Day 24 hospital de orbigo to astorga

~16k went to bed early last night feeling exhausted and was asleep before 9pm in the beautifully restored german alburgue, to be woken up at ~1.30 by biggish Spanish lady in tartan pyjamas, who was shining her torch and rummaging around with lots of plastic, oh the sound of the camino.

Lights on at 7.30am not so bad, i'm up packed and ready for my last day on this camino by 8am. Still dark of course and much to my dismay not a single place is open for cafe con leche, well never mind, I have a 12.50 bus to catch from astorga so on I go. The lights of the town help illuminate the way and it is dawn on the outskirts following a red earth stony path. The scenery is much improved over the last 2 days, rolling hills, the colours red and green with threatening clouds ahead, no moon and at first little sun, then none, drizzle followed by rain and I surrender and don the rain gear which is doreen's excellent rain jacket and a black garbage bag over the backpack from david secured by an s-binder works perfectly. As luck would have it on the camino there is a cafe open in the 2nd village I passed through and it was only a 5k walk for coffee this morning. The longest was 10k which was a little too much.

Reaching the brow of the hill as the drizzle turns to rain i see a large stone barn, falling apart, not an nusual sight in this landscape, as I get closer I see a complicated sign and peak in to find a stand covered with all manner of hearts, displaying a large bowl of fruit, thermos of coffee, selection of teas, walnuts, dates, cookies, juices and water, all avalble for donation. Out pops the caretaker who is wearing the stange combination of trousers, long skirt and ski
Jacket and hair tied in a top knot. He is happy to see me, since I am only the 3rd pilgrim for the day, asks if I am italian, now the most common nationaliy I am mistaken for. I have some white tea and he gives him his heart stamp and show me his motto written on a large board " todos posible" with a heart. Hmm we talk about this for a while, all is possible, I like it. Only 6k till astorga and they pass quickly. Astorga looks like an interesting town, but grey today and i make it to the main square with cathedral and gaudi museum 10 mins before the bus leaves. Exploring the city will have to wait until I can come back to fill gap. so lean my walking stick against gaudi's wall, take a minute, yes I will come back to fill the gap and hopefully introduce my girls to the camino. I make it to the bus with 5 mins to spare, I am travelling without walking for the first time in 24 days, feels strange. Urghhh i don't want to leave the camino and have promised myself to bring it with me.

Day 23 virgen del camino to hospital de orbigo

28. 8k and frustratingly my feet hurt like hell, for the last few days my feet have been aching earlier in the day and more and I don't know why since my legs don't ache anymore and the backpack doesn't feel heavy.

Anyway what about this virgin on the camino? Well the story goes that a shepherd in the early 16th century saw visions of the Virgin and she told him a church would be built on this spot and many miracles have been performed here but i don't have any specifics, and I went to the relatively modern church on the site just before evening mass yesterday. Compared to the many oppulent churches along the way this one was very simple. On the outside there is a bronze skulpture of the virgin flying above the 12 apostles.

Set off just after 8 in the morning which in this part of Spain means it is still dark. The sun rises ~8,30am and sets about 7pm making for wonderful evenings. There are busy roads to cross but eventually it is back to the rolling meseta not just beige, but some green, some trees and newly planted fields (barley) and sad empty villages.

Day 22 villarente to la virgen del camino

23.7k due to some unplanned detours and then for sure at least another 5k in Leon, going to the bus station and such.

Last night there were in fact 3 of us in a huge place, me, the Slovakian and the late arriving spaniard (i cannot decipher the name of either) who is walking 30 to 40k a day.

We all leave at the same time in the morning folowing strict instructions from the owner's daughter the night before to switch off all the lights and close the door. This place reminds me of a ranch in south america, due to it's sprawl, the stone floor, inner courtyards and numerous rooms and hallways. There are many photographs on the wall and it feels like it has been in the family for many years.

The walk to Leon is not as bad as I had anticipated, there is a footpath some distance from the busy n120 that has been a part of the camino far too much. The moon is much higher now and of course wanning and not as cold as the last few days, in fact in the afternoon it is almost hot. I stop to take photos especially of the bright blue camino walkway over the motorway and soon the spires of the cathedral of leon are visible. The soft spoken spaniard from Barcelona, is fading into the distance, he walks at a constant pace (a topic much discussed last night) stoping for nothing. The Slovak and I agree to have a parting pivo by the cathedral since I want to walk on and he wants to enjoy the sights and sounds of Leon. I have been there, done that and memories of last year and walking around the city in a jetlag fog come flooding back.


