LIVE from the Camino @Stellamaris on the Francés

[Stellamaris]

I arrived wednesday and had a WONDERFUL first evening at Belairi It was the best way to start with a meaningful sharing between the 6 pilgrims and Joseph/Jaqueline the owners. I am now in Roncevalles after a night in Valcartos. All the conditions are just perfect.

 

[peregrina2000]

Looking forward to hearing more, @Stellamaris. You can see a lot of joy in those faces!

 

[Stellamaris]

I will post some little notes about my actual camino. Yesterday I walk from Rocevalles to Zubiri. After the hard climbing to reach Roncevalles the day before the last downhill full of stones until Zubiri was killing litterally the legs and the feet. Luckily the sun was especially good, and the rocks were dry …I would not have like to do it under heavy rain..I spent the night at the albergue RIO ARGA…so nice, so beautifull, perfectly clean and with a touch of « design » wow ! There is a little cafe for the breakfast close by. Today was another sunny day with 21 k untill Pamplona.. If you want a very special experience stop at Casa Ibarolla, the owner who walk 3 times the Camino Frances is very friendly and the place just great…the beds are like the capsule hotel in Japan, so the feeling of a private room in a great design once again with the generous breakfast included for ..18€
Especially when we start a camino the body ( even with an proper training ) has to get use to this new life.Tonight I am thinking of a shorter day tomorrow. The camino has a strange power on getting the people close together, and creating deep and full sharing…it’s a « metaphore « of the life

 

[ebrandt]

I love your descriptions @Stellamaris. Hope you slept well in your capsule. I'll be looking forward to your posts.

 

[Stellamaris]

The night in Pamplona at Casa Ibarolla was the best night so far, the privacy of the « capsule beds » help’a lot. After Pamplona and a great breakfeast with Nespresso machine I wanted to stay at Uterga for a short 16 k’walk at the Alb. Camino del Perdón..for the first time I made no reservation and when I arrived there…it was closed for the day, and so´was the other one.Aftr a night in Muruzabal I am now at Villtuerta in a very friendly alberge la Casa Magica a place wih a great atmosphere close to Estalla..and it seem’that I will be the only pilgrim here little early in the season.
Up to now the weather has been just perfect, mostly sunny , walking in T shirt but the forecast is rain rain and snowthat’s camino.
At the Alto del perdon…you know the typical photo I was just walking around and I found that little « nativity scene » it is completely hidden, somebody put it there with an impressively touching faith, something deeply meaningful for he or she, speaking directly to God

 

[Eve Alexandra]

I arrived wednesday and had a WONDERFUL first evening at Belairi It was the best way to start with a meaningful sharing between the 6 pilgrims and Joseph/Jaqueline the owners. I am now in Roncevalles after a night in Valcartos. All the conditions are just perfect.

Some others mentioned a downed tree and having to take the road for part of the Valcarlos route last week. Is this still the situation?

 

[Stellamaris]

It was not the case for me, nice road and a good starting day, not too hard, just fine. The food at the local restaurant is JUST so good I was impress

 

[Stellamaris]

Second week of walk started today.Yesterday I walked the 25 k from Villatuerta to Los Arcos like if I was floating my body seemed to have reach a comfort zone. Spend the nignt at la Casa de la Abuela, we were 6 mens in a tiny room and a gentleman from Sweden won the price of the louder and most persistant snorer that I have ever met on a camino,´so the night was bad and the energy today was about the same. I decided to stop at Viena, so only 18 k. Tonight it’s like the united nations Swiss, irish,scotish,french,, south african, and quebecois..in a room of 6, nice frienship and quite an hi age rate.

 

[ebrandt]

We walked once with an Austrian guy who became know as she king of the snorers. A fellow pilgrim said that he was not jus a snoring machine, he was a whole snoring factory! Hope you get some rest tonight!

 

[Stellamaris]

Snow, cold rain, cold wind, and snow 22k quite easy from Viana to Navarette…but it’s really cold here and the albergue is not really heated.I am sleeping with 2 more blankets.
A very touching moment this morning we are all in a restaurant for the breakfeast and B. from Scotland become very emotive because his wife passed away this year…I am touched to the tears, I will probably never see himm qgain but in that moment there was a strong human connection, that’s what the Camino can create sometime, the feeling of deeply belonging the the human family.

