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On the Camino, on this date in June

trecile

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Staff member
Time of past OR future Camino
Francés, Norte, Salvador, Primitivo, Portuguese
The thread that I started last year has become rather long, so here's a new thread to post pictures, musings, etc. from any year for any dates in June on any Camino.
When you respond, please mention the year, route you were on and where you walked (or rested) that day. Thanks!
Also, if you are posting multiple pictures upload them as thumbnails.
 
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OK. We're off!
Seville 3/6/17.
Finding out that a vertical panorama on your new iPhone isn't necessarily a great idea.
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2018. Early morning departure from a backpackers in Madrid.
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2019. Not an encouraging sign at my rather dingy Bnb in Clermont Ferrand.
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3rd June, 2019 Camino Frances between Fromista and Carrion de los Condes.

Walking beside P-980 there is very little shade and so the only photos are taken from shady spots.

This one is the shady seat outside Albergue La Finca
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Then just before Revenga de Campos
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I couldn't imagine where the deer hid from humans in this heavily cultivated area and so I needed to get a shot of the sign exiting Villacaza de Sirga
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In Carrion de los Condes I am glad that I stayed at Albergue Santa Clara, clearly named after my mother 😍 and now I can say that I have slept in a nunnery!
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Pamplona, June 3, 2018, Celebrating the end of my 2018 Camino Aragones.... Met up with Camino friends from my home town back in Virginia USA, who had themselves just completed the Camino Baztan! How cool was that! Wine and tapas on the terrace @ Cafe Iruna.

When I die I'm not going to Heaven, I'm going back to Pamplona.

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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
4A341F17-8AD5-4B72-90C5-4F8BBEBFE98B.jpeg3rd June 2014. Resting my sore and swollen feet in the bed in San Marin Pinario after having walked Camino San Olav and Camino Ingles. No glorious arrival in Santiago for the fourth time. Instead I limped in and probably cried a little there in the bed.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
The thread that I started last year has become rather long, so here's a new thread to post pictures, musings, etc. from any year for any dates in June on any Camino.
When you respond, please mention the year, route you were daydayson and where you walked (or rested) that day. Thanks!
Also, if you are posting multiple pictures upload them as thumbnails.
Santiago 03/06/17 finished yesterday. 42 days started in St Jean. Just heard an angel sing at the Pilgrim Mass
 
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One last glance back to Las Medulas, then over the hill into a totally different landscape.
Once past Puente de Domingo Flores and under the rail line, there is a perfect picnic table, and then the camino follows the tracks (usually well above them) to Sobradelo through small places that have seen better days. It sounds dreary, but it was absolutely not! Quite the opposite.

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6 June, 2018, on the Sanabrés
Today started with a tour of the Monastery of Oseira- a huge pile currently under restoration. From the outside it looks dark, dank and foreboding but the interior has a few beautiful surprises. My favourites were the lovely statute - the Virgen of the Milk (no surprise what she is doing) and the palm tree room - four wonderful slender twisted columns supporting the roof; full of movement. I don’t know the date of the room (the monastery was built in 1137 but it was enlarged and partly rebuilt following a fire in 1552). The room reminded me very strongly of Gaudí, who apparently visited and was impressed.

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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
4th June, 2019 Camino Frances. Albergue Santa Clara from the street, then I couldn't resist a scallop shell imbedded in the road for my Camino pointers theme.
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Then it was out into the heat for the almost shadeless push onto Sahagun. On the path, the coffee caravan, a welcome stopping area around the halfway point and back on the Camino heading into Calzadilla de la Cueza.
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Then on arrival in Calzadilla de la Cueza
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Sahagun photos are in tomorrow's post.
 
5th June 2019, Camino Frances, Sahagun and the stunning Albergue Santa Cruz.
The vagaries of international time differences and a long days walking (around 40klms from Carrion de los Condes to Sahagun) has meant that one long day in Spain is spread across two days worth of photos back in ANZ time.

I can't now remember why I decided on such a long day walking but I am very glad that I did because it placed me in Albergue Santa Cruz on a personally significant day and that was the perfect day for me to be in this special place.

Firstly though, we resume back on the path between CdlC and Sahagun, around Ledigos. Ledigos itself, then the sun must have been getting to me and my mind was wandering so I started a new photo theme of Camino wildlife before drifting back into Camino pointers.
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Then I entered Moratinos and saw a delightful six wheeled vehicle, then exiting Moratinos with an unusual Camino pointer but I wouldn't bet on the accuracy of the distance display.
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The poppies started once I was back on the path.
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I will split the remaining photos into a new post.
 
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The remainder of the 4th June (Spain)/5th June (ANZ), Camino Frances around Sahagun.

On the path between Moratinos and Sahagun, another Camino pointer and the Ermita de la Virgen del Puente, just before Sahagun.
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Then the wonderful, warm welcome and real beds in uncrowded rooms at Albergue Santa Cruz in Sahagun.
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I walked the Camino in 2019 for a couple of reasons, one of those was to honour the memory of my best friend of 51 years, who had died unexpectedly after a mishap during a relatively common operation on the 4th June 2018.

It was an emotional day for me and I was pleased to be able to share it with the Marist Brother at Santa Cruz and the afternoon coffee group.

I then headed off to cook a chicken curry as my contribution to that evening's shared meal, followed by Mass around the corner at Monasterio de Santa Cruz Benedictinas.
 
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June 5th 2014-Camino Frances
Arrived in Madrid. I had read good things about Corazon Puro so I had decided to give them try instead of taking the bus to SJPdP and made reservations. Took the bus(es) to Pamplona, which on the second leg of the trip was not full so I was able to stretch out on a row of back seats and nap most of the journey. Upon arrival in Pamplona had only a short wait and was picked up by Istvan. He picked up a couple more pilgrims who had made reservations and off we went. Interesting drive to Viskarret. Their albergue was modern, clean. Had a really nice dinner there and conversation with the other pilgrims and Istvan and his wife. Too bad their establishment has since closed. They had a good thing going there for pilgrims.
 
I have always admired Spanish window dressing:
informative, complete and interesting.

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This is only on the day leaving Bilbao June 7 ´14. Once you see it ...
Is it good practise to include name tags on items for customers to refer to...?
How practical, how polite....!!
 
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June 5, 2017
Took a day off from VDLP to walk a local romaría with la Virgen de la Concha, from Zamora to La Hiniesta to Ermita del Cristo de Valderrey and back. A lovely couple adopted me for the day. It was an impromptu and brilliant back-door experience!
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I have always admired Spanish window dressing:
informative, complete and interesting.
Not to derail the thread, but you have picked up a subject dear to my heart. I love these! I so dislike shop windows that are covered up with paper or opaque paint. It looks so tatty and uninviting, compared to these.
I also regret the loss of those old streets with concentrations of one product - the street of shoe shops, the street of haberdashers, the street of hatters.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
On June 6, 2017, my feet took me from Ledigos to Calzada del Coto on the Camino Francés.

The morning greeted me with a pinkish sky and I loved the rich colour of the soil that stretched to the horizon.

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Later in the day, I came through beautiful Sahagún, well worth having a closer look.

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I stopped for the day in Albergue San Roque in Calzada de Coto, a few steps off the Camino on the other side of the highway, where a lovely Italian hospitalero gave me a very warm welcome.