The Czech and the Slav get horribly lost in the outskirts of the city. The cathedral spires no longer visible, there is the bullring, the canal, no shells and no yellow arrows, but there is a postman and he points diagnally to the right. Okay!!! I had big plans and a tight schedule to attempt 36k today (inspired by the barcelonian last night) that are fast erroding. Eventually there is gaudi's casa de botines and it looks very much out of place and then plaza Regia and the cathedral exactly as I remember and I see the young German girl and Italian boy from 2 weeks ago or so and they are still walking together and they look happy and we wave to each other in comfortable recognition.

It's just 12 so I suppose a small beer in the chic cafe Europa with lounge music is okay. The Slovak and I part and I decide to sit in the sunshine in the square for a while and contemplate, I would like to go to the bus station to finalize travel plans for Friday, but also want to walk the camino path in Leon which so far has mostly eluded me. I eat the rest of the cheese bought in Burgos and figure out a plan that will lead to almost an hour long walk through the city, but i'm here for walking. As I set off I bump into Ike (of blue kerchief from some days ago) and we also say adios, since he will be staying in Leon.


The walk out of the city is not charming, but the sun us shining, it is warm and I have spotted 2 beautiful alfas and find a nice place to stay and once again it is laundry day on the camino and the young lady in the pristine alburge makes it easy. Tomorrow I have a long walk, earlish to bed.

"the young people"

Actually they are close to 30 but as we have discussed on the camino, everybody (except the 49 year old Italian alp ski resort manager and the 60 year old basque) looks 8-10 years younger on the the camino.

In order of appearance (sorry Michael and uwve am stealling your idea).

Mathias met in a cafe in lorca (day 6) the first words I heard him utter were oh f*** since the shop with cheap heiniken was closed, he is a 26 year old German, a vegan since december cooking his way through the camino. Had much trouble with his feet at the begining due to too heavy walking boots and I even saw him walking barefoot one day. Now he is walking in "sports shoes" with no problems. He has a sweet smile, claims to know everyone on the camino especially the girls. He is an ex IT guy that will be a student again. He was completely attacked by bedbugs in vianna and the marks still remain. We cooked together in carrion, salad, beetroots, muchos aceteunas, piementos stuffed with mashed chickpeas and tomato garlic sauce with bread and vino tinto of course. There was sea salt available and I showed him how easy it is to crush garlic with salt which he perfected last evening.


Maggie from austria almost 30 (in 4 days or so) met in the Austrian alburgue in Los arcos (day 7), for the last 2 weeks had her confused with katerina also from Austria who I also met the same evening, but katrerina finished her walk last Sunday. Maggie is a material scientist that would like to do something more femine so she has taken a catee break and is walking to Santiago, she has taken beautiful pictures of Spanish village life that I hope she will send me and she loved the walk yesterday.

Time for bed hopefully to be continued.

Day 21 calzadilla de Los hermanillos to villarente

30.2 k whooohoo and my feet feel it, but legs, back and energy level fine. Today was the longest stretch of 24.5 k without a cafe!!!! Left the small town with long name following the shiny bronze shells in the road. As the guide says, once on the ancient rocky roman road with once again the moon ahead, the sun behind, the mountains on the left and the railway on the right, there are no asphalt roads, no senda, no farmyard, no houses, no water fonts and very fre trees, it is a beige, beige, beige vista for much of the day. I just keep on walking, there is a heavy frost in the morning and it doesn't really warm up until lunchtime, despite bright sunshine, the air is chilly. This is the exact path that emperor augustus took now called the calzada romana, apparently 20 centuries old, the original road from rome to Leon used by armies of Islam and Christianity and millions of pilgrims. What I feel today is peace and surrenity.

Sadly as this stage ends on the outskirts of mansilla de las mulas, this historic path disintegrates into an unkept badly marked track through scrubland and much litter. Most towns and villages along the camino have lovely shell waymarks but this one had none, just the odd yellow arrow sprayed on the ground. Although I had been planning to stay here I decide to walk another 6 k or so to the next town. Now the mountains are ahead, dried corn on the left, busy road on the right (one nice silver alfa spotted) and dust behind (yeah right). I find a beautiful old restored alburgue with a gracious host, this place sleeps 64 people and there is only one other person here and he is from Slovakia. We each have our own room for 24!!!

I miss "the young people" I have spent the last 3 evenings with, but look forward to a quiet relaxing evening by the log fire catching up on my blogg.

Day 20 part 2

It is a brown brown day on the meseta, but the sky is blue and I do not recognize the pilgrim ahead as the sprite frenchman since his white cap has been replaced with a black woolly hat and his front pack is not visible from behind and he is as happy as ever.

