NobleHiker
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Future
For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
I got a lot of help from many fellow walkers over the past week or so on how to shave the weight of my pack. We shall see if the plan works.I am sure Nobody will help you meet many Somebodies along the way. Safe trip and Buen Camino. I shall look forward to following your journey.
Am in shock and Awe of your light pack!
May will come soon enough.Buen Camino!
I'll be following your adventure as I'm hoping to start in mid May
I collected pictures of as many “hitchhikers “ as I could last fall on the Francés. Buen Camino to both you and Nobody.14 April 2022
Up at 2:00am took a shower and got ready. Kissed my wife goodbye and hopped into the Uber at 2:45am.
For fellow walkers who have been following my Camino packing thread, I am reporting the first change to the plan this morning. As all old folks are, I have multiple pairs of reading glasses strategically places around the house so I can never be so far away from one. This morning, I was using the pair at the front door while I waited for my Uber ride. As I kissed my wife and got out of the house, I forgot that I still had on that pair of glasses. Now I have two pairs. I will find a fellow walker who needs a pair of reading glasses 2.0 and donate the extra pair.
The second change was that I picked up a hitchhiker (see photo). Her name is Nobody (with a Capital N). Nobody belongs to my daughter when she was 5-6 years old. As my daughter grew older, she gave away many of her pet. I kept Nobody as I always remember my daughter when I see her. I talked to my daughter last night and she asked if Nobody gets to go on the walk. So Nobody gets to ride shotgun.View attachment 122662
Just don't shave Nobody!how to shave the weight of my pack
We will take a few photos for you.I collected pictures of as many “hitchhikers “ as I could last fall on the Francés. Buen Camino to both you and Nobody.
Don't forget a beer for Nobody too, you've got 3 hours.14 Apr 2022 still
The flight from Doha to Istanbul was uneventful. Landed in Istanbul at around 10:30am. I have not gone this way for several years now. The new Istanbul airport is marvelous, much better than the old one I remember.
I have three hours layover. So right now, Nobody and I are walking around looking at things we can’t afford. Then maybe we drink a beer.
View attachment 122669
How can I follow your Camino too?Buen Camino!
I'll be following your adventure as I'm hoping to start in mid May
Click on "Watch" tab just before first message No1.How can I follow your Camino too?
Good to hear you got into Madrid easily. Will be following you on April18, hope to duplicate your experience.Got to Madrid just fine. I tried my Duolingo Spanish for the first time with the custom agent. It seemed to work as he was smiling. Have you ever seen a custom agent smile? Be honest. I never had until this afternoon.
The QR code worked like a charm. Those with the QR code get on the Blue line and zip through. The Red line was long.
Nobody and I took the AirPort Express bus. The bus stop was just outside of terminal T1, at the end of the taxi line. Cost 5 EU. Cash or credit card. We paid cash. The trip from the airport to Puerta de Atocha took about 30 minutes. We were enjoying it.
We got a bed at the Madrid Downtown Hostel for 20 EU a night. The walk from the train station to the hostel took 30 minutes as we saw so many interesting things.
After checked in, we wandered around for a couple hours. We hope you enjoy the views of Madrid as we did.
All other streets were packed, except this one.
View attachment 122723
View attachment 122724
This mural is ceramic tiles.
Buen Camino
I found out that Friday 15 through Monday 18 are La Fiesta here. As of yesterday, Madrid was packed with people and the atmosphere was very festive. You will catch the tail end of it coming on the 18.Good to hear you got into Madrid easily. Will be following you on April18, hope to duplicate your experience.
She drank alright.Don't forget a beer for Nobody too, you've got 3 hours.
Where in Madrid does three beers for €2.50?I forgot to tally the daily cost yesterday:
1. Uber ride to the airport: $8.79 (QAR 32)
2. Plane tickets: $778.00
3. Bus ride to Madrid: $5.40 (5 EUR)
4. Hostel Stay: $20.80 (19.26 EUR)
5. Three beers: $2.70 (2.50 EUR)
We did not buy foods as we were quite full with all the foods they fed us on the plane.
You won’t find them if you have them served to you. We got a 16-oz Mahou Clásica 1 EU and two 12-oz cans of Estrella Damm for 1.5 EU in Dia Market on Calle de Santa Isabel then walked down to the plaza in front of Museo Reina Sofia. Took me and Nobody about an hour and a half but nothing better than cheap beers and people watchingWhere in Madrid does three beers for €2.50?