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June 6th 2014-Camino Frances
After breakfast at the hostel, Istvan drove myself and two other pilgrims to SJPdP. There were other pilgrims who stayed the night that opted to start their Camino right there. Walk out the door and take a left. Actually one could start the Camino straight out the bus station in Pamplona and forgo any further transport to the east. As they say, it's all good.
Upon arrival at SJPdP the other two pilgrims and I went to the pilgrim's office and got our pilgrim's passports and information. The weather was nice. Partly cloudy skies and warm. I then bid farewell to the pilgrims as they were starting their walk that day. I debated starting myself, and one of the volunteers told me there was room available at Orisson but since I had so much time to walk I decided to stay the day in SJPdP and start the next morning, Napoleon route to Roncesvalles. It was still early, so I pretty much just wandered about town until the municipal hostel, Saint Jacques opened. I think I was the first one who checked in, lol.
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June 7th 2014-Camino Frances
I left the auberge fairly early that morning, just after sunrise. Really nice weather. I do not remember if I had breakfast in SJPdP or not. I do carry three 500ml bottles of water with me for walking the Napoleon route. The short walk to Orisson I have only two of them filled and fill all three at the water fountain at Orisson when I stop there for a break and maybe some coffee and food. Like I said the weather was really nice, easy walking and a fair amount of pilgrims walking that day to Roncesvalles. When I reached Roncesvalles I decided to continue on to Burgete as it is only a few more kms, and is flat easy walking. I did stop in Roncesvalles for a break and a glass of cold beer. Shortly after that I was in Burguete and stayed the night at the Hostal Burguete, known for Ernest Hemingway having stayed there before. Nice place.
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June 8th 2014-Camino Frances
Burguete to Zubiri
Woke up early, quick breakfast and off to Zubiri. Another day of nice weather as was most of this Camino Frances. I believe I only encountered rain on two days. I know Larrasoana is only another 5km's further, but I have always stopped at Zubiri. I suppose because there's more infrastructure there. It seems to get a bit of a bad rap in the guidebooks and is described as an industrial town(?), which it hardly is. It does have that small magna plant nearby but it's hardly what I would call industrial from my experience in seeing huge belching plants in the middle east, Asia and the US. Anyway, Zubiri has a lot of accommodations, restaurants and shops. As I entered Zubiri I opted to stay at a pensiones (Lubiaren Extea), the one right by the bridge (puente de la Rabia). Nice place and comfortable. I like the bridge and river nearby.
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9 June 2019 Invierno (Barxa de Lor-Monforte)
A bit of a climb to start the day, followed by a lingering look back across the dark pine-clad valleys the path had left (Barxa is right under that viaduct in the distance). This camino is a chameleon in places, the landscape changing quickly underfoot. Here, the path emerges from the blanket of pines into classic rural Galicia - with blooming broom, lots of cows, castros, and an abundance of emerald green.
Monforte was a treat, and I had a glorious view of the Roman bridge from my pension.

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Oops, I need to catch up with you folks, I was away reminiscing....
6th June 2019, Camino Frances. Exiting Sahagun, Arco de san Benito and Puente Canto.
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Then along the way from Sahagun to Mansilla de la Mulas
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7th June 2019, Camino Frances
In Mansilla de la Mulas
Puerta del Castillo, Gaia Albergue, pilgrims resting in the square (couldn't find an official name on Google maps), and (I think) a church but I need help with the name please?
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Here you go.

Iglesia Santa Maria.
 
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8th June 2019, Camino Frances
Leon

This was the result of something biting me on the ankle, I think that it was an insect of some sort but I never saw it. I felt it, relatively minor bite and brushed what ever it was off my ankle in a reflex motion. This is what it looked like 4 days later. It looks bad but it didn't really change my walking.
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9th June 2019, Camino Frances
San Martin del Camino
Obviously I didn't think that there was much of note between Leon and here as the only photo that I took was of this beautiful cat!
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It is the 10th of June here in ANZ now but a bit early in the morning and so the 10th's photos can wait until I wake up after a sleep.
 
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June 9th 2014-Camino Frances
Zubiri to Pamplona
Nice walk to Pamplona. My favorite city on the Frances. Love everything about it. The vibe, the bars and restaurants. Love the Ernest Hemingway aspect and read his books voraciously when I was younger. Went to Pamplona during San Fermin once and had a great time.
Got there fairly early in the afternoon. No real plans where I intended to stay there for the night but as I entered the older part of the town via the portal de Francia I immediately saw the private albergue Casa Ibarola and checked in there for the night. No curfew (pass-code), private beds in a sort of pod arrangement, air conditioning and breakfast included. A win...win as they say. A few other pilgrims I had met walking since SJPdP were also staying in Pamplona in other accommodations and were staying there for a couple of days and we all agreed to meet for dinner that evening. We all had a really nice dinner and a lot of drinks, lol. Stayed out late, until about 1:00am I think. Cannot remember because I did get a wee bit drunk and had a bit of a time finding my way home to the albergue. I do remember actually following the Camino arrows in reverse to find it lol. Fortunately no curfew and a pass-code and I crawled in my bed pod and quickly fell asleep.
 
at our farmhouse/pilgrim place

photo taken June 10, 2016

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Five years ago our first pilgrim arrived!

She had biked from Belgium and planned to visit Vezelay and then continue to Santiago; the puppy rode on the front wheel tied into his basket.

We wished them both Bon voyage / Buen camino.
 
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June 10, 2019. From Monforte de Lemos to Fion on the Invierno, the day was full of animal surprises: deer on the outskirts of Monforte, then a herd of sheep followed by a passel of wild piggies. The friendly muddy border Collie in Pinero was the icing on the cake. After a lovely mossy walk through the woods, right before Fion there's an funny sign extravaganza, basically in the middle of nowhere.
After leaving my pack in my room at Torre Vilariño, I took a wonderful little side trip to greet the mighty Rio Miño.
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June 10th 2014 Camino Frances
Pamplona to Uterga
Due to my late night drinking the night before I was the last one up and out of the albergue. The hospitalero was a really laid back younger guy was gracious and patient enough to let me take my time getting out of there and I even was able to have some breakfast that was still there set out in the kitchen and a couple of cups of black coffee. I definitely did have the effects of a hangover and as I left the albergue I debated what to do. My first thought was to spend another night in Pamplona, but it was only about 10 am by then and that meant wandering about until about 2 pm. I decided to try and walk to Puente de la Reina. It was another beautiful day and I got to say, walking up Alto del Perdon with a hangover was not fun lol. Fortunately I drank a lot of water. By the time I reached Uterga the effects were hitting me hard, and even though I had walked only about 13 km's I made the decision to stay there. An albergue to my right, and one to my left. I literally flipped a coin, which sent me left to the private albergue Camino del Perdon. Very clean and modern. Nice dinner. Good place to stop for pilgrims staying off the beaten path of the more popular "stages".
 
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11th June 2019, Camino Frances
From Astorga to Rabanal del Camino.
The Catedral de Santa Maria de Astorga and Palace Gaudi as I left Astorga.
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On the way from Astorga to El Ganso and then El Ganso.
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Leaving El Ganso and on the the steady incline up to Rabanal del Camino I was unknowingly feeling the effect of the Legionnaires disease that I was suffering from.

The incline is not that steep but I remember puffing along and the effort that it seemed to require. At one stage two young women with long legs strode past me, happily chatting away to each other while I was struggling to get my breath. I thought to myself, how wonderful it was to be young and fit and wondering if I might have squandered some of my youth, not realising how lucky I had been to be young and healthy.

Eventually I arrived at Rabanal del Camino and on checking into La Senda was greeted with enthusiasm by a delightful Irish couple who I had shared breakfast with in Roncesvalles!

They invited me to share dinner with them and another Irish lady that they had befriended along the way. Unfortunately, I was not feeling great and so I wasn't the greatest company over dinner but they either didn't notice or were too polite to comment.

Here is a photo of them outside La Senda.
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A selection of Camino Jewellery
June 11th 2014-Camino Frances
Uterga to Villatuerta
Another beautiful weather day. T-shirt and shorts, as would be pretty much this entire Camino Frances.
I stayed at the albergue Casa Magica at Villatuerta. I remember it being a nice place, and I think the only albergue there. Not sure.
 
6/11/2019 Invierno (Fion-Chantada).
A stellar day that included distant views of tomorrow's climb, a visit to the justly famed church at Diomondi, walking on the old road from there to the Rio Miño, and back up through vineyards on the far side. The Romans grew wine grapes here...it is an ancient tradition.
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12th June, 2019 Camino Frances
Rabanal el Camino to El Acebo de San Miguel.

I spent about three hours very late last night and most of today mulling over if I should post about this day and if I did post what I should say. This day was perhaps the lowest point for me personally during my pilgrimage, for various reasons that will become more obvious as I tell the story of the 12th June, 2019.

I now know that I caught Legionella on the 4th or 5th of June, when I was in Sahagun. As in most Westernised countries, in Spain, Legionella is a notifiable disease and when a patient is admitted into hospital with it, every effort is made to find out where that person caught the disease so that they can attempt to eradicate the source. The Public Health Unit at Hospital Lucus Augusti in Lugo used my Pilgrim Credentials to backtrack each place where I stayed and eventually found (to their amazement because of the incubation time) that the Alberque Santa Cruz in Sahagun had the bacteria in its water supply and that another pilgrim who had also stayed there also became infected with Legionella within a similar timeframe.

As a side note, Santa Cruz have since then, replaced their ancient plumbing at some considerable cost and it is now completely safe to stay there again. Further more, if given the chance, I would love to stay there again myself.

I will explain the symptoms of Legionella, as they are germane to the events of this day, the symptoms are:
rapid onset fever.
muscle aches.
tiredness.
headache.
loss of appetite.
breathlessness.
chest pain.
dry cough leading to pneumonia.
mental confusion.

According the the US CDC "The incubation period for Legionnaires’ disease is most commonly 5 to 6 days from the time of exposure to symptom onset, with a range of 2 to 14 days, but public health officials have reported incubation periods up to 26 days under rare circumstances. For surveillance purposes, public health officials collect exposure histories for the 14 days before date of symptom onset."