Day 20 terradillos de Los templarios to hermanillos de la hermanillos de las calzada

26.9k I am distressed in the morning because I can't find my red leather heart purse and it has a special gold chain in it. I alert everyone in the alburgue, people all remember it since I have been wearing it clipped to my waistband and we all search high and low to no avail. To add to the distress the Dutch patient from last night is testing his legs by prominading around in far too skimpy underwear. i set off after leaving my email address with the hospiteleria. Once again the moon is ahead and the sun behind and I catch up with the model of the perfect pilgrim from Burgos, who started his walk in st. Jean, Ruben wears a black beret, carries an extremely tall walking stick and explains that it is the traditional way and why (similar to the walking stick instructions I received from my personal camino guide almost 3 weeks ago), he also carries a traditional leather pouch strapped to his belt, he walks with a bounce in his step and a twinkle in his eye and is a very proud spaniard who points out the mountains of palencia on the horizon on the left and tells me that some days ago a tourist filmed him without his knowledge and asked him many questions and he was not happy about it.

My thoughts remain on my lost purse and I reconstruct the events of last night, stopping at the first cafe I proceed to unpack my backpack and low and behold I find my special purse, I am so happy and so is Ruben, we celebrate with a cafe con leche para mi and a cortardo for Ruben.

One cortado later

Decision made, astorga here I come, 13.4k more for today

Dilemma for the day

Do I slow down to arrive in Leon on thursday, spend Friday in Leon and take bus or night train to Barcelona or speed up to arrive in astorga on Friday and catch night train to barecelona? It's lunch time a beautiful sunny day, no wind in sahagun. Am having un Cana will study the map and plan.

Day 19 carrion de Los condes to terradillos de templarios

26.8k and my feet ache

Day 18 boadilla del camino to carrion de Los condes

26.1k

Day 17 part 2

I had a read a little about the private alburgue in boadilla, family run in a restored barn with courtyard garden and casa rural so decided to stay there. I walked through the gate into the garden with wooden skulptures, stone planters, iron skulptures and all manner of interesting bits and pieces where I am greeted by Eduardo, who speaks a little Czech, similar to my Spanish, that he learnt from a Czech on the camino. He is very friendly and at first I think a little too charming as he carries my backpack into the alburgue which has a large long living room with exposed beams and brick work. This all reminds me of mum and dads bakery on a larger scale. Eduardo and I converse in a mix of Czech, Spanish and english. He corrects my Spanish, it's buenas tardes now, not buenas Dias and muchas gracias not mucho gracias, un vino tinto not una vino and una hora. It's laundry day on the camino and he takes almost all my clothes that mama will put in the washing machine. 5 minutes later I realize that I forgot a pair of socks, I rush to mama hoping that she hasn't started the load, in fact she has, but it's all tranqila tranqila and a lot of Spanish I don't understand. After the usual peregrino ritual of unpacking and showering I go to get a glass of wine with plans to sit in the garden and write. Eduardo surprises me with a request to braid his hair which as he takes off his black wollen hat is very long, thick, dark brown with a lot of grey at the temples. It turns out that he washed it this morning and indeed it is still a little damp as he had it bundled up under the hat. He then arranges a stool for him, a chair for me, a hairbrush sans handle on the patio and we discuss whether it would be best to do this before or after I drink the glass of wine, I think before, he thinks after, but then more peregrinos arrive, sit and drink he says, I'll be back. I'm not that good at braiding as Ana knows but I start, he reassures me that if it isn't good no problem I can do it again!! Luckily he is satisfied with the first attempt and promptly dons the black wollen hat and flicks the braid almost to his waist in length over his shoulder and he is very happy, he and his mother have owned this peaceful place for 15 years and I learn a little about it. They will close in 2 weeks for the winter and he will go to germany for 6 weeks to learn german. I realize that he is not too charming, but loves running the place and making people happy and it turns out that Antonio from the last village is his good friend!! Of course.

Laundry is done and I hang it with the 6 clothes pegs, safety pins found and gifted along the camino and of course the s-binders work very well.

The church across the street opens and it is yet another oppulent incredible site, I light a special candle for natasha and a special candle for Ana and time for some reflection, the girls are on my mind a lot today, I miss them.

A good simple communal meal cooked by mama, served by eduardo, presided over by a very talkative basque who has cleary walked the camino many times and liked to give advice. I learn about el humido, a section of Leon to visit where the cheese and wine are good and people watching is interesting. The languauges this evening are French and Spanish and I say little and try to get the gist.

