Day 9 Navarette to Azofra

Day 9 started early. We had found the early starts, proved to be cooler, we were able to finish earlier in the afternoons. This allowed us to secure a bed, take a much needed shower and wash clothes and do any shopping we needed and still have some time to relax. You wouldn't believe how much laying down for an hour in the afternoon rejuvenates your legs and body!

The path was mainly through open country. With fields and vineyards.

As we entered into Azofra, we saw a lot of activity in the main square. Men were cooking large pots of polenta. It is a type of cornmeal and usually with peppers and chicken or other meat added.

When we got to the albergue, we found they were filling up their fountain, and it sure felt good on a pilgrim's tired feet!

A typical bed--7 Euros

 

After check-in, we were told the town was in the third day of Fiestas. There was a big celebration in the city square. Everyone was invited. The cost would be 10 Euros which included all you could eat and drink. The fountain in the square was filled with bags of wine and you were given a 1 liter bottle to fill.

 

There was music and dancing, a local family basically adopted us, gave us some of their special wine and made us feel welcome.









 

It was a great time experiencing local culture. It was totally unexpected, but very much welcomed. This is one of the reasons I wanted to walk the Camino, to experience Spanish culture, not with a tour group, but on the local level.

 

We walked 23.2 km or 13.9 miles. Not as much as we had been averaging, but back on track. One thing we accidentally discovered, most people were using the same guidebook that we were using and some days it was harder to get a bed than others. By breaking up the stops between what the guidebook recommended, proved to make getting a bed easier.

Day 8 Logrono to Navarette

Date 8 started early like the previous week. But this day was proving to be different. I had met the group I was walking with on the Camino Forum prior to coming. We started together and with the exception of day 3, when I broke away when I was sick, we had walked together. We would make group decisions as to when to stop and how far to go each day. Some days I wanted to go farther, but others I was glad when we got to the albergue.

This day, the week before had caught up with the whole group. When we stopped in Navarette for a break, the group decided to make it a short day and let some of the group recover from the miles. Some of the group was having issues with blisters which is common on the Camino. I only had a couple of small ones and they never caused any pain.

We settled in an albergue and shopped and had a picnic lunch. We were able to recover a bit. This extra stay put us a half day behind the guidebook, but we felt the rest was more important.

We spent the afternoon just relaxing, fixing blisters and reflecting on the trip so far. This day we only walked 9.3 km or 5.6 miles.

Day 7 Los Arcos to Logrono

Day 7 the guidebook recommended to walk to Logrono about 27.6 km or 17.8 miles. Another early morning start. I saw a lot of Spanish sunrises on the Camino.

We passed through a small village called Viana. There we were first greeted by a lady who offered us figs. It is common on the Camino for locals to offer food and drink to pilgrims. They are taught that helping a pilgrim along the way, they will receive a blessing.

In the village is Iglesia Santa Maria a 13th century church where the tomb of Cesare Borgia is located.

We walked another 10 km to Logrono. The others walked ahead of me, but when I caught up with them, we cooled our heels a bit!

After finding a place to stay, got a shower, washed clothes and looked around town. Saw the Catedral de Santa Maria de la Redonda.

The next day was to prove a turning point in our walking strategy. After walking 7 days, we have walked 101.9 miles, averaging 14.6 miles per day.

Day 6 Estella to Los Arcos

Day 6 found us up early again. One of the first interesting sights of this day was the Fuente del Vino at the back of the Bodegas Irache winery, there you can fill your water bottle with water or wine. The wine side was out of wine on this day.

 

And this is not why it was empty!

 

Not many settlements between Estella and Los Arcos. Lots of vineyards and open land. One interesting sights was The Fuente de Los Moros ( Fountain of the Moors), built in the 1200's for pilgrims to get water and wash. Many fountains were built for the pilgrims, who have travelled this path for over 1000 years. A lot of those fountains are still used today. Millions of pilgrims have walked the Camino!

 

Fuente de Los Moros
Jane, Doll, Pip and Jess



Passed through small village Villamayor de Monjardin, with splendid views and the 12th century San Andres Church.

 

San Andres Church



Continued the walk, Sometimes there are long stretches without any signs of civilization.

 

Los Arcos in the distance

Jane and Pip on the streets of Los Arcos

Spent the night in Los Arcos. Next stop is Logrono.

