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Hi Nuala,What an interesting Camino you’re having! I hope you enjoy the shorter walk today and that the weather warms up soon.
Hi Nuala,
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for suggesting I do a live on the Camino post.
In the past I've walked and never bothered to take notes or keep a journal. It time memories merge and I can't remember where or when things happened.
There aren't always people there to protect walkers from their own foolhardy behaviour."There was also a woman who'd walked the Napoleon Route. She said the snow was 30cm deep in places."
Wait, isn't the Napoleon Route closed from November 1st to April 1st? How can this happen? Mister Stephen, buena suerte, y que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.
Thanks for posting regularly Stephen. Allows those not on Camino to keep in touch. You will not be surprised to hear the HSE believes the flu has almost peaked down south, and as flu doesn’t respect borders, probably similar in the 6 counties, so stay away another while till that cold is gone!Najera to Santo Domingo de la Caldeza.
Last night after The Mass the pilgrims who had attended were asked to come to the side of the altar for a short informal ceremony.
We were invited by the priest to ring out 3 chimes on a small bell attached to the wall.
The first for Jesu, the next for The Virgin Mary, and the last for Santiago.
I think they represented an unspoken prayer to look after us until we could get to Santiago and hear the cathedral bells.
In the albergue last night I wondered where all the new faces had come from. Them I realised we were the newcomers in this company. This cohort had been travelling in our footsteps from our second day.
There was an American man, a Hungarian woman, a young Englishman, and Koreans.
As we settled down to supper a straggler came in. A meal was put before him and I offered a glass of wine. He recoiled as though I'd offered a poisoned chalice. Perhaps it was for him. I pushed the half empty bottle further along the table and its contents were soon polished off.
I've never thought to comment on the appearance of hospitalieros but I'll make an exception for the Italian man in Najera last night. He was a big man with ruddy cheeks and a flowing white beard. If you could imagine Santa in mufti you'd have him to a tee.
I've had a streaming cold these last few days and maybe thats why the hill out of Najera seemed so difficult for me today.
The climb up to Ciruena took some effort. Going into a freezing head wind didn't help.
It seems to me to be a town that could serve as a warning against deregulation of banks.
There are hundreds of houses and flats there that have never been occupied. There was a time when banks seemed to be throwing money at property developers. They must have had the attitude, 'Built it and they will come'. So they built with borrowed money.
They, the residents, didn't come and there must have been a few bankruptcies.
I've had the flu jab. I'm not sure if it will protect me from common coldsThanks for posting regularly Stephen. Allows those not on Camino to keep in touch. You will not be surprised to hear the HSE believes the flu has almost peaked down south, and as flu doesn’t respect borders, probably similar in the 6 counties, so stay away another while till that cold is gone!
It won’t! I still managed to get a bad cold and bronchitis this winter, despite getting the jab in good time. Different bugs and strains.I've had the flu jab. I'm not sure if it will protect me from common colds
Sometimes, like doesn’t fit! The first part of your message calls for sympathy, and the second part calls for likealot!It won’t! I still managed to get a bad cold and bronchitis this winter, despite getting the jab in good time. Different bugs and strains.
Your posts are great, Stephen. It’s very good of you to share your journey and musings.
We stayed in a private albergue, with a little foot pool, and the owner had designed the upper bunks to be really high, based on his experience of low upper bunks when he was walking the camino himself. It was a long time ago, twelve years come this summer. How time flies! When you get to Portomarin, I will tell you what happened that day! Hope you have a great evening.Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Belorado.
I'm always glad when a Camino day starts with level going and never more so than today. Normally it allows me to get into my stride before any hills. This part of the path should be easy but with my heavy cold even the gentle ascents seemed to take much more time and effort. I started walking about 9 o'clock this morning and didn't arrive at the albergue until 5.30.
Yesterday I arrived at Santo Domingo about 3 o'clock and promptly unpacked my sleeping bag and slept for a couple of hours.
One heartening aspect of walking alongside the road as I neared Belorado was the number of tooted salutes from passing drivers of car and lorries.
I got to thinking when I'd first heard of the Camino and I remembered it was an item on a BBC television show, 'Wish you were here'. They were looking at Galicia/Santiago and mentioned that some pilgrims walked 500 miles to the tomb of Santiago. That really impressed me. This was at a time in my life when the prospect of doing any travel anywhere seemed slim, to say the least. The thought that I might make that same walk myself some day would have seemed ridiculous. But here I am. You never know what the future has in store.
Stephen, your menu options sound familiar! Morcilla in Burgos was more palatable for me than the dish of it I had in León. Reminds me, speaking of pigs, of a story I heard long ago. A young woman was getting used to married life and running the house probably about 90 years ago, in Dublin 4. She phoned the butcher to order the meat, asking very confidently for ‘a leg of pig’s cheek’...Burgos cathedral and tapas and on to Castrojerez.