Just asking for a friend, obviously.
It's a very Spanish thing.One thing I noticed is that the Spaniards do dress up just to stroll.
Nice example of the advantages of staying flexible with your plans!As soon as we got of the train, all other walkers were picked up by prearranged taxis. We did not have one because as of last week, we were debating whether to start in SJPP or in Pamplona. The weather was so nice today and the forecast also say we will have good weather tomorrow. That’s just that. For fellow walkers whom have been following me in the polling thread: the decision was made. We made it to SJPP.
General Butler State Park is one of my favorite places to hike. And the hills there are Kentucky at it's finest. Buen Camino and thanks for sharing so much with us!15 Apr 2022 Cont.
The train ride from Estación de Atocha to Pamplona was very nice. Outside of Madrid, the countryside was very open and green. It must had rained the past few days as I could see the grass came up with the deep green. Reminding me of the hills of Kentucky near General Butler State Park.
Then, the further Northeast we went, the terrain turned into dry limestone type soil, reminding me of the Texas hill country.
There were about ten walkers on the train. We assumed they were walkers as they had backpacks instead of suitcases like others.
As soon as we got of the train, all other walkers were picked up by prearranged taxis. We did not have one because as of last week, we were debating whether to start in SJPP or in Pamplona. The weather was so nice today and the forecast also say we will have good weather tomorrow. That’s just that. For fellow walkers whom have been following me in the polling thread: the decision was made. We made it to SJPP.
We walked over to the Carrefour to get foods after got a bed at the refugio. When we got out, we saw a couple backpackers sat eating in the front. We sat down and ate with them. One was Marc. He was a Frenchman grew up near the Lausanne. He wasn’t walking the Camino, just wandering around. He drank like a fish. For the hour or so, he downed five 16-oz can. No way Nobody and I could keep up.
View attachment 122800
Nobody enjoyed hot milk at Estación de Atocha
View attachment 122801
We are in SJPP
View attachment 122803
SJPP - View from the Ramparts
View attachment 122804
Refuge Municipal was almost full.
Cost Today
1. Glass of milk: $1.95 (1.80 EUR)
2. Train ticket: $33.93 (31.40 EUR)
3. Taxi: $144.81 (134.00 EUR)
4. Foods at Carrefour: $6.50 (6.01 EUR)
5. Donation for the PP: $2.16 (2.00 EUR)
6. Bed at Refugio: $12.97 (12.00 EUR)
I must not take my wife here. Every time we go out, she always give me THE look. Yes, the one that says “You are going in out in that?” Most of the time, I obeyed because that was the vow she made when I married her. Once in a while, I practiced selective hearing because the worn old t-shirt I have on is sooo comfortable.It's a very Spanish thing.
You are good at planting ideas…I think that you need to change the title of the thread to "Travels with Nobody."
I used to run the loop around General Butler SP, started and ended on the back side. There used to be a small basketball court back there. Another favorite thing I remember doing back there was go to by the Milton bridge which crosses to Madison. On the Madison side, there was a place to play sand volleyball. This was where I learned the term Slow Time. Once in a while, we would pack the car then head up to Covington to the clubs on the river. Too long a go I can’t remember the name of the place. It was on the boat right on the water.General Butler State Park is one of my favorite places to hike. And the hills there are Kentucky at it's finest. Buen Camino and thanks for sharing so much with us!
You are traveling light. That's great!13 April 2022
Checked in completed this morning for the flight from Doha, Qatar to Madrid, Spain with a short stop in Istanbul.
Received the QR code from the Spanish traveling app. The process was straight forward except they asked for my seat number which I did not have. So I put in a seat number which I think I will get. The application came through. Once I got the actual seat number after checking in, I went back in and requested a change. They sent a replacement QR code. So I am all set from that aspect.
Everything is packed. My backpack final weight in at 8.80 lbs. What I will put on when I go to the airport weight in at 4.40 lbs. So the total weight of everything will be 13.20 lbs.
I will report back my progress as I progress with my first walk.
Buen Camino.
I will be starting in Pamplona on the 22nd so I’ll b looking for Nobody. Hopefully the rain that’s predicted for the next week will b light.Nice example of the advantages of staying flexible with your plans!