Day 17 castrojeriz to boadilla del camino

19.1k I had to say goodbye to my personal camino guide who has walked with me on and off from day 1. The extra lenghth of his guidance was unexpected and we didn't walk together everyday, but when we did it was a good matched pace, but this is a whole story for another day. His parting gift was the symbol tau carved from olive wood, this is the sacred symbol from the antonine order whose monastry and hospice founded in the 11th century we walked by yesterday. The symbol is for divine protection against evil and sickness by using the power of tau (love) and comes with the wish for me for health and strengh to take care of some difficult tasks awaiting me.

I leave the village late after desayauno with Antonio and his wife which consists of a hot tall cafe con leche, a slice of tortilla, fresh bread and "the best olive oil all naturale".

Then una hora or so of electronic trabajo and I am ready to andar the steep 100m climb to the top of alto mostelares under cloudy skies with windmills moving but slowly in the distance. At the top I turn into the local photographer, for a young French couple, an older sprite frenchman with matching front and back packs weighing 14k who started his camino on aug 30th from Nantes, a young man with blue kerchief of unknown nationality and due to the work of the Spanish sun I am taken as italian. On this barren plateau there are 2 hearts laid out in stone, one for ana and one for natasha. The clouds now look like soft pillows and the view on the other side of alto mostelares even more spectacular of the winding path across the beige meseta as far as the eye can see. I realize that the camino has completely romanticized me, I feel very happy and practically run down the hill, like the tgv as jaque referred to my walking pace a few days ago.

The meseta goes on, I pass the frenchman who has now donned a white cap and he reearanges the solar phone charger on my backpack so it stops clancking.

Across the rio pisuerga there ISA romanesque stone bridge with 11 arches originally built in 1072!! And there are birch trees planted in perfect rows and it doesn't matter which angle you look at, all you see is straight lines and about now I discover that my pedometer is no longer counting every step, and after some walking and counting it seems like just random steps, which explains the low count for yesterday when the engineer assumed i had accidently reset it during the walk. Not sure what the problem is, maybe because my pants are loose, I must have lost a ltttle weight. I will have to estimate for the dql team since we are in number 4 position in the healthy pfizer step competition.

The landscape changes and there are fields of green leafy vegetables that i don't recognize something between spinach and kale and I this is the vegetable that was in the sopa verde i ate last night.

More windmills now still, under a hazy sky, but the solar panels in the distance twinkle and it is good to feel the sun again as I walk Into the vilage where I will stay tonight, in an alburgue that had a good description in my book, but turns out to be even better, most enchanting and tranquilla.

Day 16 hornillos del camino to castrojeriz

21.2k on the meseta with absolutely still windmills, frost in the morning (gloves would be good), must have walked under 2 flight paths since the aeroplanes were making patterns in the bright clear blue sky. By early afternoon it is 70f and the sun feels good. A lazy afternoon basking in the sun in the enchanting village of castrojeriz, followed by a very special dinner with the best wine yet, in fact the best wine in the house which antonio opens with care, pours into the glass and swirls profusely until i can smell the aroma from across the table. The dinner is in a very old tavern el manzano, where the owner, antonio is yattentive with humor and grace, offering the best of everything and serves brandy in an enormous glass (cheers daddy).

Day 15 Burgos to hornillos del camino

20k walking into the meseta

Day 14 atapuerca to Burgos

18.4k on the camino but additional mucho km around the beautiful old part of Burgos for a total step count of 34398 for the day. In previous days I had opportunities to calibrate steps to km using the km markings along the country roads and the average is 1440 steps/km.

The early morning walk was pleasant through the countryside with windmill farms in the distance, and the spires of burgos cathedral visible in the distance, the crisp and cold and visibilty of 50k my camino guide tells me, the windmills always seemed to be in the sun and me under clouds. There were 2 options to walk into Burgos and we choose the least ugly one, actually I think the more original, that goes by abandoned army barracks through farmland and skirts the airport that appears dissused, there are factories and wharehouses but the walk is along a soft path for 2 hours or more, and then it is suburbs and we realize thay there are no comforting yellow arrows or shells so we head towards the cathedral in bright sun under an azure sky, to arrive at the new alburgue next to the cathedral just as it has opened, so there is a queue, with some familiar faces, eniss from day 1 and a German couple that stayed at the same alburgue on Pamplona. This is a modern well designed alburgue with all facilities and privacy but bad accoustics. There is time to enjoy a really good vino tinto and aceitunas in the sunshine in plaza mayor, tour the incredible cathedral, tapas in the old town and a dinner with wildmushrooms, red peppers and tiny fish and of course full bodied red wine before the 10 pm curfew.