I think nearly every piece of stone making up the body of the cathedral, and every bit of artwork, and wrought iron, contained in it, are an unspoken hymn to God. The one area that might not quite fit the bill is The Chapel of the Constables. They must have been powerful in their time, as close to the king as it was possible to be. Their memorial spoke to me of vanity and pride, as did the massive copies of their coats of arms chisseled into the walls.
I'd planned to walk to Honitas today but when I arrived there about 3 o'clock there was a sign on the albergue stating it wouldn't open to 4 o'clock. With everywhere else shut i decided to walk on to Castrojerez.
It was a cold day, cloudy and misty at first, and late, near San Bol, there was a biting head wind. I was a happy man to see San Anton and realise I was nearly done walking for the day.
I had feared my cold might get worse but walking in the cold air seems to have cured it. Still the occassional sniffle but nothing worse.
It won't be too long 'til Sahagun, the halfway point.
Time flies when you're enjoying yourself.
The tapas in Burgos included one of pate, mango jam, and chocolate. Thats not one I'd want to try again. I don't want to appear chauvinistic but their much-vaunted morcilla (black pudding) isn't a patch on the stuff we can buy back home in Belfast.
We finished the night with a shared plate of pigs ears and another of cows nose. I think I'll give them a miss the next time I'm in Burgos.
I remember seeing the old water mill on my way walking into Estella in May 2015. It had not yet been transformed into Albergue Curtidores at that point. I am enjoying your Camino from my armchair!I think I might remember this as the Korean Camino. There's certainly a good number of young men and women from there walking at the minute. Two were on the same plane as me from Stanstead to Biarritz and we travelled together to Bayonne Gare. I saw them again in an albergue in Pamplona where they'd already formed a 'Camino family' with another two girls and a young man.
We all went out together for tapas, beer, and a look at the stalls and decorations in the main square.
We met up again last night in Estella in Albergue Curtidores. It's one of the first buildings you meet as you walk into town along the river. It's housed in what was once an old water mill and has been renovated to a very high standard. The rooms hold 4 or 6 bunks. The kitchen is modern with all the kit a cook might need and they provide a good breakfast.
Another member of the group, a German who speaks 4 languages, (he admits he's let his French get rusty) offered to cook the evening meal if we all contributed to the cost of the food.
I doubt if there's a better meal to be had in all of Spain for less than €4 a head. We had double portions of salad followed by pasta.
If I had one quibble it would be the lack of wine. The cook is a non drinker and must have forgotten it when he was out doing the shopping. Still, an abstemious day occassionally can do no harm.
We started todays walk in rain, yet again, which turned the snow underfoot to slush. And there was a biting wind up towards Villamayor de Monjardin.
Tomorrow I'm thinking of Logrono. Some of the others are walking to Viana and then getting the bus there.
Ditto. After the first time, I thought it had taken all morning. I timed it the second time, and it was 23 minutes. Buen Camino.But having walked it twice before yesterday I know it's not really as hard as it might appear.
Morning, Stephen. The cocido does sound a bit strong. There is a Dublin dish, coddle, that might be somewhat similar, but it doesn’t have chickpeas or cabbage. Homemade is the only variety I have tried. I can remember fairly well the route to Foncebadon, so I hope you enjoy it. And tomorrow then, to Cruz de Fierro, and some of the most beautiful scenery on the Camino. Why? Reminds me of my own country! Step carefully. Thanks for bringing us along.I believe the albergue in San Martin del Camino has been taken over by new owners. The lady running it, Amelia, is certainly putting her heart into the operation, judging from the evening meal on offer. There was a starter of seafood pasta followed by chicken with peppers, a salad, and after the dessert a shot of cassis.
Breakfast offered boiled eggs, cheese, cooked meats, biscuits and cake.
It's curious how selective memory can be. I remember the Meseta as a time of walking farm paths through fields of waving corn. I'd completely forgotten all the walking alongside roads. You're on a track a few yards from them but the sound of traffic doesn't make for peaceful walking.
Immediately after Hospital de Orbigo you're offered a choice of paths. There's one to the right takes you away from the road but adds a km or so to the days walk. It's well worth taking.
The others arrived in Astorga before me and they were initially offered top bunks. They said they'd wait and see what I said. A top bunk when you're getting up a few times during the night squeaks and rattles. Not fair to the other pilgrims.
The hospitalers opened another 4 bunk room and one of the young Korean women joined us, probably thinking it would be quieter than in the other full dormitory.
We went into town to dine on a local delicacy, Cocido Maragato. It's cut if meat, mostly pork and sausages boiled. This is the first course. Then the vegetables that were cooked with the meat, chickpeas, potatoes, and cabbage. Finally a soup made from the broth with noodles.
There's a lot to it and, if I'm honest, it's not something I'd be in a hurry to try again.
The albergue closed at 9.30 so we had to rush our coffee. We were offered a choice of Orujo as a digestife. I thought our Korean companion might better remember the fiery plain one rather than the one mixed with cream.
