Rambla de Mar

Friday lunchtime, this place is never quiet!

Tried twice to visit the docks and all the boats, the first time I
just got thoroughly soaked. Tried again an hour later and made it.

During a leisurely lunch at one of the dockside restaurants, I watched
the sailing vessel Cervantes Sa Avedra dock. A very leisurely
process. It took nearly an hour to get itself sorted but didn't seem
to be in any hurry.

To be fair, I think most of the time was spent waiting for two port
authority workers to show up.

Being on the docks in a prime tourist area, every person eating in the
restaurant seems to speak either English or German. Mostly Americans
from the cruise ships.

Soaked again on the way back to my hotel. Now for a siesta and will
try walking-about later - might wear my waterproof pants next time!

Cheers
John

Barcelona

Yes, it's not the Camino but rather it's Las Ramblas in Barcelona.

I've now started the return journey to Australia with a quick flight
from Santiago to Barcelona. On Monday I begin the arduous ordeal of
the flight back to Australia. Give me a 37km walk any day!

The newspapers and TV news have been giving quite a bit of coverage to
the snow, especially in Galicia. I do feel for the peregrinos who are
still walking. I really was very lucky to have such a dream run with
the weather, only 4 seriously wet days while walking from Logrono.

Speaking of Logrono, the albergue I stayed at on the first night
stands out for me as my best albergue experience. It was one of the
best nights for me on the whole camino. Subsequent experiences varied
from OK to horrid but I can't say I'm a fan of that style of
accommodation.

Another positive experience was a brief but happy one. It was meeting
the priest in Boente. Instead of the usual locked church, this small
church was open and the priest stood outside warmly greeting everyone
who passed.

Several times similar things happened. Leaving Burgos, a gentleman
gave me a long lecture (in Spanish) about a Camino-related statue. He
was enthusiastic about the Camino and and left me feeling emergised
despite the light rain that was falling.

Another time I was feeling very weary with quite a way to go and a
French-Canadian couple came along and we chatted for a while. They
quickly left me behind but I felt much better for the company. I saw
them again in Santiago as they set off for Finisterre.

As happened last year, I haven't recovered from the tiredness that I
experienced on the last couple of days of the Camino. I think this is
due to abandoning my gluten-free diet during the walk. I should
recover quickly once I'm back on the straight-and-narrow.

I managed a good gluten-free meal on my last night in Santiago.
Malaysian style fried rice served in a Turkish restaurant. No soy
sauce but it was delicious.

Cheers
John

Santiago Day 2

Ah! Cafe Rosalia, the best pinchos and tapas in town. This little
bar/cafe in Rua Do Franco (eat street!) is a special place where Gen
and I spent much time last year. It combines good service, a warm
atmosphere and great food. I had a fabulous lunch of various pinchos
and vino tinto, as tradition requires.

Earlier I had wander the streets before going to the Cathedral for the
daily, midday pilgrim mass. Much less crowded than in May but still
more peregrinos than I expected.

At the Cathedral I met up with Vernon and Hilda, I last saw them just
before Burgos - such a long time ago. We had drinks at the Parador
where they are staying. One day I will have to stay in that fancy
establishment instead of just visiting.

The snow yesterday fell in Cebreiro and on areas above 1000m, more is
expected today. Pity the poor peregrinos still walking in such
conditions.

I saw little wildlife while walking, the path is probably too well
travelled. This may be just as well! Yesterday, a 100kg, 180cm bear
was killed by a truck near Trabadelo. Trabadelo is between
Villafranca del Bierzo and Vega del Valcarce, an area where the camino
travels thru some fairly rugged terrain.

I had read in the local papers that bear and wolf attacks on livestock
are becoming more frequent in Spain (as best as I could translate the
articles). Could make walking in Spain even more interesting.

Tomorrow I fly to Barcelona for a few days before flying back to
Australia. I am not going to walk on to Finisterre, it's a walk too
far for me at present and it's too cold!

Cheers
John

A Timely Arrival

The big story on the local news tonight is all the SNOW that has
fallen. Looks like about 6-10cm in places.

Now I'm not sure where this snow has fallen but it is the local news
so I'm guessing it's here in Galicia.

I thought is was cold today!

Cheers
John

Sent from my iPhone

Santiago!!!!

A chill morning with alternating spots of weak sunshine and very cold
showers saw my slow progress into Santiago.

For some reason I have run out of energy today, doesn't matter as I'm
now safely ensconced in a nice hotel.

Made it to town at 12:20, so went straight to the Pilgrim Office and
completed the formalities for my 'Compostella'. Then after finding
accommodation went to 'eat street' for a bit of lunch.

I couldn't find our favourite cafe, as I can't recall it's name, I'll
have to try again later with glasses on. Contact lenses are good for
me for walking but a real limitation the rest of the time.

The travel desk which is situated under the Pilgrim Office was
unattended so I'll have to try there later too for a flight or train
back to Barcelona.

Cheers
John

Arca

Last night's spruikers were advertising the Circus Aquatico which is
pitched here in Arca.

The rain started during the night and continued for most of the day -
one up for the weather forecasters. Todays walk was on easy trails,
mostly thru pine and eucalyptus plantations.

Hunting is BIG in Spain, throughout the walk the sound of double-
barelled shotguns has been a constant companion. Although there were
hunters galore in Rabanal I hadn't seen any in action until Melide.

