Month: June 2018

Leaving Burgos we passed an arch with an active stork nest (we’ve seen a number of stork nests over the last several days). A park on the edge of Burgos has a statue of Domingo de la Calzada, an early promoter and developer of the Camino. Today the way entered the meseta with its endless grain fields, wheat on the better land and barley and oats on the poorer land. There are an unbelievable number of rocks in the fields – so many that we jokingly wondered how soon they would be ripe. It turned windy and cold, then with blowing light rain as we got to the higher altitudes. Our destination, Hornillos del Camino, has a beautiful church with a most unusual cemetery behind it. Dinner was at a small bar (restaurant) with a typical pilgrim menu.

Day #13

Hornillos del Camino 

Population 70 / Elevation 820 meters

Albergue Municipal 

Distance walked today 21.0 km.

Weather very cool especially at higher altitudes, windy with light rain second half of the walk.

After being greeted by a gorgeous sunrise it started to rain, and it rained most of the day. The cold and rain were so miserable that even Isabella’s optimism was challenged. We passed a pen of sheep who did not seem nearly as happy as the sheep we saw in the Pyrenees. We passed Atapuerca where what are considered to be the earliest human remains ever discovered in Europe were found. We finally made it to the edge of Burgos, the largest city we’ve encountered so far. We still had several kilometers to go to get to the center of the old city and to our albergue. The Catedral de Santa Maria, reputed to be one of Spain’s most beautiful, is nearby.

Day #12

Burgos

Population 180,000 / Elevation 860 meters

Albergue Municipal 

Distance walked today 24.2 km.

Weather very chilly and cloudy early, cold with light rain most of the day.

We got our earliest start yet, about 6:20, just before sunrise. We wanted the early start because we had a little further to go today and the terrain is quite a bit more challenging. The first half of our walk was through beautiful rolling farmland and forest. We stopped at Villafranca de Montes de Oca to pick up bocadillos (sandwiches) and refill our water bottles before starting the steep climb up 200 meters in elevation to Alto Mojapán, then 100 meters down past the Monumento de los Caídos, and back up 100 meters to Alto Pedraja before starting a gentle 100 meter descent to San Juan de Ortega. Our day started very cool, then even colder and breezy at the higher elevations. Then it started raining as we reached Alto Pedraja. The albergue at San Juan de Ortega was a welcome sight with the hope to get warm and dry. The San Juan church is one of the oldest we have seen so far. We had a great pilgrim mass followed by a communal pilgrim meal at the albergue that included the famous garlic soup that has been served here for many years.

Day #11

San Juan de Ortega 

Population 20 / Elevation 950 meters

Albergue San Juan

Distance walked today 24.2 km.

Weather very chilly and cloudy early, cold with steady light rain starting before noon.

 

Today’s path took us through rolling hills covered with wheat fields as far as the eye could see. Most of the walk was on dirt and gravel roads along side a busy highway – not the more natural environment we enjoyed a few days ago. We stopped in Villamayor del Rio for lunch and enjoyed spending time with our Camino friends from New Zealand, 7-year old  Dayton and his grandmother Gerry. We’re pretty tired tonight and will have a pilgrim dinner in the albergue where we are staying.

Day #10

Belorado

Population 2,000 / Elevation 770 meters

Albergue Cuarto Cantones 

Distance walked today 22.4 km.

Weather warm and clear.

Leaving Nájera it seemed that virtually every available space was devoted to vineyards. Then as we walked toward Cirueña once again there were fields of wheat alternating with the vineyards. And closer to Santo Domingo de la Calzada nothing but wheat fields. It was quite a climb to Cirueña which is situated at 745 meters. We have very basic accommodations for tonight in an albergue run by the Cistercian nuns. We got a bit of extra rest, then attended a pilgrim mass at a small church across from the cathedral and received the pilgrim blessing. For a change of pace we got vending machine food on the way back to the albergue.

Day #9

Santo Domingo de la Calzada 

Population 6,600 / Elevation 640 meters

Albergue Cistercienses

Distance walked today 21.3 km.

Weather warm and cloudy early, clearing later.

