Via de Bayona, May 18th and onward...

[KinkyOne]

It is what it is, I just bought plane tickets from Venice/Treviso to London/Stansted and Biarritz for May 17th. I'll arrive in Biarritz at 17:05, no hurry to get to Bayonne train station, hopefully meet some other pilgrims-to-be and stay overnight in Bayonne.
Still have to contact accommodation options especially donativo @ Catharina & Gregory if that's still valid.

Plan is to start on May 18th:
01 - Ciboure (23,3kms), have to contact Centre Leo Lagrange if overnight stay is possible though, so this one is not really sure yet,
02 - Irun (12,5kms), reload last year's Spanish SIM card, do some sight seeing and rest my feet from tarmac road walking,
03 - Santiagomendi (20,4kms), this one also to be confirmed,
04 - Tolosa (26kms),
05 - Beasain (20,8kms),
06 - Zegama (15,9kms), very slowly as you can see, but 900kms more to walk to Fisterra ,
07 - Salvatierra/Agurain (21,9kms),
08 - Vitoria/Gasteiz (30,4kms)
09 - rest day
10 - La Puebla de Arganzon (18,9kms),
11 - Miranda de Ebro (19,6kms)
12 - Pancorbo (17kms),
13 - Briviesca (23,3kms),
14 - Monasterio de Rodilla (19,3kms),
15 - Burgos (28,6kms), June 1st (?).

I may combine two stages here or there but this plan allows me to meet my two friends from Slovenia exactly in Burgos as they will start from SJPdP on 19th or even 20th May.

From Burgos I'll walk to Leon and enjoy my beloved Meseta, maybe meet Rebekah in Moratinos, visit Croatian owner of the bar in Bercianos del Real Camino, then head north to Oviedo on San Salvador, turn back SW to Frances on Primitivo and continue past Santiago to Fisterra. Rough plan is to end the whole thing on July 11th but gave myself few days more for return in case of really bad weather etc. Et cetera would be mostly my laziness I guess

I saw that about 6 forum members are starting on May 17/18th from SJPdP so it's very likely we will meet somewhere on the way. Short beard, moustache, eye-glasses, castro cap, forum badge on backpack and beer on the table in front of me. You're invited!

Ultreia!
And hopefully see some of you this time

 

[anniethenurse]

Buen camino!
I walked from Hendaye to La Puebla and to Santo Domingo all the way to SDC (Camino Vasco del Interior) a couple of years ago. The Easter week on the Vasco. 29 days to SDc (in extremely bad weather. It was snowing, raining, thunder storms and hailing 23 of 29 days). But happy I did it!

 

[KinkyOne]

Buen camino!
I walked from Hendaye to La Puebla and to Santo Domingo all the way to SDC (Camino Vasco del Interior) a couple of years ago. The Easter week on the Vasco. 29 days to SDc (in extremely bad weather. It was snowing, raining, thunder storms and hailing 23 of 29 days). But happy I did it!

I think I remember reading your posts on that. I've compiled info from so many different sources but I'm sure yours was one of them. Thanks

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Kinky
Looks a great itinerary you have here.
I imagine you've seen my posts already in this Vasco section but just a couple of points.
Santiagomendi - unstaffed, we rang the number on the door (which is on Gronze as well I think) . It's set up for school/hiking parties but we were the only people there that night. Big proper kitchen if you bring food to cook. Nearest bar about 20 mins walk was a bit run down.
Beasain to Zegama. This can be a lovely stage. Firstly recommend the alt route out of the road/valley, up into the hills to Olaberria . Second, you'll have time to walk all around the fab little mediaeval town of Segura. Then, if the weather is OK I really recommend the alternative hilly route via Zerain which is easy to make. Zerain is a lovely friendly village with bar/shop/tourist office together and across the tiny square is the primary school cum albergue. Impressively strong local cheese http://zerain.com/shop,seccion,6, interesting local crafts and sello from the shop. Then GR route through wooded hills to Zegama. You don't really want to arrive too early in Zegama which is pretty nondescript with basic albergue.
Vitoria Gasteiz - you will of course be taking the guided tour of the old Cathedral Santa Maria (next door to the albergue) which is truly wonderful.
La Puebla de Arganzon - if you arrive in time for lunch someone will give you directions across the tracks to the Restaurante La Legua..
I'm feeling happy just remembering it all.
Have a great trip sir.

 

[KinkyOne]

Hola, Tom!