I used to run the loop around General Butler SP, started and ended on the back side. There used to be a small basketball court back there. Another favorite thing I remember doing back there was go to by the Milton bridge which crosses to Madison. On the Madison side, there was a place to play. sand volleyball. This was where I learned the term Slow Time
You won’t believe how hard it is to decide not to bring something. We have a large vehicle. When we take road trips, it is always packed. Switching to trying to pack a little as possible was almost a life changing event.You are traveling light. That's great!
We will miss each other unless you skip ahead.I will be starting in Pamplona on the 22nd so I’ll b looking for Nobody. Hopefully the rain that’s predicted for the next week will b light.
Buen Camino
Click on "Watch" tab just before first message No1.
As soon as I figure out this great site I will let you knowHow can I follow your Camino too?
It’s rather liberating isn’t it?You won’t believe how hard it is to decide not to bring something. We have a large vehicle. When we take road trips, it is always packed. Switching to trying to pack a little as possible was almost a life changing event.
I did my practice walks in it and it worked great. But we live in an place flatter than a pancake. Well, descending into Roncesvalles was not fun as my feet kept sliding over to the front causing my big toes to hit the front. We may have to see how the shoes works out tomorrow
It’s rather liberating isn’t it?
Thank you. We live and we learn. I will let you know how that go tomorrow. I think there are still some hills.You probably just need to try a different lacing technique to keep you feet from sliding forward.
Heel Lock Lacing
Does Your Heel Rub Up And Down In Your Shoe? Do You Suffer From Heel Blisters? In This Article You Will Learn Heel Lock Lacing To Prevent Heel Blisters.www.kicksshoelaces.com
It’s rather liberating isn’t it?
I am getting there.It’s rather liberating isn’t it?
Love that Nobody hitched a ride. He/she will keep the smile on your face and in your heart. A good way to start a pilgrimage. Buen camino. We arrive on May 8!14 April 2022
Up at 2:00am took a shower and got ready. Kissed my wife goodbye and hopped into the Uber at 2:45am.
For fellow walkers who have been following my Camino packing thread, I am reporting the first change to the plan this morning. As all old folks are, I have multiple pairs of reading glasses strategically places around the house so I can never be so far away from one. This morning, I was using the pair at the front door while I waited for my Uber ride. As I kissed my wife and got out of the house, I forgot that I still had on that pair of glasses. Now I have two pairs. I will find a fellow walker who needs a pair of reading glasses 2.0 and donate the extra pair.
The second change was that I picked up a hitchhiker (see photo). Her name is Nobody (with a Capital N). Nobody belongs to my daughter when she was 5-6 years old. As my daughter grew older, she gave away many of her pet. I kept Nobody as I always remember my daughter when I see her. I talked to my daughter last night and she asked if Nobody gets to go on the walk. So Nobody gets to ride shotgun.
View attachment 122662
Buen CaminoLove that Nobody hitched a ride. He/she will keep the smile on your face and in your heart. A good way to start a pilgrimage. Buen camino. We arrive on May 8!
I can't imagine letting anyone else buy my shoes for me! But it is better too big than too small! As suggested by @trecile, you might find that a different lacing technique such as "heel lock" lacing will help. Also, try thicker socks or a second pair of socks. Later in the day, you might find that your feet swell a bit and you can remove the second pair.It fits me fine except it was one size too large.
Liverpool fan from Worcester MA, Go Reds!!!16 Apr 2022 late
We had dinner with eight others.
Mathew from Manchester. Mathew was in the British Arm force. He was in Iraq. Baswar if we recall correctly. We told him we loved Liverpool.. Mathew started in SJPP in the morning as we were.
Amelia from Belgium. Amelia is French but she has been living in Belgium for 15 years. She starts the Camino with Xavier tomorrow.
Xavier (?) is from Portugal. Very interesting gentleman. He speaks Spanish slowly and clearly enough that we could followed well.
José from Spain. He loves John Cash - Man in Black and Folsom Prison Blue. He walked the Camino six times, different sections each year. According to José, this is how most Spaniards walk the Camino.
John and Sara from Ireland. They started in SJPP as we did. We passed them a few km out side of SJPP. This is the second for John and first for Sara.
Suzana (?) and her friend (long Spanish name) are from Spain. They were in Rocesvalles last night.
The foods were okay but we enjoyed the conversation. Mostly English, some Spanish.
Buen Camino
Thank you. We live and we learn. I will let you know how that go tomorrow. I think there are still some hills
You probably just need to try a different lacing technique to keep you feet from sliding forward.