Day 5 Puenta la Reina to Estella

Day 5 began early. We started to get up and try to be walking by 5:30 and try to get café sin leche by 9 am. We also wanted to have 10 miles in before the sun got high in the sky. Today the guidebook recommended 21.9 km or about 13.6 miles. This area of Spain is a bit more open fields with a lot of long walks between towns. But, this does not mean the scenery was not worth the experience!



 

We are still 696.7 km or 432.9 miles from Santiago de Compostela! One thing the Camino give the pilgrim walking, is time to reflect on things. Things in your past, present and future. Then, you get a chance to reflect again! lol

One of the many Roman built bridges





Much of the country is used for agriculture. During the time I walked, the grapes were beginning to ripen. Towards the end, we actually saw workers harvesting some of the grapes.

One thing I did notice, was if a family had any space at all, they had a garden. It was a very important part of their livelihood!

Arrived in Estella, population about 15,000 people. I really didn't care to pass through larger towns due to the traffic and amount of people. But, the advantages were ATM machines to top off the Euro's and pick up most anything you may discovered you needed. You also have a wider variety of food choices. Supermarcados were a welcomed sight to pick up snack foods to eat along the way and to restock on your chocolate supply! Large chocolate bars were the standard! Nothing makes friends on the Camino better than sharing chocolate! lol

It is good to stay in a big city some, but, I prefer the small villages! Had a good night in Estella, but up early the next day and on the Camino again.

Day 4 Pamplona to Puenta La Reina

Day 4 started out finding me feeling a bit better. I started early about 5:30 and was walking alone in the streets of Pamplona. I had reached the outer limits of the city and began walking into the darkness using my headlight. I did not need it until now relying on Pamplona's street lamps. As I had just started walking getting adjusted to the darkness, I was having trouble finding the yellow waymarkers called "fleche amarillo", when I found an obscure one on a lamp pole. I noticed some other pilgrims behind me searching for markers too. I yelled at them and pointed to the markers, when out of the dark one yelled back "Snake?" I waited for them and it turned out to be the group I had been walking with from St. Jean Pied de Port. It was destiny! We laughed and caught up stories as we walked through Cizur Menor to a rise above town, where we stopped to rest a bit and eat a snack.

 

 

 As we were preparing to leave, we heard some voices coming up the hill. We waited to greet the fellow pilgrims and when they arrived there was Nigel, an Englishman walking to raise money for his church. We met him the first night, where we stayed in St. Jean. That is one thing you come to expect from the Camino, one day you walk with someone, the next thing you wonder where they went. Then next thing you know, they show up again. After the reunion we began a long trek uphill towards the Alto del Perdon.

As we walked, we could see the many windmills on the hilltop providing green power to Spain. We walked on up a steep hill to Alto del Perdon. The wind was very strong and you could tell why they put the windmills there.

From here, it was a very steep downhill descent. Here is where you really have to take care in not pulling a muscle or allowing your feet to slide in your shoes, that causes blisters!

We walked another 10 km to the town of Puenta La Reina.

We spent the night here, we got beds in an area that was partitioned off with blinds. 2 bunk beds per area. This is the night I was awakened by a French woman with her hands grasping my shirt with her face in mine shaking me because I was snoring. I came very close to knocking her out! I did not hit her, but caught myself. I told her to get out of my face and I described what I would do. She gathered her things and left the albergue. I felt bad about the incident, but, to be awakened with a stranger in your face shaking you, well, what would you have done?

By now, you all know I snore ( that was before my nose job! lol)

Day 3 Zubiri to Pamplona

Day 3 found me waking with a familiar feeling of coming down with a cold. I decided not to spread it to my new found friends and bid them goodbye and walked alone. The last few days of many hours of travel by planes, trains and walking had taken a toll on me. I had the crud! lol. Felt really bad, but no fever. I have ran a fever less than five times in my life, I don't run fevers. In fact, sometimes when I would feel sick, Id get in a hot bath or shower to raise my body temperature. But, out on the Camino, I did not have the luxury of a long hot bath or shower. I walked alone on the Camino all day. I stopped for a lunch I had packed from leftovers from the night before. I found a new friend to help me eat my lunch.