 

[palmah]

Snow, cold rain, cold wind, and snow 22k quite easy from Viana to Navarette…but it’s really cold here and the albergue is not really heated.I am sleeping with 2 more blankets.
A very touching moment this morning we are all in a restaurant for the breakfeast and B. from Scotland become very emotive because his wife passed away this year…I am touched to the tears, I will probably never see himm qgain but in that moment there was a strong human connection, that’s what the Camino can create sometime, the feeling of deeply belonging the the human family.

Even though the weather could be better, it sounds like your Camino will provide you with long lasting memories!

 

[J Willhaus]

Beautiful crisp looking morning despite the cold!

 

[Former member 49149]

The night in Pamplona at Casa Ibarolla was the best night so far, the privacy of the « capsule beds » help’a lot. After Pamplona and a great breakfeast with Nespresso machine I wanted to stay at Uterga for a short 16 k’walk at the Alb. Camino del Perdón..for the first time I made no reservation and when I arrived there…it was closed for the day, and so´was the other one.Aftr a night in Muruzabal I am now at Villtuerta in a very friendly alberge la Casa Magica a place wih a great atmosphere close to Estalla..and it seem’that I will be the only pilgrim here little early in the season.
Up to now the weather has been just perfect, mostly sunny , walking in T shirt but the forecast is rain rain and snowthat’s camino.
At the Alto del perdon…you know the typical photo I was just walking around and I found that little « nativity scene » it is completely hidden, somebody put it there with an impressively touching faith, something deeply meaningful for he or she, speaking directly to God

I am really enjoying your reports, thank you, merci. I stayed in Villatuerta two years ago, the owners were fairly new to the albergue. Of Polish origin, but had lived in US for many years. Delicious food, they were keeping up the well loved menu and excellent reputation of the albergue. So sorry I forget their names. I even have a copy of the recipe for the dessert! Keep reporting!

 

[ebrandt]

Your pics are building my anticipation. Just 20 days and 13 hours til we leave for Spain! Hope the weather clears up.

 

[Stellamaris]

San Juan de Ortega. The walk today was easy, funny how going uphill now seem natural and easy. The 2 last nights were exactly why I walk the camino. I spend one night in Grañon in San Juan de Baptista a donativo albergue where you dive into the spirit of the camino, se were 8 pilgrims, Spain, Korea, Ireland, Australia and Quebec after the meal we whnt into the chuch, the hospitalero lightes the light on the altar, we had a candle to light ourself and everybody speaking from the heart said why he/she was walking the camino at the end I played an harmonica tune composed on the Le Puy Camino 10 years ago, one of these moment where you feel related to the hamanity…the day after( yesterday) in Tosantos at San Francisca de Asis donativo, you could feel the special energy right when coming in the albergue. It was a cold day, the albergue was poorly heated but the heat coming out of the people there was the one of love. We were 6 including 2 germans cyclists who arrived on the late, a simple and nourishing meal and once again after the meal we went in a little chaptel and shared, the hospitalero spoke about « the interior camino » we sang the camino french song and read some intentions left by others pilgrims from differents nationalies. Once again I felt I was at the good place to make me go deeper in my « interior camino ». My pace has changed since a couple of day, I have left the « race » behind and have slowed down. I am happy to be here but very sad with the war.

 

[J Willhaus]

So happy you were able to stay at both Tosantos and Grañon. I hope you continue to find this same spirit on the remainder of your Camino.

 

[ebrandt]

I love your posts — they are really helping me get in a hospitalero and Camino state of mind. I’ll think about your comment as we serve in Miraz. Safe travels! Ultreia!

 

[Stellamaris]

Hospedería Monástica
San Pedro de Cardeña (Burgos - España)
If you look on a map you will see that I am not on the usual itinario de el camino. I arrived at Burgos on the 6th. I spend the night at the Emaus albergue, a nice and warm welcoming albergue, half donativo. The hospitalieros were from Quebec which made it even nicer. I wanted to spend 3 nignts at Santo Domingo de Silos…because I wanted to pause and take time to stop the camino pace, it’s quite easy to be on the go go go...but De Silos was full so I googled monastery close to Burgos and found
Hospedería Monástica San Pedro de Cardeña (Burgos) and here I am for 2 more nights.
I think that in a previous life I must have been a monk I feel so « at home » in monasteries. Last night private room, private bathroom, a good bed, complete silence and beautiful meditative atmosphere pure happiness.
When I arrived at Burgos it was a bit confusing, so I ask a man who was pushing a wheelchair where was the Emaus alberge, he was so nice that changing his direction He came to guide me during more than a km…then he told me the way to follow. I finally arrived at the albergue, a sign was saying « back in 15 min. », I sat, I was quite tired of the walk on the concrete, while waiting, suddenly the man with the wheelchair reappaired holding a black glove in his hand….I had lost my glove, he found it and did ALL that way to bring it back to me, saying that I would need it and saying « buen camino » I could have cry….
Yesterday I had to leave the albergue (the monastery was at 16:00) so I walk into Burgos. It was cold and windy. The Cathedral was shut, so was the museum both open at 10:00.
So I wandered a bit and decided to go for a warm cafe and tortilla…as I arrived close to a cafe suddenlly Steve an american pligrim with whom I started at SJPdP arrived from an opposite direction, we were so happy and…Michel and Nathalie 2 frenchs with whom I had walked the last days appeared at the same moment…Burgos is a big city with many cafe, it was like a scene from « The way »and it is the energy on the Camino