Heel Lock Lacing
Does Your Heel Rub Up And Down In Your Shoe? Do You Suffer From Heel Blisters? In This Article You Will Learn Heel Lock Lacing To Prevent Heel Blisters.www.kicksshoelaces.com
I am happy to report the new lacing technique helps. The forward sliding action had been reduced significantly. Thank you.You probably just need to try a different lacing technique to keep you feet from sliding forward.
Heel Lock Lacing
Does Your Heel Rub Up And Down In Your Shoe? Do You Suffer From Heel Blisters? In This Article You Will Learn Heel Lock Lacing To Prevent Heel Blisters.www.kicksshoelaces.com
If we sit with a Liverpool fan, of course we will say we love Arsenal.Liverpool fan from Worcester MA, Go Reds!!!
Thanks for posting your updates, enjoying following you and Nobody!
Jim
We learned very quickly that if we wanted foods, we must buy them the night before as nothing was open in the first few small villages we walked by.
Double socks should help with the shoes and prevents blisters.16 Apr 2022 - Still
We reached the emergency shelter at noon and started descending. This is when we discovered our second mistakes. My wife always buy my clothes, yes, all the way down to my underwear. She knows all the sizes I wear and all the colors she likes. In her mind, I can’t coordinate colors. I just don’t understand why green polo shirt does not go with blue pants. And that suits me find because I love her and by letting her taking care of me, she felt happy. I think it’s the shopping part that makes her really happy. But, of course I am old enough not to tell her that. Any how, she loves to buy my clothes and she loves finding bargains. She found me a great pair of shoes knowing I will need a good pair for the camino. It was neither green nor blue so it goes with just about anything. And it was on sales. It fits me fine except it was one size too large. I did my practice walks in it and it worked great. But we live in an place flatter than a pancake. Well, descending into Roncesvalles was not fun as my feet kept sliding over to the front causing my big toes to hit the front. We may have to see how the shoes works out tomorrow.
We worked our way through the forest. The flowers had started to bloom and the leaves had started to came out. We got to Roncesvalles at 1:28pm.
View attachment 122880View attachment 122879
It was too early to stop so Nobody and I marched on. 790 km to Santiago de Compostela.
View attachment 122881
From Roncesvalles to Burguete then Espinal, we ran into many vacationers walking the opposite way. We only passed one walker who was in Roncesvalles last night. We forgot to ask for her name. We will do that at the dinner tonight.
We reached Espinal at 3:30 pm. We did not have a reservation but got a bed at the Hostal Rural Haizea.
Tally the cost for today:
1. Glass of milk: $2.16 (2.0 EUR)
2. Bed for the night: $16.21 (15.0 EUR)
3. Dinner: $12.97 (12.0 EUR)
Thank you for your updates.17 Apr 2022
Tallying the cost for the day:
1. Breakfast: $5.56 (5.15 EUR)
2. Beer at noon: $3.24 (3.00 EUR)
3. Fruits: $1.62 (1.50 EUR)
4. Beers and snacks: $5.50 (5.00 EUR)
5. Dinner: $8.63 (8.00 EUR)
6. Bed: $11.88 (11.00 EUR)
Breakfast was milk, beer, and cinnamon rolls. Dinner was a plate of kabab with fries and lettuce at Rico Kabab, which was ran by two brothers from Pakistan.
We withdrew cash from an ATM for the first time. The transaction went through fine but the local bank charged a hefty fee. Maybe we look for Santander next time.
Buen Camino
It did get better today.Wow, you had a long day!
This will change somewhat now that Semana Santa and Easter are over. Though Sundays are usually iffier as far as procuring food early in the morning.
I was just speculating because Santander is a large bank. I don’t have any accounts with them. I will compare my next with my next withdrawal and let you know.Thank you for your updates.
Are you a Santander customer and this using their arm will avoid fees?
Buen camino,
Howard
Santander usually charges $7euros. You need a good debit card like Charles Schwab they refund all ATM charges anywhere in the world.17 Apr 2022
Tallying the cost for the day:
1. Breakfast: $5.56 (5.15 EUR)
2. Beer at noon: $3.24 (3.00 EUR)
3. Fruits: $1.62 (1.50 EUR)
4. Beers and snacks: $5.50 (5.00 EUR)
5. Dinner: $8.63 (8.00 EUR)
6. Bed: $11.88 (11.00 EUR)
Breakfast was milk, beer, and cinnamon rolls. Dinner was a plate of kabab with fries and lettuce at Rico Kabab, which was ran by two brothers from Pakistan.