Near Melide, I came across two hunters and their pack of small dogs.
They were working the edges of the path for whatever game they were
after. Their game sacks were empty at that stage. Each hunter was
armed with an old-fashioned, side-by-side, 12g shotgun complete with
sling.

Most of the time the guns are close-by but out of sight. Makes me
glad my pack and wet weather gear are brightly coloured. Also saw the
sign of fustrated hunters, several eucalyptus trees showing the
obvious signs of shotgun blasts.

Three four-stroke trail bikes passed me today. Judging from their
luggage and adornment (scallop shells etc) they are 'doing the camino'
in their own way.

Probably not Spanish riders, most of the local trail bikes are two
strokes. One feature of two stroke motorbikes here is the use of
expansion chambers rather than mufflers, this gives the bikes a very
distinct (and loud!!!) sound.

Tomorrow Santiago!

Cheers
John

Arzúa - Sunday Afternoon

The countryside looks so pretty but 30km through this with backpack
does hurt!

Again, a light frost this morning followed by a sunny day reaching
20C. Unfortunately the forecast is for a drastic change overnight,
low temperatures and heavy rain.

I've had fabulous weather so far so I'll just gave to wear it.

There have been cows (lots of cows), sheep, chickens and a few goats
along the way. But very few horses, made up for that today after
seeing nearly a dozen ponies as I entered Melide.

Melide was jam-packed! There were market stalls all over the place
and dense crowds of people. Helpfully, people kept pointing out the
pilgrim route thru town - I would never have found my way otherwise.

Arzúa us a 'road town' it stretches for over a kilometer along the
main road but doesn't go back very far from that road at all. It was
very quiet as I walked in but someone is driving around town with loud-
speakers on his car spruiking some 'spectacular'. Haven't worked out
what it's all about yet.

Cheers
John

Palas De Rei

The photo shows one of the better rest spots on the way today. Last
year, Gen and I stopped here for a break and chatted to Dick and Mary
from the USA.

Today, I stopped for lunch of tuna empanada and beer in the adjacent
cafe/bar. After lunch I chatted to Rory and Katrina from Dublin.

It's a good spot for a rest as there are still about 5kms to go to get
into town.

About 1km out from Palas, there is a sports centre, Centro Deportivo.
Today it was full of people, through open doors I could see what
looked like one thousand people sitting down to lunch. The music was
going full belt and many of the older people were in costume.

The day started out with very heavy fog that didn't clear until mid
morning. A bit chilly but good walking weather, once the sun came out
it was a glorious day.

The distance from Portomarin to Palas is listed as 26.1km. Mostly on
very good tracks and paths. Through hilly countryside with broadacre
farms, lots of tree plantations and with scattered house but few
villages.

The whole day seems to be gently uphill.

Saw a eucalypt plantation and these will be more common as we approach
Santiago.

I don't seem to have as much stamina as earlier on and I'm travelling
at a slowish rate, but get there in the end. I am oftened passed by
younger people who soon disappear into the distance.

One young lady from Germany is particularly fast. She is not tall and
carries a very big pack, she walks very fast with short, quick steps.
Each time she goes by we say hello, and each time she goes by I find
that I pass her again soon after - as she takes another rest.

The farm dogs have changed along the Camino, at least in a very broad
way. Initially there were lots of very big, white-coated dogs. Then
slighly smaller yellow-coated animals. Now, the majority seem to be
dogs that look like german shepherds.

'Summer' time here ends tomorrow, although I'm not scared that summer
time will fade curtains, the earlier start of daylight will be great.
It means that I can get on the road by 7:30am instead of after
8-8:30am. This will fit the daily schedule much better.

Cheers
John

Only 90km To Go!

Late afternoon in Portomarín. After lunch, washing done, lazing in
bed till just before dinnertime. Later I'll dress and wander around
town for a bit of sightseeing and dinner.

A typical day starts when the alarm goes off at 6.50am, this is
usually ignored. After a couple of presses of the snooze button, I'll
wash, dress and pack. Then pay for my room and start walking. I'll
usually drink a couple of glasses of water before leaving and ensure
the waterbottle is full.

I set out between 8.00 and 8.30am but it isn't really light until
after 8.30. I travel fairly slowly at this stage because it can be
very hard for me to see the way markers until it is fully light (not
really great at seeing them then either......).

Generally after 1 to 2 hours travelling, I find somewhere for coffee
and a bite to eat. Then back on the road, hopefully with a break
every couple of hours or so. Although breaks depend on many things,
like weather, company, location of nice bars etc.

Walking is mostly completed between 2 and 4pm, although a couple of
days have finished after 6pm. Today, for instance, I finished walking
at 2.40pm.

After finding a room, it's shower, laundry and a late lunch or snooze
- depending on my condition and just how late it is.

Much of Spain shuts down at 2.00pm and doesn't reopen until between 4
and 6pm. So sightseeing is best left until everything has reopened.
Also, dinner is not usually available until after 8pm or so, which
makes getting to bed early a bit difficult.

So that's the outline of a typical day.

Passed the 100km to go marker this afternoon, and now have just under
90km to go. Should take another four days of walking.

The season is quite different from walking in spring. Many things are
closed and there is only minimal outdoor dinning now. The riverside
dinner area in Sarria, which was bustling in May was virtually
deserted last night.

The number of peregrinos, which had fallen away dramatically over the
last little while, seems to have doubled since Sarria. This is
probably due to the number of 'short walk' peregrinos who must walk at
least 100km to qualify for their Compostela. Still, the total number
of peregrinos on the way seems much less than in May.