The first 9 or 10 km on our way out of Logroño was in what amounted to a beautiful park shared with pilgrims, walkers, runners, and bikers. We had breakfast at a café on a lake while a family of swans including 8 young lounged on the grass close to our outdoor table. Today was one of the longest planned stages of the entire pilgrimage with few sites or villages along the way. I ran out of energy several kilometers before our destination and, as usual, Isabella got her second wind and kept me going. We are still in wine country with acres and acres of vineyards. We have checked in at the municipal albergue which is a lot like what we figured would be typical – room for 90 pilgrims in one large room filled with bunks. The facility is nice, but very basic.

Day #8

Nájera

Population 8,500 / Elevation 475 meters

Albergue Santiago Apóstol

Distance walked today 28.9 km.

Weather cool and cloudy early, clear and warm later.

We got another early start today and it was so chilly we each wore an extra layer. The sun came out just long enough to cast long shadows ahead of us on the Camino path. There are occasional signposts that not only show the way to go, but remind you how far you have to go – and today was a very long day. Many of the villages along the Camino are built on top of hills – did I mention how much we love the steep climbs? Isabella loves to stop and admire the “Camino” dogs. We are now in the famous wine producing region of La Rioja – immaculately cultivated vineyards are everywhere. Wildflowers are more and more abundant. And the church interiors are mind blowingly ornate. As a special treat, a fellow Newnanite, Caleb Burdett, who lives in Logroño, met up with us to have dinner and tour the city center including the cathedral and the nearby parochial church. We ended the evening with some of the best best ice cream ever. True southern hospitality here in northern Spain.

 

 

 

 

Day #7

Logroño Population 155,000 / Elevation 380 meters

Albergue Santiago Apóstol

Distance walked today 27.8 km.

Weather very cool, mosty cloudy.

The day started off very cool and cloudy with a strong breeze. We got lucky and stayed dry in spite of scattered showers near us. The walk was much more level than any of the previous days. In the first town I had orange juice and a potato tortilla. Later, at a food truck I had another orange juice. I sure would love to have one of those juice machines at home. Today was the day for passing thru Irache with its famous wine fountain. I still haven’t convinced Isabella to try wine – she is only drinking water. We have checked in at the Isaac Santiago albergue. It is run by a couple of volunteers from Belgium who are super cordial and lots of fun. We are heading out shortly for dinner and the pilgrim mass.

Hey guys,

Blisters suck.

¡Buen Camino!

-Isabella

 

Day #7

Los Arcos

Population 1,200 / Elevation 450 meters

Albergue Isaac Santiago

Distance walked today 21.5 km.

Weather very cool, cloudy early with partial clearing later.

We got another early start and were looking forward to an easier day with less severe elevation changes. And again, just like the last few days, the weather forecast called for rain. Today we did actually run into just enough rain a couple of times to get out the ponchos. Other than that it was a beautiful day for walking. We decided that the theme for today is “food”. At 8:45 we stopped at Pan el Portal for the most amazing flaky pastries with dark chocolate filling. At 9:40 we stopped at a trailside “donativo” stand for an apple and a pear. It was one of the sweetest, juiciest pears I have ever eaten. Around noon we stopped at a small bar for fresh squeezed orange juice. After we checked in at the albergue Isabella wanted something from a vending machine. There was a pack of crackers that had not fallen, so she selected the same item and got both packs. After a nice long walk down town and thru the riverside park we had the best pilgrim menu meal yet.

Day #6

Estella 

Population 14,000 / Elevation 425 meters

Albergue Hospital Perigrinos

Distance walked today 21.9 km.

Weather mild with scattered light showers.

Today’s walk was the easiest so far – not easy by any means, but not as challenging as the previous days. We saw lots beautiful scenery, much of it wh eat fields about ready for harvest. The middle part of the day was a very steep climb to (and descent from) the top of Alto del Perdon, well over 300 meters. This is the site of the famous wrought iron sculpture of medieval pilgrims. On the way up we found a beautiful  church, San Andres, in Zariquiegui. We’re talking a tiny church in a tiny village with the most amazing interior. I realized that today is the feast of Corpus Christy, one of my favorite feasts. I was able to find a time for quiet (and emotional) meditation. We are getting ready to find dinner with two young guys from New York (company for Isabella) and a middle aged woman who has bicycled alone all the way from Holland. One of the great things about the Camino is the people you meet.

Day #5

Puente la Reina 

Population 2,800 / Elevation 360 meters

Albergue Padres Reparadores

Distance walked today 23.8 km.

Weather mild and bright.