We withdrew cash from an ATM for the first time. The transaction went through fine but the local bank charged a hefty fee. Maybe we look for Santander next time.
Buen Camino
In March 2014 I twisted my ankle there.18 Apr 2022
We got it figured out now that no matter how late we wanted to sleep, there would always someone who wanted to get an early start.
Last night, half of the Albergue de Jesús y María was filled by a large contingent of our fellow walkers from Korea. By the time we got back from the concert, most were sleeping. All got up at the same time, right about 5:30 am and turned on all the lights.
So we had breakfast in bed: milk and a banana left over from yesterday. We quickly changed and we found the button on my shor was gone. It must had broke of when we washed the short. In the effort of keeping down the weight of what we have to carry, we left our belt at home. Then we remembered that we brought a few shoe laces. So we tied the pair of shoe laces together and used that to keep the short on. It worked.
We were out of the albergue at 6:53 am, earlier that the days before. The morning was quite colder than yesterday. The thermometer at on of the bank show 11 Celsius. There was a breeze so it felt much coder.
There were many walkers on the stretch from Pamplona to Cizur Menor. This was when we ran into the two Brazilian ladies from San Paolo. And two gentlemen from Cyprus. Our geography was not good. We were thinking Sicily and they kept saying further East. We later looked up the map a learned that Cyprus is an island West of Lebanon and South of Turkey.
Passing Cizur Menor, toward Zariquiegui and up the hill to the wind turbine, there were acres after acres of rap seeds in full bloom.
View attachment 123055View attachment 123056
In the village of Zariquiegui, we found someone put Snow White in jail. We did not have time to rescue her so we moved along.
View attachment 123058
We got to the Monumento al peregrino at 9:32am. It was freezing cold plus the wind was howling. There was only on other peregrino there beside us. We only took a few photos and left.
View attachment 123059
We must say that getting down from the Monumento al peregrino was extremely challenging. The trails was very steep with loose river stones. We were very slow and careful as it would be very easy to get a twisted ankle here.
But not cool that this particular group is turning on the lights at 5:30 am!Good to know the Korean Pilgrims are back. Phil saw none last fall,
I actually get up every morning at home at 5:30 a.m. to start my day, so it would not be an issue for me, but I agree that it is inconsiderate to those who like to sleep a little longer.But not cool that this particular group is turning on the lights at 5:30 am!
I must have been so lucky, I experienced people getting up early and making noise etc, but I never experienced anyone turing on the lights!But not cool that this particular group is turning on the lights at 5:30 am!
Love those hitchhikers!As promised, we kept our eyes open and found the first hitchhiker today. Sending you the photo for your collection. This was Mia. Mia was a Brazilian from San Paolo. Enjoy.
View attachment 123051
Whoa, that’s a 45 km day. Nobody must be an Energizer Bunny.At 5:36pm we got to San Miguel Pilgrims Hostel.
I thought it must be the opera at José Ramón’s shop. Nobody was sure it’s the beers.Whoa, that’s a 45 km day. Nobody must be an Energizer Bunny.
I almost posted this before I read your response!You probably just need to try a different lacing technique to keep you feet from sliding forward.
Heel Lock Lacing
Does Your Heel Rub Up And Down In Your Shoe? Do You Suffer From Heel Blisters? In This Article You Will Learn Heel Lock Lacing To Prevent Heel Blisters.www.kicksshoelaces.com
Loving your blog, especially the photos of NobodyI'm now starting to understand why you started in SJPDP with only 26 days. You walk the usual 2 days distance in 1 day !!!! WOW. How are your feet and legs responding to this ? At this pace you even might be able to walk to Muxia in 26 days lol !!!! Dont forget to smell the roses though. Buen Camino
Thank you for the reminder. I do stop very often to look at and take photos of little whimsical things I saw. Did you see they jailed Sleeping Beauty and the seven dwarfs? They also hung Elvis, you see.
View attachment 123106
I walked about the same as other, except that just walk longer hours. I don’t have a set place where I have to stop so I could walk until Nobody wants to quit.
Buen Camino
Thanks for the thoughts about the eyeglasses. We still have the second pair. For the precise reasonAs far as the eyeglasses go, I would advise you to keep them. You would not believe how many times I lost a pair of reading glasses or sunglasses on the Camino.