Galicia is as green as ever, quite a contrast to the meseta and even
to El Bierzo. The paths are now very good and not too difficult.

Cheers
John

Portomarín

Hi from sunny Portomarín. A beautiful day, light frost this morning,
a very gentle breeze and now a sunny 17C.

The extra two hours of walking yesterday were certainly felt today. I
was much slower up the hills than normal but it didn't matter, I just
took it easy and eventually reached my goal.

The terrain was superb today. Rolling hills with intensively worked
fields, a hive of activity at present. One key characteristic of this
area is the delineation of the small fields and pathways by dry-stone
walls. Very rustic.

Another feature is all the 'horreos', the little raised houses for
storing corn (pictured). Some of these are plain and functional but
many are elaborately decorated.

Portomarín is one of those towns that has been moved to make way for a
large (but now nearly dry!) dam. I don't know where all the water
went the lake is nearly drained, quite a contrast to last year.

Cheers
John

Perro Peligroso

Today was unusual in an odd way. For the first time I encountered
agressive dogs. Not once but on a few separate occassions.

Twice I was actually attacked, once by a small terrier that posed no
real threat and once by a fair sized dog that meant business.
Fortunately, my loud voice and the pointy end of my walking stick
prevented any contact.

These events were most unusual and probably occurred because I was off
the usual pilgrim route. But it shows how valuable walking sticks can
be!

Cheers
John

Sent from my iPhone

Samos & Sarria

A very frosty morning heralded a fine but cool day.

Leaving town I had a choice of going directly to Sarria or re-visiting
the monastery at Samos on the way.

Samos adds 6.5km to the but what-the-heck. So I went to the monastery
arriving 15 minutes before the next guided tour. As I waited,
peregrinos came and went, too busy to look inside the monastery they
had gone out of their way to visit?

So I was given a personal tour by the guide, which was great. Instead
of the usual Spanish language tour with a few words in English I was
got the whole story in English.

Leaving Samos I followed the recommended route into the hills and
promptly got lost. Two solid hours of tramping finally got me back to
a place from where I could navigate to Sarria.

Needless to say it turned into a long day!

Cheers
John

Triacastela

Started the day with a bit of a howler. I paid for my room and after
a coffee headed off. Fifteen minutes later, I realized I hadn't
retrieved my passport from the hostal. So I trudged back for it
before setting off again.

Cebreiro was in the clouds and the icy wind was howling. For the
first time on this trip I was fully kitted-up, with a jumper under my
jacket, waterproof pants on and even gloves. I needed every bit of it
to keep the cold at bay.

Initially the mist was too dense for any sightseeing but it thinned
after a couple of hours. Then the magnificent hills came into view.

I stopped eventually for breakfast and asked for tortilla as usual.
The proprietor didn't have any prepared tortilla so she went and
cooked a delicious, light and fluffy omelet for me. Coffee, softdrink
and omelet cost 4.90€, great value.

Made it to Triacastela by mid afternoon and booked into Casa David,
a good spot where Gen and I stayed last year. Even better than last
year the heating is on!

Caught up with laundry, I was too tired to do it yesterday. It's now
on the line as it's much warmer but still windy at this lower altitude.

Luckily this blog doesn't have smell-o-vision. The aroma of all the
cattle stables lining the route really cleans out ones nostrils!

Met up with another Aussie, Ed, who I had not seen for several days.
At 5.00pm he was planning to walk the further 10km to Samos in order
to see the monastery there. A very long day.

In Galicia there are regular distance distance markers along the
way. Just before town I passed one saying 130km till Santiago.

Cheers
John

O Cebreiro

A bit of a grueling walk today. I set out from Villafranca in cool,
cloudy weather. And with the firm intention of stopping at Vega del
Valcarce (23km).

Of course, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The problem
was that I got to Vega a bit early - so just a little further ......

Then I was slogging up the hill to O Cebeiro in the driving rain.
Well I might as well keep going, it's only the cold, the exhaustion
and the pain that gets in the way.

So a bit over 30km travelled, but with the last mountain range climbed.

I finally trudged to O Cebreiro and the girl following me cries out
"what a beautiful mountain!". It's shrouded in rain and my legs hurt
like hell, yes it must be a beautiful mountain!! Argh!!!!

Had a couple of wines with Amelie and some other French peregrinos,
they are celebrating a compatriot's birthday, so don't want to intrude
over dinner.

Luis and I, I met Luis on the way up, drank red wine and discussed
many things over dinner. He is from Ponderrada but now lives in Madrid.

Luis is into film and is trying to complete a novel while working as a
barman. Our wide-ranging discussions were interesting and fun.

It was great to talk extensively with someone who really knows this
area!

The worse the day (physically), the better the day!

Cheers
John

Villafranca del Bierzo

Yet another glorious sunny day in Spain. The 23km from Ponderrada
should have been an easy stroll but it was really quite tiring. I
think the previous days descents took a bit of a toll.

Crossed the Bierzo wine district with all the vineyards clothed in
autumnal colours, reds, golds, yellows etc. It all looked superb.

Leaving Ponderrada is a longish stretch along the road before one is
diverted into the rolling hills. Walked for a while with a Canadian
couple from Ottawa.

Villafranca nestles in a deep valley and is hidden from view until the
last minute.