Day 13 villambistia to atapuerca

23.7k it was a cold night in the alburgue off the beaten path with just me and my quatrolingual camino guide. The Spanish hospitaleria was very attentive, doing one load of laundry for me and even bringing it inside to dry over the radiator in the evening. The alburgue was also a cafe and bar which was conveniant since it was raining in the afternoon just after we arrived. In the morning all was quiet and closed and it was a 5.8k chily walk for coffee and pastry and then the climb into the woods began, once again cloudy skies and cold air. The landscape has changed from the vineyards and olivegroves of Navarre and la Rioja to agricultural fields and now woods of castilia y Leon. The walk ends in the middle of the afternoon in atapuerta where the earliest human remains ever discovered over 900,000 years ago. An evening of luxury in the alburgue, with crisp cotton sheets, fluffy towels, the late afternoon sun, the young Spanish hospiltaleria even brings in a vase of marigolds and mint and then the French invasion arrive. This contingent had to be seen to be believed, they have a car, baskets of food, a pilgrim in a wheel chair and their journey started 7 years ago in southern france, I think there are 6 of them but can't be sure, within minutes cooking has begun.

Day 12 granon to villambistia

23.7k the early part of the walk quite boring ong the busy n120, I walk on and off with eniss the sweet Austrian confiserian

Night 11 granon parish hostel

An absolutely special to the camino experience. I arrive at ~ 3:30 pm quite tired in the village of granon, the 1 1/2 hour walk from santo Domingo has not been pretty. As Usual the center of the village is the church and I follow the yellow arrows around and around in a circle and it starts to rain, a little old Spanish lady points to the door next to the church, ahaa this looks promising, I push open the door into a dark stone walkway, up a few steps, there is a notice and a place to put walking shoes, I take off my shoes, always a good feeling each afternoon, there are maybe 6 other pairs on the stone ledge, I continue, the stone passage gets darker, a few more stone steps and a place to leave walking sticks, reluctantly I leave mine behind and open a door with a notice in 6 languages to close the door, a few more stone steps, it's getting darker, I'm feeling nervous , another door with the same notice and there is light and a large room with 2 familar faces, eniss and my camino guide uwe and I drop the 2 empty water bottles I have been carrying as I take off my backpack. The atmosphere is tranquill and light and the 2 german hospetilerios very warm and welcoming, they offer lemon water and pasta tomato natural, I except the water but am not hungry and watch the young "biggish" spaniard devour a couple of plates. I am shown the sleeping arrangements, on mats on the floor in the attic, it looks charming but quite close to the belfry and the bells will chime every half hour throughout the night, but this will not be as bad as the biggish spaniard snoring up a strorm, somehow I get some sleep.

Day 11 part 2

It has been a 6k walk along a quiet road to canas and I arrive 10 mins before the abbey and adjoining museum open. Time to eat some of the Bread I have been carrying for the last 3 days that is now stale, but the queso cuerado tastes better. The rest of the bread goes in the bin. I get a peregrino discount to the abbey and am in awe with the opulence, the alabastor windows that let in natural light, the antiquities and the skulls of virgins wrapped in ribbon, what is the meaning of this? Another 5k until I join the camino, but a pitstop for una ceveza first. The yellow arrows and shell waymarks are a welcome sight, but the outskirts of santo Domingo ugly with wharehouses and industry. The camino goes right by a potato sorting place of sorts where they are moving potatoes from crates and bags to large containers and I can't make any sense of it but it is entertaining .

Day 11 azofra to granon

23.9k but it feels like a lot more, 39780 steps. A beautiful camino day that starts late by peregrino standards, but I spent the night in the modern alburgue with cute little rooms with dos camas and it is quiet and no early blarring lights so I sleep. I have a cafe con leche and say bon camino to jaque who has walked with me on and off for the last 3 days. He epitomizes the romantic frenchman who at age 61 has started his journey 2 months ago in le puy and with his broken lyrical English he learnt in Saudi Arabia 28 years ago is very charming. He carries essential oils that he uses and a hydration system in his backpack that he does not. There is an interesting link to the not so charming baker from a few days ago that I will elaborate on at another time.
Today I want to walk alone and go off the camino on a blue path to Canas to see the the Santa Maria cistern abbey with alabaster windows. Running out if charge and I am writing this again due to technical difficulties. Hopefully more later.

Day 10 navarette to azofra

22.8k through mucho vineyards of the la Rioja regions, under cloudy skies.

Day 9 viana to navarette

About 21.9k 30 some thousand steps and just had the most incredible basqe meal and a quick look into the huge ornate church with alter completly covered in gold. Already in bed after a full day.