I also remember to be reading your posts in the past
Now I'm a bit surprised that Santiagomendi is unstaffed, because I remember photos of quite large dinning room there and I thought it must've been kind of albergue turistico at least. But I have a plan to rang in advance to check availability. I'll get there on Friday and want to be sure about my bed. Nearest bar 20 minutes away? Is that already in Astigarraga?

I have info that camino goes through Olaberria (3,9kms from Beasain) so I'll see it but Zerain seems a little bit out of the way after Segura although plenty of time because of so short stage. No problem even if I get lost for a few kilometers If there really is an albergue I just might stay there and add these few kilometers to Zegama to the next day stage which will still remain under 30kms. I guess in albergue are just beds and maybe a shower, no kitchen etc.?

Ah, yes, Vitoria/Gasteiz looks just wonderful from the photos on internet. I really want to spend another day there. And as I understood from posts it's possible to stay for two nights in albergue.

In La Puebla de Arganzon in Rte.La Legua they do only lunch? No dinner? We'll see.

Thanks for additional info, Tom!

 

[NualaOC]

Buen Camino @KinkyOne, I look forward to reading your posts about this route. We will arrive in Bayonne a week after you to walk the Ruta del Baztan.

 

[KinkyOne]

Buen Camino @KinkyOne, I look forward to reading your posts about this route. We will arrive in Bayonne a week after you to walk the Ruta del Baztan.

Err, now you got me... I'm so lazy with my diaries that I still didn't post anything about my last year's Levante & Sanabres so I really don't know about this year. But I'll try

Do you plan to continue on CF after Pamplona? Maybe we'll meet further on the way.

Anyway have a nice Camino!

 

[NualaOC]

No worries, my mistake. I had a vague recollection of reading your posts last year but I probably got that wrong.

We're only walking as far as Los Arcos or Logrono this time. Our 'main' Camino this year will be the Del Salvador and Primitivo in September/October - which I see you are also doing.

 

[KinkyOne]

No worries, my mistake. I had a vague recollection of reading your posts last year but I probably got that wrong.

We're only walking as far as Los Arcos or Logrono this time. Our 'main' Camino this year will be the Del Salvador and Primitivo in September/October - which I see you are also doing.

Maybe you were reading my Madrid & Invierno journal from 2014

 

[jprogers]

Hi there Buen Camino- I have memories of a great walk. I also have memories of great food in that area.

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi there Buen Camino- I have memories of a great walk. I also have memories of great food in that area.

Thank you

 

[peregrino_tom]

The bar near Santiagomendi is down the road Santio Zeharra Kalea which I can see on google maps. Maybe only ten minutes away but it felt longer! The actual bar is about 200m past where it is marked on google (as Josune Zubillaga Olazabal) keep going and it is at the back of the long white building - I just visited it on google earth!
Glad to hear you plan to go to Olaberria, very scenic and the cherries may just be ripe on the trees by then. The hospitaleros in Beasain were saying it's just less bother to stay on the valley road. I disagree.
Zerain - when you come out of the walled fortifications of Segura you can look across the valley and see Zerain on the side of the hill. When you get down to the main road, there's a GR red&white path that will take you through the fields and woods to Zerain, instead of going left to roundabout and right and along the road.
The albergue is referenced here http://www.gronze.com/pais-vasco/guipuzcoa/zerain/albergue-harizti-erdi . The only problem with staying there is that the next day there is 800m ascent from Zegama and if it's hot you'll arrive there later in the day to start it.. but one day I will go back and stay in Zerain because it's a special village.
V-G - yes, we had no problem staying 2 nights at the albergue but the rate might be a little higher the 2nd night. But that is offset because the albergue or being a pilgrim gets you a discount to the cathedral tour.
The La Legua in Puebla is like a lunchtime cantina with about 60 covers and a charcoal barbecue about twice the length of a pilgrim's bed. Once you've had lunch there dinner will no longer seem important ;-))

 

[KinkyOne]

I tried to reserve myself a bed for the first night in Bayonne on May 17th before I set out to Urrugne albergue (most possibly as it's much cheaper than the option in Ciboure). Anyway Catharina which offers donativo stay in Bayonne today informed me that unfortunatelly she won't be in Bayonne on the day of my arrival. Therefore she sent me additional updated info on accommodation in Bayonne and all the way to Irun. With spreadsheet of accommodation for Norte/Primitivo combo. They are all attached but only in French.

Ultreia!