I now suspect one of the hotels in town does not take peregrinos.
They were full last year when Gen and I came through, and full today
when the town is really quiet. A bit odd. Also, the Parador is no
longer advertised.

Found a cheap, clean hotel before heading down for some lunch (at
3.30pm). Met up with some of the French and Spanish peregrinos for a
drink.

Highlight of the day, so far, was seeing and talking to two cycling
peregrinos. A couple, he from Melbourne and she from Canada. The
unusual bit was that they are each towing a trailer behind their
bikes. In the trailers is all their camping gear and, one in each
trailer, their two dogs.

The dogs get to watch the world go by as their owners struggle up the
hills. It's a good life for a dog.

Cheers
John

Ponferrada

A glorious Sunday night in Ponderrada, the evening promenade is in
full swing.
This an institution in Spain, where people dress up in their best
clothes and meet and greet friends and family on the inner city
streets. They seem to eat and drink quite sparingly but socialise
heavily.

The Templar castle looks magnificent now that restoration work is
complete. Of course, it closed at 2.00 this afternoon (I arrived at
3.30) and doesn't reopen till Tuesday - I'll be long gone by then.

The walk today was tough due to the steep descents, especially into
Acebo. Otherwise it was a beautiful day. Walked again in sandals, much
easier than boots for the steep descents - nothing in front to crush
ones toes.

Passed Alto Polo which at 1515 metres is the highest point on the
Camino. Last year walking up these hills was really hard for me and I
was always soaked in sweat, today I cruised up without a sweat and
only just puffing on the steep bits.

From Molinaseca I walked with two French peregrinos (I met them
separately over the last few days). Amelie works for a French saddle-
maker and has worked as a jillaroo in Australia.

She is making a photo record of everyone she meets along the way.

I couldn't catch the Frenchman's name, it's a name I'm not familiar
with and it seemed rude to try to get him to repeat it again. His
English is limited but better than his Spanish or my French, he is one
of the very few people I have been able to assist with the local lingo.

We shared a similar love of the villages in this area.

Cheers
John

Foncebadon

A cool and very cloudy day. Very nice weather for a walk.

First, a little correction, Don Suero de Quinones defended the long
bridge between Puente de Orbigo and Hospital de Orbigo.

I walked the 21.4km to Rabanal Del Camino thoroughly enjoyed the
change from meseta to hills. Passed thru a couple of really pretty
villages, Murias de Rechivaldo and Santa Catalina de Somoza.

Arrived in Rabanal and felt like continuing so headed uphill to
Foncebadon. Once virtually abandoned, this village is now thriving,
quite different to what we saw last year.

The extra km today make it now reasonable to go to Ponferrada tomorrow.

Found a nice hotel/refugio in Foncebadon so took a private room. Only
problem was the space-age shower, it didn't come with instructions!
Managed to work it out eventually.

Cheers
John

View from leather chair as I enjoy lunch.

This is from the bar downstairs. Croquettas and beer lunch in a smoke-
free bar!

Today has been a good day (and it's only lunchtime). Just 17km to
Astorga and my feet are much better.

I have worn that ultimate peregrino fashion statement of sandals and
thick socks for the last two days. Much easier on the feet! The
boots may not reappear unless it rains.

There is a shorter and more direct route from Hospital to Astorga,
16km, along the main road. Instead I chose the slightly longer route
that goes over the hills. Having maps of the route in my guidebook
really helps, we didn't have this resource last year and sorely missed
it.

The hills were gentle and very pretty. They were alive with the
steady chuffing of old diesel tractors as all the fields need
preparation for the next planting.

Went thru a couple of pretty villages (we must be off the meseta!).
Villar de Orbigo and Santibanez de Valdeiglesia were hives of
agrarian activity, in stark contrast to many we have traversed.

One of the villages has a story around it's bridge. A knight vowed to
defend the bridge against all comers. Knights from all over Europe
came to challenge him. He successfully defended the bridge until he
had shattered 300 lances, then he retired undefeated to give thanks
for his success.

I'm sure this story has inspired many imitations in fiction And film.

Cheers
John

Gaudi's Bishops Palace, Astorga

Alternative title: View out my bedroom window.

Hospital de Orbigo

Moving quite slowly today due to sore feet, I had a tremendous feeling
of déjà vu.

First, after breakfast at the hotel, I had to decide how to manage the
distance to Astorga. The guidebook recommends a 23km walk to Mazarife
and then a 30km day to Astorga. I don't really want to do a 30km day
until my feet are better (or never maybe).

So I decide to return to Hospital de Orbiga and then do a short day
into Astorga. Well, Hospital is 35km from central Leon but only 25km
from Virgen del Camino (an outer suburb of Leon).

This is where experience counts, I had walked those mean streets of
Leon before and had no need to repeat the experience. So a quick taxi
ride saved me 10km for the day and took me to the same modern church
in Virgen that I remembered from last year.

After surviving the scowls of two fellow peregrinos as I exited the
taxi, I hobbled off. I think they disapproved of my use of a taxi.
Slowly but surely the déjà vu set in. Gen and I hobbled this same
road last year with sore, sore feet (we had walked those ten km
through urban Leon in new boots!).

For 4.4km we had watched that water tower at San Martin appear to
never get any closer as we marched (I was sure it moved further away
if you stopped looking at it).

