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On the Camino, on this date in May...

Camino Ready, Backpacks, Boots etc
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
VN,
Your photo sequence allows each viewer to "walk" with you and almost feel that refreshing water. Thanks for sharing.
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Ermita de San Juan halfway between Salvatierra and Vitoria. Vasco Interior 2019.



Salvatierra/Agurain - Vitoria/Gasteiz | Camino Vasco del Interior | Gronze.com

La etapa transcurre por la comarca natural de la Llanada Alavesa, con grandes extensiones agrícolas y que, tal como su nombre indica, es básicamente llana. Hoy el ámbito cultural sobresale respecto a los otros; destaca el monasterio románico de Nuestra Señora de Estíbaliz, ligeramente a desmano...
www.gronze.com
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
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.
2019 Vasco (Salvatierra-Vitoria)
The early morning leaving Salvatierra was chilly, but it got uncomfortably warm nearing Vitoria, and the last kms dragged a bit - seeing the city hovering in the distance like a receding mirage. The camino follows the length of the Alava Valley, passing a couple of ermitas along the way. We walked right past the Iglesia de San Martín de Tours, blissfully unaware of its frescos. Farther along, the Ermita de San Juan and the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Ayala were also closed, but we took a break outside the latter in the shade - it would be a very nice spot for a picnic. We also missed Nuestra Señora de Estibaliz, which I regret now that I've seen this:

Visita guiada al Santuario de Estíbaliz - románico Álava

Visita guiada para conocer el Santuario románico de Nuestra Señora de Estíbaliz y el Centro de Interpretación del Románico en Álava.
alavamedieval.com

It turns out there are many wonders in this area, and it would be worth a few days of exploration, even without walking the camino. The valley was a refuge for Christians fleeing the South after establishment the of the Caliphate there, and there are many interesting churches between Salvatierra and Vitoria. A little off the camino is the Iglesia de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora in Alaiza, with unique and mysterious frescos inside. Next time I hope not to miss as many of them,!
Here are a few wonderful websites to browse and plan with!:

home - Álava Medieval / Erdi Aroko Araba

alavamedieval.com

ROMÁNICO DE ÁLAVA III: LA LLANADA Y SALVATIERRA

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, del Siglo XIII, en Alaiza frescos del abside. En la comarca que vamos a ver, tenemos algun...
baulitoadelrte.blogspot.com




2017. Baztan, Lantz-Pamplona
Tha camino wandered over rolling hills, passing but not always entering little towns - before finally reaching Pamplona at Arre. There was nowhere open for lunch so we stopped for a break in the forecourt of a petrol station a one point...rest is rest, and there was certainly no shortage of snacks. This was the last day of our walk together, which had gone way, way, too quickly.
 
That is a very long hiking pole
 
Vitoria/ Gasteiz obviously . The only bigger town in between Irun and Burgos on the Camino Vasco Interior. On this day in 2019.

If not for the excellent navigation skills from @VNwalking I would still be wandering that plaza Nueva .
Very difficult for me to find my way out of this town!

 
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Looking at that captivating landscape I was thinking that the tracks look very bike-friendly! In fact?
Is the Alava Valley a generic term not named for the river?
 
Peregrinopaul said:
In fact?
Click to expand...
Some places would be a breeze, while others would require some serious bike-handling skills. We met a older couple on the first day or so who had a tandem, and (as I remember, @SabineP might correct me) they were not happy campers.

The bit from Hernani to Zegama would be a breeze - a lot was on a bike path - and likewise from quite a way above Zalduondo onwards. The bit up to and through the Tunel San Adrien? Hmmmm. Mountain bike time. But there would be ways around that on a road. I do not know about the Vasco proper between Puebla de Arlanzon and Santo Domingo - we continued to Burgos on the Via de Bayona instead. And that also seems that it would be pretty bike-friendly, with a few exceptions, like right before Pancorbo. But the caveat here is that those are my impressions on foot, not looking through a lens of what it'd be like to ride a loaded bike. Best search for wikiloc tracks to give you a better sense!

Peregrinopaul said:
Is the Alava Valley a generic term not named for the river?
Click to expand...
Alava is a distinct province:

Álava - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org
The part we walk through today is described in the EB this way:

And this is rock country, complicated and fascinating rock country. Whether you want to be on foot or on wheels through the landscape depends...there are advantages to both.
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Two years ago.
Leaving La Puebla de Arganzon to Miranda de Ebro on the Camino Vasco Interior.
Complete empty N 1 so the walkingtrack was not dangerous at all.
I know that on another thread " boring " walks were discussed. For some this empty and not particular attractive spot would be considered as boring.
I actually liked it very much. Anyway... . A very nice etapa but take into consideration that you will only find an open bar till you reached Rivabellosa.