If I assume that I caught Legionella on the 5th June then by the 12th I would have been exhibiting the common symptoms.

I am not sure if I had a fever, I did not have a thermometer and so I have no idea about that. I certainly had muscle aches but as the aches had come on gradually over the past seven days, I had ascribed the aches to not being very fit while walking the prior 450-500klms so nothing really noteworthy there and I was self medicating with Ibuprofen up to 2400mg a day.

Tiredness. Well, I am in my mid-sixties and walking 25-30klm a day, who wouldn't be tired under those circumstances? Headache. I have had headaches all my life, I just take paracetamol and get on with life. Loss of appetite. Well that is a bit more unusual for me but on its own it does not stand out as a significant indicator of a major problem.

Breathlessness. Yes, absolutely, especially going up hills I puffed like The Little Engine Who Could. Yesterday's comment about being passed by two young women as I walked the gentle incline up to Rabanal, where the women where striding past me, chatting together as if they were on a Sunday stroll while I was puffing, wheezing and struggling as they went past. However, on the downhill bits and usually on the flat I wasn't exhibiting any particular breathlessness and so I thought that my hill issues were simply ascribed to me not being fit enough. Chest pain. There was a certain tightness but given that I was frequently wheezing my way up the hills I simply thought that this was from my exertion.

Dry cough. Actually, I didn't have a cough or not one that I noticed.

Mental confusion. Well, you can judge for yourself from the following story.

The 12th was the day that I was climbing up to the Cruz de Ferro and I had scripted this day in my mind from the moment that I decided to walk the Camino Frances. Today was the day that I would get to say goodbye to my deceased friend, B.

Before I left ANZ I asked B's wife, N, if she would be prepared to give me something personal of his that I could leave at the Cruz de Ferro in Spain. I said to her that while I wanted something personal, it should be something of little intrinsic value, perhaps a comb or a toothbrush, as I intended to leave it out in the open in a public place visited by thousands of people every year.

I had lunch with N at the airport before I flew out and she bought two items of B's along with her as a gift for me. One was one of B's hats. N knows me well (after around 45 years of friendship, almost as long as I had been friends with B) and knew that I often wore a hat and so with B's hat on my head I had a daily reminder of him. The other item was one of B's rings. It wasn't a jewellery ring, it was a simple, unadorned copper ring that B wore because he thought that it reduced the pain of arthritis in his hands. I don't know if it actually made any difference to the arthritis but B did think that it did and he had worn the ring for over 25 years and so over that time it had absorbed a bit of his essence or life force.

I was a little surprised that N was giving me the ring and I reminded her that I intended to leave it on a pile of rocks in Spain and asked if she was okay with that? One of the really nice things about N is that she is really straightforward. She assured me that she was completely okay with me leaving the ring at the Cruz de Ferro.

So, back to the Camino. When I woke up on the morning of the 12th I felt in reasonably condition. I had a few aches but then who my age doesn't? I knew that today would be a very emotional day for me and so I purposely avoided my Irish friends from the night before and set off for the Cruz de Ferro alone. Along the way I managed to get these shots departing Rabanal, of local wildlife and on the climb up the hill.

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Of course, I struggled up the hill, puffing as I went but eventually crested a hill and saw the Cruz de Ferro ahead of me. As I got closer I was pleased to see that there weren't too many other people around and there was only a single couple up on the rocks around the cross and so I waited respectfully for them to finish before I went up to say my goodbye to B.

I was just about to go up to the cross myself when a middle-aged Spanish guy ran past me and up to the cross, started swinging on it and called out loudly to a taxi driver in the nearby car park asking him to take his picture dancing around the cross. The taxi driver seemed to be cringing somewhat at his antics but eventually got his phone out and took a photo of the guy.

I was flabbergast and angry that my carefully self-scripted ceremony was being usurped by this guy but at the same time I partially caught myself and acknowledged to myself that there were no "rules" and that if this guy wanted to celebrate being at the Cruz de Ferro in this way then it was not for me to judge him. I thought that I would just wait until he was finished and then proceed with my plans.

At that moment I saw two tour busses pull into the carpark and my heart really sank because I knew that this meant that in a few moments time, hoards of people would come out of those busses and they would naturally come over to the cross and do their own thing before the busses departed for the next stop on their tour.

I had only moments to decide if I would wait for the loud guy and the bus passengers to leave, risking have yet more busses arrive in the meantime or throw my carefully self-scripted ceremony out and do something quick and dirty before being surrounded my bus passengers. I decided to do something quick and get out of there before my anger with the world boiled over.

I walked quickly up to the cross, crossing paths with another couple who seemed to have the same idea, touched the cross, walked back down, turned my back to the cross, said a quick goodbye to B and his deceased son (another story for another day), chucked the ring over my shoulder, turned and took this photo, then stormed off.

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*** There is a character limit on these posts and so I will end this post here and restart in the next one.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
6/12/2019 Invierno. (Chantada - Rodeiro)
A moody day, internally and externally. It was not as hard a day as @Doughnut NZ had, but after a joyful morning, the bit across the top of Monte Faro was a real slog. Looking back, I realize that the disappointment that the hermitage at the top was a noisy construction site colored my mood for the rest of the afternoon. But what lifted me out of the doldrums was the lady in a panaderia in the town before Rodeiro who refused to let me pay for bread. I was ravenous and it as manna from heaven, the kindness making it all the tastier.
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A short way down the path after Cruz de Ferro I bumped into the nice Irish couple again and the guy kept pace with me chatting as we walked. I was still angry with the world, feeling sore and breathless as we continued the climb. He offered me advice about the path ahead, I am not usually receptive to unsolicited advice and I was even more resistant that day. I pretty much ignored him and said nothing but he didn't seem to notice.

Eventually we reached the top and started on the descent. There are three places where pilgrims on the Camino Frances typically seem to have difficulties with the steep descent. The descent into Zubiri from Roncesvalles, I literally skipped down this part, in pouring rain, passing many other pilgrims in the process (thankfully, as I had left Roncesvalles late and I arrived in Zubiri in time to get the second to last bed that night); the descent from Alto del Perdón, I didn't skip down this part but I really didn't have any problems with it and I descended much faster than the people around me; and the descent from Cruz de Ferro down to El Acebo de San Miguel on the way to Molinaseca. This time I struggled, I was tired, sore, breathless, emotionally upset and too far inside my own head to be properly aware of my surroundings. I was slipping and stumbling and I was in imminent danger of falling. All this time my Irish companion was chatting away and offering me advice.

During the early part of the descent the Camino trail closely parallels the road and I watched as some pilgrims left the trail on steep bits and walked on the road for safety then re-joined the trail when it went up hill again. I resisted doing this as I wanted to "do the Camino properly". Eventually, however, I figured that if I didn't move onto the road I would end up falling and I also wanted to get away from my companion and so when an opportunity presented itself I abruptly veered off the trail onto the road, leaving my companion and other pilgrims behind.

I hadn't actually meant to leave the trail altogether, it just so happened that the point that I chose to leave the trail for the road was the last point where they paralleled each other. After about thirty minutes walking down the road I realised the road probably wasn't going to parallel the Camino trail anymore and I thought about walking back to where I had left the trail and re-joining it. I was so tired and sore that the thought of having to walk back, up hill, to re-join the trail wasn't a valid choice anymore. I got my phone out to check my position on Google Maps and to see where the road was taking me but there was no cellular service and I hadn't downloaded the local area map back at the Albergue that morning so Maps was no help at all, nothing would load.

I now realised that I was completely alone. Earlier in the morning I had seen some cyclists riding down the road but I hadn't seen any for hours and I had not seen a single car or other vehicle. I had no idea where the road was taking me but I figured that it must go somewhere and that I would, eventually, get to someplace where there was signs of civilisation and perhaps cellular telephone service and so I kept on walking.

I had no food with me and I had forgotten to refill my water bottle before leaving that morning and the small amount or residual water was now long gone. In addition to all the other feelings that I had I was now also hungry and very thirsty and in addition the sky had clouded over with dull grey clouds and the temperature was falling fast. I walked on down the road.

At some point I realised that I needed to sit down and rest but I resisted that for a long time, I was worried that I would not be able to get up again if I sat on the ground and there was no where else to sit. I felt so low that I thought that I would give up on the Camino and if a vehicle came past, in any direction, I would flag it down, ask the driver to take me to the nearest town on their route, catch a bus from there back to Madrid and fly home. No vehicle came along and I walked on down the road, sinking deeper into despair.