On reaching San Martin, I went to the same bar for refreshment, was
served by the same young ladies and used the same (still) unfinished
bathroom. Then I soldiered on for the final 7km to Hospital where I
booked into the same Hostal with it's magnificent view of the bridge.

Unfortunately, won't have the same lovely dinner as the restaurant is
closed until next spring. There are two other bar/restaurants in town
so should be OK.

From now on I will be on familiar turf, that will make things a
little easier. Constantly dealing with unknown places and an
unfamiliar language is quite ardous when alone.

Cheers
John

The Little Water Tower of Horrors

San Martin

Leon - Day 2

The photo was taken from my Cafe table as I enjoyed lunch, not a bad
outlook!

Have hit all the museums again and just enjoyed a half day of sight-
seeing. Even managed to find an English language newspaper to enjoy
with lunch.

Stocktake: Logrono 634.2km to Santiago. Leon 326.1km to Santiago. So
I've walked 308.1km, plus another 40km for San Millan which adds up to
348.1km done and just the 326.1km to go.

Please note that all distances are rubbery, no two guide books appear
the same and signposts are just unreliable. At one point, two other
pilgrims and I covered 40km in 15 minutes - rather remarkable on foot
- if we believe the signposts.

So, more than half done and an estimated 14 days minimum to get to
Santiago.

Physial condition: two very sore feet. Which just proves that one
pays a high price for rushing, although I am very glad to get off the
meseta. The legs can go all day but the feet wear out sooner.
Solution - don't do 37km days and take more breaks.

The second physical problem is that I have completely lost my
appetite. This happened on the previous trips due to falling off my
gluten-free diet. The real problem is that if I don't eat I just
don't have the energy to walk. So I'm forcing myself to eat three
times a day but it is hard to finish any meal.

Trying to stay on a gluten-free diet is just not possible for me here,
the choice of foods is too limited and I just don't have the language
skills anyway, but I'm trying as hard as possible.

The hotel in Leon has free wifi which is marvellous. I have several
audiobooks on iPod which I love but they aren't much use when dinning
alone. So I've put several ebooks onto my phone. I can sit and read
these on screen anywhere, which helps avoid the discomfort of just
staring around the room while sitting in public. Just like paperbacks
really without the weight.

The iPhone is working out superbly for travel, nearly as good as a
computer while very small and light. If only the battery would last a
bit longer it would be ideal.

On a side issue, the fleas didn't make it to Leon with me. Before
leaving Australia, I treated my sleeping bag, sheet and backpack with
permethrin. The pesticide has worked wonderfully in keeping nasties
out of my gear. So now I can confirm it was the accommodations not me.

Still many peregrinos in Leon. Quite a few look to have worse feet
than mine but hopefully we will all recover quickly. Villages and
places to stay will be more frequent from now on, making it much
easier to manage reasonable days.

Cheers
John

Leon

A chilly departure from Mansilla developed into another glorious day.

I travelled slower today than any day so far, the long effort to get
to Mansilla has left me sore and exhausted. Didn't expect to recover
so slowly, just as well I'm stopping here for two nights.

An uneventful journey today but I should mention the dangerous entry
into Leon. Peregrinos must cross a major, dual-carriageway highway
from which the off-ramps are posted at 80kmh. It's dangerous in the
extreme and a disgrace for Leon.

Cheers
John

Mansilla de las Mulas

In Sahagun and Mansilla the battle rages. Who will win, the plump
human dinner or the fleas? It's 50/50.

The unfortunate facts of an Autumn Camino. Harassed by flies, wasps
and mosquitoes by day, one is subjected to the onslaught of fleas (and
mossies) at night.

Relieved that my dinners were fleas rather than bedbugs (yes, I know
the difference) I have evolved a simple strategy to get some sleep.

First, scour sheets for fleas - kill same. Then, coat oneself with
insect repellent - head to toe. Finally, get a little sleep. Must
buy some bug spray tomorow in Leon.

Today was a 37km marathon, I want to get to Leon. I've just had
enough of the meseta and the bugs! I guess it's just the wrong time
of year for this, can't imagine how it is in Summer.

Wrong time of year. Went to four hostel/hostal/hotel in Mansilla to
find one that was open. All 'cerrado' - closed. Accommodation and
food supply has reduced to meet demand, everything that is open is
full, just most things aren't open.

Met a lovely German couple as we scoured the streets for somewhere to
stay. Fortunately, their friends pointed us in the right direction.

Met Andreas and John from Germany (near Hanover) after dinner, they
are cycling the Camino on mountain bikes. They plan on 90km tomorrow,
I plan on 18.8km into Leon.

I keep having doubts about doing this thing, I'm not really into
pain. Then I meet nice people and it's all worthwhile.

Cheers
John

Sent from my iPhone

Sahagun

As I had dragged my feet yesterday, today I set out to power my way to
my destination. Leaving at 8.10am I reached Sahagun at 12.40, that's
23km including coffee breaks (2) in 4.5hrs. Not too shabby for an old
bloke.

The terrain was again mostly flat with a few easy inclines. Flies are
still an issue so I hope to get some repellent later today, along with
deodorant and toothpaste. Haven't run out yet but soon ......

Found a great Hostal in Sahagun, just off the Plaza Major. It's
called the Escarcha, lovely quiet rooms for 20€. Can tell how good a
room is by the smell of the towels, in Barcelona they smelt like beer,
in Castrojeriz like soap, in most places like cigarettes but here they
smell like lemons - much better.