When I was on the Camino del Norte, I stopped by a Santander ATM to use. I have an account with Santander (FYI Santander has Branches in the US in New York, New Jersey and New England) and this still charged me a $7 transaction fee. So, you may want to find an alternative.
Good luck to you, it looks like you are having a great time.
Mark
Do you have a photo showing how this would be done. Forecast calls for another day or two of rain…Plastic bags are good to put over your socks to keep feet dry in wet weather. I always carry them for wet weather.
it is not rocket science. I usually bring light weight produce bags. I also bring 3 pairs of socks and hike with double socks. I usually put the bag between a pair of socks but you can wear over sock too.Do you have a photo showing how this would be done. Forecast calls for another day or two of rain…
The next stretch might be a little muddy if raining.21 Apr 2022
Sleeping at the Albergue Victoria was perfect last night. Luc, Linda, and CJ were with us in the upper room. They were absolutely quiet. The room was nice and warm.
Lights were out at 10:00 pm. We were up writing then felt asleep, probably at 11:00 pm and did not wake up until around 6:00am.
The view from the bed last night. That was Luc on the other side.
View attachment 123271
We drank the remaining milk and decided to skip the breakfast as we were no a big fan of scrambled eggs. We left Cirueña at 7:30am. Peter was a minute before us. He left his wife and the other two ladies behind to walk with themselves.
After about 30 minutes, Luc blew by, showing the perfect form of a long distance runner. We saw him one more time in Santo Domingo de la Calzada where he stopped to get drinks. We never saw him again.
It was cold this morning. The temperature dropped down to 6 Celsius. Overcasting sky with low cloud but calm, no wind.
We only saw Peter in the distance, then Luc. No other pilgrims were on the Camino from Cirueña to Santo Domingo de la Calzada. From there, we started seeing pilgrims on the Camino. Apparently, most pilgrims planned their stop in Santo Domingo de la Calzada as it was a larger town with many services available. Half of the pilgrims we saw from there to Grañón had on small day pack. We assumed they used the luggage transportation services.
At Santo Domingo de la Calzada
View attachment 123294
Reached the entrance of Grañón
View attachment 123295View attachment 123296
It took a few minutes to get the photos at Grañón. The wall was nicely done. We stopped at the bakery Panadería Jesus and got a loaf of bread. Getting into this bakery felt like going into a haunted house. The front door opened into a small room. The room was dark, not more than 8x8. The only light came from behind, through the small glass panels on the entrance door. The limited light made the room seemed even smaller. Immediately ahead was a dark wall, with a small door. On the left of this door was a poster, listing all the available baked goods. At any moment, we were expecting some things jumped right out of either side to get us. Nobody clenched tight to the bag, not wanting to open the next door. We mustered all the strength we had, held our breath, an slowly turned the handle. The door screeched, light came out. An aroma leaked out…Ah, fresh baked bread. We swung open the door an found the shop owner stood behind a counter. The shelf behind him was full of many kinds of breads, and cookies, and donuts. We asked for a piece of barguett, paid the man, and walked out, backward. Please do stop by the place. The bread was good. Whatever he put in it.
The stretch from Grañón to Belorado and the few towns after was easy to walk but was very uninspiring. For many miles, the Camino ran within a few hundred feet of the highway. This highway was heavily used by 18-wheelers; thus, there was constant road noises.
We reached Belorado at 1:30 pm, very hungry. This time, we found a supermarket at the Plaza Mayor. We got some beers for Nobody; cold cut pork, cheese, bread; and a bar of chocolate. We made ourselves a po’boy and enjoyed our late lunch.
We had never had the Maestra before. It tasted very much like the Shiner Bock.
View attachment 123300
We fished our lunch at 2:10pm and left Belorado. For the next two hours, we only spotted four pilgrims ahead of us. We passed two just before Villambistia, and the other two stopped at a restaurant in Espinosa del Camino.
View attachment 123302View attachment 123303View attachment 123305
At 4:30 pm, we got to Villafranca Montes de Orca. The next town was too far for us to continue, so we got a bed at the San Antón Abad Albergue.
The albergue had many rooms. The bed we got was the last in one of the rooms.
View attachment 123306
A hot shower closed out the day. We ate the rest of our po’boy, then walked around a little.