Today offers the prospect of hills as we walk up towards Foncebadon.
Tomorrow to Ponferrada seems a short day but I'll maybe take the opportunity to have a good look around the castle.
Such a pity about El Acebo. I recall with clarity the breakfast there. We copied two labourers, on their holidays, who ran down the hills, chatting and smoking to their hearts content. No techie gear for them. We found them in a bar in El Acebo, ploughing their way through a very substantial plate of chorizo and jamon and cheese and beautiful bread. They chased it down with wine. Thus far we copied them. We stopped short at the shot of whisky that followed! And around the spot where Tomas has his place, the scenery was just so beautiful, but that was in July. So far, so good, Stephen. Stay going...The guide books tell us the walk from Astorga to Foncebadon involves an ascent of nearly 1800 feet. A good part of that is a gentle incline that you'd hardly notice. But after Rabanal del Camino a bit more effort is required.
Foncebadon, like much else on the Camino at this time of year, is pretty much a ghost town. The only albergue open is Monte Irago. The meal provided was a vegetarian paella with plates of ham, chirizo, and cheese, on the side for the carnivors.
The morning temperature for the walk to Molinaseca was scarcely above freezing.
We stopped at Monjarin, where Tomas runs an albergue thats quite different from any other you'll see, for coffee. I'm glad we did because the bars and cafes in the next two towns, El Acibo and Riego de Ambros, were all closed.
With so many parts of the Camino earlier on paved, or concreted, this stretch down to Molinaseca seems particularly genuine. The problem is you're surrounded by great scenery but at the same time you need to watch where you're stepping. Underfoot there are stones of all sizes and some places where you're walking on bare rock. If it was raining this could be a particularly difficult trail.
Tomorrow to Ponferrada seems a short day but I'll maybe take the opportunity to have a good look around the castle.
Castrojerez to Poblacion de Campos.
I wonder has anyone ever looked at the mountain after Castrojerez and not felt their heart sink a little?
It's not the highest a pilgrim meets but the fact that you can see the trail traverse the side of the mountain shows you what you're in for. And people, well me anyway, can see the worst in any situation.
But having walked it twice before yesterday I know it's not really as hard as it might appear.
Having reached the top we were met with low cloud and another headwind. Then down into the valley, across its floor, and a gentler ascent.
We walked across that valley when they were spreading cow manure as fertiliser. That particular day it could have been justly renamed, The valley of the flies. There must have been millions of them.
Yesterday's walk finished at the La Finca albergue.
They opened it specially for the 5 of us. It's a really nice place with a bar/restaurant on the same site.
Well done, getting up to O’Cebreiro. I swore I would never do that again. We followed another person’s advice and took the road up. Unrelenting heat and ascent... Anyway, you are nearer now than before you began! I am enjoying your progress.If I ever come to walk to O Cebreiro again I'll make sure it's at the start of the day, unlike yesterday when the climb came after a long walk fron Villafranca. It was a day of heavy showers and snow was falling when we started the ascent. There was nothing in the way of scenery because of the low cloud.
I was relieved when I saw the wall to the right of the path that lets you know you're nearly arrived in the village.
There was a TV crew doing a report from near the albergue. I guess snow and pilgrims must be a standby item for local broadcasters on a quiet news day.
Today an uneventful walk, mostly downhill, to Triacastela.
I think I should be in Santiago before the end of next week.
Thank you Mister Stephen for the situation report. Wow, this is getting exciting, Santiago just around the corner! Good luck, y que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.. . .
Just two more easy days should see us in Santiago . . .
Stephen, I can’t believe the time has gone so quickly. It has been really lovely to share the journey, thanks so much. I’ll think of you at some point, getting there. Being there. Buen Camino.I'd hoped to stay in Arzua last night but by the time I got to Ribadeso it was already dark and the lights if its albergue seemed very welcoming.
It's a fine modern looking place but in the kitchen there wasn't a piece of cutlery, no plates, cups, or glasses. So, while I had coffee there was no way to boil water for it, or anything to drink it from.
I shared a bar of chocolate with the two other pilgrims there and had an early night.
Earlier in the day as I was walking through Melide a man opened a window of a pulperia and began a speil about how they had the best octopus in Galicia. I noticed a Dutch pilgrim sitting in the restaurant so decided to give it a try.
I'm in no position to judge how good the pulpo was, it seemed fine, but I'd say you get a lot more for your money than you would in Santiago. In Melide the potatoes come on a seperate plate. In Santiago the pulpo is piled on top of potatoes to give an impression you're getting more than you really are.
If you want to try pulpo Melide is the place to try it.
Tomorrow will see us arrive in Santiago. I started on 2nd January and it'll finish on 2nd February.
I've walked six Caminos since August 2016. I think I must have covered about 5000 km in that time.Well done, Stephen! Hope you have a relaxing time in Santiago.
Have you done a tally of the camino miles/kms you’ve walked in the past few years? You always seem to be on the move - there’s the makings of a book in there
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