Eventually I was so sore and tired that I had to rest and so I sat down on the side of the road. As I sat there I closed my eyes and I had a flashback to my early twenties when I had done a hike with B around Lake Waikaremoana in Urewera National Park in ANZ. I was not an experienced hiker in those days and so I had gone in my cotton jeans and cotton shirt with an ill-fitting, over-weight pack wearing someone else's hiking boots. It is a five day hike where you need to carry all your own food and water. The first day wasn't too bad, it was all uphill but I was young and fresh to the trail. The second day was worse, I had aches and blisters from the first day plus there was more uphill and then some undulations along the ridge line. The third day was the worst, I now had two days of prior aches and blisters as we worked our way further along the ridge line before dropping steeply down to the lake level. During the descent it rained and it was so steep that it was too awkward to get my raincoat out and so I got soaking wet.

After the rain, down at the lake level, the temperature dropped to somewhere close to freezing. I wore a coat for a while but that became uncomfortable in my wet clothes and so I took it off again. I had no hat or gloves. Down at lake level it was still undulating country and I was walking slowly. B had bought a fishing rod with him and he was keen to do some fishing before we stopped for the night and so after checking with me, he walked on ahead as he was in much better condition. At some stage after he left the wind picked up and I started to feel the cold but as I was walking and sweating with the effort I didn't bother putting my coat back on.

As I walked, I got more and more tired and started to look for somewhere to sit down. I came to a dog-leg in the track and ahead of me, about forty or fifty metres off the track I saw a fallen log that looked like a good seat and so I left the track, walked to the log and sat down, taking my pack off in the process. Once my pack was off and I was sitting down I started to shake uncontrollably. At that point, I knew intellectually that I was suffering from hypothermia but because of the hypothermia my body had shut down most of the blood flow to the reasoning part of my brain and so I didn't care that I had hypothermia and I just sat there shivering uncontrollably and starting to black out.

I don't know how long I sat there in that state. The next thing that I knew was hearing B calling my name from what seemed to be somewhere off in the distance. It wasn't, B was standing next to me. He had got worried when I hadn't turned up at the agreed meeting point and so he had walked back down the track looking for me. He missed me on the way back because I had walked off the track at the dog-leg, it was only after walking back to where we had parted and turning to walk back along the track in the original direction that he came to the dog-leg and saw me sitting on the log.

He knew straight away that I needed urgent help and so he took his own jacket off, put it on me, built a fire where I sat and put a pot of soup on to boil. Once it boiled he told me to drink it, I don't think that what I did next was what he had in mind. I reached over with my bare hands, picked the aluminium pot up off the fire and drank the boiling soup from the pot. To this day, I do not understand why I did not burn my hands handling the hot pot nor how I did not burn my throat or stomach as I drank the boiling soup. What I do know is that without his help that day, I would have died.

Back in Spain, about this time I felt someone kicking me in the A*** and saying "Get up". I opened my eyes and there was B standing there, trying to rouse me and yelling at me to get up and get going. I don't know how long I had been sitting on the ground with my eyes closed but I was cold and thirsty and so I followed B's advice and I got up and started walking again. After a while, the exertion warmed me up and I came to a point where the Camino trail crossed the road. After thinking about it for a while I figured that B wanted me to finish my Camino and so I re-joined the trail and eventually walked into El Acebo. That night I stayed in the Alberque Parroquial Apostol Santiago. I have no memory of what I ate that day, if anything or anything much about that night except that the beds were at the top of some very creaky stairs and that I needed to urinate at least twice that night and I tried to be quiet as I went downstairs to the toilet but the stairs defeated me and the toilets had one of those lights that turned off automatically after some time and the switch was in the corridor outside the toilet and so I stumbled around trying to get out of the toilet and back to my bed.

I also don't remember taking these photos in El Acebo and yet here they are:
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I am a scientist and I have no explanation for what happened that day other than perhaps pointing to the acknowledged symptoms for Legionella.
 
What a day, @Doughnut NZ .
And what determination.

I am a scientist and I have no explanation for what happened that day other than perhaps pointing to the acknowledged symptoms for Legionella.
That, and perhaps just that the mind has an amazing capacity for self-preservation. If it needs a realistic hallucination at any sense door, that's probably not too hard for the unconscious mind to arrange. ;)
 
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June 12th 2014-Camino Frances
Villatuerta to Los Arcos
Another nice day of walking. In Los Arcos stayed in Casa de la Abuela. Nice place. Breakfast included from what I recall.
 
@Dougnut NZ, I am on tenterhooks. And then what happened - did you actually walk down to Ponferrada feeling that crummy? :eek:

6/13/2019 Invierno (Rodeiro-Lalin)
A day of full-on Gallicia! Blooming broom, meandering streams, vividly green fields, lots of cows, a few small villages, and old things (churches with gravestone pavements, bridges).
Oh. And did I mention mud? 🤣 There were moments.

Mud notwithstanding, a gentle day with Monte Faro disappearing with surprising speed in the rearview mirror (cow in the foreground MF in the far distance...).
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June 13th 2014-Camino Frances
Los Arcos to Viana
Short walking day. In Viana stayed in the municipal albergue, Andres Munoz.
While there I visited the 13th century church there, Viana Iglesia de Santa Maria.
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June 13th 2014-Camino Frances
Los Arcos to Viana
Short walking day. In Viana stayed in the municipal albergue, Andres Munoz.
While there I visited the 13th century church there, Viana Iglesia de Santa Maria.
View attachment 102444
Sometimes I do a search on the internet for albergues I stayed in before. There's been so many that no way do I remember them all. I just looked up the one I stayed in while in Viana, the municipal albergue Andres Munoz. It was reviewed on Trip Advisor, and while I find it interesting that a probably 5-6 euro a night dormitory style municipal albergue would be reviewed on there, what I found most amusing and interesting is some of the reviews. A couple of really whiny ones comparing it to a prison. Really? lol. For God's sake it is five bucks a night, lol. Must be some real spoiled bubble dwellers walking the Camino lol. The should probably get out more. :D
Anyway, I cannot say I remember it as being bad, so it must have been good. In fact I cannot remember a really bad albergue experience, period. Every day on the Camino brings me joy and I was so blessed to have been able to walk it so many times.
 
@Dougnut NZ, I am on tenterhooks. And then what happened - did you actually walk down to Ponferrada feeling that crummy? :eek:
Yes, I did, although it took me two days to do it. It probably helped that it was mostly down hill and I got a bit of a push on the 13th as you will hear in my next post.
 
13th June 2019, Camino Frances
El Acebo to Molinaseca

One of the reasons that I didn't think that I had anything more than a case of influenza or a cold was that things improved after I had rested. I have just looked back over the emails that I was sharing with my family around this time and this is what I said in an email on the 13th before going to bed "I am beginning to wonder if I have picked up some issue along the way. The last three days have been really hard but primarily in the morning or after I have had an afternoon siesta. When I get up I am very light headed, I don't have any energy and I am really sensitive to the cold.

Once I stop for a lunch break and rehydrate I feel much better. Today, in the morning my walking speed dropped to 3klm per hour downhill! After lunch it was back to 5klm. I don't have any other symptoms, just very light headed, no energy and sore hips (but they are usually sore anyway).
" then after waking up in the morning of the 14th I had this to say "Panic over, I have the Flu. It must be a strain so similar to one in my recent Flu shot that most of the normal symptoms were suppressed. Last night my fever broke when I woke up, drenched in a pool of sweat. This morning I am coughing and I have a dribbly nose."

Of course, with hindsight it is easy to relate the light-headedness with lack of oxygen caused by the infection in my lungs and the night sweats to my high temperature but that wasn't so obvious at the time.

One of the things that helped me get going in the mornings is that the Albergues biff you out! They don't seem to really care how you feel, out you all go. This morning I managed to get a little adrenaline boost to help me on my way. Just as I was about the walk out of El Acebo (the path slopes down and curves to the left with a wall on one side and the side of a house on the other side, a short valley) two cyclists rode past, really fast, almost knocking me over as they went by. They were quickly followed by this HUGE Alsatian dog that was chasing them. When the dog saw me he/she realised that I was a much easier target than the rapidly receding backs of the cyclists.

To understand quite how I felt at that moment you need to know that when I was aged four I was attacked and mauled by two Alsatians who put me into hospital. Since then any unrestrained, aggressive dog just automatically triggers my reptile brain into fight or flight mode. If the aggressive dog is small enough then I am likely to attack it, generally with a boot to its head unless I happen to be carrying any sort of striking implement. I have no general wish to harm dogs it is just that I usually have little control over my actions in this situation. It really is an automatic, triggered response. On the other hand, if there is more than one dog or as in this case the dog is big enough to eat me then I quickly look for a safe exit, somewhere within 20-30 metres. I know from experience that if I can't get somewhere safe within a short distance then the dog(s) will quickly run me down as they are much faster than I am over distance.