 

[KinkyOne]

For further information as I already wrote in another thread (not in this section) there are two routes that share majority of the lenght: Via de Bayona (Bayonne - Burgos) and Camino Vasco del Interior (Irun - Sto.Domingo de la Calzada). The shared portion is from Irun to Estavillo. As I discovered it is easier to find info on CVdI but with some additional search you can get all the info needed for VdB also. I'll post few links that could be helpful:
http://todosloscaminosdesantiago.com/caminos/camino-vascointerior/
http://caminosantiagoviadebayona.com/Etapas/Etapa1/tabid/378/language/en-US/Default.aspx (look under Etapas in navigation bar, cointaining some photo material)
http://www.angelpilger.net/camvasint.html
http://www.caminosantiago.org/cpperegrino/caminos/caminover.asp?CaminoId=51
http://www.caminosnorte.org/cainterior.html (scroll down to etapas to get more info)
http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/routes/details/tunel.html
http://viabayonabureba.blogspot.si/p/blog-page_17.html
http://www.todocaminosantiago.com/en/via-de-bayona/
http://www.mundicamino.com/los-caminos/59/via-de-bayona/
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/vasco/
http://www.gronze.com/camino-vasco

So you can see there's more than enough info out there to compile the data you think would be useful on either of these two Caminos.

2,5 more days and I'll start from Bayonne

 

[jpflavin1]

Hola, Tom!

I also remember to be reading your posts in the past
Now I'm a bit surprised that Santiagomendi is unstaffed, because I remember photos of quite large dinning room there and I thought it must've been kind of albergue turistico at least. But I have a plan to rang in advance to check availability. I'll get there on Friday and want to be sure about my bed. Nearest bar 20 minutes away? Is that already in Astigarraga?

I have info that camino goes through Olaberria (3,9kms from Beasain) so I'll see it but Zerain seems a little bit out of the way after Segura although plenty of time because of so short stage. No problem even if I get lost for a few kilometers If there really is an albergue I just might stay there and add these few kilometers to Zegama to the next day stage which will still remain under 30kms. I guess in albergue are just beds and maybe a shower, no kitchen etc.?

Ah, yes, Vitoria/Gasteiz looks just wonderful from the photos on internet. I really want to spend another day there. And as I understood from posts it's possible to stay for two nights in albergue.

In La Puebla de Arganzon in Rte.La Legua they do only lunch? No dinner? We'll see.

Thanks for additional info, Tom!

KinkyOne:

The mountain route Tom speaks of is a great alternative from Zerain to Zegema. As I recall it was not marked well in the beginning but after that it is pretty intuitive.

Any particular reason you are going to Burgos versus Santo Domingo? You will be missing one of the best views coming down from the hills to the Brinas/Haro. This area is also full of wineries. Connecting at SDdlC also allows you to stop in Granon, my favorite albergue on the Frances.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[KinkyOne]

KinkyOne:

The mountain route Tom speaks of is a great alternative from Zerain to Zegema. As I recall it was not marked well in the beginning but after that it is pretty intuitive.

Any particular reason you are going to Burgos versus Santo Domingo? You will be missing one of the best views coming down from the hills to the Brinas/Haro. This area is also full of wineries. Connecting at SDdlC also allows you to stop in Granon, my favorite albergue on the Frances.

Ultreya,
Joe

Hola, Joe!
I'm in Hernani right now partly due to full accommodations I was planning to stay in. It's weekend and Spaniards are out
Marking so far is extremely and surprisingly good, absolutely no need to read the guide.
We will see about that after Zerain.

Why Burgos? Because it's longer and I can enjoy being alone. Furthermore I'm meeting two of my friends there. For Granon I think I wouldn't like it. I have a bit different viewpoint on religion and spirituality, but let's not go into that otherwise I'll be banned

 

[jpflavin1]

Hola, Joe!
I'm in Hernani right now partly due to full accommodations I was planning to stay in. It's weekend and Spaniards are out
Marking so far is extremely and surprisingly good, absolutely no need to read the guide.
We will see about that after Zerain.

Why Burgos? Because it's longer and I can enjoy being alone. Furthermore I'm meeting two of my friends there. For Granon I think I wouldn't like it. I have a bit different viewpoint on religion and spirituality, but let's not go into that otherwise I'll be banned

KinkyOne:

The Vasco is a remote, Pilgrim wise, but very enjoyable route. I was actually happy to hit the Frances and enjoy the Communal aspect it offers. Granon is a very communal stop. I was not speaking from a spiritual or religious aspect. It has a wonderful open area for interaction and I enjoy the communal meal.