Flat battery in my camera today after 472 photos - sooner than
expected. I have a spare battery but no charger, hope it lasts the
distance. Plus another 110 or so on the phone.

Passed through Terradillos de los Templarios which is apparently the
half way point between St-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Santiago. Yay!

My personal halfway point will be somewhere around Astorga I think,
still some time away. That takes into account my detour to San Millan
but not Santo Domingo de Silos, as I didn't walk to the latter.

Still 63km till Leon which should take two more nights but might do it
with one more stop - will see how tomorrow's walking goes.

I'm looking forward to Leon as it evokes fond memories, also, from
them on I will be on familiar terrain.

Cheers
John

Calzadilla de la Cueza

Torment. Yes, that is the word to describe today's walk. The walk
was a relativily easy if boring walk for 17km, most on a flat,
straight pathway through endless flat fields.

The route mostly followed the old Roman road, Via Trajana, which
linked the mines of Astorga to the rest of the Roman Empire. No
evidence of the Romans was visible. The pathway was surfaced in those
round pebbles that are murder on the feet while easily travelled.
There were no towns to break the 17km.

The fields were mostly fallow with a few in the process of being
plowed for the next crop. Several fields added to the atmosphere with
the pungent aroma of recent, very recent, coverings of cattle shed
manure.

Then there was the torment, clouds of flying insects that swarmed into
one's face, mouth, ears and eyes. They turned a modest days walk
into a nightmare.

I decided to stop early in Calzadilla to rinse out my eyes to remove
any remnant insect parts. Despite a good rinse with saline my eyes
are still very watery.

At dinner I stumbled on Judith, an Aussie staying at the same hotel
and a younger Aussie staying at the full Albergue. We invited a
Frenchman named Robert to join us at our table.

Robert is now into his sixth Camino, at 77 years of age he still
plans to do 35km tomorrow. During dinner the frequent question of why
one does the Camino came up and Robert told us his story.

To summarise, he and his wife set out on the Camino inspired by his
son who had completed the journey on a mountain bike. His wife became
ill and they returned home. After a long illness his wife passed away
but not before asking Robert to complete the Camino.

So he completed the Camino, and is now doing so for the sixth time
with the goal of being in Santiago by the 2nd of November - the
anniversary of the passing away of his wife.

I had met Robert several times over the last few days and he has
always been a charming if a little quiet and retiring. I now am most
impressed by him, he is a retired doctor who volunteered to provide
medical help to local villagers during the troubles in Algeria.

I started the day in pretty miserable conditions but go to bed relaxed
about the effort I will have to put in during the coming days - and
quietly inspired by some of my fellow peregrinos.

Cheers
John

Carrión

An easy walking day with just flat 'senda' pathways to follow.
Beautiful weather for walking, warm and sunny with just a bit of
cooling breeze.

The company I've managed to collect since Burgos are all departing
tomorrow for other parts. Most using buses to Leon to save time, some
heading home.

It is sad to loose travelling companions but inevitable on such a
journey.

At this stage, many are leaving the Camino as their time runs out.
Whole groups of European peregrinos are just abruptly stopping for the
year. So far it has been crowded but things may quieten down.

Today in Carrion we have found most restaurants closed until April '09
(6 out of the 7 we could find are closed for the season). The change
of seasons is impacting before the weather really changes.

Carrion is one of the prettier and more interesting places so far. At
least three monasteries and an equal number if huge churches.

Tomorrow I will set off again across the meseta to see what the camino
will bring.

Cheer
John

Frómista

The guidebook says 25.5km from Castrojeriz to Fromista but it seemed
like more.

Enjoyed a continental breakfast at Hotel La Cachava and started
walking later than usual, a bit after eight. The room, food and
washing machine were great but I worked out why it's a hotel rather
than a Casa Rural, they charge for everything, 2€ for water with
dinner (wine was included) and 7€ for do-it-yourself laundry. Oh
Well!

Left town just behind a large and noisy group of daypack peregrinos.
Overtook them on the ardous climb up to Alto Mostelares, very hard
work on the climb (for Canberrans, think Mt Taylor twice). The legs
were good but heart/lungs had trouble keeping up.

The day was very changeable, starting off cool but fine, then a very
cold mini-front came across with a little drizzle and the day ended
with sunny skies but very strong, blustery winds.

After the climb the path descended onto the meseta, very flat with
extensive cereal fields now harvested and showing just stubble. Later
on brought the Canal de Castilla which irrigates the whole area. The
path followed the canal for a couple of km, a better path and very
level.

Most of todays paths were surfaced with loose, hard round pebbles that
are murder on the feet. This is the most painful my felt have felt,
although no damage done.

Have seen very few peregrinos today, most would have left earlier and
there were few stopping places, the wind made it too unpleasant to sit
around outside.

Frómista takes the prize for most confusing town to work out, the
problem is that all the maps and guide refer to Plaza de San Martin as
the central focus of the town. The Plaza doesn't currently exist,
it's one big construction site. Hopefully it will be beautiful when
finished.

Finally found some accommodation at the Hotel San Martin, entry via
twisted back lane due to the construction site. Very cheap. I've been
in town for four hours and still haven't found the albergue.

The photo was taken from my hotel room.

Cheers
John

Castrojeriz

An pleasant 21km walk today. Started out very misty, so everyone
dressed for weather similar to yesterday's wind and rain.