La Puebla de Arganzón - Miranda de Ebro | Al Loro | Camino Vasco del Interior | Gronze.com

Consejos y recomendaciones de la etapa La Puebla de Arganzón - Miranda de Ebro en Camino Vasco del Interior: Sugerencias, advertencias y cuestiones prácticas a saber antes de empezar cada etapa
www.gronze.com



The gorgeous bridge at Armiñon.




And the wonderful lunch at Tartan ( now new owners and renamed to Enigma ) at Miranda de Ebro. Vegetables!


 
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2019 Vasco (Puebla de Arlanzon-Mirana de Ebro)
I remember but have no pics of the very good breakfast on the way out of town, massive numbers of snails by the side of the road, and the claggy mud right before MdE. And lunch! It was delicious! I do have photos to go with the memories of the diverging of the Vasco (to Santo Domingo, left circle in 2nd pic) and the Via de Bayona (to Burgos, right circle), the beautiful faces of the poppies next to a waymarker, Armiñon with its bridge (but no cafe con leche), and the straight as a die (once Roman) road up the hill toward MdE after that. Another wonderful day!

 
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25.05.18 From Monforte de Lemos to Diomondi. Stayed the night in S. Estevo.
@VNwalking The first picture is taken from the parador on the top of the hill. The hostel in San Esteban is now closed I think. Had a nice stay there. Was picked up by Ean at Diomondi and brought back next morning.
 

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Camino Ready, Backpacks, Boots etc
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
@ranthr , was that first photo taken at the top of the hill in Monforte? It's really special.
And Santo Estevo!
Gracias. Ideas for next time.

2019 Vasco
We had a rest day in Haro, which involved a short hop on the train from Miranda de Ebro.
Good food, good company, an interesting town, and a couple of beautiful churches to visit - a perfect rest day!
(Haro is right on the Vasco, but a day's walk from Miranda de Ebro, on the via de Bayona. Hence the train journey.)


 
More from Haro 2019 seeing @VNwalking and I were there together!
It was a nice rest day but next time I would prefer to walk over there and get back on track by walking instead of taking a train. One way or another taking a train for sightseeing took out the continuity of the Camino. I think we both felt that Haro is a rather snobbish and rich town too and certainly not used to simple pilgrims.




We met a nice bunch of gentlemen who were having a good time. Wild guessing it was a bachelor party. But all good fun.
 
I had forgotten about those guys!
It was definitely a town with partying visitors...we were out of sync about that to be sure.

One walking option worth considering is to stay on the Vasco as far as Haro, then to go over to MdE on the GR99, said to be a beautiful walk.
 
Altus 24 Liters daypack (DENON 24 H30)
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,-
2019 Vasco (Miranda de Ebro-Pancorbo)
This was one of the best days walking ever. Across the plain into a gorge with vultures circling overhead, ending up at Pancorbo - which has to be one of the most dramatically situated little villages in Spain. It has the feel of being in the mountains, but the grade of the day was totally easy, just a gradual uphill.

 
Just a plug for Pancorbo. It is a spectacular little place.
I've been past here several times on the train - the railway and two highways all get funneled through the small gap in the mountains here - but while it looks super-dramatic from the train, it goes by way too fast. Arriving on foot is another story and a total delight.

After we arrived I ditched my pack and took a short loop walk up to what is left of a fortification above the town., Just...wow. There are some that are much higher up, and lots of hiking trails in the area, so if you want to explore, an active not-rest day here would be worthwhile.

 
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Vasco 2019 (Pancorbo-Briviesca)
After yesterday's 'spectacularness,' today was much more understated. After a slightly gritty beginning leaving Pancorbo, the camino followed the rail and highway for a while, though they were not at all obtrusive, and the path was even a bit overgrown. We passed through wide open landscape, and through a couple of small villages whose churches each had tidy playgrounds, entering Briviesca on a Roman bridge.
 
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VNwalking said:
Vasco 2019 (Pancorbo-Briviesca)
Click to expand...
The remarkable plane tree canopy. You were there soon after they'd been pruned. I saw exactly the same thing along the Frances in 2018. Are they hand-grafted together?
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Peregrinopaul said:
The remarkable plane tree canopy. You were there soon after they'd been pruned. I saw exactly the same thing along the Frances in 2018. Are they hand-grafted together?
Click to expand...
I have no idea, but it was a very impressive plaza because of all those trees.