Day 8 Los arcos to viana

Oct 13, 2010 7:19 PM
A short leg today ~18k, 31719 steps. Another gentle walk through rolling countryside under a crisp blue sky, with a windmill farm on the horizon for much of the time. Took a long break at the hamlet of torres del rio, with 12 th century church linked to the knights Templar, octagonal walls. enjoyed the sunshine and watched pilgrims come up the hill. Vinyards ready to be harvested along the way, red, white and pinkish grapes, that taste sweeter than I would have expected. Viana is not a nice looking town on the outskirts but the center has the typical narrow streets with stone buildings and many ornate buildings. A change of pace for a day or two and I think there are some long walks ahead, but legs and feet feeling good. Having vino tinto from the navarra region which I will leave tomorrow and start walking through la Rioja. Have become addicted to olives. Am in a little local place where most folks are glued to the bullfight on tv, I don't get it.
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Pelegrino roll call

From the original group, the London retired couple are here tonight, as is eniss, Kim one of the Koreans and Andrea who got a lift for 10k and bought more suitable walking pants, also walked with torbjorn and margerita a little today, missing is johaness and 2 Koreans, the others (Israeli clan and Frenchmanm) are far ahead), but of course there is another group that walks at a similar pace, another batch of interesting characters,

Day 7 Estella to Los orcos

21.1k according to the guide but I am not so sure, steps are at least 39000 and woe is me my pedometer broke. I seem to have acquired a personal camino guide who is an engineer so I am hopefull that the pedometer can be fixed. Another gentle walk today but the scenery is changing becoming more agricultural, walking through vineyards and olive groves and I walked very quickly with ease, covering ~20k In
4 1/2 hours, but it is laundry day and good to arrive early at an Austrian alburge to wash nearly all my clothes and dry them in the sun. The grapes are being harvested and today I saw both mechanical and manual methods. Last night I was introduced to Spanish olives and they are so delicious that I had a bowlful for brunch at a pitstop along the camino today. Well I am happy to report that the engineer fixed my pedometer with steps in tact ( 33726 until now and I do not think that I will be walking much this evening). He won't tell me how he fixed it but I suspect a hairdryer was Involved and I can't tell how it broke.

Day 6 part 2

Today was a gentle slow walk, a day of bridges and portals, a late start from the chic alburge in puente la Reina, after the usual cafe con leche and a fesh squeezed orange juice. Light rain to begin, heeding margerita's advise from the night before, we decide to walk along the road for the beginng stretch to avoid the clay like mud and steep climbs on the camino footpath. Leaving the town one walks over the stone 12th century pilgrimage bridge, so rich in history and beautiful. Determined to take the short cut, "vinykitska stratka" (sp) as we say in Czech, we set of in search for n111 to the next town, pilgrims wave to let us know that we are on the wrong path, and even kelly, now without bike ( left at the german alburge in Pamplona) walking with eniss, yells come on down, but I'm dermined and reply, "i'll see you later when you are muddy". We come to a roundabout , no signs for n111 or for any towns en route! Hmmm options are motorway or retracing back to na1110, to cut a long story short, the map in my updated guide was completly wrong , since the old road no longer existed and the motorway was in the wrong place, but we found a road going in the right direction, a long slow climb of about 3 k. And we join the path just as Kelly and eniss come around the corner, and they are not covered in mud ( much to my demise) and accuse us of taking a taxi, it turns out that the mud has been resurfaced with stone and is good for walking, but Kelly the self prophesed atheist (after reading Hawkins) pescitarian teetolar citizen of the world is in a lot of pain from blisters developed yesterday over stony terrian and eniss (one of the originals from day 1) has been keeping him company, she too is a vegetarian and I discover a confectioner baking cakes all over the world. We walk gently together, coming to the medieval village of cirauqui, visible on the horizon for a while, the sun has come out, the drizzle continues and we are rewarded with a rainbow. Then it is cloudy for the remainder of the walk. This is my favourite village so far, narrow narrow streets , plants everywhere and very well kept as have been all the towns and villages in the navarra region we have been walking through these past few days. I go to a little supermarcado to buy bread, bocarones and juice, the proprietor shows the usual mix of initial unfriendliness and suspicion but soon warms up. A roman road leads us downhill from this village to the ruins of a roman bridge, a perfect place for a picnic, the bocarones are in oil and herbs and better than the ones in vinegar. The walk goes on and later I realize that the empty bocarones container is not sealed shut and the plastic bag is not intact and fishy olive oil had been dripping down my trousers for the last few k, hmm laundry soon. we have to say goodbye to Kelly in lorca he can't walk anymore, I will miss his English/new Zealand humor calling me darling, but he is retired and has time. The remainder of the walk was slow, one alfa spotted, bridges and portals and mimosas. Everyday is rich on the camino. The English couple have made it and together with eniss we are staying at the same place tonight. One of the Koreans has also made it and I heard that the band of israelis caught a train from Pamplona to sarria yesterday so that they can walk the final 100k.