The morning quickly cleared to a very pleasant, sunnny day with a bit
of cloud. The sunshine started the stubble field strip, as pilgrims
left the muddy track to get out of all the wet weather gear.

Most stopped for breakfast at Hontanas, after walking 11km. No other
options being available. I had the usual coffee, orange juice and
tortilla con patatas.

Castrojeriz was quite stunning from a distance, with it's massive
church at the bottom of a hill that is topped with a ruined castle.

Am in a small hotel, just a converted house really. Beautifully
fitted out but best of all with clothes washer and drier. So I'm just
finishing a load now -yippee - no hand washing tonight!

Cheers
John

Hornillos

Driving back into Burgos was interesting, the maps in my possesion
didn't cover the extensive suburbs. So took a while to get to the
right side of town and drop off the car.

Started walking about 11.00am, in light but steady rain. The new gear
is comfortable and easy to use.

Walked with an Aussie - Cindy, a Kiwi
- Rachel, a Norwegian - Stein and a Polish-German whose name I have
not yet mastered. Typical assorted Camino group.

Still raining. Hornillos is fully occupied, not a spare bed left. We
are in the overflow with no showers. But at least a bed.

A great Camino menu meal in the local bar and lots of vino tinto, so
all should sleep well. Very friendly but stretched town.

Cheers
John

Reunion at Vespers

Red wine and sunshile at lunchtime meant an extended siesta.

After keeping an eye out for Jim all morning, I had surrender to a
sound siesta. More sound than usual, I was awoken at 6.50pm by a call
from Jim.

Dressing rapidly, I bolted to the church for Vespers. It would be a
real shame to be here and miss the singing of the Benedictine monks.

Jim found me at the conclusion of the service. It was great to see him
again. We enjoyed a beer and then some wine while catching up, he
really should write a book on his most recent Camino from Seville to
Santiago! Some great stories.

In one of those odd coincidences, most of the people at lunch were
Australian. A group of friends doing a "Parador Tour" has come to
SDdS for lunch. Sadly, they left without seeing any of the ínside of
the monastery or any of the services.

Jim's tour group generously allowed me to join them for dinner. So a
second meal surrounded by Aussies in one day. They are travelling
from Lourdes and Fatima to Santiago. Seeing a great deal and having a
great time by the look of it. They will be in fabulous Astorga by
tomorrow night, it will take me around 10 days to walk there!

Jim and I are two of the luckiest guys around, each having a fabulous
spouse that encourages and supports our experiences. So thanks again
to Christine and Gen.

Cheers
John

Jim's Tour Group

SDdS Monday

A fabulous day! Had a lovely chat with Gen this morning and quite
galvanized to enjoy the day.

Started the day with the Benedictines for mass at 9.00am. The chants
are wonderful.

Then a quick desayuno of cafe-con-leche, zumo and tostada (coffee,
orange juice and toast).

All the tourist bits are closed on Mondays, so walked the hills to the
hermitages etc for the morning. Just georgeous. Watched the hay
cutting for over an hour.

Most cafes closed for Monday, but one provided a magnificent pollo
(chicken) lunch. Met a group of Aussies doing the Parador Route, ie
staying in the best hotels wherever they go. Didn't have a lot in
common.

Am looking forward to seeing Jim this evening but also to resuming the
Camino tomorrow. It's funny but after a few days as a tourist I am
aching to get back on the walk. There is something special about a
bit of hard yakka and the reward of getting to your goal for the day.

Cheers
John

Santo Domingo de Silos

Luxury, luxury, luxury! Ya gotta love it.

Have gone from last night's hell to a little bit of heaven-on-earth.

Last night my hotel in Burgos was invaded by yobs. From 2.00pm
Saturday to 5.00am Sunday they kept up an incredible noise of screams,
shouts and chants backed up with whistles and drums, inside and
outside the hotel.

When I left the hotel at 9.00am Sunday, some were still hanging around
the door abusing all who passed. I have no idea what the occasion was
but it was very unpleasant.

Glad to leave Burgos, I got into my hire car and headed south. I had
hoped for something European but got a Toyota Yaris, adequate for the
job bit a little breathless for the 120kmh freeway.

SDdS was easy to find and a perfect delight.

I wandered into the church to find the monks in full voice, magic!
Then lunch in the sun (it has finally warmed up a little), ensalada
mixta and lomo.

The luxury? Well, the hotel I booked into over the Internet costs
only 8€ more than Burgos but I have a huge, magnificent room complete
with jacuzi!
I only wish that Gen were here to share it with me.

Oh! And a happy birthday to Culver!

Cheers
John

Cafeteria Restaurante Casino

A cool and cloudy day in Burgos, not too bad if you are out of the wind.

Set out this morning to do all the sights of Burgos, made it to 46 out
of the 50 sights listed on my tourist map. Started with the Castillo
at the top of the hill and worked my way down.

At midday I picked up my hire car for the drive to Santo Domingo de
Silos. Hint to hire car companies world-wide, don't give your
customer the keys and point to a car that is double-parked in the
middle of a very bust street, especially in a country that drives on
the opposite side of the road. Hertz did you hear that!!

Not wanting the car till tomorrow I drove in circles for 30 minutes
looking for a parking spot. Eventually I found a legal spot about
1500m from my hotel, close enough.

Heading back into town, I looked for lunch and found a quiet table,
then a hundred people piled into my quiet restaurant. They were all
in suits and glad-rags, so some sort of event hand just finished.