2019 Via de Bayona (Briviesca-La Brujula) Following the general route of an old Roman road, through towns that have seen better days, but where quiet rhythms still remain. One of those quiet rhythms can involve wholesale closure of everything in town, including the Albergue. We intended to stay in Monasterio de Rodilla, but it was Tuesday. No access to the key, and nothing open. So on we went to a comfortable hotel next to the highway at La Brujula, passing the lovely XII C Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Valle, and some remarkable rocks and wildflowers.
 
29th May 2019, Camino Frances, just exiting Belorado. I couldn't resist these beautiful flowers on the side of the road.

Then a continuation of my Camino pointers theme

Albergue La Campana de Pepe (I didn't stay there).

Along the way. I love photos like this that situate the viewer on the trail.

Then I arrived at Hotel Restaurante San Antón Abad in Villafranca Montes de Oca, where I did stay and got a real bed at last! Surprisingly, this was the first time I had met anyone from the UK on this trip. I am so happy that I stayed at this beautiful place. Be sure to ask for the Pilgrim accommodation though, unless you are happy to pay hotel rates.
 
Altus ANDES 400 H30 sleeping bag
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,-
Day 33 - Wednesday 29 May 2019 Arzúa > Lavacolla. A longer walk today before a really short one tomorrow so that I arrive at Santiago with plenty of time to enjoy the experience. I set off earlier than usual in darkness with only the lights of fellow pilgrims ahead to show the way. I stopped for probably my last tortilla de patatas at Salceda. Having lost a reasonable amount of weight during this walk, just think what I would have lost if I had not stopped for my daily (twice daily?) tortilla! It was a hot day meandering through the eucalyptus trees with their unmistakable smell. Thankfully, as I was getting quite tired, I came upon a café/bar at the 15K to go marker where I stopped for a rest, drink, and more food! Eventually, I dropped down through San Paio to reach Lavacolla and my accommodation for the night. So near to finishing, pleased at what I had achieved but slightly disappointed that it would end tomorrow.
 

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Wind turbines and beautiful wildflowers onto the Roman road, which all too soon brought us right into Burgos at the train station. After our celebratory lunch, and truing to get some clarity about SIM card issues (there was none, though Sabine heroically translated at the phoneshop), I continued on the Frances as far as Rabe, enjoying a quiet afternoon walk with little company but the poppies. Ending the day with vespers with the sisters there - very special!
 
Altus ANDES 400 H30 sleeping bag
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,-
I really like the photo of the trees and their shadows.
 
CF 2016. A short walk from Larrasoana to Pamplona. Knees sore after descent into Zubiri the day before. Across the Magdalena bridge into Pamplona, in time for mass and the Corpus Christi procession afterwards.

 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
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.
30 May 2019, Camino Frances.
A pony parking spot in San Juan de Ortega

The church and tomb of the Saint, thanks for building those bridges


And then, there it was, a fabulous Grey pony.

Agés in the distance and closer

Atapuerca, I now wish that I had taken the time to visit this very special site. I didn't realise it's significance at that time.

After a very hot walk I decided to stay here (Albergue Via minerva) but unfortunately didn't have a swimsuit with me and so I spent the afternoon drinking cold beer in the attached bar contemplating my entry into Burgos the next day.
 
Day 34 - Thursday 30 May 2019 Lavacolla > Santiago de Compostela. I stopped at San Marcos for a café con leche and get a stamp on my passport as I required two on this last day from somewhere. The route was mainly uphill until I reached Monte do Gozo where the towers of the Santiago Cathedral could be seen in the distance. With 1k to go, I stopped and removed my elastic knee supports. I had worn them for every mile of this journey but took them off so that I would look better in the photos! Having wandered into the plaza, with many others, I looked at the cathedral but not really knowing what to do next apart from phoning home. There was something quite special about walking into Santiago despite not being religious. As I required something “substantial” to eat and to celebrate I had a strawberry and blueberry ice cream! That was one magnificent walk, lots of friends, "Buen Camino" acquaintances, a feeling of community, wonderful experiences, genuine locals who were without exception helpful despite my pitiful lack of their language, no blisters and, I nearly forgot, tortilla de patatas!
 

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2019 Frances
The sunrise behind me was transfixing today, with a sliver of a waning moon posign with a light pillar from the rising sun. So the first hour of the day was start and stop.