Enjoying vino tinto and Jamineiberrico in a bar full of locals and no pilgrim in sight (yay) in the old town square.

Day 6 puente la Reina to Estella

There is some dispute over the distance between my guide and maps and steps. Probably about 25k walked due to a couple of detours, I'm going to start adding steps 38067 so far today, I walk roughly 1400 steps/k and 2200/mile.

Off for vino tinto more to follow.

Day 5 Pamplona to puerte la reina

24.1k, floated along the camino today

Roll call of the starting group

The 6 Israelis, Swedish couple and the Korean girl I have not seen since night 2, I think they are behind. The Korean girl walking slowly taking Many photos for her planned book, she has already published a book about walking in nepal. The Frenchman was walking 30k a day and must be far ahead. Andrea stayed In the Same German alburge last night (young german girl), she is walking in jeans and wanted to buy shorts in pamplona yesterday, she has many small blisters and was not sure how far she would go today. One korean boy also stayed there last night, the one who prophessed that he didn't know why he was on the camino, but came when he met camino bound folks in paris. At this point she is behind. Eniss and johaness also stayed on Pamplona last night, both in good shape. Johaness planning to spend 2 days in Pamplona. That leaves maureen (listening to the collaborators whilst walking through the woods) and hubby retired from London they are walking fast since they have a train to catch, saw them setting off yesterday morning and assuming they are ahead. We are spreading out, finding our pace.

Day 4 larrasoana to Pamplona

~15k on the camino plus ~ another 6k around pamplona and the evening is just begining.

Left the alburge at about 7am in search of an open cafe for cafe con leche and croissant, one pilgrim carrying a hydration tube and reservoir told us off a bakery just 5 mins off the route, so we decided to go, a minute later he came running after us telling us that we must not bring our backpacks or walking sticks inside because the woman would get angry. On we went passing another couple of pilgrims who told us of their bakery experience and the Italian said in lyrical broken English "she is not charming and I think she is wearing her pajamas" indeed she was brusque, wearing odd checked trousers, but the croissant was lovely and on deparimg she yanked the straps on my backpack so hard, I almost lost balance, she was correct though, I wasn't wearing it propely leading to bruises on my lower back, much better today. A gentle walk through the valley following rio Agra, under cloudy skies and pleasant temps, caught up with beautifully skulpted johannes, who is one of the pilgrims from night 1. He is smoking his way through the camino.
On the outskirts of Pamplona we were welcomed by the basque variation of bagpipes and a parade and then along came Kelly with his bicycle and stories of his pilgrimage which started in 2008 from Cambridge England, full of stories of his earlier walks pushing a golf cart, he is a retired new zealander living in the uk, when the golfcart broke outside Paris he decided to buy a bike. He cannot carry a backpack and cycles about 40k a day. Checked into the German run alburge which in true Germanic style is pristine with all amenities including apple charger!! I rushed out to buy an adapter an excursion that took 2 two hours due to a road being closed and my complete disorientation, but mission acomplished , a long hot shower, put on make -up and transitioned to a tourist for the evening. The old historic part of the city is full of charm, tapa bars and elegant people. Vino tinto in the elegant restraunent iruna, which still looks like it did when it opened in 1888 and when Hemingway hung out here. Tapas next. Legs ache, feet tingle, feeling good and hungry.

Day 3

Roncesvalles to larrasoana 27.4k 0.5 liter beer, exhausted, but happy, details to follow

I can't sleep

Thinking about the people I have met on the camino so far. Yesterday (day 1 night), we stayed at a beautiful lodge cut into the side of the moutain. For this lodge one has to make a reservation since there are only 18 beds and the next , accomodation is a hard 5 or so hour climb away. We are still in France so I have a Ricard aperitiff, reminds me of my salad days and another part of my life. There is a delicious basque style communal dinner. Staying at the lodge is an older retired Swedish couple, margerita (who reminds me so much of an old family friend lida) who has walked parts of the camino many times with a girlfriend and is now walking with her husband torbjorm who takes charge of serving the salt paprika potato soup, pouring the fruity red wine and water, he must have had a position of authority but I haven'f found out yet. Then there is andrea from germany, eniss from austria, a Frenchman who has left his wife and 5 children at home to walk for 3 weeks, a young quiet German, all on day 1 of their first camino travelling alone. A couple from London just retired, a group of 6 Israeli men and 3 young Koreans that met on the night train from Paris. I have seen all of them in this little village tonight except the Frenchman who may have walked on. Already we have a bond. The rest of the meal was roast lamb and basque style white bean stew, Followed by torta basque a yummy baked light cheesecake with almonds.