In this case, neither option was available to me and so with my heart beating at about 280 bpm, I kept my gaze on the ground, edged across to the other side of the path and pretending that I wasn't bothered by the barking dog, I walked nonchalantly out of El Acebo. I have no idea how I managed to be so controlled. After a while, the dog sensed that I wasn't going to play chase with him that morning, got bored and wandered off. Fortunately I didn't have any breakfast that morning or I would have left it in my pants. On the good side, however, as I said earlier, I did start that day with a terrific adrenaline boost and that got me moving down the trail.

Later that day I realised that in the rushed process of leaving the albergue that morning I had forgotten B's hat and this meant that I would need to walk hatless to Santiago because I had posted my own hat on to Ivar from Pamplona, along with other items that I thought I would not need on the trail (like long pants). I had two other noteworthy incidents as I walked that day. Walking was a struggle that day, especially on any inclines where I would do my steam train impersonations. Here is a photo taken in the hillier bits.

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On one of the flatter bits just before Riego de Ambrós, the Camino trail crossed the LE-142 road. At that point, there was a tour bus parked, partially blocking the trail. Sitting and walking around the bus were a couple of very rotund touregrinos and further along the trail I could see a larger group. As I got closer I could see that the group were mostly engaged in taking each others photos although a couple of the more energetic ones were climbing over the walls of the neighbouring fields and wandering around them. I wasn't feeling very sociable at this point and so I did my best to avoid them, which wasn't easy as they blocked the trail, and quickly moved past them. It looked to me like the tour bus was stopping at picturesque points along the Camino which were easy to access from the road, so that the passengers could get out and walk like a pilgrim and get their pictures taken. This was a new concept to me.

By the time I got to Riego de Ambrós I was thirsty but the tiny village seemed to be full of tourists and so I avoided the cafes at the start of the village and hoped to find a small shop further into the village where I could get a drink. Unfortunately there wasn't one and so I was already starting to droop a bit by the time I headed up into the hills after Riego de Ambrós. As the trail came back down, further along just before it rejoins the road, there was a car parked on the side of the trail with an old guy in it. He had a sign up saying that he had free water and so I stopped. For some reason, when the guy got out of his car I became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he seemed very dodgie to me. There is no obvious reason why I felt this way and I almost walked on but I really needed a drink and so I stayed. The guy had some handmade but crappy looking religious items that he was offering for a "donation" and these things were associated with the "free" water.

I did not want his stuff and so I offered to buy the water off him but he refused and so reluctantly, I took one "free" bottle of water along with one of his "thingies" and gave him a small donation equivalent to the usual cost of buying bottled water. He muttered something in Spanish but I did not understand and so I walked off quickly, leaving his handmade thingie on the first fence post that I came across. It is interesting, I am currently reading a book called "Fully Human" by an Australian author and psychologist, Steve Biddulph. In the book Steve promotes listening to your body in these situations. He calls our body's ability to form a feeling about someone a "supersense". I have no idea why I felt so uncomfortable about this man but something about him made me very wary.

By the time I got to Molinaseca I was beat, even though it is only just over 8klms from El Acebo and so I looked for a place to stay. Just before the bridge, on the right, I saw what looked like a great place. It was surrounded by a high wall but the gate was open and I could see this lovely garden inside but it seemed that this was a place only for women and so, reluctantly, I walked across the bridge looking for somewhere else. Perhaps I consulted the Gronze website because the place that I headed to had a long line of people waiting to check in. My memory isn't too clear on this point but I think that as I go to the line I stumbled or fell over, I am not sure. But in any case, whatever happened, the next thing I knew I was sitting inside filling out their registration form.

Again, I have no real memory of what, if anything, I ate that night but the next morning I sent the email (above) to my family saying that I had woken up in a pool of sweat and that I thought that maybe I had caught Influenza.

Here are some photos from Molinaseca:

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More tomorrow .....
 
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June 14th 2014-Camino Frances
Viana to Navarette
At Navarette stayed at the La Casa Del Peregrino albergue. I do not remember anything specific about it. I think it is the municipal albergue there.
I also do no remember why I chose to not stay in Logrono on this particular Camino. It is a great town to stop in. I guess it was because I had stayed there before (and stayed there again on another Camino).
 
14th June 2019, Camino Frances
Molinaseca to Ponferrada

Only 7.5klms but it took me most of the day. Going up and over the hill was the hardest. Once I got to Ponferrada and checked in to Albergue de Peregrinos San Nicolás de Flue I noticed a poster on the wall advertising a Pilgrims health clinic and so decided to go there the next day to get checked out as it was becoming obvious that something serious was going on with my health.

Only one photo today, taken on the way
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Albergue Santamarina
This Albergue looked like a nice place to stop.
 
June 15th 2014-Camino Frances
Navarette to Najera
Another nice day for walking. Walked most of the day with a Dutch peregrina I met. We arrived at Najera early afternoon and as we were crossing the bridge over the small river in town we met a young hospitalero who was handing out pamphlets for his albergue, a private one just completed, so we thanked him and headed there. It was on the far left side of town on the other side of the river. Called Nido de Ciguena. It was indeed brand new, and nice. We were the only ones there and ended up being the only ones there for the night. At about 7pm the hospitalero said he was going home and gave us instructions on locking up in the morning on the way out. It is interesting that there were so few pilgrims in town that day, in a place very popular with stopping and was not the first place I stayed in on that Camino where there were few pilgrims in town. Even at the height of the popular season you just never know what the numbers will be.
Later we went to look for a meal, but it being Sunday and afternoon time nothing was open. The hospitalero told us to go to the local Bazaar Chino in town, on the other side of the river, as they were open on Sunday siesta. He said they sold groceries. We did and purchased dinner, fruit, beer and some things to eat in the morning.
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14 June 2019 Invierno (Lalin-Silleda)
After a lovely exit from lalin on the Via Verde, this was a bittersweet day, the last on the Invierno before it merged with the Sanabres. It had been a deeply moving month and my walk would soon be over. Passing that last Invierno mojon, I felt both gratitude and a little sadness. Soon after, though, the magnificent old Roman bridge at Taboada and carving of Samson over the door of the nearby Iglesia de Santiago were welcome reminders to just stay here now.
So the rest of the day was very sweet, in spite of an impressive patch of Galician mud after the Pazo de Trasfontao.
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15/6/2019 Invierno (Silleda-Ponte Ulla)

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The closer to Santiago, the closer together the little hamlets seemed to be, but even on this second to last day of the Camino there was a longish stretch of quiet. The little villages seemed timeless, until a tractor or some other machine appeared; I especially liked Dornelas with its beautiful church and Albergue Casa Leiras, where I stopped for a chat and some superb cafe and cake. Next time I will try to stop here for the night. Coming to Ponte Ulla, there are many more Pontes than once upon a time; the castro on the hill above the river still looks toward Pico Sacra, but now the view includes new viaducts and high-speed train bridges; it's quite impressive, especially from the hermitage tucked underneath.

Edit: There was a plaque in Bandeira for one Padre Jose Espiño Matos. I had not looked him up until just now and found this. Very touching.
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€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
June 16th 2014 Camino Frances
Najera to Santo Domingo De Calzada
Short walk. Only about 21 km's. Stayed at the big albergue, Caso del Santo. Run by the confraternity. Very nice, modern albergue. Has a garden outside with the town's signature chicken coops. Really cool place. Chicken coop inside the cathedral, too. I like the charm of it all. If you go to the sort of tourist information center there you can get a sello with a rooster and hen on it.
 
15th and 16th June, 2019 - Camino Frances

Ponferrada
I woke up on the 15th not feeling great and so headed off to the free Pilgrim medical clinic. After waiting almost five hours to be seen, after all other non-pilgrims, the doctor refused to examine any part of me except my legs!

This was a real disappointment but I asked him to examine an old leg injury so that I could get a medical certificate and stay another day to rest. He poked my leg so hard that I almost leapt off the examination table in pain. He then wrote me a prescription for Ibuprofen along with the medical certificate.

I had become somewhat fatalistic by this point and figured (incorrectly) that if I had something serious then he would either have found a reason to examine my chest or would have referred me to someone who could examine my chest.

I then headed back to the Albergue and sat in the sun in their nice garden until they reopened and then went straight to bed.

The rest day must of helped because the next morning I felt better and decided to walk the 8 klms to Camponaraya, where I stayed the night at La Medina Hostal Albergue which was disappointing and I saw bedbugs the next day but could not find any bites. Not having much luck at this point 🥴

Along the way I got these photos but I am disappointed that I didn't feel up to exploring these beautiful places.

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I also enjoy Dickens ☺️. Like most things in life there were a combination of things that were part of my decision process.