 

[mspath]

Stellamaris,
Thanks for posting the info on San Pedro de Cardeña. Your photos are great and so is their web. Did you walk from Burgos or take a bus?
...Enjoy your time in the quiet.

 

[Stellamaris]

Stellamaris,
Thanks for posting the info on San Pedro de Cardeña. Your photos are great and so is their web. Did you walk from Burgos or take a bus?
...Enjoy your time in the quiet.

I was at the Albergue Emaüs in Burgos and the hospitaleros were from Quebec which was making things even easier for me. They offered me a lift so that they could also see the monastery and be able to speak about it to others pilgrims. Tomorrow I will also have a lift back to Burgos to continue my pilgrimage

 

[Stellamaris]

Today it’s the Palm Sunday, there will be a procession to the church, as I am leaving right after the mass I will be walking with my bag in the procession. quite strange to see me in that process…in the 60/70 in Quebec a lot a people including myself have thrown the catholic chuch away in what was called then « the quiet revolution » and here I am in a trappist monastery, feeling completely at home, walking in the Palm Sunday. These 3 days in the monastery have been a real « blessing » ( in all sorts of meaning) I start a new part of the Camino in a beautiful religious energy. Life is so beautiful.

 

[Former member 49149]

Today it’s the Palm Sunday, there will be a procession to the church, as I am leaving right after the mass I will be walking with my bag in the procession. quite strange to see me in that process…in the 60/70 in Quebec a lot a people including myself have thrown the catholic chuch away in what was called then « the quiet revolution » and here I am in a trappist monastery, feeling completely at home, walking in the Palm Sunday. These 3 days in the monastery have been a real « blessing » ( in all sorts of meaning) I start a new part of the Camino in a beautiful religious energy. Life is so beautiful.

Thank you for your posts. This one, and your words took me back to a film I love - Jesus of Montreal. Like everything that is fabricated, of course it is only a pale reflection - you are where it matters most right now. Walk well after your services.

 

[ebrandt]

I’m glad for you that you found the monastery and had these lovely days. It looks beautiful. Ultreia! Im looking forward to what awaits you with you refreshed approach.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I am enjoying your posts very much.
I love those Camino moments when you run into new friends you've made days before!

 

[naplesdon]

The night in Pamplona at Casa Ibarolla was the best night so far, the privacy of the « capsule beds » help’a lot. After Pamplona and a great breakfeast with Nespresso machine I wanted to stay at Uterga for a short 16 k’walk at the Alb. Camino del Perdón..for the first time I made no reservation and when I arrived there…it was closed for the day, and so´was the other one.Aftr a night in Muruzabal I am now at Villtuerta in a very friendly alberge la Casa Magica a place wih a great atmosphere close to Estalla..and it seem’that I will be the only pilgrim here little early in the season.
Up to now the weather has been just perfect, mostly sunny , walking in T shirt but the forecast is rain rain and snowthat’s camino.
At the Alto del perdon…you know the typical photo I was just walking around and I found that little « nativity scene » it is completely hidden, somebody put it there with an impressively touching faith, something deeply meaningful for he or she, speaking directly to God

Is Malvina still at Casa Magica? She was closed for a while and I was afraid she might sell it. BTW, I am loving your travelogue.

 

[Stellamaris]

Is Malvina still at Casa Magica? She was closed for a while and I was afraid she might sell it. BTW, I am loving your travelogue.

Thanks, Yes she is( if I amnot confused by the nama of the women)

 

[naplesdon]

Thanks, Yes she is( if I amnot confused by the nama of the women)

Okay, Malvina is an American lady from Arizona with a Polish accent.