Lesson for today

Stop worrying needlessly, wasting energy, time, money and mb. Epitomized by the safety pin I found on the desolate path in the mountains.

I worried about train and bus connections from Barcelona to st.jeans, having formulated 5 plans, in the end it was simple if long and the train ride from the mediterrean to the Atlantic ocean served the purpose of clearing the stress and clutter in my mind, I didn't read or iphone but dozed and enjoyed the scenery.

I worried about a place to stay in dayonne since I was arriving at 11pm, but in the end hotel jeux was across the street from the railway station, open and with a room.

I worried about forgetting my adapter for charging the iPhone, and staying at the lodge cut into theountain last night was eniss from Austria who had the adapter I needed and I was able to charge up.

I worried about buying large safety pins so I could pin my socks to my backpack to dry as I walked and there was the perfect pin at my feet.

So I will try to stop with the worrying.

Day 2

Orisson to roncesevalles over the highest point at 1450m. Absolutely spectacular views. Walked ~19k in 5.25 hours at times with the wind blowing at 80-100k/h I have never exprienced anything like it.

Staying in an ancient albergue with high stone ceilings, options for dinner are trout or trout

Day 1

Met my camino quatrolingual buddy at Bayonne railway station at 6.40. He can speak French like a Frenchman, excellent English, german of course and conversational Spanish, puts my English and Czech to shame, I must do coffee break Spanish again. Am running low on power so just the stats. 8k in 2h 20 mins, climbing 700m , the scenery absolutely majestic and the weather perfect. I lit two candles in the medieval church at the start of the walk for all my loved ones. Great to be in France it has been many years.

My camino starts

The 39 hours of travel to st Jean piede de port the feet of the pass the capital of the basque region was worth it. More details to follow. Will break up the 27 k 1500m climb into Spain through the Pyrenees into 2 days. Weather absolutely perfect

Legs 2,3 and 4

The 11am Amtrak from mystic to Penn station was a blurr of texting, gmailing, outlooking calling trying to make the most of 3g time and of trying to figure out why the free blog app works for posts, but the one I actually paid money for so that I could upload pictures doesn't connect to my blogg, http error!!' hmm what with all those distractions I forgot to get off the train at Penn station, I experienced a moment of horror as the train started moving and the anouncer said that the train was bound for washington, I sprinted to find the conductor who to my distressed question of where is the next stop said miami!! I breathed again when in fact is was a mere 12 mins to nj. That was a helluva wake-up call, luckily there was a train going back to Penn at the station and I hopped on, did not touch the iPhone again for a while. Penn was busy, leg 3 and 4 consisterd of lirr and airtrain and I was at terminal 8
MUch relieved in 35 mins, of course the plane is now 75 mins late departing due to air traffic control so there go my plans a and b connections in barecelona and plan c is in danger, luckily I have e, f and g.

The backpack

Quite light at 12lbs, but the overflow bag adds another 4lbs, (books,)will have to read water for elephants quicky and leave it for a fellow peregrino to enjoy, hope it's good Ana! Got quiet a few strange looks walking along route 1 in stonington this morning and man the gust of wind after a big truck goes by too close and too fast not pleasant.
My pack is light but rich, I have red clothespegs from Lisa, glasses case from Howard, fantastic rain jacket from Doreen, apples and pears (2 down 2 to go) from Marty, taffy from Colleen, sturdy cargo pants from Ellen, yes I did shorten them Marty and will not be repositioning the butons on the plane, fleece from Brittany, 3 black garbage bags from David (my shabby chic rain protection), the idea and inspiration from daddy, the strength from mummy, camera from tashy, pen from Tashi, iPhone backed up by Johnny, pedometer for the dql team, super camino haircut from Pamela, lipstick from Joanne (need to look good on the camino) moleskin notebook and novel from Ana, pashmina from mummy, penknife from Arvind, yes I still have the matrix one! Funky quilty blocks for my passport bag made by sandy and tashy, miniture colour copies of daily maps from Michael, walnut from the camino last year (I found it at the bottom of the pack Ellen!!) walking training from carol and Linda(way to go with the half marathon girls) walking and drinking training from the TRALPErs. B&b recomendations in Barcelona from mike. So I'm good to go.

On the train

It was a nice brisk walk from stonington to mystic railway station. Left 15 mins later than planned and was worried that I might not make it, but actually made it in ~ 50 mins and the train arrived as the large rain drops started falling. Stage 2 of the journey to the "begining" of the camino underway.