This type of place (Granon) is reflective of or more like what I envision Pilgrimages used to be like.

Glad to hear you are enjoying the Vasco so far. I found it a bit pedestrian until Besain but after that very enjoyable.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Maya Amanecer 2015]

Hi K1,


I haven't been keeping up with the forum and so I missed your plans for another camino this year. Ole for you, and Buen Camino to you. I'm resting in Muxia tonight before heading back to Portugal tomorrow. I need some sun, beaches and warm weather after walking on so much tarmac on the CdPortugues in lots of rain!

MA (aka Dawn)

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi K1,


I haven't been keeping up with the forum and so I missed your plans for another camino this year. Ole for you, and Buen Camino to you. I'm resting in Muxia tonight before heading back to Portugal tomorrow. I need some sun, beaches and warm weather after walking on so much tarmac on the CdPortugues in lots of rain!

MA (aka Dawn)

Hi, Dawn

Long time no see. Me too unaware of your Caminho Portugues. But we're both in Spain at the moment if nothing else.
Hope you have a wonderlul time after your Caminho.

B.

 

[Thornley]

It is what it is, I just bought plane tickets from Venice/Treviso to London/Stansted and Biarritz for May 17th. I'll arrive in Biarritz at 17:05, no hurry to get to Bayonne train station, hopefully meet some other pilgrims-to-be and stay overnight in Bayonne.
Still have to contact accommodation options especially donativo @ Catharina & Gregory if that's still valid.

Plan is to start on May 18th:
01 - Ciboure (23,3kms), have to contact Centre Leo Lagrange if overnight stay is possible though, so this one is not really sure yet,
02 - Irun (12,5kms), reload last year's Spanish SIM card, do some sight seeing and rest my feet from tarmac road walking,
03 - Santiagomendi (20,4kms), this one also to be confirmed,
04 - Tolosa (26kms),
05 - Beasain (20,8kms),
06 - Zegama (15,9kms), very slowly as you can see, but 900kms more to walk to Fisterra ,
07 - Salvatierra/Agurain (21,9kms),
08 - Vitoria/Gasteiz (30,4kms)
09 - rest day
10 - La Puebla de Arganzon (18,9kms),
11 - Miranda de Ebro (19,6kms)
12 - Pancorbo (17kms),
13 - Briviesca (23,3kms),
14 - Monasterio de Rodilla (19,3kms),
15 - Burgos (28,6kms), June 1st (?).

I may combine two stages here or there but this plan allows me to meet my two friends from Slovenia exactly in Burgos as they will start from SJPdP on 19th or even 20th May.

From Burgos I'll walk to Leon and enjoy my beloved Meseta, maybe meet Rebekah in Moratinos, visit Croatian owner of the bar in Bercianos del Real Camino, then head north to Oviedo on San Salvador, turn back SW to Frances on Primitivo and continue past Santiago to Fisterra. Rough plan is to end the whole thing on July 11th but gave myself few days more for return in case of really bad weather etc. Et cetera would be mostly my laziness I guess

I saw that about 6 forum members are starting on May 17/18th from SJPdP so it's very likely we will meet somewhere on the way. Short beard, moustache, eye-glasses, castro cap, forum badge on backpack and beer on the table in front of me. You're invited!

Ultreia!
And hopefully see some of you this time

Hi Kinky,
The lady i live with , HRH , wishes to do this with my niece living in San Sebastian,
I was asked if they have a La Poste or any other luggage transportation on Vasco.
The reason is we have to be in Lisbon later that month and she has a few extra clothes for the stay there,
Any assistance appreciated as i don't have the book yet .

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi Kinky,
The lady i live with , HRH , wishes to do this with my niece living in San Sebastian,
I was asked if they have a La Poste or any other luggage transportation on Vasco.
The reason is we have to be in Lisbon later that month and she has a few extra clothes for the stay there,
Any assistance appreciated as i don't have the book yet .

Hola, Thornley,

I don't remember any pilgrim orientated mochilla transport service on this route but I think it can be done via taxi service if you stay in private accommodation because vast majority of albergues are "call-in-advance" type and I don't think they'd be willing to accept and guard your luggage.

I'm sure it would be the best to send these extra clothes directly to Lisbon. Maybe Lusitania friends might help with hold on place. Or if you book with a hotel.

Anyway I hope you'll enjoy this route. You decided for Via de Bayona or Vasco del Interior?