Firstly, I thought that I had Influenza (apparently La Gripe in Spanish) and so while that affected my lungs and breathing, I didn't think that it was dangerous and that it would simply pass with time.

Secondly, I was walking to honour my friend and he had encouraged me to "get going" and so I wasn't going to stop unless I physically couldn't move.

Of course, there is also the possibility that 10 and 11 days into the disease that the lack of oxygen was modifying my ability to reason well and being in a country, on my own, where I am unused to the customs and I can't speak the language meant that I was quite isolated with no easy access to a second opinion.

Then there was the inertia of the Camino. Everything is geared towards keeping Pilgrims moving. The Albergues bif you out by 8am and the general flow of the pilgrims around you tends to pull you along.

Lastly there is the raw power of simply putting one foot in front of another. One of my indelible lessons from this journey is just how powerful constancy and incremental improvement is!

Like the analogy of water and wind, two very soft things that are responsible for defining much of the natural landscape.
 
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6/16/2019 Invierno (Ponte Ulla-Santiago)
At last the day has come and it is over.
Walking up through the fog to Outero and past Pico Sacra, still in her morning cloak of fog, and then through the fields and settlements, closer and closer to the city, until at last the spires of the cathedral lay directly ahead.
Coming back to where I had started a month before, a different person.
It doesn't get much better than that.

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Edit: The flax is for you @Doughnut NZ. Trusting, offering its flowers in a place where no Tui or Bellbirds will come. Maybe it was the day, but I found that very touching. It is obviously thriving, growing where life planted it. May we all have that resilience.
 
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June 17, 2017 was the day I reached the province of Galicia on my walk from Las Herrerías to Fonfría on the Camino Francés.
While I had never been particularly fond of flowers and plants, slowly crossing Spain on foot opened my eyes and heart to the beauty of nature.

IMG_1369.jpeg IMG_1370.jpeg Galicia.jpeg

I remember the walk up to O Cebreiro as one of the happiest times of my first Camino. It was a glorious day and I felt strong and confident. I thoroughly enjoyed the company of my camino friends and the gorgeous views Galicia had to offer.

O Cebreiro.jpeg Alto do San Roque.jpeg IMG_1412.jpeg
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
17th June 2019, Camino Frances
Camponaraya to Villafranca del Bierzo

Apart from encountering the bedbugs when I woke up, I felt quite good and with the imminent climb up to O Cebreiro in mind I decided to walk straight through to Villafranca del Bierzo (around 14 klms and the most I would have done for about six days) to see if I was capable of getting up to O Cebreiro.

Just in case I struggled, I decided to send my backpack ahead with Jacotrans and just carry the minimum in a day pack.

Upon getting up I had told the lady in charge of the albergue about the bedbugs, expecting her to be surprised and to be upset but she just shrugged her shoulders and went on doing her job. I guess that she wasn't surprised 😯

When I later asked her for the Jacotrans form she seemed a little miffed with me for some reason and so I decided to photograph my pack and the tag ready to go as a bit of security for myself if it wasn't at my destination when I got there.

IMG_20190616_081923124.jpg

I don't remember much about the walk except that I struggled up and over the hill part. I must have gone through Cacabelos because I have photos of it (below) but I have no memory of it.

IMG_20190616_100606481.jpg IMG_20190616_095912492.jpg

It was obviously a great day, weather wise, and the farmland around Cacabelos was beautiful and green with delightful cottages but none of these photos invokes any memories.

IMG_20190616_102035564.jpg IMG_20190616_105627566.jpg

I do remember the relief I felt when I walked around the corner and saw the Municipal albergue but when I saw the hill down to Villafranca and back up again I knew that I would be eating instant noodles for dinner that night.

IMG_20190617_080333508.jpg IMG_20190617_080344431.jpg

When I registered I told the hospitalero about my probable encounter with bedbugs the night before and asked for advice but she was a young woman, I guess, without much experience because she did not know what to do.

There was a washing machine for pilgrims and so I put all my clothes except a pair of shorts and T-shirt in the wash and set it to hot wash then hung my stuff outside on the clothes line. It was still a hot day and they dried quickly.

While I waited for my clothes to dry I started thinking about the climb up to O Cebreiro the next day and decided to break it into two and so for the first time since St. Jean I booked a bed for the next night and went to bed to rest.
 
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New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
18th June 2019 Camino Frances
Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro

I woke up feeling really bad and I started to doubt that I would be able to walk halfway up the hill I had seen in the distance. I packed my pack and headed in the dining room of the albergue for a cup of instant coffee.

Sitting there I overheard a couple of pilgrims talking about catching the bus up to O Cebreiro and I decided to do the same. It took me some time to come to this decision but I felt that if I started walking and then had to give up part way up the trail then that might make things complicated on the narrow trail.

I suspect that I had pushed it too hard the day before. Anyway, once I made the decision I became comfortable with it.

The only bus that day wasn't scheduled until about 11am (I think, don't hold me to it) and so I left the albergue and walked down to Villafranca to find a pharmacy that was open to stock up on more Ibuprofen. I eventually found one with the help of Google Maps and then wandered around looking for the bus stop.

The bus stop turned out to be on the outskirts of Villafranca outside a largish hotel/motel. I sat in the bar sipping on a decent coffee waiting for the bus and around 4 other pilgrims turned up.

The bus was late and so we were all pacing around, watching the clock and going outside every so often to try and see the bus, in case we had to flag it down. Eventually I decided to go wait outside in the heat and finally the bus turned up.

The driver got out and opened the luggage locker door and we all piled our backpacks in. Then he turned to us and asked for our tickets. One guy pulled out a ticket, the driver waved him onto the bus and turned to the rest of us with an expectant look.

We all put our hands in our pockets and pulled out our wallets. The driver shook his head and said "no, we couldn't buy a ticket from him, we had to prepurchase the tickets", in Spanish. He then started taking our backpacks out of the luggage locker.

Fortunately one of the other pilgrims spoke Spanish and remonstrated with him. After much back and forth the driver gave up, shrugged his shoulders and ushered us onto the bus.

Once on the bus I was relieved but puzzled about how to pay the bus fare. I asked one of the other pilgrims who spoke some English and was told that when the bus stopped at Pedrafita do Cebreiro that we had to go into the shop by the bus stop and buy our tickets there

As the bus drove up the incline I saw how steep it was and I was very glad that I had not tried to walk it. Eventually we got to Pedrafita, got off the bus, crowded into the shop and bought our bus tickets. The bus was already running late and the driver took off without checking our tickets.

There is a bit of a steepish walk from Pedrafita up to O Cebreiro and I was wondering how I would do it when one of the others suggested that we share a taxi. I never actually asked but perhaps some of the others were also injured or sick.

The taxi arrived, we piled in and were driven up to O Cebreiro. I headed for the municipal albergue and checked in, feeling a little bit guilty about not walking up. After unpacking and showering I phoned the albergue halfway up and cancelled my reservation.

I was feeling rotten, I don't think that I ate anything, I just got into my bunk and rested and eventually fell asleep.

No photos today!
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
18th June 2019 Camino Frances
Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro

I woke up feeling really bad and I started to doubt that I would be able to walk halfway up the hill I had seen in the distance. I packed my pack and headed in the dining room of the albergue for a cup of instant coffee.

Sitting there I overheard a couple of pilgrims talking about catching the bus up to O Cebreiro and I decided to do the same. It took me some time to come to this decision but I felt that if I started walking and then had to give up part way up the trail then that might make things complicated on the narrow trail.

I suspect that I had pushed it too hard the day before. Anyway, once I made the decision I became comfortable with it.

The only bus that day wasn't scheduled until about 11am (I think, don't hold me to it) and so I left the albergue and walked down to Villafranca to find a pharmacy that was open to stock up on more Ibuprofen. I eventually found one with the help of Google Maps and then wandered around looking for the bus stop.

The bus stop turned out to be on the outskirts of Villafranca outside a largish hotel/motel. I sat in the bar sipping on a decent coffee waiting for the bus and around 4 other pilgrims turned up.

The bus was late and so we were all pacing around, watching the clock and going outside every so often to try and see the bus, in case we had to flag it down. Eventually I decided to go wait outside in the heat and finally the bus turned up.

The driver got out and opened the luggage locker door and we all piled our backpacks in. Then he turned to us and asked for our tickets. One guy pulled out a ticket, the driver waved him onto the bus and turned to the rest of us with an expectant look.

We all put our hands in our pockets and pulled out our wallets. The driver shook his head and said "no, we couldn't buy a ticket from him, we had to prepurchase the tickets", in Spanish. He then started taking our backpacks out of the luggage locker.

Fortunately one of the other pilgrims spoke Spanish and remonstrated with him. After much back and forth the driver gave up, shrugged his shoulders and ushered us onto the bus.