I left and went back to the Casino, a quieter and easy place where I
had a relaxed lunch of pork and chips. Gen and I used the Casino last
year, it's a bit twee with lots of oldies and prams but good food and
good service.

Caught up with a young American who made it to Burgos on Friday, I
last saw him in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. He had spent an extra
day there to recover from a stomach bug. He is the only American
pilgrim I have met so far this time.

I think I have had enough time in town and can't wait to get back on
the road, Will set out early tomorrow just to get back into the
countryside.

Cheers
John

Burgos - Day 2

A very windy and chilly day in Burgos saw the end of my faithful
raincoat. My blue Mont coat was purchased in Hobart in about 1988.
It has accompanied me on many adventures ever since.

A large tear over the shoulder means that Monty is gone. So hello to
Gortex, we will see if this stuff is as good as claimed. The coat
plus matching pants set me back a whopping 288€, a considerable cost
but a big saving compared to gortex gear back in Australia. I just
hope it lasts as well as my blue coat.

Today started as a day for not finding things. Wanting to do my
laundry the easy way, I spent a great deal of time looking but never
found a laundrette. Detailed instructions from two different members
of staff (they sent me in opposite directions) didn't help. The
laundry is now handwashed and hanging in the bathroom.

Then I tried to find a shop I new which sells outdoors gear and coats
- no luck.

Next, I needed a bus ticket to go to Santo Domingo de Silos on
Sunday. Found the bus station but no buses on Sunday. Grrr

Finally, I found something. A Hertz rent-a-car outlet. So I've
booked their smallest car for a couple of days. Worked out quite
cheap but the thought of driving is a bit terrifying. Made sure I
have no excess to pay if things go a little pear shaped.

So, now feeling a bit relaxed I turned the corner adjacent to my hotel
and found the outdoors shop I had been looking for.

Sporting my brightly coloured coat, I found an Estrella de Galicia
restaurant. This is a Galician themed restaurant with outlets in such
places as Madrid, Vigo and Leon as well as here in Burgos. Gen and I
had eaten at their Leon restaurant. Fresh salad and croquettas for
lunch.

On the way back to my hotel for siesta, I said hello to a group of
pilgrims just in from St Juan. Their big grins and excitement at
reaching Burgos were a reminder of the best of the Camino.

Cheers
John

Burgos

A bittersweet day. Burgos is a major landmark on my way but I will
rest here for a couple of days before going to Santo Domingo de
Silos. So it is Buen Camino to all the peregrinos I have encountered
so far, I may not see then again.

The day started bitterly cold, I resorted to gloves which have not
been necessary before. Alto Atapuerca was the first obstacle, but not
too hard in the morning cold.

At the top of Alto Atapuerca were a series of spiralling stones. As I
wondered if this was a natural phenomenon or some ancient work, the
answer presented itself. Two peregrinos started adding stones to
expand the spiral, mystery solved.

Then a long hard slog into Burgos, asphalt for 19 of todays 27km.
It's odd how man-made surfaces hurt the feet so badly. Only 16C but
sunburnt on left side.

Found a cheap hotel inside the old city (35€ per night) but it's
bloody noisy, just as well I'm used to ear plugs.

Must get some sleep.

Cheers
John

Comments

Thanks to all who have posted comments. It's great to hear from
friends, family and anyone interested in my blog.

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love the comments so keep them coming!

Thanks
John

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St Juan de Ortega

Today was a couples day, Hilda and Vernon, Isabella and Reiner, Monika
and Wolfgang.

The day started with desayuno (breakfast), in a crowded bar I shared a
table with Hilda and Vernon. I had met them at dinner the previous
night.

H & V are doing the Camino supported by a company that books their
accommodation and transports their luggage. But this has some
pitfalls, today they walked to San Juan and then had to taxi back to
where we all started this morning as their are no hotels in San Juan.
They will taxi back to San Juan in the morning to start walking again.

H & V and I walked together most of the morning and had lovelly wide-
ranging discussions. We separated on this afternoons steeper hills.

I & R and I met as we were trying to find our way out of town this
morning. They are from Germany but now live in South Africa. I kept
meeting them during the day and shared a bottle of wine with them
after dinner.

Also sharing the wine were M & W, who are German but speak as much
English as I do German. Reiner was the glue - translating funny
stories into each language.

The first 12km today were cool and easy, the second 12 were over the
Montes de Oca. Hard work over a series of hills - with no towns or
respite in that second half.

Except, the Italians from Bologna have a support car. So their
support car went to the middle of the hills and offered every
peregrino cold water, wine, salami sandwiches and chocolate. It was
great fun.

There was much concern that there wouldn't be enough beds in St Juan
but all is OK, a new Hostal has eased the pressure.

I am staying in the albergue but had dinner in the comedor as it's the
only option in town. Shared the table with bloke from Poland, didn't
catch his name but he was notable as both an interesting person and
one of the very few whose Spanish is worse than mine .

San Juan is tiny but famous for it's pilgrim mass and blessing. A few
of us went but the service was most notable for how it ended. A group
we had seen during the day had continued on to Atapuerca but chose to
come back for the blessing. After the service had ended they treated
eveyone to a choral recital which was spectular given the superb
acoustics of the old church.

On a side note, the South Africans are friends with a group of ladies
from that country who walked the Camino in April/May 2007. From their
descipyion this is the same group Gen and I met on our first day out
of Roncesvalles in 2007.

Cheers
John