Buen Camino
Cost today:
1. Bread: $1.19 (1.10 EUR)
2. Two beers, porks, cheese, bread, chocolate: $5.31 (4.90 EUR)
3. Bed: $16.26 (15.00 UR)
I'm making a note of this. I so love good bread. Mind you I'm down 35 pounds this year so I probably should stay away from the bread until the Camino. Then I'm eating all of it haha.The owners at Panadera Jesus are wonderful bakers. They use a traditional bread oven and also bake meats and casseroles for the townspeople on holidays Susana the wife speaks excellent English and they are very involved in support of the Camino and with the paroquial albergue in town. Glad you were able to stop there.
It is right on the main drag past the square and the church. Also a small tienda on the same side of the street is run by another community family. As hospitaleros in Grañón all the businesses (bars, stores, bakery) were super supportive of pilgrims. We often had pilgrims who were brought to us for care or who saw the light in the church tower and were then brought to us by townspeople even at night. There is no real oven in the albergue so we always took anything that needed to be baked (chicken, casseroles, etc.) to the panaderia to be cooked before evening Mass and then the whole albergue would go back to get it together and "sing for our supper" in the middle of the street as payment for the service. Susana would return our meal to us after the need for songs had been satisfied and usually issued some crazy wigs or hats to those who were to carry it all back to the albergue. Grañón is really a special Camino community. Townspeople are very proud of the albergue and they are thrilled that it is now reopened for Pilgrims.I'm making a note of this. I so love good bread. Mind you I'm down 35 pounds this year so I probably should stay away from the bread until the Camino. Then I'm eating all of it haha.
We are glad the photos bring you joys. We do not use the camera well, just snapped anything interested us.@NobleHiker, I had missed seeing your thread until now, but for starters I am enjoying all your photos.
Thank you for the info! That's wonderful. I cannot wait to visit!It is right on the main drag past the square and the church. Also a small tienda on the same side of the street is run by another community family. As hospitaleros in Grañón all the businesses (bars, stores, bakery) were super supportive of pilgrims. We often had pilgrims who were brought to us for care or who saw the light in the church tower and were then brought to us by townspeople even at night. There is no real oven in the albergue so we always took anything that needed to be baked (chicken, casseroles, etc.) to the panaderia to be cooked before evening Mass and then the whole albergue would go back to get it together and "sing for our supper" in the middle of the street as payment for the service. Susana would return our meal to us after the need for songs had been satisfied and usually issued some crazy wigs or hats to those who were to carry it all back to the albergue. Grañón is really a special Camino community. Townspeople are very proud of the albergue and they are thrilled that it is now reopened for Pilgrims.
Phil and I served at San Miguel in summer 2019. Sorry the water was cold for you. There was always something that needed some repair while we were there, too.
I have been very lucky to be a hospitalera at Grañon two different years and it was a treat to live in the friendly village for two weeks and get to know Susanna, the baker who helped me learn some Spanish, and Irina and Amadeo, owners of My Way, the wonderful bar across the street from the church. Grañon is a very special place!The owners at Panadera Jesus are wonderful bakers. They use a traditional bread oven and also bake meats and casseroles for the townspeople on holidays Susana the wife speaks excellent English and they are very involved in support of the Camino and with the paroquial albergue in town. Glad you were able to stop there.
Thank you, I will look for it tomorrow if the leg doesn’t get better. I am counting on the self healing capacity of a human body. We shall see. I did walk around a little looking for foods last night and did not notice the pain.buy some of this stuff and apply morning and night.
The bird you saw was a stork. I am surprised you have not seen them before. They are usually all over the cliffs by Najera. The walk to Hontanas was probably a muddy slog. It is one of those places you do not see until you are there.23 Apr 2022
We did not have a good night sleeping last night. The snoring was fine, we got used to that now. It was something new. There was a young man from Sweden in the room. He did not keep his phone on vibrate; so about 1:00 am, the phone rang twice. He answered and spoke on the phone at length both times. It was hard to come back to a deep sleep afterward.
We drifted back to sleep and woke up 6:45am. We got ready and went to breakfast which we paid 3.50 EUR for. The breakfast was simple with toasts, cereals, orange juice and milk. There was coffee but we did not think we needed it.
View attachment 123453
The thing about an “all you can eat” is that it enticed people to eat more than they should. So did we. Nobody had two glasses of milk and two glasses of orange juice. I had eight (yes, eight) pieces of toasts with four bars of butter, a pack of crackers, and two packages of soft cake. Nobody and I were fully stuffed.
We took off at 7:50 am. It was cold (4 Celsius) with light sprinkling.
The stretch to Tardajos was bland with typical city parks and city sidewalks.