As I got to the edge of Pamplona, I walked what seemed like miles to get to the center of the city. Walking on sidewalks in the city is not my idea of the Camino. I was hurting all over and very tired. I met a couple of guys from Chicago. I warned them of my cold and to keep their distance, so we walked and chatted. It was a good thing I ran into them. We all were planning on going on to Cizur Menor, but one of them had a phone and checked up ahead and found out there were only 4 beds left. So, we decided to stay in Pamplona for the evening. Turned out to be the right thing to do for several different reasons not yet known.

After I checked in to the albergue in Pamplona, I walked around town a bit to see where the "running of the bulls" took place and decided to get one of the ice cream cones I saw Martin Sheen eat in the movie "The Way" in Pamplona.

Street where they "Run with the Bulls"

I settled in for the night with the hopes that tomorrow Id feel better and shake this cold!

Day 2 Roncesvalles to Zubiri

Well, day two began before daylight, we were all tired, but knew we needed to get an early start because this first week would be a conditioning period and our pace would be slower than normal. the air was brisk and actually chilly. While waiting for the others, I waited behind the building out of the wind. We started out, not with as much adrenaline as yesterday!

 

We stopped right after daylight to get coffee and snack. Most of the group opted for café con leche. I prefer café sin leche! The day's walk was uneventful, we were just happy to still able to walk with no blisters. We stopped about 2.5 miles short of the town the guidebook had recommended, in a town of Zubiri, population of about 400 people. The first two alburgues were full, so 4 of the group rented a hotel room. the other three of us kept walking and found an albergue, that was full but was letting the over flow stay in a gym for 4 euros. I didn't have a bed, but a nice mattress was just as good. After the mattresses were gone, the floor space and piece of cardboard went for 2 euros!

The evening meal was not as grand as the baked trout, the night before. a couple of girls from Australia and I went to a gas station and waited for them to bake fresh bread. We picked up cheese, meat, mayo, soft drinks ( one of the girls got a can of beer) and we had a feast of cold cuts and fresh bread. I slept good that night, I wasn't worried about snoring too loud in the gym! lol

The next day's developments started to concern me!

Day 1 St. Jean Pied de Port- Roncevalles

         Day one began with lots of excitement and anticipation. It also, began with a little bit of anxiety and uncertainty as to what the next month of the pilgrimage held for me and a small group from all over the world I had met the night before. It is 25.1 kilometers or 15.6 miles from St Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles over the French Pyrenees, about 4170 ft ascent.
The early morning adrenaline was pumping as we started out from our albergue and quickly started up the Pyrenees. The climb was well worth the spectacular views.

The climb didn't seem so bad, because several of us were talking and taking pictures, the excitement made us forget about the effort of the climb. Later, we would pay the price of the exertion. We made the first 5 miles in 2 and a half hours and stopped at Orisson, altitude about 3000 ft. Not a bad climb since we started at about 500 ft from St. Jean. We recharged with a coke and pastry and a gorgeous view!

We pushed on and steadily climbed the Pyrenees, where we found a nice vista to have lunch.

 

Then the walk began to level out a bit. You could still tell you were climbing in altitude, but it was not as hard as earlier. Then, we entered Spain! The only way we knew it, was there is a water fountain "Fontaine de Roland" and the map said so!

 

A nice walk through a shady lane and then down a steep wooded area and we arrived at Roncesvalles at about 4 pm. Nine hour walk and the dogs were very tired! The main Albergue administered by the collegiate church was full by then, so we got in the medieval hostel that is used for overflow. we were just happy to get a bed and shower and wash a few clothes.

 

 

Perhaps it was being so tired, or it really was the best baked trout I ever ate! Either way, the trout dinner at the hostel La Posada was delicious!

 

In the middle of the night, I was awaken by a very low sexy woman's voice in my ear asking me to turn over. then she explained it would stop me from snoring! lol

 

When I am extremely tired, I snore loud!

 

 

First day is said to be the hardest! 

 









Two Years to Update

Today's date July 5, 2014. I am planning another trip to walk the Camino de Santiago again exactly two years from the last one. what is so ironic, I am now updating my blog from September 2102. I knew it would take a few months the digest and process what I had experienced on my pilgrimage. so, here goes an attempt to recall my journey of 2012, before I embark on my 2014 trip!