north of the airport, and trudge my way through the heart of town and past what must be the biggest Bridgstone Tyre factory in the world
  4. or turn right, get to the Buenos Aires hotel, go into the bar and have a chilled glass of Clara while I wait for the bus to take me to the Old Theatre?
Seeing as I'll be staying at the Meson del Cid . . . . yep, I think I'll done my C19 mask and catch the bus.

Anybody in Burgos in a couple of days time the ice creams are on me . . .



Heladeria Italiana, just along from the Paseo del Espolón along the river

Hasta pronto!
 
You must have been hiding as I swept past . . . .

 
EXPRESS BOURRICOT - Transport
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
So, I am 4km short of Burgos. What do you recommend? Given the lackadaisical manner of ambling along thus far - I could just twitch my nose and ask Samantha to magic me along the river path and into the old large albergue, if it is still there. Our trick used to be - go as near to the starting point for the following day. Don’t just take the first one... and en route today, a podiatry visit. Walking on air now!
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
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.
Well, seeing as it'll be 23 degrees in Burgos tomorrow and as how I've walked the full length of Burgos 3 times out of the 4 I've been there . . . . I'll catch the bus
6.6km out of a journey of 779 isn't going to hurt!
You didn't say which flavour ice cream
 
Cuajada, canela, goshua...whatever. And , generous offer. The vino has to be on me, then. And Morcilla? Queso?
 
Missed you, Jeff. Hope you acted smart and took both ice creams. I am a bit sad on this virtual camino today. Some pilgrims who most likely are not forum members are causing upset to locals by not respecting current restrictions. I might have to shut up shop and come back when the picture is brighter. Thanks for all your encouragement, and to my fellow walkers. See you when the coast is clear.
 
More 2024 Camino Guides available
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Heading into Rabé de las Calzadas and possibly the most famous piece of graffiti along the whole of the Camino



while sporting my newly arrived patch on my daybag

 
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