View attachment 123454View attachment 123455
The light sprinkling continued 10:15am when we reached Tardajos.
Tárdanos had an interesting church with a nice bell tower. A large bird, looks like a crane, had built a nest on the bell tower.
View attachment 123457
Ad soon as we left Tardajos, all h$&&, broke loose. The rain came down hard. The wind howling in excess of 20 mph. The strong wind pushed the water where it should not go. After awhile, our clothes were 95% wet.
The wet clothes stuck to our body causing out body temperature dropped rapidly. We knew we could not go far today. We were quite sure the 15 or so pilgrims on the Camino at that time felt the same.
Five kilometers to Hontanas, we were broken. All we could do at that time was putting one foot in front of the other.
The Albergue Juan de Yepes could not had came a moment too soon. We came in to get bed at 3:30pm, soaking wet.
We got a bed with out a reservation. There were two Korean pilgrims and an Australian already unpacking when we arrived. Immediately, four more came in after we did. It seemed all pilgrims started in Burgos stopped at Hontanas.
After cleaning up, we had a couple beers with CJ and Freeman from Seoul while waiting for dinner.
Dinner served at 6:30pm. Salad, rice, and dessert. The rice, cooked with chicken, was full of flavor. We had good conversations with fellow pilgrims. And everyone loved Nobody.
View attachment 123460
Cost for for today
1. Three beers: $3.86 (3.60 EUR)
2. Dinner: $12.95 (12.00 EUR)
3. Bed: $12.95 (12.00 EUR)
bloody genius haha. I wonder if the local grocery manager will think I'm peculiar when he see's me scoping out the produce bags next trip!it is not rocket science. I usually bring light weight produce bags. I also bring 3 pairs of socks and hike with double socks. I usually put the bag between a pair of socks but you can wear over sock too.
Wow, when we have stayed at Juan de Yepes they didn't serve dinner until 8 pm! Same meal though, chicken paella.23 Apr 2022
We did not have a good night sleeping last night. The snoring was fine, we got used to that now. It was something new. There was a young man from Sweden in the room. He did not keep his phone on vibrate; so about 1:00 am, the phone rang twice. He answered and spoke on the phone at length both times. It was hard to come back to a deep sleep afterward.
We drifted back to sleep and woke up 6:45am. We got ready and went to breakfast which we paid 3.50 EUR for. The breakfast was simple with toasts, cereals, orange juice and milk. There was coffee but we did not think we needed it.
View attachment 123453
The thing about an “all you can eat” is that it enticed people to eat more than they should. So did we. Nobody had two glasses of milk and two glasses of orange juice. I had eight (yes, eight) pieces of toasts with four bars of butter, a pack of crackers, and two packages of soft cake. Nobody and I were fully stuffed.
We took off at 7:50 am. It was cold (4 Celsius) with light sprinkling.
The stretch to Tardajos was bland with typical city parks and city sidewalks.
View attachment 123454View attachment 123455
The light sprinkling continued 10:15am when we reached Tardajos.
Tárdanos had an interesting church with a nice bell tower. A large bird, looks like a crane, had built a nest on the bell tower.
View attachment 123457
Ad soon as we left Tardajos, all h$&&, broke loose. The rain came down hard. The wind howling in excess of 20 mph. The strong wind pushed the water where it should not go. After awhile, our clothes were 95% wet.
The wet clothes stuck to our body causing out body temperature dropped rapidly. We knew we could not go far today. We were quite sure the 15 or so pilgrims on the Camino at that time felt the same.
Five kilometers to Hontanas, we were broken. All we could do at that time was putting one foot in front of the other.
The Albergue Juan de Yepes could not had came a moment too soon. We came in to get bed at 3:30pm, soaking wet.
We got a bed with out a reservation. There were two Korean pilgrims and an Australian already unpacking when we arrived. Immediately, four more came in after we did. It seemed all pilgrims started in Burgos stopped at Hontanas.
After cleaning up, we had a couple beers with CJ and Freeman from Seoul while waiting for dinner.
Dinner served at 6:30pm. Salad, rice, and dessert. The rice, cooked with chicken, was full of flavor. We had good conversations with fellow pilgrims. And everyone loved Nobody.
View attachment 123460
Cost for for today
1. Three beers: $3.86 (3.60 EUR)
2. Dinner: $12.95 (12.00 EUR)
3. Bed: $12.95 (12.00 EUR)
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?