Heat, feet and water

[AndrewDavOz]

Hola!
I started from SJPP on 27th. Stopped at Orisson, then to Roncesvalles. Impressions: fabulous scenery in the mountains, lots of people walking much faster than I walk. Good for them.
I took the forest track down to Roncesvalles and regretted it. With poles it is ok but slow. The road would have been the preferable option. I think it took me 85 minutes from Col Lepoeder.
Stayed at the wonderful alburgue at Roncesvalles. Clean and each bed space is semi private. Nice.
Then decided to split the trip to Pamplona into three stages. First to Bizkaretta, stayed in the El La pension. 13km
Then to Larasoana. Via a stop at Zubiri. 15km. Hot day. Less hills though.
Then Pamplona. A rest day here. A blister forming in smallest toe. Treated.
More details and photos on https://walkdontrun.travel.blog

I continue to learn more Spanish. People are tolerant.

The fellow walkers are generous, open and supportive. Enjoying the whole experience.

The info from this forum has helped my preparation hugely.

Buen Camino
Andrew

 

[FRL]

Hola Andrew,
You are off to a great start! Enjoy your Camino adventure. I'll follow along on your blog as it brings back wonderful memories. FRL

 

[Micah26]

It’s a beautiful time of year to go. I walked last year around this time only 1 rainy day after I got to Santiago! People and food complemented the nearly perfect weather!
Buen Camino

 

[LiltingBanshee]

Nice blog, Andrew. I studied le Francais a million years ago, aussi.

 

[AndrewDavOz]

Hola!
I started from SJPP on 27th. Stopped at Orisson, then to Roncesvalles. Impressions: fabulous scenery in the mountains, lots of people walking much faster than I walk. Good for them.
I took the forest track down to Roncesvalles and regretted it. With poles it is ok but slow. The road would have been the preferable option. I think it took me 85 minutes from Col Lepoeder.
Stayed at the wonderful alburgue at Roncesvalles. Clean and each bed space is semi private. Nice.
Then decided to split the trip to Pamplona into three stages. First to Bizkaretta, stayed in the El La pension. 13km
Then to Larasoana. Via a stop at Zubiri. 15km. Hot day. Less hills though.
Then Pamplona. A rest day here. A blister forming in smallest toe. Treated.
More details and photos on https://walkdontrun.travel.blog

I continue to learn more Spanish. People are tolerant.

The fellow walkers are generous, open and supportive. Enjoying the whole experience.

The info from this forum has helped my preparation hugely.

Buen Camino
Andrew

Now nearing Logrono
May stop at the village before it.

About 140 km down, 640 to go.

Andrew

 

[Madeleine Jacobs]

Hi Andrew, I am following in your footsteps approx. a month later, starting in SJPDP on September 25th. Great to read your blog and see the photo’s to know what to expect. Buen camino! Madeleine

 

[K Turner]

Buen Camino! I am in Portomarín today.

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Hola Andrew, thanks for such a positive post. Buen Camino

 

[AndrewDavOz]

Hi Lydia,
There is a very positive and cooperative atmosphere throughout the community and it is a great experience.
Now at Santo Domingo, in the early morning rustling and whispering stage! It does seem that many prefer to walk in the two hours before dawn.
Buen Camino [edited to override autocorrect]

Andrew

 

[AndrewDavOz]

And.. about 565 to Santiago according to Brierly’s guide

 

[MarkyD]

Hi Lydia,
There is a very positive and cooperative atmosphere throughout the community and it is a great experience.
Now at Santo Domingo, in the early morning rustling and whispering stage! It does seem that many prefer to walk in the two hours before dawn.
Burn Camino

Andrew

Yeah, the early morning bag rustlers and whispering (or if you're really lucky: door slammers and headlight merchants) are one of the features of a true Camino experience. It helps to improve our tolerance of others, while depriving us of sleep. This all serves to strip away some of the layers of self importance that we may eventually learn to accept things as they are. The occasional high and mighty pilgrim may choose to correct their inconsiderate behaviour by barking out a few instructions - this usually achieves little except wake up the remaining pilgrims who hadn't been disturbed by the initial bag rustling and other morning melodies ......

 

[AndrewDavOz]

Now at Belorado and enjoying a beer before a meal. Updated the blog with today’s pics.
Thanks to those who have sent positive comments on the photos etc. posting to the blog avoids having to send pics to individual family and friends, or here.

Andrew

 

[AndrewDavOz]

Approaching Leon now, expecting to spend two night there.
The last two hundred km have gone quickly and I’ve managed to walk over 20km most days. I have a pain in my upper back which is apparently due to my pack, about 10kg. I will either post forward some items when at Leon, or start to use the forwarding service.

Andrew

 

[Ferdinand the Bull]

Now nearing LView attachment 64424ogrono
May stop at the village before it.

About 140 km down, 640 to go.

Andrew

Enjoy every kilometer of your pilgrimage ....you'll miss it when it's over...

 

[cathal Ferris]

Buen Camino! I am in Portomarín today.

Hope you are having a great walk tomorrow will be real pleasant for you in the walk over the river and into the forest leads you to a bit of road walking be careful a new road and bridge were in development the last time I went through here but you are on the last days of your walk the alberques will be a bit more busy but you will always find somewhere Buen Camino

 

[MarkyD]

Approaching Leon now, expecting to spend two night there.
The last two hundred km have gone quickly and I’ve managed to walk over 20km most days. I have a pain in my upper back which is apparently due to my pack, about 10kg. I will either post forward some items when at Leon, or start to use the forwarding service.