Once on the bus I was relieved but puzzled about how to pay the bus fare. I asked one of the other pilgrims who spoke some English and was told that when the bus stopped at Pedrafita do Cebreiro that we had to go into the shop by the bus stop and buy our tickets there

As the bus drove up the incline I saw how steep it was and I was very glad that I had not tried to walk it. Eventually we got to Pedrafita, got off the bus, crowded into the shop and bought our bus tickets. The bus was already running late and the driver took off without checking our tickets.

There is a bit of a steepish walk from Pedrafita up to O Cebreiro and I was wondering how I would do it when one of the others suggested that we share a taxi. I never actually asked but perhaps some of the others were also injured or sick.

The taxi arrived, we piled in and were driven up to O Cebreiro. I headed for the municipal albergue and checked in, feeling a little bit guilty about not walking up. After unpacking and showering I phoned the albergue halfway up and cancelled my reservation.

I was feeling rotten, I don't think that I ate anything, I just got into my bunk and rested and eventually fell asleep.

No photos today!
DoughnutNZ,
Thank you for your honest reportage."Feeling rotten" is dreadful anytime but especially when travelling.
 
Where was the last photo of the overflowing bassin; what a wonderful view it is from that terrace.
It's from the passeo on the NE side of Alameda Park. If you go up the hill past Albergue Roots and Boots and turn left to go to the big eucalyptus, it's just a little farther along.
 
June 18th 2014-Camino Frances
Belorado to Ages
Walked to Ages. Have stayed at St Juan de Ortega before, but Ages is just a few km's away and if it has no beds Atapuerca just down the road.
In Ages stayed at the albergue El Pajar de Ages.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
19 June, 2015. We had walked the Norte from Irun. All the people we had walked with turned onto the Primitivo but we stayed on the Norte. From there I think we only came across a few other pilgrims. So when we hit Arzua the numbers of people had us giggling. And here is that moment when the paths (and mindset) collide.

IMG_3948.jpeg
 
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19th June 2019 Camino Frances
O Cebreiro to Hospital, the to Lugo Hospital

A bunch of other pilgrims and I were awakened at some very early hour by a Spanish family, starting from O Cebreiro, who got up and put on their head lights and proceeded to pack their backpacks while talking in loud whispers and, of course, shining their head lights in mine and other pilgrims eyes. I woke up feeling really bad and I was a bit grumpy with them and asked them if they thought that it was reasonable to talk and shine their lights while they got ready to leave and wouldn't it have been nicer of them to have got ready the night before and taken their backpacks outside of the bunkroom before rearranging them? It was not a good sign of things to come.

Eventually I dragged myself up, did my ablutions and headed off down the trail. Just outside the community albergue I came across the sign below and of course chose the shorter route, not realising that that route would take me up and over a hill. Alongside the directional sign was a distance marker and that gave me some comfort.

IMG_20190629_083947876.jpg IMG_20190618_075422053.jpg

The hill route was quite scenic but I struggled to get any air as I slowly climbed the hill. Taking huge gasps of air as I walked. After a little while I was at the crest of the hill and I was looking forward to regaining my breath on the downward leg. Previously while walking downhill I was able to regain my breath but on this occasion that did not happen and as I got to the bottom of the hill, just before Linares I finally realised that something major was wrong with my health and I resolved to keep walking until I got to some sort of reasonably sized town or city and seek medical advice there.

I walked on past Alto de San Rogue and almost to the next tiny village, around 5.8klms. There was a slight incline up to this small village (see photo below). Normally it would have been a doddle to walk up this incline but I was really struggling, once again having to take in huge gulps of air in order to breath. At this point a couple walked past me and the woman looked back at me with concern but we all just kept on at our own pace.

IMG_20190629_101229214.jpg

As I neared the village the Camino seemed to be talking to me because the name of the village was Hospital and the name sign seemed to say "this is where you need to go". I walked into the village and spotted a small bar. The village only has about four or five buildings. I decided to go into the bar, rest for a while and then decide what to do next.

IMG_20190629_102230210.jpg

Inside the bar, I removed my backpack and collapsed into a chair. Holding my head in my hands and once again taking in huge gasps of air as I tried to breath. Fortunately for me, the (Spanish) couple who had just passed me on the trail were also in the bar and they became very concerned for me. I think that perhaps they thought that I was having a heart attack. The guy came over to me and spoke in Spanish but I waved him away as I got my mobile phone out and called my medical insurance emergency 24/7 help line (in Australia)!

I managed to get a reply to my call but the woman who answered my call refused to do anything until I produced my insurance policy number, which , of course, was at the bottom of my pack. I tried telling her that it was an emergency and that I needed urgent medical attention and asked her to look up my insurance number but she dismissed this and suggested that I call back on Monday. It being the weekend. I was in the middle of remonstrating with her when the credit on my phone ran out (it is not cheap to call Australia from Spain on a mobile phone). I had previously given her my mobile number and I sat there hoping that she would call me back but she never did.

Fortunately, the Spanish couple had ignored my protestations, had talked to the bar owners and they had called an emergency medical service for me. I was amazed, we where way out in the backblocks and yet an emergency medical worker turned up within five minutes and started examining me. He first checked my heart while I was trying to tell him that my heart was fine, it was my lungs that were the problem. After a quick examination he figured it out and called an ambulance for me which, again surprisingly, arrived within ten minutes.

The two ambulance crew members examined my again, put me on a stretcher with an oxygen mask on and put me in the ambulance and headed off with lights flashing. I eventually found out that they had taken me to Lugo hospital. Along the way I could see out the window and we were passing a lot of pilgrims and I wondered what they were thinking. Eventually they got me to the hospital and I was diagnosed with Legionella. Following is a photo of my hospital bed several days later.

IMG_20190622_124132766.jpg

More to come .....
 
19th June 2019 Camino Frances
O Cebreiro to Hospital, the to Lugo Hospital

A bunch of other pilgrims and I were awakened at some very early hour by a Spanish family, starting from O Cebreiro, who got up and put on their head lights and proceeded to pack their backpacks while talking in loud whispers and, of course, shining their head lights in mine and other pilgrims eyes. I woke up feeling really bad and I was a bit grumpy with them and asked them if they thought that it was reasonable to talk and shine their lights while they got ready to leave and wouldn't it have been nicer of them to have got ready the night before and taken their backpacks outside of the bunkroom before rearranging them? It was not a good sign of things to come.

Eventually I dragged myself up, did my ablutions and headed off down the trail. Just outside the community albergue I came across the sign below and of course chose the shorter route, not realising that that route would take me up and over a hill. Alongside the directional sign was a distance marker and that gave me some comfort.

View attachment 102865 View attachment 102866

The hill route was quite scenic but I struggled to get any air as I slowly climbed the hill. Taking huge gasps of air as I walked. After a little while I was at the crest of the hill and I was looking forward to regaining my breath on the downward leg. Previously while walking downhill I was able to regain my breath but on this occasion that did not happen and as I got to the bottom of the hill, just before Linares I finally realised that something major was wrong with my health and I resolved to keep walking until I got to some sort of reasonably sized town or city and seek medical advice there.

I walked on past Alto de San Rogue and almost to the next tiny village, around 5.8klms. There was a slight incline up to this small village (see photo below). Normally it would have been a doddle to walk up this incline but I was really struggling, once again having to take in huge gulps of air in order to breath. At this point a couple walked past me and the woman looked back at me with concern but we all just kept on at our own pace.

View attachment 102867

As I neared the village the Camino seemed to be talking to me because the name of the village was Hospital and the name sign seemed to say "this is where you need to go". I walked into the village and spotted a small bar. The village only has about four or five buildings. I decided to go into the bar, rest for a while and then decide what to do next.

View attachment 102868

Inside the bar, I removed my backpack and collapsed into a chair. Holding my head in my hands and once again taking in huge gasps of air as I tried to breath. Fortunately for me, the (Spanish) couple who had just passed me on the trail were also in the bar and they became very concerned for me. I think that perhaps they thought that I was having a heart attack. The guy came over to me and spoke in Spanish but I waved him away as I got my mobile phone out and called my medical insurance emergency 24/7 help line (in Australia)!

I managed to get a reply to my call but the woman who answered my call refused to do anything until I produced my insurance policy number, which , of course, was at the bottom of my pack. I tried telling her that it was an emergency and that I needed urgent medical attention and asked her to look up my insurance number but she dismissed this and suggested that I call back on Monday. It being the weekend. I was in the middle of remonstrating with her when the credit on my phone ran out (it is not cheap to call Australia from Spain on a mobile phone). I had previously given her my mobile number and I sat there hoping that she would call me back but she never did.