It was such a joy to just saunter across the meseta, from Rabe to San Anton, with a stop for quiet reflection and lunch in Hontanas. I was concerned the albergue there would be filling up, but it turned out there were only four of us. The thundering herd walked right past for the night life in Castrojerez, while we had a really special communal meal together offered with so much heart by the two hospitaleras. Because I had arrived early, I got the primo bunk right by the glass door, so before dropping into sleep I could see the ribs of the old church standing against the darkening sky.
Dawn to dusk, a perfect day.

 
Camino Ready, Backpacks, Boots etc
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31 May 2019, Camino Frances in and around Burgos

Santa Maria Gate

Burgos Cathedral

Baroque altarpiece of the Chapel of the Visitation

Street market exiting Burgos

Monumento de Las Américas

More Camino pointers

The last Camino pointer for the day and where I stopped for the night. This is my favourite small Albergue, Albergue Liberanos Domine in Plaza Francisco Riberas, Rabé de las Calzadas.
 
31st May 2015 - we arrived in Santiago at the end of our final Camino. We had walked part of the Ruta do Mar along the north coast from Ribadeo to San Andrés de Teixido. We then walked the Camino Inglés from Ferrol, which we registered as our Camino.
Passed the 11km marker at 11.20 and the Convent of Sta Clara at 14.20. We had stopped at times for snacks and drinks which carried with us as that year the 31st was a Sunday so many bars were closed on the final stretch.
We nearly did not collect our Compostelas that day - long queue - but in the evening the queue was short so we joined it. Glad we did as we then counted as May pilgrims.
Spent 2 full days in Santiago and met @JohnnieWalker, @natefaith and @ivar . Happy memories

 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.


Not actually walking a Camino ( just finished the Vasco Interior in 2019 and stopped in Burgos ) but I walked across the border from Irun ( took bus from Burgos to Irun ) to Hendaye to catch the high speed train there back home. Then again if you start the pilgrimage in France this is one of the possible entries.
That was , for now, the last time I saw Spain. Or have been abroad for that matter.
 
A short day, because I wanted to stay in the Albergue San Nicolas, famed for its simplicity and special hospitality. It did not disappoint. And there was plenty of time to walk into Itero de la Vega for lunch, to connect with fellow pilgrims, and to sit under the trees and enjoy the quiet. A very special place, cared for by very special people.
 
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On May 29:
  • 2005 Finisterre
  • 2006 Auvillar (LePuy route)
  • 2007 Sarria
  • 2013 SjPdP (from lePuy on way to SdC))
  • 2016 Foncebadon
And every single day, on every trip, was a blessing in my early ‘old-age’ (62-75). So grateful to have found the Camino.
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
When you do get to walk another Camino, open a bottle of champagne when yo hit 19km!
 
Today, 2018 I picked up my brand new camino bike, sale negotiated from Australia.

I'm off tomorrow for Ireland, via Santiago. Farewell coffee in the lovely Tirso de Molina Cafe with my wife, who flies back to Oz after our tour of Spain.
 
A longer day than yesterday, ending in Villacazar de Sirga with a rendezvous with Rebekah Scott, and a bit of ditch pigging on our way to Peaceable, where she and Paddy kindly put me up for the night. Today was the last day for me on the Frances, being short on time and needing to jump ahead to Ponferrada to start the Invierno. It felt like summer: the poplars at the canal locks in Fromista were whitening the ground with their seeds, and by the time I got part way along the alternate route to VdS, I was wilting in the heat; the last kms were a slog. But I lucked out there in being able to get into the exquisite Santa Maria la Blanca - the other times I'd been here it was not open.
Edit: @Doughnut NZ , thanks. I have deleted the pics and reattached them; hoping this works to fix the problem. And it looks from your posts that until I jumped ahead you were right behind me. I'm sorry we never crossed paths!


 
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Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
VN, there seems to be something amiss with this post, I can't view any of the photos when I click on them. Is anyone else having this problem?

There is no problem with your photos in prior posts or anyone else's photos???

The error message I get is that I don't have permission to access these photos.

****** Now fixed ******
 
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A 'rest/transit' day - a glorious morning walk with the Peaceable familia in the morning, then an afternoon train to Ponferrada. I cannot adequately express my appreciation for the Reb, Paddy and the Peaceable clan; they are the best.
The only unsettling part of the day was the 2 and a half km walk in the evening from the train station to the albergue; nerves were surfacing about starting the Invierno the next day.
 
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