Andrew

That's good going Andrew, not rushing is best if you can afford the time. León is a lovely city to explore and also to rest a bit before you start heading towards the mountains again and then the rock'n'roll of the undulating profiles through Galicia.
Try and spend a bit of time exploring the following towns in the province of León: Hospital del Órbigo, Astorga, Molinaseca, Ponferrada, Cacabelos and Villafranca del Bierzo; as well as the many other villages that you'll pass through or stopover, before you start your passage through Galicia. In the area of El Bierzo (which starts from the mountain village of El Acebo, on the way down into Molinaseca, and continues on up to the province Galicia) they produce a beautiful local wine from the Mencia grapes. In Cacabelos and Villafranca del Bierzo you'll find specialist shops that sell this wine, as well as in any bar or restaurant, of which there are various different brands - but all are 100% Mencia wine. If you like red wine, then I recommend that you try some.
The weather has been unusually wet and temperatures have dropped in many parts of Spain, but hopefully you'll get some late summer sunshine for a week or two.

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Hi Andrew and Marky,

In the Church in Cacabelos there is a picture of St, Anthony playing cards with the infant Jesus. Unfortunately the church seems to be open only at mass time on Sunday (10.00 am I think). I love the way Spanish art can be so homely.. I find myself smiling every time I think of it and I am so grateful that God has dealt me a good hand. I would love if someone could take a photo of this picture and send it to me and |I would copy it in oils.

 

[Kanga]

It would have to be (wait for it...) a game of Go Fish!

 

[Former member 49149]

Hi Andrew and Marky,

In the Church in Cacabelos there is a picture of St, Anthony playing cards with the infant Jesus. Unfortunately the church seems to be open only at mass time on Sunday (10.00 am I think). I love the way Spanish art can be so homely.. I find myself smiling every time I think of it and I am so grateful that God has dealt me a good hand. I would love if someone could take a photo of this picture and send it to me and |I would copy it in oils.

Sorry, i have just tried to find it but no luck! Hopefully someone else will...

 

[AndrewDavOz]

Hi Andrew and Marky,

In the Church in Cacabelos there is a picture of St, Anthony playing cards with the infant Jesus. Unfortunately the church seems to be open only at mass time on Sunday (10.00 am ...

Hi Lydia,

I’ll try to remember and see I can find it. It’s a few days ahead for me. But I don’t think I will be there next Sunday. Let’s see.

Regards
Andrew

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Thanks Andrew. The Church is on the left hand side almost at the end of town. Buen Camino Lydia

 

[MarkyD]

Hi Andrew and Marky,

In the Church in Cacabelos there is a picture of St, Anthony playing cards with the infant Jesus. Unfortunately the church seems to be open only at mass time on Sunday (10.00 am I think). I love the way Spanish art can be so homely.. I find myself smiling every time I think of it and I am so grateful that God has dealt me a good hand. I would love if someone could take a photo of this picture and send it to me and |I would copy it in oils.

Hi Lydia, I'll have a look at my photos from 2018 Camino, I did take a couple of photos inside the small church in the town centre. If not, I'll pop in next time I go that way to visit my auntie in Ponderrada and my cousins in Villafranca del Bierzo.

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Thank you so much MarkyD

 

[MarkyD]

Thank you so much MarkyD

Hi Lydia, the photos I have are from the small chapel, not the church you mentioned. However, I just searched on internet and found a few images via this link:

Google Image Result for https://steemitimages.com/DQmWBT7rWimquYhT4QLmbvwr6ssvAQM5crf79tpten5yUVH/DSCN0504.JPG

Is this what you were looking for?

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Marky, thank you so much. I realise I had said the church was on the left hand side but in fact it was on the right hand side. Picture not exactly as I recall it, but then my family often argue with my 'very clear' recollections. It is the idea of it all that appeals to me so much. In our local church the statue of st. Anthony had the infant Jesus standing on a prayer book in Anthony's hand. I must have been six or seven at the time , old enough to realise that Jesus and Anthony walked this earth at very different times. I asked my mother why was Jesus was standing on the book. She told me that Anthony had been looking at the picture for so long that Jesus had come down out of the picture to him."How long ?" I asked, thinking that I could do that too. but my mother explained that it depended on ' with how much love St. Anthony had been looking' .
I kind of gave up, I could not compete with the love a Saint had for God. But I still like the idea of Jesus playing cards. Jesus is dealing the cards in the picture and in truth I have been dealt a very good hand.

 

[Kris.M]

Andrew, I am enjoying the blog, as I hope to be walking this time next year.

 

[AndrewDavOz]

For closure. I completed the Camino Francés on Tuesday 8th October, making it 43 elapsed days from SJPP with 4 rest days all up. I carried my pack all the way but sent several boxes of excess items by post. I used the bus from Leon to Astorga saving 40 km and two days as I was concerned I would not meet my return flight deadline otherwise. I posted comments and photos to my blog every day except one.

I met and walked with many wonderful people.

Many thanks to the folk on this forum. It was invaluable to me in planning this experience.

Andrew

 

[AndrewDavOz]

And to finish my Camino on a nice note, I called in at Casa Ivar to collect a parcel I had sent there, met Ivar and thanked him for running this forum.

Andrew