Fortunately, the Spanish couple had ignored my protestations, had talked to the bar owners and they had called an emergency medical service for me. I was amazed, we where way out in the backblocks and yet an emergency medical worker turned up within five minutes and started examining me. He first checked my heart while I was trying to tell him that my heart was fine, it was my lungs that were the problem. After a quick examination he figured it out and called an ambulance for me which, again surprisingly, arrived within ten minutes.

The two ambulance crew members examined my again, put me on a stretcher with an oxygen mask on and put me in the ambulance and headed off with lights flashing. I eventually found out that they had taken me to Lugo hospital. Along the way I could see out the window and we were passing a lot of pilgrims and I wondered what they were thinking. Eventually they got me to the hospital and I was diagnosed with Legionella. Following is a photo of my hospital bed several days later.

View attachment 102869

More to come .....
Thankfully those you met on the 19th were able to help you .
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
June 19th 2014-Camino Frances
Ages to Burgos
Took the concrete pathway into Burgos. On past the airport and into the city. Past the tire manufacturing plant, warehouses etc. Not scenic, but it is what it is. The Camino Frances is not a hike through the wilderness. Besides, only about 20 mostly flat km's from Ages into Burgos to the big municipal albergue near the cathedral, Amigos del Camino de Santiago. Lot's of beds, showers etc. Very comfortable and inexpensive. When I completed my chores went across the street to the little cafe there, Cafe Babia. I like that place. Cold beer, good tapas sort of dishes in the afternoon. Nice place to get coffee and toast and jam in the morning.
By late afternoon the albergue was quite full. Like I said, you never know. Height of the walking season and I am encountering empty albergues and full ones.
Camino 2014 053.JPG
 
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Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
June 20th 2014-Camino Frances
Burgos
Woke up that morning and decided I would spend an extra day in Burgos. I had plenty of time on this Camino. Also I had been told by locals I chatted with at the cafe across the street from the albergue that there was a festival that day just outside of town. So I slept in as long as possible before I had to leave and got my things together and went out in search of breakfast and coffee, which was easy enough. I then went in search of accommodations as the municipal will not allow a pilgrim to stay consecutive nights unless they are unable to walk due to injuries, etc. I found a private albergue not too far away, Santiago y Santa Catalina. A small albergue, nice and clean. Curfew and I recall no alcoholic beverages allowed in. Not even wine. No worries, not going to drink there anyway.
After I checked in at the albergue I went and roamed about Burgos. The cathedral, etc. Sometime in the afternoon I followed groups of locals to the festival, which was easy enough. I remember it was a fair walk, about twenty minutes or so. I do not remember what the occasion was to have the festival, but it was quite crowded. Anybody reading this familiar with the festival and know what the occasion was?
There was lots of food and wine. I had a couple of orders of paella (really good) which was being prepared in several pans by men next to sort of open canopy tents. Had some wine, too. Spent a couple of hours there and ambled back into town and to the albergue for a siesta.
Camino 2014 058.JPG
 
June 20th 2014-Camino Frances
Burgos
Woke up that morning and decided I would spend an extra day in Burgos. I had plenty of time on this Camino. Also I had been told by locals I chatted with at the cafe across the street from the albergue that there was a festival that day just outside of town. So I slept in as long as possible before I had to leave and got my things together and went out in search of breakfast and coffee, which was easy enough. I then went in search of accommodations as the municipal will not allow a pilgrim to stay consecutive nights unless they are unable to walk due to injuries, etc. I found a private albergue not too far away, Santiago y Santa Catalina. A small albergue, nice and clean. Curfew and I recall no alcoholic beverages allowed in. Not even wine. No worries, not going to drink there anyway.
After I checked in at the albergue I went and roamed about Burgos. The cathedral, etc. Sometime in the afternoon I followed groups of locals to the festival, which was easy enough. I remember it was a fair walk, about twenty minutes or so. I do not remember what the occasion was to have the festival, but it was quite crowded. Anybody reading this familiar with the festival and know what the occasion was?
There was lots of food and wine. I had a couple of orders of paella (really good) which was being prepared in several pans by men next to sort of open canopy tents. Had some wine, too. Spent a couple of hours there and ambled back into town and to the albergue for a siesta.
View attachment 102947
Perhap's today's festival in Burgos celebrated the summer equinox and the longest day of the year.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
June 21st 2014-Camino Frances
Burgos to Hornillos del Camino
Only 21 km's to Hornillos. Nice little town. I really like the little church there. It has a lot of spirit and the town has a good vibe to it. I stayed at the private albergue, El Alfar. Very nice couple runs it. Clean, modern and I opted for the communal meal of paella that evening. Really good. Wine, salad, bread and dessert.
Camino 2014 063.JPGCamino 2014 066.JPG
 
June 22nd 2014-Camino Frances
Hornillos del Camino to Castrojeriz
Nice walk that day. Fairly flat 20 km's. No throngs of pilgrims and when I arrived at Castrojeriz had no problems finding room at an albergue. Stayed at the municipal, San Esteban. Nice place. Gracious hospitalero. Keeps the kitchen stocked with bread and coffee for the pilgrims from donations. Also the fridge had things left in it from previous pilgrims. Wine, milk, cheese etc. Mellow, relaxed place. The town is rather long and linear. Walk almost to the end of town to get to the municipal, but the municipal is next door to the plaza.
View from the municipal out to the countryside and also that day there was a religious procession through town. I do not know the occasion. As you can see it was another beautiful day to be on the Camino.
Camino again 009.jpgCamino 2014 068.JPG
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
June 23rd 2014-Camino Frances
Castrojeriz to Fromista
Fairly steep trek up a hill just out of town (nice view from the top), and a dodgy steep descent but other than that, a flat walk all the way to Fromista, and of course the interesting part along the canal.
In Fromista stayed at the private albergue, Estrella del Camino. Very clean and modern. No kitchen, but not too far a walk to the main part of town with bars and cafes.
 
Four years ago today, I reached Santiago de Compostela, 40 days after taking my first step on the Camino in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. I had walked 38 days and taken two rest days.
My two closest camino friends and I had decided to spend the night before in the Monte do Gozo albergue and walk down to the city in the first light of the morning.
The air was misty and the streets were still empty and we had Praza do Obradoiro practically to ourselves for a little while. It felt magical.

SdC-1.jpeg SdC-2.jpeg SdC-3.jpeg

Later, the sun came out, other pilgrims started pouring into the plaza and we met people we hadn't seen for days or weeks. When we entered the cathedral we were lucky to be just in time for the botafumeiro ceremony. In the evening there was a beautiful concert next to the cathedral.

SdC-4.jpeg SdC-5.jpeg
 
June 24th 2014-Camino Frances
Fromista to Carrion de los Condes
Easy, flat walk to Carrion de los Condes. Decided to stay in a private room that night, Hostal Santiago. Small room but nice. Not expensive. Went to the mercado and loaded up on snack food. Spent the evening watching Spanish TV lol. Kinda nice taking a break from albergue bunk rooms and the fellow pilgrims.
Camino again 011.jpg
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

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June 25th 2014-Camino Frances
Carrion de los Condes
Decided to stay in Carrion an extra day. No real reason for it. Just did not feel like walking lol. Slept in late. Shower and shave. Organized my pack and checked out, roamed about a little while and went to the Santa Maria del Camino albergue and checked in there. I really like that albergue. Very spiritual. Had the communal meal, the nuns playing guitar and there was singing and also went to the pilgrim's mass and blessing.
Camino 2014 070.JPGCamino 2014 071.JPG
 
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June 26th 2014-Camino Frances
Carrion de los Condes to Terradillos de los Templarios
I left at first light from the albergue. Carried an extra .5 litre bottle of water with me because of the 17 km stretch with no villages or towns. Fortunately a cloudy, cool day. It actually drizzle rained on and off for most of the morning. Nothing really heavy. Put the waterproof cover on my pack and wore my light rain jacket. Otherwise just my trekking shorts. They dry fast anyway. I also carry a heavy mil trash bin bag big enough to use as a pack liner and put all my gear in that inside the pack. Cinch up the top and everything is 100% waterproof. I do not care how wet my backpack gets, as it is the stuff inside that I need to keep dry. Packs dry out quickly.
At Templarios stayed in the albergue Los Templarios. Very clean and modern. Nice bar and restaurant. I drank a cold beer on arrival and had the pilgrim meal that night there.
Camino 2014 079.JPGCamino 2014 081.JPG
 
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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
June 27th 2014-Camino Frances
Terradillos de los Templarios to El Burgo Ranero
Nice flat walk that day on the Meseta. At El Burgo Ranero stayed at the private albergue El Nogal. Lots of pilgrims on the Frances but no problems getting albergue beds.
 

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